THE MGEE INTERMEDIATE READER PART ONE- FOURTH YEAR THE MAGEE INTERMEDIATE READER* PART ONE - FOURTH YEAR BY ANNA R MAGEE Veacfor iViPuWi'c School l66,JGw^Srk <% WITH THE EDITORIAL COOPERATION OF JOHN F. REIGART, PH.D. (Principal of Public ScRool l66,Jfew\ock Gity Illustrated by StKel and Gujjrem'e t^U. GINN AND COMPANY BOSTON ' NEW YORK CHICAGO - LONDON ATLANTA DALLAS - COLUMBUS - SAN FRANCISCO 1 OtfPYftlGHT, 'iJiffVBY ANNA F. MAGEE AND JOHN F. KEIGART ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 922.4 EDUCATION DEPT, GINN AND COMPANY ' PRO- PRIETORS BOSTON U.S.A. PREFACE The Intermediate Reader, Part One, of the Magee series is planned for the entire fourth year of school. While no definite time period need be set, it may be said that up to this time pupils should have read two books a year, thus covering the first six books. The authors have not deemed it necessary to continue the division by half years into the period when pupils are usually provided with simple textbooks in geography and history. Much of the training in silent reading and oral expression can now be supplied by this type of supplementary reading. Classes that have thoroughly mastered the preceding books of the series will be able to carry over their method of study. While, as stated, no attempt is made to supply the entire con- tent of the course of study for the fourth year, a certain econ- omy is rendered possible. No additional textbooks in spelling or English are needed. The spelling lists include all the words of the well-known Ayres list. Daily phonetic drill is continued as an indispensable factor in increasing facility in reading. The word study in this book is not intended to take the place of a dictionary, but rather to encourage its use for pronunciation and meaning. Training in the use of the dictionary is provided for by progressive practice in the use of diacritical marks. As in the previous books, helps are supplied by means of the arrangement, the questions on the lessons, the phonetical development, etc. To make room for additional reading matter the daily plan and the type lesson for this book are printed in a separate Manual. 9 IV The plan of keeping the Manual simple and brief has been as carefully carried out as though it were printed in the Reader itself. Holmes's " Flower of Liberty," " Kriss Kringle," by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, "The Pomegranate Seeds" and "The Three Golden Apples," adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Boy and the Brook " and the selection from " Hiawatha," by Long- fellow, are used by permission of, and by special arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company. " Block City" and " My Treasures," by Robert Louis Stevenson, and " The Drum," by Eugene Field, are used by permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. " Odds and Ends " and " The Cat and the Parrot," from " Stories and Story Telling," by Angela M. Keyes, are used through the courtesy of D. Appleton and Company. The John Lane Company have granted permission to use " A Frost Fancy," by Richard Le Gallienne. ' The Tug of War," from the Journal of American Folk-Lore, is used by permission of Mr. Charles L. Edwards and the American Folk- Lore Society. " My Lord Bag-o'-Rice," from Lafcadio Hearn's " Japanese Fairy Tales," is used by permission of the pub- lishers, Boni & Liveright, Inc. " Umbrellas," from Melville Chater's " Bubble Ballads," is used through the courtesy of The Century Company. " The Rhinoceros Changes his Name to Jim " is used by permission of the Christian Science Monitor. " The Baker Boys of Andernach " and " The Crab and the Fox," from Minna B. Noyes's " Twilight Stories," are used by per- mission of Parker P. Simmons Company, Inc. : ' The Ball," by William Allingham, is used through the courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd. " Just Doing his Duty" is used by permission of the American Red Cross. " The Whole Duty of Kittens," from " The Kitten's Garden of Verses," and "The Elephant," from "Child's Primer of Natural History," are used by permission of the author, Oliver Herford. " The Good Bear and the Lost Boy " and " How Fire was Brought to the Indians," from " Wigwam Stories," are used by permission of the author, Mary C. Judd. ' : Robin Hood," from " Life in the Greenwood," is used through the courtesy of the author, Marion F. Lansing. " The Real Princess " and " The Jumping Match," from Andersen's " Fairy Tales," are used by permission of Mrs. J. H. S. Lansing. : ' The Barmecide's Feast," from " Arabian Nights' Entertainments," is used by permission of Mrs. Martha A. L. Lane. " Seeds " and " Flight " are used by permission of the author, Aileen Cleveland Higgins. " Prometheus the Fire-Bringer" and " Lotus and Rainbow" are used by permis- sion of the author, Caroline B. Churchill. " A Story of the Cave People " is used by permission of Marlborough B. Churchill. CONTENTS An asterisk after a title indicates that the selection is to be memorized. The complete list of selections to be memorized will be found on page 44 of the Teachers' Manual. PAGE THE FAIRY BOOK Norman Gale 3 MY LORD BAG-O'-RiCE Japanese Fairy Tale 6 RICE RAINS Mary Fenollosa 13 THE AME-YA Mart/ Fenollosa 15 THE BAKER BOYS OF ANDERNACH Old Talc 19 THE GOOD BEAR AND THE LOST BOY . . J/Vf/7/ Catherine Judd 23 THE BALL* William Allintjltam 28 THE BARMECIDE'S FEAST From the Arabian Nights 30 THE Two MERCHANTS Hindu Tale 3G FOUR THINGS* Henry van Dyke 42 THE DRUM Eugene Field 43 THE CAT AND THE PARROT Eastern Folk Tale 47 BLOCK CITY Robert Louis Stevenson 54 THE DARING PRINCE James Whitcomb Riley 56 THE REAL PRINCESS Plans Christian Andersen 57 ODDS AND ENDS Angela ^f. Kei/es 61 LITTLE IN-A-MINUTE Carolyn Sherwin Bailey 63 AN EASY WAY TO LEARN TO READ . Adapted from Goldsmith 72 THE CONJURER AND THE TAILOR . . Adapted from Goldsmith 74 LITTLE DICK AND THE CLOCK James Whitcomb Riley 76 LITTLE ANKLEBONE Hindu Tale 78 SEEDS* Aileen Cleveland Higgins 86 THE POMEGRANATE SEEDS Adapted from Hawthorne 87 FOUR SWEET MONTHS* Robert Herrick 108 A FROST FANCY* Richard Le Gallienne 110 KRISS KR INGLE* Thomas Bailey Aldrich 112 CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN . Albert Biyelow Paine 114 THE WHOLE DUTY OF KITTENS* Oliver Herford 125 vi Yll PAGE THE MONKEY'S REVENGE E. V. Lucas 126 RING OUT, WILD BELLS* Alfred Tennyson 137 EVERY DAY'S A LITTLE YEAR* Annette Wynne 137 A FRIENDLY WORD* Annette Wynne 137 PHAETON AND THE HORSES OF THE SUN Francillon 138 A LITTLE HERO English Hero Tale 145 THE BOY WHO DID NOT KNOW FEAR . . Adapted from Soutkey 150 ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND .... Lewis Carroll 154 DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE 154 THE POOL OF TEARS 168 THE VISION OF THE MARNE 182 JOAN OF ARC 183 NAIIUM PRINCE Edward Ecerett Hale 188 THE FLOWER OF LIBERTY* Oliver Wendell Holmes 193 THE YOUNG SENTINEL American Hero Story 194 SHOULDER TO SHOULDER* Clinton Scollard 198 FRANKLIN'S KITE-TRAVEL 200 FLIGHT Aileen Cleveland Higgins 203 THE FIRST FLYING-MACHINE Greek Myth 204 TURNING THE GRINDSTONE Benjamin Franklin 208 THE OBSTINATE SHOEMAKER J. Christian Bay 211 THE QUARREL OF THE QUAILS . . Adapted from a Jataka Tale 218 THE CAMEL AND THE PIG Animal Folk Tale 222 A SEASIDE STROLL Mary Fenollosa 226 TREES* Sara Coleridge 229 ROBIN HOOD Marion F. Lansing 230 A WOLF HUNT Hero Tale 239 JUST DOING HIS DUTY Hero Tale 244 THE JUMPING-MATCH Hans Christian Andersen 246 THE TUG OF WAR Bahama Folk Tale 252 THE ELEPHANT ^ Oliver Herford 255 THE ELEPHANT Hilaire Belloc 256 THE CRAB AND THE Fox Minna B. Noyes 257 THE TRAVELS OF A Fox . ..... New England Folk Tale 260 How FIRE WAS BROUGHT TO THE INDIANS Mary Catherine Judd 265 PROMETHEUS AND THE GIFT OF FIRE Greek Myth 267 PROMETHEUS, THE FIRE-BRINGER .... Caroline B. Churchill 269 Vlll PAGE FLINT* Christina G. Rossetti 278 THE WISE YOUNG KING From the Bible 279 THE TOWER THAT WAS NEVER FINISHED . . . From the Bible 283 THE PICKPOCKET IN THE Zoo E. V. Lucas 287 THE RHINOCEROS CHANGES HIS NAME TO JIM 291 THE WILD BEAST TAMER Cleveland Mojfett 297 THE BOY AND THE BROOK* . . Translated Inj H. W. Longfellow 305 MAIDS OF FANCY W. II. Hudson 306 THE CLOUD* Percy Bt/sshe Shelley 317 How BEAUTIFUL is THE RAIN Henri/ W. Longfellow 317 UMBRELLAS Mclrille Chafer 318 THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES .... Abridged from llau-thorne 320 PART I. THE JOURNEY 320 PART II. ATLAS 325 MY TREASURES Roheri Louis Stevenson 335 A STORY OF THE CAVE PEOPLE .... Marlborough Churchill 337 A CAVE FAMILY 337 A CAVE SUPPER 338 NIGHT IN THE CAVE 340 THE FIRST ARTIST 344 THE MAMMOTH HUNT 347 LOTUS AND RAINBOW Caroline B. Churchill 350 HIAWATHA'S PICTURE-WRITING* .... Henry W. Lone/fellow 360 PHONETIC CHARTS 365 LITTLE DICTIONARY 374 REVIEW SPELLING 378 SECOND YEAR, FIRST HALF 378 SECOND YEAR, SECOND HALF 381 THIRD YEAR, FIRST HALF 384 THIRD YEAR, SECOND HALF 386 SPELLING FOR FOURTH YEAR . 389 INTERMEDIATE READERS PART ONE. FOURTH YEAR PART ONE. FOURTH YEAR THE FAIRY BOOK NOKMAN GALE In summer, when the grass is thick, if mother has the time, She shows me with her pencil how a poet makes a rhyme, And often she is sweet enough to choose a leafy nook, Where I cuddle up so closely w^hen she reads the Fairy Book. In winter, w^hen the corn 's asleep, and birds are not in song, And crocuses and violets have been away too long, Dear mother puts her thimble by in answer to my look, And I cuddle up so closely when she reads the Fairy Book. And mother tells the servants that of course they must contrive To manage all the household things from four till half-past five, For we really cannot suffer interruption from the cook, When we cuddle close together with the happy Fairy Book. What is the best place for reading a book in summer ? What is the best place in winter ? How does mother find the time to read ? Would you choose a fairy book ? If not, what book would you choose ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Say some lines from this poem and tell which words rhyme. Say some from another poem and tell the words that rhyme. To " suffer interruption" means to allow a stop. Why does one not want to suffer interruption while reading ? 2. Find words in the poem having these sounds : er = ur in urn ; er = er in after. 3. A syllable may be a single letter or several letters taken together so as to form one sound. 4. When a word has more than one syllable, you pro- nounce one of the syllables more strongly than the others. This is called accent. This little mark (') is used to show the accented syllable. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 * contrive (kon triv') : to plan manage (man'aj) : to attend to interruption (in te rtip'shun) : a breaking-in upon Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 enough grass often song For spelling see page 389. 6 MY- LORD BAG-O'-RICE Once upon a time there was a brave warrior, called My Lord Bag-o'-Rice, who spent all his time in waging war against the King's enemies. One day, when he had sallied forth to seek adventures, he came to an immensely long bridge, spanning a river just at the place where it flowed out of a fine lake. When he set foot on this bridge, he saw that a Serpent twenty feet long was lying there, basking in the sun, in such a way that he could not cross the bridge without treading on it. Most men would have taken to their heels at so frightful a sight. But My Lord Bag-o'-Rice was not to be daunted. He simply walked right ahead, - squash, crunch, over the Serpent's body. Instantly the Serpent turned into a tiny Dwarf, who, humbly bending the knee, and knocking the planks of the bridge three times with his head in token of respect, said : ' My Lord ! you are a man, you are ! For many a weary day have I lain here, waiting for one who should avenge me on my enemy. But all who saw me were cowards, and ran away. You will avenge me, will you not? 1 live at the bottom of this lake, and my enemy is a Centipede who dwells at the top of yonder mountain. Come along with me, I beseech you. If you help me not, I am undone. " The Warrior was delighted at having found such an adventure as this. He willingly followed the Dwarf to his summerhouse beneath the waters of the lake. It was all curiously built of coral and pearl sprays in the shape of seaweed and other water-plants, with fresh-water crabs as big as men, and w^ater-monkeys and newts and tadpoles as servants and bodyguards. When they had rested awhile, dinner was brought in on trays shaped like the leaves of water lilies. The dishes were water-cress leaves, - - not real ones, but much more beautiful than real ones, for they were of water-green porcelain with a shimmer of gold ; and the chopsticks were of beautiful petrified wood like black ivory. As for the w^ine in the cups, it looked like water; but, as it tasted all right, what did looks signify? 8 Well, there they were, feasting and singing; and the Dwarf had just pledged the Warrior in a goblet of hot, steaming wine, when thud ! thud ! thud! like the tramp of an army, the fearful monster of whom the Dwarf had spoken was heard approaching. It sounded as if a continent were in motion ; and on either side there seemed to be a row of a thousand men with lanterns. But the Warrior was able to make out, as the danger drew nearer, that all this fuss was made by a single creature, an enormous Centipede over a mile long; and that what had seemed like men with lanterns on either side of it, were in reality its own feet, of which it had exactly one thousand on each side of its body, all of them glistening and glinting with the sticky poison that oozed out of every pore. There was no time to be lost. The Centipede was already halfway down the mountain. So the Warrior snatched up his bow, a bow so big and heavy that it would have taken five ordinary men to pull it, fitted an arrow into the bow-notch, and let fly. 10 He was not one ever to miss his aim. The arrow struck right in the middle of the monster's forehead. But alas ! it rebounded as if that fore- head had been made of brass. A second time did the Warrior take his bow and shoot. A second time did the arrow strike and rebound ; and now the dreadful creature was down at the water's edge, and would soon pollute the lake with its filthy poison. Said the Warrior to himself: ; ' Nothing kills Centipedes so surely as human spittle. " And with these words, he spat on the tip of the only arrow that remained to him (for there had been but three in his quiver). This time again the arrow hit the Centipede right in the middle of the forehead. But instead of rebounding, it went right in and came out again at the back of the creature's head, so that the Centi- pede fell down dead, shaking the whole country- side like an earthquake, and the poisonous light on its two thousand feet darkening to a dull glare like that of the twilight of a stormy day. Then the Warrior found himself wafted back to his own castle ; and round him stood a row of 11 presents, on each of which were inscribed the words, " From yoilr grateful dwarf. 77 One of these presents was a large bronze bell, which the War- rior, who was a religious man as well as a brave one, hung up in the temple that contained the tombs of his ancestors. The second was a sword, which enabled him ever after to gain the victory over all his enemies. The third w T as a suit of armor which no arrow could penetrate. The fourth was a roll of silk, which never grew smaller, though he cut off large pieces from time to time to make himself a new court dress. The fifth was a bag of rice, which, though he took from it day after day for meals for himself, his family, and his trusty retainers, never got exhausted so long as he lived. And it was from this fifth and last present that he took his name and title of " My Lord Bag-o 7 -Rice " ; for all the people thought that there was nothing stranger in the whole world than this wonderful bag, which made its owner such a rich and happy man. 12 What did people do when they saw a huge snake on the bridge? What did the soldier do? In what way was the soldier braver than other people ? What new task did he have ? How did he help the dwarf ? How was he rewarded ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. " Token of respect," a sign of honor ; petrified, turned to stone ; continent, one of the largest divisions of land. Tell how you would draw a centipede. Tell some stories of bravery you know. Tell some other Japanese story you have read. Tell about the gifts. Which of the gifts was best, and why ? 2. Find words in the story having these sounds: a = a in sofa ; ear = ur in urn. 3. What is a syllable? What is accent? Show the mark that is used for an accented syllable. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : daunted (dant'Sd) : cowed, made afraid avenge (a vnj') : to punish one's enemy newts (nutz) : small water lizards poisonous (poi'z'n us) : full of poison, destructive pollute (po lut') : to make impure retainers (re tan'erz) : servants Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 dwarf sword arrow pearl armor For spelling see page 389. 13 RICE RAINS 1 MARY FENOLLOSA Rice rains, rice rains, I wish you'd go away! You make the sky so black with clouds we can- not see to play! The rivers run with yellow mud, - - the bamboo gutters spill, And soon, I fear, you'll wash away the pine tree on the hill. Rice rains, rice rains, I hope you'll soon be through ; We children have to sulk indoors, and all because of you! 1 Reprinted by permission from "Blossoms from a Japanese Garden," by Mary Fenollosa. Copyrighted, 1913, by Frederick A. Stokes Company. 14 My mother says you help to grow the rice that we must eat. But I am sure there 's plenty in the rice shop down the street! Why are the rains called " rice rains " ? To what country do you think the child belongs ? What mistake does the child make when he thinks "there's plenty in the rice shop"? HELPS TO STUDY 1. A gutter is a channel or pipe for running water. In Japan these gutters are made of bamboo. Bamboo is the wood of the bamboo tree, which grows in warm countries and is used for building. Name some other uses of bamboo. What do children do when they sulk ? Recite some other poems about rain. 2. Find two words in the poem where ou = oo in moon ; find one in the poem where u = oo in moon. Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : gutters yellow rivers For spelling see page 389. 15 THE AME-YA 1 MARY FENOLLOSA Down the narrow streets of Yeddo Comes a peddler old and gray, On his back a wondrous outfit, In his mouth a pipe of clay. Loud he whistles, and the children, Crowding, haste from near and far, Clasp their little hands for pleasure, ' Yonder comes the Ame-ya ! " Gently down he sets the workshop, On whose lacquered shelves is laid Kice-flour paste, lacquered vessels, Tinted every different shade. Marvelous are the things he fashions, Birds and beasts and moon and star. : 'Now what will you, bright-eyed youngsters?" Gayly asks the Ame-ya. 1 Reprinted by permission from "Blossoms from a Japanese Garden," by Mary Fenollosa. Copyrighted, 1913, by Frederick A. Stokes Company. 17 ' First a dragon." Soft and pliant Swells the red and yellow dough ; Like a curious twisted bubble From his pipe they watch it blow. Eyes of bead, and fins of silver : There, 'tis finished, naught to mar. " Ah, it 's mine ! ' ; the children clamor, " Give it to me, Ame-ya ! " ' Bring your rin, and bring your tempo, Cheap the price for such a sight. Every child shall have a wonder If I blow and blow till night. 7 ' Fruit and flower, see them growing Planted in a tiny jar. 'Tis no marvel that the children Love the kindly Ame-ya. What brings the children crowding together? What does the peddler carry on his back ? How does he use his pipe ? Have you ever seen glass objects blown from -a pipe as you blow bubbles ? Can you find any at home ? Tell some of the things the Ame-ya blew from his pipe. 18 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Yeddo is in Japan. What story have you just read about Japan ? What poem ? Who is the Ame-ya ? Lac- quered vessels are varnished wooden dishes. They are generally black and have bright-colored flowers painted on them. Have you ever seen any? Where? Use another word for marvelous. Pliant means soft, easily bent. Why must the dough be pliant ? Describe the dragon. " Naught to mar" means nothing to spoil the dragon. Give another word for clamor. What did the toys cost ? A rin is about one tenth of a cent. A tempo is eight cents, a long, oval, copper coin with a square hole in the middle. Give another word for marvel. 2. Find words in the poem where ui = 66 in moon ; au = 6 in short ; and ou = u in fun. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : lacquered (lak'erd) : varnished dough (do) : a soft paste of flour or meal wondrous (wtin'drus) : wonderful pleasure (pl&h'ur) : joy marvelous (mar'vel us) : wonderful curious (ku'ri us) : strange, rare Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : Ame-ya naught kindly g a yty clamor gently tempo soft For spelling see page 389. 19 THE BAKER BOYS OF ANDERNACH MINNA B. NOYES The people of Andernach like to sleep late in the morning, and only the bakers rise early to have fresh bread ready for breakfast. There was once a war between Andernach and Linz, and even today these cities are not good friends. As the people of Linz knew very well that the people of Andernach always slept late, they determined to attack the city early in the morning. All their plans were made, and they thought they could conquer the city. At midnight they left Linz and went quietly towards Andernach. 20 They arrived very early and thought they could pass unseen through the unwatched gates. Meanwhile the bakers of Andernach had baked their bread. When their work was done, they lay down and had a morning nap. When the army from Linz came near Andernach, all the inhabit- ants were asleep except the baker boys. They had gone softly out of the bakehouse to steal some honey from the gatekeeper's beehives upon the tower. They, crept up the stairs of the tower, and were just about to take the honey when they heard a slight noise. " Oh ! 7: w r hispered one to the other, : ' the gatekeeper is coming. He will surely w r hip us." They both listened, and after a moment they said : "It cannot be the gatekeeper; he is fast asleep, and, besides, he w^ould come up the stairs. The noise does not come from the stairs. It seems to be outside." Softly, very softly, for they did not wish to be caught stealing honey, they crept to the edge of the tower and looked down. There stood the army of Linz ! The baker boys saw that the soldiers had put up a ladder so that they could climb over the gate into the 21 city. The boys, seeing the danger, stood a moment as if turned to stone. What could they do ? They could not wake the people quickly enough, and they had no weapons to drive the enemy away. All at once one of the boys thought of the beehives. He motioned to his companion. Each lifted a beehive very carefully, carried it to the edge of the tower, and threw it down upon the soldiers at the foot of the tower. When they fell, the beehives broke into many pieces, and the bees flew wildly about and stung the soldiers so that they cried aloud. The boys ran down the stairs, went quickly to the city hall, rang the great bell, and waked the lazy people from their long morning sleep. All ran to the gate of the city, but their help was not needed, for the bees had stung the army so severely that everyone had fled. Out of gratitude, the people of Andernach had a stone statue of the two baker boys placed over the city gate which they had defended, and there you can see it today. The inhabitants have never forgotten the brave deed, and often speak of the clever idea of the baker boys. 22 The people of Linz never came back to attack Andernach, for they said that the bees of Ander- nach wake early, while the inhabitants sleep late. What surprise did the people of Linz plan ? Who were not surprised ? Why not ? . How did they save the city ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. A city has gates to defend it against attack by an enemy. Give another word for gratitude. How did the people of Andernach show their gratitude to the baker boys? Tell different ways of showing gratitude. When the Gauls attacked the capital at Rome, every one was asleep except the geese. Go to the library and read in Plutarch's "Lives" how the geese saved Rome. 2. Find words in the story where ea = e in me ; ea = e in elf ; i = y in yellow ; y = 1 in is ; and di = j in Jack. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 Andernach (an'der nak) : a town in Prussia Linz (lints) : a city in Austria conquer (kftn'ker) : to gain by force of arms gratitude (grat'i tud) : thankfulness clever (kleVer) : showing quick wits Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : carefully towards softly early pass gone For spelling see page 389. 23 THE GOOD BEAR AND THE LOST BOY MARY CATHERINE JUDD A boy went out to hunt and crawled into a great hole where porcupines lived. He wanted to get some of the young ones. The dirt fell into the hole behind him and shut him in with the porcupines. The boy cried himself to sleep, for he knew his father could not find him. When he awoke he saw the mother porcupine as big as a squaw. She gave him some food, but he could not eat. The food was bitter. The porcupine squaw said, "I will call a coun- cil, for I do not know what to feed you." 24 The council was held in the woods close by. Wolves, bears, foxes, and deer caine. The motner sent her young porcupines to call these animals to the council. The boy w^as glad he had not hurt any one in the porcupine cave. The mother porcupine stood in the council and said : 'I have found this creature in the house I have made for my little ones. He is hungry, but he cannot eat what my children eat. Tell me what to give him so that he may live/' The great gray fox rose then and answered: ' I live on geese and the birds of the forest. He is the child of the red man. The red man has fire and clay. He cooks his food; I do not." The council decided that the fox should not take the boy. A wolf stood in the council: "I have many cubs in my den. They are always hungry. I am always hungry. It is better for the boy never to see the place w^here 1 sleep/ 7 And the council agreed that the w r olf mother should not take the boy. 25 The deer did not stand. His head was covered with tall antlers. He sat and looked with kind eyes at the man-child. He said : ' I have hidden my family in the thick bushes. They are safe while I am in this council. We feed on wild grass and the tender leaves of the trees. "We love one another, but there are many who hunt us. The child could never run as we run. Our eyes see much. We see, we hear, and we run. The child has two feet ; we have four. He could not follow us." The council said that the deer should not take the boy. M7 26 The bear rose on his hind les and said: r feed on nuts. My little ones are warm and not hungry. I will take the boy." The council said that the bear was wise. The boy should go w r ith him, and all the other animals w r ould help to gather the nuts for his feeding. The council fire w^as put out, and each one went home. The boy followed the bear to a hole in a great tree. The mother bear and the cubs welcomed him, and the boy was happy. He learned to talk as the bears talk and to walk like them. Nothing hurt him, and he was never hungry. Some Indians saw the father bear one day and chased him. Then they found the mother and her cubs, and all w^ere killed. The boy hid in the hollow tree. The Indians found him and took him away. He was very wild and did not love his people, for they had killed the bears. The Indian boy was kept in the wigwam. He learned the ways of his people again, but never did he shoot or trap a bear. 27 What accident happened to the Indian boy ? Why did the animals hold a council ? Tell why the porcupine, the fox, and the wolf could not keep the boy. What offer did the bear make ? How did the boy live with the bear ? How did he show his gratitude to the bears ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. What is an Indian mother called? A council is a gathering of men called to give advice. Who attended this council ? What are little bears called ? Read in Kipling's "Jungle Stories" about the boy who lived with the wolves. 2. Find words in the story where aw = o in short ; c = s in sandy ; and ea = a in care. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : porcupine (por'ku pm) : an animal having stiff, sharp spines squaw (skwo): an Indian woman creature (kre'tur) : an animal or a person decided (de sid'ed) : settled learned (lurnd) : found out about Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 nothing y un g dirt follow hurt saw For spelling see page 389. 28 THE BALL WILLIAM ALLINGHAM All men, black, brown, red, yellow, white, Are brethren in their Father's sight. To do each other good is right, But not to wrangle, steal, or fight. A thousand millions, young and old, Some in the heat, some in the cold, Upon this Ball of Earth are roll'd Around the Sun's great flame of gold. And this great Sun is like indeed One daisy in a daisied mead ; For God's power doth all thought exceed, And of us also He takes heed. 29 What is "The Ball"? What people live on it ? Why should they all live in peace ? What suggests the smallness of the sun and of each person ? What suggests the greatness of God ? Tell in your own words the idea that all men are brothers. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for brethren., wrangle, mead, and heed. "Some in the heat" means people living in hot countries. Explain " some in the cold." Does the earth move around the sun or the sun around the earth? "God's pow r er doth all thought exceed" means that his power is greater than we can understand. Say the first sentence of " Our Father" and tell how we can help to make the prayer come true. 2. In the word their, ei = a in care. Find a word in the poem where x = ks. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : brethren (brSth're'n) : brothers wrangle (ran'g'l) : to quarrel millions (mil'yunz) : a very large number mead (med) : a meadow exceed (8k sed') : to go beyond Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : thought other God's For spelling see page 389. 30 THE BARMECIDE'S FEAST Shacabac was once a rich man, but he became so poor that he had to beg his bread. One day he went forth as usual to seek alms, and on his way he beheld a handsome house, with servants standing at the door commanding and 31 forbidding. So he came up to the doorkeepers and begged them to give him something. 'Enter,' 7 said one of them to him, "and thou shalt get whatever thou hast need of from our master himself. " Then Shacabac entered the palace and found himself in a magnificent hall paved with marble and hung with curtains. At the upper end of a room which opened into this hall sat an old man with a long white beard. Seeing Shacabac, the Barmecide rose, greeted him kindly, and asked him what he could do to serve him ; to which Shacabac replied that he was sorely in need of food. 'What!" cried the old man, "art thou really hungry? Thou shalt eat with me. I will have food brought in at once. Ho, boy! bring us water that we may wash our hands, and order supper immediately." Shacabac w^as about to thank the Barmecide for his kindness, when the old man began to rub his hands together as if he were washing them. No boy appeared, nor was there either 32 basin or water, yet Shacabac felt that he must do as his host did. "Come/' said the Barmecide, " thou art surely famished." And though nothing had been brought in, he pretended to eat as if food had been set before him. 'Eat, my friend/' he went on; ''there is no need to feel shame, for I have known what it is to be hungry myself." So Shacabac made all the motions of eating and drinking, while his host called for dish after dish which did not appear. ' Ho, boy ! " he would cry, : ' bring us mutton and barley broth, unless my guest prefers some of the goose with the sweet sauce. Come, taste of these chickens stuffed with pistachio nuts. Hast thou ever tasted any like them?" ' Never," said Shacabac, who was fainting with hunger. ' Never have I eaten anything so delicious," and he pretended to feast heartily. Then the Barmecide named other dishes, and Shacabac did not fail to praise them warmly, until at length he declared he could eat no more. 33 cried the Barmecide, : ' thou hast had no sweets! Try one of these delicious fritters before the sirup runs out of it." And he went on urging upon his guest all kinds of fruits and sweetmeats. At last Shacabac became weary of the jest and said to himself, ' I will make him sorry for having fooled me thus." So, when the boy was ordered to bring in wine Shacabac said : " my master, I must drink no wine with thee. Surely it is forbidden." 'Keep me company in a single glass," said the Barmecide, and Shacabac bowed low as if he would drink to the health of his host. But as the old man lifted the unseen glass a second time to his lips Shacabac struck him such a blow that the room rang with it. ' What does this mean? " cried the Barmecide, trembling w r ith rage. "0 my lord," said Shacabac, " thou hast given me too much of that rare old wine. See, it has taken away my wits and has made me behave like a madman." 34 Then the Barmecide laughed very heartily and said : ' Long have I made game of men, but thou art the first I have seen who could endure this trick. Now, therefore, I pardon thee for thy rude- ness, and thou shalt eat with me in good earnest." So saying, he clapped his hands, and the servants brought in a delicious supper, including all the eatables that had been mentioned by the Barmecide. Shacabac was so agreeable to his host that he became his close friend, and they lived together for twenty years. At the end of this time the rich man died, and Shacabac was forced to depart from the city. Why did Shacabac go into the palace of the old man ? What did the Barmecide promise him ? How did both wash their hands ? How did they eat the feast ? Why did the Barmecide enjoy the feast? How did Shacabac feel about it ? What did he do to the old man ? How did the Barmecide finish the joke ? 35 HELPS TO STUDY 1 . Did you ever play party without anything to eat ? Tell about it. " To seek alms " means to ask for money, food, or clothing; "commanding and forbidding" means telling what to do and what not to do. What kind of food was offered to the guest ? Who was the guest ? Who was the host? Give other words for sorely, famished, pretended, heartily, declared, smdjest. " Urging upon " means pressing upon. Give other words for wits, game, endure, depart. 2. What sound has s in usual ? What sound has ai in curtains? What sound has ti in motions? Find other words in the story where ti = sh. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 palace (pal'as) : a large and stately house Barmecide (bar 'me sid) : a member of a wealthy Persian family magnificent (mag nif I sent) : grand, brilliant appeared (a perd') : came into view immediately (I me'di at li) : at once pretended (pre tSnd'Sd) : made believe pistachio nut (pis ta/shi 6) : the nut of the pistachio tree delicious (de lish'us) : pleasing to the taste sorely (sor'li) : painfully Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 either sauce glass For spelling see page 389. 36 THE TWO MERCHANTS Long, long ago, in the kingdom of Seri, there was a dealer in pots and pans. This merchant, in the company of another dealer in the same wares, a greedy fellow, crossed the river Telavaha and entered the city of Andhapura. Dividing the streets between them, the first merchant went around selling his goods in the streets allotted to him, while the other did the same in his district. Now in that city there was a poor family. Once they had been rich, but all the sons and brothers in the family had died and all its property had been lost. Only one girl and her grandmother were left, and these two had to 37 work very hard for a living. But they had kept the golden bowl out of which the grandfather, the head of the family, used to eat in the old days. It was thrown among the pots and pans, and not having been used for a long time, w^as covered with dirt so that the two women did not even know that it was gold. The greedy merchant, on his round, crying ' Water pots to sell! water pots to isell ! " came to the door of their house. When the girl saw him, she said to her grandmother, " Oh, do buy me a trinket, mother!" ' But we are very poor, dear. What shall we give in exchange for it?" ' Why, here 's this bowl which is no good to us; let us give that away." The old woman called the merchant, and after asking him to take a seat, showed him the bowl and said, ' Will you take this, sir, and give something to your little sister for it?" The merchant took the bowl in his hand, turned it over and over, and, suspecting that it was gold, scratched a line on the back of it 38 with a needle and found that it was real gold. Then, hoping to get the bowl without giving anything for it, he said, ' What is this worth, pray? Why, it isn't worth a halfpenny!" And throwing it on the floor, he went away. Now, as it had been agreed between the two mer- chants that the one might try the street which the other had left, the honest merchant came to the same street and appeared at the door of that very house, calling, " Water pots to sell!" And the girl spoke to her grandmother as before. : ' My dear," replied the grandmother, " the lirst merchant threw our bowl on the ground and w r ent away. What have we left to offer now?" " Oh, but that merchant, mother dear, was a surly man; but this one looks pleasant and has a kind voice. Perhaps he may take it." " Call him in, then," said she. So the girl called him. He came in and sat down and they gave him the bowl. Seeing that it was gold, he said, " Mother, this bowl is worth a hundred thousand pieces. All my goods are not equal to it in value." 39 : ' But, sir, the first merchant who came here said that it was not worth a halfpenny. He threw it on the ground and went on his way. It must have been changed into gold by the power of your own goodness. Take it; give us some trinket for it and go your way." At the time the merchant had five hundred pieces of money and a stock worth as much more. All of this he gave to them, saying, " Let me but keep my scales, my bag, and eight pieces of money. " These he took and departed. And going quickly to the river side, he gave his eight coins to a boatman and jumped into the boat. Soon the greedy merchant came back to the house and said, " Bring out that bowl, I'll give you something for it." Then the grandmother scolded him and said, ' You pretended that our golden bowl, worth a hundred thousand pieces, was not worth even a halfpenny; but an honest merchant, your master, I take it, gave us a thousand pieces for it and has taken it away." 40 When he heard this, he cried out : " This fellow has robbed ine of a golden bowl worth a hun- dred thousand pieces 1 He has ruined me alto- gether!" He became so enraged that he was like a madman. Flinging his money and all his goods at the door of the house, he tore off his clothes; and armed with the beam of his scales as a club, he tracked the honest merchant down to the river side. Finding the latter already cross- ing, the greedy merchant shouted, ' Boatman, put back ! " But the honest merchant said, " Don't stop! Go ahead!" As the other stood there, gazing and gazing at the departing merchant, his rage became so great that he burst a blood vessel and died. But the honest merchant had the bowl, which he sold for a great price. He spent his life in giving charity and doing other good works. How did the greedy man show his meanness ? How did the other merchant act ? What did the first merchant lose by his greed ? How did the other merchant profit by his honesty ? 