ery tired and hungry; but, as they were brave boys, not one
of them cried."

"It's lucky that none of those twins were girls," said Kit.

"I've even heard of boy twins that cried, when dog carts ran away, or
something of that kind happened," said Grandmother Winkle. "But you
shouldn't interrupt; it's not polite."

"Oh!" said Kit very meekly.

"Well, as I was saying, they were very lost indeed. Night was coming
on; and they were just thinking that they must lie down on the ground
to sleep, when one of them saw a light shining through the leaves. He
pointed it out to the others; and they walked along toward it,
stumbling over roots and stones as they went, for it was now quite dark.

"As they came nearer, they saw that the light came from the window of a
poor little hut on the edge of a clearing.

"They went to the door and knocked. The door was opened by a dirty old
woman, who lived in the hut with her husband, who was a farmer.

"The boys told the old woman that they had lost their way, and asked
her if she could give them a place to sleep. She spoke to her husband,
who sat crouched over a little fire in the corner; and he told her to
give them a bed in the loft.

"The three boys climbed the little ladder into the loft and lay down on
the hay. They were so tired that they fell asleep at once. The old man
and his wife whispered about them over their bit of fire.

"'They are fine-looking boys; and well dressed,' said the old woman.

"'Yes,' said the old man, 'and I have no doubt they have plenty of
money about them.'

"'Do you really think so?' said the wife.

"'I think I'll find out,' said the wicked farmer. So he climbed up to
the loft and killed the three boys. Then he looked in their pockets for
money; but there was no money there.

"He was very angry. And he was very much afraid, wicked people are
always afraid."

"Are all afraid people wicked?" asked Kat. She wished very much that
she were brave.

"M-m-m, well, not always," said Grandmother Winkle.

"The wicked farmer was so afraid that he wanted to put the bodies of
the three boys where no one would find them. So he carried them down
cellar and put them into the pickle tub with his pork."

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" screamed Kat, and she put her hands over her ears. Even
Kit's eyes were very round and big. But Grandmother said,

"Now, don't you be scared until I get to the end of the story. Didn't I
tell you it was all about St. Nicholas? You wait and see