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MY BOOK HOUSE In the Nursery
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In the Nursery
UNSHINE in the nursery, Sunshine everywhere; Floods of pure and golden light, Not a shadow there.
IN THE NURSERY
of MY BGOKHOUSE
Edited by
Olive Beaupré Miller
CHICAGO
Cyhe BOOKHOUSE for CHILDREN PUBLISHERS
om alee ae Re Lees ck MPRA
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Printed in U.S. A.
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All Rights Reserved
Copyright, 1920, 1925
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LIST OF STORIES AND POEMS
we BCD Barks Giz : : : Mother Goose ACROSS THE FIELDS Ae er, ; : Anatole France AMERICAN CHILD RHYMES .
AMSTERDAM _. ' . An Old Die Nursery Rinne As I Was GoInc To St. IVES . j Mother Goose As I Was Gorine Up PIppPiIn HILL . . Mother Goose As I WENT TO BONNER... : F . Mother Goose ies IN; PoE LIONS SKIN, THE... |. Atsop Baa, BAA, BLACK SHEEP . A ; . Mother Goose BaBE MossEs, THE ‘ ; : : ; The Buble BABY SEED SONG . : 4 ‘ . Edith Nesbit
BASKET FULL OF ALMONDS, A ‘ An Old Dutch Meher Rivne Mother Goose ‘ Aisop Mother Goose
BAT. BAT.
BELLING THE CAT AL BILLy, Bitty, COME AND PLAY BIRDS OF A FEATHER Mother Goose BLow, WIND, BLOW Mother Goose Bow THAT BRIDGES HEAVEN, Tan Christina G. Rossetti “Bow, Wow,” SAYS THE Doc . ; . Mother Goose Bow, Wow, Wow, WHOosE Doc Art THOU? ; ; ; : Mother Goede Boys AND ere Coss Our TO Pray . Mother Goose bov WHO GRigD, WoLr, THE). jouie Qosty >. ZEsop
PAGE #2 343 228 351 53
LIST OF STORES AN D POE ae
Boy WHo WANTED THE IMPOSSIBLE, THE Chinese
Folk Tale . Mary Hayes Davis and Chow-Leung BuRNIE BEE, BURNIE BEE : ; . Mother Goose Buttons, A FARTHING A PAIR . . Mother Goose CAT AND THE Mouse, THE . An English Folk Tale CHARLEY NaG : : : ; . Mother Goose CHINESE NURSERY Raowne ; Isaac T. Headland City SMOKE .. . Olive Beaupre’ Miller CLoups . : ; ‘ . Mother Goose CLOUDS AND WAVvEs . Rabindranath Tagore CLuCKING HEN, THE . Aunt Effie (Ann Hawkshawe) CocKx-A-DoopLE-Doo . : . Mother Goose Cock’s ON THE HousEToP, THE L . Mother Goose Cock, THE MOUSE, AND THE LITTLE RED HEN, THE
re ea a oe om Félicité Lefevre ComE, LITTLE LEAVEs . So oe . George Cooper CRADLE SONG. : : . Elizabeth Prentiss
Atsop Mother Goose wy. . Mother Goose vanes Whitcomb Riley \\ . . Mother Goose
' CROW AND THE Pieced. T. HE
Darry-Down-DILLy . Dance, LITTLE BABY DARING PRINCE, THE . DIcKERY, DICKERY, DARE i /\ Dicxory, Dicxory, Dock} ~ Mother Goose DippLE, DIDDLE, DUMPLING P. . Mother Goose DILLER, A DOLLAR, A . : . Mother Goose Doc IN THE MANGER, THE : : ; / Aisop DoLL UNDER THE BRIAR ROSEBUSH, THE
. From the Norwegian of Jorgen Moe,
Gudrun Thorne-Thomsen DONKEY AND THE LAp-DoG, THE . i : Aisop DucK AND THE KANGAROO, THE A . Edward Lear
6
404 48 67 94 63
DIST OF STORIES: AND POEMS
ELF AND THE DorRMOUSE, THE... Oliver Herford FAIRY AND CHILD . ‘ ; : . Eugene Field
FARMER’S Boy, THE Old Rhyme FouR AND TWENTY TAILORS Mother Goose Fox AND THE STORK, THE . Aisop FROG AND THE Ox, THE : LEsop Gay Go Up W&. Mother Goose GINGERBREAD MAN, THE . A New England Tale Go Ask YouR MoTHER . An American Child Rhyme GOING TO LONDON. bey Mary Mapes Dodge GOING TO SEE GRANDMAMMA ..._ Kate Greenaway
GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS , ; ; 4 : . An English Folk Tale GOoosEY, GOOSEY, GANDER . } . Mother Goose
GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK, THE . . Mother Goose GRASSHOPPER GREEN : ; : :
GREAT A, LITTLE 4, Soa Be. . Mother Goose HALLOWE’EN Story, A Elizabeth tiie Dillingham HANDY-SPANDY : . ‘ : . Mother Goose Happy DaAy IN THE CIrTy, A , Ole Beaupre’ Miller
, Atsop Mother Goose Mother Goose
HARE AND THE TORTOISE, THE . £¥) Hector PROTECTOR , Hey DIpDDLE DIDDLE Hey DiIppLeE, DINKETY Mother Goose Hey, My KITTEN . . Mother Goose HicKETY, PICKETY, My Bice Hen . Mother Goose Hiprpety Hop. ! , Mother Goose How Many Days Has My Bie TO Peivi
, , s , 4 . ; Mother Gone How Many MILeEs To BABYLON? . Mother Goose Husu, Basy, My DoLity . : . Mother Goose
448 338 106 45 120 194 oe 137 228 91 74
LST OF STORTPS? AN Dt Cries
Ir ALL THE SEAS WERE ONE SEA . . Mother Goose Ir ALL THE WorRLD WERE WATER . . Mother Goose Ir I’>p AS Mucu Money As I CouLD SPEND
Mother Chile
», Mother Goose
“Mother Goose Mother Goose \, Mother Goose ; Mother Goose 1 '— Mother Goose \J. Mother Goose
IF Weeks ee Hones g I Hap A LITTLE HUSBAND . I Hap A LITTLE NuT-TREE I’tL TELL You A STORY
INTERY, MINTERY, CUTERY CORN I Saw A SHIP A-SAILING
Is JoHN SmiTtH WITHIN? : t\. Mother Goose ae eee nha sat a James Whitcomb Riley
I WENT UP ONE PAIR OF STAIRS . . Mother Goose I WouLpDN’T BE A GROWLER . Mary Mapes Dodge Jack; BE NiMpEe 8" 26 0 ¢? - 2 > > Eee JAcK FROST. : : 4 Gabriel Setoun JAY AND THE PEACOCKS, THE een : Atsop Poa Cnr. eee git J ae William Shakespeare JOHNNY AND THE ay HREE GOATS , A Norse Tale JOHNNY SHALL HAVE A NEw BONNET . Mother Goose JUMPING JOAN : ‘ : . Mother Goose Jump-RoPpE RHYME, A. é An American Child Rhyme KEY OF THE KINGDOM, THE . Nursery Rhyme KinG DAGOBERT . . . Old French Nursery Song KING OF FRANCE, THE . . Mother Goose KITTEN AND FALLING LEAVES, THE William Wordsworth Lapy Buc ae A Chinese Nursery Rhyme PATE So . . . Josephine Preston Peabody LETTER From | RATS A . Helen Hunt Jackson LAON ANDTHE DIOUSE, THE“ '* 5 fee et Aisop
70 68
58 66 - S7 41 42
St OF STORIES AND POFMS
LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE EATTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE
ae
LITTLE
LittLE Tommy TUCKER LITTLE WIND .
Lucy LOCKET. Macpie’s Nest, THE
Bic Man, THE . . Rabindranath Tagore BLUE APRON . . From An Old Story Book Bo-PEEP . , i . Mother Goose Boy BLUE. ROL Mother Goose Cock SPARROW, os Mother Goose
Drops OF WATER ENGINE THAT COULD, THE
GIRL AND THE HARE, THE A Gerd Folk Tale GIRL, LITTLE GIRL . : : . Mother Goose Gray Pony, THE . : é Maud Lindsay GUSTAVA . : ‘ ; Celia Thaxter HALF-CHICK . ; . A Spanish Folk Tale Hansworst A Story 4 the Dutch Puppet Show JaAcK HoRNER . . . Mother Goose JENNY WREN . pees ee ta . Mother Goose KING BoGGIN . : : : . Mother Goose Maip, Pretty MaAIp : : ; : NANNY ETTICOAT . : 4 . Mother Goose PICTURES OF JAPAN
RABBIT WHO WANTED RED WINGS, THE . ‘ Carolyn Sherwin Batley me iy AND THE GRAIN OF WHEAT, THE . gt, An English Folk Tale ae” Mother Goose Mother Goose Kate Greenaway oan te Mother Goose . An English Folk Tale
Meets REDBREAST
MAN IN THE WILDERNESS, THE . Mother Goose MarcH WINDS AND APRIL SHOWERS . Mother Goose Mary Hap A LITTLE LAMB . Sarah Josepha Hale
104 440
LEST (OF STORIES) & N Dt P Oneae
Mary, Mary, QUITE CONTRARY ; . Mother Goose MERCHANT, THE . ‘ . Rabindranath Tagore MERRY ARE THE BELLS : : . Mother Goose MILKMAID AND HER PAIL, THE ; ; ; LEsop Minp Your Commas! . ; . Mother Goose Moo-Cow-Moo, THE . . »« Hdmund Vance Cooke Moon, so RouND AND YELLOW Matthias Barr MOTHER SPIDER . 2 Frances Bliss Gillespy Mrs. TABBY GRAY : ; Maud Lindsay
My FATHER Lert ME THREE Acres OF LAND
x Mother Goose Mother Goose Mother Goose aes Mapes Dodge Mary Mapes Dodge
My io anes My Marp Mary NELL AND HER BIRD NIGHT AND Day
Noan’s ARK The Buble OEYVIND AND MARIT Bjornstjerne Bjornson OrF WE’LL Go : : Basho Ou, HERE’S A LEG FOR A Snecma . Mother Goose OLD MOTHER GOOSE . : , ; . Mother Goose O_p MoTHER HUBBARD ‘ ; . Mother Goose OL_p Mr. CHANG . . A Chinese Nursery Rhyme OLD SHELLOVER . : ‘ , Walter de la Mare
OLD WoMAN TOSSED UP IN A BASKET, THE .
2 : ‘ : : : 3 Mother Genus OLD WoMAN UNDER THE HILL, THE . Mother Goose OLD WomAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE, THE : Mother Goose
OLE- eee es ‘ : ; : Hans Andersen OncE I Saw A LITTLE pe : b . Mother Goose ONE Misty Moristy MORNING . . Mother Goose
Te)
»!
LIST OF STORIES AND POEMS
OnE, Two, BucKLE My SHOE . ; . Mother Goose OVER IN THE MEADOW : : . Olive A. Wadsworth PAPER Boats . , 2 . Rabindranath Tagore PaT-A-CAKE, Pat-A- aes : F . Mother Goose PEASE-PORRIDGE Hot . : ; ; . Mother Goose PETER, PETER, PUMPKIN EATER ; . Mother Goose PETER PIPER . ‘ ; ; . Mother Goose
PETER RABBIT Dawe TO Bee aNGE His NAME . Thornton Burgess . Mother Goose nglish Folk Rhyme Mother Goose . Thomas Hood The Buble Gelett Burgess
PIE SAT ON A PEAR-TREE, A PIGEON AND WREN AE PoLLy, PuT THE KETTLE Ons ie Precocious Piccy ae PSALM OF PRAISE, A PuRPLE Cow, THE
Pussy Sits BESIDE THE Fi IREwW ©. . Mother Goose Quick-RuNNING SquasH, A ™ © Alicia Aspinwall RAIN, RAIN . é : : ; . Mother. Goose RIcE SELLER, THE : pay: Chee Nursery Rhyme RIDE A Cock-HorsE To BANBURY Cross Mother Goose RipE Away, RIDE AWAY . l . Mother Goose RING AROUND THE ROSES . ‘ : . Mother Goose ROAD TO CHINA, THE . Olive Beaupre’ Miller ROBIN AND A ROBIN’s Son, A . { . Mother Goose ROBIN AND RICHARD . ; ; ; . Mother Goose Rock-A-BYE, BABY : : , . Mother Goose ROCKABY-LULLABY ; : Josiah Gilbert Holland Rosy Posy . ; ; . Laura E. Richards ROUND THE Mapecuny. Bian ; E . Mother Goose
SEA-SONG FROM THE SHORE, A James Whitcomb Riley SEE-SAW, MARGERY Daw . : . Mother Goose
it
73 80 249 19
LIST OF STORIES AND POEMS
SEE-SAW, SACARADOWN . : : . . Mother Goose SHEEP AND THE PIG THAT MADE A HoME, THE .
R : ; ; 5 : . A Norse Folk Tale SHINGEBISS : : . A Chippewa Indian Tale SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES, THE A German Folk Tale SIMPLE SIMON -. Mother Goose SING A SONG OF Sista’ Mother Goose
S1nG, LITTLE BIRD Selected SING, SING Mother Goose SIR ROBIN J Lucy Larcom SLEEP, BABY, SLEEP Mother Goose SLEEPY SONG, THE Z : Sie Atine Daskam Bacon SMILING GIRLS, Rosy Boys : ; . Mother Goose SNOW 4 : é : : ; Mary Mapes Dodge SNOW ; 2 . Ransetsu (Japanese) SNOW BLossoms ; : ; ; . From the Japanese SONG OF SOLOMON, THE .. : : The Bible SPIDERS’ WEBS i Face (Japanese) SPRING. : : Celia Thaxter
SQUIRRELS THAT Lie IN A A PibueE: THE Harriet Beecher hie
STAR, THE : : : ; . Jane Taylor STRANGE LANDS _. , ; . Laurence Alma Tadema SUGAR-PLUM TREE, THE . , : . Eugene Field SUNSHINE : : : : ' . Mother Goose SWEET AND Low . : : . Alfred Tennyson SWING, THE . 2 ; : Robert Louis Stevenson
TALE OF A BLACK CAT, THE
; . (An American Tale) Clifton onnon TALE OF PETER eros THE: 4; i Beatrix Potter LEA PARTY, ree me hy . . Kate Greenaway
12
18
Por OF (STORIES AND: POEMS
TEENY-TINY . ‘ ; 3 . An English Folk Tale TEN LITTLE INDIANS . j ; ‘ Number Jingle THERE’S A NEAT LITTLE CLocK 4 . Mother Goose THERE Was A MONKEY .. : ‘ . Mother Goose THERE WAS AN OLD MAN . : ; . Edward Lear THERE Was AN OLD Man . : ‘ . Mother Goose THERE WAS AN OLD WoMAN OF HARROW Mother Goose THERE WAS AN OWL . ; ; z . Mother Goose THERE WAS A PIPER . é : . Mother Goose THERE WERE Two BIRDs . 3 Nursery Rhyme THERE WERE Two BLACKBIRDS . Mother Goose THIS IS THE WAY THE LADIES RIDE . Mother Goose Tuis LITTLE PiG WENT TO MARKET ‘| Mother Goose
Mother Goose Mother Goose Mother Goose Mother Goose Mother Goose
THREE JOVIAL HUNTSMEN . THREE LITTLE KITTENS THREE MEN IN A TUB THREE SHIPS .
To MARKET, TO Manet
ToMMY SNOOKS AND BESSIE BRooKS . Mother Goose Tom, ToM, THE PIPER’S SON . Mother Goose Try AGAIN. : i ; William FE. Hickson
TURTLE WHO COULD ay Stop TALKING, THE
: , ‘ : : An East Indian Fable Twin LAmBs, THE . Clara Dillingham Pierson Two Crass, THE . ; AEsop Up IN THE GREEN Gucnate ; . Mother Goose ‘“WakE-Up”’ Story, THE . . . Eudora Bumstead WEE RoBIN’S CHRISTMAS SONG . A Scotch Folk Tale
WEE, WEE MANNIE AND THE BiG, Bic Coo, THE A Scotch Folk Tale
WEE WILLIE WINKIE . : ; ; . Mother Goose
T3
LYST’ OF (STORIES “AND POPS
WHat ELSE THE Moon Saw Hans Christian Andersen WHAT'S THE NEWS OF THE DAY? .. . Mother Goose WHAT THE Moon SAW . Hans Christian Andersen Wuat THEY SAY . ; : ; Mary Mapes Dodge WHEN DAFFODILS BEGIN TO PEER Waialliam Shakespeare WHEN Goop KING ARTHUR RULED . . Mother Goose WHERE GO THE BoaTs? . Robert Louis Stevenson WHISKY FRISKY : ; ; : . ;
WHITE BUTTERFLIES . . Algernon Charles Swinburne Wuo Has SEEN THE WIND? . Christina G. Rossetti Wuo LIKES THE RAIN? : : . Clara Doty Bates WILLIE Boy . : : ] E : . Mother Goose WILLOWS IN THE SNOW : : . Tsuru (Japanese) Wiipoanb:. THEwStn,. THE: 6. 4ESE AEsop WinpD Miz, A ' . An Old Dutch Nursery Rhyme WorLpD, THE . : Robert Louis Stevenson WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND Nop . : . Eugene Field YANKEE DOODLE . ! : . Old Rhyme
14
117 41 85
103 54 60
248
284
241
136
125
I
|
eN
HE world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.
—Robert Louis Stevenson.
17
M?Y-) (B ?OVOK SHtOR aaa
ANCE, little Baby, dance up high! Never mind, Baby, Mother is by.
Crow and caper, caper and crow, There, little Baby, there you go! Up to the ceiling, down to the ground, Backwards and forwards,
round and round, Dance, little Baby, and Mother will sing With a merry carol, ding! ding! ding!
aa
Ei le
OCK-A-BYE, baby,
thy cradle is green; Father’s a nobleman, Mother’s a queen;
And Betty’s a lady, . and wears a gold ring, And Johnny’s a drummer, and drums for the king.
AT-A-CAKE, pat-a-cake, baker’s man!
Make me a cake as fast as you can;
Prick it, and pat in, and mark it with T, And put it in the oven for Tommy and me.
OW many days has my baby to play? Saturday, Sunday, Monday— Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
HIS little pig went to market; This little pig stayed at home; This little pig had roast beef, This little pig had none; This little pig said, ‘‘Wee, wee, wee! I can’t find my way home!”
19
MY > B O OvK SHeROTU saa
LEEP, baby, sleep, ; Our cottage vale is deep; The little lamb is on the green, With woolly fleece so soft and clean. Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep, Down where the woodbines creep; Be always like the lamb so mild, A kind and sweet and gentle child. Sleep, baby, sleep.
OHNNY shall have a new bonnet,
And Johnny shall go to the fair,
And Johnny shall have a blue ribbon To tie up his bonny brown hair.
H, here’s a leg for a stocking, And here’s a foot for a shoe,
And he has a kiss for his daddy, And two for his mammy, I trow.
20
ING around the roses, Pocket full of posies; Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush! We're all tumbled down.
USH, baby, my dolly, I pray you don’t cry, And I'll give you some bread, and some milk by and by,
Or perhaps you like custard, or, maybe, a tart—
Then to either you’re welcome, with all my heart.