41 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Why did the poor woman not know that her bowl was made of gold ? How did the merchant know ? What would you call the merchant who did not try to cheat ? What is the meaning of the saying, " Honesty is the best policy " ? 2. Find words in the story where uy = l in white ; ei = a in care. What sound has ea in dealer ? Find another word where ea has the sound of e in me. Give the sound of 06 in took. In woman, o = ob. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 merchant (mur'chant) : one who buys and sells honest (b'n'e'st) : just, not false exchange (eks chanj') : the giving or taking one thing for another value (val'u) : to consider of worth wares (warz) : goods Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : perhaps worth For spelling see page 389. 42 FOUR THINGS 1 HENRY VAN DYKE Four things a man must learn to do, If he would make his record true : To think without confusion clearly ; To love his fellow-men sincerely; To act from honest motives purely; To trust in God and Heaven securely. Have you learned to do any of these four things ? Which one was hardest for you to learn ? Tell what is meant by " make his record true." HELPS TO STUDY " Without confusion " means certain, sure, free from doubt. Give other words for sincerely. Motives means reasons, aims, purposes ; purely means only, wholly, simply ; securely means with faith, with belief. 1 From the poems of Henry van Dyke, published and copyrighted by Charles Scribner's Sons. Used by the kind permission of the author and the publishers. 43 THE DRUM EUGENE FIELD I'm a beautiful red, red drum, And I train with the soldier boys; As up the street we come, Wonderful is our noise! There 's Tom, and Jim, and Phil, And Dick, and Nat, and Fred, While Widow Cutler's Bill And I march on ahead, With a r-r-rat-tat-tat And a tum-titty-um-tum-tum - Oh, there's bushels of fun in that For boys with a little red drum! 44 The Injuns came last night While the soldiers were a-bed, And they gobbled a Chinese kite And off to the woods they fled ! The woods are the cherry-trees Down in the orchard lot, And the soldiers are marching to seize The booty the Injuns got. With tum-titty-um-tum-tum, And r-r-rat-tat-tat, When soldiers marching come Injuns had better scat! Step up there, little Fred, And, Charley, have a mind! Jim is as far ahead As you two are behind! Ready with gun and sword Your valorous work to do- Yonder the Injun horde Are lying in wait for you. And their hearts go pitapat When they hear the soldiers come 45 With a r-r-rat-tat-tat And a tum-titty-um-tum-tum ! 'Course it 's all in play ! The skulking Injun crew That hustled the kite away Are little white boys, like you ! But "honest" or "just in fun/ 7 It is all the same to me; And, when the battle is won, Home again march we With a r-r-rat-tat-tat And tuni-titty-um-tum-tum ; And there 's glory enough in that For the boys with their little red drum! 46 Who is doing the talking in this poem ? Who are the soldiers ? What are they playing ? Tell about the fight. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Spell " Injun " in the right way. Booty is that which is taken by robbery. What booty did the " Injuns" get? Valorous means brave. Give another word for yonder, scat. Horde means a crowd. What is the " Injun horde " ? Give two words for 'course. Skulking means hiding in a sneaking manner. How does a "skulking Injun crew" fight? 2. What sound has eau in beautiful? What sound has ph in Phil ? What sound has gh in enough ? Give the sound of e in me. In seize, ei = e in me. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : valorous (val'er us) : brave glory (glo'ri) : honor gobbled (gSbTd) : captured, laid hold of orchard (or'cherd) : a field containing fruit trees Chinese (chi neV) : made in China Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : widow just For spelling see page 389. 47 THE CAT AND THE PARROT Once there was a cat and once there was a, parrot. They agreed to invite each other to din- ner, turn and turn about. The cat should ask the parrot today, and the parrot should ask the cat tomorrow. Well, it was the cat's turn first. The eat went to market and bought nothing but a pennyworth of rice. The parrot could make no dinner on this meager fare. And what is more, the cat was so ill-mannered that he actually made the parrot cook the food himself. Of course the parrot was too well-bred to complain. Next day came the parrot's turn. He went to market and bought a leg of meat and a whole fish, head and tail and all, and about thirty pounds of flour, and a tub of butter, and great bunches of luscious grapes. And before his guest came he cooked the food. He made heaps stnd heaps of brown, crisp spice cakes, thick with currants, oh, enough to ' fill a washerwoman's, basket. 49 Well, the cat came, and the parrot set the whole meal before him, keeping only two cakes for himself. The cat ate the meat till he licked the plate, and he picked the fish till the bones were clean, and he sucked the grapes till the skins were dry, and then he began on the cakes ; and he ate the whole basketful. Then he looked up at the parrot and said, "Have you any more?/ 7 'Take my two cakes/ 7 said the parrot. And the cat took them. Then he looked up at the parrot and said, "Have you any more?" This w^as too much for the parrot. Bristling his feathers, he said sharply, "There's nothing left but me." And the cat looked him over, licked his chops, and --gull up, gulloo--down went the parrot, bones, beak, and feathers. Now an old woman had seen it all, and she was so shocked she picked up a stone, and cried : ' You unnatural cat, how could you eat your friend the parrot? Scat! away with you, before L hit you with this stone." " Old woman," said the cat, "I've eaten a bas- ketful of cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, 50 and shall I blush to eat an old hag like yon ? No, surely not." And--gullup, gulloo down went the old woman with the stone in her hand. Then the cat walked along the road till he met a man beating a donkey to make him go. " Cat," cried the old man, " get out of the way, or my donkey may kick you." 'Man," said the cat, ' I've eaten a basketful of cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old w r oman, and shall I blush to cut a miserable donkey driver? No, surely not." And -gullup, gulloo --down went the man with his donkey. After this the cat walked on again till he met a wedding procession. At the head came the king with his newly made bride, and behind him marched a company of soldiers, and behind them tramped ever and ever so many elephants, two and two, and two and two, and two and two, and a great many more. "Cat," said the happy king, kindly, "turn out of the road a little, or my elephants may trample you to death." 51 'King/' said the cat, "you don't know me. I've eaten a basketful of cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old woman, I've eaten a miserable man and his donkey, and shall I blush to eat a beggarly king? No, surely not." And -- gullup, gulloo down went the king, down went the queen, down went the soldiers, bayonets and all, down went the elephants, two and two, and tw^o and two, and two and two. After this the cat walked on more slowly, for he w^as somewhat heavy. On the way two land- crabs went scuttling across the road. ' Run away, run away, Pussycat," they squeaked, " or we might nip you." 'Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the cat, shaking his fat sides. ' Ho, ho, ho ! ' : he roared, showing his teeth ; :t you don't know me. I've eaten a basketful of cakes, I've eaten my friend the par- rot, I've eaten an old woman, I've eaten a miser- able man and his donkey, I've eaten a king and his bride, I've eaten a company of soldiers, I've eaten a herd of elephants, two and two, and shall I blush to eat t\vo silly little landcrabs? Nay, 52 not so. 7 ' And he pounced upon the landerabs- gullup, gulloo, gullup, gulloo, in two swallows they were inside the cat. But when their eyes were used to the dark- ness, the landcrabs made out the king sitting with his head in his hands, very unhappy. Across his knee lay the newly made bride in a dead faint. Near them the company of soldiers were trying to form fours. Behind these the elephants were trumpeting, the donkey was braying, the parrot was whetting his beak on his own claws, and the old woman was scolding the cat roundly. In a corner they made out a great pile of cakes. The landcrabs said, " His sides are soft; let's get out." Nip, nip, they went, nip, nip, nip. And out they scuttled. Then out walked the king with his bride on his arm, out marched the soldiers, out tramped the elephants, two and two, out went the man and his donkey without any beating, out hobbled the old woman, and out flew the parrot. And the cat had to spend a night and a day sewing up his sides. 53 What made the parrot angry ? What was the result of his anger ? Why did the cat eat the old woman ? the donkey driver ? the king ? the crabs ? How did they get out of the cat ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for meager and fare. Well-bred means well-trained, polite. Explain how a bird bristles his feathers. Tell what is meant by " licked his chops." Give another word for scat. Blush here means to hesitate or to be ashamed. Give other words for pounced, whetting. Scuttled means ran swiftly or hurriedly. 2. Find words in the story where ie = in elf and ie = 1 in white. What sound has e in went ? In guest, ue = g. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : luscious (lush'us) : delicious, pleasant to taste or smell unnatural (tin naVu ral) : different, unlike others procession (pro sgsh'un) : a train of persons advancing in order Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 " turn again first once For spelling see page 390. BLOCK CITY ROBERT Louis STEVENSON What are you able to build with yopr blocks? Castles and palaces, temples and docks. Rain may keep raining, and others go roam, But I .can be happy and building at home. Let the sofa be mountains, the carpet be sea, There I'll establish a city for me : A kirk and a mill and a palace beside, And a harbor as well where my vessels may ride. 55 Great is the palace with pillar and wall, A sort of a tower on the top of it all, And steps coming down in an orderly way To where my toy vessels lie safe in the bay. This one is sailing and that one is moored : Hark to the song of the sailors on board ! And see, on the steps of my palace, the kings Coming and going with presents and things ! Now I have done with it, down let it go ! All in a moment the town is laid low. Block upon block lying scattered and free, What is there left of my town by the sea? Yet as I saw it, I see it again, The kirk and the palace, the ships and the men, And as long as I live and where'er I may be, Til always remember my town by the sea. What did the little boy make with his blocks? Describe it. What happened to the block city? 56 HELPS TO STUDY 1. "Go roam" means to go away from home. Give other words for establish and moored. The little boy who talks in the poem is Scottish. He calls a church a kirk. 2. Find words in the poem where ui i in is. What sound has ai in mountain ? What sound has ai in again ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : establish (6s tab'lish) : to build harbor (har'ber) : a safe place for vessels mountains (moun'tinz) : masses of land higher than hills Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : castles coming things going For spelling see page 390. THE DARING PRINCE l JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY A 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 till next day noon- When all at once he exclaimed, " Hoot-toot! " And then came down in his parachute. 1 From the Biographical Edition of the Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley. Copyright, 1913. Used by special permission of the pub- lishers, The Bobbs-Merrill Company. THE KEAL PRINCESS HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN There was once a prince who wanted to marry a princess. But she must be a real princess, mind you. So he traveled all round the world, seeking such a one, but everywhere something was in the way. Not that there was any lack of princesses, but he could not seem to make out whether they were real princesses ; there was always something not quite satisfactory. There- fore, home he came again, quite out of spirits, for he wished so much to marry a real princess. 58 One evening a terrible storm came on. It thundered and lightened, and the rain poured down; indeed, it was quite fearful. In the midst of it there came a knock at the town gate, and the old king went out to open it. It was a princess who stood outside. But, dear, what a state she was in from the rain and bad weather ! The water dropped from her hair and clothes, it ran in at the tips of her shoes and out at the heels; yet she insisted she was a real princess. 'Very well," thought the old queen; " that we shall presently see." She said nothing, but went into the bedchamber and took off all the bedding, then laid a pea on the sacking of the bedstead. Having done this, she took twenty mattresses and laid them upon the pea and placed twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses. The princess lay upon this bed all the night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept. ' Oh, most miserably! " she said. ' I scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through. I 59 cannot think what there could have been in the bed. I lay upon something so hard that I am quite black and blue all over. It is dreadful ! ? ' It was now quite evident that she was a real princess, since through twenty mattresses and twenty eider-down beds she had felt the pea. None but a real princess could have such delicate feelings. So the prince took her for his wife, for he knew that in her he had found a true princess. And the pea was kept in the cabinet of curios- ities, where it is still to be seen unless some one has stolen it. And this, mind you, is a real story. What was the prince searching for ? What trouble did he have in finding the right person ? How did he find the princess ? How did the queen find out that she was a real princess ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. What two words are used instead of " raining hard " ? How did the princess say she slept ? What kind of feelings is a person said to have who could feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty eider-down beds? "Sacking GO of the bedstead " means coarse cloth covering the bottom of the bedstead, for holding the bedding. 2. What sound has qu in quite ? What sound has er in her ? In world, or = ur in urn. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : miserably (nnz'er a b'li) : poorly scarcely (skars'll) : hardly eider-down ( I'der doun) : made of the down of 'the eider duck satisfactory (sat is fak'to ri) : pleasing, right evident (cVi dent) : plain, clear Curiosities (ku ii os'i tlz) : strange or rare articles Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : clothes off twenty For spelling see page 390. 61 ODDS AND ENDS ANGELA M. KEYES There was once upon a time a maiden who was pretty but very lazy and wasteful. When a little knot came in the flax she w^as spinning, she at once pulled out a whole heap of it and threw it away. Her servant gathered up the bits of flax that had been thrown aw^ay, cleaned them, spun them, and wove them into a piece of fine linen. Out of this she made herself a beautiful dress. Well, the maiden was to be married. On the eve of the wedding the servant was dancing about in the pretty dress she had made. The bride said to the bridegroom, " How that girl jumps about 62 dressed in my odds and ends ! " The bridegroom asked the bride what she meant. Then she told him that the servant was wearing a dress made of the flax she had thrown away. When the bride- groom heard that, he knew how lazy and wasteful she was. ' The other girl is the wife for me/ 7 said he. And he married the other girl in the very dress she had made out of the odds and ends. How did the man find out the right girl to marry ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. What is the ff eve of the wedding " ? What is a bride ? a bridegroom ? Can you think of any other stories about wastefulness ? 2. What sound has ai in said? What sound has ai in maiden ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : flax (flacks) : a plant used to make linen thread, which is woven into cloth linen (lin'gn) : cloth made of flax wasteful (wast'fool) : careless about spending Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : knew once For spelling see page 390. 63 LITTLE-IN-A-MINUTE l CAKOLYN SHEKWIN BAILEY The big, yellow Sun smiled down upon them and the Singing Brook hummed pretty little tunes for them to listen to. They were two little boys at play with a whole, long, beautiful day ahead. They looked almost exactly alike, did these two little boys. Bobby wore a wide-brimmed sun hat with a blue band around it, and Dicky wore a wide-brimmed sun hat with a red band around it. 1 By special permission of the publishers, Milton Bradley Company. 64 Bobby wore a brown linen sailor suit with blue anchors on the collar and Dicky wore a brown linen sailor suit with red anchors on the collar. Bobby had a beautiful toy ship to play with, and Dicky had a beautiful ship, too. As for the ships, they looked just exactly alike. Each beau- tiful toy ship was painted white and green, and each had a big w^hite sail as wide and pretty as a dove's wing, and each had a strong little rudder painted red. Bobby and Dicky had made a make-believe wharf in the Singing Brook of sticks and stones and black mud. There, anchored at the wharf, lay the two beautiful toy boats, their white sails flapping and fat with wind. When their strings were loosed from the wharf, the Whispering Wind would carry the two little boats 'way, 'way down the Singing Brook to another little make-believe wharf made of sticks and stones and black mud that Bobby and Dicky had made farther on. So the Sun smiled down more happily, and the Singing Brook sang a merrier tune than the last one, and Bobby and Dicky began to play. 66 : ' I am going to load iny boat with little green apples, Dicky," said Bobby. 'Perhaps the Old Chipmunk who lives at the foot of the Pine Tree will go aboard and unload them." Bobby began gathering small green apples as fast as he could and putting them on the deck of his little ship, but Dicky sat on the bank of the Singing Brook, doing nothing and only watching. ' When are you going to load your ship, Dicky?" Bobby asked, as he put in the last apples. ' In a minute," Dicky answered, but before the minute had gone, Bobby's ship, its white sail flying, had started down the Singing Brook to the other wharf. Dicky jumped up and loosed his boat from its moorings, but it was very far behind Bobby's all the way. The two little boys hurried softly between the willow trees that stood along the edge of the Singing Brook. As they came to the other make-believe wharf they saw the Old Chipmunk creep out of his house at the foot of the Pine Tree and go out on the wharf to wait for the little ship to come in. When it came, he 67 unloaded all the cargo of apples and carried them over to his cellar. But when Dicky's ship came in, so late and so empty, the Old Chipmunk did nothing but smell of it. Then he sat on the end of the make-believe wharf in the sunshine and basked and did not even look at Dicky's ship again. ' I have thought of something very nice to do, now," said Bobby, as the two little boys carried their ships back again. ' We will play that the flowers are children and we will give them a ride in our ships." 'Yes, w^e will! " agreed Dicky. So Bobby picked many little flower children, clovers in pink bonnets and buttercups in wide yellow hats and daisies in gold bonnets with white strings, and he put them all carefully aboard his ship. But Dicky only stood by in the grass and watched. ' When are you going to fill your boat with flowers, Dicky?" Bobby asked, as he helped the last flower child aboard. " In a minute," Dicky answered, but just then 68 down the Singing Brook came the Whispering Wind. It filled the little white sails and away sailed the two little ships, the flower children aboard Bobby's ship fluttering and dancing with the joy of having a boat ride. The two little boys raced along the bank to watch, and they saw a wonderful thing happen. All the way down the Singing Brook, pretty passengers joined the flower children on board Bobby's ship. A golden butterfly fluttered down to the deck with his yellow and black wings, kissing the clovers beneath their pink bonnets. A shiny black bumblebee tumbled down to the deck with his gold gossamer wings and began to drone sum- mer stories to the buttercups. A silver dragon fly darted down to the ship with his rainbow-tinted wings to mend the white strings of the daisies 7 caps which had been torn by the frolicsome Whispering Wind. When Bobby's ship reached the other wharf it looked like an excursion boat, but, ah, Dicky's ship was quite empty. There had been no flower children on board to call the butterflies, the bumblebees, and the dragon flies. 69 'I know the nicest play of all, now/' said Bobby, after he had helped the flower children from his ship and put their feet in the Singing Brook that they might wade there all the rest of the day and keep cool and fresh and sweet. ' We will take our ships back, Dicky, and have a race. 73 " Oh, that will be nice! " answered Dicky. So the two little boys carried the two ships back and launched them, side by side, in the Singing Brook. ' One two- began Bobby, but before he said "three" he heard their mother's voice floating over the fields and as far as their playground. ' Bobby, Dicky, come home," their mother called. " Come home, boys, dinner is ready." 'I'm coming, mother," Bobby called back, putting his hand to his mouth to make a horn. Then he turned to Dicky, who still bent low over the bank of the Singing Brook and still held in his hand the string that was tied to the rudder of his ship. * In a minute," Dicky answered. Bobby ran off over the fields, and soon he was out of sight. He 70 knew that there were fat w^hite potatoes and yel- low chicken meat and red cherry dumplings for dinner. Now they were hot, but they would be cold if he did not hurry. Down by the Singing Brook Dicky w r aited to launch his ship once more. The Whispering Wind filled the sail a third time, and away sailed the beautiful little toy ship, so pretty with its green and white paint and its rudder that was painted red. Dicky ran along beside it, to see how fast it sailed. Faster and faster sailed Dicky's ship. It did not stop when it came to the Pine Tree, where the Old Chipmunk w^as busy in his cellar sorting out his apples. It did not stop when it came to the Wading Pool, where all the flower children stood, keeping cool and fresh and sweet. On and on sailed the little ship, for the Whispering Wind was taking it a long, long way off to the place where the Singing Brook loses itself in the Eiver and the Eiver goes on down to the Sea. " Come back ! Oh, do come back ! " called Dicky to the little ship, but the ship only sailed the faster. 71 ' Please come back ! " cried Dicky, as his beau- tiful ship sailed out of sight. " In a minute," the Whispering Wind called back. But the little ship never came back. So Dicky went slowly across the field and home to dinner, but when he reached home, what do you think had happened ? The fat white potatoes, the yellow chicken meat, and the red cherry dumplings were cold. Describe the play of Bobby and Dicky. How were the two boys different in their play ? Which one had the more fun ? Why ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for exactly, fluttering. Basked means lay in the warm sun ; drone, to make a low, humming sound ; " sorting out," separating the good from the bad. Write a composition on " What I Missed by Being Late." 2. Give the sound of o in nothing, something, mother, come. Find other words in the story that have the sound of u. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : excursion (Sks kuVshun) : a pleasure trip rudder (rud'er) : a flat piece of wood or metal, by which a ship is turned 72 moorings (mbor'ingz) : ropes, chains, or anchors to keep a vessel in its place passengers (paVen jers) : travelers gossamer (gos'a mer) : fine and thin like a veil frolicsome (frol'ik sum) : playful launched (loncht) : set afloat Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 : dumplings perhaps singing willow only For spelling see page 390. AN EASY WAY TO LEARN TO READ OLIVER GOLDSMITH An ignorant countryman made his first visit to a city. He noticed the large buildings and shops and the crowds of people. Many of the people were reading their newspapers, and our countryman observed that most of the readers wore glasses. Soon he saw, in a shop window, glasses and other optical instruments. He went in and asked for glasses for reading. The countryman held a book while the opti- cian handed him pair after pair of glasses. After each trial he said, " No, I cannot read." 73 Finally the optician, becoming tired of trying so many pairs of glasses, said to his customer, 'Do you know how to read?" ' What a question ! " said the countryman. * If 1 knew how to read, why should I want to buy glasses for reading?" -Adapted Why did the countryman want glasses ? Why did the glasses do him no good ? Was the countryman fooling the optician ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. What is an optician? Have you ever been to one? Tell some of the things he did. Tell about some of the optical instruments you saw in the window. 2. What sound has ci in optician? What sound has ei in their ? In pair, ai = a in care. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : noticed (no'tist) : saw, noted newspapers (nuz'paperz) : papers printed daily to tell what is happening Optician (5p tish'an) : one who makes or sells glasses customer (ktis'tum er) : a tradesman, a buyer finally (fl'nal i) : lastly Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 : glasses saw For spelling see page 390. 74 THE CONJURER AND THE TAILOR OLIVER GOLDSMITH A conjurer and a tailor once happened to be talking together. "Alas," cried the tailor, " what an unhappy creature am I ! If people should ever take it in their heads to live without clothes, I am undone ; I have no other trade to turn to." ' Indeed, friend, I pity you," replied the con- jurer; : 'but, thank Heaven, things are not quite 75 so bad with me ; for if one trick should fail, 1 have a hundred tricks left. However, if at any time you are reduced to beggary, come to me, and I will help you. 77 A famine spread over the land ; the tailor managed to live, because his customers could not be without clothes; but the poor conjurer, with all his hundred tricks, could find none that had money to throw away ; it Avas in vain that he promised to eat fire or to swallow pins; not a single creature would help him, till he was at last obliged to beg from the very tailor whose calling he had despised. Adapted What worried the tailor ? Why did the conjurer not worry ? Which one was really better off ? Why ? HELPS TO STUDY Read ^Esop's fable of " The Cat and- the Fox." Con- jurer means a magician, a juggler, a man who does tricks ; undone, ruined ; ' 'reduced to beggary," made poor ; famine, lack of food, starvation ; "in vain," of no use ; " calling he had despised," trade he had looked down upon. 76 LITTLE DICK AND THE CLOCK 1 JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY When Dicky was sick In the night, and the clock, As he listened, said " Tick- Atty-tick-atty-tock ! " He said that it said, Every time it said "Tick," It said "Sick," instead, And he heard it say " Sick ! And when it said ' ' Tick- Atty-tick-atty-tock " He said it said " Sick- Atty-sick-atty-sock ! ' ; And he tried to see then, But the light was too dim, Yet he heard it again - And 'twas talkiitij to him ! 1 From the Biographical Edition of the Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley. Copyright, 1913. Used by special "permission of the publishers, The Bobbs-Merrill Company. 77 Arid then it said " Sick- Atty-sick-atty-sick ! You poor little Dick- Atty-Dick-atty-Dick ! - Have you got the hick- Atties ? Hi ! send for Doc To hurry up quick- Atty-quick-atty-quock, And heat a hot brick- Atty-brick-atty-brock, And rikle-ty .wrap it And clickle-ty clap it Against his cold feet- Al-ty-weep-aty-eepaty - There he goes, slapit- Ty-slippaty-sleepaty ! " How does a clock talk ? What does it say ? What did it seem to say to Dick ? 78 LITTLE ANKLEBONE 1 Once upon a time there was a little boy who had lost his parents ; so he went to live with his auntie, and she set him to herd the sheep. All day long the little fellow wandered barefoot through the pathless plain, tending his Hock and playing his tiny shepherd's pipe from morn till eve. But one day came a great big wolf and looked 1 From Flora Annie Steele's " Tales of the Punjab." Used by permis- sion of The Macniillan Company, publishers. 79 hungrily at the small shepherd and his fat sheep, saying, " Little boy! shall I eat you or your sheep? " Then the little boy answered politely, " I don't know, Mr. Wolf! I must ask my auntie. 7 ' So all day long he piped away on his tiny pipe, and in the evening, when he brought the llock home, he went to his auntie and said : "Auntie dear, a great big wolf asked me today if he should eat me or your sheep. Which shall it be?" Then his auntie looked at the wee little shep- herd, and at the fat flock, and said sharply : * Which shall it be? Why, you, of course!' 1 So next morning the little boy drove his flock out into the pathless plain and blew away cheer- fully on his shepherd's pipe until the great big wolf appeared. Then he laid aside his pipe and, going up to the savage beast, said, " Oh, if you please, Mr. Wolf, I asked my auntie, and she says you are to eat me." Now the wolf, savage as wolves always are, could not help having just a spark of pity for 80 the tiny barefoot shepherd who played his pipe so sweetly. Therefore he said kindly, " Could I do anything for you, little boy, after I've eaten you? 7 ' ' Thank you," returned the tiny shepherd. 'If you would be so kind, after you've picked the bones, as to thread my anklebone on a string and hang it on the tree that weeps over the pond yonder, I shall be much obliged." So the wolf ate the shepherd, picked the bones, and afterwards, hung the anklebone by a string to the branches of the tree, where it danced and swung in the sunlight. Now, one day, three robbers, who had just robbed a palace, happening to pass that way, sat down under the tree and began to divide the spoil. Just as they had arranged all the golden dishes and precious jewels and costly stuffs into three heaps, a jackal howled. Now you must know that thieves always use the jackal's cry as a note of warning, so that when, at that very moment, Little Anklebone's thread snapped and he fell plump on the head of the chief robber, the 81 man imagined some one had thrown a pebble at him, and, shouting "Run! run! we are discov- ered ! " he bolted away as hard as he could, fol- lowed by his companions, leaving all the treasure behind them. : 'Now," said Little Anklebone to himself, "1 shall lead a tine life ! r> So he gathered the treasure together and sat under the tree that drooped over the pond, and played so sweetly on a new shepherd's pipe that all the beasts of the forests and the birds of the air and the fishes of the pond came to listen to him. Then Little Anklebone put marble basins round the pond for the animals to drink out of, and in the evening the does and the tigresses and the she-wolves gathered round him to be milked, and when he had drunk his fill he milked the rest into the pond, till at last it became a pond of milk. And Little Anklebone sat by the milken pond and piped away on his shepherd's pipe. Now, one day, an old woman, passing by with her jar for water, heard the sweet strains of Little 83 Anklebone's pipe, and, following the sound, came upon the pond of milk, and saw the animals and the birds and the fishes, listening to the music. She was wonderstruck, especially when Little Anklebone, from his seat under the tree, called out, ' Fill your jar, mother ! All drink who come hither ! r> Then the old woman filled her jar with milk, and went on her way rejoicing at her good for- tune. But as she journeyed on she met the king of that country, who, having been a-hunting, had lost his way in the pathless plain. " Give me a drink of water, good mother/' he cried, seeing the jar ; " I am half dead with thirst !" ' It is milk, my son/' replied the old woman. * I got it yonder from a milken pond." Then she told the king of the wonders she had seen, so that he resolved to have a peep at them himself. And when he saw the milken pond and all the animals and birds and fishes gathered round, while Little Anklebone played ever so sweetly on his shepherd's pipe, he said, ' I must have the tiny piper, if I die for it! " 84 No sooner did Little Anklebonc hear these words than he set off at a run and the king- after him. Never was there such a chase before or since, for Little Anklebone hid himself amid the thickest briers and thorns, and the king was so determined to have the tiny piper, that he did not care for scratches. At last the king was suc- cessful, but no sooner did he take hold of Little Anklebone than the clouds above began to thun- der and lighten horribly, and from below came the lowing of many does, and louder than all came the voice of the little piper himself singing these words : clouds ! why should you storm and flare ? Poor Anklebone is forced to roam. does ! why wait the milker's care ? Poor Anklebone must leave his home. And he sang so piercingly sweet that pity filled the king's heart, especially when he saw it was nothing but a bone after all. So he let it go again, and the little piper went back to his seat under the tree by the pond. And there he sits 85 to this day, and plays his shepherd's pipe, while all the beasts of the forest, and the birds of the air, and the fishes of the pond gather round to listen to his music. And sometimes people wan- dering through the pathless plain hear the pipe, and then they say, ' That is Little Anklebone, who was eaten by a wolf ages ago ! r> What choice did the wolf offer the little boy ? What was the boy's answer? How did the little boy fulfill his part of the bargain ? Why did the wolf not eat the sheep ? What favor did the boy ask of the wolf ? How were the robbers frightened away ? What is the rest of the story of Little Anklebone ? 86 SEEDS AILEEN CLEVELAND HIGOINS The seeds I cuddle in my hands are Dreams - The waiting earth and dew, The wind and rain, the sun with magic beams Will make them all come true. Why are seeds called dreams ? How will the dreams come true ? Why are the sun's rays called magic beams ? HELPS TO STUDY Did you ever help to make seed dreams come true ? Tell how. To cuddle means to hold close. What are " magic beams " ? The secret is deeper than we can read : But we gather the grain if we sow the seed. LUCY LARCOM 87 THE POMEGRANATE SEEDS NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE Mother Ceres was very fond of her daughter Proserpina and very careful of her. Seldom did she let her go alone into the fields, but just at this time when my story begins the good lady was very busy ripening the wheat, Indian corn, rye, and barley. So she put on her turban made of poppies and stepped into her car drawn by a pair of winged dragons and was just ready to set off. ? Dear mother," called Proserpina, " may I not run down to the shore to play with the sea nymphs? I shall be so lonely without you." 'Yes, child," answered Mother Ceres, "but take care not to stray away from them into the fields. Children are apt to get into mischief without their mothers." The child promised, and by the time the winged dragons had whirled the car out of sight she was already on the shore, calling to the sea 88 nymphs to come and play with her. They knew her voice and were not long in showing their glistening faces and sea-green hair above the water, at the bottom of which was their home. They brought along with them many beautiful shells to make a necklace, which they hung round Proserpina's neck. Then Proserpina asked them to go with her to gather flowers. " Oh, no, dear Proserpina," cried the sea nymphs, : ' we dare not go with you upon dry land. We must breathe the salt air of the ocean. And don't you see how careful we are to let the waves break over us every moment? If it were not for that, we should soon look like bunches of seaweed dried in the sun." 'But do you wait for me here, then," said Proserpina, " and I will run and fill my apron with flowers. I wish to make you some wreaths that shall be as lovely as this necklace of shells." ' We will wait," answered the sea nymphs, : 'but while you are gone we may as well lie down on a bank of soft sponge under water. But 89 we will pop up our heads every few minutes to see if you are coming." Proserpina ran to a spot where she had seen a great many flowers. She filled her apron with them and started back. But, a little farther on, she saw a large shrub covered with the most beautiful flowers in the world. She ran to it, and the nearer she came to it the more beau- tiful it looked. It bore a hundred flowers of the most brilliant colors. ' It is really the most beautiful shrub that ever sprang out of the earth," said she. 'I will pull it up by the roots and carry it home and plant it in my mother's garden." Holding up her apron full of flowers with her left hand, Proserpina seized the large shrub with the other and pulled and pulled. Soon the earth began to stir and cra^ck around the stem. She gave another pull and up came the shrub. Proserpina stood holding the stem in her hand and gazing at the deep hole which its roots had left in the soil. Much to her astonishment this hole kept 90 spreading wider and wider, and growing deeper and deeper, until it really seemed to have no bottom. All the w^hile there came a rumbling noise out of its depths. It grew louder and louder, and nearer and nearer, and sounded like the tramp of horses' hoofs and the rat- tling of wheels. Soon she saw a team of four black horses tearing their way out of the earth with a golden chariot whirling at their heels. They leaped out of the hole, chariot and all. There they were, tossing their black manes and switching their black tails, close by the spot where Proserpina stood. In the chariot sat the figure of a man richly dressed, with a crown on his head, all flaming with diamonds. He looked sullen and kept rub- bing his eyes and shading them with his hand, as if he did not live enough in the sunshine to be fond of its light. As soon as he saw Proserpina he beckoned her to come a little nearer. "Do not be afraid," said he, with as cheer- ful a smile as he knew how to put on. " Come ! 92 Should you not like to ride a little way with me in my beautiful chariot?" But Proserpina was so alarmed that she cried ''Mother! Mother Ceres!" all in a tremble, " come quickly and save me ! " But Ceres was then a thousand miles off, making the corn grow in some distant country. No sooner did Proserpina begin to cry out than the stranger leaped to the ground, caught the child in his arms, mounted the chariot, and shouted to the four black horses to set off. They broke into so swift a gallop that it seemed more like flying through the air than running along the earth. In a moment Proserpina lost sight of the pleasant valley in which she had always dwelt. The poor child screamed and scattered her flowers along the way. 