ght side up and the other on its side they were beans. If
both were right side up they were honest officials. (What kind of meat
or vegetables honest officials are it is difficult to say, but that
never troubles the Chinese child.) If one is right side and the other
wrong side up they are dogs' legs. If the toe of one rests on the top
of the other, both right side up and at right angles, they form a dark
hole or an alley.

The child whose shoes first form an alley must throw a pebble through
this alley--that is, under the toe of the shoe--three times, or,
failing to do so, one of the number takes up the shoes, and standing on
a line, throws them all back over her head. Then she hops to each
successively, kicking it back over the line, each time crossing the
line herself, until all are over. In case she fails another tries it in
the same way, and so on, till some one succeeds. This one then takes
the two shoes of the one who got the alley, and, hanging them
successively on her toe, kicks them as far as possible. The possessor
of the shoes, starting from the line, hops to each, picks it up and
hops back over the line with it, which ends the game. It is a vigorous
hopping game for little girls.

The girls were pretty well exhausted when this game was over and we
asked them to play something which required less exercise.

"Water the flowers," said the small leader.

Several of them squatted down in a circle, put their hands together in
the centre to represent the flowers. One of their number gathered up
the front of her garment in such a way as to make a bag, and went
around as if sprinkling water on their heads, at the same time
repeating:

"I water the flowers, I water the flowers,
I water them morning and evening hours,
I never wait till the flowers are dry,
I water them ere the sun is high."

She then left a servant in charge of them while she went to dinner.
While she was away one of them was stolen.

Returning she asked: "How is this that one of my flowers is gone?"

"A man came from the south on horseback and stole one before I knew it.
I followed him but how could I catch a man on horseback?"

After many rebukes for her carelessness, she again sang:

"A basin of water, a basin of tea,
I water the flowers, they're op'ning you see."

Again she cautioned the servant about losing any of the flowers while
she went to take her afternoon meal, but another flower was stolen and
t