SOAP
ZT
EASE-porridge hot, pease-porridge cold, Pease-porridge in the pot, nine days old. Some like it hot, some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
PFA
M Y
B 3O JOVK . SHOP sr
THE SLEEPY SONG
AY soon as the fire burns red and low nd the house upstairs is still, She sings me a queer little sleepy song Of sheep that go over the hill.
The good little sheep run quick and soft; Their colors are gray and white;
They follow their leader, nose and tail, For they must be home by night.
And one slips over, and one comes next, And one runs after behind;
The gray one’s nose at the white one’s tail, The top of the hill they find.
And when they get to the top of the hill, They quietly slip away;
But one runs over and one comes next— Their colors are white and gray.
And one slips over and one comes next, The good little, gray little sheep!
I watch how the fire burns red and low, And she says that I fall asleep.
—Josephine Daskam Bacon.
From ‘‘Poems” by Josephine Daskam Bacon; copyright, 1903, by Charles Scribner’s Sons, Publishers
Dip.
leN THHPE NOU mR § ERY
— BERTRAM R ELLIOTT
ae
“BOW, WOW” SAYS THE DOG OW, wow,” says the dog,
9
‘““‘Mew, mew,”’ says the cat, “Grunt, grunt,’”’ goes the hog, And “Squeak!’’ goes the rat. “Chirp, chirp,” says the sparrow,
’
“Caw, caw,’’ says the crow, “Quack, quack,”’ says the duck,
And the cuckoo you know.
So with sparrows and cuckoos, With rats and with dogs, With ducks and with crows, With cats and with hogs!
A fine song I’ve made
To please you, my dear,
And if it’s well sung,
’Twill be charming to hear.
23
MY * B°O ‘ORK “HOt ae
ROCKABY-LULLABY
OCKABY, lullaby, bees on the clover! Crooning so drowsily, crying so low— Rockaby, lullaby, dear little rover! Down into wonderland— Down to the under-land— Go, oh go! Down into wonderland, go! —y. G. Hollana
EY, my kitten, my kitten, ‘ And hey, my kitten, my deary! Such a sweet pet as this Was neither far nor neary.
Here we go up, up, up,
Here we go down, down, downy; Here we go backwards and forwards,
And here we go round, round, roundy.
24
ee Pee PN URS ERY
IDE a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, She shall make music wherever she goes.
HIS is the way the ladies ride, Tri-tre-tre-tree, Tri-tre-tre-tree!
This is the way the ladies ride, Tri-tre-tre-tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!
This is the way the gentlemen ride, Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride, Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the farmers ride, Hobbledy-hoy, Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride, Hobbledy-hobbledy-hoy! permet _
25
M Y
BO OVE aor Ss
ICKORY, dickory, dock! The mouse ran up
the clock;
The clock struck one, the mouse ran down,
Dickory, dickory, dock!
OOSEY, Goosey, Gander, Where shall I wander? Upstairs and downstairs,
And in my lady’s chamber.
EY diddle diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; a The little dog laughed To see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon.
26
IN THE paUvtk S ERY
LD Mother Goose, when She wanted to wander,
Would ride through the air On a very fine gander.
Mother Goose had a house, *Twas built in a wood, Where an owl at the door
For sentinel stood.
ITTLE Robin Redbreast Sat upon a rail, Niddle naddle went his head, Wiggle waggle went his tail.
OW, wow, wow, whose dog art thou? Little Tommy Tincker’s dog, bow, wow, wow.
27
MY i B O'Or*K AAPOR sre
ICKETY, pickety, my black hen, She lays eggs for gentlemen;
Gentlemen come every day To see what my black hen doth lay.
IDE away, ride away, Johnny shall ride, a And he shall have pussy-cat a Tied to one side; He shall have little dog Tied to the other, And Johnny shall ride To see his grandmother.
ICKERY, dickery, dare, The pig flew up in the air; The man in brown soon brought him down, Dickery, dickery, dare.
28
IN FR HEE NSUsR Ss EUR Y
a OZ STIN A
NCE I saw a little bird Come hop, hop, hop; So I cried, ‘Little bird, Will you stop, stop, stop?” And was going to the window To say, ‘How do you do?” But he shook his little tail, And away he flew.
AFFY-DOWN-DILLY has come up to town, In a yellow petticoat and a green gown.
ARY, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow?
With cockle shells and silver bells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
ye NA
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pe ; (| Te eden 9 sor HY 1 toc ay ith aan Jaf Oy Sl ya NUDES
29
M-¥ 1B 4OV0CK SE OU ae
HERE was an old woman of Harrow, Who visited in a wheelbarrow, And her servant before Knocked loud at each door To announce the old woman of Harrow.
UCY Locket lost her pocket; | Kittie Fisher found it;
i There was not a penny in it,
~ But a ribbon round it!
OBIN and Richard were two pretty men;
They lay in bed till the clock struck ten; Then up starts Robin and looks at the sky, ‘Oh, Brother Richard, the sun’s very high! You go on with the bottle and bag,
30
a AP”
THREE LITTLE KITTENS
HREE little kittens lost their mittens, And they began to cry:
“Oh! Mother dear,
We sadly fear
That we have lost our mittens.”’
“Lost your mittens!
You careless kittens!
Then you shall have no pie!”’ ‘“‘Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!”’ “No, you shall have no pie!” ‘‘Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!”’
And they began to cry:
“Oh! Mother dear,
See here, see here!
See, we have found our mittens!’
“What, found your mittens, You little kittens!
Then you shall have some pie.” ‘“Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
Oh, thank you for the pie! Purr-r; purr-r, purr-r.”
31
M 3Y i BO UOVK. SHeOT Uae
EE Willie Winkie
Runs through the town, Upstairs and downstairs
In his night-gown, Rapping at the window,
Crying through the lock, “Are the children in their beds,
For now it’s eight o’clock?”’
Hence hop to the barber shop, To get a stick of candy,
One for you and one for me,
And one for Sister Mandy.
] And merrily jump the stile, boys; A merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad one tires in a mile, boys. — Shakespeare,
32
>
SWEET AND LOW
WEET and low, sweet and low, Wind of the western sea, Low, low, breathe and blow, Wind of the western sea, Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying moon, and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.
Sleep and rest, sleep and rest, Father will come to thee soon; Rest, rest, on mother’s breast, Father will come to thee soon. Father will come to his babe in the nest, Silver sails all out of the west Under the silver moon. Sleep, my little one, sleep,
my pretty one, sleép. —Tennyson
MY BYOUOAK. SHO Uae
* CRADLE SONG
LEEP, baby, sleep!
Thy father’s watching the sheep; Thy mother’s shaking the dreamland tree, And down drops a little dream for thee.
Sleep, baby, sleep.
Sleep, baby, sleep! The large stars are the sheep; The little stars are the lambs, I guess; The bright moon is the shepherdess. Sleep, baby, sleep.
—Elizabeth Prentiss.
THEE NEU eR So ERY
MILING girls, rosy boys,
Come and buy my little toys; Monkeys made of ginger bread,
And sugar horses painted red.
HERE was an old man And he had a calf, And that’s half;
He took him out of the stall
And put him on the wall, And that’s all.
P in the green orchard there is a green tree,
The finest of pippins that ever you see; The apples are ripe, and ready to fall,
And Reuben and Robin shall gather them all.
7 2 =
y ies Nae Aj Via GAY
MV: B O.O-K HOTU Sim
ITTLE Bo-Peep has lost her sheep— And can’t tell where to find them; Leave them alone, and they’ll come home, And bring their tails behind them.
OCK a doodle doo!
My dame has lost her shoe; My master’s lost his fiddling stick
And knows not what to do! Cock a doodle doo!
What is my dame to do? Till master finds his fiddling stick
She’ll dance without her ee Cock a doodle doo!
My dame has found her x Re And master’s found his fiddling stick,
Sing cock a doodle doo!
ERE am I, little jumping Joan; When nobody’s with me, I’m always alone.
36
ITTLE Boy Blue, come blow your horn, The sheep's in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn. Where’s the little boy that looks after the sheep? He’s under the hay-cock, fast asleep.
ANDY-SPANDY, Jack-a-dandy, Loves plum cake and sugar candy. He bought some at a baker’s shop, And pleased, away ran, hop, hop, hop.
O market, to market, to buy a fat pig; Home again, home again, dancing a jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog; Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun; Home again, home again, market is done.
é F
MSY? *BSO704K FH OP U sae
ITTLE King Boggin built a fine hall,
Pie crust and pastry crust, that was the wall; Ne a windows were made of black puddings and white, And slated with pancakes—you ne’er saw the like.
OM, Tom, the piper’s son,
Learned to play when he was young, But all the tune that he could play, pl Was ‘‘Over the hills and far away.”
Over the hills and a great way off, And the wind will blow my top-knot off.
Now Tom with his pipe did make such a noise, That he surely pleased both the girls and the boys, _ And they all stood still, for to hear him play, . “Over the hills and far away.”
Tom with his pipe did play with such skill
That those who heard him could never keep still; Whenever they heard him, they began to dance; Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.
Af oh
SAW a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea;
And it was full of pretty things For baby and for me!
There were comfits in the cabin, And apples in‘ the hold; ne The sails were all of velvet, And the masts of beaten gold.
The four-and-twenty sailors That stood between the decks, Were four-and-twenty white mice, With chains about their necks.
The Captain was a duck,
With a packet on his back; And when the ship began to move, The Captain said, “Quack! Quack!’
MY?%B.O.O’K HOU sea
ETER, Peter, pumpkin eater, Had a wife and couldn’t keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell, And there he kept her very well.
USSY sits beside the fire, How can she be fair? In comes the little dog, “Pussy, are you there? So, so, dear Mistress Pussy, Pray how do you do?” “TI thank you, little Doggie, I fare as well as you.”
ROBIN and a robin’s son Once went to town to buy a bun. They couldn’t decide on plum or plain
And so they went back home again.
40
we CTOHTE ANCURS ERY
HAT’S the news of the day, Good neighbor, I pray? They say the balloon _, Has gone up to the moon.
But a silver ecmce and a golden pear; The King of Spain’s daughter came to see me, And all for the sake of my little nut-tree.
I skipped over water, I danced over sea, And all the birds in the air couldn’t catch me.
IDDLE, diddle, dumpling, my son John Went to bed with his trousers on;
\: Sv, One shoe off and the other shoe on,
Qe Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John.
Cenacere nom,
41
MY “ B O°OYK HHO tie
S little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed, She waggled with her tail
And nodded with her head, As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed.
fie tell you a story About Jack-a-Nory— And now my story’s begun; [ll tell you another About Jack, his brother— And now my story’s done.
Ui
ITTLE girl, little girl, where have you been? Gathering roses to give to the Queen. —
Little girl, little girl, what gave she you?
She gave me a diamond as big as my shoe.
DD OSE
42
UB-A-DUB-DUB, three men in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, And all of them gone to sea.
ITTLE Jack Horner Sat in the corner, Eating his Christmas pie; He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, And said, ‘‘What a good boy am I!”
MY = BO U0K GHMOrD saa a |
AT, bat, come under my hat,
And I'll give you a slice of bacon; And when I bake, I’ll give you a cake, If I am not mistaken.
ILLIE boy, Willie boy, I’m going to the meadow, Where are you going? To see them a-mowing,
Oh, let us go with you, I’m going to help the girls
) This sunshiny day. Turn the new hay.
ECTOR Protector was dressed all in green; Hector Protector was sent to the Queen; The Queen did not like him, No more did the King; So Hector Protector was sent back again.
44
OYS and girls, come out to play; The moon doth shine as bright as day. Come with a whoop, come with a call, - | Come with a good will, or don’t you come at all! Up with the ladder and down the wall, A halfpenny roll will serve us all. You find milk and I’ll find flour, And we’ll have a pudding in less than an hour.
A }, L,OUR-AND-TWENTY tailors went to catch a snail;
The best man amongst them durst not touch her tail; She put out her horns, like a little Kyloe cow.
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
LD Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, To get her poor doggie a bone,
But when she got there, the cupboard was bare, And so the poor doggie had none.
She went to the Hatter’s to buy him a hat, | And when she came back he was feeding the cat.
She went to the Tailor’s to buy him a coat, ge
And when she came back he was riding the goat. <{y% { . Ce
She went to the Barber’s to buy him a wig,
And when she came back he was dancing a jig.
The dame made a curtsy, the dog made a bow, The dame said, ‘Your servant’; the dog said, ‘‘Bow-wow.”’
HERE was an old woman tossed up in a basket, Seventy times as high as the moon, And where she was going, I couldn’t but ask it, For in her hand she carried a broom. “Old woman, old woman, old woman,” quoth J, “Oh whither, Oh whither, Oh whither so high?” ‘“‘To sweep the cobwebs off the sky!” “Shall I go with you?” ‘Ay, by and by.”
ITTLE Nanny Etticoat In a white petticoat, And a red nose; The longer she stands, / The shorter she grows.
HE King of France went up the hill With twenty thousand men; The King of France came down the hill, And ne’er went up again.
URNIE bee, burnie bee, Say when will your wedding be.
If it be tomorrow day,
Take your wings and fly away.
NE misty moisty morning, When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man Clothed all in leather.
-He began to compliment
S, And I began to grin,
| With ‘“‘How do you do,” and ‘‘How do you do,” And ‘‘How do you do again?”
HE cock’s on the housetop blowing his horn; The bull’sin the barn a-threshing of corn; The maids in the meadows are making of hay; | The ducks in the rain are swimming away.
HERE was an old woman Who lived in a shoe;
She had so many children She didn’t know what to do.
49
Y B O'O*YK HOt 2ea
IMPLE SIMON met a pie-man, Going to the fair; Said Simple Simon to the pie-man, “‘Let me taste your ware.”’
Says the pie-man to Simple Simon, “‘Show me first your penny.”’ Said Simple Simon to the pie-man,
“Indeed, I have not any.”’
Simple Simon went a-fishing, For to catch a whale;
All the water he had got Was in his mother’s pail!
hes glad the sky is painted blue, And earth is painted green, With such a lot of nice fresh air All sandwiched in between.
50
"S
HERE were two blackbirds Sitting on a hill, The one named Jack, And the other named Jill. Fly away, Jack!
Fly away, Jill! Come again, Jack! Come again, Jill!
Y maid Mary she minds the dairy, ; While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn; WSs Gaily run the reel and the little spinning-wheel,
Whilst I am singing and mowing my corn.
EE-SAW, Margery Daw, Jenny shall have a new master. | She shall have but a penny a day,
Because she can’t work any faster.
SI
M Y ' B O OK: GsO?7. sa
GAY GO UP AND GAY GO DOWN AY go up and gay go down, To ring the bells of London town. | ae : ‘‘Oranges and lemons,” Say the bells of St. Clement’s.
“You owe me ten shillin’s,’’ Say the bells of St. Helen’s.
‘When will you pay me?” Say the bells of Old Bailey.
‘‘When I grow rich,” Say the bells of Shoreditch.
‘Pray when will that be?” Say the bells of Stepney.
“T am sure I don’t know.” Says the great bell at Bow.
“Brickbats and tiles,” Say the bells of St. Giles’.
“Halfpence and farthings,”’ Say the bells of St. Martin’s,
‘‘Pancakes and fritters,”’ Say the bells of St. Peter’s.
“Two sticks and an apple,”’ Say the bells of Whitechapel.
“Pokers and tongs,”’ Say the bells of St. John’s.
“Kettles and pans,” Say the bells of St. Ann’s.
$2
=e
EN a OE INC R en RY
OW many miles to Babylon?
Three-score and ten. Will we be there by candlelight?
Yes, and back again. Open your gates and let us go through. Not without a beck and a boo. There’s a beck and there’s a boo; Open your gates and let us go through.
S I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives; Each wife had seven sacks; Each sack had seven cats; Each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, How many were there going
to St. Ives?
5
M ¥o¢B O:'O°7K HRAore sao
iis 7 PANY H, THE grand old Duke of York, He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up a great big hill, And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down; And when they were neither down nor up, They were neither up nor down.
HERE was an owl lived in an oak, i Wisky, wasky, weedle; And all the words he ever spoke Were, ‘‘Fiddle, faddle, feedle.’’
Why, then comes in the sweet o’ the year;
For the springtime reigns in the winter’s pale! — Shakespeare.
54
IN PORTE Nav Em Ss ER Y¥
LOW, wind, blow, and go, mill, go! That the miller may grind his corn; That the baker may take it, And into rolls make it, And send us some hot in the morn.
OLLY, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, Polly, put the kettle on, We'll all have tea. Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again, Sukey, take it off again They’re all gone away.
ING, sing!—What shall I sing? The Cat’s run away with the Pudding Bag String. Do, do!—What shall I do? The Cat has bitten it quite in two.
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SAW three ships come sailing by, _—
Come sailing by, come sailing by; I saw three ships come sailing by, On New Year’s Day in the morning.
And what do you think was in them then, Was in them then, was in them then? And what do you think was in them then, On New Year’s Day in the morning?
Three pretty girls were in them then,
Were in them then, were in them then; Three pretty girls were in them then,
On New Year’s Day in the morning.
AIN, rain, go away; Come again another day; Little Johnny wants to play. Rain, rain, go to Spain; Don’t come back again.
HERE was an old woman Lived under a hill;
And if she’s not gone,
She lives there still.
PIE sat on a pear-tree, A pie sat on a pear-tree, A pie sat on a pear-tree, Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
KM \- Once so merrily hopped she,
Twice so merrily hopped she, Thrice so merrily hopped she, Heigh O, heigh O, heigh O!
HAD a little husband no bigger than my thumb; I put him in a pint pot and there bade him drum;
I bought a little handkerchief to wipe his little nose, And a pair of little garters to tie his little hose.
I bought a little horse that galloped up and down;
I bridled him and saddled him and sent. him out of town.
ST
MY i B O°OvK For a
S I was going up Pippen Hill, Pippen Hill was dirty; There I met a pretty miss,
And she dropped me a curtsy.
F I’d as much money as I could spend,
I never would cry, “Old chairs to mend, Old chairs to mend, old chairs to mend!”
I never would cry, “Old chairs to mend!”’
If I’d as much money as I could tell,
: I never would cry, ‘‘Old clothes to sell, | Old clothes to sell, old clothes to sell!’
I never would cry, ‘‘Old clothes to sell!”
S John Smith within?—Yes, that he is. Can he set a shoe? Ay, marry, two.
Here a nail, and there a nail, Tick-tack-too!
58
eo ots 7
IN THE Neem § ERY
HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY-BUSH
ERE we go round the mulberry-bush,
The mulberry-bush, the mulberry-bush; Here we go round the mulberry-bush, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we, wash our clothes, Wash our clothes, wash our clothes; This is the way we wash our clothes, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we iron our clothes, Iron our clothes, iron our clothes; This is the way we iron our clothes, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we wash our hands, Wash our hands, wash our hands; This is the way we wash our hands, On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we go to school, Go to school, go to school;
This is the way we go to school, @e-.— On a cold and frosty morning.
59
MOY ° B-O°O*K SHO ae
ye ME \
WHEN GOOD KING ARTHUR RULED THIS LAND
wie good King Arthur ruled this land, WMI} He was a goodly king;
He bought three pecks of barley-meal,
To make a bag-pudding.