'Why should you be so frightened?" asked the stranger, trying to soften his rough voice. 'I promise not to do you any harm. What! you have been gathering flowers? Wait till we come to my palace and I will give you a garden full of flowers all made of diamonds, pearls, 93 and rubies. My name is Pluto. I am the king of diamonds and .all other precious stones. All the gold and silver that lie under the earth belong to me and all the copper and iron, and all the coal mines belong to me. Do you see this splendid crown upon my head? You may have it for a plaything." ' Let me go home ! " cried Proserpina, ' Let me go home ! " : > My home is better than your mother's/' answered King Pluto. ' It is a palace all made of gold, with crystal windows and diamond lamps. If you like, you may be my queen." ' I don't care for golden palaces and thrones," sobbed Proserpina. "Oh, mother! mother! Carry me back to my mother!" But King Pluto only shouted to his horses to go faster. She might just as well have talked to the wind that whistled past them, for Pluto urged on his horses and w^ent faster than ever. The black horses had rushed along so swiftly that they were soon out of the sunshine. 94 " This twilight is good," said King Pluto, " after that ugly glare of the sun. My palace is lighted with diamond lamps. You will like it when we get there." ' Is it much farther?" asked Proserpina. " And will you carry me back when I have seen it?" ' We will talk of that by and by," answered Pluto. ' Do you see that tall gateway before us? When we pass those gates we are at home. And there lies my faithful mastiff at the thresh- old. Cerberus ! Cerberus ! Come hither, my good dog! '' So saying, Pluto pulled at the reins and stopped the chariot right between the tall pillars of the gateway. The mastiff got up, stood on his hind legs, and put his forepaws on the chariot wheel. He was a big, ugly-looking monster. He had three heads, each of them fiercer than the two others; but, fierce as they were, King Pluto patted them all. He seemed fond of his three-headed dog. Cerberus was glad to see his master, and showed it by wagging his tail at a 95 great rate. Proserpina saw that this tail was a live dragon with fiery eyes and poisonous fangs. ' Will the dog bite me? 7 ' asked Proserpina. ' What an ugly creature he is ! r ' " Oh, never fear/ 7 answered her companion, : ' he never harms people unless they try to enter my kingdom without being sent for, or try to get away when I wish to keep them here. Down, Cerberus ! Now, my pretty Proserpina, we will drive on." On went the chariot, and King Pluto seemed greatly pleased to find himself once more in his own kingdom. Not far from the gateway they came to a bridge, which seemed to be built of iron. Pluto stopped the chariot and bade Pro- serpina look at the stream which was gliding so lazily beneath it. "This is the river Lethe," said Pluto. " Only sip a little of it and you will stop grieving for your mother. I will send for some in a golden goblet." " Oh, no, no, no ! " cried Proserpina, weep- ing afresh, " I had a thousand times rather be 96 miserable with remembering my mother than be happy in forgetting her. Dear mother! I never, never will forget her." "We shall see," said King Pluto. "You do not know what tine times we shall have in my palace. Here we are, just at the portal." He alighted from his chariot and, taking Proserpina in his arms, carried her up a flight of steps into the great hall of the palace. Pluto now called his servant and told him to prepare a feast, and to set a golden goblet of the water of Lethe by Proserpina's plate. 'I will drink neither that nor anything else," said Proserpina, ' nor will I taste a morsel of food, even if you keep me forever in your palace." 'I should be sorry for that," replied King Pluto, " but, when you see the nice things which my cook will make for you, your appetite will quickly come again." Now Ceres had been half hidden among the wav- ing grain while the four black horses were whirl- ing along with the chariot in which Proserpina, 97 was carried away. She had mistaken the rumb- ling of the chariot wheels for thunder, and had thought that a shower was coming up. But at the sound of Proserpina's shriek she started and looked about her, feeling almost certain that it was her daughter's voice. She quickly left the field in which she had been so busy, and in less than an hour had alighted at the door of her home and found it empty. She hurried to the seashore as fast as she could, and saw the wet faces of the poor sea nymphs peeping over the wave. All this while they had been waiting on the sponge bank. Once every half minute they had popped up their heads above the water to look for their play- mate. When they saw Ceres they sat down on the crest of the wave and let it toss them ashore at her feet. 'Where is Proserpina?" cried Ceres. ' Proserpina has been at play with us, but she left us a long while ago to gather some Howers for a wreath. That was early in the day, and we have seen nothing of her since." 98 Ceres hurried off to tind Proserpina, but nobody knew what had become of her. A Usher- man, it is true, had noticed her little footprints in the sand as he went homeward along the beach with a basket of fish. A peasant had seen her stooping to gather flowers. Several persons had heard the rattling of chariot wheels. And one old woman had heard a scream, but thought it w T as some childish nonsense. It was now dark, so Ceres lighted a torch and set forth, meaning never to come back until Proserpina was found. All night long, at the door of every cottage and farmhouse, Ceres knocked and asked if any one had seen her child. At the portal of every palace she knocked, but nobody had seen Proserpina, nor could any one give Ceres the least hint w r here to seek her. Thus the night passed, and still she went on searching, without sitting down to rest or stopping to take food. Thus Mother Ceres w^ent wandering about for nine days and nights. Now and then she found a withered flower, which she picked up and put 90 into her bosom. All day she traveled onward through the hot sun, and at night the dame of the torch would gleam along the pathway. 'There is one person/' she exclaimed, "who must have seen my poor child, and can doubt- less tell what has become of her. Why did I not think of him before? It is Phoebus." So she went along to find Phoebus. By and by, after a long journey, Ceres came to the sunniest spot in the whole world. There she beheld a beautiful young man with long, curling ringlets, which seemed to be made of golden sunbeams, and his clothes were like summer clouds. As Ceres came near him Phoebus smiled on her cheerfully. "Phoebus," exclaimed she, 'I am in great trouble 'and have come to you for help. Can you tell me what has become of my dear child, Proserpina? " ' I am happy to tell you, my dear madam, that I did see the little Proserpina not many days ago. You may make yourself easy about her. She is safe and in good hands." 100 "Oh, where is my dear child?" cried Ceres, clasping her hands and Hinging herself at his feet. 'Why," said Phoebus, "as the little maiden was gathering flowers she was suddenly snatched up by King Pluto and carried off to his king- dom. His royal palace is built of gold, diamonds, and pearls ; and all kinds of precious stones will be your daughter's playthings. In spite of the lack of sunshine she will lead a very happy life." ' Will you go with me, Phoebus, to demand my daughter of this wicked Pluto?" ' Pray excuse me," replied Phoebus, "as 1 am not upon the best of terms with King Pluto. To tell you the truth, his three-headed mastiff would never let me pass the gateway." Ceres shook her head and hastened away. She had now found out what had become of her daughter, but she was not happier than before. Had Proserpina been aboveground, Ceres could have found her. But, now that the poor child was shut up within the iron gates of the king of the mines, there seemed to be no chance of her ever making her escape. 101 W4,^JH;K#^1 Farmers plowed and planted as usual, but pastures looked as brown in the month of June as they ever did in November. The poor starving cattle and sheep followed Ceres, lowing and bleating as if they expected help from her. Everybody that knew her power begged her to let the grains and grasses grow. "No," said Ceres, "if the earth is ever again green it must grow along the path my daughter treads coming back to me." At last Mercury w^as sent to King Pluto to beg him to undo the mischief he had done, by giv- ing up Proserpina. Mercury made his way to the great gate, took a flying leap over the three- headed mastiff, and asked to see the king. The servants knew him by his face and garb, for they had often seen his short cloak, his winged cap and shoes, and his snaky staff. Pluto heard his voice from the top of the stairs and called out to him to come up. Proserpina had said that she would not taste a mouthful of food so long as she stayed in the king's palace. 102 When Pluto noticed this he said : "Are you not terribly hungry? Is there nothing which I can get for you to eat? 77 ' I shall never eat anything unless it be a slice of bread of my mother's own baking, or a little fruit out of her garden/ 7 said Proserpina. When Pluto heard this he wondered that he had never thought of it before. So he sent one of his trusty servants with a large basket to get some of the finest fruits which could be found in the upper world. This was during the time Ceres had forbidden any fruits or vegetables to grow. After seeking all over the earth, King Pluto's servant found only a single pomegranate, and that was too dried up to be worth eating. Nevertheless, since there was no better to be had, he brought this dry old pomegranate home to the palace and carried it up to Proserpina. Now it happened that just as the servant was bringing the pomegranate into the back door of the palace, our friend Mercury had gone up the front steps. As soon as Proserpina saw the pomegranate, 103 she told the servant to take it away again. ' I shall not touch it," said she. ' If I were ever so hungry, I should never think of eating such a dry pomegranate as that." ' It is the only one in the world," said the servant, and he set it down and left the room. When he was gone Proserpina could not help coming close to the table and looking at this poor dried fruit. It was a very poor-looking pomegranate, and seemed to have no more juice in it than an oyster shell. But this was the first fruit she had seen there, and unless she ate it up at once it would grow drier than it already was. "At least I may smell it," thought Proserpina. So she took up the pomegranate and put it to her nose. Before Proserpina knew r w r hat she was about, her teeth had bitten it of their own accord. Just then the door opened and in came King Pluto, followed by Mercury, who had been beg- ging him to let his prisoner go. Proserpina took the pomegranate from her mouth. "My little Proserpina," said the king, "here is Mercury, who tells me that many misfortunes 104 have befallen the people in the upper world on account of my keeping you in my kingdom. I hoped you would take my crown for a plaything and stay with me, but I can see plainly enough that you think my palace a prison. An iron heart I would have if I were to keep you here any longer. It is now six months since you have tasted food. I give you your liberty. Go with Mercury. Hasten home to your dear mother." " Come quickly," whispered Mercury in her ear, "or his Majesty may change his royal mind." In a very short time they had passed the great gateway where the three-headed Cerberus was barking and yelping and growling. They came up to the earth. As Proserpina hurried, the path grew green behind and on either side of her. Wherever she set her foot, there was at once a flower. The violets grew up along the w r ay. The grass and the grain began to sprout. The starved cattle started grazing, and ate all day, and got up at midnight to eat more. All the birds hopped about upon the blossoming trees and sang together in great joy. 105 Mother Ceres had gone back to her home and was sitting on the doorsteps with her torch burn- ing in her hand. She had been watching the Hame for some time when all at once it flickered and went out. ' What does this mean ? " thought she. ' It w^as an enchanted torch, and should have kept burning till my child came back. 7 ' Then, lifting her eyes, she saw 7 the brown fields turning green. 'Does the earth disobey me?" exclaimed Ceres. " Open your arms, dear mother," cried a well- known voice, " and take your little daughter into them." And Proserpina came running and flung herself upon her mother's bosom. Both of them had shed many tears, and now they shed many more, because of their joy. When their hearts had grown a little more quiet, Ceres looked anxiously at Proserpina. :r My child," said she, "did you taste any food while you w r ere in King Pluto's palace?" ' Dearest mother," answered Proserpina, ' I will tell you the whole truth. Until this very morning not a morsel of food had passed my M7 106 lips, but today they brought me a pomegranate. It was all dried up and there was little left of it but seeds and skin, but I had seen no fruit for so long that I was tempted to bite it. The instant I tasted it, King Pluto and Mercury came into the room. I had not swallowed a morsel, but six of the pomegranate seeds stayed in my mouth." "My poor child," exclaimed Ceres, "for each of those six pomegranate seeds you must spend one month of every year in King Pluto's palace. Only six months with me and six months with that good-for-nothing King of Darkness." What did the Greeks think was the work of Ceres ? How was Proserpina carried away ? Describe the kingdom of Pluto. Why was Proserpina unhappy there ? How did her absence affect the earth ? How was she rescued ? How long was she allowed to remain with her mother ? What season is this called ? Why did Proserpina have to stay six months in Pluto's kingdom ? What do we call the season when Proserpina is in Pluto's kingdom ? 107 HELPS TO STUDY 1. A sea-nymph was believed to be a lovely girl or young woman who lived in the sea. Why must the sea-nymphs remain where the surf breaks over them ? Give other words for stray, glistening, gazing. Enchanted means charmed or bewitched. Describe the guard at the gate of Pluto's kingdom. How did the water of the river Lethe make people feel when they drank it ? Give other words for treads, morsel. 2. What sound has ph in nymphs? What sound has ei in reigns? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Ceres (seVez) : goddess of fruits and vegetables Proserpina (pro sur'pi n) : daughter of Ceres turban (tur'ban) : a kind of hat with no brim whirling (whurl'ing) : turning around Pluto (ploo'to) : god of the lower world Cerberus (sur'ber us) : a dog with three heads and a serpent tail Lethe (le'the) : a river of the lower world pomegranate (pttm'gritn at) : a fruit somewhat like an orange in size and color Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : laughing mischief careful earth For spelling see page 390. 108 FOUR SWEET MONTHS ROBERT HEKRICK First, April, she with mellow showers Opens the way for early flowers; Then after her comes smiling May, In a more sweet and rich array; Next enters June, and brings us more Gems than those two that went before ; Then, lastly, July comes and she More wealth brings in than all those three. Name the four sweet months. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give the names of some of the early flowers. Why is May called " smiling" ? " Rich array" means beautiful dress. What is the beautiful dress of May? The word 109 gems here means treasures, as beautiful flowers. What are the flowers of June? Wealth here means good things. What is the wealth of July? 2. Find a word in the poem where ear = ur in urn ; ay = a in baby ; and x = ks. What sound has er in after ? Find three other words in the poem where er = er in after. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 3^5-373 mellow (mel'o) : soft array ( a ra/) : dress lastly (last'li) : at the end Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 first early after For spelling see page 390. 110 A FROST FANCY RICHARD LE GALLIENNE Summer gone, Winter here; Ways are white, Skies are clear. And the sun A ruddy boy All day sliding, While at night The stars appear Like skaters gliding On a mere. What months are described in "A Frost Fancy" ? What season do you enjoy most ? Why ? Ill HELPS TO STUDY 1. What is the best sport in winter? Ways are roads. Give another word for appear. What do the stars seem to be doing on a clear winter's night ? Mere means lake. Recite other poems on the seasons. 2. Find words in the poem where i =1 in white ; ie = i in white ; e = e in me ; and ea = e in me. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : ruddy (rticl/i) : of a reddish color mere (mer) : a lake appear (a per) : seem Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : sliding gliding gone For spelling see page 390. 112 KRISS KBINGLE THOMAS BAILEY ALDKICH Just as the moon was fading amid her misty rings, And every stocking was stuffed with childhood's precious things, Old Kriss Kringle looked round, and saw on the elm-tree bough, High-hung, an oriole's empty nest, silent and empty now. " Quite like a stocking," he laughed, "pinned up there on the tree ! Little I thought the birds expected a present from me !" 113 Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves a joke as well as the best, Dropped a handful of flakes in the oriole's empty nest. What was Kriss Kringle' s joke ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. What time of night is described in the first line? rt Fading amid her misty rings" means disappearing in a haze or cloud. What had Kriss Kringle done for the children? Give another name for Kriss Kringle. Draw a picture of an oriole's nest. How can children play Kriss Kringle to the birds ? 2. Find words in the poem where qu = kw and au = a in dark. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 * bough (bou) : branch of a tree oriole (6'ri 51) : a bright yellow bird with black head, wings, and tail silent (si'lent) : free from noise expected (Sks p8kt/8d) : looked for Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 : stocking thought things just For spelling see page 390. 114 CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE Once upon a time, when the Robin, and Turtle, and Squirrel, and Jack Rabbit had all gone home for the winter, nobody was left in the Hollow Tree except the 'Coon and the Tossum and the old black Crow. Of course the others used to come back and visit them pretty often, and Mr. Dog too, now that he had become good friends with all the Deep Woods people, and they thought a great deal of him when they knew him better. Mr. Dog told them a lot of things they had never heard of before, - - things that he'd learned at Mr. Man's house, and maybe that's one reason why they liked him so well. He told them about Santa Claus, for one thing, and how the old fellow came down the chimney on Christmas Eve to bring presents to Mr. Man and his children, who always hung up their stockings for them, and Mr. Dog said that once he had hung up his stocking, too, and got a nice bone in it, that was so good he had buried and dug it up 115 again as many as six times before spring. He said that Santa Glaus always came to Mr. Man's house, and that whenever the children hung up their stockings they were sure to get something in them. Well, the Hollow Tree people had never heard of Santa Glaus. They know about Christmas, of course, because everybody, even the cows and sheep, knows about that, but they had never heard of Santa Glaus. You see, Santa Glaus only comes to Mr. Man's house, but they didn't know that either, so they thought if they just hung up their stockings, he'd come there too, and that's what they made up their minds to do. They talked about it a great deal together, and Mr. 'Possum looked over all his stockings to pick out the biggest one he had, and Mr. Crow made him- self a new pair on purpose. Mr. 'Coon said he never knew Mr. Crow to make himself such big stockings before, but Mr. Crow said he was getting old and needed things bigger, and when he lent one of his new stockings to Mr. 'Coon, Mr. 'Coon said, "That's so," and that he guessed they were 116 about right after all. They didn't tell anybody about it at first, but by and by they told Mr. Dog what they were going to do, and when Mr. Dog heard it he wanted to laugh right out. You see, he knew Santa Glaus never went anywhere except to Mr. Man's house, and he thought it would be a great joke on the Hollow Tree people when they hung up their stockings and didn't get anything. But by and by Mr. Dog thought about some- thing else. He thought it would be too bad for them to be disappointed that way. You see, Mr. Dog liked them all now, and when he had thought about that a minute he made up his mind to do something. And this is what it was --he made up his mind to play Santa Glaus! He knew just how Santa Glaus looked because he had seen lots of his pictures at Mr. Man's house, and he thought it would be great fun to dress up that way and take a bag of presents to the Hollow Tree while they were all asleep and fill up the stockings of the 7 Coon and 'Possum and the old black Grow. But first he had to be 118 sure of some way of getting in, so he said to them that he didn't see how they could expect Santa Glaus, their chimneys were so small, but Mr. Crow said they could leave their latchstring out dow^n- stairs, which was just what Mr. Dog wanted. Then they said they were going to have all the folks that had spent the summer with them for Christmas dinner and to see the presents they had got in their stockings. They told Mr. Dog to come over, too, if he could get away, and Mr. Dog said he would and went off laughing to himself, and ran all the way home because he felt so pleased at what he was going to do. Well, he had to work pretty hard, I tell you, to get things ready. It wasn't so hard to get the presents as it was to rig up his Santa Glaus dress. He found some long wool in Mr. Man's barn for his white whiskers, and he put some that wasn't so long on the edges of his overcoat and boot tops, and around an old hat he had. Then he borrowed a big sack he found out there, and fixed it up to swing over his back, just as he had seen Santa Glaus do in the picture. He had a lot 119 of nice things to take along. Three tender young chickens he took from Mr. Man, for one thing, and then he bought some new neckties for the Hollow Tree folks all around, arid a big striped candy cane for each one, because candy canes always looked well sticking out of a stocking. Besides all that, he had a new pipe for each and a package of tobacco. You see, Mr. Dog lived with Mr. Man and didn't ever have to buy much for himself, so he had always saved his money. He had even more things than that, but I can't remember just now w^hat they were; and when he started out, all dressed like Santa Claus, I tell you his bag w r as very heavy. He almost wished before he got there that he hadn't started with quite so much. The bag got heavier and heavier all the way, and he was glad enough to get there and find the latchstring out. He set his bag down to rest a minute before climbing the stairs, and then opened the door softly and listened. He didn't hear a thing except Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum breathing pretty low, and he knew they might 120 wake up any minute ; and lie wouldn't have been caught there in the midst of things for a good deal. So he slipped up just as easy as he could, and when he got up in the big parlor he almost had to laugh right out loud ; for there were the stockings sure enough, all hung up in a row, and a card with a name on it over each one, telling whom it belonged to. Then he listened again, and all at once he jumped and held his breath, for he hoard Mr. Tossum say something. But Mr. 'Possum was only talking in his sleep and saying, ' ' I'll take another piece, please, " and Mr. Dog knew that he w r as dreaming about the mince pie he had had for supper. So then he opened his bag and filled the stockings. He put in mixed candies and nuts, and then the pipes and tobacco and candy canes, so they'd show at the top ; and he hung a nice dressed chicken outside. I tell you, they looked fine ! It almost made Mr. Dog wish he had a stocking of his own there to fill, and he forgot all about their waking up and sat down in a 121 chair to look at the stockings. It was a nice rocking-chair, and it was over in a dark corner where they wouldn't be apt to see him, even if one of them did wake up and stick his head out of his room. So Mr. Dog felt pretty safe. He rocked softly and looked and looked at the nice stockings, and thought how pleased the owners would be in the morning, and how tired he was. You've heard about people being as tired as a dog; and that's just how T Mr. Dog felt. He was so tired he didn't feel a bit like starting home, and by and by - - he never did know how it happened -- Mr. Dog went sound asleep right there in his chair with all his Santa Glaus clothes on. And there he sat, with his empty bag in his hand and the nice full stockings in front of him, all night long. Even when it came morning and began to get light Mr. Dog didn't know it; he just slept right on, he was so tired. Then pretty soon the door of Mr. 'Possum's room opened and he poked out his head. And just then the door of Mr. 'Coon's room opened and he poked out his M7 122 head. Then the door of the old black crow opened and out came his head. They all looked toward the stockings and they didn't see Mr. Dog or even each other. They saw their stockings, though, and Mr. 'Coon said all at once, " Oh, there's something in my stocking!" And then Mr. Crow said, " Oh, there's some- thing in my stocking, too ! " And Mr. 'Possum said, " Oh, there 's something in all our stockings ! " And with that they gave a great hurrah all together, and rushed out and grabbed their stockings, and turned around just in time to see Mr. Dog jump right straight up out of his chair, for he did not know where he was the least bit in the world. " Oh, there's Santa Glaus himself!" they all shouted together, for they were scared almost to death. But it all dawned on Mr. Dog in a second, and he commenced to laugh and hurrah to think what a joke it was on everybody. And when they heard Mr. Dog laugh they knew him right away, and they all came up and looked 123 at him, and he had to tell just what he had done and everything ; then they emptied out their stockings on the floor and ate some of the presents and looked at the others, until they almost forgot about breakfast, just as children do on Christmas morning. Then Mr. Crow said all at once that he'd make a little coffee, and that Mr. Dog must stay and have some. By and by they made him promise to spend the day with them and be there when the Robin and the Squirrel and Mr. Turtle and Jack Rabbit came, which he did. It was snowing hard outside, which made it a nicer Christmas than if it hadn't been, and when all the others came, they brought presents, too. And when they saw Mr. Dog dressed up as Santa Glaus and heard how he'd gone to sleep and been caught, they laughed and laughed. It snowed so hard that they had to stay all night, and after dinner they sat around the fire and told stories. And they had to stay the next night too, and all that Christmas week. I wish I could tell you all that happened that week, 124 but I can't, because I haven't time. But it was the very nicest Christmas that ever was in the Hollow Tree, or in the big deep woods anywhere. How did Mr. Dog know about Santa Claus ? Why did he make up his mind to play Santa Claus ? Tell how he was discovered. Tell how the Christmas party ended. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Who lived at the Hollow Tree Inn ? Tell the names of some of their visitors. Tell how the animals prepared for Christmas. Tell how Mr. Dog got ready to play Santa Claus. What is the mark before 'Possum and 'Coon ? What does it tell here ? Give the right names of these two animals. Describe Santa Claus's visit to Hollow Tree Inn. Tell another Christmas story. Go to the library and read "A Visit from St. Nicholas," by Clement C. Moore. 2. Find words in the story where ie = 1 in white. Give the sound of ie in buried ; of u in minute. Give other words having the sound of i in is. Give the sound of o in front ; of ou in enough. Give other words having the sound of u in fun. Give the sound of ue in guessed. Give other words having the sound of e in elf. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373: chimney (chim'm) : an upright flue of brick or stone for smoke disappointed (dis a point' 6d) : grieved, made sorry 125 purpose (pur'pus) : aim Santa Glaus (san'ta kloz) : the bearer of presents to children on Christmas Eve Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : squirrel picture laugh dog For spelling see page 390. THE WHOLE DUTY OF KITTENS OLIVER HEKFORD When human folk at table eat, A kitten must not mew for meat, Or jump to grab it from the dish, (Unless it happens to be fish). 126 THE MONKEY'S REVENGE E. V. LUCAS Once upon a time there was a little girl named Clara Amabel Platts. She lived in Ken- sington, near the Gardens, and every day when it was fine she walked with Miss Hobbs round the Round Pond. Miss Hobbs was her governess. When it was wet she read a book, or as much of a book as she could, being still rather weak in the matter of long words. When she did not read she made woolwork articles for her aunts, and now and then something for her 127 mother's birthday present or Christmas present. This was supposed to be a secret, but her mother, however hard she tried not to look, always knew all about it. But this did not prevent her mother from being greatly surprised when the present was given to her. It was generally admitted by Mrs. Platts, and also by Miss Hobbs and Kate Woodley, the nurse, that Clara w^as a very good girl ; but she had one fault which troubled them all : and that was too much readiness in saying what came into her mind. Mrs. Platts tried to check her by making her count five before she spoke about what was happening, so that she could be sure that she really ought to say it ; and Kate Woodley used often to click her tongue when Clara was rattling on ; but Miss Hobbs had another and more serious remedy. She used to tell Clara to ask herself three questions before she made any of her quick little remarks. These were the questions: (1) Is it kind? (2) Is it true? (3) Is it necessary? If the answer to all three was Yes, then Clara might say what 128 she wanted to ; otherwise not. The result was that when Clara and Miss Hobbs walked round the Round Pond, Clara had very little to say, because, you know, if it comes to that, hardly anything is necessary. Well, on December 20, 1907, the postman brought Mrs. Platts a letter from Clara's aunt, Miss Amabel Patterson of Chiselhurst, after whom she had been named, and it was that letter which makes this story. It said that Miss Patterson would very much like Clara to have a nice Christmas present ; and it went on to say that if she had been very good lately, and continued good up to the time of buying the present, it was to cost seven-and-six. If she had not been very good, it was to cost only a shilling. This shows you the kind of aunt Miss Patterson was. For myself, I don't think that at Christmas-time a matter of good or bad behavior ought to be remembered at all. And I think that everything then ought to cost seven- and-six. But Miss Patterson had her own way of doing things. It did not really matter about 129 the shilling at all, because Clara had been very good for a long time. Mrs. Platts decided that unless anything were still to happen the present was to cost seven-and-six, just as if nothing about a shilling had ever been said. Unless anything were still to happen. Ah ! Everything in this story depends on that. Clara was as good as gold all the morning, and she and Miss Hobbs marched round the Round Pond like soldiers, Miss Hobbs talking all the time and Clara as dumb as a fish. At dinner also she behaved beautifully, although the pudding was not at all what she liked ; and then it was time for her mother to take her out to buy the present. So, still good, Clara ran upstairs to be dressed. There are in Kensington High Street a great many large shops, and the largest of these, which is called Biter's, has a very nice way every December of filling one of its windows with toys. There are boats for the Round Pond, and dolls of all sorts and sizes, and steam engines with quite a lot of rails and signals, 130 and clockwork animals, and guns. And when you go inside you can.'t help hearing the gramophone. It was into this shop that Mrs. Platts and Clara went, wondering whether they would buy just one thing that cost seven-and-six all at once, or a lot of smaller things that came to seven-and-six all together. Well, everything was going splendidly, and Clara, after many chang- ings of her mind, had just decided on a beau- tiful wax doll with cheeks like tulips and real black hair, when she chanced to look up and saw a funny little old gentleman come in at the door, and all in a flash she forgot her promises and everything that was depending on them. She seized her mother's arm, and, giving 131 no thought at all to Miss Hobbs's three questions, or to Kate Woodley's clicking tongue, or to counting five, she cried in a loud whisper: " Oh, mother, do look at that queer little man ! Isn't he just like a monkey ! " Now there were two dreadful things about this speech. One was that it was made before Aunt Amabel's present had been bought, and therefore Mrs. Platts was allowed to spend only a shilling. The other was that the little old gentleman must have heard it, for his face flushed and he looked very uncomfortable. Indeed, it was an uncomfortable time for every one. Mrs. Platts was very unhappy to think that her little girl not only should have lost the nice doll, but also have been so rude. The little old gentleman was very confused and nervous ; the girl who was waiting on them was distressed when she knew what Clara's unlucky speech had cost her. Clara herself was in tears. After some time, in which Mrs. Platts and the girl did their best to soothe her, Clara consented to receive a shilling box of chalks as 132 her present, and was led back still sobbing. Never was there such a sad ending to an exciting trip ! Miss Hobbs luckily had gone home ; but Kate Woodley made things worse by being very sorry and clicking away like a Bee clock, and Clara hardly knew how to get through the rest of the day. Clara's bedtime came always at a quarter to eight, and between her supper, which was at half past six, and that hour she used to come down- stairs and play with her father and her mother. On this evening she was very quiet and miserable, although Mrs. Platts and Mr. Platts did all they could to cheer her. She did a most strange thing : when it was still only half past seven, she said that she would like to go to bed. And she would have gone, but at that moment a loud knock sounded at the front door, so loud that, in spite of her unhappiness, Clara had to wait and see what it was. And what do you think it w T as? A box ad- dressed to Mrs. Platts, and it came from Biter's. 'But I haven't ordered anything," said Mrs. Platts. 133 "Never mind," said Mr. Platts; "open it." So the box was opened, and inside was a note, and this is what it said : Dear Madam, I am so distressed to think that I am the cause of your little girl losing her present, that I feel there is nothing I can do but give her one myself. For if I had not been so foolish at my age too as to go to Biter's this afternoon, without any reason but to look round, she would never have got into trouble. Biter's is for children, not for old men with queer faces. And so I beg leave to send her this doll, which I hope is the right one, and with it a few clothes and necessaries. I am sure she will not forget how it was that she very nearly lost it altogether. Believe me, yours penitently, THE-LITTLE-OLD-MAN-WHO-REALLY- IS-(AS-HIS-LOOKING-GLASS-HAS-TOO- OFTEN-TOLD-HIM)-LIKE-A-MONKEY. This letter, when Mrs. Platts read it to her, seemed like a dream to Clara. But when the box was unpacked it was found to contain, truly enough, the very doll she had wanted, with cheeks like tulips and real black hair. And there were also frocks for it, and nightdresses and petticoats, 135 and a card of tortoise-shell articles ; and three hats and a tiny doll's parasol for Kensington Gardens on sunny days. Poor Clara didn't know what to do, and so she simply sat down with the doll in her arms and cried again ; but this was a different kind of cry- ing from that which she had done before. And when Kate Woodley came to take her to bed, she cried, too. And the funny thing is that, though the little old gentleman's present looks much more like a reward for being naughty than a punishment, Clara has hardly ever since said a quick, unkind thing that she could be sorry for. And Miss Hobbs's three questions are never wanted at all, and Kate Woodley has entirely given up clicking. What was Clara's chief fault ? How did her mother try to cure her ? How was she to earn a fine Christmas present ? How did she lose it ? How was the loss made up to her ? Why did this reward for being naughty help more than a punishment? 136 HELPS TO STUDY 1. What three questions did Miss Hobbs use to keep Clara quiet ? Why did Clara want to go to bed ? Why did Clara not need the three questions after she received the present ? Kensington is a part of London, in England. " Generally admitted " means allowed by all. Seven-and-six in English money is about one dollar and eighty-seven cents in our money. An English shilling is about twenty-five cents. 2. What sound has di in soldiers ? What sound has ei in seized ? What sound has au in fault ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : governess (guv'SmSs) : a woman teacher in a family prevent (pre vnt') : keep from serious (se'ri us) : important remedy (rSm'e di) : cure continued (kon tm'ud) : kept on being behavior (be haVyer) : conduct, manners penitently (pn' I tent li) : feeling sorry whether (whgth'er) : which (of two) depending (de pgnd'mg) : connected with uncomfortable (tin kum'fer ta b'l) : uneasy confused (kon fuzd') : put to shame distressed (dis trgst') : troubled consented (k$n s8nt' 8d) : agreed, made up one's mind addressed (adr6st'): directed in writing, as a letter Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : rather losing aunt cost For spelling see page 390. 137 RING OUT, WILD BELLS ALFRED TENNYSON Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow : The year is going, let him go ; Ring out the false, ring in the true. EVERY DAY 'S A LITTLE YEAR ANNETTE WYNNE Every day's a little year, Keep it new and full of cheer, Keep it glad in any weather, So, by adding days together - All the whole big year is true- Full of cheer and shining new ! A FRIENDLY WORD ANNETTE WYNNE A friendly word 's a sunshine broom That keeps the day swept clean of gloom ; And quite before you are aware A happy "feel" is in the air. M7 138 PHAETON AND THE HORSES OF THE SUN 1 There was once a nymph named Clymene, who had a son so handsome that he was called Phaeton, a Greek word meaning "bright," "shin- ing," : 'like the sun." When he grew up, the goddess Venus was so charmed with him that she made him the chief ruler of all her temples. One day, when Phaeton was foolishly brag- ging about his own beauty and greatness, one of his companions said : "Ah ! you may boast and brag, but you are a nobody after all. My father was Jupiter, as everybody knows; but who was yours?" So Phaeton went to his mother, Clymene, and said: 'Mother, they taunt me for not being the son of a god. Who was my father? He must at least have been some great king, to be the father of such a son as I." : 'A king," said Clymene. : ' Aye, and greater than all kings. Tell them from me that your father is Apollo, the god of the sun." 1 Adapted from Francillon's " Gods and Heroes." 