[Illustration]

[Illustration]





THE TWIN SISTERS


Everybody in the little village called them the twin houses because they
were built exactly alike. But the two little cottages looked different
even if they were built alike, for one was covered with climbing vines
and beautiful scarlet roses while the other had no vines or flowers
about it at all.

Everybody called the two cottages the twin houses for another reason:
the owners were twins. One of the twins was Matilda and the other
Katrinka and they were as much alike on the outside as their two
cottages were alike; but as their two cottages differed, so did the two
twins differ.

Matilda could not be told from Katrinka should you just see them walking
down the street, but the minute either of them spoke you would know
which was Matilda and which was Katrinka. Matilda, who lived in the bare
cottage, was sour and disagreeable, while Katrinka was happy and cheery.

So the people in the little village called Matilda "Matilda Grouch" and