A team came rushing in between the gate-posts of the stone wall, and it looked
like a run-away. They were riderless and driverless, and if there had been any
harness, there was not a vestige of it to be seen; still, they kept neck and
neck, which means in horsey language side by side, and on they came in the
maddest fashion. Tattine stood on the front porch and watched them in high
glee, and not a bit afraid was she, though they were coming straight in her
direction. When they reached her they considerately came to a sudden stop,
else there is no doubt whatever but she would have been tumbled over.

"Well, you are a team," laughed Tattine. and they laughed back, "Yes, we know
we are," and sat down on the step on either side of her. Of course, that would
have been a remarkable thing for some teams to do, but not for this one, for,
as you can guess, they were just two little people, Mabel and Rudolph, but
they were a perfect team all the same; everybody said so, and what everybody
meant was this--that whatever Rudolph "was up to," Mabel was "up to" also, and
vice versa. They traveled together finely, right "up on the bit" all the time.
It would have been easier for those who had charge of them if one or the other
had held back now and then, and set a slower pace, but as that was not their
nature and could not be helped, everybody tried to make the best of them, and
everybody loved them. Tattine did not see how she could ever have lived
without them, for they were almost as much a brother and sister to her as to
each other. This morning hey had come over by invitation for what they called
a Maple-wax morning, and that was exactly what it was, and if you have never
had one of your own, wait till you read about this one of Tattine's, and then
give your dear Mamma no peace until you have had one, either in your kitchen
in town, or in the woods out of town, which is better. One thing is necessary
to its complete enjoyment, however: you must have a "sweet tooth," but as most
little people cut that particular tooth very early, probably you are among the
fortunate number.