139 But when he went back and told his friends, 'My father is Apollo, the god of the sun," they only laughed at him the more. ' You've caught your bragging from your mother," they said. 'You're her son, anyhow, whoever your father may be." When Clymene heard this, she felt very angry. 'Then I will prove my wwds," she said to Phaeton. 'Go to the palace of the sun and enter boldly. There you will see the sun god in all his glory. Ask him to say that you are his son before all the world, so that even the sons of Jupiter shall hang their heads for shame." The only w^ay to find the god of the sun was to go to his palace above the sky. How Phaeton managed to get there I have never heard, but I suppose his mother was able to tell him the secret way. Can you imagine the wonderful place it is, the house of the sun? The stars are the win- dows that are lighted up at night; and the clouds are the curtains. The blue sky is tffre garden. The bright sun is the chariot of Apollo, 141 drawn by four horses of white fire, who feed on golden grain and are driven by the god himself round and round the world. Phaeton entered boldly, as his mother had told him, found Apollo in all his glory, and said: " My mother, Clymene, says that I am your son. Is it true?" " Certainly," said Apollo; "what your mother has told you is true." 'Then give me a sign," said Phaeton; "that all may know and believe. Make me sure that I am your son." 'Tell them that I say so," said Apollo. ' There ; don't keep me any longer. My horses are harnessed; it is time for the sun to rise." 'No," said Phaeton, "they will only say that I brag and lie. Give me a sign for all the world to see, - - a sign that only a father would give to his own child." 'Very well," said Apollo, who was getting angry at being kept. "Only tell me what you want me to do, and it shall be done." 'You swear it, by Styx?" said Phaeton. 142 Now you must know that the Styx was a river in the world underground, by which the gods swore. An oath " by Styx " was as binding upon a god as a plain promise is upon a gentleman. ' I swear it, by Styx ! " said Apollo, for he was now in a great hurry indeed. ' Then," said Phaeton, "let me drive the horses of the sun for one whole day. 77 This frightened Apollo terribly, for he knew very well that no hand but his own, not even a god's, could drive the horses of the sun. But he had sworn " by Styx," -the oath that cannot be broken. All he could do was to keep the world waiting for sunrise while he showed Phaeton how to hold the reins and the whip. He then pointed out the way to go, and warned him of the dangers of the road. 'But it's all of no use. You'll never do it," he said. " Give it up, while there is yet time. You know not what you do." " Oh, but I do," said Phaeton. ' I know I can. There ; I understand it all now without another word." 143 So saying, he sprang into the chariot. He seized the reins, giving the four fiery horses four lashes that sent them flying like comets through the air. ' Hold them in ; hold them hard ! " cried Apollo. But Phaeton was gone and too far off to hear. Off indeed ! and where ? The world must have been surprised that day to see the sun rise like a rocket and go dashing about the sky, north, south, east, west, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere. Well the horses knew that it was not Apollo, their master, who held the reins. They took their bits between their teeth and bolted. They kicked a planet to pieces. They broke holes in the chariot, which we can see, and which we call " sun spots,' 7 to this day. At last Phaeton saw to his horror that the horses in their mad rush were getting nearer and nearer to the earth itself ; and what would happen then ? If the wheels touched the globe we live on, it would be burned to a cinder. Nearer, nearer, nearer it came, till a last wild kick broke the traces and overturned the sun itself, and Phaeton fell, and fell, and fell, till he fell into the sea 144 and was drowned. And then the horses trotted quietly home. The Greeks thought that the great desert of Sahara, in Africa, was the place where the earth was scorched by the sun's chariot wheel. Who was the father of Phaeton ? What did Phaeton ask of his father and what did his father say ? How did Phaeton have his own way ? What happened when he drove the chariot of the sun ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Use other words for taunt, chariot, bolted, scorched. 2. The ie in chief = e in me. Find another word in the story where ie = e. What sound of u has eau in beautiful ? Give another word in the story which has the sound of u. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Phaeton (fa'e ton) : son of Apollo Clymene (klim'e ne) : mother of Phaeton Venus (ve'nus) : goddess of beauty comets (k5m'6ts) : heavenly bodies with cloudy tails planet (planet) : a heavenly body, as the sun, moon Sahara (sa ha/ra) : the great desert of Africa desert (deVert) : a large tract of land without moisture or plants Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : lighted world glory a y e For spelling see page 390. 145 A LITTLE HERO My story is about a brave little boy who worked in one of those deep coal mines which are so numerous in some parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Very often these mines catch fire, either through some accident or through the care- lessness of men. If a naked light comes in contact with the gas which collects in the mine, there is a terrible explosion, and often loss of life. One day while the men were at work in the coal mine the gas caught fire, and the noise of the flames as they w^ent hissing and roaring through the mine was like that of a furnace. A little wagon-boy heard the noise and saw the flames coming toward him. Quick as a flash 140 he turned an empty wagon upside down and crept beneath it. As soon as the flame had passed, the foul air put out his safety lamp and left him in the dark. He knew that if he breathed that air, if for but a few minutes, he must die, that his only chance of safety was in reaching the bottom of the shaft before he fainted. The shaft, as you know, was the only means by which fresh air could be supplied to the mine. He crept from under the wagon, pulled his flannel cap off his head, thrust it into his mouth and over his nostrils, and ran for life. It was an awful race through the dark mine, over the dead and dying miners. The fire had thrown down the roof of the mine in some places, and blocked up the air channels. He had to grope his way over loaded wagons, dead horses, heaps of coal, and dying men. Often he fell and hurt himself, but he sprang to his feet and ran again, until he reached the mouth of the mine, where he fell down fainting. The fresh air from the shaft soon revived him, and 147 he began to think what he could do to save some of the other poor fellows who were in the mine. As he groped his way about he found several who, like himself, had fainted. They lay on their backs, breathing heavily, and in danger of dying for want of fresh air. He turned them over with their faces toward the bottom of the shaft. He opened the air chan- nels that had been closed, and a current of fresh air fell on their faces. This soon revived them, and they were able to help in saving others. The noise of the explosion had been heard by those who were above, and men came down with safety lamps to see what had happened and to give what help they could. They took away those of the miners who were alive, sending them to their homes as quickly as possible. When they were able to see all the damage which the fire had done, they were astonished that any of the men had been brought up from the pit alive. Soon the news spread that it was the little wagon-boy who had been the means of saving the lives of his comrades as well as his own. Many 148 a wife and mother and sister thanked the brave little fellow, who in the hour of danger knew what to do and did it nobly. All boys cannot have the chance of being heroes in the way Willie Ashton was, but in some other way they may prove their right to this name. Let a boy stand up for right, and dare at all times to do right, and he will be a hero. Let a boy deny himself for the sake of others, or suffer to save others, and he will be a hero. 149 Describe a fire in a coal mine. How did the mine boy save himself ? How did he save others ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Lancashire and Yorkshire are counties in England. " Naked light " means an uncovered light. Give other words for collects, foul. Where does the miner wear his safety lamp ? Channels are large tubes through which the air enters the mine. Give other words for grope, several, render. The mouth of the mine is the entrance to the mine. Give other words for awful, astonished, and comrades. 2. What two letters are not heard in caught, brought, and right. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : numerous (nu'mer us) : of great number accident (ak'si dent) : a sudden mishap contact (kon'takt) : touch explosion (Sks plo'zhun) : a loud bursting supplied (su plid') : carried to revived (re vivd') : brought out of a faint conscious (kon'shus) : awake current (kur'ent) : a stream Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : worthy first often knew off For spelling see page 390. 150 THE BOY WHO DID NOT KNOW FEAR 1 ROBERT SOUTHEY England has long been noted for her sea power. ' Britannia rules the waves " is sung far and wide by the English people who loved to honor their great commanders. One of these naval heroes was Lord Nelson. He was an inspiration to his sailors. Before going into battle he thrilled them with the words, "England expects every man to do his duty." At all times he was fearless. As a very small boy he displayed this trait of character. One day he went with a cow-boy in search of birds 7 nests. They wandered farther and farther into the woods. Interested in their hunt, they were unaware that they had gone so far from home. The dinner hour came. Nelson could not be found. His grandmother became frightened. She was afraid that he might have been carried off by gypsies. 1 Adapted from "Life of Nelson." 151 After men had searched for him far and near, he was found sitting by the side of a stream which he could not cross. When he was taken home his grandmother said to him, " Child, I wonder that hunger and fear did not drive you home." He looked up, amazed. 'Fear! grandmother," he said, 'I have never seen fear; wiiat is it?" Nelson entered the navy at the age of twelve. Not long afterwards he heard that two ships were being fitted out for a voyage toward the north pole. Such adventure was much to his liking, so he joined the expedition. In a northern bay the ships became ice-bound. The sailors, having little to do, played upon the ice. One foggy night Nelson and one of his comrades slipped away from the ship. They encountered a bear. The next morning, when the fog had cleared away, the two sailors were seen from the ship attacking the bear. The captain signaled to them to return. Nelson's comrade obeyed and returned at once, 152 but Nelson would not go. Although his powder supply was exhausted, he was not afraid and he did not want to quit his game. ' Never mind/' he cried; ' let me get one blow at this beast with the butt end of my musket and we shall have him. 77 The captain, seeing the boy's danger, fired a gun and frightened the bear away. When Nelson returned to the ship, he was reprimanded by the captain for leaving the ship without permission. Then he was questioned as to why he was so anxious to kill the bear. " Sir," said Nelson, " I wished to kill the bear that I might carry the skin to my father." 153 Who was Lord Nelson ? For what was he noted ? Tell two instances of his fearlessness when a boy. HELPS TO STUDY 1. A naval hero is one who wins honor at sea. Give other words for fearless, displayed, amazed. Gypsies are tribes of wanderers who beg, trade in horses, and tell for- tunes. Give other words for comrades and quit. The butt end of a musket is the thick end or handle ; a trait of character is a quality of one's nature or disposition. Give another word for encountered. 2. Find words in the story where ir = ur in urn ; ear = ur in urn ; and ai = i in is. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : inspiration (in spi ra'shun) : example of courage expedition (ks pe dish'un) : a journey for a special purpose reprimanded (rgp'rl mancl 6d) : scolded Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : toward joined search duty For spelling see page 390. 154 ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND LEWIS CARROLL DOWN THE KABBIT-HOLE Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. Once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, " and what is the use of a book/ 7 thought Alice, : ' without pictures or conversations? " So she was considering in her own mind as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid, whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that ; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "0 dear! dear! I shall be too late!" When she 155 thought it over afterward, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural. But when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet. It Hashed across her mind that she had never before seen a Rabbit with either a waistcoat pocket or a watch to take out of it, and, burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after the Rabbit, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she 1^ was to get out again. The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, - so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found that she was falling down what seemed to be a very deep well. Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she 157 went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything. Then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and bookshelves. Here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed ; it was labeled " ORANGE MARMALADE," but to her great disappointment it was empty. She did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody underneath, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it. "Well!" thought Alice to herself, "after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs ! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn't say any- thing about it-, even if I fell off the top of the house ! " Down, down, down ! Would the fall never come to an end? 'I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time," she said aloud. 158 ' 1 must be getting somewhere near the center of the earth. Let me see : that would be four thousand miles down, I think- ' (for, you see, Alice had learned several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom. Though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) - yes, that 's about the right distance - - but then I wonder what latitude or longitude I've got to." Alice had no idea what latitude was or longitude either, but she thought they were nice, grand words to say. Soon she began again. ' I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth. How funny it'll seem to come out among people that walk with their heads downward ! The Antipathies, I think- ' (she was rather glad there was no one listening this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) ' -but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. ' Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia ? ' (And she tried to curtsy as she 159 spoke - - fancy curtsying as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) : ' And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking ! No, it'll never do to ask ; perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere. 7 ' Down, down, down! There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. ' Dinah'll miss me very much tonight, I should think ! " (Dinah was the cat.) ' I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah, my dear, I wish you were down here with me ! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that 's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder? " Here Alice began to get very sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, 'Do cats eat bats? do cats eat bats?" and sometimes, 'Do bats eat cats?" For, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and was saying to her very earnestly, 160 " Now, Dinah, tell me the truth : did you ever eat a bat? 7 ' when suddenly, thump! thump! thump ! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over. Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped to her feet in a moment. She looked up, but it was all dark overhead. Before her was another long passage, and the White Kabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost. Away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear the Rabbit say, as it turned a corner, " my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting! ' ; She was close 161 behind it when she turned the corner, but the Eabbit was no longer to be seen. She found her- self in a long, low hall, which was lighted up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof. There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked. When Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, try- ing every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again. Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass. There was noth- ing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that this might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but alas! either the locks were too large or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high. She tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted ! Alice opened the door and found that it led 162 into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole. She knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains ! But she could not even get her head through the doorway. ("And even if my head would go through/' thought poor Alice, " it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope ! I think I could, if I only knew how r to begin.") For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately that Alice had begun to think that few things were really impossible. There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes. This time she found a little bottle on it (" which certainly was not here before," said Alice), and tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label with the words "DRINK ME" beautifully printed on it in large letters. 163 It was all very well to say " Drink me," but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. : 'JS"o, I'll look first," she said, "and see whether it's marked 'poison' or not." For she had read several nice little stories about children who had got burned, and eaten up by wild beasts, and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them, such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that, if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds ; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink from a bottle marked " poison," it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later. However, this bottle was not marked " poison," so Alice tasted it, and, finding it very nice (it had a sort of mixed flavor of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffy, and hot buttered toast), she very soon finished it off. ' What a curious feeling ! " said Alice. ' I must be shutting up like a telescope." And so it was indeed. She was now only ten 164 inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she w r aited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further. She felt a little nervous about this, " for it might end, you know," said Alice to herself, "in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then. r< And she tried to think what the flame of a candle looks like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing. After a while, finding that nothing more hap- pened, she decided to go into the garden at once. But, alas for poor Alice ! when she got to the door, she found that she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she w r ent back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it. She could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it w T as too slippery, and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried. 165 " Come, there's no use in crying like that! 7 ' said Alice to herself, sharply. ' I advise you to stop this minute !' : She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes, and she remem- bered once trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself ; for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. "But it 's no use now," thought poor Alice, " to pretend to be two people ! Why, there 's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person ! r> Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table. She opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words "EAT ME" were beautifully marked in currants. "Well, I'll eat it," said Alice, "and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key, and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way, I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens ! " She ate a little bit and said anxiously to 166 herself, "Which way? which way?" holding her hand on top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size. To be sure, this is what generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting out-of-the-way things to happen that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way. So she set to work, and soon finished the cake. What made Alice curious about the Rabbit ? Where did the Rabbit lead her ? What did Alice think about during her fall ? What did she find when the fall was over ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. "Burning with curiosity" means very anxious to know. Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator. The equator is an imaginary line around the center of the earth. Longitude is the distance east or west from a given point on the surface of the earth. The right word for antipathies is antipodes, and it means the country of those living on the opposite side of the globe. New Zealand : a country belonging to England. Find it on the map. Australia : a country belonging to England. Find it on the map. 167 2. What sound has ee in deep? What sound has eo in people? What sound has ey in key? What sound has a in watch? What sound has o in lock? In knowledge, ow = 6 in flock. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : occurred (o kurd') : came to mind natural (nat'u ral) : usual actually (ak'tu al I) : really waistcoat (wast'kot): a sleeveless jacket worn under the coat curiosity (ku ri 5s'i ti) : desire to know considering (kon sid'er ing) : thinking cupboards (kub'erds) : closets with shelves opportunity (5p or tu'ni ti) : chance knowledge (nftl'Sj) : wisdom, learning curtsying (kurt'si ing) : bowing with bent knee ignorant (ig'no rant) : untaught earnestly (ur'ngst li) : seriously loveliest (Itiv'li 8st) : most beautiful telescope (tel'e skop) : an instrument for viewing the sky severely (se ver'li) : sharply, bitterly anxiously (ank'shus li) : uneasily Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : croquet first For spelling see page 391. 168 THE POOL OF TEARS " Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice (she was so much surprised that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English). : ' Now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was ! Good-by, feet ! "' (For when she looked down at her feet they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off.) " Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears. I'm sure 7 shan't be able ! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you : you must 169 manage the best way you can. But I must be kind to them/' thought Alice, "or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go. Let me see : I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas." And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. ' They must go by the carrier," she thought; "and how T funny it'll seem, sending presents to one's own feet! And how odd the directions will look : Alices Right Foot, Esq. Hearthrug (With Alice's Love] near the Fender dear, what nonsense I'm talking! " Just at this moment her head struck against the roof of the hall. In fact, she was now rather more than nine feet high, and she at once took up the little golden key and hurried off to the garden door. Poor Alice ! It was as much as she could do, lying down on one side, to look through into the garden with one eye ; but to get through was more hopeless than ever. She sat down and began to cry again. M7 170 'You ought to be ashamed of yourself," said Alice, " a great girl like you to go on crying in this way! Stop this moment, I tell you! 7: But she weiA on all the same, shedding gallons of tears, until there was a large pool all round her, about four inches deep, and reaching half down the hall. After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid gloves in one hand and a large fan in the other. He came trotting along in a great hurry, mutter- ing to himself as he came, " Oh ! the Duchess, the Duchess ! Oh ! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!" Alice felt so desperate that she was ready to ask help of any one ; so, when the Rabbit came near her, she began, in a low, timid voice, ' If you please, sir- The Rabbit started violently, dropped the white kid gloves and the fan, and scurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go. Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the 171 hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking. ' Dear, dear! how queer everything is today ! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night. Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that J s the great puzzle ! " And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been Changed for any of them. Tin sure I'm not Ada," she said, " f or her hair goes in such long ringlets, and mine doesn't go in ringlets at all. And I'm sure I can't be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh ! she knows such a very little ! Besides, she 's she, and Pm I, and--0 dear, how puzzling it all is ! I'll try if I know all the things I used to know. Let me see : four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is - - dear ! I shall never get to twenty at that rate. However, the multiplication table doesn't 172 signify ; let's try geography. London is the cap- ital of Paris, and Paris is the capital of Rome, and Rome --no, that's all wrong, I'm certain! I must have been changed for Mabel. I'll try and say * How doth the little - And she crossed her hands on her lap, as if she were saying les- sons, and began to repeat it. But her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the same as they used to do : " How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale ! " How cheerfully he seems to grin, How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in With gently smiling jaws ! ' I'm sure those are not the right words," said poor Alice, and her eyes filled with tears again as she went on : "I must be Mabel after all, and I shall have to go and live in that poky little house, and have next to no toys to play with, and oh, ever so many lessons to learn! No, I've made 173 up my mind about it : if I'm Mabel, I'll stay down here! It'll be no use their putting their heads down and saying, ' Come up again, dear ! ' I shall only look up and say, ' Who am I, then ? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I'll come up ; if not, I'll stay down here till I'm somebody else.' But, dear! " cried Alice, with a sudden burst of tears, " I do wish they would put their heads down ! I am so very tired of being all alone here ! ' : As she said this she looked down at her hands, and was surprised to see that she had put on one of the Rabbit's little white kid gloves while she was talking. 'How can I have done that?" she thought. " I must be growing small again." 174 She got up and went to the table to measure her- self by it, and found that, as nearly as she could guess, she was now about two feet high, and was going on shrinking rapidly. She soon found out that the cause of this was the fan she was hold- ing, and she dropped it hastily, just in time to avoid shrinking aw r ay altogether. ' That was a narrow escape ! r ' said Alice, a good deal frightened at the sudden change, but very glad to find herself still there. " And now for the garden ! r ' She ran with all speed back to the little door ; but alas ! the little door was shut again, and the little golden key was lying on the glass table as before. ' Things are worse than ever," thought the poor child, "for I never was so small as this before, never ! And I declare it 's too bad, that it is ! " As she said these words her foot slipped, and in another moment, splash! she was up to her chin in salt water. Her first idea was that she had somehow fallen into the sea. " And in that case I can go back by railway/' she said to her- self. Alice had been to the seaside once in her 175 life, and thought that, wherever you go on the English coast, you find a number of bathing- machines in the sea, some children digging in the sand with wooden spades, then a row of lodging-houses, and behind them a railway sta- tion. However, she soon made out that she was in the pool of tears which she had wept when she was nine feet high. ' I wish I hadn't cried so much ! " said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. ' I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own tears ! That will be a queer thing, to be sure ! However, everything is queer today. 77 Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way off, and she swam nearer to make out what it was. At first she thought it must be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small she was now, and she soon made out that it was only a mouse, that had slipped in like herself. 'Would it be of any use, now," thought Alice, " to speak to this mouse? Everything 176 is so out-of-the-way down here that I should think very likely it can talk. At any rate, there's no harm in trying. " So she began: "0 Mouse, do you know the way out of this pool? I am very tired of swimming about here, Mouse ! " Alice thought this must be the right way of speaking to a mouse. She had never done such a thing before, but she remembered having seen in her brother's Latin grammar, ' A mouse -- of a mouse - - to a mouse a mouse - mouse ! " The mouse looked at her, and seemed to her to wink with one of its little eyes, but it said nothing. 'Perhaps it doesn't understand English," thought Alice ; 'I dare say it 's a French mouse, come over with William the Conqueror. " So she began again: ' Ou cst ma chatte?" which was the first sentence in her French lesson-book. The mouse gave a sudden leap out of the water, and seemed to quiver all over with fright. " Oh, I beg your pardon ! " cried Alice hastily, afraid that she had hurt the poor animal's feelings. ' I quite forgot you didn't like cats." 177 "Not like cats!' cried the mouse in a shrill voice. ' Would you like cats if you were me?" 'Well, perhaps not, 7 ' said Alice, in a soothing voice. ' Don't be angry about it. And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah. I think you'd take a fancy to cats if you could only see her. She is such a dear, quiet thing, and she sits purring so nicely by the fire, licking her paws and washing her face. She is such a nice, soft thing to nurse - - and she ? s such a capital one for catching mice - - Oh, I beg your pardon! " cried Alice again, for this time the mouse was bristling all over, and she felt certain it must be really angry. ' We won't talk about her if you'd rather not." ' W r e indeed ! " cried the mouse, who was trembling down to the end of his tail. " As if 7 would talk on such a subject ! Our family always hated cats --nasty, low, vulgar things! Don't let me hear the name again!" * I won't indeed ! " said Alice, in a great hurry to change the subject. ' Are you --are you fond --of --of dogs?" The mouse did not 178 answer, so Alice went on : ' There is such a nice little dog near our house I should like to show you ! A little bright-eyed terrier, you know, with oh ! such long, curly brown hair ! And it'll fetch things when you throw them, and it'll sit up and beg for its dinner, and all sorts of things - I can't remember half of them - - and it belongs to a farmer, you know. He says it 's so useful, it 's worth a hundred pounds ! He says it kills all the rats and--0 dear!' ; cried Alice, in a sorrowful tone, " I'm afraid I've hurt it again ! " For the mouse was swimming away from, her as hard as it could go, and making quite a com- motion in the pool as it went. So she called softly after it: : ' Mouse dear! Do come back again, and we won't talk about cats or dogs either, if you don't like them ! ' : When the mouse heard this, it turned round and swam slowly back to her. Its face was quite pale, and it said in a low, trembling voice, ' Let us get to the shore, and then I'll tell you my history, and you'll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs." 180 It was high time to go, for the pool was getting quite crowded with the birds and animals that had fallen into it. There were a Duck and a Dodo, a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures. Alice led the way, and the whole party swam to the shore. Why did Alice shed gallons of tears ? Why did she say over the multiplication table and other lessons ? What company did Alice have in the pool ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. " Curiouser and curiouser " in good English is " more and more curious." Give other words for carrier and ringlets. "Scurried away" means ran away quickly; ''doesn't signify" means doesn't count or matter. William the Conqueror was a king of England about 1066. A hun- dred pounds in English money is five hundred dollars in United States money. A dodo was a large, heavy bird of former times ; it did not fly. A lory is a sort of parrot. 2. Give the sound of ea in head. Give the sound of e in best. Give the sound of ue in guess. Find other words in the story that have the sound of e. Find a word in the story where ey = e. 181 Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : directions (di rek'shuns) : name and residence of a person to whom anything is sent hastily (has'ti li) : quickly duchess (duch'e's) : the wife of a duke savage (saVaj) : angry desperate (deVper at) : hopeless, tired as usual (u'zhu al) : as always different (clif er ent) : not the same multiplication (mill ti pli ka/shun) table : a table of the products of a set of numbers multiplied in some regular way geography (je Sg'ra fi) : study of the earth measure (mgzh'ur) : to lay off or mark the size of declare (de klar') : to say walrus (wol'rus) : a very large sea animal hippopotamus (hip o pbVa mus) : a very large animal, sometimes called a river horse grammar (grander) : the study of speech vulgar (vul'gar) : common commotion (ko mo'shun) : stir Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 ' person either burst learn sir For spelling see page 391. 182 THE VISION OF THE MARNE At the beginning of September, 1914, the German hordes had swept through the little country of Belgium and the richest part of France. The great city of Paris seemed doomed to be taken by the merciless soldiers. The way was barred only by a wearied body of French and British which had fallen back day after day until it seemed powerless to stop the invader. At last, on the banks of the little river Marne, the defenders made a stand, resolved to die rather than to give ground. Again and again the French and British charged, until they broke the German line and saved their beloved city. After the battle it was said by many French soldiers that in the fiercest of the fight they saw with them a maiden clad in armor and riding a white horse ; and that this vision gave them the hope of victory. The Maid of Orleans was still living in the hearts of the French whose country she had been the means of saving five hundred years before. 183 Four years later the German long-range cannon sent their shells into the heart of Paris, and the German army again reached the Marne. This time a new army stood beside the French and advanced with them until France was at last free. The Americans shared with the French their love of the Maid. Many of our soldiers had been in Lorraine and had seen the cottage where Joan was born, and the neigh- boring church, and the garden where she heard the voices calling to her to help her king and country. JOAN OF AEC When Henry VI of England was crowned king of France, Joan of Arc was a little girl, helping her mother about the house and watch- ing the sheep for her father. Charles, the real heir to the throne, was too lazy to help his people. He was a coward, too, and afraid to be crowned. Though Joan was only a little girl, she thought she might help to save her country if she could but speak to the king. 185 Her father told her to remain at home, but Joan thought that she must go to the king. Her uncle and some of her friends believed in her and helped her on the way. It was not easy for a simple little peasant girl to get an audience with the king. He did not want to see her. At last Joan was granted a hearing at court. The king tried to deceive her by dressing in much plainer clothes than his kingly robes. Although Joan had never seen her king, she could not be deceived. In the midst of the gayly dressed princes and princesses of his court, Joan recognized the king. Kneeling at his feet, she told him that she was sent with a message from Heaven that he should be crowned king of France. Joan endured many hardships, but finally she succeeded in getting the command of an army. Clad in armor, and wearing a helmet of steel, she rode forth at its head. She was armed with the sword of Charles Martel, and her white banner was embroidered with lilies. M; 186 Everywhere she was welcomed with joy. People crowded around her just to touch her armor. She inspired the soldiers with courage, and when she led them into battle, they were victorious. Charles was crow r ned king in that great cathedral of France which is now in ruins. Beside him stood Joan of Arc. Then she knelt at his feet. Now that he was king of France she was happy. But Joan did not put off her armor and return to her home. The king would not tight his own battles, and he had many enemies. Joan was faithful. She led the armies of the king until she was captured and taken prisoner. After cruel tortures, she was taken from prison and burned at the stake, in May, 1431. Joan was executed because she was thought to be a witch. The people of France love the memory of Joan of Arc, and they delight to honor her. 187 Who were the defenders in the first battle of the Marne ? During the battle, what gave the soldiers the hope of victory ? Who were the defenders in the second battle of the Marne ? How did the simple peasant girl believe she could help her country ? What made the king think that Joan had a message from Heaven? How did the girl lead the soldiers? Did she succeed ? Tell about it. What was the fate of the maiden soldier? HELPS TO STUDY Hordes means crowds of soldiers; "doomed to be taken," certain to be taken; plundered, robbed. Give other words for barred, ivearied. Invader means one who attacks ; resolved, decided. Give other words for clad, vision, advanced, neighboring. An audience means a hearing. Give other words for recognized, hardship. Charles Martel was a French hero. He was born in 688 and died in 741. His sword, which had been buried in the ground behind an old church, was the one carried by Joan of Arc seven hundred years later. " Inspired the soldiers with courage " means filled them with courage. Victorious means having gained victory. Give another word for ca^)tured. Tortures means punishments causing pain. 188 NAHUM PRINCE This is the story of Nahum Prince. He must have lived a hundred years or more ago, and he died, I do not know when. He was lame. Something had crushed his foot so that he could hardly walk. It was at the time of the fighting with Burgoyne, and General Lincoln was at the front and was ordering out every man from New Hampshire. All the regular companies of troops had been marched out. Then there came the 189 final call for all who could go, and all the old men and boys volunteered ; and there was not a boy over thirteen years of age in the village that didn't go, except Nahum Prince. When they were getting ready to go he stood up as well as he could with an old Queen Anne's arm on his shoulder. And the captain came along and saw him and said, ' Nahum, you here ! ' ; 'Yes, sir," said Nahum. So the captain said, " Go home, Nahum ; you know you don't belong here ; you can't walk a mile." Then he called to the doctor, and the doctor said, " Nahum, it's no use; you must go home." Then they all marched off without him. Rub-a-dub-dub, rub-a-dub-dub, went the drums ; and every man and boy of them went off and left poor Nahum Prince alone. He had a good home, but he was very homesick all that night and didn't sleep much; and the next morning he said : ' I shall die before night if I stay here all alone, the only boy in town. I must do something." 