A bag-pudding the king did make, And stuffed it well with plums;
And in it put great lumps of fat, As big as my two thumbs.
The king and queen did eat thereof, And noblemen beside;
And what they could not eat that night, The queen next morning fried.
60
AA, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes, little master, three bags full; One for my master, one for my dame, And one for the little boy who lives in the lane.
HERE was a piper had a cow, And he had naught to give her; He took his pipes and played a tune, And bade the cow consider. The cow considered very well, And gave the piper a penny, And bade him play the other tune, “Corn rigs are bonny.”
S I went to Bonner, I met a pig Without a wig, Upon my word and honor.
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MY iB © OVW’! HrOt ae
S Tommy Snooks and Bessie Brooks £ \ Were walking out one Sunday, Says Tommy Snooks to Bessie Brooks, “Tomorrow will be Monday!”
HE Man in the wilderness Asked me How many strawberries Grew in the sea; I answered him as I thought good, “As many red herrings as grow in the wood.”
Went round about the house to find A chink to get her foot in; She tried the keyhole in the door, She tried the crevice in the floor, And drove the chimney soot in.
a
62
IN PT NOU RP SSE’ R-Y
ILLY, Billy, come and play, While the sun shines bright as day. Yes, my Polly, so I will, For I love to please you still.
Billy, Billy, have you seen
Sam and Betsy on the green? Yes, my Poll, I saw them pass, Skipping o’er the new-mown grass.
Billy, Billy, come along,
And I will sing a pretty song. Oh, then, Polly, I’ll make haste; Not one moment will I waste.
IRDS of a feather flock together, And so will pigs and swine; Rats and mice will have their choice, And so will I have mine.
a2)
HARLEY NAG Ate the pudding and left the bag.
63
MY ‘B-O O K “HO Ws
S SEs
_
THREE JOVIAL HUNTSME
HERE were three jovial Welshmen, As I have heard them say, And they would go a-hunting Upon St. David’s day.
All the day they hunted,
And nothing could they find But a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing with the wind.
One said it was a ship, The other, he said nay; The third said it was a house,
With the chimney blown away.
And all the night they hunted, And nothing could they find But the moon a-gliding, A-gliding with the wind.
One said it was the moon, The other, he said nay;
The third said it was a cheese, And half of it cut away.
64
7 = as la
IN |S) sae NeUoRS ERY
And all the day they hunted, And nothing could they find
But a hedgehog in a bramble bush, Las WG And that they left behind. OOS HOY
S) The first Said it was a hedgehog,
The second, he said nay; : The third said ’twas a pin-cushion,
With the pin stuck in wrong way.
And all the night they hunted, And nothing could they find But a hare in a turnip field And that they left behind.
The first said it was a hare, The second, he said nay; The third said it was a calf, And the cow had run away.
And all the day they hunted, a : GAN q ss
And nothing could they find But an owl in a holly tree, And that they left behind.
One said it was an owl,
The other, he said nay; The third said ’twas an old man Whose beard was growing gray.
M‘Y iB OO OvK AHOTU-s472
ITTLE Tommy Tucker Sings for his supper. What shall we give him? White bread and butter. How shall he cut it Without e’er a knife? How shall he marry Without e’er a wife?
Apple seed and apple thorn, »2& Wire, brier, limber-lock, Three geese in a flock; One flew east, and one flew west, And one flew over the Cuckoo’s nest.
F wishes were horses, Beggars would ride;
If turnips were watches, I’d wear ohne by my side.
66
IN THE NCUAR S E'R WY
) UTTONS, a farthing a pair! | =f gh Come, who will buy them of me? | 4
They’re round and sound and pretty,
And fit for girls of the city!
Come, who will buy them of me?
Buttons, a farthing a pair!
ERRY are the bells, and merry would they ring,
Merry was myself, and merry could I sing; With a merry ding-dong, happy, gay, and nie And a merry sing-song, happy let us be! z
Merry have we met, and merry have we been, Merry let us part, and merry meet again; With our merry sing-song, happy, gay, and free, And a merry ding-dong, happy let us be!
ARCH winds and April showers Bring forth May flowers.
67
MAY: BO (OVK SHeOTU ae
F all the world were water,
And all the water ink, What should we do for bread and cheese? What should we do for drink?
NS 4/ HERE was a monkey climbed up a tree; = When he fell down, then down fell he.
There was a crow sat on a stone; When he was gone, then there was none.
There was an old wife did eat an apple; When she ate two, she had eaten a couple.
There was a horse going to the mill; When he went on, he stood not still.
There was a navy went to Spain; When it returned, it came back again.
LITTLE cock sparrow sat on a green tree,
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he. A little cock sparrow sat on a green tree, m3
And he chirruped, he chirruped, so merry was he. I Ms
68
fe NCS ees ae
Patoass
MY FATHER LEFT ME THREE ACRES OF LAND Y father left me three acres of land, Sing ivy, sing ivy; My father left me three acres of land, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!
I ploughed it with a crooked ram’s horn, Sing ivy, sing ivy;
And sowed it over with one pepper-corn, Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!
I harrowed it with a bramble bush, Sing ivy, sing ivy;
And reaped it with my little penknife, A Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!
I’d mice to carry it into the barn, Sing ivy, sing ivy;
And threshed it with a goose’s quill,
Sing holly, go whistle and ivy!
MY B O\(OYK HAO are
F all the seas were one sea, What a great sea that would be!
And if all the trees were one tree, What a great tree that would be! And if all the axes were one axe, What a great axe that would be! And if all the men were one man, What a great man that would be! And if the great man took the great axe, And cut down the great tree, And let it fall into the great sea, What a splish-splash that would be!
SUNSHINE
ICK-A-MORE, Hack-a-more, On the King’s kitchen door. All the King’s horses And all the King’s men, Couldn’t drive Hick-a-more, Hack-a-more Off the King’s kitchen door.
7O
IN OH FE NCU S ECRIY
ETER Piper picked a peck:of pickled peppers:
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked ;#M,
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
WENT up one pair of stairs.”’ “Just like me.’’ “T went up two pair of stairs.” “‘Just_like me.”’ “T went into a room.” “Just like me.” “T looked out a window.” “Just like me.”’ “And there I saw a monkey.” ‘Just like me! ! !”
REAT A, little a, bouncing B; The Cat’s in the cupboard and she can’t see. XG
DILLER, a dollar, a ten o’clock scholar, What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
But now you come at noon.
HERE’S a neat little clock— In the schoolroom it stands— And it points to the time With its two little hands.
And may we, like the clock, Keep a face clean and bright, With hands ever ready
To do what is right.
e <) i
Now I’ve said my A, B, C, Tell me what you think of me.
70,
IN FOE Nt Ss BOR oy
NE, two, buckle my shoe; Three, four, knock at the door; Five, six, pick up sticks; Seven, eight, lay them straight; Nine, ten, a big fat hen; Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.
EY diddle, dinkety, Poppety, pet! The merchants of London They wear scarlet; Silk in the collar, and Gold in the hem, So merrily march the Merchantmen.
MIND YOUR COMMAS!
VERY. lady in this land Has twenty nails, upon each hand Five, and twenty on hands and feet, All this is true, without deceit.
73
MYiB O(OVK WnOTrU ze
GOING TO SEE GRANDMAMMA ITTLE Molly and Damon Are walking so far, | For they’re going to see Their kind Grandmamma.
And they very well know, _ When they get there she’ll take
From out of the cupboard
Some very nice cake.
And into her garden They know they may run, And pick some red currants, And have lots of fun.
So Damon to doggie Says, ‘‘How do you do?”’
And asks his mamma
_If he may not go too.
—Kate Greenaway,
IN EOHHE NOUCR S ER Y
THE TEA PARTY
N the pleasant green Garden We sat down to tea; “Do you take sugar?” and “Do you take milk?’ She’d got a new gown on— A smart one of silk.
We all were as happy As happy could be,
On that bright summer’s day When she asked us to tea.
—Kate Greenaway.
LITTLE WIND ITTLE wind, blow on the hill top; Little wind, blow down the plain; Little wind, blow up the sunshine; Little wind, blow off the rain.
—Kate Greenaway.
75
MY! (BIOUOPK SOPs =
The Little Red Hen and the Grain of Wheat AN ENGLISH FOLK TALE HE Little Red Hen was in the farmyard with her chicks looking for something to eat. She found some grains of wheat and she said:
“Cut, cut, cut, cudawcut!
These grains of wheat I’ll sow; The rain and warm spring sunshine Will surely make them grow.
Now who will help me sow the wheat?”
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“Not I,”’ said the Mouse.
“Not I,” said the Pig.
“Then I’ll sow it myself,’ said Little Red Hen. And she did.
76
IN TOHRE NOUTR ® EURIY
_ When the grain had grown up tall and was ready to cut, Little Red Hen said: “Cut, cut, cut, cudawcut! I'll cut, cut, cut this grain;
It’s nodding ripe and golden, From days of sun and rain.
Now who will help me cut the wheat?’
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“Not I,’’ said the Mouse.
“Not I,” said the Pig.
“Then [ll cut it myself,’ said Little Red Hen.
And she did. When the wheat was cut, Little Red Hen said:
“Cut, cut, cut, cudawcut! It’s time to thresh the wheat; Each little grain so precious From out the chaff I’ll beat.
Now who will help me thresh the wheat?”
77
M-VYi @®*OU0OVUK GHNOPU oar
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“Not I,’’ said the Mouse.
“Not I,” said the Pig.
“Then I’ll thresh it myself,” said Little Red Hen.
And she did. 3 When the wheat was threshed, Little Red Hen said:
‘“‘See where the windmill’s great, long arms Go whirling round and round!
| [ll take this grain straight to the mill; To flour it shall be ground.
Cluck! Cluck! Who’ll help me carry the grain to the mill?”
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“Not I,”’ said the Mouse.
“Not I,” said the Pig.
“Then I'll carry it myself,’’ said Little Red Hen.
And she did. ; When the wheat was ground, Little Red Hen said:
“T’ve sowed and reaped and threshed, cluck, cluck! I’ve carried to the mill,
And now I'll bake a loaf of bread,
With greatest care and skill.
Who’ll help me bake the bread?”’ 78
PNe-STOHIE YON'URS ERY
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“Not I,”’ said the Mouse.
“Not I,” said the Pig.
“Then Tl bake it myself,’ said Little Red Hen. And she did.
When the bread was baked, Little Red Hen said:
“Cluck, cluck! Cluck, cluck! The bread is done,
It’s light and sweet,
Now who will come
And help me eat?”
“T will,’ quacked the Duck.
“T will,’ squeaked the Mouse.
“T will,” grunted the Pig.
‘‘No! You won't,’ said Little Red Hen. “T’ll do it myself. Cluck! Cluck! My chicks! I earned this bread for you! Eat it up! Eat it up!”
And they did.
MYBO OfK MnOTU ge OVER IN THE MEADOW
OLIVE A. WADSWORTH
' VER in the meadow, In the sand, in the sun, Lived an old mother-toad And her little toadie one. “Wink,’’ said the mother; “T wink,’’ said the one; So she winked and she blinked In the sand, in the sun.
Over in the meadow, Where the stream runs blue, Lived an old mother-fish And her little fishes two.
’
“Swim,” said the mother; “We swim,” said the two; So they swam and they leaped
Where the stream runs blue.
Over in the meadow, In a hole in a tree,
Lived an old mother-bluebird And her little birdies three.
80
NeUCR & EVRY
’
“Sing,” said the mother; ‘‘We sing,’’ said the three; So they sang and were glad, In the hole in the tree.
Over in the meadow, In the reeds on the shore, Lived a mother-muskrat And her ratties four. “Dive,” said the mother; ‘‘We dive,” said the four; So they dived and they burrowed In the reeds on the shore.
Over in the meadow, In a snug bee-hive, Lived a mother honey bee And her little bees five.
’
“Buzz,”’ said the mother; ‘‘We buzz,’ said the five;
So they buzzed and they hummed In the snug bee-hive.
81
Over in the meadow,
In a nest built of sticks, Lived a black mother-crow
And her little crows six. “Caw,” said the. mother;
‘“‘We caw,” said the six; So they cawed and they called
In their nest built of sticks.
Over in the meadow,
Where the grass is sO even, Lived a gay mother-cricket
And her little crickets seven. “Chirp,” said the mother;
“We chirp,” said the seven; So they chirped cheery notes
In the grass soft and even.
Over in the meadow,
By the old mossy gate, Lived a brown mother-lizard And her little lizards eight.
PNe Vreer NURSE RY
‘““Bask,’’ said the mother;
‘We bask,”’ said the eight; So they basked in the sun
On the old mossy gate.
Over in the meadow, Where the quiet pools shine,
Lived a green mother-frog
And her little froggies nine. “‘Croak,’’ said the mother,
“We croak,’’ said the nine— So they croaked and they. splashed
Where the quiet pools shine.
BS air se Over in the meadow, ) \ ee j =e Sex In a sly little den, [Sees =e : ECR Lived a gray mother-spider bie 3 sate
: PRL] And her little spiders ten. ~ FE ’ said the mother,
‘Spin,’ ‘‘We spin,” said the ten; So they spun lace webs In their sly little den.
MOON, SO ROUND AND YELLOW
OON, so round and yellow, Looking from on high, How I love to see you Shining in the sky. Oft and oft I wonder, When I see you there, How they get to light you, Hanging in the air.
Where you go at morning, When the night is past, And the sun comes peeping O’er the hills at last. Sometime I will watch you Slyly overhead, When you think I’m sleeping Snugly in my bed. —Matthias Barr.
84
ihe 2£PHE *NOUR'S E'R-Y
What the Moon Saw Hans CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN | ISTEN to what old Mr. Moon told me.
“T have seen many happy people as I travel about,” said the Moon, ‘‘but I have never seen greater joy than I saw last night. I peeped in a window, and there stood a child, a little four-year-old girl.
M:Y¥s pBOO4K ror tae
‘She had -on a very pretty new dress and a pink hat. They had just been put on, and the people who stood about were calling for lights. My own light, as it shone through the window, was not strong enough for them to see her. They. must have some- thing brighter altogether to look at anything so pretty.
‘When the candles came and were all ablaze, there stood the little girl as stiff as any doll. She was hold- ing her arms away from the dress so as not to touch it, and each finger stuck out straight and stiff. Oh, how her eyes shone and her whole face beamed with gladness!
““*Tomorrow you shall go out in your new clothes,’ said the mother; and the little one looked down at her frock and smiled so happily.
‘“““Mother,’ she said, ‘what do you suppose the DOGS
will think when they see me in all my pretty things!’ ”’ —A dapted.
Phe FE wNjUGR)S EVRY
The “Wake-Up” Story EUDORA BUMSTEAD HE sun was up and the breeze was blowing, and the five chicks and four geese and three rabbits and two kitties and one little dog were just as noisy and lively as they knew how to be.
They were all watching for Baby Ray to appear at the window, but he was still fast asleep in his little white bed, while mamma was making ready the things he would need when he should wake up.
First, she went along the orchard path as far as the old wooden pump, and said: ‘‘Good Pump, will you give me some nice, clear water for the baby’s bath?”
And the pump was willing.
From The Youth’s Companion
87
MY §BAOYV OK Sie On ae
The good old pump by the orchard path, Gave nice, clear water for Baby’s bath.
Then she went a little farther on the path, and stopped at the wood-pile, and said: ‘Good Chips, the pump has given me nice, clear water for dear little Ray; will you come and warm the water and cook his food?”
And the chips were willing.
The good old pump by the orchard path,
Gave nice, clear water for Baby’s bath,
And the clean, white chips from the pile of wood Were glad to warm it and cook his food.
So mamma went on till she came to the barn, and then said: ‘‘Good Cow, the pump has given me nice clear water, and the wood-pile has given me clean, white chips for dear little Ray. Will you give me warm, rich milk?” :
And the cow was willing.
Then she said to the top-knot hen that was scratch-
Peo Pre ANCURS-ER'Y
ing in the straw: ‘Good Biddy, the pump has given me nice, clear water, and the wood-pile has given me clean, white chips, and the cow has given me warm, rich milk for dear little Ray. Will you give me a new laid egg?”
And the hen was willing.
The good old pump by the orchard path,
Gave nice, clear water for Baby’s bath.
The clean, white chips from the pile of wood Were glad to warm it and cook his food.
The cow gave milk in the milk-pail bright,
And the top-knot Biddy an egg, new and white.
Then mamma went on till she came to the orchard, and said to a Red June apple tree: ‘‘Good Tree, the pump has given me nice, clear water, and the wood- pile has given me clean, white chips, and the cow has given me warm, rich milk, and the hen has given me
MsY, BO 0,-K sHyOrU Se8
a new-laid egg for dear little Ray. Will you give me a pretty red apple?’ And the tree was willing.
So mamma took the apple and the egg and the milk and the chips and the water to the house, and there was Baby Ray in his nightgown, looking out of the window.
And she kissed him and bathed him and dressed him, and while she brushed and curled his soft, brown hair, she told him the ‘‘Wake-Up” story that I am telling you:
The good old pump by the orchard path, Gave nice, clear water for Baby’s bath.
The clean, white chips from the pile of wood Were glad to warm it and cook his food.
The cow gave milk in the milk-pail bright;
The top-knot Biddy an egg, new and white;
And the tree gave an apple so round and so red, For dear little Ray who was just out of bed.
IN Ty Hee Ny URS Ee RY
GOING TO LONDON °
Mary Marts DODGE
P, down! Up, down! All the way to London town— Sunny road and shady.
I’m the papa,
You’re the ma’ma, You're the pretty lady!
Up, down! Up, down! All the way to London town— See how fast we’re going!
Feel the jar
Of the car? Feel the wind a-blowing?
Up, down! Up, down! All the way to London town— Here we are this minute! Rock-a-chair Anywhere, When we two are in it.
From Rhymes and Jingles. Copyright, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong & Co.; 1904, by Charles Scribner's Sons. By permission of the publishers.
gl
MA Y* “B“O2 OK SHO Urs 2.
PRECOCIOUS PIGGY
THomas Hoop
HERE are you going to, you little pig?”
“I’m leaving my mother, I’m growing so big!’ “So big, young pig, So young, so big! What! Leaving your mother, you foolish young pig!”
“Where are you going to, you little pig?”
“T’ve got a new spade, and I’m going to dig.’
“To dig, little pig?
A little pig dig!
Well, I never saw a pig with a spade that could dig!”
“Where are you going to, you little pig?”’ “Why, I’m going to have a nice ride in a gig!”’ “In a gig, little pig!
What! A pig in a gig!
Well, I never saw a pig ride in a gig!
”
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Ne STE GN URS ERY
“Where are you going to, you little pig?’
“Well, I’m going to the ball to dance a fine jig!” “A jig, little pig!
A pig dance a jig!
Well, I never before saw a pig dance a jig!’’
‘Where are you going to, you little pig?’ “I’m going to the fair to run a fine rig.” “A rig, little pig!
A pig run a rig!
Well, I never before saw a pig run a rig!”
“Where are you going to, you little pig?” “I’m going to the barber’s to buy me a wig!” “A wig, little pig!
A pig in a wig!
Why, whoever before saw a pig in a wig!”
M Y BOOK H*O!U SF The Cat and the Mouse
AN ENGLISH FOLK TALE
HE cat and the mouse Played in the malt-house.
