He would give them three apiece.

He told them to go into the garden and wait there until he came.

They must not take any apples off the tree, he said, but if they found any _under_ the tree they might take them, provided that there were not more than three apiece; and when he came he would take enough off the tree, he said, to make up the number to three.
"So the children went into the garden and looked under the tree.

They found _two_ apples there, and they took them up and ate them--one apiece.

Then they sat down and began to wait for their uncle to come.