190 It was coming autumn. It was not late, but lie knew he must do something ; so he went down and split old Widow Corliss's wood for her, for he could split wood though he could not march. He had not been splitting wood for more than an hour when four men on horseback came down the road and stopped. He could see them stand and talk. They all went off and then one came back again and beckoned to Nahum; and when he came up, the man on horseback said, " Where are all the men gone?" 'They have all gone off to join the army," Nahum said. "And isn't there any blacksmith in town?" : 'No," said Nahum; " there isn't a man or a boy in the town except me, and I shouldn't be here only I am so lame I can't march." ' Do you mean to tell me," said the man, " that there is nobody here who can set a shoe? " 'Why, I can set a shoe," said Nahum. "Then it is lucky you are left behind," the man said. ' Light up the forge and set this shoe." 191 And now comes the most interesting part of the story. Nahuin lighted the fire, blew it into a hot flame, and set the shoe on the horse ; and the horse and the rider went away after the man had thanked Nahum. Nahum finished splitting the widow's wood. And w r hen, the next week, the boys came home and told how Colonel Seth Warner came . up on his horse just in time, leading the First Regiment, and took the prisoners and won the day, Nahum didn't say anything. But he knew that Colonel Warner never would have been on that horse if he hadn't set that shoe. And it was little lame Nahum Prince and Seth Warner who really won the splendid victory which ended the battle of Bennington. Why did Nahum Prince not go to war ? How did he feel about it? What was the man on horseback looking for ? Who won the battle of Bennington ? Tell how Nahum Prince helped to win the battle of Bennington. 192 HELPS TO STUDY 1. In what war was the battle of Bennington fought? " Regular companies " means the trained soldiers. Give other words for^maZ, beckoned, splendid. " Queen Anne's arm" means a gun used in the time of Anne, Queen of England. Describe a blacksmith shop. 2. Give the sound of u in drum. In front, o = u. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Burgoyne (bur gom/) : an English general general (j8n'er al) : head of an army New Hampshire (nu hamp'shir) : one of the United States volunteered (v61 un terd') : entered into service of his own free will interesting (m'ter 6st Ing) : exciting colonel (kur'nel) : the head of a regiment Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : join only off For spelling see page 391. 193 THE FLOWER OF LIBERTY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES What flower is this that greets the morn, Its hues from heaven so freshly born? With burning star and flaming band It kindles all the sunset land; tell us what its name may be- Is this the flower of liberty? It is the banner of the free, The starry flower of liberty ! What is called the flower of liberty ? HELPS TO STUDY Give other words for hues and banner. " Sunset land" is America. It is called by this name because it is west of the countries of Europe. 194 THE YOUNG SENTINEL William Scott belonged to a company of Green Mountain boys. He was very young when he enlisted as a soldier in the Civil War. One of the first duties assigned to him was that of sentinel. He was ordered to guard a bridge. A sentinel's duty is a very important one. If the enemy attacks, he must call his comrades to arms. If he is not faithful, the whole regi- ment is in danger. William fell asleep at his post. He was discovered and taken to the guardhouse. After- ward he was tried and sentenced to be shot. 195 The captain of his company was very fond of him. He soon learned that the boy had been doing sentinel duty for a comrade who was too ill to serve. For three nights William had guarded that bridge. On the third night, weary and exhausted, he had fallen asleep. No one could save him but the President. Some of his friends went to Mr. Lincoln and told him the story. As soon as President Lincoln, with his tender heart, heard how William had done guard duty for his sick com- rade, he quickly signed his pardon and sent it to the camp. But that was not all. Afraid that the pardon might not reach the commander in time, he sent a telegram. No answer came. The Presi- dent could not work. He could not forget the soldier boy condemned to die. Too restless to wait longer, the President started for the camp. He drove for miles over the hot, dusty roads. When he reached the camp, the sentinel had been released. The par- don had been received. 196 William's heart was filled with gratitude to the President, but he did not want to be con- sidered a coward. Not long afterward, his regiment was ordered to Virginia. In attacking a fort, William Scott was among the first to fall. He was fatally wounded. As his comrades carried him off the field he said : " Tell President Lincoln I have done my duty as a soldier. I am not a coward and I am not afraid to die." 197 What act placed William Scott in danger of his life ? What excuse had he ? Why was President Lincoln the only one who could save him ? How did he pay his debt to the President ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. In what war did William Scott serve? In what state are the Green Mountains ? Enlisted means en- rolled for military service ; assigned means given as his share of the work; "fatally wounded" means wounded so as to cause his death. 2. In enemy, y= i; in captain, ai = i. Find a word in the story where ir = ur in urn. Give the sound of a in arms. In guard, ua = a. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : sentinel (sSn'tl nel) : one who guards the camp or army discovered (clis kuVerd) : found out sentenced (sSn'tenst) : doomed, condemned exhausted (eg zoVte'd) : worn out, tired out condemned (kon dgmd') : sentenced to punishment released (re lest') : set free Virginia (ver jm'i a) : one of the United States Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 serve whole duty For spelling see page 391. 11)8 SHOULDER TO SHOULDER l CLINTON SCOLLARD Shoulder to shoulder! Each man in his place! Shoulder to shoulder, and "right about! face!" We've a duty to do ere we grow a day older, And the way we can do it is --shoulder to shoulder ! Shoulder to shoulder! Each man in the line! Shoulder to shoulder ! The Flag for a sign ! Yes, let us not weaken, but let us grow bolder, And rally and rally with - : ' shoulder to shoulder ! " 1 From " Fifes and Drums." Copyright, 1907. George H. Doran Com- pany, Publishers. 199 Shoulder to shoulder! Each man in his might! Shoulder to shoulder! We fight for the right! The land of our love may our courage enfold her! May we work - - and not shirk - - for her, shoulder to shoulder ! What does it mean to fight "shoulder to shoulder"? What does it mean to work "shoulder to shoulder"? HELPS TO STUDY 'The flag for a sign" means the flag as a reminder of one's country. "Rally and rally" means be ready to help with all your strength and might. "May our courage enfold her " means may our courage protect her from harm. 200 FRANKLIN'S KITE-TRAVEL Benjamin Franklin was one of the great Amer- icans who helped to build America. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1706. Today, on the site of the little wooden house in which he was born, opposite the Old South Church on Milk Street, stands a tall stone building full of offices. And on the front of the building, be- neath a bust of the great American, you may read the words : Birthplace of Franklin. Franklin's father was a candle-maker, who had to work hard to bring up his seventeen chil- dren. Benjamin was a good student, although he never went to school much. He had to leave school when he was nine years old and go to work, but he did not remember when he could not read. When a boy he wished to invent something so that he could swim long and far. He tried several things, but found that the best way was to fly a kite. He fastened the string to his wrist and let the kite pull him through the water, while 201 he lay quietly on his back, lowering or raising the kite as he wished to go fast or slow. Frank- lin's kite swimming was but the beginning of the kite-travel which is now so popular. The following are some of Benjamin Franklin's wise sayings which are worth remembering : Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. One today is worth two tomorrows. He that riseth late must toil all day. Lost time is never found again. Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing one. A little neglect may breed mischief. What invention of Franklin is described ? Tell something about Franklin's boyhood. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Learn some of the sayings of Benjamin Franklin. Which one would be most helpful to you ? What do we call the kite-travel of today ? Tell something about it. Go to the library and read of some other discoveries that Franklin made. In the wise sayings of Franklin, " breed mischief " means cause trouble. 2. Give the sound of ui in build. Give the sound of ie in mischief. Find other words in the story that have the sound of i. 202 Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : American (a mer'i kan) : a native of America Boston (boVtun) : a city in Massachusetts Massachusetts (mas a choo'sets) : one of the United States opposite (5p'o zit) : on the other side student (stu'dent) : one who studies several (seVer al) : more than two, but not many neglect (neg lekt') : failure to do what one should mischief (mis'chif) : harm, trouble Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : birth iron For spelling see page 391. 203 FLIGHT AILEEX CLEVELAND HIGGINS Oh, my kite --my kite - My kite of scarlet and black and gold- The wind is taking it up to the light Oh, if my string will hold ! Over the fences over you- Higher than roofs of houses and trees Up and up --to the bluest blue . . . Now the w^ind drops it --just to tease As low as the cross upon the church Zip - - it 's sweeping up again Higher and higher yet! A jerk --a lurch It's going to reach the clouds oh, when? Those shining rosy clouds up there Waiting for my kite ! Who is flying the kite in the poem ? Did you ever fly a kite ? Tell about it. 204 THE FIRST FLYING-MACHINE On the island of Crete many years ago there lived a great inventor named Dgedalus. One day he angered the king very much, and for punish- ment he and his young son, Icarus, were shut up in a tower. There were guards at the city gates and sailors on watch in the harbor to prevent an escape. From the window in his tower Daedalus saw the sea gulls as they mounted from the waves 205 and floated past. The idea flashed through his mind : ' With the wings of a bird I too could fly ! Though the king controls the land and the sea, he does not control the air. I will try that way." At once Daedalus set to work to make him- self a pair of wings. He gathered feathers from the osprey, the sea eagle, and the gull, and from wild bees his son collected honeycomb. On a framework of bone the inventor fastened the large feathers with thread and the small ones with wax. After many failures Da i dalus at last had two pairs of wings. Icarus was delighted with the invention and was eager for the escape. Before starting, how- ever, his father warned him, saying: "Icarus, my son, remember always to keep a middle course, for if you fly too low the sea spray will wet your feathers, and if you fly too high the sun will melt the wax. Keep near me and you will be safe." Icarus promised to obey. They fastened the wings to their shoulders and then sprang up 206 into the air. With ease they rode safely above the tower and over the city. Once away from the island, they turned west toward Sicily. At first Icarus kept near his father, but soon, having lost all sense of danger, he decided to go his o\vn way. Overjoyed with his new-found free- dom and proud of his skill in flying, he began to soar upward as if to reach heaven. Soon, however, the sun began to melt the wax, the feathers dropped off, and Icarus felt himself rap- idly falling. He screamed to his father, but it was too late. Daedalus turned just in time to see his son plunge headlong into the sea and disappear forever. Daedalus arrived safely on the island of Sicily, where he built a temple in memory of his son. And the sea was henceforth known as the Icarian Sea. Why did Daedalus wish to fly ? How did he prepare for flight ? What was the warning to Icarus ? What ended the flight of Icarus ? Find Crete and Sicily on the map. 207 HELPS TO STUDY 1. "The idea flashed through his mind" means that the thought came to him. Give other words for control, prevent, eager. " Despite many failures " means in spite of many failures ; " keep a middle course " means keep half- way between the sun and the earth; "sense of danger" means thought of danger ; " skill in flying " means knowing how to fly. Give other words for determined, rapidly, soar. "Plunge headlong" means to fall head- first ; " henceforth known " means known from that time. Write a composition, selecting either of these titles : " Do Children know as Much as their Parents?" or "Dangers of Disobedience." 2. Find words in the story where a = a in glass; ai = a in care ; and ui = i in Is. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Daedalus (ded' lus) : a builder or carpenter who lived in Greece Icarus Qk'd rus) : the son of Dgedalus achievement (a cheVment) : deed, feat Sicily (sis'i li) : a large island determined (cle tuVmmd) : decided Icarian (ika/ri an) : named for Icarus Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 flying past soar For spelling see page 391. 208 TURNING THE GRINDSTONE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Here is a true story that Benjamin Franklin wrote of his boyhood : When I was a little boy, I remember one cold winter's morning meeting a smiling man with an ax on his shoulder. ' My pretty boy," said he, "has your father a grindstone?" 'Yes, sir," said 1. 'You are a fine little fellow," said he; "will you let me grind my ax on it?" Proud that he called me "fine little fellow," " Oh, yes, sir," I answered, " it is down in the shop." 'And will you, my man," said he, patting me on the head, " get me a little hot water? " How could I refuse? I ran and soon brought a kettle full. ' How old are you ? And what 's your name ? " he asked next. Without waiting for my answer he then said, " I am sure you are one of the finest lads I have ever seen ; will you just turn a few minutes for me ? " Pleased and flattered with his kind words, I went to work. It was a new ax, and I toiled and tugged till I was almost tired out. The school bell rang and I could not get away ; my hands were blistered and the ax was not half ground. At length, however, it was sharpened. Then the man turned to me with, " Now, you little rascal, you've played truant; scud to school or you'll rue it!" " Oh ! " thought I, "it was hard enough to turn a grindstone this cold day; but now to be called a little rascal is too much." 210 I now never hear a man Mattering anyone without saying to myself, " I know that man has an ax to grind. 7 ' How did the man's praise make the little boy feel ? How long did the man praise the boy ? What did the boy think of his treatment ? What is meant by " having an ax to grind " ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Where have you ever seen a grindstone? Give other words for lads, toiled, tityyed, scud. Rue is to be sorry for. 2. Give the sound of u in sure. In rue, ue = oo. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : refuse (re fuz') : decline to do something flattered (flat'erd) : pleased by praise blistered (bhVterd) : covered with blisters or sores at length (18ngth) : at last Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 '. fellow kettle true For spelling see page 391. 211 THE OBSTINATE SHOEMAKER 1 J. CHRISTIAN BAY Once upon a time there was a shoemaker who doted on pancakes. One day he asked his wife to bake him some for dinner. She replied that she was willing enough, but that there was no pan in the house, and if he wished for pancakes, he had better go and borrow a pan from one of the neigh- bors. He complied, and at dinner he ate as rapidly as his wife could bake. When they had finished 1 From " Danish Fairy and Folk Tales." Copyright, 1890, by Harper & Brothers. 212 their meal, the shoemaker told his wife to carry the pan back to its owner. She refused, however, and declared that she did not like to carry back borrowed articles. As he insisted, they nearly came to blows ; but finally they agreed to go to work and the one who spoke first should return the pan to its owner. The shoemaker seated himself on his platform, sewing and handling his shoes and his leather. His wife took her seat by her spinning-wheel, and soon they were working as if life depended upon their handiness. Neither uttered a sound. In a short time a squire, who lived in the neigh- borhood and who had given a pair of shoes to the shoemaker to repair, passed the house, bade his coachman stop, and sent his servant in, asking him to see whether his shoes were finished. The servant walked in, greeted the shoemaker, and performed his errand. ' Whew, whe-ew, whe-e-e-e-e-ew ! " whistled the shoemaker, who sat on his three-legged chair, battling with the air, and sewing diligently. As the servant could not draw a single word from 214 him by way of answer, he turned to the woman, whose spinning-wheel went so rapidly that sparks flew from it. 'How is it," he asked, "that your husband does not answer when I talk to him?" ' Tralala-lide-lido-raderade-lidelidelidelidelide-ralla- la ! " sang the woman at the top of her voice, spinning with all her might and looking straight into his face. The servant saw that there was nothing for him to do but return to his master in the carriage. The two people must have lost their senses ! When he reached the carriage, the squire asked him whether the shoes were finished. 'I don't know," replied he; " the shoemaker and his wife must have lost their senses. The man whistles and the woman sings, and those are all the sounds they utter. They would not say as much as one plain word." The squire alighted to see what had happened to the persons within. r If they pretend to make fun of their customers, I shall teach them manners," said he to himself. So he opened the door and walked in. 215 The shoemaker whistled with all his might as soon as the squire opened his mouth to speak. The woman sang and shouted w^ith all her might, but neither of them seemed to notice his question as to the shoes. At length he became vexed, seized his riding-whip, and lifted it over the woman's shoulders. The shoemaker stole a glance at them, but said nothing. A minute later the w^hip w r as dancing lustily across the shoulder blades of the woman, who at once struck up a new tune but less merrily than before. But this w r as too much for the shoemaker. He jumped from his seat, rushed at the squire, and bade him stop. "Ah," exclaimed the squire, 'you are not mute. I am pleased to know that your voice is in as good working-order as your lingers seem to be." 'You spoke first," cried the woman to her husband, " and you must carry the pan back to our neighbor! " Now they told the squire of their quarrel and agreement, and it greatly amused him w^hen he 216 learned that he had settled the dispute. I do not know whether or not his shoes were finished, but that cuts no figure. I saw the shoemaker, how- ever, when he slouched through the back yard with the pan carefully concealed under his coat. What was the quarrel about ? How did the shoemaker and his wife decide to settle the question ? What trouble did this bring upon them ? How was the quarrel settled ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. "Doted on" means was very fond of. Give other words for uttered, bade, single, glanced, merrily. 2. Give the sound of ei in seized. Give the sound of x in vexed. Give the sound of gh in enough. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : neighbor (na/ber) : a person who lives near another borrowed (boVod) : got from another, as a loan articles (ar'ti k'lz) : things insisted (in sist'Sd) : refused to give way squire (skwir) : an English title of respect repair (re par') : to mend servant (sur'vant) : one who is hired by another for domestic work amused (a muzd') : pleased, entertained 217 alighted ( Ht'Sd) : got down as from a carriage mute (mut) : dumb, not able to speak quarrel (kwor'el) : an angry strife, as of words slouched (sloucht) : walked in a slow, heavy, careless way Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : voice bade For spelling see page 391 , M7 218 THE QUARREL OF THE QUAILS 1 Long, long ago, many quails lived together in a forest in India, Their leader was the wisest of them all. They would have been happy, but a man who lived near the forest earned his liv- ing by catching quails and selling them. Day 1 Adapted from a Jataka tale. 219 after day this quail-catcher listened to the leader call the quails. By and by he was able to imitate the call, and hearing him the quails would gather. When they were crowded together, the fowler would throw a great net over them and then carry them away to town, where he soon sold all the quails he had caught. Now, as I have said, the leader was very wise, and he called all the birds to him and said : 'Brothers, I have thought of a good plan. This fowler must not carry away any more of us. The next time he throws a net over us let each one put his head through one of the little holes in the net, and then all lift it together and fly away to the nearest thorn-bush. There we can leave the net on the thorn-bush and escape from under it." All the quails agreed that it was a good plan and that they w^ould try it the next time the fowler threw his net over them. The next day the fowler called them together, and when he had thrown his net all the quails lifted it together in the very way that their wise 220 leader had told them. They flew away to a thorn- bush, where they left the net and escaped. Then they went back to their leader to tell him how well his plan had worked. The fowler was busy until evening getting his net free from the thorns and had to go home empty-handed. This happened the next day and the next, till at last the fowler's wife grew angry and asked her husband, ' Why is it that you never catch any more quails?" Then the fowler said : ' The trouble is that all the birds are working together now. The moment my net is over them, off they fly, leaving it on a thorn-bush. If they would only quarrel I could catch them quickly enough." Not long after this, one of the quails acci- dentally trod on the head of another as they alighted on the feeding-ground. 'Who trod on my head?" angrily cried the quail who was hurt. ' I did, but I didn't mean to; don't be angry," said the first quail. But the second quail kept on saying mean things. 221 Soon all the quails began to take sides in the quarrel. Now the fowler saw his chance. He called the quails together and cast his net over them. They were still quarreling and they did not help one another lift the net; So the fowler crammed them into his basket, took them to town, and sold them for a great price. How did the fowler catch the quails ? How did the quails succeed in getting away ? How was the good plan of the quails spoiled ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Find India on the map. Why did the people pay a good price for the quails ? To imitate the call is to copy it, to make the same sound. A thorn-bush is a shrub or small tree covered with prickles. Give other words for trod, crammed. 2. Find words in the story where o = 66, ou = u, and o = u. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : fowler (foul'er) : a bird-catcher alighted (a We'd) : came to rest accidentally (ak si den'tal I) : by chance Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 basket birds For spelling see page 391. 222 THE CAMEL AND THE PIG Once upon a time a camel and a pig became fast friends. One day as the two friends were walking along, the camel looked down at the pig and said, ' There is nothing like being tall." But the pig replied, " I was just thinking that there is nothing like being short." ' How foolish you are," said the camel. ' I say there is nothing like being tall." ' You are wrong," said the pig; " it is better to be short and I w r ill prove it. If I fail to do so, I will give you my snout." 223 The camel said, "Well, if I fail to prove the truth of what I have said, I will give you my hump." " Agreed ! " said the pig. " Just so ! " said the camel. So they walked and walked until they came to a garden. All around the garden there was a low stone w^all without any opening. : ' Now see/ 7 said the camel, "what a line thing it is to be tall." Then he reached over the wall with his long neck and made a fine breakfast on the vegetables that grew in the garden. The hungry pig with his short neck could get nothing at all. He could not even see what was growing in the garden. ' Well, friend pig," said the camel, jeeringly, "now would you be tall or short?" Then the two friends walked on until noon time, when they came to a field with a high fence around it and a wicket gate at one end. In the field they saw green trees and ripe fruit on the ground. 224 "Now," said the pig, ' you shall see what a fine thing it is to be short." So saying, he slipped under the gate without any trouble. After eating his fill of the fallen fruit he came out laughing at the poor camel-, who had had to stay outside because he was too tall to enter the garden under the gate. ;' Now then, friend camel," said the pig, " would you be tall or short?" ' Let us go home," replied the camel, "and we will talk about it on the way." So they talked and talked. But the camel was not willing to say that it was better to be short, nor was the pig willing to say that it was better to be tall. And they agreed that the camel should keep his hump and the pig his snout, saying, r Tall is good where tall will do ; If short, the same is also true." What was the boast of the camel and that of the pig ? What was the wager ? Describe the trial. Which of the animals won ? 225 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Tell something about a camel. Do you know an- other story of a camel? If so, tell it. Tell another story of a pig. 2. Give the sound of e in well. In breakfast, ea = e. Give the sound of ou in snout. Give the sound of ow in now. Give the sound of o in short. In because, au = 6. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : jeeringly (jeVing li) : mockingly wicket (wik'et) : a small gate or door Pronounce this word, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : snout For spelling see page 391. 226 A SEASIDE STROLL 1 MARY FENOLLOSA Beside the sea, from out its hole, An earthworm started for a stroll. He met a crab who scoffing said, ' Which is your tail, and which your head? " ' You well may ask," the earthworm cried, ' Your ugly face stuck on your side ! But, first of all, I'd like to know Which way you're walking, to or f ro ? " 1 Reprinted, by permission, from " Blossoms from a Japanese Garden," by Mary Fenollosa. .Copyrighted, 1913, by Frederick A. Stokes Company. 227 A devil-fish rushed up to see What all this quarreling could be ; And, standing near, with pompous pose Cried, " I'll be judge ; bring out your woes ! r ' The others turned with jibe and jeer. " wondrous judge ! we fain would hear If, spite of all your learned charms, You're walking on your legs or arms? " And then they fought, and strewed the beach With heads, arms, legs, and tails of each. But, worst of all, the questions, - - they Remain unanswered to this day ! What question caused the quarrel between the crab and the earthworm? Who tried to act as judge? Why did the others object to the judge ? How did they then try to settle the question ? What is the answer ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Describe a crab and tell how he walks. Tell the story of "The Crab and his Mother." Give other words for stroll, fro, ivoes, strewed, remain. Have you ever seen a devil-fish? Describe it. 'With pompous pose" means 228 with self-important look; "with jibe and jeer" means with sneering, mocking words ; fain means gladly ; "spite of" means notwithstanding. 2. Give the sound of ur in turned. Give the sound of ear in earth. Give the sound of ear in learned. Give the sound of ir in first. In worm, or = ur. In worst, or = ur. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : scoffing (skSf'mg) : mocking, jeering wondrous (wun'drus) : wonderful fought (fot) : struggled, as in battle Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : strewed worst For spelling see page 391. 229 TREES SARA COLERIDGE The Oak is called the King of Trees, The Aspen quivers in the breeze, The Poplar grows up straight and tall, The Pear Tree spreads along the wall, The Sycamore gives pleasant shade, The Willow droops in watery glade, The Fir Tree useful timber gives, The Beech amid the forest lives. Try to think how each tree looks. Make a picture of each. HELPS TO STUDY Use other words for quivers, droops, timber. Amid means in the midst of; "watery glade" means an open space in the woods near a river. 230 ROBIN HOOD MARION F. LANSING Seven hundred and more years ago the length and breadth of merry England was covered with great forests which men called the greenwood. Many a stalwart man slipped away into the greenwood, there to live a life of ease and freedom. To the forest of Shenvood went many of these men, for there lived Robin Hood with his band of merry yeomen. In those days a man could be hanged if he killed one of the king's deer. So it came about that when Robin Hood had killed a deer, he slipped away into the greenwood for safety, and there he lived for many long years. And because he was always fair and just, and because he was merry and kindly, and ready for any sport, and just as willing to acknowledge when he had been beaten, there came to him, from all the forest and all the country round, men who would be of his band, --for all men love a leader. 231 Before many years had come and gone Robin had gathered about him a company of seven- score brave and sturdy men, who lived in the greenwood under him as their head. Here is a story of one of Robin Hood's adventures. ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN One morning Robin Hood said to his jolly bowmen : 'It is fourteen long days since we have had any sport. Do you stay here in the greenwood, where I can call you by a blast of my horn, and I will go forth to see what I shall find." As Robin strolled through the forest he came to a stream which he wanted to cross, but it was too wide for him to leap. He walked along the bank to find a place w^here he could get over, and as he went he noticed that a tall stranger was coming up the stream on the other side. At the very same moment they both came to a log which had fallen across the water, making a narrow bridge, and each put 232 foot on it. For an instant they stood still and waited, each expecting the other to give way ; but neither stirred. ' Make way for your betters/ 7 said the stranger. "When I find them/' replied Robin. "Make way, I said/' repeated the stranger, and advanced a step on the log. ' I'd rather show you some good Nottingham play," quoth Robin, as he too stepped forward one pace and drew from the quiver that was slung over his shoulder a broad arrow with a goose-wing tip. ' If you dare to touch that string, I'll show you right speedily who is the better man," replied the stranger. 'You are speaking foolishly," quoth Robin, "for if I were but to bend my bow, I could send an arrow through your proud heart before you could strike me a single blow." "And you are talking like a coward," said the stranger. ' Look you ! There you stand well armed, with a longbow and ready to shoot 234 at my breast, while I have nothing but a staff in my hand." 'No one shall ever call me a coward," said Robin. f For your sake I will lay by my bow and take a staff, and then we shall see whether you are as bold as these words." Robin stepped into the thicket and chose a stout sapling of ground oak. He cut from it a cudgel six feet long and trimmed and smoothed it until it was just the size of the stranger's staff. Then he ran back to the bridge and called merrily, for there was nothing that Robin loved better than a contest of skill. " See, I have a lusty, tough staff," lie said. r Now we will play here on this bridge ; if one falls into the water, the other has won, but not till then. Come on." 'With all my heart," replied the stranger. "Ready!" They balanced themselves on the narrow log and fell to. Robin gave the stranger a blow that made his bones ring. 235 "I'll pay you back for that," said he; and he hit Robin a stroke that drew blood. They laid on so fast and so heavy with their oaken staves that had any one been a little way off in the greenwood he would have thought they were threshing out corn. For a time Robin had the advantage, but all at once, with a quick backward turn of his wrist, the stranger took him off his guard and tumbled him into the brook. "Well, well, my good fellow, where are you now?" shouted the stranger; and he laughed so hard that he was like to follow Robin's example and join him in the brook. " Oh ! I'm floating along with the tide," laughed Robin, as he picked himself up and waded ashore. [l I'm ready to acknowledge that you're a brave, clever fellow and have won the day this time." Robin pulled himself up on* the limb of a hawthorn tree, and as he sat shaking off the water, he blew a loud blast on his horn. Almost before the echo of the call had died away in the forest glades, there was a crashing 236 through the thicket, and Will Stutely stood on the bank with a score or more of stout yeomen, all clothed in Lincoln green, following fast on his heels. "Good master," quoth Will, 'what is the matter? Thou art wet to the skin." And he and the other archers looked at the tall stranger. :r No matter," quoth Kobin, swinging on the hawthorn limb. ' That lad you see there was lighting with me, and he tumbled me into the water." 'In faith, he shall not go scot free," shouted the others, and they rushed forward to seize him. ' He shall have a ducking, too." ' Forbear, forbear," called Robin. ' Do not fear, my friend. Thou art a stout fellow and none shall harm thee. These men are my bowmen and they wait on me. There are threescore and nine of them, and if thou wilt join us thou shalt be right welcome. Thou shalt have my livery of Lincoln green and all else that thou needest, and I will teach thee to shoot at the fat deer with a longbow. Come now, wilt thou be of my men? " 237 'Indeed I will," said the stranger. 'Here is rny hand on it, and Til serve you with all my heart. My name is John Little, and I promise I'll not fail you." " John Little, John Little," quoth Will Stutely, and a merry look came into his eyes. " Good master, may we give him a christening feast?" At a nod from Robin, Will ran off into the woods with all his men behind him, and as Robin and John Little followed them they could hear them singing in the distance : Prepare then a feast, And none of the least, For we will merry be. Prepare then a feast, And none of the least, For we will merry be. At the christening feast Will Stutely named Robin Hood's new follower Little John, and by this name he was always afterward called. What kind of life did Robin Hood lead? Tell about the fight with Little John. Why did the two men become friends ? 238 HELPS TO STUDY 1 . Give other words for seuenscore, stalwart, Jell to, sport, staff, blast, bold, right welcome. Outlaws are persons who flee from their own land to escape punishment. Lords are rulers, men of high rank and title. 2. Give the sound of ow in bows. Give the sound of ow in arrow. Give the sound of ow in now. Give the sound of ei in their. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : yeomen (yo'men) : attendants cudgel (ktij'el) : a short cluh adventures (ad ven'turz) : hold and risky undertakings faithful (fath'fool) : true acknowledge (ak nol'gj) : to own, to allow archers (ar'cherz) : those who use bows and arrows coward (kou'erd) : one who has no courage thicket (thik'et) : a thick growth of shrubs or bushes victor (vik'ter) : winner in a contest fury (fu'rl) : rage, madness Christen (krls'n) : to give a name to Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : against staff aye search alone For spelling see page 391 . 239 A WOLF HUNT Israel Putnam lived on a farm in Connecti- cut. The woods close by had been the home of many wild animals. Putnam and his neighbors had hunted and trapped these animals until there were few left. An old wolf who baffled all the hunters made her home in the neighborhood every winter, to- gether with her family, and exacted her yearly tribute from the Hocks of sheep and goats. Early one morning Putnam found that the wolves had killed seventy of his sheep and goats 240 and left the marks of their teeth and claws upon the poor little lambs and kids. Putnam was indignant! At once he and five other farmers set out to hunt for the leader of the pack. A light snow had fallen. Her tracks could easily be traced, since one of her paws was shorter than the others. The previous year she had been caught in a trap and had escaped by gnawing off her toes. The hunters followed the tracks for many miles. She was a wily old wolf, and, hoping to escape her enemies, she turned and went back toward Putnam's farm. Finally they found her tracks leading to the mouth of a cave not far from Putnam's home. His old bloodhound w^as sent into the cave. One encounter with that old wolf w^as sufficient. The dog was so badly bitten that he could not be coaxed to go into the cave again. Then the hunters tried to smoke her out with straw and sulphur, but the cave was very deep and she went in farther and farther. 