The cat bit the mouse’s tail off. “Pray, Puss,”’ “No, no,”
cried the mouse, “‘give me my tail.” says the cat. “I'll not give you your tail till you go to the cow and fetch me some milk.”’
2,First she leaped and then she ran . Till she came to the cow and thus she began:
“Pray, Cow, give me some milk that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my tail again.”’ “No, no,” said the cow. “T’'ll give you no milk till you go to the farmer and get me some hay.”
ON First she leaped and then she ran a y~ Till she came to the farmer and thus she began:
“Pray, Farmer, give me some hay that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my tail again.”
‘No, no,’”’ says the farmer, “I'll give no hay till you go to the butcher and fetch me some meat.”’
94
IPVHeE INE Rte EAR AY
Vv First she leaped and then she ran Till she came to the butcher and thus she began:
“Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my tail again.”’
“No,’”’ says the butcher, “I'll give you no meat till you go to the baker and fetch me some bread.”
wr: o rp —<First she leaped and then she ran Se,
R 4 Till she came to the baker and thus she began:
bread, that butcher may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my tail again.”’
Then the baker gave mouse bread, and. mouse gave butcher bread, and butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and farmer gave mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave mouse milk, and mouse gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her tail again.
95
MY, BO O,/K WHpeoOruU os Johnny and the Three Goats
A Norse TALE OW you shall hear!
Once there was a boy named Johnny, and he ~ had three goats. All day long those goats leaped and pranced and skipped and climbed way up on the top of a hill, but every night Johnny went to fetch them and drove them home. One evening the frisky things leaped out of the road and over a fence and into a turnip- field, and, try as he would, Johnny could not get them to come out again. There they were and there they stayed. Then the boy sat down on the hillside and cried and cried and cried. As he sat there a hare came along. ‘Why do you cry?” asked the hare. “I cry because I can’t get the goats out o>“ | of the turnip-field,” answered Johnny. x “Til get the goats out of the turnip- field,’’ said the hare. So he tried and he tried, but the goats would not come. ‘| pes| Then the hare sat down beside Johnny Jf *| and began to cry, too. ¥ Along came a fox.
‘Why do you cry?” asked the fox. ‘I cry because the boy cries,’”’ said the hare, ‘‘and
96
wees cae oe Te
the boy cries because he cannot get the goats out of the turnip-field.”’
“Tll get the goats out of the turnip-field,’’ said the fox.
So the fox tried and he tried and he tried, but the goats would not come. Then the fox sat down beside Johnny and the hare and began to cry, too.
Pretty soon along came a wolf.
‘“‘Why do you cry?” asked the wolf.
“T cry because the hare cries,’”’ said the fox, ‘‘and the hare cries because the boy cries, and the boy cries because he can’t get the goats out of the turnip-field.”’
“T’ll get the goats out of the turnip-field,’”’ said the wolf. So he tried and he tried and he tried and he tried, but the goats would not leave the field. So the wolf sat down beside Johnny and the hare and the fox and began to cry, too.
After a little a bee flew over the hill and saw them all sitting there crying away for dear life, ‘'Boo-hoo. Boo-hoo. Boo-hoo.”’
97
MY -B-OvVO*K SHO. U S32
‘Why do you cry?” said the bee to the wolf.
“I cry because the fox cries, and the fox cries because the hare cries, and the hare cries because the boy cries, and the boy cries because he can’t get the goats out of the turnip-field.”’ ae
“Much good it does ; about it,’ said the goats out of the
to sit there and cry @eebee. “I'll get the turnip-field.”’
Then the great big wolf, and the great big fox, and the great big hare, and the great big boy all stopped boo-hooing a moment to poke fun at the tiny bee.
“You get the goats out of the turnip-field, indeed, when we could not. Ho, ho, ho, and hah, hah, hah. Ridiculous little creature.”’
But the tiny bee flew away into the turnip-field and lit in the ear of one of the goats, and all he did was say, “Buzz-z-z. Buzz-z-z. Buz-z-z.”’
And out ran the goats every one.
IN PCE NeUtRS EoR UY
THE CLUCKING HEN
ILL you take a walk with me, My little wife, today? There’s barley in the barley field, And hayseed in the hay.”
“Thank you,” said the clucking hen; “T’ve something else to do; I’m busy sitting on my eggs, I cannot walk with you.”
The clucking hen sat on her nest, She made it on the hay;
And warm and snug beneath her breast, A dozen white eggs lay.
Crack, crack, went all the eggs, Out dropped the chickens small;
“Cluck,”’ said the clucking hen, “Now I have you all.
“Come along, my little chicks, I'll take a walk with you.” “Hello!” said the barn-door cock. ‘““Cock-a-doodle-do!” —From Aunt Effie’s Rhymes.
99
MY = B30. 07K SHO? Sar
SS
NN
Belling the Cat ADAPTED FROM AESOP ONG ago the Mice all came together to talk over what they could do to keep themselves safe from the Cat. They sat around in a great circle under an old wash tub, with a candle for light, and wiggled their whiskers, and blinked their eyes, and looked very wise indeed. Some said, ‘‘Let us do this,’ and others said, ‘‘Let us do that,’’ but at last a young Mouse got up, proudly swished his tail, and looked about as though to say he knew more than all the rest of them put together. “T have thought of something,’ said he, “‘that will be sure to keep us safe from the Cat.”’ “Tell us what it is then,’’ squeaked the other Mice. “You all know,” said the young Mouse, ‘‘it is because Pussy creeps up on us so very quietly, that she is right upon us before we see her. If we could
100
IN TOHVE Weer es EP Ry
only plan something which would let us know when she is coming, we should always have plenty of time to scamper out of her way. Now I say, let us get a small bell and tie it by a ribbon around her neck. Then she will not be able to move at all with- out jingling the bell. When we hear the bell tinkle, we shall always know that she is about and can easily keep out of her reach.”
As the young Mouse sat down, very proud of him- self, all the others clapped their paws and squeaked:
“Just the thing! Just the thing! Big-Whiskers has told us what we should do!”
They even began talking about whether they should get a silver bell or a brass one, and whether they should use a blue ribbon or a pink one. But at last an old Mouse got slowly up from his seat and said:
IOI
MiYt *BxAO7O4K SO. ee
“What Big Whiskers has said is all very well, but pray tell me, who 1s going to put the bell on the cat?”’
At these words the Mice all looked very foolish, and nobody spoke a word. Who indeed would dare to go straight up to Pussy and tie the bell about her neck? Big-Whiskers looked the most foolish of all. He made himself as small as he could and slunk off into a cor- ner, for he had never, never thought to do such a thing himself. Then the old Mouse said:
“Tt is all very well to talk about doing great things, but all that really counts is to do them.”’
er
IN THE INSGUOR TS EVRY
WHAT THEY SAY Mary Mapes DopGE
HAT does the drum say? ‘‘Rub-a-dub-dub!
Rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub! Pound away, bub! Make as much racket as ever you can. Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub! Go it, my man!”
What does the trumpet say? ‘‘Toot-a-toot-too! Toot-a-toot, toot-a-toot! Hurrah for you!
Blow in this end, sir, and hold me out, so. Toot-a-toot! Toot-a-toot! Why don’t you blow?”
What does the whip say? ‘‘Snaperty-snap! Call that a crack, sir—flipperty flap!
Up with the handle, and down with the lash. Snaperty! Snaperty! Done in a flash.”
From Rhymes and Jingles. Copyright, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong & Company; 1904, by Charles Scribner's Sons. By permission of the publishers.
103
M “vi BSOIO7K GHtOr Game
The Little Big Man RABINDRANATH TAGORE
AM small because I am a little child. I shall be
big when I am as old as my father is.
My teacher will come and say, “It is late. Bring your slate and your books.”
I shall tell him, ‘‘Do you not know I am as big as Father? And I must not have lessons any more.”
My master will wonder and say, ‘‘He can leave his books if he likes, for he is grown up.”
I shall dress myself and walk to the fair where the crowd is thick.
My uncle will come rushing up to me and say, “You will get lost, my boy. Let me carry you.”
From The Crescent Moon. Copyright, 1913. Used by courteous permission of The Macmillan Company.
104
IN TORE NeUSR IS ERY
I shall answer, “‘Can’t you see, Uncle, I am as big as Father? I must go to the fair alone.”
Uncle will say, ‘Yes, he can go wherever he likes, for he is grown up.”
Mother will come from her bath when I am giving money to my nurse, for I shall know how to open the box with my key.
Mother will say, ‘‘What are you about, naughty child?”
I shall tell her, ‘Mother, don’t you know, I am as big as Father, and I must give silver to my nurse.”
Mother will say to herself, ‘‘He can give money to whom he likes, for he is grown up.”
In the holiday time in October Father will come home and, thinking that I am still a baby, will bring for me from the town little shoes and small silken frocks.
I shall say, ‘“‘Father, give them to my dada, for I am as big as you are.”’
Father will think and say, ‘He can buy: his own clothes if he likes, for he is grown up.”
105
Mo¥Y + (BO OV/K GHyOrt a THE FARMER’S BOY
HEN I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy,
I used to keep my master’s horses, With a gee-wo here, and a gee-wo there, Here a gee, and there a gee, And everywhere a gee-wo.
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy, I used to keep my master’s cows, With a moo-moo here, and.a moo-moo there, Here a moo, and there a moo, And everywhere a moo-moo.
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy,
I used to keep my master’s chickens, With a cluck-cluck here, and a cluck-cluck there, Here a cluck, and there a cluck,
And everywhere a cluck-cluck!
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy,
I used to keep my master’s dogs,
With a bow-wow here, and a bow-wow there, Here a bow, and there a wow,
And everywhere a bow-wow!
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IN Wet. ANGUCR SS EVRY
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy, I used to keep my master’s ducks,
With a quack-quack here, and a quack-quack there, Here a quack, and there a quack,
And everywhere a quack, quack!
=") When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy, I used to keep my master’s turkeys, With a gobble-gobble here, and a gobble-gobble there, Here a gobble, there a gobble, Everywhere a gobble-gobble!
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy, I used to keep my master’s lambs, With a baa-baa here, and a baa-baa there, Here a baa, and there a baa, And everywhere a baa-baa!
When I was a farmer, a farmer’s boy, I used to keep my master’s pigs, With a grunt-grunt here, and a grunt-grunt there, Here a grunt, and there a grunt,
And everywhere a grunt-grunt!
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M°Y! B’OU0°CK 4H OP Ue.
The Little Gray Pony
Maup LINDSAY HERE was once a man who owned a little gray pony.
Every morning when the dewdrops were still hanging on the pink clover in the meadows, and the birds were singing their morning song, the man would jump on his pony and ride away, clippety, clippety, clap!
The pony’s four small hoofs played the jolliest tune on the smooth pike road, the pony’s head was: always high in the air, and the pony’s two little ears were always pricked up; for he was a merry, gray pony, and loved to go clippety, clippety, clap!
The man rode to town and to country, to church and to market, up hill and down hill; and one day he
From Mother Storics. Copyright, 1900. Used by kind permission of the publishers, Milton Bradley Company.
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IN pagel Nw ok o ER. ¥
heard something fall with a clang on a stone in the road. Looking back, he saw a horsehoe lying there. And when he saw it, he cried out:
‘“‘What shall I do? What shall I do,
If my little gray pony has lost a shoe?”’
Then down he jumped, in a great hurry, and looked at one of the pony’s forefeet; but nothing was wrong. He lifted the other forefoot, but the shoe was still there. He examined one of the hindfeet, and began to think that he was mistaken; but when he looked at the last foot, he cried again:
‘What shall I do? What shall I do? My little gray pony has lost a shoe!’
Then. he made haste to go to the blacksmith; and when he saw the smith, he called out to him:
“Blacksmith! Blacksmith! I’ve come to you; My little gray pony has lost a
shoe!”
MYi2B8 0 OK. Hrot see
But the blacksmith answered and said:
““How can I shoe your pony’s feet, Without some coal the iron to heat?”
The man was downcast when he heard this; but he left his little gray pony in the blacksmith’s care, while he hurried here and there to buy the coal.
First of all he went to the store; and when he got there, he said:
‘“‘Storekeeper! Storekeeper! I’ve come to you; My little gray pony has lost a shoe!
And I want some coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe my pony’s feet.”
But the storekeeper answered and said:
“‘Now I have apples and candy to sell,
And more nice things than I can tell;
But I’ve no coal the iron to heat, That the blacksmith may shoe your pony’s feet.’
Then the man went away sighing, and saying:
“What shall | do? What shall 1 do? My little gray pony has lost a shoe!’’
ite,
Pw UTE ONIURSERY
_ By and by he met a farmer coming to town with a wagon full of good things, and he said:
“Farmer! Farmer! I’ve come to you;
My little gray pony has lost a shoe!
And I want some coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe my pony’s feet.”
Then the farmer answered the man and said:
“T’ve bushels of corn, and hay, and wheat, Something for you and your pony to eat;
But I've no coal the iron to -heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe your pony’s feet.”
So the farmer drove away and left the man standing in the road, sighing and saying:
“What shall I do? What shall I do? My little gray , pony has lost a shoe!”’
In the farmer’s wagon, full of good things, he
saw corn, which made him think of the mill; so he hastened there, and called to the dusty miller:
“Miller! Miller! I’ve . come to you;
My little gray pony has lost a shoe,
And I want some coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe my pony’s feet.”
The miller came to the door in surprise; and when he heard what was needed, he said:
“T have wheels that go round and round,
And stones to turn till the grain is ground; But I’ve no coal the iron to heat,
That the blacksmith may shoe your pony’s feet.”
Then the man turned away sorrowfully, and sat down on a rock near the roadside, sighing and saying:
“What shall I do? What shall I do? My little gray pony has lost a shoe!’
Tre
Ne UT HE NAR S ER Y
After a while a very old woman came down the road, driving a flock of geese to market; and when she came near the man, she stopped to ask him his trouble. He told her all about it; and when she had heard it all, she laughed till her geese joined in with a cackle; and she said:
“Tf you would know where the coal is found, You must go to the miner, who works in the ground.”
Then the man sprang to his feet, and, thanking the old woman, he ran to the miner. Now the miner had been working many a long day down in the mine, under the ground, where it was so dark that he had to wear a lamp on the front of his cap to light him at his work. He had plenty of black coal ready and gave great lumps of it to the man, who took them in haste to the blacksmith.
MY? BO © 4% CHO 40 sae
The blacksmith lighted his great, red fire, and hammered out four, fine new shoes, with a cling, and a clang. And fastened them on with a rap, and a tap! Then away rode the man on his little gray pony—
clippety, clippety, clap!
YANKEE DOODLE
ANKEE Doodle came to town Riding on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat, And called him macaroni.
114
IN et FPS NURS ER Y THE KEY OF THE KINGDOM :
HIS is the key of the Kingdom—
In that Kingdom there is a city; In that city there is a town; In that town there is a street; In that street there is a lane; In that lane there is a yard; In that yard there is a house; In that house there is a room; In that room there is a bed; On that bed there is a basket; In that basket there are some flowers Flowers in the basket, Basket on the bed, Bed in the room, Room in the house, House in the yard, Yard in the lane, Lane in the street, Street in the town,
Town in the city,
City in the Kingdom,
And this is the key to the Kingdom.
THE DARING PRINCE
DARING Prince, of the realm Rangg Dhune, Once went up in a big balloon . That caught and stuck on the horns of the moon, And he hung up there until next day noon— When all at once he exclaimed, ‘‘Hoot-toot!”’ And then came down in his parachute. —James Whitcomb Riley.
Copyright used by special permission of The Bobbs-Merrill Company.
116
I N ORE NURSERY
What Else the Moon Saw
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
R. MOON told me many things that he had seen as he travelled around the world.
“Once,’’ he said, “‘the master of a dancing bear tied his great shaggy beast to a tree while he ate his supper. In an upper room of the inn where the man was eating, three little children played. I looked in at the window and saw them. They were romping and laughing, when all of a sudden, ‘Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!’ was heard on the stairs— Tramp! Tramp!’ and a clanking of chains! Who could it be? The children stood still and listened.
“In a moment the door flew open, and lo and behold, there stood the bear—the huge, shaggy bear— with his chain dragging along on the floor behind him! Tired of standing alone so long in the yard, he had
117
[7 GAG ee | broken away from the tree, and found his way up the staircase of the inn.
“At first the children cried out in alarm when they saw him and ran into a corner to hide. But the bear found them all and, snuffling, put his muzzle up to them, but did not harm them in the least.
‘“““FYe must be a big dog,’ thought the children; and they began to pet and stroke him. The bear lay down and stretched himself out on the floor; the youngest boy rolled over him and nestled his curly head in the shaggy black fur. Then the oldest boy ran to get his drum and began to thump away on it with all his might, ‘Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub!’ At that the bear stood up on his hind legs and began to dance. What fun! Each boy shouldered his gun; they gave the bear a gun, too, and he held it tight and straight as any soldier! There was a playmate for
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IN PO HE NOUOCR 3S EVRY
them! Away they marched, all round the room.—One, two!—One, two!—One, two!
“All at once the door opened, and there stood the children’s mother. You should have seen her face when she saw her children playing with a bear! But the youngest boy laughed with joy and cried, ‘Mamma, we are all playing soldier!’
“Just at that moment the man came in and took his bear away.’’—Adapted.
NELL AND HER BIRD Mary Mapes DopGE
OOD-BY, little birdie! Fly to the sky, Singing and singing A merry good-by.
Tell all the other birds, Flying above,
Nell, in the garden, Sends them her love.
I'd like to go with you If I could fly;
It must be so beautiful Up in the sky!
From Rhymes and Jingles. Pet oh right, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong & Company; 1904, by -Charles Scribner’s Sons. By permission of the publishers.
11g
MOY BPO UOC K SH Or Gee
a. BERT R. EtriortT
The Fox and the Stork
ADAPTED FROM AESOP
T one time the Fox and the Stork were very good
friends and used often to visit each other. So the Fox invited the Stork one day to dinner. But, when they were ready to eat, Mr. Fox thought to play a joke on Miss Stork. He put before her nothing at all except some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up with his tongue, but the Stork could only wet the tip-end of her long bill in it. So she could get nothing to eat and left the meal as hungry as when she began.
“T am sorry,” said the Fox, waite ss to hina “that you do not like the soup.”
“Oh, pray do not say anything about it,’’ said the Stork, ‘I hope you will return this visit and come soon to eat dinner with me.”’
So a day was set when the Fox should visit the
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Stork. But when they were seat- ed at table, all that the Stork had made ready for dinner was held in a very slim, long-necked jar, with a narrow mouth. Down into this the Stork could easily reach her slender bill, but the Fox’ could not get his thick snout into it. So all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.
“T will not say I am sorry you have eaten so little,’’ said the Stork, ‘for as you treat others, so must you expect others to treat you.”
’
PIGEON AND WREN
OO-OO, coo-oo, It’s as much as a pigeon can do To maintain two; But the little wren can maintain ten, And bring them all up like gentlemen. —English Folk Rhyme.
I2I
M:¥< BO O“VK GHOPU wee
MAUD - MISKA PETERSHAM
CLOUDS
HITE sheep, white sheep, On a blue hill,
When the wind stops,
You all stand still;
When the wind blows,
You walk away slow.
