Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/119



HE following day, before noon, the children headed by Grandmother sallied out of the house.

"Now, remember to behave well," said the mother at the door; "do not touch anything in the castle, and do not forget, when you get there, politely to kiss the hand of the Princess!"

"I shall see that everything is done properly," replied Grandmother.

The children looked like newly opened blossoms, and Grandmother, too, had on her best: a clove colored linsey-woolsey petticoat, an apron white as snow, a damask sky-blue jacket, a cap with the dove-knot, and the garnet necklace with the dollar. Across her arm she carried her shawl. "Why do you take that shawl, it will not rain?" said her daughter.

"It seems as if I have no hands when I have nothing to carry," replied Grandmother.

They made a turn around the orchard and found themselves in the narrow path.

"Now go carefully, one behind another in the path, so as not to soil your clothes in the wet grass. You Barunka, go ahead; I will lead Adelka, for she doesen'tdoesn't [sic] know how to keep in the path," said Grandmother as she took Adelka's hand, who was looking at herself with great satisfaction. In the orchard Blackie was running about,—that was Adelka's hen, the one Grandmother brought from the mountain village; it was so tame that it would Rh