"
"We can see the shops too. St. Nicholas is coming, and the shops
are full of fine things," said Vrouw Vedder.
Kit and Kat could hardly wait for tomorrow to come. They polished
their skates and made everything ready.
"What do you suppose the Vink is?" said Kat to Kit.
"I think it is something like a church," said Kit.
"You don't know what a Vink is, so there," said Kat. "I think
it's something to eat."
Then Kit changed the subject.
"I'll race you to-morrow," he said.
"I'll beat," said Kat.
"We'll see," said Kit.
The next day they started, all four, quite early in the morning:
Vrouw Vedder took her basket on her arm.
"I shall want to buy some things," she said.
Father Vedder lighted his pipe "To keep my nose warm," he said.
Then they all went down to the canal and put on their skates.
"Kat and I are going to race to the first windmill," said Kit.
"I'll tell you when to start," said Father Vedder.
"And I'll get a cake for the one who wins," said the mother.
"One, two, three!" Away they flew like the wind! Father and
Mother Vedder came close behind.
Kit was so sure he would beat that he thought he would show off a
little. He went zigzag across the canal; once or twice he stopped
to skate in curves.
Kat didn't stop for anything. She kept her eyes on the windmill,
and she skated as hard as she could.
They were getting quite near the mill now. Kit stopped playing
and began to skate as fast as he could. But Kat had got the start
of him.
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