White sheep, white sheep,
Where do you go?
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te e iN ) Lor AN hlrs y WAY VG
IN i eHRE Neeru Oo CER TY Clouds and Waves
RABINDRANATH TAGORE OTHER, the folk who live up in the clouds call Out 00. me—-
“We play from the time we wake till the day ends. We play with the golden dawn, we play with the silver moon.” I ask, “But, how am I to get up to you?”
They answer, ‘‘Come to the edge of the earth, lift
From The Crescent Moon. Copyright, 1913. Used by courteous permission of The Macmillan Company.
£33
M #Y) 2B AOVO* Kk Si Or vane
up your hands to the sky, and you will be taken up into the clouds.”
“My mother is waiting for me at home,” I say. ‘How can I leave her and come?”’
Then they smile and float away.
But I know a nicer game than that, Mother.
I shall be the cloud and you the moon.
I shall cover you with both hands, and our house- top will be the blue sky.
The folk who live in the waves call out to me—
“We sing from morning till night; on and on we travel and know not where we pass.’
I ask, “But, how am I to join you?”
They tell me, ‘‘Come to the edge of the shore and stand with your eyes tight shut, and you will be carried out upon the waves.”
I say, “My mother always wants me at home in the evening—how can I leave her and go?”
Then they smile, dance, and pass by.
But I know a better game than that.
I will be the waves and you will be a strange shore.
I shall roll on, and on and on, and break upon your lap with laughter. And no one in the world will know where we both are.
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ee THE NURSERY WHO LIKES THE RAIN?
CLARA Doty BATES
SAID the duck, ‘I call it fun,
For I have my little rubbers on; They make a cunning three-toed track In the soft, cool mud. Quack! Quack!’’
“T,” cried the dandelion, “TI,
My roots are thirsty, my buds are dry. And she lifted a towsled yellow head Out of her green and grassy bed.
7?
“T hope ’twill pour! I hope ’twill pour!”’
Purred the tree-toad at his gray back door;
“For, with a broad leaf for a roof,
I am perfectly weatherproof.”’
““T,”’ shouted Ted, “for I can run,
With my high-top boots and my rain-coat on,
Through every puddle and runlet and pool,
That I find on my way to school.”
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M ¥ “ B OVO YK | aor ee
The Donkey and the Lap-Dog ADAPTED FROM AESOP
FARMER one day went to his stable to see the beasts that were there. Among these was his favorite Donkey. He was a big, shaggy, gray animal, always well fed and cared for, and every day the Farmer rode upon his back. The Farmer looked about to see
that all in the stable was as it should be. Now with him had come his little white Lap-Dog, a teeny, tiny fluff of a creature, who danced and frisked about and licked his master’s hand. The Farmer watched his dainty frolic with a smile on his lips. Then he sat down and gave the Lap-Dog a piece of sugar. When he had finished eating the sweetmeat, the teeny, tiny fluff of a creature jumped into his master’s lap and lay there, curled up and blink- ing, while the Farmer petted him and stroked his ears,
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rN TOS E N=OSR S.E RY
The Donkey, seeing how his master petted the Lap-Dog for his dainty ways, suddenly thought to get himself stroked and petted in the same way. So he broke loose from his halter and commenced dancing and prancing about just as the Lap-Dog had done. The Farmer held his sides with laughter. There the great, big, clumsy beast went capering about, standing up on his hind legs, waving his hoofs absurdly, and cocking his great shaggy head foolishly on one side. At last he went up to his master, put his hoofs on the Farmer’s shoulder, and tried to climb up into the little Dog’s place in his lap. “Boty-atthat, the Farmer’s servants rushed > up and drove the Donkey away, for they had to teach him that if he want- ed people to love him, he must be himself, and not try to act like someone
else.
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MY*BO OK: HOTU SAH
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE a ae ue ~ Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye;
a eee
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish, To set before the King?
The King was in the counting house Counting out his money;
_t The Queen was in the parlor
Eating bread and honey.
\S* The Maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes;
a ye Down came a blackbird, And snapped off her nose.
128
The Two Crabs ADAPTED FROM AESOP
NE fine, sunny day two Crabs came out from their home in the deep blue sea to’ take a walk on the yellow sand. There was one Big Crab and one Little Crab. | | “Child,” said the Big Crab, turning his eyes this way and that to see who was looking at them, “you are walking very awkwardly, twisting all the time from side to side. I don’t like to be seen out walking with you. I wish you would learn to go straight forward and stop waddling.”’ The Little Crab looked at the Big Crab to learn
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M’‘Y 2 BO DYR AIO a
from him just what was the right way to walk. There he saw the Big Crab making his way proudly along between speckled green lobsters, bright colored star- fish, and all the other little sea creatures that stood in a row to watch them. But lo and behold—the Big Crab himself was going waddle, waddle, twist and hitch! Waddle, waddle, twist and hitch!
“Well, well, well!’ said the Little Crab, “if you want me to stop waddling, you will have to show me how by first walking straight forward yourself! The best way to teach others how to do what is right is to do right yourself!’’
SIR ROBIN
OLLICKING Robin is here again. What does he care for the April rain? Care for it? Glad of it! Doesn’t he know That the April rain carries off the snow, And coaxes out leaves to shadow his nest, And washes his pretty red Easter vest, And makes the juice of the cherry sweet, For his hungry little robins to eat? : “Ha! Ha! Ha!’ Hear the jolly bird laugh. { “That isn’t the best of the story, by half.” = —Lucy Larcom.
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IN TOHTE N7TUCR S ER VY The Tale of a Black Cat
AN AMERICAN TALE NCE there was a little boy named Tommy; and there’s a wg That stands for Tommy. Tommy’s house was not a very good one. So he built a new wall on this side of it. And then he built a new wall on that side of it. | You can see now that he had two nice rooms in his house, though not very large. Next he put in windows to look out of—one in this room W
—and one in that room. W/ Then he made a tall chimney on this side
of his house. | And then Me made a tall NW chimney on the other side of his house.
After that he started some grass beside his door,
like this. € ;
Not or J from Tommy’s house Sailer lived a > little girl named Sally; and there's Sees stands for Sally.
When Tommy had finished his house he
thought he would ne to go and tell Sally what he
From The Oak Tree Fai ook. Used by the courteous permission of Li ‘ee ae & Company.
131
MY! BO (OK FOU aa
had been doing, so he came out of his door and
walked along, this way, ¥ ; over to where she lived. V7 S
Sally was glad to see him, and he went into the kitchen and sat down and explained to her how he had built two new walls to his house and put in windows and made two tall chimneys, and how he had started the grass in front of his door. ‘‘And now, Sally,’’ said he, ‘I want you to come over and see how well I’ve fixed things.”’
“T’ll put on my bonnet and go right back with you,” said Sally; but when she was ready to start she said, ‘‘We might go down cellar first and get some apples to eat on the way.”
So they went down cellar, like this. ,
They got some apples, and then they came up outdoors by the hatchway, like this.
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IN Te NOGUSK IS ERY
_ Now they started for Tommy’s house, but the walking was bad, and they had gone only a few steps when they tumbled down, like this.
S
And they walked along until they were nearly to Tommy’s house when they tumbled down again, like
this. ; S
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MY’ B’O JO¥K @GHHOTU S78
And they were no sooner up on their feet, like this,
S
But they were nearly to Tommy’s house now, and they got up and were going in to the yard, straight toward the
door, like this— W/
when Sally pointed toward the doorstep and cried out, “‘O-o-0-0-0-0-oh! See that big Black Cat!” 134 —Clifton Johnson.
ae
The Wind and the Sun
ADAPTED FROM AESOP
HE Wind once blustered to the Sun as he shook
the tall treetops and set all the leaves a-trembling:
“Ho! Ho! Friend Sun, see how strong Iam. You
could never do that! Watch me! I can bend the
great trees and break the little flowers off their stems.”
The Sun answered, quietly, ‘‘Yes, but I can melt the ice and make the flowers and trees blossom.”’
Still the Wind went on blustering and boasting and shaking the treetops.
Presently they saw a man coming down the road. Then the Sun said: “I know how we can prove which one of us is the stronger. Whichever can make that man take off his coat, will be shown to be stronger than the other. You try first.’’
So the Sun hid his big round face behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as he could upon the man. He raged and he snarled
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MY!) BO JO%K JAMO; U0 oem
and he howled! He whipped and he tore and he tugged! But the harder he tried in these ways to force the man to take off his coat, the more closely did the man wrap it around him, till at last the Wind found that he could do nothing, and he had to give up trying altogether.
Then the Sun came gently out from behind the clouds. Warm and bright, he shone on the man; joyous and sparkling he smiled on him, till at last the man felt that warmth all through and through. He looked up with an answering smile at the shining round face in the sky; then of his own wish he took off his coat. So the Sun had proved that his mild gentleness was far more power- ful than all the wild bluster of the Wind.
WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND? HO has seen the wind? Neither I nor you;
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I;
But when the trees bow down : . é their heads, ig os
The wind is passing by.— Christina G. Rossetti.
Used by the courteous permission of The Macmillan Rinatos
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aT,
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The Gingerbread Man
A NEw ENGLAND TALE Cs upon a time there were a little old woman and
a little old man. They hadn’t any little boys or girls of their own, so they lived in a little old house all alone. One day the little old woman was making gingerbread. |
“I will make a little Gingerbread Boy,” she said. So she rolled the dough out flat, and cut it:in the shape of a little boy. She put a nice little jacket of chocolate on him, and a row of currants down the front for buttons. Then she made eyes of fat raisins, a mouth of pink sugar frosting, and a little peaked cap of pink frosting. She pinched his gingerbread nose and ears into shape, and made two nice, good- sized feet.
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“Hah! hah! Now we'll have a little Gingerbread Boy,’ laughed she.
She laid him flat on his back in the pan, popped him into the oven, and closed the door; then she went about her work, sweeping and cleaning the house— sweeping and cleaning, and she forgot all about the little Gingerbread Boy.
He baked, he got glossy brown all over, he got hot—very hot; and still the old woman swept and cleaned, and cleaned and swept.
“Mercy!” said the little old woman at last, sniffing the air, ‘‘the Gingerbread Boy is burning.”
She ran to the oven, opened the door, and up jumped the Gingerbread Boy, hopped on the floor, ran across the kitchen, out of the door, down the walk, through the gate and down the road as fast as his gingerbread legs could carry him! The little old woman and the little old man ran after him, calling
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IN pb Sieke D New RS: ERY
The Gingerbread Boy looked back and laughed and
called out: “Run! Run! Run! Catch me if you can! You can’t get me! I’m the Gingerbread Man, TP antl am!”
And they couldn’t catch him.
So the Gingerbread Boy ran on and on. Soon he came to a cow.
“Um! um!’ sniffed the cow. ‘Stop, little Ginger- bread Boy. I would like to eat you.”’
But the little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:
“I’ve run away from a little old woman, I’ve run away from a little old man, And I can run away from you, I can.”
So the cow ran after him.
M 3Y =. "B 10 0O24K SHeO tae But the Gingerbread Boy shouted back:
“Run! Run! Run!
Catch me if you can! You can’t get me!
I’m the Gingerbread Man, lam!’) amy
And the cow couldn’t catch him.
So the little Gingerbread Boy ran on and on.
Soon he came to a horse.
‘Please stop, little Gingerbread Boy,’ said the horse. ‘‘You look very good to eat.”’
But the little Gingerbread Boy called out:
“T’ve run away from a little old woman, I’ve run away from a little old man, I’ve run away from a cow,
And I can run away from you, I can.”
So the horse ran after him.
IN AE NeUSR SS EVR YY
When the little Gingerbread Boy was past, he looked back and called:
“Run! Run! Run!
Catch me if you can! You can’t get me!
I’m the Gingerbread Man, Damo] am!’
And the horse couldn’t catch him.
By and by the little Gingerbread Boy came to a barn where threshers were working. The threshers saw him running and called out, as they tried to pick him up:
‘“‘Here is a gingerbread boy. Um! um! He smells good. Do not run so fast, little Gingerbread Boy. You look good to eat.’’
But the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster and faster and called out:
BERT &. ELUGTY -—
MYiB © OK BVO ae
“Ho! ho!
I’ve run away from a little old woman, I’ve run away from a little old man, I’ve run away from a cow,
I’ve run away from a horse,
And I can run away from you,
T-can, cant’
So the threshers ran after him. But the Gingerbread Boy looked back and laughed:
“Run! Run! Run!
Catch me if you can! You can’t get me! _
I’m the Gingerbread Man, I am! I am!”
And the threshers could not catch him.
Then the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster than ever. He ran and ran till he came to a field full of mowers. When the mowers saw how fine he looked, they ran after him calling out: :
“Wait a bit! Wait a bit, little Gingerbread Boy! We will eat you!”
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IN URGE New RS ER
But the little Gingerbread Boy laughed harder than ever and ran like the wind. “‘O ho! O ho!’ he cried,
“T’ve run away from a little old woman,
I’ve run away from a little old man, >
I’ve run away from a cow,
I’ve run away from a horse,
I’ve run away from a barn full of threshers, And I can run away from you,
D.can! <1 can!”
And the mowers couldn’t catch him. By this time the little Gingerbread Boy was very proud of himself. He strutted, he danced, he pranced! He thought no one on earth could catch him. Pretty soon he saw a fox coming across a field. The fox looked at him and began to run, but the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster still and shouted out:
“Run! Run! Run!
Catch me if you can! You can’t get me!
I’m the Gingerbread Man, I am! I am!
I’ve run away from a little old woman,
I’ve run away from a little old man, J I’ve run away from a cow.
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I’ve run away from a horse, I’ve run away from a barn full of hreshene I’ve run away from a field full of mowers, And I can run away from you, l.daniiL can!’
“Why,” said the fox very po- litely, “I wouldn’t catch you if I could. I should never dream of dis- turbing you.”
Just then the little Gingerbread Boy came to a river. He dared not jump into the water (he would have melted away, frosting cap and all, if he had). Still, the cow, the horse, and the people were chasing hot on his heels and he was forced to cross the river to keep out of their reach.
“Jump on my tail and I will take you across,”’ said the fox.
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on the fox’s tail and the fox swam into the river. A little distance from the shore the fox said:
“Little Gingerbread Boy, I think you had better get on my back or you may fall off!”
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on the fox’s back.
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IN THE NRK 6 ER PY
After swimming a little farther, the fox said:
“The water is deep. You may get wet where you are. Jump up on my shoulder.”’
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped up on the fox’s shoulder.
When they were near the other side of the river
the fox cried out suddenly:
“The water grows deeper still. Jump up on my nose! Jump up on my nose!’
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped up on the fox’s nose.
Then the fox sprang ashore in a twinkling and threw back his head and snip, snip, snap! At last and at last that Gingerbread Boy went the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of an oven!
H Bayt) bu inne AN
MY B O° OVK “HHOPU Sen The Crow and the Pitcher
ADAPTED FROM AESOP
HERE was once a good old black Crow and he was very, very thirsty. He looked and looked for water, but all he could find was a little bit at the bottom of a deep pitcher. The Crow put his beak into the pitcher and tried very hard to reach the water, but there was so little left that, try as he would, he could not get it. He turned and was about to go sorrowfully away
PN. TOHE YN UR S ERY
when an idea came to him. He went back, picked up a pebble, and dropped it in the pitcher; then he took another pebble and dropped that into the pitcher. Then he looked down in to see what had happened to the water. The pebbles had made the water rise just a little way. He would have to work hard to get pebbles enough to bring the water up to a place where he could reach it. At first he thought he would give up trying and fly away. Then he said to himself:
“No, though I seem to find so little change each time I drop in a pebble, if I keep right at my work, and keep at it, and keep at it, at last I shall get my drink.” —
So he went back patiently to work and dropped in another pebble and another and another. Little by little he saw the water rise. At last, it came up where he could reach it. Then he put in his beak and was able to take the good drink of which he was so much in need.
LITTLE DROPS OF WATER
ITTLE drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make a mighty ocean And a pleasant land.
147
MY 2 BO °0OV%K SHOT ae Ole-Luk-Oie, the Sandman
Hans CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
1 Luk-oie! And such stories as he can / tell! | When night is drawing on, and J the children are sitting around the table or on their little footstools, as good as possible, in walks Ole Shut-eyes. He comes so quietly up the stairs that nobody hears him; and, puff! he sends a shower of milk into their eyes in such fine spray that no one can see it; but the children can’t keep their eyes open after that, and so they never see Ole. He steals behind them and breathes upon their necks, making their heads as heavy as lead; but he never hurts them; he does it all from kindness to the children. He only wants them to be quiet, and the best way to make them quiet is to have them in bed; when they are settled there, he can tell them his stories. Then as soon as the children are asleep, Ole Shut- eyes seats himself upon their beds. He is well dressed; his clothes are all of silk; but it is impossible to say what color they are, for they shimmer green, red, 148
IN Si Rie b eld NeUeR SE RY
and blue every time he turns. He has an umbrella under his arm, one with pictures on it, and this he holds over the good children, and then they dream the most delightful stories all night long. The other umbrella has no pictures on it, and he holds this one over the children who have been naughty, and then they sleep heavily till the morning and have no dreams at all.
I am now going to tell you about a little boy to whom Ole-Luk-oie went every night for a whole week. His name was Hjalmar.
MY B OTO¢K ino a
WuaT HAPPENED TO HJALMAR ON TUESDAY NIGHT
As soon as Hjalmar was in bed on Tuesday night, Ole Shut-eyes touched all the furniture in the room with his little wooden wand, and everything began to talk. There was a big picture in a gilt frame hanging over the chest of drawers. In it one saw tall, old trees, flowers growing in the grass, and a great piece of water, with a river flowing from it round behind a wood, past many castles and away to the open sea.
Ole-Luk-oie touched the picture with his wand, and the birds in it began to sing, the branches of the trees moved, and the clouds scudded along; you could see their shadows passing over the landscape.
_ Now Ole-Luk-oie lifted little Hjalmar up close to the frame, and Hjalmar put his leg right into the
3g =
IN EOHGE INGO OR 8 EUR FY
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picture among the long grass, and there he stood; the sun shone down upon him through the branches of the trees. He ran to the water and got into a little boat which lay there; it was painted red and white, and the sails shone like silver. Six swans, all with golden crowns round their necks, and a shining silver star upon their heads, drew the boat past the dark green woods where the trees told stories; and the flowers told other stories about the pretty little elves, and all that the butterflies had told them.
Beautiful fish with gold and silver scales swam after the boat; every now and then they sprang out of the water and back again with a splash. Red and blue birds, large and small, flew in two long lines behind them; the gnats buzzed, and the may- bugs boomed; they all wanted to go with a, and each of them had a story to tell.
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MOY BIsOUOrK “THRLOR Ue are
That was a sailing trip indeed! Now the woods were thick and dark, now they were like beautiful gardens full of sunshine and flowers, and among them were castles of glass and marble. Princesses stood upon the balconies, and they were all little girls whom Hjalmar knew and used to play with.
