They sail past the big, brown windmill. They see its arms go slowly round. It makes pretty shadows on the water in the canal. They see the willow trees bending down to look in the water. And they hear the little birds singing their goodnight songs. The sun sinks down, down. The sky is all red and yellow and orange. The purple shadows begin to fall. Night is coming--and here they are at home again! [Illustration] BRAM’S LITTLE SISTER Bram has a little sister. She is a dear little baby. She has round red cheeks. She has curly yellow hair. She has big blue eyes. Her name is Annetka. [Illustration] Little Annetka has a cradle. It is made of carved wood. It is a very old cradle. Little Annetka’s grandfather was rocked in that very same cradle when he was a baby. So you can see that it is very old. Bram loves his little sister. He likes to rock her in the quaint, old cradle. Sometimes he sings to her. He sings her the song his mother sings. This is the one he likes best. THE LULLABY SONG The wind blows in from the sea tonight, Sleep, little daffodil, sleep, In the sky the little stars twinkle bright, Sleep, little daffodil, sleep. And the windmill goes creaking around and around, And the shades of the night are now purpling the ground, All the flowers close their eyes and are now sleeping sound, So sleep, little daffodil, sleep. LITTLE RIKKA Rikka is one of Katrina’s little Dutch friends. She lives near grandmother’s house by the sea. Her father is a fisherman. He works on the fishing-boat with Jan’s father. Sometimes the fathers take the children out on the ocean in the big fishing-boats. The big green waves rock the boat up and down. Rikka and Katrina like to sit in the front end of the boat. They like to feel on their faces the salt spray from the ocean. Jan helps the men with the nets. He thinks he is like a man when he works with them. Rikka’s father says that Jan is a good worker. [Illustration] RIKKA’S WONDER-BALL Rikka did not want to learn to knit. She said it was too hard. She said she would rather play on the beach. Her mother said to her, “Rikka, if you will learn to knit, I will give you a ‘Wonder-Ball.’” “A ‘Wonder-Ball!’ What is that, mother?” asked Rikka. “It is a ball of yarn,” said her mother. “There are little presents or surprise gifts wound up in the ball. As you knit the yarn from the ball, the gifts fall out.” “Oh, I should like a Wonder-Ball, Mother,” cried Rikka. “I will learn to knit and I will knit fast so that I can knit my presents from the ball.” Rikka’s mother made her a “Wonder-Ball.” It was a very big, blue ball. She gave Rikka some shining needles and taught her how to knit. [Illustration] Rikka tried and tried, and at last she learned to knit. It was very hard at first, but she did not give up. The first gift she knit from her ball was a little silver pencil. She was much pleased with it. [Illustration] She knit hard every day.