"After all, does it matter?" exclaimed a Dutch jar of Haarlem. "All theshamming in the world will not MAKE them us!"

"0ne does not like to be vulgarized," said the Lady of Meissen,angrily.

"My maker, the Krabbetje,[Footnote: Jan Asselyn. called Krabbetje,the Little Crab, born 1610, master-potter of Delft and Haarlem]did not trouble his head about that," exclaimed the Haarlem jar,proudly. "The Krabbetje made me for the kitchen, the bright,clean, snow-yellow Dutch kitchen, well-nigh three centuries ago,and now I am thought worthy the palace; yet I wish I were at home;yes, I wish I could look at the good Dutch vrouw, and the shiningcanals, and the great green meadows dotted with the kine."

"Ah! if we could all go back to our makers!" sighed the Gubbioplate, thinking of Giorgio Andreoli and the glad and gracious daysof the Renaissance: and somehow the words touched the frolicsomesouls of the dancing jars, the spinning teapots, the chairs thatwere playing cards; and the violin stopped its merry music with asob, and the spinnet sighed, thinking of dead arms.