They stretched out their hands, each one holding the most beautiful sugar pig which any cakewoman could sell. Hjalmar took hold of one end of a pig as he sailed by, and the princess held the other tight, and each had a share, she the smaller and Hjalmar the bigger! Little princes stood sentry by each castle; they saluted with golden swords and showered down sugar plums and tin soldiers; they were princes indeed. Now he sailed through a wood, now through great
DONN P. CRANE
IN TOHCE NCU RS ER ¥
halls, or right through a town; he passed through the one where his nurse lived, she who used to carry him about when he was quite a little boy and who was so fond of him. She nodded and waved her hand to him, and sang a pretty little song which she had written herself and sent to Hjalmar:
“T dream of thee for many an hour, Hjalmar, my own, my sweeting; My kisses once fell like a shower, Thy brow and red cheeks greeting.
“‘Mine ear thy first formed word addressed; Thy last must be in parting.
May you on earth by Heaven be blessed, Angel, from Heavenward darting!”
All the birds sang, too, the flowers danced upon their stalks, and the old trees nodded, just as if Ole-Luk-oie were telling them stories.
Wuat HAPPENED TO HJALMAR ON THURSDAY NIGHT
“T’ll tell you what!’’ said Ole Shut-eyes, when he came to Hjalmar on Thursday night. “Don’t be frightened, and I will show you a little mouse.” And he stretched out his hand with the tiny little animal in it. ‘“‘It has come to invite you to a_ wed-
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ding. There are two little mice who intend to be married tonight. They live under the floor of your mother’s pantry, which they say is the most delight- ful home.’
“But how can I get through a little mouse hole in the floor!’ said Hjalmar.
“Leave that to me,’’ said Ole-Luk-oie. ‘“‘I’ll soon make you small enough!’
Then he touched Hjalmar with his wand, and he quickly grew smaller and smaller; at last he was not as tall as one’s finger. :
“Now you may borrow the tin soldier’s clothes; I think they’ll just fit you, and it looks so smart to have on a uniform when one’s in company.”’
“Yes, indeed!’ said Hjalmar, and in a moment he was dressed like the grandest tin soldier.
“Be so good as to take a seat in your mother’s
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IN 10a) alo NUR ® ERY
thimble,’ said the little mouse, ‘‘and I shall have the honor of drawing you!’’ |
‘‘Heavens! are you going to take that trouble yourself, young lady!” said Hjalmar, and off they drove to the mouse’s wedding.
First they went down under the floor into a long passage, which was just high enough for them to drive through, and the whole passage was lighted up with touch-wood.
“TIsn’t there a delicious smell here!’ said the mouse who was drawing him. ‘‘The whole passage has been smeared over with bacon fat! Nothing could be nicer.’’.
Then they came to the bridal hall, where all the little lady mice stood on the right whispering and giggling, as if they were making fun of each other, and on the left stood all the gentlemen mice stroking their whiskers with their paws. The bridal pair stood in the middle of the room, ~—~p gum in the hollow rind of a cheese, kissing each other.
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MOY > BO OK. GAVOC Gres
More and more visitors poured in, and the bridal pair took their place in the doorway, so that one could get neither in nor out. The whole room, like the passage, was smeared with bacon fat. There were no other refreshments, but for dessert a pea was produced, in which one of the little mice of the family had bitten the name of the bridal pair; that is to say, the first letter of it, and this was something quite extraordinary.
All the mice said it was a delightful wedding, and the conversation most entertaining.
And then Hjalmar drove home again. He had been in very grand company, but in order to get there he had been obliged to shrink wonderfully, to make himself small enough to get into the uniform of a tin soldier.
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
EUGENE FIELD
YNKEN, Blynken, and Nod one night Sailed off in a wooden shoe— Sailed on a river of crystal light, Into a sea of dew. ““‘Where are you going, and what do you wish?” The old moon asked the three. “We have come to fish for the herring-fish That live in this beautiful sea; Nets of silver and gold have we!” Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring-fish
That lived in that beautiful sea—
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish— But never afeared are we!”
So cried the stars to the fishermen three; Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
From Poems of Eugene Field; copyright, 1910, by Julia Sutherland Field; published by Charles Scribner's
Sons. By permission of the publishers.
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All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam—
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, Bringing the fishermen home;
’Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought ’twas a dream they dreamed Of sailing that beautiful sea— But I shall name you the fishermen three;
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one’s trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock on the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three; Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
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DONN ©. CRANE
THE SUGAR-PLUM TREE
EUGENE FIELD
AVE you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree? ’Tis a marvel of great renown: It blooms on the shore of the Lollypop sea In the garden of Shut-Eye Town; The fruit that it bears is so wondrously sweet (As those that have tasted it say) That good little children have only to eat Of that fruit to be happy next day.
When you’ve got to the tree you would have a hard time To capture the fruit which I sing;
The tree is so tall that no person could climb
To the boughs where the sugar-plums swing:
But in that tree sits a chocolate cat,
And a gingerbread dog prowls below—
And this is the way you contrive to get at
Those sugar-plums tempting you so.
Froms Poems of Eugene Field; Coprgtt 1910, by Julia Sutherland Field; published by harles Scribner's Sons.
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IN fone eNCUIR S ER Y
You say but the word to that gingerbread dog, And he barks with such terrible zest
That the chocolate cat is at once all agog,
As her swelling proportions attest.
And the chocolate cat goes cavorting around From this leafy limb unto that,
And the sugar-plums tumble, of course, to the ground— Hurrah for that chocolate cat!
There are marshmallows, gumdrops, and peppermint canes With stripings of scarlet or gold,
And you carry away of the treasure that rains,
As much as your apron can hold:
So come, little child, cuddle closer to me
In your dainty white nightcap and gown,
And I’ll rock you away to that Sugar-Plum Tree,
In the garden of Shut-Eye Town.
MY 3 8 O7-.OY*K anor aes
The Milkmaid and her Pail ADAPTED FROM AESOP ATTY, the milkmaid, was going to market, carry- ing her milk in a shiny pail on her head. As she went along, she began telling herself what she would do with the money she would get for the milk.
“Tll buy some eggs from Farmer Brown,’’ said she, “‘and put them under the little brown hen. Then the little brown hen will hatch me out a lot of little chicks! And the little chicks will grow up to be hens, and those hens will lay me dozens of eggs. I'll sell the eggs for a great deal of money! Then with the money I get from the eggs I'll buy me a new white dress and a hat with pink flowers and blue ribbons. Oh, won’t I look fine when I go to market in my new white dress and my hat with
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pink flowers and blue ribbons? Won't everybody stand about and look at me? Polly Shaw will be there to stand and look, and Molly Parsons will be there to stand and look, and Jack Squires will be there to stand and look. But I shall just walk past them all and hold my chin high and toss my head like this—’’ As she spoke, she tossed her head back, the pail fell off and all the milk was spilled! So she had nothing at all to sell and all her fine dream was brought to nothing. She had to go home and tell her mother what had happened. “Ah, my child,’ said the mother, ‘‘do not count
your chickens before they are hatched.”
ITTLE maid, pretty maid, whither goest thou?
Down in the forest to milk my cow.
Shall I go with thee? No, not now; When I send for thee, then come thou.
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M Y B 0 OK: AVO°U S78 The Lion and the Mouse
ADAPTED FROM AESOP
NCE a great Lion lay asleep in the forest. Sud-
denly a little teeny, tiny Mouse began running up and down on him. This soon awakened the Lion, and when he saw the Mouse, he stretched out his huge, shaggy paw and caught him, then opened his jaws to swallow him. But the little Mouse squeaked out, “‘Mercy, O King! Let me go this time! Do not ‘swallow me and I shall never forget your kindness. Who knows, if you let me go I may be able to help you some day!”
“Help me? You help me?’’ chuckled the Lion, greatly amused that a little teeny, tiny Mouse should even think himself able to help so powerful a creature as the King of Beasts. ‘‘Oh, very well then, I’ll let you go!” )
He lifted his paw, and the Mouse scampered quickly away.
Some time after this, the Lion was wandering about in the forest, when he fell into a trap that had been set by some hunters to catch him. These hunters wished to take the splendid big beast a
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IN RAGE NEUSR S ER -Y
captive to the King. So they came and drew him out of the trap, then tied him to a tree, while they went to fetch a wagon in which they might carry him to the palace.
The Lion pulled and tore and tugged at the rope, but all to no purpose. He could not get loose. At last he cried sadly, ‘‘They have me fast! I cannot get away!” :
Just then the little teeny, tiny Mouse came by.
“Well, well, friend Lion!’ he squeaked. ‘‘What’s this that has happened to you?”’
“The hunters have bound me fast,” groaned the
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Lion. ‘‘Alas! They will carry me captive off to the King, for I cannot get away.”
“Is that all that has happened?” said the Mouse, and he came straight up to the Lion and began to gnaw at the rope that bound him. Little by little, with his sharp teeth, he cut the strands of the rope until-he had gnawed it quite in two, and set the big beast free.
‘‘There,’’. said the little teeny, tiny Mouse, ‘‘was I not right? No matter how little one is, there may come a time when he will prove useful even to the greatest.”’
OLD SHELLOVER WALTER DE LA MARE ‘3 OME!” said Old Shellover. “What?” says Creep. “The horny old Gardener's faste asleep; The fat cock Thrush To his nest has gone, And the dew shines bright In the rising Moon; Old Sallie Worm from her hole doth peep; Come!’ said Old Shellover. “Ay!” said Creep.
From Peacock Pie. Used by courteous permission of Henry Holt & Company.
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The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings An American Negro Folk Tale Retold by CAROLYN SHERWIN BAILEY
NCE upon a time there was a little White Rabbit
with two beautiful long pink ears and two bright red eyes and four soft little feet—such a pretty little White Rabbit, but he wasn’t happy.
Just think, this little White Rabbit wanted to be somebody else instead of the nice little rabbit that he was.
When Mr. Bushy Tail, the gray squirrel, went by, the littl White Rabbit would say to his Mammy:
“Oh, Mammy, I wish I had a long gray tail like Mr. Bushy Tail’s.”’
And when Mr. Porcupine went by, the
From For the Story Teller. Used by the kind permission of the publishers, Milton Bradiey Company,
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MOY” B OCO¢K “HOF Uae
little White Rabbit would say to his Mammy:
“Oh, Mammy, I wish I had a back full of bristles like Mr. Porcupine’s.”’
And when Miss Puddle-Duck went by in her two little red rubbers, the little White Rabbit would say:
“Oh, Mammy, I wish I had a pair of red rubbers like Miss Puddle-Duck’s.”’
So he went on and on wishing until his Mammy was clean tired out with his wishing and Old Mr. Ground Hog heard him one day. |
Old Mr. Ground Hog is very wise indeed, so he said to the little White Rabbit:
“Why don’t you-all go down to the Wishing Pond, and if you look in the water at yourself and turn around three times in a circle, you-all will get your wish.”’
So the little White Rabbit trotted off, all alone ey himself, Marougn the woods until he came to a little pool of green water lying in a low tree stump, and that was the Wishing Pond. There was a little, /vttle bird, all red, sitting on the edge of the Wishing Pond to get a drink, and as soon as the
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little White Rabbit saw him he began to wish again: ~ “Oh, I wish I had a pair of little red wings!” he said. Just then he looked in the Wishing Pond and he saw his little white face. Then he turned around three times and something happened. He be- gan to have a queer feeling in his shoulders, like that he felt in his mouth when he was cutting his teeth. It was his wings coming through. So he sat all day in the woods by the Wishing Pond waiting for them to grow, and, by and by, when it was almost sundown, he started home to see his Mammy and show her, because he had a beautiful pair of
long, trailing red wings. But by the time he reached home it was getting dark, and when ne went in 1 the hole at the foot of a
M :Y% BO OK” FAHOT Cae
big tree where he lived, his Mammy didn’t know him. No, she really and truly did not know him, because, you see, she had never seen a rabbit with red wings in all her life. And so the little White Rabbit had to go out again, because his Mammy wouldn’t let him get into his own bed. He had to go out and look for some place to sleep all night.
He went and went until he came to Mr. Bushy Tail’s house, and he rapped on the door and said:
‘Please, kind Mr. Bushy Tail, may I sleep in your house all night?”
But Mr. Bushy Tail opened his door a crack and then he slammed it tight shut again. You see he had never seen a rabbit with red wings in all his life.
So the little White Rabbit went and went until he came to Miss Puddle-Duck’s nest down by. the marsh and he said:
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“Please, kind Miss Puddle-Duck, may I sleep in your nest all night?”
But Miss Puddle-Duck poked her head up out of her nest just a little way and then she shut her eyes and stretched her wings out so far that she covered her whole nest!
You see she had never seen a rabbit with red wings in all her life.
So the little White Rabbit went and went until he came to Old Mr. Ground Hog’s hole, and Old Mr. Ground Hog let him sleep with him all night, but the hole had beech nuts spread all over it. Old Mr. Ground Hog liked to sleep on them, but they hurt the little White Rabbit’s feet and made him very uncomfortable before morning.
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When it came morning, the little White Rabbit de- cided to try his wings and fly a little, so he climbed up on a hill and spread his wings and sailed off, but he landed in a low bush all full of prickles, and his four feet got mixed up with the twigs so he couldn’t get down.
“Mammy, Mammy, Mammy, come and help me!’ he called.
His Mammy didn’t hear him, but Old Mr. Ground Hog did, and he came and helped the little White Rabbit out of the prickly bush.
“Don’t you-all want your red wings?’ Mr. Ground Hog asked.
“No, zo!’ said the little White Rabbit.
‘Well,’ said the Old Ground Hog, ‘‘why don’t you-all go down to the Wishing Pond and wish them off again?’’ _ So the little White Rabbit went down to the Wish- ing Pond and he saw his face in it. Then he turned Byung three times, and, sure enough, his red wings
, were gone. Then he went home to his Mammy, who knew him right away and was so glad to see him, and he never, never, wished to be something different from what he really was again.
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IN Tene NAUK Ss ER Y¥ The Dog in the Manger
ADAPTED FROM AESOP DOG that wanted to take an afternoon nap, once found a soft place on the straw in the manger
of an Ox. So he lay down there, curled himself up cosily, and soon fell asleep. In the evening the Ox returned from his long day’s work, thinking to rest and eat some of the straw. But when he came up to the manger, he awakened the Dog. Angry at being aroused from his sleep, the Dog stood up and began to bark in the ugliest way.
‘“‘Pray go away and let me have my evening meal,”’ said the Ox.
“Bow wow! Gr-r-r, Gr-r-r! Go away!’ growled the Dog.
‘The straw is no longer of any use to you,” said the Ox, “your nap is over; so jump down and let me eat.”
“Bow wow! Gr-r-r, Gr-r-r! Go away!’ growled the Dog.
“You dogs do not eat straw.” said the Ox. ‘‘So why
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M ASS B OCOCK Chm ae
should you hold your place there and keep me from my evening meal?” |
“Bow wow! Gr-r-r, Gr-r-r! Go away!’ growled the Dog, and no matter what the Ox said to him, he kept on barking, growling, snapping, and snarling whenever the big, good-natured creature reached for a mouthful to eat. At last the Ox had to give up all hope of getting his evening meal and went away, leaving the straw to the Dog who had no use for it whatever. , |
“‘Ah,”’ muttered the Ox, ‘‘some people do not want others to have that which they cannot enjoy. them- selves.”
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I WOULDN’T BE A
GROWLER Mary Mapes DopGE
WOULDN’T be a growler, I wouldn’t be a bear;
I wouldn’t be an owlet, Always on a stare;
I wouldn’t be a monkey, Doing foolish tricks;
I wouldn’t be a donkey, Full of sullen kicks;
I wouldn’t be a goose, Nor a peacock full of pride,
But I would be a big boy, With a pocket on each side.
From Rhymes and Jingles. Copyright, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong & Company; 1904 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. By permission of the publishers.
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The Jay and the Peacocks ADAPTED FROM AESOP
JAY once made his way into a yard where Peacocks walked. There he found a number of beautiful feathers—blue and green and gold— which had fallen from the Peacocks. The rusty old Jay tied all these splendid feathers to his tail. Then, feeling very fine indeed, he strutted down to show himself off to the Peacocks. At first glance they thought him one of themselves, but, as he went parading before them, they soon discovered that he was not a Peacock at all. So they ran up to him squawking and scolding, and ates at him, till they had plucked away every one of his bor-
rowed plumes and half of his own besides. Soon the foolish Jay found himself left in disgrace, with nothing better to show than his own torn and
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rusty feathers. Sheepishly he went back to his brother Jays. But the Jays had watched what he had done from a distance and they thought it so foolish, that they began to scold and screech at him as soon as he drew near them: “It takes more than fine feathers, you silly, to make a fine bird!’’
STRANGE LANDS HERE do you come from, Mr. Jay? “From the land of Play, from the land of Play.”
And where can that be, Mr. Jay?
“Far away—far away.”
Where do you come from, Mrs. Dove? “From the land of Love, from the land of Love.” And how do you get there, Mrs. Dove?
“Look above—look above.”
Where do you come from, Baby Miss? “From the land of Bliss, from the land of Bliss.’ And what is the way there, Baby Miss? ““Mother’s kiss—mother’s kiss.”’ —Laurence Alma-Tadema.
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B'O.UO’K “HOY sea
SNOW
ITTLE white feathers, Filling the air—
Little white feathers! How came you there?
‘‘We came from the cloud-birds Sailing so high;
They’re shaking their white wings Up in the sky.”
Little white feathers, How swift you go! Little white snowflakes, I love you so! “We are swift because We have work to do; But hold up your face, And we'll kiss you true.” —Mary Mapes Dodge
From Rhymes and Jingles. Copyright, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong & Company;
1904, by Charles Scribner's Sons.
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rN Hae NOUR 3S EB Ry Wee Robin’s Christmas Song
A ScotcH FoLk TALE HERE was once an old gray Pussy, and she went for a walk one Christmas morning to see what she could see. As she was walking by the water- side, she saw a wee, wee Robin Redbreast hopping about on a bush. “Good morning, Robin Redbreast,” said she. ‘Where are you going on this cold and frosty morning?” “I’m going to the King,’’ answered the wee Robin, ‘to sing him a song on this merry Christmas morning.” “Oh, but wait before you go,’ said the Pussy. ‘Just hop down to me a minute and I’ll show you a bonny white ring that I have around my neck.” But Robin looked down on. Pussy with a twinkle
in his eye. “Ha! ha! gray Pussy,” said he, “you may show your white ring to the little gray mouse, but I'll not
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wait to let you show it to me! [ll go straight on to the King!’
So he spread his wings and flew away. And he flew, and he flew, and he flew, till he came to a fence where sat a greedy old Hawk who was looking about for breakfast.
“Good morning, Robin Redbreast,’’ cried the greedy old Hawk, ‘‘where are you going on this cold and frosty morning?” |
“I’m going to the King,’’ answered the wee Robin, “to sing him a song on this merry Christmas morning.”
“Oh, but wait before you go,” said the greedy old Hawk, ‘‘and I will show you a bonny green feather I have in my wing.”
But the wee Robin did not like the look in the eye of the greedy old Hawk.
“Ha! ha! old Hawk,” said he, “I saw you peck at the tiny birds, but I’ll not wait to let you peck at me. I’ll go straight on to the King!”
So he spread his wings and flew away. And he flew, and he flew, and he flew, till he came to a hillside where he saw a sly old Fox looking out of his hole.
“Good morning, Robin Redbreast,’’ said the sly
’
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old Fox. ‘‘Where are you going on this cold and frosty morning?”
