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He threw his arm about Rex's neck with a force of affection which almost knocked down the quartette. "Recky," he bubbled, "good old Recky bes' fren' ev' had I'm drunk, Recky too bad. We're both drunk. Take's home." Rex glanced at his cousin in dismay, and Strong repeated his invitation cordially. "Take's home, Recky," he insisted, with the easy air of a man who confers an honor.
He splashed a minute, then he said: "I guess a real truly Samurai would scream a little if he were boiled." His words made a big round sound coming out of the tub. Pretty soon it was Take's turn. She climbed into the tub. She splashed, too, but she didn't scream. Then she stuck her head over the edge of the tub. "I'm boiled, too," she called to Taro, "but I'm not going to cry."
He did not want to wake them, because it was still so early in the morning. So he crept softly along the floor to Take's bed, and whispered in her ear, "Wake up, wake up!" But she didn't wake up. Then Taro took a jay's feather which he had found in the garden the day before, and tickled Take's nose! First she rubbed her nose. Then she sneezed. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Taro.
The road you take's the path o' love, an' that's the bridth o' two An' I will walk with you, my lad O I will walk with you. "Why," he exclaimed, "that's beautiful! Riley knew how to put into words the things we all feel but can't express. Let's read the rest." Her voice blended with his and out in the adjoining room Millie heard and listened. Silently the hired girl walked to the open door.
The little girls looked at Take's dolls. They thought the doll-house the most beautiful toy they had ever seen, and when they saw the garden, you can't think how happy they were! "We wish our brothers would make gardens like that for us," they said. Taro felt proud and pleased to have them like it so much, but all he said was, "It is very polite of you to praise my poor work!"
There were the steps in the side of the room again, just where they were when Take had her birthday. And Taro had his dolls, too. They were not like Take's. They were soldier dolls, enough for a whole army. Taro set them up in rows, as if they were marching! There were General dolls, and officers on horseback, and bands. There were even two nurses, following after the procession.
Taro's and Take's letters were very big and queer-looking, and the paper got so wet that the teacher said, "Children, you may all carry your copy-books outdoors and hang them up to dry, and you may eat your rice out of doors." The children took their copy-books and their bags of rice and ran out. The Twins found a nice shady place to eat their luncheon. O Kiku San ate her rice with Taro and Take.
One of the beetles didn't wait to be taken out. He flew out himself. He was big and black, and he flew straight at Take! He flew into her black hair! Maybe he just wanted to hide. But he had big black nippers, and he took hold of Take's little fat neck with them. Take rolled right over on the floor and screamed. Her Mother heard the scream. She came running in.
She picked up her kimono. She turned her little nose up to the sky, and took a very long step. Taro came roaring after her. But just that minute Take's clog turned on her foot, and the first thing she knew she was flat on her stomach on the bridge! She forgot that lady giants didn't roar. Taro was roaring already. Their Father was ahead of them.
She had played with them on her birthdays, and then Take's Mother had played with them on her birthdays, and still they were not broken or torn; they had been so well cared for. They were taken out only once in the whole year, and that time was called the "Feast of Dolls." Take's Mother had covered the five steps with a beautiful piece of silk.
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