half past twelve
` Twuz the Rural foretold the blizzit last winter ; ` twuz the Rural found out Hank Jellaby 's nephew was married . Was n't it her knowed all the time who sot Mullins 's barn afire ? There 's a good many depends on the Rural for keeping up with things . '' Soon the sun was a green glare through the tulip-trees ; that meant it was half past twelve , and the twins raced in . They were hoarse from intriguing with the echo in the swamp ; but as they entered the gate -LRB- careful to swing it the wrong way and squeeze through -RRB- they discussed a tingling problem in mental arithmetic . `` If Mrs. Fenton gave her son two wapples '' -LRB- snuffle -RRB- , `` and her nephew one naple '' -LRB- snuffle -RRB- , `` and two wapples to her son 's friend , reservin ' one napple for herself and conservin ' four rapples for the household , what would be the sum of these given napples multiplied by four ? '' Reciting this appalling chorus , the twins faced their grandfather , who , poising his battered sun-hat on his knees , from the depths of his arm-chair looked proudly , if fearfully , upon them .