“T’m going to the King,’’ answered the wee Robin, ‘‘to sing him a song on this merry Christmas morning.”
“Oh, but wait before you go,” said the sly old Fox, ‘“‘and let me show you a queer black spot I have on the end of my tail.”
“Ha! ha! sly Fox,’ said the Robin, “I saw you worry the wee lambie, and I’ll not wait to see the spot on your tail. Ill go straight on to the King.”
So the Robin flew away once more, and never rested till he came to a rosy-cheeked boy, who sat on a log and ate a big piece of bread and butter. Then he perched on a branch and watched him.
es ae Robin Redbreast,’’ said the Ses
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‘Where are you going on this cold and frosty morning?”
“I’m going’ to the King,”’ answered the wee Robin, ‘‘to sing him a song on this merry Christmas morning.”
‘“‘Come a bit nearer,’’ said the boy, ‘‘and I'll give you some crumbs from my bread.”’
“Nay, nay, my wee man,” chirped the Robin. “TI saw you catch the goldfinch, and [’ll not wait for your crumbs. I'll go straight on to the King.”
So, no matter who begged him to stop and wait, the wee Robin flew straight on to the King. And he lit on the window-sill of the palace. There he sat and sang the sweetest song he knew. So happy was he because it was the blessed Christmas-tide, that he wanted the whole wide world to be as happy as he. And he sang, and he sang, and he sang. The King and Queen sat at the window, and they were so pleased with his cheery song that they asked each other what they could do to pay him for his loving thought in coming so far to greet them.
“T know what we can do,’’ said the Queen, ‘‘we can give him bonny wee Jenny Wren for his mate.’’
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Then the King clapped his hands and called for Jenny Wren, and the wee, wee Robin and the wee, wee Wren sat side by side on the window-sill, and they sang, and they sang, and they sang on that merry Christ- mas morning.
SING, LITTLE BIRD
ING, little bird,
when the skies are blue; Sing, for the world
has need of you; Sing when the skies
are overcast; Sing when the rain
is falling fast.
Sing, happy heart, when the sun is warm; Sing in the winter’s coldest storm; Sing little songs, O heart so true; Sing, for the world has need of you.
LITTLE GUSTAVA CELIA THAXTER ITTLE Gustava sits in the sun, Safe in the porch, and the little drops run
From the icicles under the eaves so fast, For the bright spring sun shines warm at last, And glad is little Gustava.
“She wears a quaint little scarlet cap,
And a little green bowl she holds in her lap,
Filled with bread and milk to the brim,
And a wreath of marigolds round the rim; “Ha! ha!’ laughs little Gustava.
Up comes her little gray, coaxing cat, With her little pink nose, and she mews, ‘‘What’s that?” Gustava feeds her—she begs for more, And a little brown hen walks in at the door. “Good day!” cries little Gustava.
From Stories and Poems for Children. Used by permission of, and by special arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Mae NEE WRIEHT ENR!
She scatters crumbs for the little brown hen. There comes a rush and a flutter, and then Down fly her little white doves so sweet, . With their snowy wings and their crimson feet. ““‘Welcome!’’ cries little Gustava.
So dainty and eager they pick up the crumbs.
But who is this through the doorway comes?
Little Scotch terrier, little dog Rags,
Looks in her face and his funny tail wags. “Ha! ha!’ laughs little Gustava.
“You want some breakfast, too?’’ And down
She sets her bowl on the brick floor, brown;
And little dog Rags drinks up her milk,
While she strokes his shaggy locks, like silk. “Dear Rags!’’ says little Gustava.
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Waiting without stood sparrow and crow,
Cooling their feet in the melting snow.
‘‘Won’t you come in, good folk?’ she cried.
But they were too bashful, and stayed outside, Though ‘Pray come in!’’ cried Gustava.
So the last she threw them, and knelt on the mat With doves, and biddy, and dog, and cat. And her mother came to the open house door; “Dear little daughter, I bring you some more,
My merry little Gustava!”’
Kitty and terrier, biddy and doves,
All things harmless Gustava loves.
The shy, kind creatures ’tis joy to feed,
And oh, her breakfast is sweet indeed To happy little Gustava!
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The Magpie’s Nest
AN ENGLISH FOLK TALE
NCE upon a time when pigs spake rhyme, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
All the birds of the air came to Madge Magpie way up in a tree-top and asked her to teach them how to build their nests.
The Thrush came in her glossy brown coat;
The Blackbird came in his rusty black;
The Owl came in his best speckled vest, with great round goggles over his eyes;
The Sparrow came in dust-color;
The Starling came in black satin, all shiny with purple and green; ime
The Turtle Dove came in her softest gray.
On the branches above Madge Magpie they perched, and all began to sing at once:
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MA-GINEs WRIGIE— me NR eH
‘““Madge Magpie! Oh, Madge Magpie, Pray will you teach us how
To build such nests as you do
Upon the swaying bough?
“‘There’s no one in the tree-tops
. Who knows so well as you How birds should build their houses! ¥ Caw, caw! Tu whit, tu whoo!’’
»
Madge Magpie gave a swish to her long silk train, and smoothed down her wide white sash; then she
answered:
“Come sit in a circle about me.
If you’re good, I will show you how To build just such nests as I do Way up on the swaying bough.”
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IN T HE NUTR i ERY
MACINE— Wricet-r ENRICH
First she took some mud and made it into a neat round cake.
“Oh, that’s how it’s done, is it?’’ cried the Thrush, and she wouldn’t wait another minute to hear any more. Off she flew and she sang as she went:
“Quit, quit, quit!
That’s all there is to it! Mud you take,
And make a cake,
Quit, quit, quit!’
So that’s all the Thrush ever learned about how to build a nest. Then Madge Magpie took some twigs and arranged them in the mud.
“Oh, that’s how it’s done, is it?’”’ cried the Black- bird. ‘Now I know all about it! Here I go to make my nest in a big oak tree in the cornfield.
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“Mud in a cake! I saw! I saw! Twigs in the mud! Caw! caw!”
So that’s all the Blackbird ever learned about how to build a nest. Then Madge Magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs.
“Oh, I knew all that before I came,’’ said the old Owl, who thought himself so wise, and away he flew to build his nest in the bell tower of the church.
“Tu whit, tu whoo! I knew! I knew! I’ll build my nest As I always do!”
‘
So that’s all the Owl ever learned about how to build a nest. After this the Magpie took some twigs and twined them round the outside to make the nest firm and strong.
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IN BeHSE NEUSE 2S (he R IY
MAGNE I— WRICH——— BARIG
“The very thing!’ cried the Sparrow. ‘‘Why stay to hear more? I'll go make my nest in the hedgerow.”’
“Chip! chip!
Chip! chip!
I know enough And now I'll skip!”
So that’s all the Sparrow ever learned about how to build a nest. Well, then Madge Magpie took some feathers and soft stuff and lined the nest all cozy and snug.
“That suits me!’’ screeched the Starling, and off he flew to build his nest in a little hole in the old stone schoolhouse:
“Tchack! Tchack! Screech!
I’ll build way out of reach!
And when my little ones come out, We'll screech with noisy din about!”
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is F ZS a i eo
So that’s all the Starling ever learned about how to build a nest. Meanwhile, Madge Magpie went on working and working without looking up, till the only bird that was left was the Turtle Dove, and she hadn’t paid any attention all along. She had only kept on repeating her silly cry, ‘‘Coo! Coo! Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o.”’
Madge Magpie noticed what the Dove was saying just as she was putting a twig across. So she said:
“No, you don’t take two. Take one! One’s enough!”’
But the Turtle Dove kept on saying: ‘‘Coo! Coo! Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o!’’ 2
“One’s enough, I tell you! Don’t you see how I lay it across?”
But the Turtle Dove liked only to hear herself talk, so she kept on saying: ‘‘Coo! Coo! Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o!”’
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At last and at last, Madge Magpie looked up and saw nobody near her but the silly Turtle Dove, and then she cried:
“How can I teach silly birds to build nests if they will not listen to what I say?’’ and away she flew. Nor would she ever again tell them what to do.
THERE WERE TWO BIRDS
HERE were two birds sat on a stone, Fol de ral! laddy!
One flew away and then there was one, Fol de ral! laddy!
The other flew after, and then there was none, Fol de ral! laddy!
And so the poor stone was left all alone, Fol de ral! Fol de ral! laddy!
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M ‘Y B 3O'1OVK. GHHOTU Sia | The Frog and the Ox
ADAPTED FROM AESOP NCE a Little Frog came hopping in great excitement up to a Big Frog, who sat by the side of a pool.
“Oh, Brother,’ said the Little Frog, “I have just seen such a great big monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two. I’m sure it’s the largest creature in all the world.”
“Tush, child, tush!’ said the Big Frog, ‘‘that was only Farmer White’s Ox. You have seen so little of the world, that you thought him very much larger than he is. Really he isn’t so much bigger
Saag than I. He may be a little bit taller, but I could easily make myself quite as broad. Just you see!’’
And he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out.
‘Was he as big as this?” he asked, holding his breath.
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TN \ Yi xt =o ‘hws GW Ses bua a ia ato ee = ut ah ae
IN TOHSE NURS EV R'Y
“Oh, much bigger than that,” said the young Frog. So the older one blew himself out again, and blew himself out again, and blew himself out again. “There! Was he as big as this?’”’ he asked then. “Bigger, Brother, bigger,’ was still the reply. Now the Big Frog was so determined to show himself as large as the Ox, that he took another breath deeper than all he had taken before, and he blew, and he blew, and he blew, and he swelled, and he swelled, and he swelled. At last he said in a squeaky little voice, ‘I’m sure the Ox is not as big as—!’ But at this moment he swelled himself out so hard that he burst! Then the young Frog cried: “Alas! He who thinks himself so big, may find himself nothing at all.’’
vd ba Weds
WEE little worm in a hickory-nut Sang, happy as he could be, iE
“O, I live in the heart of the : whole round world, And it all belongs to me!”’ —James Whitcomb Riley”
Copyright used by special permission of The Bobbs- Merrill Company.
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M°Y4 BPSOUO4K. SH Or Uae
Mrs. Tabby Gray
MAupD LINDSAY
RS. TABBY GRAY, with her three little kit- tens, lived out in the barn where the hay was stored. One of the kittens was white, one was black, and one, gray, just like her mother, who was called Tabby Gray from the color of her coat. These three little kittens opened their eyes when they grew old enough, and thought there was nothing so nice in all this wonderful world as their own dear mother, although she told them of a great many nice things, like milk and bread, which they should have when they could go up to the big house where she had her breakfast, dinner, and supper, Every time Mother Tabby came from the big house she had something pleasant to tell. ‘Bones for
From Mother Stories. Used by the courteous permission of Milton Bradley Company.
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dinner today, my dears,’’ she would say, or “I had a fine romp with a ball and the baby,” until the kittens longed for the time when they could go, too.
One day, however, Mother Cat walked in with joyful news.
“TI have found an elegant new home for you,’ she said, ‘in a very large trunk where some old clothes are kept; and I think I had better move at once.”
Then she picked up the small black kitten, without any | more words and walked right out of the barn with him.
The black kitten was astonished, but he blinked his eyes at the bright sunshine, and tried to see everything.
Out in the barnyard there was a great noise, for the white hen had laid an egg, and wanted everybody to know it; but Mother Cat hurried on, without stopping to inquire about it, and soon dropped the kitten into the large trunk. The clothes made such
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a soft, comfortable bed, and the kitten was so tired after his exciting trip, that he fell asleep, and Mrs. Tabby trotted off for another baby.
While she was away, the lady who owned the trunk came out into the hall; and when she saw that the trunk was open, she shut it, locked it, and put the key in her pocket, for she did not dream that there was anything so precious as a kitten inside.
As soon as the lady had gone upstairs, Mrs. Tabby Gray came back, with the little white kitten; and when she found the trunk closed, she was terribly frightened. She put the white kitten down and sprang on top of the trunk and scratched with all her might, but scratching did no good. Then she jumped down and reached up to the keyhole, but that was too small for even a mouse to pass through, and the poor mother mewed pitifully.
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What was she to do? She picked up the white kitten, and ran to the barn with it. Then she made haste to the house again, and went upstairs to the lady’s room. The lady was playing with her baby, and, when Mother Cat saw this, she rubbed against her skirts and cried: ‘‘Mee-ow, mee-ow! You have your baby, and I want mine! Mee-ow, mee-ow!”
By and by the lady said: ‘Poor Kitty! she must be hungry,’’ and she went down to the kitchen and poured sweet milk in a saucer, but the cat did not want milk. She wanted her baby kitten out of the big black trunk!
The kind lady decided that she must be thirsty. | “Poor Kitty, I will give | you water,’ but when she set the bowl of water down, Mrs. Tabby Gray mewed more sorrowfully than be- fore. She wanted no water,— she only wanted her dear baby kitten; and she ran to and fro crying, until, at last, the
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“| lady followed her; and she led the way to the trunk.
‘‘What can be the mat- ter with this cat?’ said the lady; and she took the trunk key out of her: pocket, put it in the lock, unlocked the trunk, Mae taised the top—and in ae = jumped Mother Cat with Meee such a bound that the little black kitten waked up with a start.
“Purr, purr, my darling child,’ said Mrs. Tabby Gray, in great excitement; and before the black kitten could ask one question she picked him up and started for the barn.
The sun was bright in the barnyard, and the hens were still chattering there; but the black kitten was glad to get back to the barn. His mother was glad too; for, as she nestled down in the hay with her three little kittens, she told them that a barn was the best place after all to raise children.
And she never afterwards changed her mind.
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THE KITTEN AND FALLING LEAVES WILLIAM WORDSWORTH EE the Kitten on the wall, Sporting with the leaves that fall, Withered leaves — one — two — and three — From the lofty elder-tree! * + * % But the Kitten, how she starts, Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts! First at one and then its fellow, Just as light and just as yellow. * * * * With a tiger-leap half-way Now she meets the coming prey, Lets it go as fast, and then Has it in her power again.
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US The Tale of Peter Rabbit ' BEATRIX POTTER NCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, and Peter.
They lived with their mother in a sand bank, under- neath the root of a very big fir-tree.
‘“‘Now, my dears,” said Mrs. Rabbit one morning, ‘you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden. Now run along, and don’t get into mischief. I am going out.’’
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella and went through the wood to the baker’s. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.
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Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather black- berries; but Peter very naughtily ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden, and squeezed under the gate!
First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes; and then he went to look for some parsley. )
But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but—Mr. McGregor!
Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, “Stop thief!’’
Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate. He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.
After losing them he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether, if he had not unfortunately run into a
caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It wasa blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.
Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he had intended to pop upon the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
He rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.
Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was some- where in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flowerpot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Peter sneezed—'‘Kertyschoo!”’ Mr. Mc-
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Gregor was after him in no time and tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work. |
Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath, and he had not the least idea which way to go.
After a time he began to wander about, going— lippity—lippity—not very fast, and looking all around.
He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze un- derneath.
An old mouse was run- ning in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she | could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.
Then he tried to find his
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way across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently he came to the pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans.
A white cat was staring at some gold-fish; she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.
He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe— sc-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttled underneath the bushes.
But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheel-barrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing
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onions. His back was turned towards Peter and be- yond him was the gate! Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow and started running as fast as he could go along a straight walk behind some black- currant bushes.
Mr AVcGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.
Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scarecrow to frighten the blackbirds.
Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight.
I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed and made some ‘camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!
«One tablespoonful to be taken at bed time!”
But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and
» milk and blackberries for supper.
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ROSY POSY Laura E. RICHARDS HERE was a little Rosy,
And she hada little nosy,
And she made a litvle posy,
All pink and white and green. And she said, ‘Little nosy,
Will you smell my little posy? For of all the flowers that growsy, Such sweet ones ne’er were seen.”’
So she took the little posy, And she put it to her nosy, On her little face so rosy, The flowers for to smell;
And which of them was Rosy, And which of them was nosy, And which of them was posy, You really could not tell.
Quoted by permission of Little, Brown & Company.
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The Little Engine That Could
Once there was a Train-of-Cars, and she was flying
merrily across the country with a load of Christmas toys for the children who lived way over on the other : side of the mountain. Her wheels went round ever so fast, squealing along on the track, and leaving the rails humming and singing behind them. Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Cheo, choo! Choo, choo! She was such a happy little Train-of-Cars, so pleased with the load she was carrying, and she had just time to get to the end of her journey before the last Christmas shopping.
But all of a sudden, right at the foot of the mountain, Puff! Chug! Squeak! Squea-ea-eak! The Engine broke down; the wheels slid along a little farther with a shrieking, wailing cry and then stood perfectly still,/ Now how was the train to cross the mountain and get her toys over there in time for the children’s Christmas?
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Rag dolls, paper dolls, china dolls, little worsted dogs with shoebutton eyes, and celluloid cats, and white fur bunnies, and painted wooden horses, and Noah’s arks, and dolls’ houses, and dolls’ furniture, and rocking horses, and tops, and bats, and balls, and wagons, and carts! Were they all to stay there packed away useless, and the children on the other side to go without them for Christmas?
As the little Train stood there, hoping for help, along toward her came a great strong Engine, all finely cleaned up and black, with his number plate scoured and shining. He had just finished his work of pulling a fine long passenger train, with sleeping cars, parlor car, and dining car, and he was on his way back to the roundhouse now, puffing and blowing with pride.
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“O Big, Big Engine!’ cried the Train, and every one of her Cars joined in the chorus, ‘‘Will you please take us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other side. Will you help us, help us, help us, help us?”
But the Big Passenger Engine puffed and snorted and blew off steam angrily.
“It’s not my business to pull such a little nobody as you!” he roared. ‘I pull much finer trains than you! Puff, Puff! Ding, dong! Wheu-eu-eu!’’ And he switched himself round on a sidetrack, passed the poor little Train-of-Cars and soon left her helpless, far behind.
But the little Train-of-Cars never left off hoping that some one would come to help her.
Pretty soon there came along another great strong Engine, that had just pulled a heavy freight train over the mountain, and was on his way back to the round- house to rest. So the little Train called out to the Freight Engine and every one of her Cars joined in the chorus:
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“O Big, Big Engine, will you please take us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and we’re loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other side. Will you help us, help us, help us?”’
But the Big Freight Engine puffed and snorted
more angrily than the other, and sent up out of his
smokestack a shower of angry sparks.
“T’ye done enough work for today! Yes-s-s S-s-sir- ee!’ he hissed, “I’ve done enough, done enough, done enough, done enough, done enough, done enough!’ And he switched himself round on the sidetrack, passed the poor little Train-of-Cars, and soon left her helpless, far behind!
But the little Train-of-Cars never left off hoping that some one would come to help her.
Pretty soon there came along a smaller Engine, just about the size of the one that had been pulling the Train. He looked dingy and rusty and dusty, and he didn’t puff at all. He just sighed, and groaned, and grunted, and rumbled, and grumbled! But the
little Train called out to him and every one of her »
Cars joined in the chorus: “O Engine, Engine, will you please take us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down and
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we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other side. Will you help us, help us, help us?’’ _ Then the Dingy, Dusty, Rusty Engine groaned, and
prunted, and rumbled, and grumbled:
“T never could pull you over the mountain! I haven’t the strength! I never—could! I never— ‘could! JI mnever—could! I never could! I never could! I never could!’ And he dragged himself round on the sidetrack, passed the poor little Train- of-Cars and soon left her helpless, far behind!
