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Their Mother watched them from the garden-gate. When they turned the corner and were out of sight, she went back into the house. She picked up Bot'Chan and hugged him. "Don't grow up yet, dear Sir Baby Boy," she said. Taro and Take met other little boys and girls, all going to school, too. They all had umbrellas and copy-books and sorobans. The children got to the school-house before the teacher.

"That's the way a little Japanese girl should feel," said her Father. "Now, come in and let us take a look at him." They found Bot'Chan awake. Take knelt down on the mat in front of him, to see him better. "Put your head down on the matting, Take," her Father said, and Take bowed her head to the floor. Then the Father took the Baby in his arms and placed his tiny foot on Take's neck.

Then came the Twins, looking quite proud, too. Then came Mother and Grannie and Bot'Chan and they looked proudest of all! When they got inside the gate, the Twins thought they were in fairyland. You would have thought so, too, if you could have been there with them. They saw so many wonderful things that day that if I were to tell you about every one of them it would fill up this whole book!

One day there wasn't any Baby at all, and the next day after that, there he was, looking very new but quite at home already in the little house in the garden, where Taro and Take lived. "Taro" means eldest son, and the Baby might have been called "Jiro," because "Jiro" means "second," and he was the second boy in the family; but from the day he came they called him just "Bot'Chan."

She lay with the wooden pillow under her head in such a way that her hair was not mussed by it instead, it looked just as neat as if she were going to a party. And it was just as nice as a party, because they all had such a happy time together watching the new baby. Bot'Chan acted just like all the other babies in the world. First he got his fist into his mouth by accident, and sucked it.

Take felt pleasant almost right away. They went into the house and hung the picture of the mother bird in the place of the crow, beside the spray of plum. When it was all done, this is the way the honorable recess looked. Take looked at it for a while, and then she said, "I don't believe I shall feel sorry about minding Bot'Chan after all, because I love him so much."

"This is her Temple, where people come to worship," the Father answered. "We are going to pray to her to-day to take good care of Bot'Chan always." "Did you ask her to take care of us, too?" asked Take. "Yes; we brought you both here when you were a month old, just as we are bringing Bot'Chan now," the Father replied. "Does she take care of all little children?" Take said.

"I will make it shine like satin," she said. The Mother got out her little mirror and sat down on the floor. The hairdresser stood behind her and began to take down the Mother's long black hair. Bot'Chan had been awake a long time. Taro was playing with him on the floor. The Mother called Take.

He had behaved beautifully up to that time, and I am sure if the incense hadn't gone up his nose he would have kept on behaving beautifully. But it did, and Bot'Chan sneezed just as the priest finished the prayer. Then he gave a great scream. Then another, and another. Three of them! The priest smiled. But the Father didn't smile. He gave Bot'Chan back to his mother just as quickly as he could.

Away off at the farther end of the Temple, the Twins could see a great altar. Banners and lanterns hung about it, and people were kneeling on the floor before it, praying. Before the altar was an open brazier with incense burning in it. "Come this way," said the priest. He led them to the altar. The Father took Bot'Chan from his Mother, and held him in his arms.