"Take may feed the pigeons," the Father said. "They are
Kwannon's pigeons."
Take threw her rice on the ground. The pigeons picked it all up.
So many people fed them that they were almost too fat to fly!
At another booth their Father bought some little rings of perfumed incense. He put them in his sleeve. His sleeves could hold more things than all a boy's pockets put together!
When they reached the great door of the Temple itself, the Father said: "Now, we must take off our shoes." So they all slipped their toes out of their clogs, and went into the Temple just as the bell in the courtyard rang out with a great—boom— BOOM—BOOM! that made the air shiver and shake all about them.
The Temple was one big, shadowy room, with tall red columns all about.
"It's just like a great forest full of trees, isn't it?" Taro whispered to Take, as they went in.
"It almost scares me," Take whispered back; "it's so big."
Directly in front of the entrance there was another bell. A long red streamer hung from its clapper, and under it was a great box with bars over the top. On the box there perched a great white rooster!
The Father pulled the red streamer and rang the bell. Then he threw a piece of money into the box. It fell with a great noise.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo," crowed the rooster! He seemed very much pleased about the money, though it was meant for the priests and not for him. "The rooster is saying thank you," cried Take. "Hush," said her Mother.