Still the little Train-of-Cars never left off hoping that some one would come to help her.
After a long, long time, along came a Little, Small Engine. It seemed quite useless to ask this Little, Small Engine for help, yet the Little, Small Engine had one very bright, lively eye in her head, and she was humming and hurrying along, whistling and ringing her bell in the very liveliest fashion.
So the little Train cried out, and every one of her Cars joined in the chorus:
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“Little Engine, could you take us over the moun tain? Our engine has broken down, and we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other side. Can you help us, help us, help us?”
Now the Little, Small Engine had never been far away from the freight yard, where she had spent all her days in switching, but she did not mean to let those children go without their Christmas toys if she could possibly help it, so she answered:
“I think, Icaml «I think’) .can! 1) think vant
Then she came straight up to the Train, caught hold of her, and began to tug and pull. Pretty soon, Ding, dong! ding, dong! Puff, puff, puff! Chug, chug, chug! The Train-of-Cars began to move, slowly, slowly. And the Little, Small Engine as she toiled, kept puffing:
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“T — think — I—can! I — think —I—can! I — think — I — can!” Slowly, steadily, she gained speed. “I — think —I can! I — think — I — can! I] — think —I—can!’’ Now she ran steadily up the @ack. (“I think | can! [think I can! I think I ean! ðink I can! I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!’
At last she reached the top of the mountain and then she puffed out joyously, “I thought I could!”
There, below, on the other side lay a great, big city, the city where the children lived to whom she was bearing the Christmas toys.
Down she started, sliding faster, faster, faster, and as she went she sang merrily, “I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought
M *Y 2 9B °O CORK. SHeOr ee
I could! I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!”’
And so the children got their Christmas toys.
TRY AGAIN F YOU find your task is hard, Try again; Time will bring you your reward, Try again; All that other folk can do, Why, with patience, may not you? Only keep this rule in view, Try again. —William E. Hickson.
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A Quick- Rianne Squash
ALIcIA ASPINWALL
HARLES owned a garden. One morning his
father called him and pointing to four stakes driven in the ground, which certainly had not been there the night before, said:
“All the land within those four stakes is yours, your very own.”
Charles was delighted, and thanking his dear father, ran off to get his little cart, for he wished at once to build a stone wall about his property. He did not fear it would run away, but he knew that land-owners always walled in their possessions.
“After the wall is built,” said his father, ‘you may plant in your garden anything you like, and James will give you what you ask for.”
Taken by Een S from Short Stories for Short People. Copyrighted by . P, Dutton & Company, New York
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In two days the wall was built, and a good one it was too, being strong and even.
The next day James set out some plants for him, and gave the boy some seeds which he planted him- self, James telling him how to do it.
He then got his watering-pot and gently sprinkled the newly planted ground with warm water. Run- ning across the lawn, he looked down the road to see if his father had not yet come from the village. His father was nowhere to be seen, but coming down the road was a most remarkable looking man. He was tall and thin and had bright red hair which had evidently not been cut for a very long time. He wore a blue coat, green trousers, red hat, and on his hands, which were large, two very dirty, ragged, white kid gloves. This wonderful man came up to Charles and asked for a drink of water, which he, being a polite boy, at once brought. The man thanked him, and then said:
“What have you been doing this morning, little man?”
Charles told him about his new
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garden, and the man listened with much interest.
“Little boy,’’ said he, ‘‘there is one seed that you have not got.”
“And what is that?” |
“The seed of the quick-running squash.”’
Charles’s face fell.
“TI don’t believe James has that, and I don’t know where to get one,” he faltered.
“Now, as it happens,’ said the man, ‘I have one of those very seeds in my pocket. It is not, however, that of the common, everyday quick-running squash. This one came from India, and is mar-
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vellous for its quick-running qualities. You have
been kind to me, little boy, and I will give it to you,” and with a peculiar smile, this strange man produced from his pocket, instead of the ordinary squash seed, an odd, round, red seed which he gave to Charles, who thanked him heartily, and ran to plant it at once. Having done so, he went back to ask when the quick-running squash would begin to grow. But the man had disappeared, and, although Charles looked up and down the dusty road, he could see nothing of him.
As he stood there, he heard behind him a little rustling noise, and turning, saw coming toward him a green vine. He had, of course, seen vines before, but never, never had he seen such a queer one as this. It was running swiftly toward him, and on the very front was a round yellow ball, about as big as an orange! Charles, looking back to see where it came from, found that it started in the corner of
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Why, to be sure, the seed of the quick-running squash,
which the strange man had just given him.
“‘Well, well, well!’ he shouted, in great excitement, “what an awfully quick-running squash it is. I suppose that little yellow thing in front is the squash itself. But indeed it must not run away from me, I must stop it.’”’ And he started swiftly down the street after it.
But, alas, no boy could run as fast as that squash, and Charles saw far ahead the bright yellow ball, now grown to be about the size of an ordinary squash, running and capering merrily over stones big and little, never turning out for anything, but bob- bing up and down, up and down, and waving its long green vine like a tail behind it. The boy ran swiftly on. ‘It shall not get away,’ he panted. “It belongs to me.”
But that the squash did not seem to realize at all. He did not feel that he belonged to anybody,
’
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and he did feel that he was a quick-running squash,
and so on he scampered.
Suddenly he came to a very large rock, and stopped for a moment to take breath, and in that moment Charles caught up with him, and simply sat down on him.
‘“‘Now, squash,” said he, slapping him on the side, “your journey is ended.”
The words were scarcely spoken when he suddenly felt himself lifted up in the air, and bumpity, bump, over the stone flew the squash, carrying with him his very much astonished little master! The squash had been growing all the time, and was now about three times as big as an ordinary one. Charles, who had a pony of his own, knew how to ride, but never had he ridden anything so extraordinary as this. On they flew, roll, waddle, bump, bump, roll, waddle, bang, the boy digging his knees hard into the
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sides of the squash to avoid being thrown. He had a dreadfully hard time. Mount the next quick- running squash you meet, and you will see for your-
self how it is.
To Charles’s great delight, he now saw his father coming toward him, riding his big white horse, Nero, who was very much frightened when he saw the boy on such a strange yellow steed. But Nero soon calmed down at his master’s voice, and turning, rode along beside the big squash, although he had to go at full speed to do so. ‘‘Gallopty-gallop’’ went Nero and “bumpity-bump”’ went the squash. Papa lost his hat, (Charles had parted with his long before).
“What are you doing,,my son, and what, what is it you are riding?’”’ asked his father.
“A quick-running squash, Papa,” gasped Charles, who, although bruised, refused to give up the squash,
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and was still pluckily keeping his seat. ‘‘Stop it, oh, do stop it, Papa.’
His father knew that this could be no ordinary squash, and saw that it evidently did not intend to stop.
“T will try to turn it and make it go back,” he said; so riding Nero nearer and nearer the squash, he forced it up against a stone wall. But, instead of going back, this extraordinary squash jumped, with scarcely a moment’s hesitation, over the high wall, and went bobbing along into the rough field beyond. But alas, before them was a broad lake, and as he could not swim, back he was forced to turn. Over the wall and back again over the same road and toward the garden whence he came, Charles still on his back and Charles’s papa galloping at full speed behind.
The squash, however, must have had a good: heart, for when he reached the house again, he of his own accord turned in at the gate and ran up to the wall of Charles’s garden. There he stopped, for he was now so big that he could not climb walls, and indeed, had he been able to get in, he would have filled the little garden to overflowing, for he was
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really enormous. Charles’s father had actually to get a ladder for the poor little fellow to climb down, and he was so tired that he had to be carried to the house. But the squash was tired, too, dread- fully tired. I suppose it is a very bad thing for a growing squash to take much exercise. This cer-— tainly was a growing squash, and there is also no doubt that he had taken a great deal of exercise that morning. Be that as it may, when the family were at luncheon, they were alarmed by hearing a violent explosion near the house. Rushing out to see what could have happened, they found that the marvellous quick-running squash had burst! It lay spread all over the lawn in a thousand pieces. The family, and all the neighbors’ families for miles around, had squash pie for a week. THERE WAS AN OLD MAN
There was an old man with a beard, Who said, ‘‘It is just as I feared! Two owls and a hen, four larks and a wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!” —Edward Lear.
M SY i 3B 0 [OK “SHOU Sn
JACK FROST GABRIEL SETOUN
HE door was shut, as doors should be, Before you went to bed last night; Yet Jack Frost has got in, you see, And left your window silver white.
He must have waited till you slept; And not a single word he spoke,
But penciled o’er the panes and crept Away again before you woke.
And now you cannot see the trees
Nor fields that stretch beyond the lane; But there are fairer things than these His fingers traced on every pane.
Rocks and castles towering high;
Hills and dales and streams and fields; And knights in armour riding by,
With nodding plumes and shining shields.
From Child's World; used by the courteous permission of John Lane Company,
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And here are little boats, and there Big ships with sails spread to the breeze; And yonder, palm-trees waving fair On islands set in silver seas. ;
And butterflies with gauzy wings;
And herds of cows and flocks of sheep; And fruit and flowers and all the things You see when you are sound asleep.
For, creeping softly underneath
The door when all the lights are out, Jack Frost takes every breath you breathe And knows the things you think about.
He paints them on the window-pane In fairy lines with frozen steam; And when you wake, you see again The lovely things you saw in dream.
MY 1 BeO UOKK THOT Uae
Z XN S Ni 'E = i pies hy
fi a Sys us 42) Les rm
——— S_ Wwe [eae ; GO ASK YOUR MOTHER a Go ask your mother for fifty cents 4 To see the elephant jump the fence. “ aay He jumped so high, he touched the sky, 3 And never came down till the Fourth of July.
American Child Rhymes
A JUMP-ROPE RHYME Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go up stairs; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, switch off the light; Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say ‘Good night!’’
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The Cock, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen
FELIcITE LEFEVRE NCE upon a time there was a hill, and on the hill there was a pretty little house.
It had one little green door, and four little win- dows with green shutters, and in it there lived a cock, and a mouse, and a little red hen. On another hill close by, there was another little house. It was very ugly. It had a door that wouldn’t shut, and two broken windows, and all the paint was off the shutters. And in this house there lived a bold bad fox and four bad I1ttle foxes.
One morning these four bad little foxes came to the big bad Fox and said:
“Oh, Father, we’re so hungry !
“We had nothing to eat yesterday,’ said one.
‘“‘And scarcely anything the day before,”’ said another.
The big bad Fox shook his head, for he was thinking. At last he said in a big, gruff voice:
“On the hill over there I see a house. And in that house there lives a Cock.”
“And a Mouse!’ screamed two of the little foxes.
“And a little Red Hen,’’ screamed the other two.
Used by permission of George W. Jacobs & Company 229
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‘“‘And they are nice and fat,’’ went on the big bad Fox. “This very day I’ll take my sack, and I will go up tie hill and in at that door, and into my sack I will put the Cock, and the Mouse, and the little Red Hen.”
So the four little foxes jumped for joy, and the big bad Fox went to get his sack ready to
start upon his journey.
But what was happening to the Cock, and the Mouse, and the little Red Hen, all this time?
Well, sad. to say, the Cock and the Mouse had both got out of bed on the wrong side that morning. The Cock said the day was too hot, and the Mouse grumbled because it was too cold.
They came grumbling down to the kitchen, where the good little Red Hen, looking as bright as a sunbeam, was bustling about. ;
“Who'll get some sticks to light the fire with?” she sagt
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_“T shan’t,’’ said the Cock.
“T shan’t,” said the Mouse.
“Then [ll do it myself,” said the little Red Hen.
So off she ran to get the sticks. ‘‘And now, who'll fill the kettle from the spring?’ she asked.
“TI shan’t,’ said the Cock.
“T shan’t,’’ said the Mouse.
“Then [ll do it myself,” said the little Red Hen.
And ‘off she ran to fill the kettle.
‘And who’ll get the breakfast mal she asked, as she put the kettle on to boil. FXxxQ——_—_—_L —
‘“T shan’t,’”’ said the Cock.
“T shan’t,’’ said the Mouse.
“Then I'll do it myself,” said the little Red Hen.
All breakfast time the Cock | Wages and the Mouse quarrelled and | /f7/* grumbled. The Cock upset the milk jug, and the Mouse scat- tered crumbs upon the floor.
“Who'll clear away the } breakfast?’’ asked the poor | little Red Hen, hoping they |
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would soon leave off being cross.
“T shan’t,”’ said the Cock.
“Tshan’t,’’ said the Mouse.
“Then I'll do it myself,’ said the little Red Hen.
So she cleared everything away, swept up the crumbs and brushed up the fireplace.
“And now, who’ll help me to make the beds?”’
“IT shan’t,” said the Cock.
“IT shan’t,”’ said the Mouse.
“Then Ill do it myself,’”’ said the little Red Hen.
And she tripped away upstairs.
But the lazy Cock and Mouse each sat down in a com- fortable arm-chair by the fire, and soon fell fast asleep.
Now the bad Fox had crept up the hill, and into the garden, and if the Cock and Mouse hadn’t been asleep, they would have seen his sharp eyes peeping in at the window.
“Rat tat tat! Rat tat tat!’ the Fox knocked at the door.
“Who can that be?’ said the Mouse, half opening his eyes.
“Go and look for yourself, if you want to know,’ said the rude Cock.
“Tt’s the postman, perhaps,’ thought the Mouse
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to himself, “and he may have a letter for me.’’ So without waiting to see who it was, he lifted the latch and opened the door.
As soon as he opened it, in jumped the big Fox.
“Oh! oh! oh!’ squeaked the Mouse, as he tried to run up the chimney.
“‘Doodle doodle do!’ screamed the Cock, as he jumped on the back of the biggest arm-chair.
But the Fox only laughed, and without more ado he took the little mouse by the tail, and popped him into the sack, and seized the Cock by the neck and popped him in too.
Then the poor little Red Hen came running down- stairs to see what all the noise was about, and the Fox caught her and put her into the sack with the others. Then he took a long piece of string out of his pocket, wound it round, and round, and round the mouth of the sack, and tied it very tight indeed. After that he threw the sack over his back, and off he set down the hill, chuckling to himself.
“Oh, I wish I hadn’t been so cross,” said the Cock, as they went bumping about.
“Oh! I wish I hadn’t been so lazy,’’ said the Mouse, wiping his eyes with the tip of his tail.
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“It’s never too late to mend,” said the little Red Hen. ‘‘And don’t be too sad. See, here I have my little work-bag, and in it there is a pair of scissors, and a little thimble, and a needle and thread. Very soon you will see what I am going to do.”
Now the sun was very hot, and soon Mr. Fox began to feel his sack was heavy, and at last he thought he would lie down under a tree and go to sleep for a little while. So he threw the sack down with a big bump, and very soon fell fast asleep.
Snore, snore, snore, went the Fox.
As soon as the little Red Hen heard this, she took out her scissors, and began to snip a hole in the sack just large enough for the Mouse to creep through.
“Quick,’’ she whispered to the Mouse, “run as fast as you can and bring back a stone just as large as yourself.’’
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Out scampered the Mouse, and soon came back, dragging the stone after him.
“Push it in here,’ said the little Red Hen, and he pushed it in, in a twinkling. ;
Then the little Red Hen snipped away at the hole, till it was large enough for the Cock to get through.
“Quick,”” she said, “‘run and get a stone as big as yourself.’’
Out flew the Cock, and soon came back quite out of breath, with a big stone, which he pushed into the sack too.
Then the little Red Hen popped out, got a stone as big as herself, and pushed it in. Next she put on her thimble, took out her needle and thread, and sewed up the hole as quick- ly as ever she could.
When it was done; the Cock, and the Mouse and the little Red Hen ran home very fast, shut the door after them, drew the
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bolts, shut the shutters, and drew down the blinds and felt quite safe.
The bad Fox lay fast asleep under the tree for some time, but at last he awoke.
“Dear, dear,’ he said, rubbing his eyes and then looking at the long shadows on the grass, ‘“‘how late it is getting. I must hurry home.”’
So the bad Fox went grumbling and groaning down the hill, till he came to the stream. Splash! In went one foot. Splash! In went the other, but the stones in the sack were so heavy that at the very next step, down tumbled Mr. Fox into a deep pool. And then the fishes carried him off to their fairy caves and kept him a prisoner there, so he was never seen again. And the four greedy little foxes had to go to bed without any supper.
But the Cock and the Mouse never grumbled again. They lit the fire, filled the kettle, laid the breakfast, and did all the work, while the good little Red Hen had a holiday, and sat resting in the big arm-chair.
No foxes ever troubled them again, and for all I know, they are still living happily in the little house with the green door and sere shutters, which stands ont the hill. —A bridged
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BABY SEED SONG EpitaH NEsBIT : ITTLE brown seed, Oh! little brown brother, |i Are you awake in the dark? i Here we lie cosily, close to each other! Hark to the song of the lark— ‘“Waken!” the lark says, ‘‘Waken and dress you; Put on your green coats and gay; Blue sky will shine on you, sunshine caress you— Waken! ’tis morning — ’tis May!”
Little brown brother, Oh! little brown brother, What kind of flower will you be?
I’ll be a poppy—all white, like my mother,
Do be a poppy like me.
What! You’re a sunflower? How I shall miss you When you’re grown golden and high!
But I shall send all the bees up to kiss you; Little brown brother, Good-by!
Used by permission of A. C. McClurg & Company,
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Cow) Ga
The Turtle Who Could Not Stop Talking AN East INDIAN FABLE
NCE there was a Turtle who lived in a muddy
little pond, and he loved to crawl out in the sun
and talk to everyone who went by. He talked to the
beasts, and he talked to the birds, and he talked to
the fishes. He talked to the wild geese as they flew
by on their way to the South every year, and he
talked to the little brown children who lived: in the
village near by. In fact he was always talking. He
talked, and he talked, and he talked; he chattered, and chattered, and chattered.
One fine day there came to his muddy little pond
two young wild geese who had flown on their strong
wings a long, long way.
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“Friend Turtle,’ said the Geese, as they rested beside him on the water, ‘‘we have a beautiful home far away—a shining, blue pool as clear as glass, with nodding, green grasses round about. We are on our way there now. It’s a far pleasanter place than this. How would you like to come with us?”
The Turtle looked about at his muddy little pond. He had always longed to go south; and he wanted so much to see that shining, blue pool, with the nodding, green grasses round about. But he answered, “How can I go with you? I have no wings.’’
“Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your mouth closed, and say not a word to anyone,” said the Geese.
“Of course I can keep my mouth closed,” said the Turtle. ‘Do take me with you. I will do exactly as you say.”
So the next day the Geese brought a stick, each one holding an end of it in his bill.
“Now take hold of the middle of this stick with your mouth,”’ said they, “‘and so we will lift you up in the air. But don’t say a word until we reach home, for, if you do, you will lose your hold and fall to the ground.”
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““Of course! I will do exactly as you say,”’ said the Turtle.
So the Turtle took hold of the stick with his mouth, and the Geese soared up with him between them. Above the green tops of the tall palm trees, up, up into the blue sky they flew. But as they passed over the village, they came down near enough to the earth, so the little brown children below could just see their