At the very same moment Take said: "Is it a kitten?"

And then their Father said: "I haven't opened the bundle yet, so
how can I tell? We must ask the nurse. What is it, Natsu?"

And Natsu, the nurse, put her two hands together on the matting
in front of her, bobbed her head down nearly to the floor, and
said: "It is a little son, Master. Will you accept him?"

Then the Father sat right down on the floor, too, between Taro
and Take. He took the little squirming bundle in his arms, and
turned back the covers--and there was a beautiful baby boy, with
long, narrow eyes and a lock of hair that stood straight up on
the top of his head!

"Oh! oh! Is he truly ours--a real live baby, for us to keep?"
cried Take.

"Would you like to keep him?" her Father asked.

Take clapped her hands for joy. "Oh, yes, yes!" she said. "For
then I can have a little brother of my own to carry on my back,
just the way O Kiku San carries hers! I've never had a thing but
borrowed babies before! And O Kiku San is not polite about
lending hers at all! Please, please let me hold him!"

She held up her arms, and the Father laid the little baby in
them very, very gently.