brought out a sheet and spread it in the middle of the kitchen floor.
She stirred up the fire, and the room was filled with the pleasant glow
from the flames.
Kit and Kat sat on their little stools. Their eyes were very big. At
five minutes of six, Vrouw Vedder said,
"He will be here in just a few minutes, now. Get up, Kit and Kat, and
sing your song!"
The Twins stood up on the edge of the sheet and began to sing:
"St. Nicholas, good, holy man,
Put on your best gown;
Ride with it to Amsterdam,
From Amsterdam to Spain."
While they were singing, there was a sound at the door, of some one
feeling for the latch. Then the door flew open, and a great shower of
sweet cakes and candies fell onto the sheet, all around Kit and Kat!
There in the doorway stood St. Nicholas himself, smiling and shaking
off the snow! His horse was stamping outside. Kit and Kat could hear it.
They stopped singing and hardly breathed, they stood so still. They
looked at St. Nicholas with big, big eyes. In one hand St. Nicholas
carried two large packages; in the other, a birch rod.
"Are there any good children here?" said St. Nicholas.
"Pretty good, if you please, dear St. Nicholas," said Kit in a very
small voice.
"Children who always mind their mothers and fathers and grandfathers
and grandmothers?" said St. Nicholas, "and who do not quarrel?"
Kat couldn't say anything at all, though the Saint looked right at her!
Vrouw Vedder spoke.
"I think, dear St. Nicholas, they are very good children," she said.
"Then I will leave these for them and carry the rod along to some bad
little boy and girl, if I find one," said St. Nicholas. "There seem to
be very few about here. I haven't left a single rod yet." And he handed
one big package to Kit, and another to Kat.
"Thank you," said Kit and Kat.
St. Nicholas smiled at them and waved his hand. Then the door shut, and
he was gone!
Kit and Kat dropped on their knees to pick up the cakes and candies.
They passed the cakes and candies around to each one. Vrouw Vedder
lighted the candles, and then they all gathered around to see Kit and
Kat open their bundles.
"You open yours first," said Vrouw Vedder to Kat.
Kat was so excited that she could hardly untie the string. When she got
the bundle open, there was a beautiful new Sunday dress much prettier
than the torn one had ever been! Oh, how pleased Kat was! She hugged
her mother and her grandmother and her father and her grandfather.
"I just wish I could hug dear St. Nicholas, too," she said.
Then Kit opened his bundle; and there was a beautiful new velveteen
suit, with his very own silver buttons on it! It had pockets in it! He
put his hand in one pocket. It had a penny in it! Then he put his hand
in the other pocket. There was another penny!
"I'm going to see if there's a pocket in mine," said Kat.
She hunted and hunted and hunted. By and by she found a pocket. And
sure enough, there was a penny in that too!
Then some presents came from somewhere for Father and Mother Vedder and
for Grandfather and Grandmother Winkle; and such a time as they all
had, opening the bundles and showing their presents!
Then Mother Vedder tried on Kit's suit and Kat's dress, to see if they
were the right size. They were just right exactly.
"St. Nicholas even knows how big we are," said Kat.
"Oh, I wish St. Nicholas Day would last a week," said Kit.
"That reminds me," said Vrouw Vedder, and she looked at the clock.
"Half-past ten, and these children still up! Bless my heart, this will
never do! Come here, Kit and Kat, and let me undo your buttons!"
"May we take our new clothes to bed with us?" Kat asked.
"Yes, just this once," said Mother Vedder, "because this is St.
Nicholas night."
They kissed their Grandfather and Grandmother good-night, and their
Mother and Father, and said their prayers like good children; and then
they climbed up into their little cupboard bed, and Vrouw Vedder drew
the curtains, so they would go to sleep sooner.
"Good-night, dear little Twins," she said.
And so say we.
SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS
This book is the first of a series of stories for supplementary reading
the purpose of which is to give children a correct idea of life in
different countries, both in the spirit and atmosphere of the story,
and in the actual descriptions. These books will also further a spirit
of friendliness and good will for children of other nationalities.
Respect for and an understanding of the life and customs of other
races, are not only educationally valuable, but are fundamentally
important in this "crucible of nations," where different races are
fusing themselves together as never before in the history of the world.
Tradition is a precious heritage, and the traditions of other nations
should be the natural inheritance of the American child, since here as
nowhere else all the nations of the earth are entering into our
national life.
The author has recognized from the start that the purpose of a book of
this kind would fail of realization if the narrative does not appeal
strongly to children. The delight with which the book has been received
by children is evidence that the important element of interest has not
been left out of the narrative.
To make the reading of this story most valuable as a school exercise,
it is suggested that children be allowed at the outset to turn the
pages of the book in order to get glimpses of "Kit" and "Kat," in the
various scenes in which they are portrayed, in the illustrations, thus
arousing their interest. With a globe, or a map of the world, point out
Holland, and tell the children something about the unique character of
the country.
The text is so simply written that any third or fourth grade child can
read it without much preparation. In the third grade it may be well to
have the children read it first in the study period in order to work
out the pronunciation of the more difficult words. In the fourth grade
the children can usually read it at sight, without the preparatory
study.
In connection with the reading of the book, have children read
selections from their readers and other books about Holland and its
people. The legend of "The Hole in the Dike" is an illustration of this
kind of collateral reading. Let children also bring to class postcards
and other pictures illustrating scenes in Holland.
The unique illustrations in the book should be much used, both in the
reading of the story and in other ways. Children will enjoy sketching
some of the pictures; their simple treatment makes them especially
useful for this purpose. An excellent oral language exercise would be
for the children, after they have read the story, to take turns telling
the story from the pictures; and a good composition exercise would be
for each child to select the picture that he would like to write upon,
make a sketch of it, and write the story in his own words.
These are only a few of the number of ways that will occur to
resourceful teachers of making the book a valuable as well as an
interesting exercise in reading.