one cold afternoon in winter, jan’s mother said, “you may hitch rink to the big sled, jan, and you and katrina may ride away down the canal to grandmother’s house. grandmother knows you are coming.”

“you are to stay all night. father and i are going to the festival in the city.”

“oh, good, good!” cried jan, and he ran out to tell katrina.

katrina was very happy, for she liked nothing better than to go to grandmother’s house.

she clapped her hands. “i will get ready at once,” she cried.[87] “what a good time we will have with grandmother!”

jan hitched rink to the big red sled. rink seemed to know he was going to grandmother’s, for he barked and wagged his tail for joy.

then jan and katrina got ready for their long ride on the canal. jan put on three coats and a warm muffler. he wore two caps on his head. katrina put on two coats and a shawl, and wore two hoods.

their mother tucked them up warmly on the big sled. she gave them a basket full of goodies to take to grandmother. she stood in the door of their little blue house and waved her hand. “good-by, my little ones, good-by,” she called,[88] “grandmother will be watching for you.”

with a bound, rink was off, and away they went over the smooth ice on the canal. they went by the brown windmill. they saw hilda, karl, and kassie playing in the snow. hilda, karl, and kassie shouted at them and waved their hands. jan and katrina waved back to their friends, and rink ran on and on.