In one street carpenters were putting up a new house, and once they caught a glimpse of the very bridge that leads to the Emperor's palace.
By and by they reached the gate of the Temple grounds. All the rickshaws stopped here, and everybody got out.
The Mother put Bot'Chan on her back, and they all started in a procession for the Temple. First walked the Father, looking very proud. Then came the Twins, looking quite proud, too. Then came Mother and Grannie and Bot'Chan and they looked proudest of all!
When they got inside the gate, the Twins thought they were in fairyland. You would have thought so, too, if you could have been there with them.
They saw so many wonderful things that day that if I were to tell you about every one of them it would fill up this whole book!
First of all, they came into a broad roadway with beautiful great cedar trees on each side. Under these trees were little booths. Great paper lanterns and banners of all colors hung in front of the booths; and when they waved gayly in the wind, the place looked like a giant flower-garden in full bloom.
Near the Temple entrance was a great stone trough full of clear water. There was a long-handled wooden dipper floating on it.
"Come here," said the Father.
The Twins, Grandmother, and Mother, with Baby on her back, all came at once and stood in a row beside the trough. They put out their hands. The Father took the dipper and poured water on their hands.
When their hands were quite clean, they rinsed their mouths, too. Then they entered the Temple vestibule.