rind corn, and saw wood. The land is very
flat and low. There are no swift running streams to turn the mills.
So the people build windmills.

[Illustration: Windmills in Holland.]

The great wonder of Holland is the dikes. Holland is near the sea, and
so dikes are built along the beach to keep the water out. The dikes
are strong walls made of earth and stones. They are very high, and so
thick that on the top there is a road to walk and ride on. In some
parts of Holland there are houses also on the top of the dikes. If it
were not for these dikes, the sea would flow in on the land. Then it
would cover the houses and towns, and drown the people.

Did you ever hear the story of the little boy and the hole in the dike?
The little boy's name was Hans. He lived near the great dikes along
the sea. One day his mother sent him on an errand.

When he was coming home, he saw water flowing from a small hole in the
dike. He knew that the water came from the sea. Then he said to
himself, "If that water is not stopped, the hole will get larger. Then
the sea will break in, and we shall all be drowned."

So Hans went up to the dike and put his hand against the hole, and
stopped the water. This was very hard to do. But the little fellow
held bravely on.

When night came and Hans did not come home, his father and some of the
people who lived close by went to search for him. After many hours
they found him at the dike, keeping the water back with his hand. Then
his father took him home, and the men stopped up the hole in the dike.
Everybody praised Hans for what he had done.

The little children in Holland are very pretty. They have round, fat
faces, golden hair, and blue eyes. The boys wear wide trousers and
little round caps. The girls wear jackets and skirts and little caps
with gold braid.

Both boys and girls wear wooden shoes. And what a noise they do make
with their wooden shoes when they run around! They have great fun
playing their shoes are boats. They sit on the sides of the canals and
take off their shoes and sail them on the water like little boats.
They tie strings to the shoes so that they can draw them in whenever
they like.

[Illustration: Dutch Girl with Wooden Shoes.]

Dutch children do not wear shoes in the house, but wear slippers. When
they go home after playing or from school they take off their shoes.
They leave them outside the door. Would you not think it strange to
see rows