had on mine," Take said.
"Better," said Taro.
"Taro, we are getting very old, aren't we?" Take went on.
"Yes," said Taro, "we are six now."
"What are you going to be when you are seven or eight years old
and grown up?" asked Take.
"Well," said Taro, "I'm not sure, but I think I shall be either a
general or a juggler," Taro said. "What are you going to be?"
"There's only one thing I can grow to be," said Take. "If I am
very, very good, maybe I'll grow to be a mother-in-law sometime."
Just then they heard their Mother's voice calling them to supper.
It was very late for supper--it was really almost night.
The shadows in the little garden were growing long. The birds
were chirping sleepily to each other in the wistaria vine. The
iris flowers were nodding their purple heads to the little
goldfish in the pond. Everything was quiet and still.
The Twins stopped to look at the little garden before they went
in to their supper.
"Good night, pretty world," they said, and waved their hands.
THE END
SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS
"The Japanese Twins" is a story which gives a correct picture of
the best phase of Japanese home life.
Like its predecessor "The Dutch Twins," the aim of this reader is
to foster a just and discriminating respect for a foreign nation
in whose history America has a keen interest.
Though the representatives of the Japanese race do not form an
integral part of our national life, as those of the Dutch and
many other nations do, yet the sympathy between the two countries
is strong, and there is much to be gained by a knowledge of their
manners, customs, and social ideals.
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 "Taro"
and "Take" in the various scenes in which they are portrayed in
the illustrations, thus arousing their interest. On a globe, or a
map of the world, point out Japan, and tell the children
something about the unique character of the country. The teacher
will thus find no difficulty in relating this supplementary
reading material to the work in geography, and the art teacher
may find in it an opening for further illustration of Japanese
ideas of art and architecture.
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. The story
appeals particularly to the dramatic tendencies in children, and
this can be made an opportunity for lessons in courtesy in which
social virtue the Japanese so excel. The use of the material for
language and constructive work is also immediately apparent.
In connection with the reading of the book, have children read
selections from their readers and other books about Japan and its
people. Lafcadio Hearn's story "The Burning of the Rice Fields"
(in the Riverside Third Reader) is an illustration of this kind
of collateral reading. Let children also bring to class postcards
and other pictures illustrating scenes in Japan.
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 them; their simple treatment makes them
especially useful for this purpose. Children will enjoy, also,
making jinrikishas, fans, parasols, sand gardens, and sand
pictures (where possible) and in painting the Japanese flags.
The book is printed on paper which will take water color well,
and where books are individually owned some of the sketches could
be used for coloring in flat washes. They also afford suggestions
for action sketching by the children.
An excellent oral language exercise would be for the children,
after they have read the story, to take turns telling the story
from the illustrations; and a good composition exercise would be
for each child to select the illustration 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 many ways that will occur to
resourceful teachers for making the book a valuable as well as an
enjoyable exercise in reading.