"So you think you are big enough to skate, do you?" said Father
Vedder, at last. Mother Vedder was clearing away the supper.
"What do you think about it, Mother?" said Father Vedder.

"They have been very good children," said the Vrouw. "There are
the skates you and I had when we were children. We might try them
on and see if they are big enough to wear them. They are in the
bag hanging back of the press."

Kit and Kat almost screamed with joy.

"Our feet are quite large. I'm sure we can wear them," they said.

Father Vedder got the bag down and took out two pairs of skates.
They had long curling ends on the runners. The Twins sat down on
the floor. Father Vedder tried on the skates.

"They are still pretty large; but you will grow," he told the
Twins. "You may have them if you will be very careful and not let
them get rusty. By and by we will teach you to skate."

The Twins practiced standing in the skates on the kitchen floor;
and, when bedtime came, they took the skates to bed with them.

"O Kit," said Kat, "I never supposed we'd get them so soon. Did
you?"

"Well," said Kit, "you see, we're pretty big and very good. That
makes a difference."