"Yes, indeed, if the other little cousins go," his mother replied. "When I was a little girl, like your Aunt Marya here," she continued, glancing at her young sister, "I went to the celebration. And you will open your eyes wide, Jan, I'll tell you that."
"Oh, goody, I wish it was the twenty-fourth of June now."
"But we have the Christmas season now," his grandfather spoke up. "That is much better, for we are all together. We have the fine snow for sleighing and snowballing. We have the ponds to skate upon, and we have—the Jaselki."
"What's that?" little Jan asked.
"Jan, dear," his mother said, "please do not ask so many questions. Let your grandfather finish before you interrupt."
"But he says so many things I don't know anything about," the child answered.
"That is right, Martha," Mr. Ostrowski said, "let the little chap learn. Of course he doesn't know what the Jaselki are, for he is too little to know everything. But that is a secret, Jan," the grandfather continued, as he shook a gentle finger at the boy. "You will see something wonderful at this Christmas season."
The maid entered; she said a few words in a low tone to Mrs. Ostrowska, and left the room.
"How we have lingered!" the grandmother said, as she rose from her seat at the table. "Brother Paul has been waiting some little time. Let us all rise to greet him!"