round at the youngsters, who already stood hankering to know what was in
the basket.

"Well, bless me, Frazie, I needn't ask you how it goes with the chickens!
There's a whole band of them and all sound and well: just look at them!
Oh, you fatty!" And she pinched Bertje's red cheeks. "And you too,
Frazie."

"Look at the state I'm in!" said mother, sticking her hands under the
apron stretched tight across her fat stomach and looking down at her bare
legs. "Such a heap to do, no time to dress yet."

"You're all right as you are, Frazie; you've no need to hide your legs
nor t'other either: you've a handsome allowance of both," said Uncle
Petrus, chaffingly. "I'd like a drop of water for the dogs, though."

Father sent the bucket toppling down the well and turned the handle till
it rose filled. The dogs stuck their heads into the bucket and lapped and
gulped greedily. Cousin stood staring bashfully amid all those
peasant-lads and all that jollity, while Bertje, Fonske and the others
too did not come near, but stood looking at the little gentleman with his
fine clothes and his thin, peaky face; they trotted and turned, whispered
to one another, went outside and came back again, laughed and said
nothing.

"But the first-communicant! Where's Horieneke?" asked Stanse, suddenly.

From the little green arbour, in between the trees, a golden curly-head
came peeping, followed by a little white body and little Trientje too,
holding a great bunch of yellow daffodils in her hand. Stanse stuck out