241 Putnam's negro servant was to be sent in, but the negro pleaded so hard with his master that Putnam pulled off his coat and said, ' I will go in myself." First he made a torch out of some pieces of birch bark. He knew that wild animals were afraid of fire. After his friends had tied a rope to his legs, he got down on his hands and knees and crawled into the hole. On and on he crawled until he saw, glaring at him, two great balls of fire. The w r olf howled. Putnam was so frightened that he jerked the rope. That was the signal for his friends to pull him out. Fearing the wolf had attacked him, they pulled as fast as they could. When he reached the outside, his clothes were torn and he was badly scratched by the rocks. But he was deter- mined to kill that wolf. This time he loaded his gun. When the wolf saw him coming again, she snapped her teeth, she rolled her eyes, she growled and roared, ready to spring. 242 Not a moment could be lost. Putnam raised his gun and fired. Before he knew what had happened, he found himself outside the cave. As soon as the smoke cleared away, he went in a third time. He wanted to see whether the wolf was dead. There she lay very still. He put his torch to her nose ; she didn't move. He jerked the rope again and took the wolf by the ears. When the hunters pulled him out this time, he dragged with him the fearless foe of his sheep. From that time on, Israel Putnam was called " Old Wolf Putnam.' 7 In later years he became a soldier. He fought against the Indians, and in the War of the Revolution he was a well- known general. Why did Putnam and his friends hunt the wolf ? How did they trace her? How did they first try to get the wolf out of the cave ? Tell about the second trial. Describe Putnam's first entrance into the cave. Tell about the second one. How did Putnam make sure that the wolf was dead ? What was Putnam in after years ? 243 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Baffled means defeated ; " exacted her yearly tribute " means took a certain number each year. Give another word for indignant. A pack is a number of animals living and hunting together ; wily means tricky. Give another word for encounter. Sufficient means enough. By what name was Putnam known after the wolf hunt ? 2. What sound has ou in found ? What sound has ou in fought ? What sound has ou in could ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Connecticut (ko net'I kut) : one of the United States sufficient (su fish'ent) : enough sulphur (sul'fur) : a yellow-colored powder that will burn glaring (glar'fng) : looking with fierce eyes previous (pre'vi us) : going before Revolution (rev o lii'shun) : the war by which the United States became an independent country Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 birch jerked third For spelling see page 391. 244 JUST DOING HIS DUTY Jack won his Victoria Cross at the battle of Jutland Bank, one of the most important naval battles of the World War. That was in May, 1916. During the battle the British lost six of their largest ships, eight destroyers, and a large num- ber of brave sailors. But the German losses far exceeded those of the British. On H.M.S. Chester was a lad of sixteen, John Cornwell by name. He was one of the gunners. Scarcely had the battle begun when he was severely wounded, but he was brave and would not leave his post. One by one his comrades fell, dead or dying, around him. Again and again Jack was wounded, but he could not be persuaded to forsake his duty. There he stood, obeying orders until the last shot was fired and the battle was ended. Then he dropped to the deck. Gently they carried him below. In the hospital he was nursed with great 245 care and tenderness, but he had been mortally wounded and his life went out. He had given his all for his country. Just before he died, the nurse who had watched over him so faithfully asked, ' What were you doing during that awful fire?" The dying lad raised his eyes and replied, "Just doing my duty, that's all." What part did John Cornwell take in the World War ? How did he show his bravery and faithfulness ? What price did he pay for his bravery ? HELPS TO STUDY Jutland is a part of Denmark. Find it on the map. The Victoria Cross is a medal given by England for unusual bravery. It was named for Queen Victoria. Go to the library and find a picture of it. " H.M.S." stands for " His Majesty's Ship," meaning a ship of the English Navy. "Far exceeded " means were far greater than. Give other words for severely, persuaded. " Mortally wounded " means wounded so that he died. 246 THE JUMPING-MATCH HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN The flea, the grasshopper, and the frog once wanted to see which of them could jump the highest. They made a festival and invited the whole world and every one else who liked to come to see the grand sight; Three famous jumpers they were, as all would say, when they met together in the room. ' I will give my daughter to him who shall jump highest/' said the king; "it would be too bad for you to have the jumping and for us to offer no prize." The flea was the first to come forward. He had very pretty manners and bowed to the company on every side, for he was of noble blood and, besides, w r as accustomed to the society of man. Next came the grasshopper. He was not quite so elegantly formed as the flea, but he knew how to conduct himself and he wore the green uni- form with which he was born. He said, moreover, 248 that he came of a very ancient Egyptian family and that in the house where he then lived he was much thought of. The fact was that he had been just brought out of the fields and put in a card house three stories high built on purpose for him, with the colored sides inwards and the doors and win- dows cut out of the Queen of Hearts. ' And I sing so well," said he, "that sixteen parlor-bred crickets who have chirped from infancy and yet got no one to build them card houses to live in have fretted themselves thinner even than before, with envy, on hearing me. 7 ' It was thus that the flea and the grasshopper made the most of themselves, each thinking him- self quite an equal match for the princess. The leapfrog said not a word ; but people said that perhaps he thought the more, and the house- dog who snuffed at him with his nose allowed that he was of good family. ' I say nothing for the present," said the king; : ' yet I have my own opinion, for I observe everything." 249 And now the match began. The flea jumped so high that no one could see what had become of him, and so they insisted that he had not jumped at all --which was disgraceful, after all the fuss he had made. The grasshopper jumped only half as high ; but he leaped into the king's face, who was disgusted by his rudeness. The leapfrog stood for a long time, as if lost in thought. People began to think that he would not jump at all. 'I'm afraid he is ill! 77 said the dog, and he went to snuff at him again - - when lo ! he sprang with a little crooked jump right into the lap of the princess, who sat close by on a low golden stool. "There is nothing higher than my daughter," said the king ; " therefore to bound into her lap is the highest jump that can be made. Only one of good mind would ever have thought of that. The frog has shown that he has sense. He has brains in his head --that he has. 77 And so he won the princess. M7 250 ' I jumped the highest;, for all that/' said the flea; "but it's all the same to me. The princess may have the stiff-legged, slimy creature, if she likes. In this world, dullness and heaviness win the day. I am too light and airy for a stupid world." And so the flea went into military service, where it is said he was killed. The grasshopper sat without on a green bank and thought on the world and its ways, and he too said, ' Yes, dullness and heaviness win the day." And then he began to sing his own song- and it is from his song that we have taken this little piece of history, which may very possibly be all untrue although it does stand printed here in black and w^hite. What was the prize in the jumping-match. ? Tell about each jumper. Tell how each one jumped. Why did the frog win the prize ? 251 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words is? festival, invited, fretted, bound, slimy. "Noble blood" means of good family; "accus- tomed to the society of man," used to being with men ; "to conduct himself," to behave ; parlor-bred, well brought up, or well trained ; "from infancy," from babyhood ; "lost in thought," thinking deeply. 2. Give the sound of ea in heaviness. Find another word in the story where e = e. Give the sound of ea in flea. Give the sound of ee in green. Find words in the story where e = e and eo = e. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : elegantly (el'e gant li) : handsomely, gracefully ancient (in'shent) : very old Egyptian (e jip'slian) : belonging to Egypt, a country in Africa opinion (o pin'yun) : feeling, belief disgraceful (dis gras'f ool) : shameful disgusted (dis gust'ed) : offended military (mll'i ta ri) : having to do with soldiers, arms, or war Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 forward offer half For spelling see page 391. 252 THE TUG OF WAR In the long ago the tortoise, the elephant, and the whale were good friends. In those days the whale often walked with his friends on the land. One day the tortoise and the elephant were walking by the seashore. 'Friend elephant," said the tortoise, 'I can pull you into the water." ' No, you can't," replied the elephant, " you are not big enough," 253 ' Yes, I can/ 7 was the answer. ' Take hold of this rope and I'll show you." The elephant was much amused at the little creature's challenge, but caught the end of the rope with his trunk to please him. The tortoise picked up the other end and slipped into the water. There he met his friend the whale. ''Friend whale," said he, "1 can pull you out of the water." r No, you can't," replied the w^hale; ' you're not strong enough." ' Let's try and see," said the tortoise. 'Take this end of the rope." The big whale laughingly caught the rope with his flippers and threw it over his head. Then the little tortoise swam back to the land. The whale pulled and pulled with all his might. 'Brother tortoise must be very strong," said he; ' if I don't pull harder, he'll soon have me out of the water." The elephant pulled and tugged at the other end, but felt himself losing ground. Then he gave the rope a sudden jerk. Snap ! it parted in the 254 middle, and the clumsy elephant rolled over and over on the sand. Splash ! the whale went under the water, and there he has remained ever since. The tortoise sat on the beach watching the tug of war he had so cleverly planned. He laughed until his sides ached when he thought how he had fooled the elephant and the whale. Name the three friends. What boast was made by the little one ? What trick did he play ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for amused, creature, sudden, clumsy, remained. Tell another story of a tortoise. Tell one about an elephant. Give another good name for this story. 2. Give the sound of ph in elephant. Give the sound of gh in enough. Give the sound of gh in laughed. What two letters do you not hear in caught ? What two letters do you not hear in thought ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : challenge (chal'enj) : invitation to enter a contest flippers (flip'erz) : broad, flat limbs used for swimming For spelling see page 392. 255 THE ELEPHANT OLIVER HEEFORD This is the Elephant, who lives With but one aim - - to please. His ivory tusk he freely gives To make piano keys. One grief he has - - however he tries, He never can forget That one of his enormous size Can't be a household pet. Then does he to his grief give way, Or sink 'neath sorrow's ban ? Oh, no ; instead he spends each day Contriving some unselfish way To be of use to Man. What does the elephant always try to do ? About what does he grieve ? Instead of worrying about this, what does he plan ? 256 HELPS TO STUDY Give other words for aim, grief, enormous, 'neatk. Draw a picture of the elephant's tusks. Tell something made from them. Name some " household pets." " Sorrow's ban" means sorrow's weight or burden ; contriving, planning. THE ELEPHANT 1 HILAIRE BELLOC When people call this beast to mind, They marvel more and more At such a little tail behind, So large a trunk before. 1 By permission, from " The Bad Child's Book of Beasts," by Hilaire Belloc. Published by E. P. Button & Company. 257 THE CRAB AND THE FOX MINNA B. NOYES A crab crept out of the brook upon the green grass of a meadow. A fox came by, saw the crab creeping slowly along, and said to him jokingly : ' Well, Mr. Crab, where are you going so slowly? I notice from your walk that you can go better sidewise than forward. When do you think you will reach the other end of the field? 77 The crab was not a foolish fellow, and he answered : : ' Mr. Fox, you do not know me. I can run faster than you. If you do not believe it, I can prove it to you. Will you run a race with me? 77 'I should like nothing better," said the fox. : 'How far shall we run? 77 asked the crab; "I think a half mile, or perhaps a whole mile. That will not be too much. 77 'Well, a mile, 77 cried the fox, and the crab began again, ' I will give you one advantage, and if you do not take it, I will not run at all. 77 258 : ' And what shall this advantage be?" asked the fox. The crab answered: ' It shall be just a fox's length. Step before me so that your hind feet are by my head, and when I say ' Ready ' we will begin to run." That pleased the fox, and he said, ' I will obey you." Then he turned his thick, bushy tail toward the crab. The crab seized it (but the fox did not know this) and cried, ' Ready." Then the fox ran as he had never run before in all his life ; he ran so that his feet ached ; and when he reached the goal he turned around and said : ' Where is Mr. Crab ? Where are you stopping so long, sir?" But the crab, who now stood nearer the goal than the fox, called out behind him : ' Where have you been so long ? I have been standing here a long time waiting for you." The fox was almost beside himself with won- der, and said, "There is some fraud here." Then he put his tail between his legs and ran away. He never laughed at a crab again. 259 Did the fox and the crab start even in the race ? Which one had the advantage ? Why did the crab allow this advantage ? How was the fox fooled ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for notice, obey, fraud. A goal is the place at which a race is to end. 2. Find a word in the story where gh = f . Give the sound of ch in reach. Give the sound of ch in much. In ached, ch = k. Pronounce this word, using charts, pages 365-373 : advantage (ad van'taj) : gain or benefit Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374~377 ' backward length faster For spelling see page 392. 260 THE TRAVELS OF A FOX A fox was digging behind a stump, and he found a bumblebee. The fox put the bumble- bee in a bag and he traveled. At the first house he came to he went in, and he said to the mistress of the house, " May I leave my bag here while I go over to Squintum's? " ' Yes/ 7 said the woman. 'Then be careful not to open the bag," said the fox. But as soon as the fox was out of sight, the woman just took a little peep into the bag and out flew the bumblebee, and the rooster caught him and ate him up. After a while the fox came back. He took up his bag and saw that the bumblebee was gone, and said to the woman, " Where is my bumblebee?" And the woman said, " I just untied the bag, and the bumblebee flew out, and the rooster ate him up." 'Very well," said the fox, 'I must have the rooster, then." 261 So he caught the rooster and put him in his bag and traveled. When he came to the next house he went in, and said to the mistress of the house, <: ' May I leave my bag here while I go over to Squintum's? " 'Yes," said the woman. 'Then be careful not to open the bag," said the fox. But as soon as the fox was out of sight, the woman peeped into the bag, the rooster flew out, and the pig caught him and ate him up. After a while the fox came back. He took up his bag and saw that the rooster was not in it, and said to the woman, " Where is my rooster?" And the woman said, " I just untied the bag, and the rooster flew out and the pig ate him." 'Very well," said the fox, 'I must have the pig, then." So he caught the pig and put him in his bag and traveled. When he came to the next house he went in, and he said to the mistress of the house, " May I leave my bag here while I go over to Squintum's? " 262 'Yes," said the woman. " Then be careful not to open the bag," said the fox. But as soon as the fox was out of sight, the woman just took a little peep into the bag, and the pig jumped out and the ox ate him. After a w^hile the fox came back. He took up his bag and he saw that the pig was gone, and he said to the woman, ' Where is my pig?" And the woman said, " I just untied the bag, and the pig jumped out and the ox ate him." 'Very well," said the fox, 'I must have the ox, then." So he caught the ox and put him in his bag and traveled. When he came to the next house he went in, and he said to the mistress of the house, " May I leave my bag here while I go over to Squintum's?" 'Yes," said the woman. 'Then be careful not to open the bag," said the fox. 263 But as soon as the fox was out of sight, the woman just took a little peep into the bag, and the ox got out and the woman's little boy chased him away off over the fields. After a while the fox came back. He took up his bag and he saw that the ox w r as gone, and he said to the woman, " Where is my ox?" And the woman said, " 1 just untied the bag, and the ox got out and my little boy chased him away off over the fields. 7 ' 'Very well," said the fox, "I must have the little boy, then ! " So he caught the little boy, and he put him in his bag and he traveled. When he came to the next house he went in, and he said to the mistress of the house, : ' May 1 leave my bag here while I go over to Squintum's?" 'Yes," said the woman. 'Then be careful not to open the bag," said the fox. The woman was making cake, and her chil- dren were around her, asking for some. 264 "0 mother, give me a piece,' 7 said one; and " mother, give me a piece," said the others. And the smell of the cake came to the little boy who was weeping and crying in the bag, and he heard the children asking for cake and he said, " mammy, give me a piece.' 7 Then the woman opened the bag and took the little boy out, and she put the house dog in the bag in the little boy's place. And the little boy stopped crying and had some cake with the others. After a while the fox came back. He took up his bag and saw that it was tied fast, and he put it over his back and traveled far into the woods. Then he sat down and untied the bag, and if the little boy had been there in the bag, things would have gone badly with him. But the little boy was safe in the woman's house, and when the fox untied the bag the house dog jumped out and ate him all up. Why did the fox demand the rooster ? What happened at each house where he stopped ? How was the fox fooled at last ? 265 HOW FIRE WAS BROUGHT TO THE INDIANS MARY CATHERINE JUDD Long, long ago all the fire on earth was in the tepee of one old Indian chief. A young caribou said that he would get the fire from the old chief's tepee. The Indians tied a great dry branch to his big antlers. The young cari- bou put his head into the fire tepee and tried to reach the coals, but he could not do it. The wise chief drove him away. But while the old chief was driving back the young caribou, a muskrat crept into the tepee. .He reached the precious coals of fire and caught one in his mouth. He ran back into the woods with it. Before he could reach his own burrow he had to drop the burning coal. It fell on the dry leaves and set the woods M7 266 on fire. You can see now where the muskrat burned himself. All the world has fire now, and there has always been enough since the muskrat dropped the first coal. The fire melted the ice in the rivers and lakes so that men had water to drink. The old chief has never been seen since that time. Who set out to get the fire from the old Indian chief ? Who really did get it ? What happened to it ? HELPS TO STUDY 1 . Give another word for tepee. What are the antlers of the caribou ? Tell the story of how the rabbit caught the sun in a trap. Can you tell the story of how light first came to the world ? 2. Give the sound of i in rivers. Give the sound of i in with. In been, ee = i. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373.: caribou (kaVi boo) : a kind of reindeer muskrat (musk 'rat) : a water rat burrow (bur'o) : a hole in the ground made by animals such as rabbits For spelling see page 392. 267 PROMETHEUS AND THE GIFT OF FIRE Fire is said to be a good servant but a bad master. Every boy scout must learn how to make a fire and how to put it out. The serv- ant that gives a cheerful blaze to the camp, and heat for cooking the food, may turn master and burn up both camp and forest. How helpless one may be without the means of making a fire ! How proud a boy is to be able to start his camp fire with a single match ! 268 And when lie learns to get a tiny spark with- out matches, after the manner of the Indians, he is as happy as a king. He who made the first camp fire must indeed have been a king or a giant or a god, thought the people in olden times. For some great one must have given man such a gift. The Greeks thought they owed the gift of fire to a giant called Prometheus. Prometheus beheld the race of men living in caves and helpless against the cold and against wild beasts, and he brought fire to them. Jupiter, the king of the gods, was jealous that weak man should have this power to master the earth and all its creatures. To punish Prometheus and to prevent him from bringing any more gifts to man, Jupiter gave him over to two heartless giants, Strength and Force, and ordered him to be chained to a rock in the earth's wildest mountains. Why do we need fire ? How many ways do you know of making fire ? Whom did the Greeks call the fire-bringer ? 269 PROMETHEUS, THE FIRE-BRINGER CAROLINE B. CHURCHILL Scene : Ancient Greece the open country or a forest (Enter Women) IST WOMAN. Alas ! Alas ! 2o WOMAN. Woe ! Woe ! 3o WOMAN. The gods have mercy on us ! 4Tii WOMAN. That which they gave they have taken away. STH WOMAN. Ah! What shall we do? What shall we do ? (Enter a Man) MAN. Why do ye weep and wail, sisters ? IST WOMAN. Knowest thou not what hath hap- pened during the great storm and flood ? MAN. I know that my goats were drowned and that my fire was put out. 2D WOMAN. That is it ! That is it ! SD WOMAN. Aye, all our fires are out, and not only ours, but Hestia's. MAN. Hestia's fire out! 270 4xH WOMAN. Aye ; the sacred fire in Hestia's altar is out, alas. WOMEN. Woe ! Woe ! Alas ! Alas ! Hestia's fire is out. MAN. I should never have thought that it could be : I had thought that though all our fires were out, we should have Hestia's with which to relight them. The gods must indeed be angry with us. What have we done to bring this upon us? IST WOMAN. Aye. What have we done? Have we not sacrificed sheep, and goats, and oxen? Have we not offered the fruits of our fields and orchards? Have not our burnt offerings sent up a sweet odor to the gods? Why, then, are they angry with us ? WOMEN. Alas ! Alas ! IST WOMAN. The temple of Hestia was unroofed by the hurricane, and the sacred fire put out by the rain. WOMEN. Woe ! Woe ! Alas ! Alas ! IST WOMAN. Fire is gone from the earth. 2o WOMAN. The best gift of the gods ! Gone from the earth ! 271 MAN. But the sun is still in the sky, and we are warm and dry again after the rain. Who need weep? 2D WOMAN. But the night is coming again and we shall be cold. 3o WOMAN. And when we go forth in the black darkness, where shall we find a torch to guide our feet? 4Tii WOMAN. Aye, and the winter is coming, with snow and sleet, and we shall have no fire by day or (shivering) by night. (Enter a Priest) PRIEST. Do not stand idly here. This is no time for weeping. Hasten to the ruins of the temple. Offer sheep and oxen on the cold altar. Alas ! we can offer no more burnt offerings. But do what ye can. Away ! Away ! (Enter Prometheus) MAN. All hail, Prometheus ! What news bring- est thou? I see in thy face that it is good. PROM. Aye, truly. Be not downcast, sisters; our friend is right. 272 MAN. Hast thou found fire somewhere -- fire that escaped the storm? PROM. Aye, I have here fire that escaped the storm, but not as thou thinkest however (Shows a fire-stick and string). I will soon show you. Look now ! See ye this ? (Holds up the fire-stick and string) PRIEST. I see it, but what of it? PROM. This. (He sets the stick whirling. All gather round) PRIEST. What is this folly? Hath this great misfortune turned the poor man's head ? MAN. What meanest thou, Prometheus? There is no fire in that wood. PROM. Have patience. I promise that ye shall have fire ere I am done with this. PRIEST. What? Wilt thou bring down fire from heaven ? PROM. No, but I will bring it from the earth. PRIEST. Thou speakest as if thou wert a god. PROM. I am no god, only a man; but a man that uses his wits is not far from a god. PRIEST. That is foolish. 273 PROM. Perhaps. But I will show you that a man that uses his wits can make fire. (He keeps on whirling the stick) PRIEST. I will listen to no more folly. (Exit) MAN. It smokes ! It smokes ! WOMEN. Ah ! MAN. It burns ! WOMEN. It burns ! It burns ! (They stand watch- ing. The man puts a stick to the spark and it bursts into flame. He waves it) WOMEN (dancing and clapping). Ah ! It burns ! Rejoice ! IST WOMAN. Prometheus hath brought us fire ! All hail, Prometheus, bringer of fire ! MAN (waving the firebrand). All hail, Prometheus, bringer of fire to man ! WOMEN. All hail, Prometheus, bringer of fire to man. (They dance, waving firebrands) MAN. I sing in honor of Prometheus, the wise man, the fire-bringer. WOMEN. Aye, the wise man, the fire-bringer. MAN. Who but Prometheus could have brought fire to man? 274 WOMAN. None but Prometheus. MAN. Who but Prometheus would have thought of looking for fire in wood ? 2D WOMAN. None but Prometheus. MAN. Prometheus hath said, " He that uses his mind is the next thing to a god." 3o WOMAN Prometheus, then, is almost a god. WOMEN. Aye. Aye. MAN. Let us then honor Prometheus, bringer of tire to man. 2o WOMAN. Honor to Prometheus ! (They march around in procession, Prometheus sitting on a high rock and laughing) MAN. Prometheus hath driven fear from our hearts. No longer do we fear the night. No longer do we fear the winter. When we go forth in the black darkness, there shall be light on our path. When the winter wind whirls the snow around our homes, the logs shall burn on our hearthstones. Our houses shall be warm and the meats shall be roasted in our ovens. 3i> WOMAN. Honor Prometheus, the wise man, the fire-bringer ! 276 IST WOMAN. Others looked to the sky for help, but Prometheus looked to the earth, and the earth answered him and gave him fire for man. 4xn WOMAN. Eejoice ! rejoice ! Prometheus hath given fire to man. IST WOMAN. Aye ; the gods are wise, but so is man if he will use his wits. MAN. The wisdom that the gods gave let man use and be happy. IST WOMAN. Honor to Prometheus, the man who used his wits for his fellow men. (All dance) Why were the women weeping ? Who came to help them ? How did he help ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Hestia is the goddess of the hearth or family; in pictures she is shown as richly draped and veiled. Give other words for wail, odor, hurricane, torch, hasten, whirl- ing, ere. An altar is a raised block or stand on which sacrifices are offered in the worship of a god. A burnt offering is an animal, such as a goat or a bull, burned on the altar in honor of the gods. Sacred fire is holy fire that was given by the gods. "All hail" means welcome; wits, 277 brains ; firebrands, pieces of burning wood ; " fellow men," other men, friends, neighbors. 2. Give the sound of i in gift. In women, o = i. Give the sound of er in winter. In altar, ar = er. In odor, or = er. In honor, or=er. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Prometheus (pro me'thus) : a giant supposed to have lived in the earliest times sacrificed (sak'ri fizd) : offered to the gods downcast (doun'kast) : sorrowful escaped (8s kapt') : got out of the way folly (fol'i) : foolishness misfortune (mis for'tun) : bad luck, trouble hearth (harth) : floor of a fireplace Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : drowned catches . ah For spelling see page 392, 278 FLINT 1 CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI An emerald is as green as grass ; A ruby red as blood ; A sapphire shines as blue as heaven ; A flint lies in the mud. A diamond is a brilliant stone, To catch the world's desire ; An opal holds a fiery spark ; But a flint holds fire. What way of making fire is spoken of in this little poem? HELPS TO STUDY Flint is a very hard stone which strikes fire. Give another word for brilliant. ' To catch the world's desire " is to please people. 1 From " Sing Song,'' by C. G. Rossetti. Used by permission of The Macmillan Company, Publishers, 279 THE WISE YOUNG KING Solomon was the son of King David and was not more than twenty years old when he became king of Israel. Soon after, he had a dream in which the Lord spoke to him, saying, " Ask of me whatever thou choosest and I will give it to thee." And Solomon said to the Lord : " Thou hast shown great kindness to my father, David, and now Thou hast made me king in my father's place. I am only a child. I know not how to rule this land. Give me, I pray Thee, wisdom and knowledge, that I may know how to rule my people." The Lord was pleased with Solomon's choice and He said to him, " Since thou hast not asked of me long life, nor great riches, nor power, but hast asked for wisdom to rule thy people, I have given thee wisdom greater than any king before thee and greater than that of any king that shall 280 come after thee. And I will give thee not only wisdom but also honor and riches. And if thou wilt obey my words, thou shalt have long life and shalt rule for many years.' 7 And Solomon's dream came true, for he was wise and rich and powerful, and lived long. Solomon's great work was the building of the Temple. His father, King David, had prepared for it. He had laid up great treasures of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and cedar wood. The walls were made of stone and the roof of cedar. All the stones for the building of the Temple were hewn into shape and fitted together before they were brought to the mountain on which it was to be built. And all the beams for the roof were made to join each other, so that as the walls were built there was no sound of ham- mer or chisel. The famous building arose quietly. It took seven years to build this temple. Under King Solomon the land of Israel became very great. All the countries around sent their princes to visit Solomon, and every one who saw him wondered at his wisdom. It was said that 281 King Solomon was the wisest man in the whole world. He wrote many songs and wise sayings. Here are some of them : Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be wise. A wise son maketh a glad father. A soft answer turneth away wrath. A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread. There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise : The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer ; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands ; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. Who was Solomon ? What was Solomon's dream ? 282 How did the dream come true ? What was his work as king? Repeat some of his sayings. HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for tliee, thou, thy. Cedar is a kind of evergreen tree. Hewn means cut with an ax. The method of building spoken of in the story is sometimes used now ; it' saves time and money. Sluggard means lazy person ; consider, study ; " soft answer," kind words ; " cheerful countenance," happy face ; spirit, temper ; " till- eth the land," plows and prepares the land for seed. Give other words for meat, feeble, exceeding. A cony is a kind of rabbit; it is very timid. 2. Give the sound of ea in great. Give the sound of ea in beams. Give the sound of ea in bread. Give the sound of ea in meat. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Israel (iz'ra el) : the Jewish people Solomon (sSl'o mun) : son of David and king of Israel powerful (pou'er fool) : strong treasures (trezh'urz) : things of great value or worth wrath (rath) : violent anger, rage countenance (koun'te nans) : the face For spelling see page 392. 283 THE TOWER THAT WAS NEVER FINISHED It is said that in the beginning of the world all the people lived in one place. That part of the earth became very crowded, and many families began to move from place to place, look- ing for new homes. Some went one way and some another. All the people moved into a country between two great rivers. Here they found that the soil could be made into bricks, which could be heated until they became hard. So the people built houses for themselves. Then they wanted to build a great city and rule all the people around them. The people said to one another : ' Let us build a great tower, whose top shall reach to the sky. And let us give a name to our city, that w r e may be kept together and not scattered over the earth.' 7 So they began to build the great tower, one story above another. But God wished the whole earth to be used as the home of man, and this was the way He carried out His plan : At that time all men were speaking the same language. 284 And while they were building the great tower, God caused their speech to be changed. Then they could not understand each other. So they left the tower without finishing it, and many of them went away to other lands. And the tower stayed forever unfinished. The people that belonged to one family could not understand those of another family just as, at the present time, the English cannot talk to the French until they have learned the French lan- guage. So the people scattered to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, and the earth became covered with many people, living in many lands and speaking many languages. And the city which they had built was named Babel, which means confusion, because it was there that God changed the language of all the earth. The city was afterwards known as Babylon, and the tower as the tower of Babel. Why did the people look for new houses ? Where did many of them settle, and what did they find there ? Why did the people want to build a city ? 286 Why was the tower never finished ? What was it called ? What was the city known as ? What does the name mean ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give another word for soil. Describe any tower that you have seen or read about. Have you ever been in a country where you could not understand the language? If so, tell how you felt. 2. Find words in the story where ea = a, ea = e, or = ur, and ear = ur. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : language (lang'gwaj) : speech Babel (ba/bel) : a city or tower spoken of in the Bible confusion (kon fu'zhun) : disorder Babylon (bab'I Ion) : an ancient city of Western Asia Pronounce this word, using dictionary, pages 374~377 : afterwards For spelling see page 392. 287 THE PICKPOCKET IN THE ZOO 1 E. V. LUCAS On my last visit to the London Zoological Gardens I saw a pickpocket. At every turn in the Gardens a notice warns you to beware of these dangerous faunas. But never had I been robbed. So the words "Beware of pickpockets " I had indeed come to look upon as the " Wolf ! Wolf!" of the fable. 1 From "London Revisited." 288 The day was so hot that for a while I did a thing I have never done before : I sat on a chair in the path which the elephants slowly parade as they bear their loads of excited children ; and it was there that I found the pickpocket, or, if you like, it was there that he found me. I had always thought of pickpockets as little chaps capable of slipping away even between men's legs in a crowd ; this fellow was big. Nor did he, as I supposed was the custom of his kind, devote himself to watches, pocketbooks, and handkerchiefs, but took whatever he could ; and if a bag chanced to have something in it and he could not get it out quickly enough, he took the bag as well. He was indeed brazen. My own loss was trilling merely a newspaper, which I would have given him had he asked for it. But before I knew anything it was snatched from my hands by this thief. To say that I was astonished would be to state the case mildly ; I was electrified. But when I looked round for help, judge of my horror when I found that not 289 only all the spectators who had seen the out- rage, but also the only keepers within sight, were laughing. And I know the pickpocket was laughing, too, for there was an odd light in his wicked little yellow eye as he opened his mouth, lifted his trunk with my poor journal firmly held in it, and deposited the paper in his pink mouth. For my first Zoo pickpocket was the biggest of the elephants, who was both old enough and large enough to know better. What was the warning notice in the Zoo ? Why does one not often see a pickpocket ? Who was the pickpocket in the Zoo ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Have you ever been to the Zoological Gardens? If so, tell about your visit. Faunas means animals, here applied to people. Tell the story of 'The Boy who cried ' Wolf ! ' Give another word for bear. r ' Excited children " means happy children ; capable, able ; custom, habit; " devote himself," give himself up wholly; brazen, bold ; trifling, small. Give another word for merely. '' To state the case mildly " means to say very little ; elec- trified, suddenly excited ; judge, think ; outrage, bad be- 290 havior, robbery ; odd, queer. Give another word for firmly. Write about anything you saw in the Zoo. 2. What letters are not heard in judge ? Give the sound of gh in enough, laughing. Give the sound of ph in elephant. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : zoological (zo o I5g'i cal) : about animals astonished (as tftn'islit) : greatly surprised electrified (e iSk'tri fid) : suddenly excited spectators (spSk'ta terz) : those who look on journal (jur'nal) : a daily newspaper deposited (de poVit Sd) : placed Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 '. laughing asked path last For spelling see page 392. 