"I'll break it for you," said Taro. "I'm strong." He broke the
branch carefully, just where Take told him to. He took great
pains not to tear the bark or hurt the tree.

Then they carried it into the house. In one corner of the room
there was a little alcove. There is one in every Japanese house.
It is called the "honorable recess," and it is where their most
beautiful things are placed. There is always a picture--or
perhaps two or three of them--hanging like long banners on the
wall at the back of the "honorable recess." These banner
pictures are called kakemono. There is also a small table with a
vase on it standing near. In this vase there are always flowers,
or a beautiful branch with green leaves. In Japan the little
girls are taught to arrange flowers just as carefully as they
are taught to read, so that the "honorable recess" may be kept
beautiful to look at.

Take filled the vase with water. She fitted a little forked
stick into the top of the vase, and stuck the plum branch
through the crotch of the forked stick, so it wouldn't fall
over. She twisted it this way and that until it looked just
right. Then she called Taro to see it.

On the wall of the recess was the picture of a black crow
perched on the branch of a pine tree, in a rainstorm. His
shoulders were all hunched up to shed the rain, and he didn't
look happy at all. He looked funny and miserable.

The Twins looked at the honorable recess a long time. Their