THE CHILDREN'S HOLIDAY
"Chola, art thou there?" said little Nao the next morning, peeping in between the mats of the veranda. Nao lived in a pretty pink house next to Chola's, and their gardens joined; so he and the two cousins were great playmates.
"Yes, but I'm busy," said Chola, without looking around. The barber had come to shave his father, and Chola had begged to be allowed to hold for his father the little looking-glass which the barber had brought with him, as he reclined on a rug while the barber shaved him. The barber made his rounds from house to house each day, carrying the tools of his trade with him; and he not only shaved his patrons' faces, but their heads as well.
"I only wanted to tell thee that there is a man just outside the gate with a basket," replied Nao, in a tantalizing way; "but if thou must help the barber—"
"There are plenty of men in the street with baskets," returned Chola; but he was beginning to be interested.
"But this man carries a flute," answered his little friend, smiling.
"Oh, it is the snake-charmer!" cried Chola, jumping up.
"I see thou art tired of playing barber. Give me the mirror, and thou mayst run away," said his father.
Out in the street the boys found the man dressed all in bright pink, with a basket on his arm. He had seated himself down in the shade of a tree, and a crowd of children had gathered around him.