291 THE RHINOCEROS CHANGES HIS NAME TO JIM Porcupines happen almost everywhere. There are porcupines in Mexico, Central America, South America, the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Porcupines of all parts rather closely resemble one another, displaying a family liking for spiky overcoats. Only the South American porcupine has a long prehensile tail and can climb like a monkey. It was not strange, therefore, that the Busyville bees and our Mr. Grasshop, as they journeyed through the jungle, should come upon a porcupine 292 teaching school. Professor Porcupine's pupils were mostly rabbits, and what he taught w^ent in at one rabbit ear and out at the other. This suited Professor Porcupine, for if the rabbits had been able to learn anything at all, they soon would have learned the little that Professor Porcupine himself knew and would have gone away, leaving the professor without pupils. Professor Porcupine didn't know much and the rabbits couldn't learn anything, so it was a very good school. Now the rhinoceros knew just enough to be a rhinoceros, and this had always been plenty up to the time he met the crocodile. The rhinoc- eros, one evening as he came out from his lair by the river's edge, had met the crocodile and had fallen into conversation with him. The crocodile had told him that he believed in a liberal education. ' Every one in the jungle," said the crocodile, " should be able to spell his own name." The more the rhinoceros thought about this, the more it worried him. He troubled so much 293 about it that new wrinkles began to appear in the few places where there were not wrinkles already, and he began to think that knowing enough to be a rhinoceros wasn't enough for a rhinoceros to know, after all. When the black cockatoo told him about Professor Porcupine's school, he felt relieved and determined to go at once and learn to spell his name. The black cockatoo flew about among the other jungle people and reported : ' The rhinoceros is going to get a liberal education. He is going to learn to spell his own name.' 7 It took several lessons before the rhinoceros got so far as the first letter of his name, which is "r." After a while he had mastered ! 'r" so that he could say it right off without hesitation, and the jungle people began to look at each other, saying, ' ' Yes, the rhinoceros will learn to spell." They all felt pleased. But after this the rhinoceros began to fall off. He never could remember whether r 'o," "s," "i," or'"n" came after the "r." The jungle people began to look at each other, shake their 294 heads, and say, ' No, the rhinoceros will not learn to spell." And they all felt sorry. Professor Porcupine worked hard. He dismissed the rabbits, giving them a holiday, and devoted his whole time to the rhinoceros. His quills stood straight up nearly all the time, and he began to have WTinkles, too. But the rhinoceros couldn't get past "r." One day, w r hile the usual perform- ance was going on and Professor Porcupine's quills were standing straighter than ever, our Mr. Grasshop stepped up and said : ' Perhaps, Professor Porcupine, our friend would be able to spell his name if he had a name that was easier to spell. If he cannot learn to spell ' rhinoceros/ perhaps he might learn to spell ' JHHVL' : The rhinoceros had been listen- ing with both ears cocked up. Almost before the words were out of Grasshop's mouth he shouted "J-I-M." So the rhinoceros received a liberal education. He knew all that was necessary to be a rhinoc- eros and something besides. He w^ent about the jungle, proudly spelling " J-I-M " at everybody 295 who would listen. When he met the crocodile, he called to him: "J-I-M." And the crocodile disappeared into the water with a gurgle, saying to himself, ' Well, well, I never thought he could do it." What kind of coat does the porcupine wear? What kind of pupils did the rabbits make ? What did the rhinoceros want to learn ? How did he succeed at school ? How did he make spelling easy ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for hap])en, resemble. Find Mexico, Central America, South America, and Canada on the map. Tell how a porcupine looks. Tell what you have read about a jungle. Give other words for professor, pupils, conversa- tion. "Liberal education" means good schooling. Give other words for reported , several, dismissed. 2. What letters are not heard in rhinoceros, straight, thought ? Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : displaying (dis pla/ing) : showing prehensile (pre hBn'sil) : able to seize by wrapping itself around an object rhinoceros (ii nbVer os) : a large, powerful, thick-skinned animal crocodile (krftk'o clil) : a large, thick-skinned water animal 296 lair (lar) : the bed of a wild beast cockatoo (ktik'a too) : a kind of parrot relieved (re levd') : comforted, helped hesitation (h8z I ta/srmn) : brief stopping devoted (de vot'gd) : gave up performance (per foYmans) : act gurgle (gur'g'l) : a sound as of water running from bottle Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : learned whole our For spelling see page 392. 297 THE WILD BEAST TAMER 1 CLEVELAND MOFFETT If you have ever been to a circus, you have seen wild animals -- lions, tigers, or elephants - performing tricks in a cage or in the open arena. Did you ever think how long it took the trainer to make those beasts perform even the simplest trick or how much courage, patience, and love they put into their work? A wild beast tamer is generally pictured as a stern person who stalks around in high boots and who has a remarkable power of the eye that makes lions and tigers quake at his look and shrink away. He is said to rule by fear 1 Adapted from Cleveland Moifett's ** Careers of Danger and Daring," by permission of the publishers, The Century Company. 298 and that the crack of his Avhip brings memories of red-hot irons and frightful blows. This is not true. It is no more fear that makes a lion walk on a ball than it is fear that makes a horse pull a wagon. It is habit. The lion is willing to walk on the ball, not because of cruel treatment but because of his trainer's patience and kindness. It is important that a tamer of wild beasts should have a quick eye and keen hearing, that he may be warned of a sudden spring or rush at him from the rear. It is important that he have great nerve. But that which makes him a really great tamer is a fondness for his animals. Taming takes a long time. Day after day, week after week, a trainer will stand outside a lion's cage, looking at him, talking to him, mak- ing the beast know him. Each time he goes away he is careful to toss in a piece of meat as a pleasant memento of his visit. Later he ventures inside the bars, carrying some simple weapon a whip, a rod, or a 299 simple broom, very annoying because of its sharp bristles. One tamer used a kitchen chair against unbroken lions. If the creature came at him, there were the four legs in his face. Days will pass before the lion will permit his tamer to do more than merely stay inside his cage at a distance. The tamer w^aits hour after hour, week after week, until a time comes when the lion will let him move nearer, permit the touch of his hand, or come forward for a piece of meat. Last of all begins the mastery of tricks. The lion must spring to a pedestal -- and be fed; he must jump from one pedestal to another - and be fed. A bit of meat is the best help, and the tamer wins, if he wins at all, by patience and kindness. One of the most famous of tamers was Madame Bianca with the Bostock Wild Animal Slum. She loved her lions and tigers exactly as though they had been children, tried to excuse their failings and explain away their misdeeds. One day a lioness called Spitfire was sullen and refused to do her tricks. 300 ' It is a perfectly easy thing, that jump over the pedestal. If Spitfire does not do it now, the others will rebel and not one will obey me,' 7 said Madame Bianca to an attendant. ' Ask Mr. Bostock to come here, please. Spitfire must do as she is told." Mr. Bostock came and at once entered the cage. He was a big, strong man. He impressed animals and tamers alike. He loved his animals and did not fear them, but best of all he knew lions and tigers as only a man can know them who has spent all his life with them. He would enter any cage at any time if a real need called, but he was a stranger to the four lions and the tiger ranged about on their pedestals with big Brutus in the middle and snarling Spitfire at one end. 'Well," said Mr. Bostock afterward, 'I saw that Madame Bianca had been standing too far away to handle Spitfire, so I stepped three steps closer and lifted one of my whips. There were just two things Spitfire could do : she could spring at me and have trouble, or she could spring over the pedestal and have no trouble. 302 She growled a little, looked at me, and jumped over that pedestal like a lady. " The rest was easy. I put her through some other tricks, circled her around the cage a couple of times, and brought her back to her corner. Then as she crouched there and snarled at me, I played a tattoo with my whip handle on the floor. But that was one thing too much, for in doing so I turned quite aw^ay from the rest of the group and made Brutus think that I meant to hurt his mate. He said to himself, ' Hello, here 's a stranger in our cage taking a whip to Spitfire. I'll just settle him/ Before I could move he sprang twenty feet off his pedestal, set his fangs in my thigh, and dragged me over to Madame Bianca as if to prove his loyalty and devotion. ' Then the Frenchwoman did a clever thing. She clasped her arms around his big neck, drew his head up, and fired her revolver close to his ear. Of course, she fired only a blank cartridge, but it brought Brutus to obedience, for that was the regular signal for the lions to take their 303 places on the pedestals. The habit of his work was so strong in the old fellow that he dropped me and jumped back to his place. ' There wasn't anything more to it, except that I lay five weeks in bed with my wounds. But this will show you how Madame Bianca loved those lions. She wouldn't let me lift a hand to punish Brutus. She pleaded with me so hard that I hadn't the heart to go against her. She said that it was partly my own fault for turning my back and that Brutus was a good lion and had only tried to defend his mate. Well, I had to let him off, though I knew 1 could never enter Brutus's cage again in safety. If you once lose the upper hand, you can never get it back again." What really makes a man a great tamer of animals ? Tell how he works in taming an animal. Tell about the teaching of tricks. Give the name of one of the most famous animal trainers. What trouble did she have ? Who came to help her and how did he help ? How did the Frenchwoman help the tamer? What did she do that showed her love for the lions ? 304 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Have you ever been to a circus ? Tell what you saw. Give other words for performing., courage. Describe an arena. "Generally pictured" means most often shown. Give other words for stalks, quake. Remarkable means great; " shrink away," draw away; memories, thoughts of what has happened ; habit, custom or practice. Give another word for keen. " Mastery of tricks " means power to do tricks ; famous, best known ; impressed, made to feel his strength ; ranged, placed ; tattoo, a tapping noise. What are the lion's fangs ? " Loyalty and devotion " means faithfulness and love. Give other words for clever, defend. What is a blank cartridge ? 2. Find all the words in the story where er = er. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : rebel (re bel') : refuse to obey courage (kuYaj) : bravery important (im por'tant) : necessary memento (me men'to) : a reminder, a souvenir ventures (ven'turz) : dares to go pedestal (ped'es tal) : a column on which to stand sullen (stil'en) : cross, stubborn attendant (a ten'dant) : keeper, assistant obedience (o be'di ens) : the doing what one is told Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : because against careful For spelling see page 392. 305 THE BOY AND THE BROOK AN OLD ARMENIAN SONG HENRY W. LONGFELLOW Brook, from what mountain dost thou come? my brooklet cool and sweet ! I come from yon mountain high and cold, Where lieth the new snow on the old And melts in the summer heat. Brook, to what river dost thou go? my brooklet cool and sweet! I go to the river there below Where in bunches the violets grow, And sun and shadow meet. Where is the source, or beginning, of the brook ? Where is the mouth, or end, of the brook ? HELPS TO STUDY What is your picture of a mountain? of a valley? What is it that makes the brooklet? What is meant by sun and shadow meeting? 306 MAIDS OF FANCY 1 W. H. HUDSON : * Now I will tell you a story about the white mist and a little girl named Alma. ' Little Alma lived close to the river Yi, but far, far from here, beyond the trees and beyond the blue hills, for the Yi is a very long river. She lived with her grandmother and with six uncles, all big, tall men with long beards. They always talked about wars, and cattle, and horse- racing, and a great many other things that Alma could not understand. There was no one for Alma to talk to or to play with. And when she went out of the house, she heard the cocks crow- ing, the dogs barking, the birds singing, the 1 By permission, from " The Purple Land," by W. H. Hudson. Copyright by E. P. Button & Company. 307 sheep bleating, and the trees rustling their leaves over her head, and she could not understand one word of all they said. At last, having no one to play with or talk to, she sat down and began to cry. Now, it happened that near the spot where she sat there was an old black woman wearing a red shawl. She was gathering sticks for the fire, and asked Alma why she cried. ' Because I have no one to talk to and play with/ said Alma, Then the old black woman drew a long brass pin out of her shawl and pricked Alma's tongue with it. 'Now/ said the old woman, ' you can go and play and talk with the dogs, cats, birds, and trees, for you will understand all they say, and they will understand all you say. 7 " Alma was very glad, and ran home as fast as she could to talk to the cat. ' Come, cat, let us talk and play together/ she said. 'Oh, no/ said the cat. 'I am very busy watching a little bird, so you must go away and play with little Niebla down by the river.' 308 ' Then the cat ran away among the weeds and left her. The dogs also refused to play when she went to them, for they had to watch the house and bark at strangers. They also told her to go and play with little Mebla down by the river. Then Alma ran out and caught a little duckling, a soft little thing that looked like a ball of yellow cotton, and said, 'Now, little duck, let us talk and play. 7 ' But the duckling only struggled to get away and screamed, ' Oh, mamma, mamma, come and take me away from Alma ! ' " Then the old duck came rushing up and said : ' Alma, let my child alone ; and if you want to play, go and play with Niebla down by the river. A nice thing to catch my duckie in your hands - - what next, I wonder ! ' " So Alma let the duckling go, and at last she said, ' Yes, I will go and play with Niebla down by the river/ " She waited till she saw the white mist, and then ran all the way to the Yi. She stood still on the green bank close by the water with the 310 white mist all round her. By and by she saw a beautiful little child come Hying toward her in the white mist. The child came and stood on the green bank and looked at Alnia. Very, very pretty she was; and she wore a white dress - whiter than milk, whiter than foam, and all embroidered with purple flowers. She had also white silk stockings and scarlet shoes. Her hair was long and fluffy, and shone like gold, and round her neck she had a string of big gold beads. Then Alma said, ' beautiful little girl, what is your name ? ' to which the little girl answered, 'Niebla. 7 ' Will you talk to me and play with me ? ' said Alma. ' Oh, no/ said Niebla, ' how can I play with a little girl dressed as you are and with bare feet ? ' ' For you know poor Alma wore a little old frock that came down to her knees, and she had no shoes and stockings on. Then little Niebla rose up and floated away, away from the bank and down the river. At last, when she was quite out of sight in the white mist, Alma began to cry. 311 When it got hot she went and sat down, still crying, under the willow trees growing near the river. By and by the leaves rustled in the wind and the trees began talking to one another, and Alma understood everything they said. ' Is it going to rain, do you think ? ' said one tree. ' Yes, I think it will - - some day/ said the other. * There are no clouds/ said the first tree. * No, there are no clouds today, but there were some the day before yesterday/ said the other. ' Have you any nests in your branches ? ' said the first tree. ' Yes, one/ said the other. ' It was made by a little yellow bird, and there are five eggs in it.' ' Then the first tree said : ' There is little Alma sitting in our shade. Do you know why she is crying, neighbor ? ' ' The other tree answered : ' Yes, it is because she has no one to play with. Little Niebla by the river refused to play with her because she is not beautifully dressed/ 312 ' Then the first tree said, ' Ah, she ought to go and ask the fox for some pretty clothes to wear. The fox always keeps a great store of pretty things in her hole/ " Alma had listened to every word. She remembered that a fox lived on the hillside not far off. She had often seen it sitting in the sun- shine with its little ones playing round it and pulling their mother's tail in fun. So Alma got up and ran till she found the hole, and putting 313 her head down it she cried out, ' Fox ! Fox ! ' But the fox seemed cross and only answered without- coming out, ' Go away, Alma, and talk to little Mebla. I am busy getting dinner for my children and have no time to talk to you now/ "Then Alma cried: <0 Fox, Niebla will not play with me because 1 have no pretty things to wear. Fox, will you give me a nice dress and shoes and stockings and a string of beads ? 7 'After a little while the fox came out of its hole with a big bundle done up in a red cotton handkerchief. She said : * Here are the things, Alma, and I hope they will fit you. But you know you really ought not to come at this time of day, for I am very busy just now cooking the dinner an armadillo roasted and a couple of partridges stewed with rice, and a little omelet of turkeys 7 eggs. I mean plovers 7 eggs, of course ; I never touch turkeys' eggs. 7 ' Alma said she was very sorry to give so much trouble. 'Oh, never mind/ said the fox. 'How is your grandmother ? ' 314 'She is very well, thank you/ said Alma, 'but she has a bad headache/ 'I am very sorry to hear it/ said the fox. 'Tell her to stick two fresh dock leaves on her temples, then drink a little weak tea made of knot-grass, and on no account to go out in the hot sun. I should like to go and see her, only I do not like the dogs that are always about the house. And now run home, Alma, and try on the things, and when you are passing this way you may bring me back the handkerchief, as I always tie my face up in it when I have the toothache/ " Alma thanked the fox very much and ran home as fast as she could. When the bundle was opened she found in it a beautiful white dress embroidered with purple flowers, a pair of scarlet shoes, silk stockings, and a string of great golden beads. They all fitted her very well ; and next day, when the white mist was on the Yi, she dressed herself in her beautiful clothes and went down to the river. By and by little Niebla came flying along, and when she saw Alma she kissed 315 her and took her by the hand. All the morn- ing they played and talked together, gathering flowers and running races over the green fields. At last Mebla bade her good-by and flew away, for all the white mist was floating off down the river. But every day after that Alma found her little companion by the Yi, and was very happy, for now she had some one to talk to and to play with. 77 Why was little Alma unhappy ? How did the old woman help her? What disappointment did Alma have in talking with the animals ? What did the fox do for her ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. The scene of this story is in Uruguay, a country of South America. What ideas do you get of the country from the story? What did the men talk about? These things were their occupations, or work. What animals are mentioned in the story ? What work did they have to do ? " On no account " means for no reason. 2, Give the sound of o in tongue. Find other words that have the sound of u. Give the sound of eau in beautiful. Find other words that have the sound of u. 316 Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Yi (ye) : a river in South America partridges (par'trij 8z) : birds much hunted for food plovers (pltiv'erz) : wild birds living on grassy plains and on beaches Niebla (ne 8b'la) : a cloud child armadillo (ar md dil'o) : a small animal covered with a bony, shell-like armor embroidered (Sm broid' erd) : made beautiful with needle- work flowers handkerchief (hang'ker chif) : a square piece of cloth here used for carrying bundles omelet (5m'e lt) : eggs beaten up and cooked in a frying pan Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : yesterday dogs For spelling see page 392. 317 THE CLOUD PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, From the seas and the streams; I bear light shade for the leaves when laid In their noon-day dreams. From my wings are shaken the dews that waken The sweet buds every one, When rocked to rest on their mother's breast, As she dances about the sun. Why are the flowers said to be thirsting ? What does the cloud bring besides rain ? Why is the earth called the mother of the flowers ? HELPS TO STUDY Recite some other poems that you have learned about clouds and rainbows. How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and heat, In the broad and fiery street, In the narrow lane, How beautiful is the rain. HENRY W. LONGFELLOW UMBRELLAS MELVILLE C HATER Umbrellas, umbrellas, way down in the street, Bobbing along through the rain on feet: That 's how they look as they pass below - Umbrellas' feet are the most that show. Umbrellas, umbrellas, wet pavements and me ! I'm watching for mother to come home to tea, 319 But how shall I know her, to wave through the pane, When every umbrella 's the same in the rain ? Policemen, conductors, and pirates, and kings Are easily told by their trousers and things. On days like today when the weather 's to blame, Beneath their umbrellas they'd all look the same. Why do the passing feet seem to belong to the umbrellas ? Why was it hard for the child to know its mother ? Where must the child have been if he could see only feet under the umbrellas ? How does the rain make all kinds of people look alike ? HELPS TO STUDY Recite some other poems you have learned about rain. 320 THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE I THE JOURNEY Many, many long years ago a wonderful tree grew in the garden of the Hesperides. On this tree were apples of solid gold. Brave young men used to set out to gather the precious fruit, but not one of them ever returned, for beneath the tree was a terrible dragon. The dragon had a hundred heads, fifty of which would watch while the other fifty slept. In this manner the apples were guarded day and night. Once the adventure was undertaken by a hero named Hercules. He carried a huge club in his hand and a bow and arrow were slung across his shoulders. About him was wrapped the skin of a fierce lion which he himself had killed. As he went on he asked every one he met if he was on the right road. One day he came to the bank of a river where some girls were making wreaths of flowers. 321 " Can you tell me, lovely maidens/ 7 he asked, ! ' whether this is the right way to the garden of the Hesperides?" "The garden of the Hesperides! " the girls cried. ' We thought men were weary of seeking it." "A certain king has ordered me to get three of the apples," said Hercules, "and I must obey him." "And do you know the dangers you must meet?" one of the girls asked him. :t l know them well," said Hercules, "but I do not fear them." The maidens looked at the heavy club and at the shaggy lion's skin and at the strong muscles of the young stranger, and they thought, ' If any one can get the golden apples this young man will." But they shuddered to think of the dragon's hundred heads. "Go back," they said. 'We cannot bear to have the dragon eat you up." Hercules smiled as he sat down on the grass beside them and began to tell them of some of his adventures. These were certainly wonderful tales, 322 and long before he had finished, the maidens had guessed who he was. "We will help you all we can/' they said to him. 'You must first go to the seashore and ask the Old Man of the Sea where you are to look for the golden apples. When you find the Old Man you must keep fast hold of him, no matter what surprising things may happen.' 7 Hercules thanked them warmly and went on his way. As he hastened onward he would strike the trees with his great club and they would come crashing to the ground. At length he could hear the sea roaring afar off, and presently he came to a beach. There, between a high cliff and the water, was a pleasant spot where an old man lay asleep. He was a queer-looking creature, for on his legs and arms were scales such as fishes have, and he was web-footed like a duck. His long beard looked like a tuft of seaweed. Thanking his lucky stars that he had found the old man asleep, Hercules stole forward and seized him by the arm and leg. 323 "Tell me," cried he, before the Old Man was well awake, ; ' which is the way to the garden of the Hesperides? " The Old Man of the Sea awoke in a fright. But his surprise could not have been greater than was that of Hercules the next moment. For, all of a sudden, the Old Man seemed to disappear out of his grasp, and the hero found himself holding a stag by a fore and a hind leg! But still he kept fast hold. Then the stag disappeared, and in its place there was a sea-bird, fluttering and screaming, while Hercules clutched it by the wing and claw ! But the bird could not get away. Next there was an ugly three-headed dog, which growled and barked at Hercules, and snapped fiercely at the hands which held him. But Hercules would not let him go. In another minute, instead of the three-headed dog, what should appear but a six-legged man- monster, kicking at Hercules with five of his legs in order to get the other free! But Hercules held on. 324 By and by there was a huge snake, like one which Hercules had strangled in his babyhood, only a hundred times as big. It twisted and twined about the hero's neck and body, and threw its tail high in the air, and opened its deadly jaws as if to swallow him whole ! But Hercules squeezed the great snake so tightly that it soon began to hiss with pain. As the hero held on so hard, and squeezed the Old Man of the Sea so much tighter at every change of shape, the latter soon thought it best to come back to his own form. So there he was again, a fishy, scaly, web-footed sort of per- son with something like a tuft of seaweed on his chin. ' Pray, what do you want with me ? " cried he. "Why do you squeeze me so hard? Let me go this moment, or I shall begin to think you are very rude ! " : ' My name is Hercules!'' roared the mighty stranger. "And you will never get out of my clutches until you tell me the nearest way to the garden of the Hesperides ! " 325 When the old fellow heard who it was that had caught him, he knew that he must tell him everything Hercules wanted to know. Of course he had often heard of Hercules and his wonderful deeds. He tried no longer to escape, but told the hero how to find the garden of the Hesperides. ' You must go on/ 7 said the Old Man of the Sea, " till you come in sight of a very tall giant who holds the sky on his shoulders. And the giant, if he happens to be in the humor, will tell you exactly where the garden of the Hesperides lies." Thanking the Old Man of the Sea, and begging his pardon for having squeezed him so roughly, the hero went on his way again. II ATLAS Hercules arrived at last, after many adventures, on the shore of the great foaming ocean. And here it seemed as if his journey must end. But suddenly he saw something a long way off which he had not seen the moment before. It gleamed very brightly, almost like the round, golden sun. 326 It became larger and brighter as it came near. At length Hercules could see that it was a huge cup or bowl, made of either gold or brass. ' I have seen many giants in my time/' thought Hercules, : 'but never one that would need to drink his wine out of a cup like this! r ' The waves tumbled the bowl onward till it touched the shore a short distance from where Hercules was standing. It was clear that this marvelous cup had been sent to carry him across the sea. At once he climbed over the brim and settled down on his lion's skin for a little rest. His nap had lasted a good while, when the cup hit against a rock. The noise awoke Hercules, who started up and gazed around, wondering where he was. He soon found that the bowl had floated across the sea and was coming near the shore of an island. There he saw a giant as tall as a mountain. Clouds rested about his waist like a girdle. Most wonderful of all, he held up his hands to support the sky, which, so far as Hercules 328 could see through the clouds, was resting on the giant's head. Meanwhile the bright cup floated onward until it touched the shore. Just then a breeze blew away the clouds from the giant's face, and Her- cules saw it, with all its great features : eyes each of them as big as a lake, the nose a mile long, and the mouth of the same width. Poor fellow ! He seemed to have stood there a long while. An old forest had been growing and decaying at his feet, and huge oak trees had forced themselves between his toes. The giant looked down and, seeing Hercules, roared in a voice that sounded like thunder, "Who are you, down at my feet there? And whence do you come in that little cup?' ' I am Hercules ! " thundered back the hero, in a voice nearly as loud as the giant's own. " And I am seeking the garden of the Hesperides ! ' ; ' Ho ! ho ! ho ! " roared the giant, in a fit of laughter. ' That is a wise adventure. I am Atlas, the mightiest giant in the world ! I hold the sky upon my head ! " 329 " So I see/' answered Hercules. "But can you show me the way to the Garden of the Hesperides? " 'What do you want there?" asked the giant. 'I want three of the golden apples," shouted Hercules, "for my cousin, the king." 'There is nobody but myself," quoth the giant, : ' that can go to the Garden of the Hes- perides and gather the golden apples. If it were not for this little task of holding up the sky, I would make half a dozen steps across the sea and get them for you." 'You are very kind," replied Hercules. "Can you not rest the sky upon a mountain?" 'None of them is high enough," said Atlas, shaking his head. ' But if you were to take your stand on the top of that nearest one, your head would be nearly on a level with mine. You seem to be a fellow of some strength. If you will take my burden on your shoulders, I will do your errand for you." "Is the sky very heavy?" Hercules asked. M7 330 'Why, no, not at first," answered the giant. " But it gets to be a little tiresome after a thousand years ! r> " And how long a time," asked the hero, "will it take you to get the golden apples?" " Oh, that will be done in a few moments," said Atlas. ' I shall take ten or fifteen miles at a stride, and be at the garden and back again before your shoulders begin to ache." 'Well, then," answered Hercules, "I will climb the mountain behind you there, and take your burden." Without more words the sky was shifted from the shoulders of Atlas and placed upon those of Hercules. When this was safely done the giant laughed- 'Ho! ho! ho!" stretched himself, and stepped into the sea. At the first stride he cov- ered ten miles and the water came above his ankles ; at the second stride the waves washed about his knees ; and at the third he sank nearly to his waist. This was the greatest depth of the sea. At last the huge shape faded from view. Now 331 Hercules began to wonder what lie should do in case Atlas should be drowned in the sea; or if he should be stung to death by the dragon with the hundred heads, which guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. How could he ever get rid of the sky? It was already beginning to feel heavy on his head and shoulders. To his great joy, a little while later he beheld the huge giant, like a cloud on the far-off edge of the sea. As Atlas came nearer he held up his hand, in which Hercules could see three wonderful golden apples, as big as pumpkins, all hanging from one branch. ' I am glad to see you again/' shouted Her- cules, when the giant was within hearing. " So you have the golden apples ?" "Certainly, certainly," answered Atlas; "and very fair apples they are. I took the finest that grew on the tree, I can tell you." 'I heartily thank you for your trouble," said Hercules, " and now, as I have a long way to go, and the king, my cousin, is in a hurry for the 332 fruit, will you be kind enough to take the sky off my shoulders again?" " Can I not carry the golden apples to the king more quickly than you?" asked the giant. "As his majesty is in such a hurry to get them, I promise you to take my longest strides. Besides, I have no wish to burden myself with the sky just now." 'What!' shouted Hercules, in great anger, "do you intend to make me bear this burden forever? " 'We shall see about that, one of these days," answered the giant. ' You ought not to complain if you have to bear it the next hundred years, or perhaps the next thousand. I bore it a good while longer. You are a very strong man, and you will never have a better chance to prove it. You will be talked about, I can tell you." 'Well," answered Hercules, 'just take the sky on your head for a minute, will you? If I am to spend many centuries here I must make a cushion of my lion's skin for the weight to rest upon." 333 ' That 's no more than fair, and Til do it ! r> quoth the giant. ' For just five minutes, then, I'll take back the sky, but only for five minutes, remember ! I have no idea of spending another thousand years as I spent the last." So the stupid old giant threw down the golden apples and took back the sky upon his own head and shoulders, where it belonged. Hercules picked up the three golden apples, that were as big as pumpkins, and set out on his journey homeward. He paid no heed to the thundering voice of the giant, who bellowed after him to come back. There stands the giant to this day ; or at any rate, there stands the mountain as tall as he, which bears his name. When the thunder rum- bles we may imagine it to be the voice of Giant Atlas bellowing after Hercules. Where did the golden apples grow ? How were they guarded ? Where did the huge bowl take Hercules ? Who got the apples from the garden ? Why ? How did Hercules get the golden apples from Atlas ? 334 HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for returned, huge, weary, shaggy, shuddered, hastened, presently, tuft, strangled, gleamed, marvelous, l)rim, girdle, mightiest, bellowing What is meant by iveb-footed ? ' Thanking his lucky stars " means being glad; "of a sudden," at once; "get out of my clutch," get out of my hands. Tell how the " foaming ocean " looked. What is an island ? " At a stride " means at one step ; ft on a level," even with ; derjth, deepness. 2. Give the sound of ur in burden. In journey, our = ur. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : Hesperides (he's peVi dez) : maidens who watched the gar- den of the golden apples dragon (drag'un) : a large serpent with wings, spoken of in fables and stories ; not real journey (jur'ni) : a long trip disappear (dis a per') : pass from sight humor (hu/mer) : state of mind, disposition Atlas (at'las) : a giant who had to support the heavens on his head and shoulders intend (in t8nd') : have in mind, plan complain (komplan'): find fault Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : asking hero get For spelling see page 392. 335 MY TREASURES ROBERT Louis STEVENSON These nuts, that I keep in the back of the nest Where all my lead soldiers are lying at rest, Were gathered in autumn by nursie and me In a wood with a well by the side of the sea. This whistle we made (and how clearly it sounds !) By the side of a field at the end of the grounds, Of a branch of a plane, with a knife of my own ; It was nursie who made it, and nursie alone ! 336 The stone, with the white and the yellow and gray, We discovered I cannot tell how far away ; And I carried it back although weary and cold, For though father denies it, I'm sure it is gold. But of all my treasures the last is the king, For there 's very few children possess such a thing ; And that is a chisel, both handle and blade, Which a man who was really a carpenter made. Name the treasures. Why did the boy like to count over his treasures ? Which did he like best? Why? HELPS TO STUDY Tell what you know of Robert Louis Stevenson. Recite some of the Stevenson poems that you know. Plane., a spreading tree with, broad leaves. Give other words for discovered, weary, possess. Denies, says is not true. How should you say the second line of the fourth stanza? Stevenson used "there's" to show that a little child was talking. How should the child have said it ? 337 A STORY OF THE CAVE PEOPLE MARLBOROUGH CHURCHILL A CAVE FAMILY Many thousands of years ago, in a cave on the side of a hill overlooking a great forest, there lived a family of four people a father, a mother, and a boy and a girl. The boy's name was Mono and the girl's name was Ula. In the forests around the cave, strange looking animals roamed. There was the saber-tooth, an immense cat with two great saber-shaped teeth in his upper jaw. Then there was the mammoth, another beast with remarkable teeth. He was a huge elephant, covered with long, thick hair and having great tusks that curved upward like crescents. These he used in digging up saplings and bushes so that he could eat the roots. Then there were many other animals, some like those of today and others that are now extinct. The people used to hunt some of these 338 animals and kill them with stone-headed clubs and flint-headed javelins, but they never thought of taming any of them. Mono had a cloak of wolf skin and Ula had a coat of fawn skin. They slept on piles of skins with a bison hide on top. The cave-father wore a cloak made of the skin of a grizzly bear, and a necklace of its teeth and claws ; and he was looked upon by the cave people as a mighty hunter. But there was another man who wore a cloak of cave-bear skin with a necklace of teeth and claws. The cave bear is now extinct, but it was even larger than the grizzly bear, and the man who wore his skin was looked upon as the mightiest hunter of them all. A CAVE SUPPER One day TJla's father came home with a dead deer on his shoulders and laid it down before the mouth of the cave. He began to skin it with a flint knife. A flint knife is a poor sort of tool compared 339 with a steel knife. This knife was well polished, but it had a thick blade, so that it could not be made very sharp. It was wonderful what a man could do with it when he knew how to use it. Ula was watching her father skin the deer when Mono came out of the woods and up to the mouth of the cave. 'Where is your deer? 7 ' asked his father. 'I found two," said Mono, : 'but each time my javelin missed." He looked sad, and his father noticed it. 'It will happen so," he said, "but you should not have come home without a deer at this time of day. When I was your age I should not have been home until sunset." "A lion was following me. I was afraid," said Mono. ' He was afraid of you or he would have attacked you boldly," said his father. ' He was waiting for night. There is no use in being afraid of a beast so long as he is afraid of you." 340 r 'But suppose I had sprained my ankle," said Mono; "then I might not have been able to get home before darkness came on." ' You should then have built a fire," said his father. ' Wild beasts are afraid of fire. You had your flints and tinder, had you not?" 'No," answered Mono, hanging his head with shame. " Oh, you forgot them again ! " said his father. For a while nobody said anything. That night for supper the family had part of the deer roasted over the fire on a wooden spit, and nothing more. But, never having been used to anything better, they were quite happy. NIGHT IN THE CAVE When they went to bed they left the fire burning in the mouth of the cave, to keep wild beasts from visiting them. It was a summer night, but the summers were cool in that country, and they were used to sleeping in a close, smoky air. 341 In the middle of the night TJla awoke. A hyena was laughing outside, but she was not afraid of him. After a while he became quiet and she was just falling off to sleep when she heard the long howl of a wolf in the distance. Another wolf answered, and then another. She was afraid of them. She knew that when game was scarce they were apt to move in great packs and attack people. However, the howling of the waives grew fainter and at last stopped altogether. Next time she awoke she was still more afraid. She heard nothing at first. All was very still. Then she heard a slight noise just outside the cave mouth. At first she thought it w^as a leaf falling, but other noises followed, stopped, and began again. She knew that it was the soft footfall of an animal walking close to the mouth of the cave. It was near morning, and the fire was low. Nothing was left of it but a few embers, and these gave but little light. 342 Ula raised herself on her elbow and looked over these embers into the darkness beyond. At first she could see nothing but a wall of blackness. Then she saw two balls of light about three feet above the ground. They went away and came back again. A slight breeze caused two or three of the embers to burst into flame. Then she saw two white streaks under the two balls of light, - just for a moment; then there was nothing but a black wall again. But she knew then that a saber-tooth was walking up and down in front of the cave. She knew that the right thing to do was to put more wood on the fire, but she was afraid that while she was doing it the huge cat might spring. However,* she knew some one who would not be afraid, so she crept to her father's side and shook him. He was wide awake in an instant. That was the way with the cave-dwellers. She told him what she had seen, and with his flint-headed spear in his hand, he went to the fire and put on more wood. 344 Soon it was blazing merrily. ' He won't cross that," said the cave-father, and went back to sleep again. Ula was no longer afraid and she went to sleep, too. When she woke again the sky was light and her mother was getting breakfast. THE FIRST ARTIST The next day Mono came home again without any game, but he had something with him that interested him and Ula as much as if he had brought home a deer. It was a piece of red ocher. He showed her how he could make a mark with it on the white cliffs that formed the walls of the cave. He went on making marks until suddenly she jumped and screamed with delight. ' What is the matter? " asked her mother, who was half asleep by the fire. " See what he has made ! r ' cried Ula, clapping her hands with joy. The mother came and looked. ' Why, it 's a reindeer! 7 ' said she. 'I knew you would know what it was!' ; cried Ula. 345 It was a crude drawing, but these two had never seen a picture before, and so it was won- derful to them. Mono's father had to be called, and he too thought it was wonderful. But you know how provoking fathers can be about casting cold water on things. ' If it were as easy for you to get a real deer as it is for you to draw one, you would be a great hunter,' 7 he said. 'He will be a great hunter yet/ 7 said the mother. "Yes," said Ula. 'I did not get home until sunset this time," said Mono. He went on drawing, and again every one could tell the picture - - Ula before it w^as half finished. " Oh," she said, "it looks just like the one that came here last night! 7 ' 'If it had teeth like that, it must have been huge, 77 said the father. Then Mono tried his hand again, but this time the picture was not so good. The mother thought it was a lion. The father thought it was 346 a hippopotamus. : ' Any one can see that it is a bird of some kind/ 7 said Ula. Mono was good-natured. ' I would not have known what it was myself if someone else had drawn it,' 7 he said. 'I heard some of them roar- ing in the great swamp today. Tomorrow I will go down there and watch them. Then I shall be able to draw one." " Oh, mammoths ! r< said the mother. ' Now that you have told me what it is, I see that it does look very much like a mammoth. 7 ' 'I hope," said his father, " that you will not let this new idea turn your head. You had better learn more about killing deer before you study how to draw mammoths." 'Don't let him go, papa," said Ula. 'He might get hurt." ' The boy must learn not to be afraid of ani- mals," said the father. ' If this new idea of his is going to teach him that, it is a good one." 'You must be very careful, my son, 77 said his mother. " Oh, yes, I will be very careful, 77 said Mono. 347 THE MAMMOTH HUNT Next day, long before sunset, Mono came home from his mammoth hunt. You can guess how happy his mother and sister were when they saw him. He brought great news with him. He had found a mammoth caught in the great swamp. Knowing their weight, mammoths were very care- ful as to where they trusted themselves. But this one had gone too close to the edge of a deep pond where the bank was rotten, and it had given way. He had slid into the deep mud and could not get out. The next day Mono led nearly all the men and boys that lived within ten miles to the place where the mammoth lay. Tired out by his struggles, he had fallen over on his side. With their flint knives and spears they bled the mammoth to death. This was better for the poor beast than starving or being eaten alive by other beasts. The whole neighborhood had a great feast and plenty of fine, thick skin for sandals. These 348 sandals were pieces of skin wrapped round their feet and ankles and tied with thongs of leather. The tusks were carried to Mono's cave and put on each side of the entrance as ornaments. Mono's father was told over and over again that his son would become a great hunter. The cave- father smiled but said nothing. Compare the home of the cave family with the home of today (with your own home). What food did they have ? What tools ? How did they keep wild animals away ? What shows that in their play cave children were some- what like children of today ? How did the men hunt great animals without guns ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Saber-shaped means shaped like a curved sword; " tusks that curved upward like crescents," large teeth shaped like the new moon ; saplings, small trees. Name some animals of the cave time. What animals are now extinct ? What is meant by flint-headed f What tools were made of flint? "Bison hide" is the skin of a bison, or buffalo. What is a fawn? Tinder means a small piece of wood to catch the spark from the flint ; " a wooden spit," a pointed rod for holding meat while it is being 349 roasted ; " game was scarce," there were very few animals to be found for food ; embers, pieces of lighted wood ; saber- tooth, a saber-toothed tiger; " crude drawings," simple, unfinished drawings. Give other words for pack, fainter, slight. " Tired out by his struggles " means tired out from trying to get out of the mud ; thongs, straps of leather. 2. Find words in the story where ea = a, ea = a, ea = e, ea = e, ei = a, ue = e, ie = i, aw = 6, ir = ur, ear = ur, and ur = ur. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : immense (i m8ns') :. huge, very large mammoth (mam'oth) : a very large elephant not living now remarkable (re mar'ka b'l) : strange, wonderful extinct (Sks tlnkt') : no longer to be found javelins (jaVlmz) : light spears to be thrown by hand bison (bi'sun) : a kind of buffalo attacked (a takt') : fell upon with force hyena (hi e'na) ; a wild animal like a wolf that seeks its food at night ocher (o'ker) : a kind of clay used in making paints provoking (pro vok'ing) : tending to make angry ornaments (or'na ments) : objects of beauty Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : careful Mono Ula For spelling see page 392. 350 LOTUS AND RAINBOW CAROLINE B. CHURCHILL PART I Long before Joseph's brethren went down into Egypt to buy corn there lived on the banks of the Nile two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was about twelve years old and the girl was two years younger. Her name was Lotus, and his, Rainbow, for in those days the Egyptians used names which had a meaning. All names had meanings at one time, though the meanings now are often lost. The boy and girl were very close friends and they liked to be together. Sometimes they sat on a great stone by the river and talked. Some- times they threw pebbles into the water. Often they watched the hippopotamuses and crocodiles swimming about, and the flamingoes and ibises flying and wading. Lotus was quite an artist, and she would bring her paint and brush and papyrus to the rock and make pictures of what she saw. Rainbow was never tired of watching her. 351 Though she lived in Egypt, Lotus never painted any pyramids. It seems queer to think there was a time when there were no pyramids in Egypt. But no one had ever seen a pyramid in the days when Lotus lived. Nor were there any temples or palaces or cities of any great size or splendor. There was no kingdom of Egypt then, but one king ruled over the northern, and one over the southern part. All along the Nile were villages of mud-walled houses thatched with straw and leaves. Each of these villages had its chief who was a vassal of the king. Sometimes Lotus painted gazelles, for the country was so wild that she often saw them coming to the river to drink ; and once she saw a lion, but she was so frightened that she never thought of painting him. Eainbow was not with her that day. If he had been, she would not have been so frightened, for though he was only twelve years old, he was a fine bowman and skillful at wielding the spear and throwing the club. His arrows and spear were tipped with copper, for the Egyptians had no steel. 352 There were baboons living among the rocks, but of these she could not get a good picture. They were so lively that they would never stand still. One day when she had grown tired of painting the same things over and over, she sat for a long while on the rock, looking across the river. Rain- bow lay on the sand at her feet. A new idea came to her. She painted something and handed it to him. " That is you! " she said. " Oh," said he, smiling, " of course it is. It is a rainbow." It was painted in four colors, red, yellow, green, and blue. ;t Now," he said, "paint yourself." She did so. " Good ! " said Rainbow. She tore the piece of papyrus in two and handed him the piece that had the lotus on it. 'Keep that," she said, "and every time you look at it, it will remind you of me." 'Keep the other piece yourself," he said, ' that it may remind you of me." She smiled. ''I will do so," she said, "but I shall not need it to remind me of you." 353 LOTUS AND RAINBOW PART II Lotus lived in the best house in the village, for her father, Ibis, was the chief. When she came home that night Ibis said to her, " I don't want you to speak to Rainbow again. " " Why not? " asked Lotus. "Because," said her father, "he is my enemy, and I intend to kill him." "Oh!" cried Lotus. 'Yes," said her father, 'I had a dream last night, in which he met me on the river bank. He had grown to be a man. He fitted an arrow to his bowstring and raised his bow to shoot me. I could do nothing to defend myself. If I let him grow up he will kill me and be chief in my stead." 'He would never do that," cried Lotus, "he thinks too much of me." ' What would that matter to him if he thought that he could be chief?" said her father. 'The only safe thing to do is to put him out of the 354 way. He is a well-favored boy and will make a fine sacrifice to Ra. Tomorrow is the day for choosing a victim. I will speak to the chief priest and tell him to select Rainbow." Lotus wanted to cry. She knew what her father's words meant. The priests would seize Rainbow, take him to the temple, and after a long ceremony kill him on the altar of the ter- rible god Ra, - - a monstrous idol with the body of a man and the head of a hawk. Presently Lotus went to the door. 'Where are you going ?" asked her father. Lotus said nothing. " Come back/ 7 said the chief. 'I have told you too much to let you go out/ 7 'May I not go out for fresh air?" asked Lotus. " Wait," said Ibis. Then he called, "Asp, Asp ! " 'Here, master," answered a voice outside, and an old woman entered the house. " Go with my daughter," said Ibis. " She wants to take the air. Let her go where she pleases, but see that she speaks to no one." 355 ' If she does, let my head be the forfeit/ 7 said the old woman. 'I will not go out yet," said Lotus. Her father smiled. 'I thought so/' he said. Lotus sat down and rested her chin in her hand while the tears ran slowly down her face. Asp began to make the fire and cook the supper. After a while Lotus painted by the light of the fire. This picture looks like the picture that she painted. 356 ' I wish I could think of something that he would be more sure to understand/' she said to herself. "But alas, I can't/' After supper she said to Asp, " Come, we will go out." They took a long walk through the village. Finally Lotus saw Rainbow. She went toward him and he came to meet her. " Ah!' : he said, "you are out late." She put her finger to her lip. "She is forbidden to speak," said Asp. " Oh," said Rainbow. Just then, as Lotus passed him, he felt some- thing pushed into his hand. Asp turned a moment later and saw him looking at a bit of bark. She thought nothing of that. " Come, we will go home," said Lotus. 'Very well," said the old woman. The moon had risen by that time, and it was almost as light as day. Rainbow looked at the paper intently. 'Why was she forbidden to speak?" he said to himself. ' But one thing is clear. She could 357 not speak and had something she wanted to tell me, so she has given me this. What does it mean ? " He puzzled over it for a while. 'I am this," he said, " this figure with the rainbow over its head. Who is this pushing me? Ah ! I know. The bird over his head is like an ibis. It is Ibis, her father. And here is Ra. I know him by his hawk's head. And the thing below him must be his. altar. And Lotus is weeping. Oh ! ' ; His face went pale in the moonlight. 'I am to be a sacrifice to Ra," he said, "and tomorrow is the choosing day." Then he looked at the other figures. ' I am running away and Lotus dancing with joy," he said. 'But I will not run. I know a better way. I will take a boat. I have owed my uncle a visit for a long while. Now I shall pay him a longer visit than he expects." He looked at the picture. 'You have saved me, Lotus," he said. 'I know that you are a clever girl, but I never knew before how clever you are. Alas that I must leave you ! ' : 358 LOTUS AND RAINBOW PART III Great was the delight of Lotus, and very much enraged was her father, when next morning Rain- bow was nowhere to be found. During the night he had crossed the river to a village on the other side, where his -uncle was chief ; so there he was safe. At first Ibis believed that Asp had deceived him ; and he threatened to have her thrown to the crocodiles, but Lotus swore by the great god Ra that she had spoken to no one during her walk. Neither her father nor the old woman ever knew how Rainbow had been warned. The two friends were very sad for a while at being separated, but they used to talk to each other by means of paintings, and as time went on they became more and more skillful in expressing their thoughts. After a while they taught this painting to others, and the simple art of writing began to spread along the Nile. Rainbow was finally able to go back to his old home, and he and Lotus were able to see each other as often as they liked. 359 Why did Lotus's father wish to kill Rainbow ? How did he plan to kill him ? What did Ibis forbid Lotus to do? How did she manage to warn Rainbow ? How did he escape? How does the story end? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Do you know the story of " Joseph and his Breth- ren " ? Tell it. " Papyrus bark," part of the papyrus plant used for writing or painting. Try to find a picture of the pyramids of Egypt either in a book or in a museum. Splendor means beauty ; thatched, covered ; vassal, a sub- ject of the king ; skillful, apt, clever. What are baboons ? How does a lotus flower look ? Well-favored means hand- some ; sacrifice, an offering; victim, a person sacrificed to a god. Give another word for select. Intently, thoughtfully; enraged, angered; " expressing their thoughts," telling their thoughts by means of pictures; "art of writing," putting speech into words on paper. 2. Find and write ten words which have letters not heard. Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : flamingoes (fla min'goz) : large water birds having long necks and legs ibises (I'bls Sz) : water birds having long, curved bills gazelles (ga zSlz') : small deer ceremony (seVe mo ni) : a religious service Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 : something nothing writing smiling looking being For spelling see page 392. 360 HIAWATHA'S PICTURE-WRITING HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW In the poem of Hiawatha, Longfellow has put together the most beautiful stories of our Amer- ican Indians. In the early part of the poem, stories are told of the four winds, of flowers, of animals, of the rainbow, and of the moon. As Hiawatha grows older he is made the hero of many adventures, such as the killing of the red deer. To him also is given honor for many discoveries, as the use of Indian corn for food. When he grew to be a man, Hiawatha introduced the art of picture-writing to the Indians, just as Mono did many years before to the cave-dwellers. Here are some lines from the poem that tell about the picture-writing: In those days said Hiawatha, :t Lo 1 how all things fade and perish ! . . . On the grave-posts of our fathers Are no signs, no figures painted; Who are in those graves we know not, Only know they are our fathers. . . . 361 Face to face we speak together, But we cannot speak w^hen absent, Cannot send our voices from us To the friends that dwell afar off; Cannot send a secret message, But the bearer learns our secret. . . ." Thus said Hiawatha, walking In the solitary forest, Pondering, musing in the forest, On the welfare of his people. From his pouch he took his colors, Took his paints of different colors, On the smooth bark of a birch-tree, Painted many shapes and figures, Wonderful and mystic figures, And each figure had a meaning, Each some w r ord or thought suggested. For the earth he drew a straight line, For the sky a bow above it; White the space between for daytime, Filled with little stars for night-time ; On the left a point for sunrise, M7 362 On the right a point for sunset, On the top a point for noontide, And for rain and cloudy weather Waving lines descending from it. Footprints pointing toward a wigwam Were a sign of invitation, Were a sign of guests assembling; Bloody hands with palms uplifted Were a symbol of destruction, Were a hostile sign and symbol. Thus it was that Hiawatha, In his wisdom, taught the people All the mysteries of painting, All the art of Picture-Writirig, On the smooth bark of the birch-tree On the white skin of the reindeer, On the grave-posts of the village. Repeat all the stories you can remember about Hiawa- tha's childhood. What gift did he give to his people when a man ? What two reasons are given why the Indians needed a written language? 364 What kind of writing did Hiawatha use ? What were the word pictures for earth, sky, day, night, sunrise, sunset, noon, rain, an invitation, enemies ? HELPS TO STUDY 1. Give other words for perish, dwell, learns. " Solitary forest," lonely, silent forest, without people ; " pondering, musing," thinking about; "welfare of his people," good of his people. Give another word for pouch. What mate- rials did the Indians use for drawing and painting ? " Mystic figures," signs having a secret meaning. Go to the library and read Kipling's " Story of Picture Writing." 2. Find words in the story where ai = a, ew = oo, y = i, ow = o, ue = e, ou = ow, and au = 6. V Pronounce these words, using charts, pages 365-373 : solitary (sol'i ta ri) : lonely suggested (sug j8st'8d) : called up in the mind descending (de sgnd'mg) : going down invitation (in vita/shun) : asking for a person's company assembling (a sgm'bling) : coming together symbol (sfm'bol) : sign, that which stands for something destruction (de struk'shun) : ruin by enemies hostile (h5s'til) : warlike mysteries : (mis'tSr iz) : things unknown Pronounce these words, using dictionary, pages 374-377 I word figure point For spelling see page 392. 365 PHONETIC CHARTS CONSONANT SOUNDS FIRST YEAR FIRST HALF (To be used by children for reference) sandy lies fire five s s f V moon Pittypat bill spin m P b n tart and his while t d h wh wee rain little could w r 1 c kite good Jack swing k g j ing thing then Shuffle children th th sh ch 366 BLEND CONSONANTS AND VOWEL SOUNDS FIKST YEAR SECOND HALF thee spin is stop baby ee sp i st a slumber elf swing chap % si 6 sw a fl go plot fun trot white pl u tr I dreams dark flock green duty dr a gr u a = a in baby I = i in white a = a in chap 1 = 1 in is a = a in dark = in go o = o in flock ee = ee in thee e = e in me u = u in duty e = e in elf ii = u in fun 367 VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS SECOND YEAR, FIRST HALF strong full size quite ng u z qu = kw yellow all noise boys y a oi oy moon dew chew hood oo ew = u ew=oo do short fox out ice 6 = aw x = ks ou c oo = oo in moon do = oo in hood 6 = o in short u in full = do in hood a in all = 6 in short ew in dew = u in duty ew in chew = oo in moon 368 VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS SECOND YEAR SECOND HALF page done thief ie = e died dolly 7=1 o in done = u in fun ie in died = i in white ie in thief = e in me y in dolly = 1 in is WORDS TO PRONOUNCE cane shake age shade fan catch rabbit clap bar lard chart father rmd China ice ripe ill prick visit pitch fuse pure music tune under hub brush hutch c6rn sort cord scorch all stall chalk warms quite queen quit quill fox vex next mix exit thief chief field pier died pie lie flies tie keep steel weed screen even he these eve the elf fret egg desk then open go drone home old 5ff trot rod drop dock tool boot goose shoot good wool stood wooden dew stew new few mews chew flew drew screws full pull bush bull put done other some month dolly happy fairy pony ice face page gem gill 369 EQUIVALENT SOUNDS THIKD YEAR FIKST HALF glass care my eye was a a y = I eye = i a = 6 roaring follow beneath people many oa = o ow = 6 ea = e eo = e a = 6 heads Geoffrey minute rough says ea = 6 eo = g U = l ou = u ay = e nurse bird her to you ur = ur ir = ur er = ur = 00 ou = oo shoulder sure caught thought laid ou = o u = oo au = 6 ou = 6 ai = a pay great true shoe friend ay = a ea = a ue = oo oe = 6o ie = e there wear sew should reindeer e = a ea = a ew = 6 011=66 ei = a 370 EQUIVALENT SOUNDS (CONTINUED) build ui = i blood guard early broad oo = u ua = a ear = ur oa = 6 laid pay great reindeer ai = a in baby ay = a in baby shoulder ou = o in go sew ew = o in go ea a in baby ei = a in baby was a = o in flock guard ua = a in dark dawns aw = 6 in short there wear e = a in care ea = a in care caught au o in short thought ou = 6 in short broad oa = 6 in short beneath people . ea e in me eo = e in me to o = oo in moon many heads Geoffrey says friend a = e in elf ea = e in elf eo = e in elf ay = e in elf J'UU UU <JU 111 111UU11 sure u = oo in moon true ue = oo in moon shoe oe = oo in moon ie = e in elf should ou = do in hood my eye y = I in white eye = I in white rough ou = u in fun blood oo = u in fun minute build u = i in is ui = i in is nurse ur = ur in urn hirrl ir fir in firn roaring follow oa = o in go ow = o in go her er = ur in urn early ear = ur in urn 371 WORDS TO PRONOUNCE ate ail bay break neigh ark father palm guard fare where pear chair be sea beak people end den any read bread leopard says friend like spy flying eye him busy build guilt bone oak goat blow soul mould sews sewing chop block what swan core lawn draw cause saucer ought cough broad boot do wound rule good would could should Susan hue beauty view bud couple double flood burn sir fern heard fast ask bath ant pathway craft dance grass 372 EQUIVALENT SOUNDS THIRD YEAR SECOND HALF sofa a married ie = l prettier e = l donkey ey = i captain ai = i laughed au = a world or = ur journey our = ur buy uy = 1 chorus ch = k machine i = e Aeolus ae = e key ey = e bargain ai = e guest ue = e they ey = a after er = gr fruit ui = oo beautiful eau = u treasure s = zh (voice of sh) they ey = a in baby captain ai = I in is married ie = i in is prettier e = i in is donkey ey = i in is laughed au = a in dark again a = a in sofa machine i Aeolus ae key ey = e in me fruit ui = oo in moon e in me = e in me beautiful eau = u in duty bargain ai = e in elf guest ue = e in elf world or = ur in urn journey our = ur in urn matter er = er in after chorus ch = k in kite buy uy = I in white treasure s = zh (voice of sh) 373 WORDS TO PRONOUNCE (Read across) make pail play great reins they hark guard laughed aunt heart baa sofa again away about giant he see pea people machine ^Eolus Phoebe key field seize met any read friend bargain guest leopard says bury after matter supper winter ice pie my buy aye ship system England married build been busy women pretty forfeit money carriage soon fruit do shoe two wound Sioux sure duty cue beautiful few burn bird her pearls world journey chorus school chord treasure pleasure measure 374 LITTLE DICTIONARY To THE PUPILS. The dictionary is used to find the meanings of words which you do not understand. Another use of the dictionary is for the pronunciation of words. In this book the hard words are printed at the end of each lesson, with their meanings. You will also find at the end of each lesson a list of words under the heading : " Pronounce these words, using dictionary." The words listed are those which are often pronounced incorrectly. We can learn how to use the dictionary by finding and pronounc- ing these easy words, and at the same time we may learn to speak good English. You are asked to find some of these words several times, that you may be sure of their pronunciation. To find a word in this little dictionary, notice the first two letters of the word. Then turn to the column where the words begin with the same letter as your word. Look down the column till you find words that begin with the first two letters of your word. If you do not remember the marks over the letters, find them in the key to pronunciation printed below. KEY TO PRONUNCIATION a as in ate 3, as in Celt a as in dark e as in me 8 as in 81 f er as in after o as in go 5 as in not 6 as in short th as in thing (breath) th as in then a as in ask a as in care I as in white 6 as in soft oo as in moon (voice) a as in sofa I as in Is do as in hood ou as in out u as in duty u as in fun oi as in noise ur as in urn 375 after (after) afterwards (after werdz) again (a gen') against (a genst') ah (a) alone (a Ion') Ame-ya (a'ma-ya) armor (ar'mer) arrow (ar'o) ask (ask) asked (askt) asking (ask'mg) ate (at) aunt (ant) aye (i) backward (bak'werd) bade (bad) basket (bas'ket) because (be k6z') being (be'mg) birds (burdz) birth (burth) brass (bras) burst (burst) careful (kar'fool) carefully (kar'fool i) castles (kas'lz) catches (katch'ez) clamor (klam'er) clothes (klothz) coming (kum'ing) cost (kost) croquet (kro ka') dirt (durt) dirty (dur'ti) dogs (dogz) drowned (dround) dumplings (dump'lmgz) duty (du'ti) dwarf (dwSrf) early (ur'li) earth (urth) either (e'ther) enough (e nuf faster (fast'er) fault (folt) fellow fel'o) figure (fig'ur) first (furst) flying (fli'ing) forbade (for bad') forehead (for'ed) forward (foVwerd) 376 gayly (ga'li) gently (jen'tli) get (get) glass (glas) glasses (glas'ez) gliding (glid'ing) glory (glo'ri) God (god) going (go'ing) gone (gon) grass (gras) gutters (gut'erz) half (haf ) half -past (haf -past') heard (hurd) hero (he'ro) hurt (hurt) join (join) joined (joind) just (just) kettle (kef'l) kindly (kind'K) knew (nu) last (last) laughing (laf ' ing) learn (lurn) learned (lurnd) length (length) lighted (Ht'gd) looking (Idok'mg) losing (looz'mg) lying (li'ing) mere (mer) mischief (mis'chif ) Mono (mo'no) naught (not) neither (ne'ther) nothing (nuth'ing) off (of) offer (of'er) officers (of'i serz) often (of'n) once (wuns) only (on'li) other (uth'er) our (our) pass (pas) past (past) path (path) pearl (purl) perhaps (perhaps') person (pur'sun) point (point) 377 rather (rath'er) rivers (riv'erz) sauce (s6s) saw (so) search (surch) served (survd) singing (singling) sir (stir) sliding (slid'mg) smiling (smil'ing) snout (snout) soar (sor) soft (soft) softly (soft'li) something (sum'thmg) song (song) squirrels (skwur'elz) staff (staf) stockings (stok'mgz) strewed (strood) strong (strong) sword (sord) tempo (tein'po) things (thingz) thought (thot) thrones (thronz) toward (tord) towards (tordz) true (troo) turned (ttirnd) twenty (twen'ti) Ula (u'la) voice (vois) whole (hoi) widow (wid'o) willow (wiVo) window (win'do) word (wurd) world (wurld) worst (wurst) worth (wurth) worthy (wurtb'i) wounded (woond'ed) writing (rit'ing) yellow (yel'o) yesterday (yes'ter da) young (yung) M; 378 REVIEW SPELLING SECOND YEAR FIRST HALF (To be used by the children) COMMON AND USEFUL WORDS bubbles once monkey from pipe with good kittens soap eye of mittens and was go what the him father who to garden happy for miller flower home this baker were very both rolls she grass fox his as star too in plant been pocket it over dew after boy said horses work cents your cows many you pretty have camel little girls has want mother here there tent her us where put one on baby cabbage are donkey love other 379 leaf any shall build dog stone could buy two does fast off birds if sir new barn busy broom down ever food these up much ants door stairs such when clouds town is turnips motor downstairs house bear knee downtown blue must Mary upstairs nor only goes uptown PHONETIC WORDS (Not all phonetic words are given, but some of each group learned) fill way bin make sill gray thin wake bill he spin cake pill me peep lake blow the deep snake tow she sheep not flow why wee dot show by see lot man spy tree got van fly feet trot ran try meet nde bran sky beet tide day in sleet hide hay pin sweet wide 380 pride slide far bar car look book cook hook cow now long sits pits nest west chest fun sun gun run that sat bat rat drop top hop chop gem hem them stem pick sick lick thick stick cold fold gold hold bold good wood stood Pig fig big dig get set wet yet town down brown bell tell well shell spell fore sore more wore store back pack tack black quack cut but nut fox box am ham jam ram swam clam "had sad glad night right light green seen screen cock rock lock block clock iind mind kind wind blind grind song wild mild child land sand stand then men hen when how 381 sea tea flea country grapes lambs fruit saw oh fingers thunder sharp rain corn warm our fourth which every April June four Sunday Monday Friday hare share lays pare ways plays care days stays SECOND YEAE SECOND HALF COMMON AND USEFUL WORDS died long thing ill people heard Wednesday shadow voice Thursday crowd echo Saturday burst ugly Tuesday water ho some asked brother second they sister minute into watch twelve grandmother while month caught their seven rabbit swallow hour before summer says wrong again age first away clothes foot done dressed George come company forest cheese wicked answer mouse always polite frogs aunt silly toads rude began bread 382 city yellow stop soup chased orange harm coffee built violet out butter drive fairy listen sailor about hung stole write wolf never cruel salt help span eggs read hard bow plum wish drum sun wool nurse upon children none next so supper know dozen crooked woman feel yard teach child knew pond learn peach grandson swim left river corner milk walk tried table tallow crab wash angry above rainbow sang doing held chase also 'stove used turn another cloth lamp each sport bowl room low great eyes gas key PHONETIC WOEDS (Not all phonetic words are given, but some of each group learned) field yield red mast wield bed sled past shield bed fed red sled fast last 383 sheet fleet greet street pound ground trap nap cap strap rose nose hose close slice slit laid maid paid braid son ton won year near dear clear went bent tent spent speak beak leak weak end mend bend spend at hat rat flat made wade shade line mine shine place face race lace space ship tip dip whip slip same name game frame nioon noon soon spoon time dime lime chime bleat heat neat wheat for nor or to do who rain pain chain train plain hung lung rung stung wrung head dead read lead tread bread week seek leek cheek think sink pink drink clean mean bean lean flower power shower ice mice rice it bit hit round sound 384 THIRD YEAR FIEST HALF COMMON AND USEFUL WORDS Indian silk neck family pillow gardener rooster cousin beyond teacher parrot vote playthings school comb breakfast pleasant ladder roof yourself alive climb between winter trunk half friend furrow animals eleven turtle soldier afraid number mouth palace world wise visit ladies earth last until queen lion bridge daughter cloak surprise market drowned suit behind cried cattle fairies along story blood please kept cradle Moses funny tired really army shelf quiet swept potatoes Lincoln chipmunk early pepper stream because safe penny wagon babies deer dukes March brave sure pumpkin boots bank gander nothing oxen wife goose turkey snowflake vinegar geese ginger puddles mutton front widow laugh knock mile yesterday oven 385 Christmas silver acorns birthday mantel golden prancing present some honest perhaps doctor princess steel banners sleeve jewels squirrels waving stripes bottom evening swords broad plate wigwam powder bombs farewell candle smoke whose straight lilies flags rainbow PHONETIC WOKDS dawns all morning "Tie" eye head red great laid pulled could took bird hurt her taste pay shoe poor true sure who daughter water dreams seems was of young duck roaring follow through proof know go bees people weary tongue dusted loved tomorrow only goat roar pretty brim "find sky many beds basket path believe feast threw soon minute little happy thought short airing wear fellow sew reindeer saying flying cried wild tease sleep choose truly 386 THIKD YEAR SECOND HALF COMMON AND USEFUL WORDS parents beside master London return cities frozen money thousand plain score axes spoonful giant husband easy hundred fifth toward question honey sixth signal grace carried quarrel wonder pious clever peace thorn rule royal color village branches pound else forfeit unhappy crush message proud needles rafts kingdom loads glitter smooth close island leaves church quite gentle lucky hoofs slave blossoms fresh candy wedge autumn bare coal court spring fountain iron crown ridges arbors shooting trouble break circle stable throat high dwarf coach hunters sparrow scents lawn hounds feathers wand kissing crane magpie favorite chorus ought layer Mildred counterpane crept sheriff circus planted hole thieves reason 387 Edith bargain spurs staff ruby bunches daffodils brass shepherd peddler beauty armor icicles poured right ewes staring banana snail goodness greasy image creature surely stranger body saucepan dwell business truthful sneezing oil already quietly kitchen nostrils comfort forgive nursing traveler sorrow eagle manners coughed tailor steamers croquet buzzed girdle castles hurried arrows death guest hearth tracks obey few sodden shoot idle alphabet without aimed beautiful chimney thread flesh squirrels basins dimples cord poppies border thumb wasp trumpet machine teeth deer chickens skylark forehead nineteen himself sighing battle fifteen verses promise shield sandals weary suppose helmet temple breathe meadow pasture pledge western breath valley grove breast broken seized stone dying hedge tender heart herself claws ruddy inch 388 pair huge power saddle welcome maidens robes excuse wrapped streets witch proud mantle begged pale mount spider dashed fair buckles cliffs foamed rich picture bronze poison Washington velvet bathed throne president wrist deeds noble carriage shirt club dizzy George sofa across pearls third farmer miller PHONETIC SPELLING (Words having equivalent sounds) spear beast elephant rough prisoner emperor pieces queer "foul owl merchant journey merry sunny mountain captain 389 SPELLING FOUKTH YEAR (To be used by the children) The number in front of the words corresponds to the number of the last page of the selection from which the spelling words have been taken. Use and write these words in sentences. 5. servants thimble closely enough suffer pencil 12. cowards centipede coral goblet rebound lanterns 14. pine tree rice shop indoors plenty bamboo sulk 18. whistles shelves vessels narrow kindly dough 22. conquer quickly danger weapons statue except 27. council covered hungry hidden agreed squaw 29. millions brethren wrangle indeed exceed flame 35. anything stuffed barley tasted sauce broth 41. dealer trinket greedy property value worth 46. Chinese orchard bushels yonder better glory 390 53. basketful customer commenced currants noticed 136. petticoats bayonets 107. mischief gentleman sewing necklace December shocked diamonds shilling squeaked chariot pudding 56. scattered copper parasol remember shrub postman moment apron whisper pillar surf engines board 109. showers however tying smiling check 60. mattresses July sizes something 111. gliding 144. harnessed bedstead sliding handsome bedchamber skaters curtains unless 113. stocking goddess quilts handful cinder 62. bridegroom dropped globe cleaned pinned boast wedding empty oath merry 125. hollow 149. breathed 72. happily buried furnace anchors guessed flannel clovers disappointed miners cellar borrowed safety rudder package shaft wharf tobacco 153. northern 73. newspapers parlor musket countryman hurrah voyage 391 naval comrade angrily 167. shoulders signed quails whiskers attack price curious pardon 225. vegetables stupid guard opening tunnel 202. Benjamin prove center sixteen enter dozing button 228. started shrink invent stroll label wooden remain 181. thirteen toil rushed railway 207. guilty judge gallons harbor worst capital memory 238. Richard history plunge divided English course visitor French soar leader puzzle 210. grindstone heavy lesson myself honor Paris almost 243. scratched Rome truant seventy Nile kettle growled 192. blacksmith rascal wolves horseback 217. shoemaker birch victory coachman torch village leather 251. festival forge errand invited 197. regiment wager uniform telegram vexed figures Vermont 221. nearest brains 392 flea tower 334. cushion envy soil weight 254. amused 290. handkerchiefs scales clumsy pocket-books dragon whale parade beard ached thief ocean 259. backward 296. rhinoceros waist brook porcupine hero bushy crocodile 349. polished goal wrinkles drawing 266. antlers holiday ankles melted quills happen chief jungles knives since pupils knife 277. wisdom 304. perform tusks listen couple fawn altar punish 359. pebbles flood settle artist guide defend wading odor group simple 282. kindness nerve brush locusts arena idol twenty 316. toothache 364. painted choice headache weather chisel roasted absent hammer stewed graves David purple pouch cedar cotton palms 286. families uncles crowded shawl YC 49891 541279 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY