,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,third ,,reader ,the ,wide ,awake ,series ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,primer1 #cj cents ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,first ,,reader1 #cj cents ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,second ,,reader1 #ce cents ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,third ,,reader1 #dj cents ,illustration3 ,,the ,,children ,,scrub ,,their ,,wooden ,,shoes4 7,from 8,dutch ,children407 ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,third ,,reader ,,by ,,clara ,,murray ,,author ,,of 8,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,primer10 8,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,first ,,reader10 8,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,second ,,reader10 ,,etc4 ,illustration ,,boston ,,little1 ,,brown1 ,,and ,,company #aiab ,,copyright1 #aijh1 ,,by ,,little1 ,,brown1 ,,and ,,company4 ,all rights reserved4 ,printers ,s4 ,j4 ,,parkhill ,,co41 ,,boston1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,preface ,,in this1 the third reader of the series1 great care has been taken1 not only in selecting material suited to the needs and ability of the pupil1 but also to arrange the selections so that he may develop the habit of acquiring interesting facts as he reads4 ,in the first two grades the children need to learn the mechanics of reading1--the recognition of words1 the ability to find out new words for themselves by means of phonics1 correct pronunciation1 enunciation1 inflection1 expression1 etc41 but in this grade especial stress may be laid on learning by reading1--getting the fact and remembering it4 ,this prepares the pupil for the actual work of studying1 when he is given a book and asked for the first time to 8learn the lessons40 ,the questions at the end of many of the lessons should be read and answered by the pupil after he has read the selection4 ,his answers should be thoughtfully prepared and correctly stated4 ,especial attention is called to the fact that the selections in this book are almost exclusively copyrighted material1 and have never been and cannot be used in other series of readers4 ,this avoids the tiresome repetition of stories1 read first in one book and then again and again in others4 ,many of the selections are valuable from a literary standpoint1 and the pupils will read with real enjoyment stories by ,laura ,richards1 ,mary ,e4 ,wilkins1 ,anna von ,rydingsvrd1 ,helen ,hunt ,jackson1 and other authors1 noted for their skill in writing stories for children4 ,the selections which deal especially with child life and interests in other countries will broaden the child's view of the world1 prepare him for the study of geography1 and help him to be a wide awake child1 just the child whom this ,wide ,awake ,series is intended to develop4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the selections1 8,little ,grandmother's ,shoes10 8,children of a ,sunny ,land10 8,the ,little ,plant10 8,the ,little ,goatherds10 8,great-,great-,grandma's ,christmas in ,england10 8,the ,whipping ,boy10 8,the ,christmas ,spruce ,tree10 8,the ,eve of ,st4 ,nicholas10 8,the ,little ,turkeys10 8,the ,children of ,armenia10 8,ahmow1--the ,wolf10 8,the ,emperor and the ,peasant10 and 8,the ,christmas ,monks10 are used by arrangement with the ,lothrop1 ,lee and ,shepard ,company4 ,,contents ,,page ,,all ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,world #i ,,the ,,song ,,sparrow',s ,,work ,etta ,austin ,blaisdell #ae ,,dutch ,,children #bj ,a ,,little ,,dutch ,,girl ,edith ,colby ,banfield #be ,,the ,,great ,,feast ,laura ,e4 ,richards #bf ,,little ,,grandmother',s ,,shoes #cj ,,little-,,folk ,,land ,edith ,colby ,banfield #cc ,,children ,,of ,a ,,sunny ,,land ,a ,,strange ,,milk ,,wagon #ce ,a ,,ride ,,in ,a ,,chair #cf ,,the ,,carnival #ci ,,the ,,little ,,plant ,anna von ,rydingsvrd #db ,,two ,,ways ,laura ,e4 ,richards #dd ,a ,,song ,,in ,,the ,,woods ,louise ,c4 ,moulton #df ,,how ,,the ,,corn ,,grew ,julia ,dalrymple #dg 8,,do ,,you ,,know80 ,edith ,colby ,banfield #ea ,,the ,,little ,,goatherds #eb ,,swiss ,,children #ef ,,lullaby-,,land ,edith ,colby ,banfield #fj ,,the ,,stone ,,blocks ,laura ,e4 ,richards #fa ,,great-,,great-,,grandma',s ,,christmas ,,in ,,england #fc ,,the ,,whipping ,,boy #fi ,,the ,,christmas ,,spruce ,,tree ,anna von ,rydingsvrd #gb ,a ,,rose ,emily ,dickinson #gf ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,st4 ,,nicholas #gg ,,robin ,,redbreast ,william ,allingham #ha 8,,the ,,little ,,turkeys0 ,,in ,,school #hc ,,at ,,home #hh 8,,gillyflower ,,gentleman0 ,laura ,e4 ,richards #ia ,,the ,,ruler ,laura ,e4 ,richards #ic ,,the ,,moon ,edith ,colby ,banfield #ie ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,armenia #if ,,armenian ,,homes #ajj ,,the ,,nest ,helen ,hunt ,jackson #ajd ,,ahmow--,,the ,,wolf ,frederick ,schwatka #ajf ,,eskimo ,,children #aac ,,the ,,dream-,,ship ,blanche ,m4 ,channing #aag ,a ,,trip ,,to ,,japan ,charlotte ,chaffee ,gibson #aah ,,urashima ,charlotte ,chaffee ,gibson #abe ,a ,,day ,emily ,dickinson #acj ,,the ,,ants' ,,monday ,,dinner ,helen ,hunt ,jackson #aca ,,my ,,ant',s ,,cow ,helen ,hunt ,jackson #aci ,,colorado ,,snow-,,birds ,helen ,hunt ,jackson #adh ,,the ,,peterkins' ,,excursion ,,after ,,maple ,,syrup ,lucretia ,p4 ,hale #aec ,,the ,,grass ,emily ,dickinson #afd ,,sunset ,emily ,dickinson #afe ,,the ,,baby ,,squirrels ,julia ,a4 ,schwartz #aff ,,the ,,baby ,,that ,,sleeps ,,in ,a ,,pocket ,julia ,a4 ,schwartz #ahj ,,the ,,emperor ,,and ,,the ,,peasant ,anna von ,rydingsvrd #aid ,,the ,,christmas ,,monks ,mary ,e4 ,wilkins ,,the ,,garden #bjc ,,peter ,,and ,,the ,,prince #bjf ,,the ,,prettiest ,,doll #baj ,,christmas ,,gifts #bad ,,the ,,wide ,,awake ,,third ,,reader ,,all ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,world ,i wish you would try to think this morning about all the children in all the world4 ,illustration ,there are thousands and thousands of them1 and they are doing all sorts of things this very minute4 ,some of them are wide awake and some are in bed and fast asleep4 ,some are in school and some are playing out of doors4 ,some live in such hot countries that they lie in the shade of big palm trees to keep cool4 ,others are in such a cold country that they see nothing but ice and snow1 and they are dressed in furs from head to foot4 ,when you read stories about the children in other lands1 do they seem to you like fairy stories8 ,i want you to know that all these children are real boys and girls1 and they work and play and have happy times together1 just as you do4 ,perhaps when you read about the children in the far ,north you will wish that you were an ,eskimo boy1 living in a snow hut1 wearing thick furs1 and riding over the fields of snow in a sled drawn by dogs4 ,or perhaps you would rather be a little ,indian and live in a wigwam in the forest1 learning to paddle a canoe1 and to fish and hunt4 ,while you are here in this beautiful schoolroom1 learning to read and write and draw and sing1 there are thousands of other children who never saw a schoolhouse1 and who will grow up to be men and women without even learning to read4 ,you can read stories about these people1 and as you grow older perhaps you will know more about them1 but they will probably never hear of you4 ,of course1 there are many thousands of children everywhere who are in school this morning4 ,think of all the boys and girls in every town in the whole ,united ,states1 who see the flag with its stars and stripes floating over their schoolhouses1 and who learn to sing 8,america40 ,in ,france the children wave a flag of red1 white and blue1 and learn a song about their country1 but their flag is not like yours1 and you could not understand one word of their ,french song4 ,the little ,english children sing a song about their country and their king which you could understand1 and they read in books like yours4 ,but then1 there are the children who live in ,germany1 and learn to read in ,german1 and the children who live in ,italy and read ,italian books1 and many1 many others4 ,oh1 there are so many children in the world6 ,in ,japan and ,china the children use the queerest books that you ever saw4 ,the words go up and down the page1 and the stories begin at the end of the book1 and at the bottom of the page4 ,the words look like this3-- ,illustration ,did you ever see such funny words8 ,the boys and girls in these other countries do not go to school all of the time4 ,they have holidays and vacations1 and they play out of doors in the long summer days and the cold winter weather1 just as you do4 ,you would enjoy playing with these children1 even if you could not talk with them4 ,i know you would like to fly big kites with the boys in ,japan1 or skate down the canals with the little ,dutch boys4 ,and as for dolls6 ,i am sure there are as many dolls in the world as there are little girls1 and perhaps more1 because some little girls have so many dolls that they cannot play with all of them4 ,illustration ,you would like to play with the queer ,chinese dolls in their beautiful silken robes1 or with the ,eskimo dolls that are carved out of bone and are dressed in furs and sealskin4 ,the ,indian girl has wooden dolls dressed in bright blankets1 with beads and feathers4 ,the little ,french girl has a big wax doll1 with blue eyes that shut when she lies down1 and pop open when she sits up again4 ,she wears beautiful gowns and big hats with feathers and ribbons4 ,wouldn't it be fun to have a dolls' party to-day1 if the dolls from all over the world could come8 ,these dolls might be dressed in furs1 or silks1 or blankets2 they might be made of wax1 or bone1 or wood4 ,but if they could talk they would tell you that the little girl who owns them loves them1 and that1 whether she lives in a snow hut or a tent in the desert1 she has a loving father and mother and a happy childhood4 99 99 99 99 99 ,are there many children in all the world8 ,what are some of them doing this very minute8 ,if you should go to school in ,germany1 what would you have to do first8 ,what does a little ,german child have to do when he first goes to school in our country8 ,tell all the things you can that all the children in the world do almost every day4 ,,the ,,song ,,sparrow',s ,,work ,in the forest where the birds live there is always work to do4 ,illustration ,the woodpecker is a carpenter4 ,he climbs up and down the trees and chops a hole in the trunk of one of them to make his home4 ,the crow flies down to the ground1 and walks about in the fields4 ,he is the birds' farmer4 ,toward evening1 when he cries1 8,caw6 ,caw60 he means that the earth needs rain4 ,the owl is the night policeman4 ,he watches the rats and mice1 and keeps them out of the farmer's fields4 ,the kingbirds are the soldiers4 ,they fight the birds that come over from the next forest1 and drive them away4 ,the hawks have sharp eyes1 and can see a long way4 ,they are the scouts1 and tell the soldiers when the enemy is coming4 ,the whip-poor-wills can see in the night1 so they are the birds' night watchmen4 ,the orioles are weavers4 ,they weave their nests1 and hang them in the tallest trees4 ,one of the birds is a thief1 and steals eggs from the nests of the other birds1 but ,i shall not tell you his name4 ,so all of the birds have work to do in the forest4 ,what do the song birds do8 ,ah6 they have their work1 too4 ,they sing cheerfully while the other birds work1 and make the hours short and the day happy4 ,they sing of the goodness of ,god1 and of the beauty in the forest and sky4 ,if there were no song birds1 the workers might forget all of these lovely things4 ,then their hearts would be as hard as the tree the woodpecker is chopping4 ,one spring morning the song birds were singing so beautifully that every one listened4 ,the woodpeckers cried1 8,plitt6 plitt60 ,the crows screamed1 8,rah6 rah60 and the blackbirds laughed with glee4 ,this meant that they liked the songs4 ,in the nests were many baby birds4 ,they liked to hear the songs1 too1 so they stretched up their little heads4 ,but they could not understand the songs about the sky and the forest4 ,you see1 they had not seen these things yet1 and they did not know what the songs meant4 ,the poor babies drooped their heads and were very sad4 ,illustration ,there was one bird who thought of the babies in the nests1 for he had a kind heart1 and loved little things4 8,i will fly down and sing for them10 he thought2 8perhaps it will make them happy40 ,so he flew into a little bush1 quite near the ground1 and sang the sweetest song he knew4 ,over and over again he sang it1 and the babies in the nests listened all the time4 8,he is singing about the warm sunshine10 said the baby robins4 8,he is singing about rocking in this beautiful cradle10 said the baby orioles4 ,then1 as the song grew sweeter and sweeter1 8,listen1 listen60 they cried4 8,now he is singing about our mother4 ,that is the best song of all40 ,so the song sparrow sang in the little bush1 telling the babies about the sun and the breezes and their mothers' love4 ,he waked them in the morning2 he sang them to sleep at night4 ,have you never heard him singing1 8,sweet1 sweet1 sweet1 loving little mother1 sweet08 --,etta ,austin ,blaisdell4 ,,dutch ,,children ,how would you like to go to ,holland with me to visit the little ,dutch children8 ,first we must go to ,new ,york ,city in a railroad train and then get on board of one of the big ships that cross the ocean4 ,we shall have to travel over the water five or six days and nights in this big ship1 and then ride a long way1 after we come to land4 ,when the ,pilgrims came to this country1 nearly three hundred years ago1 they crossed the same ocean1 but it took them many weeks4 ,they were in a small sailing vessel1 and had to come very slowly4 ,on board of this big ship you will find a great many things to do and see4 ,there are several hundred people on the vessel1 and it is interesting to watch them4 ,there are books to read1 and games to play1 and the days will go very swiftly4 ,most of the time you will not be able to see land in any direction4 ,all you can see is the sun and the sky and the ocean with big waves rolling and tossing about4 ,i wonder what you will notice the very first thing when you reach ,holland4 ,illustration ,perhaps you will see a group of children running down the street with their wooden shoes clacking on the stone walks4 ,or perhaps you will see some girls standing at a corner knitting stockings1 or a boy driving a dog harnessed to a little cart4 ,if you take a train and ride through the country you will see many strange things4 ,there are big windmills everywhere1 with long arms1 and sails to catch the wind4 ,these mills turn wheels to pump water and grind corn and saw wood4 ,in ,holland there are no rivers with falls and swift currents to turn the mill wheels4 ,in some towns there are canals instead of streets1 with bridges for the people to cross from one side to the other4 ,in summer there are many boats going up and down the canals1 but in winter the water in the canals freezes1 and then everybody skates4 ,think what fun it must be to skate to church1 to skate to market1 to skate to school1 and then skate home again6 ,a great many of the poor children in ,holland wear wooden shoes when they are out of doors4 ,when they go into the house they take off their shoes and leave them at the door4 ,you can tell1 by counting the pairs of shoes at the door1 how many children there are in the house4 ,every week the children scrub their wooden shoes with soap and water until they are almost as white as snow2 then they dry them in the sun1 or before the fire in the big open fireplace4 ,these wooden shoes make fine boats1 and sometimes the boys take them off and sail them in the canals4 ,the little girls use them for doll carriages1 or play they are beds1 and tuck their dolls into them for a nap4 ,if you were walking down a village street in ,holland you might see a red silk ball1 or a pink silk one1 hanging at the front door of one of the houses4 ,this is to show that there is a little new baby in the house4 ,if the ball is red1 the baby is a boy2 if it is pink1 the baby is a girl4 ,there are very good schools in ,holland1 and all the children go to school and learn to read and write and sing1 just as you do4 ,but their reading and singing would sound very strange to you1 and you could not read one word of their writing4 ,the ,dutch children have vacations and holidays1 of course4 ,the holiday they like best of all is ,santa ,claus ,day4 ,it comes on the sixth day of ,december1 and is very much like our ,christmas ,day4 ,the boys and girls put their wooden shoes in front of the fireplace1 on the hearth1 just as you hang your stocking near the chimney1 and ,santa ,claus rides over the roofs of the houses on a big horse and drops presents down the chimney into the little shoes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,how would you go from your home to ,new ,york ,city8 ,how long would it take8 ,what would you like to see in ,holland8 ,what would you see that you never saw before8 ,why do the people in ,holland build windmills8 ,what kind of shoes do many of the children wear8 ,what season would you like best if you were in ,holland8 ,why8 ,a ,,little ,,dutch ,,girl ,were you a little ,dutch girl ,you'd be1 perhaps1 as sweet ,as now you are1 my darling1 ,and very much more neat6 ,you'd be a little housewife1 ,and even at your play ,you'd take your knitting needles1 ,and knit and knit away6 ,you'd never be forgetting ,to feed your pussy-cat1 ,and she1 like ,holland pussies1 ,would grow so sleek and fat4 ,but were you1 dear1 a ,gretchen1 ,you'd live across the sea1 ,and so would be1 my dearie1 ,no kind of use to me4 --,edith ,colby ,banfield4 ,,the ,,great ,,feast ,once the ,play ,angel came into a nursery where four little children sat on the floor with sad and troubled faces4 8,what is the matter1 children80 asked the ,play ,angel4 8,we wanted to have a great feast10 said the child whose nursery it was4 8,yes1 that would be delightful10 said the ,play ,angel4 8,but there is only one cooky60 said the child whose nursery it was4 8,and it is a very small cooky60 said his little cousin4 8,not big enough for me60 said the child whose nursery it was4 ,the other two children said nothing1 but they looked at the cooky with big round eyes1 and their mouths went up in the middle and down at the sides4 8,well10 said the ,play ,angel1 8let us have the feast just the same4 ,i think we can manage it40 ,she broke the cooky into four pieces1 and gave one piece to the littlest child4 ,illustration 8,see10 she said4 8,this is a roast chicken4 ,it is just as brown and crisp as it can be4 ,there is cranberry sauce on one side1 and on the other a little mountain of mashed potato4 ,it must be a volcano1 it smokes so4 ,do you see80 8,yes10 said the littlest child1 and his mouth went down in the middle and up at the corners4 ,the ,play ,angel gave a piece to the next child4 8,here10 she said1 8is a little pie4 ,outside1 as you see1 it is brown and crusty1 and inside it is all chicken1 and ham1 and jelly1 and hard-boiled eggs4 ,did you ever see such a pie80 8,no1 ,i never did10 said the child4 8,now here10 said the ,angel to the third child1 8is a round cake4 ,the frosting is half an inch thick1 and inside there are chopped nuts and raisins4 ,it is the prettiest cake ,i ever saw1 and the best40 8,so it is10 said the third child4 ,then the ,angel gave the last piece to the child whose nursery it was4 8,my dear10 she said1 8just look6 ,here is an ice-cream rabbit4 ,he is snowy white outside1 with eyes of red sugar2 see his long ears1 and his little tail4 ,inside1 ,i think you will find he is pink4 8,now1 when ,i clap my hands and count one1 two1 three1 you must eat the feast all up4 ,one--two1--three60 ,so the children ate the feast all up4 8,there10 said the ,angel1 8did you ever see such a grand feast80 8,no1 we never did60 said all the four children together4 8,and there are some crumbs left over10 said the ,angel4 8,come1 and we will give them to the brother birds40 8,but you didn't have any10 said the child whose nursery it was4 8,oh1 yes60 said the ,angel1 8,i had it all40 --,laura ,e4 ,richards4 99 99 99 99 99 ,small service is true service while it lasts4 ,of humblest friends1 bright creature1 scorn not one4 ,the daisy1 by the shadow that it casts1 ,protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun4 --,william ,wordsworth4 ,,little ,,grandmother',s ,,shoes 8,but1 ,grandmother10 said little ,may1 holding up the tiny pair of calf-skin shoes1 8were these your very best shoes8 ,didn't you have any shiny black ones1 with a tassel on1 like mine8 ,illustration 8,and where did you buy them1 ,grandmother8 ,did ,columbus bring them with him in his ship80 8,no1 dear2 ,columbus didn't bring ,grandma's shoes in his ship4 ,he sailed back to ,spain again three hundred years before these shoes were made4 8,bring your chair and sit down by me4 ,i will tell you all about these little worn-out shoes of mine4 8,when ,i was a little girl10 began ,grandmother1 8children did not wear shoes all the time4 ,they went barefoot in the summer1 except when they were dressed up4 ,one pair of shoes had to last a whole year4 8,when we went to church we used to go barefoot1 carrying our shoes in our hands4 ,at the foot of the hill we washed our feet in the brook and put on our shoes and stockings4 8,our shoes did not wear out very fast2 and if we lost a shoe1 we had to go barefoot till the shoemaker came again40 8,oh1 dear60 sighed ,may1 8how dreadful6 ,who was the shoemaker1 ,grandmother1 and when did he come80 8,the shoemaker10 ,grandmother replied1 8was a very important man when ,i was a little girl4 #8,shoe week' was a busy week in the family4 8,i can remember how glad we all were when father said1 #8,the shoemaker will be here to-morrow4' 8,that night the shoe bench was brought down from the attic and placed in a warm corner of the kitchen4 8,father and mother made a list of the shoes that were needed4 ,we children talked about our new shoes and the shoemaker until we fell asleep4 8,early in the morning the shoemaker appeared4 ,he carried his bag of tools and a roll of leather on his back4 ,by seven o'clock he was seated at his bench1 hard at work4 8,we children used to sit on the floor beside him and watch him work4 ,first he measured our feet and drew some paper patterns4 ,then he cut out the leather4 8,he punched holes along the edges of the leather with a sharp awl2 then the shoe was ready to sew4 8,for his sewing he used a long waxed thread1 with a stiff bristle at each end for a needle4 ,all day long he would sit at his bench1 putting the needles into the holes and pulling the thread through1 till the shoe was sewed firmly4 8,when all our shoes were made1 he packed his bag and said good-by for another year40 ,,little-,,folk ,,land ,the children all go looking ,in vain for ,fairyland1 ,where little folk have dwelling1 ,and wander hand in hand2 ,where silvery small voices ,ring clear upon the air1 ,where magic little whispers ,work wonders everywhere2 ,where flower fields are forests1 ,for tiny feet to tread2 ,where one has lived a life-time ,before the day is fled4 ,for this dear wondrous country ,the children look in vain2 ,they find but empty flowers1 ,through sun and summer rain4 ,it is the grown folks only ,have eyes for ,fairyland1 ,where little people wander1 ,and toddle hand in hand2 ,where happy voices prattle1 ,and whisper secrets strange2 ,where tiny sprites by magic ,to bigger fairies change2 ,where dancing little figures ,get lost amid the flowers2 ,where days as years are measured1 ,and minutes count for hours4 ,it is the grown folk only ,can find the land of elves2 ,how could the children guess it8 ,the fairies are themselves4 --,edith ,colby ,banfield4 ,,children ,,of ,a ,,sunny ,,land ,i--,a ,,strange ,,milk ,,wagon ,domingo and his sister ,marikena live in a warm1 sunny land4 ,it is the land of ,brazil1 where there are fruits and flowers all the year1 and it is always summer4 ,domingo and ,marikena love the sunshine1 and the birds and flowers4 ,they like to play out of doors in the early morning and at night1 but at noon it is too hot1 and every one takes a nap4 ,when they go to the woods they do not see crows and blue jays and woodpeckers4 ,instead1 there are gorgeous parrots and beautiful humming-birds that are almost as large as robins4 ,perhaps they see monkeys in the palm trees2 and1 instead of acorns1 they find cocoanuts4 ,in their schoolroom they sing all their lessons4 ,is not that a merry way8 ,but it would seem strange to you because you could not understand one word they say4 ,you see1 they do not speak ,english1 and they could not talk with you4 ,every morning the two children are up very early and out on the balcony watching for something4 ,soon they call out1 8leite1 leite10 which means1 8milk1 milk40 ,and what do you suppose they see8 ,not a wagon filled with glass jars or tin cans4 ,oh1 no6 ,it is only two or three cows being driven down the street by a woman4 ,the woman stops the cows in front of ,domingo's house1 and milks one of them while the children watch her4 ,how sweet and fresh this milk is6 ,i wish you could have some every morning1 too6 ,,ii--,a ,,ride ,,in ,a ,,chair ,domingo and ,marikena are going with their mother to visit their cousin4 ,they have had their afternoon nap and it is not too hot out of doors now1 as it is nearly four o'clock4 ,if you were going to pay a visit you would walk or ride in a car or carriage1 would you not8 ,but ,domingo and ,marikena are not going in either of those ways4 ,it is too hot to walk1 and the streetcars do not go up the hill where their aunt lives1 so they will ride in a chair4 ,illustration ,the chairs are large and have big1 soft cushions4 ,they have a cover overhead and curtains on all sides1 and are carried by four men4 ,the two children ride in one chair2 their mother in another4 ,the curtains are drawn down1 but ,domingo peeps out as they ride through the city streets4 ,when they reach the cousin's house they do not rap on the door or ring a bell4 ,the mother claps her hands1 and when the aunt sees them she says1 8,enter and welcome4 ,the house and all it contains is yours40 ,is not that a strange way of saying1 8,i am glad to see you4 ,will you come in80 ,they sit in the parlor and while they talk they sip coffee from tiny cups4 ,before they come away they walk in the garden1 where there are beautiful flowers and fountains1 tall palm trees1 and rubber trees with blossoms like yellow lilies4 ,the chair-men wait and the children ride home again1 but it is dark1 and they can see only the lights in the houses4 ,the chair swings back and forth like a cradle as the men trot down the hill into the city4 ,they sing as they go1 and the song is a low1 sweet tune like a lullaby4 ,marikena puts her head on the cushions and almost falls asleep4 ,domingo nods and dreams of the fruit and the flowers and the funny pet monkey his cousin had in the garden4 ,oh6 the days are long and happy in ,brazil1 and the children have merry times4 ,,iii--,,the ,,carnival 8,the ,carnival1 the ,carnival10 shouted ,domingo one morning4 8,this is the first day of the ,carnival40 ,then he ran to find ,marikena4 8,look1 ,sister10 he cried1 8,i am a clown this year4 ,what are you80 8,i am a fairy10 she replied4 8,see my cap and wand4 ,and here is a bag full of sugarplums and sweetmeats4 ,i can hang the bag over my shoulder40 8,see these big pockets10 said her brother4 8,they are bigger than a bag and they are just full of goodies4 ,i like to be a clown1 because ,i can have such big pockets4 ,take that60 and he threw a handful of sugarplums into her lap4 ,just then there was a clapping of hands at the door and the children ran to the balcony4 ,in ,brazil the ,carnival is held on the three days before ,lent1 and every one has a holiday4 ,the cities are beautifully decorated1 and men1 women and children wear odd costumes and masks4 ,some of them are dressed to look like monkeys1 some like parrots1 and some like clowns4 ,some wear gay dresses and funny masks1 and others wear ugly skins of animals and hideous masks4 ,illustration ,the children often carry wreaths and garlands of flowers2 and there is always music and feasting and dancing in the streets4 ,every one has pockets1 bags1 or baskets full of sugarplums1 sweetmeats1 bonbons and flowers4 ,these they throw at every one they meet1 laughing merrily if they make a good hit4 ,the children think it is great fun to pelt each other with sugarplums and flowers4 ,it is as good as snow-balling1 only they can never have snow battles because they never have any snow4 ,the ,carnival is the best time of all the year in ,brazil1 or at least ,domingo and ,marikena think so4 99 99 99 99 99 ,where do ,domingo and ,marikena live8 ,when do they play out of doors8 ,what do they see in the woods8 ,how is the milk brought to their house8 ,when they go visiting1 what do they ride in8 ,what did their aunt say when they went to call on her8 ,what did they do at their aunt's house8 ,what do some of the people wear on ,carnival days8 ,what do they carry in their pockets8 ,what do they throw at each other8 ,,the ,,little ,,plant ,on the edge of the forest stood a tiny plant4 ,it was only six inches tall4 ,the ground around it was so cold and hard that it could not grow taller4 ,it had stood there many years1 sad and sorrowful4 8,grow and be beautiful10 said the forest sternly1 but the plant did not grow4 8,do you not wish to grow80 said the blue jay4 ,then he began to tell the little plant how lazy and useless it was4 ,but his words went into one ear and out of the other4 ,still the plant did not grow4 8,grow6 grow60 roared the wind4 8,grow tall and straight4 ,i will teach you to obey4 ,grow6 grow60 ,then the wind lashed the tiny plant with its cold wings1 and beat its branches to the ground4 ,but the poor thing came near dying and did not grow at all4 8,do grow10 said the sun4 8,grow and be beautiful4 ,i will help you40 ,then the sun warmed the earth around the plant1 and gentle showers fell on it from the clouds4 ,illustration ,now the little twigs began to grow1 and the tiny plant became a beautiful birch tree1 with green leaves and snow-white bark4 --,anna von ,rydingsvrd4 ,,two ,,ways ,two little weeds grew on a bank by the roadside4 ,all summer they had been drinking the dew and sunshine1 and had been very happy4 ,but now autumn had come1 with gray skies and winds that nipped and pinched them4 ,illustration 8,we shall die soon10 said one little weed4 8,i should like to do something pleasant before ,i die1 just to show what a happy time ,i have had4 ,i think ,i will turn red1 and then people will see how ,i feel40 8,you will be very foolish to waste your strength in any such nonsense60 said the other little weed4 8,i shall live as long as ,i can1 and hug the brown bank here40 ,so the first little weed turned bright scarlet1 and was so pretty that every one looked at it4 ,by and by there came down the road a most beautiful maiden4 ,when she saw the scarlet leaves she picked them and put them in her hair4 ,this made the little weed so happy that he died for pure joy4 ,the second little weed lived on1 and turned slowly brown1 like the bank4 8,he was so foolish60 he said1 speaking of the weed that turned scarlet4 8,he put all his strength into turning red1 and so he died40 8,i was proud of him10 said the brown bank4 8,he did what he could1 and people loved him40 8,yes1 but ,i am alive1 and stay with you60 said the weed4 8,much ,i care60 said the bank4 --,laura ,e4 ,richards4 ,a ,,song ,,in ,,the ,,wood ,i found a shy little violet root ,half hid in the woods1 on a day of spring1 ,and a bird flew over1 and looked at it1 too1 ,and for joy1 as he looked1 he began to sing4 ,the sky was the tenderest blue above1-- ,and the flower like a bit of the sky below2 ,and between them the wonderful winds of ,god ,on heavenly errands went to and fro4 ,away from the summer1 and out of the ,south ,the bird had followed a whisper true1 ,as out from the brown and desolate sod ,stepped the shy little blossom1 with eyes of blue4 ,and he sang to her1 in the young spring day1 ,of all the joy in the world astir2 ,and her beauty and fragrance answered him1 ,while the spring and he bent over her4 --,louise ,chandler ,moulton4 ,,how ,,the ,,corn ,,grew ,little ,me ,too walked to the right1 then to the left1 along the sidewalk in front of the house4 ,as he walked he sang with all his might about the ocean1 and the summer time1 and any other pleasant thing that came into his head4 ,he made it up as he went along1 and grew quite out of breath at last1 and had to stop4 ,just as he had got his breath and was meaning to begin all over again1 he saw something very small and yellow on the edge of the walk4 ,then he began to sing the song of whatever it might be that was so small and yellow4 ,this is what he sang3-- 8,i wonder what this is4 ,i guess it is a kernel of corn4 ,i wonder how it came here ,all alone by itself4 ,i guess ,i don't know4 ,i wonder if it can be planted ,in the grass in our yard4 ,yes60 ,when he said 8,yes60 he stooped down and dug a hole in the ground in the dooryard with his fingers4 ,then he put the kernel of corn in the hole and covered it over with dirt4 ,afterwards he stood up and sang at the top of his voice1 8,now ,i guess it will grow60 ,of course it grew6 ,after a few days it poked itself up through the earth to make ,little ,me ,too remember4 ,for ,little ,me ,too had forgotten all about it4 ,when he saw it poking its head up through the grass1 he didn't remember even then that it was the kernel of corn4 ,it had changed4 ,when he put it into the ground and covered it with dirt1 it was yellow and hard4 ,now it was green and soft4 ,it looked somewhat like the rest of the grass1--but not just like it1 or ,little ,me ,too wouldn't have noticed it4 ,illustration ,when he saw it he said1 8,there's a grass that wants to be different4 ,perhaps it's the grandfather grass40 ,he let it alone1 and he got the man with the lawn mower to let it alone4 ,that gave it a good chance to grow4 ,it grew just as fast as it could1 and as soon as it was big enough it showed ,little ,me ,too that it was no grandfather grass1 but a cornstalk4 ,the man with the lawn mower said so4 ,then it was that ,little ,me ,too remembered4 ,when he remembered1 he said1 8,yes1 it grew40 ,when it had grown to be taller than ,little ,me ,too1 people walking along the sidewalk would look at it1 and say1 8,what a fine garden60 ,the mother said1 8,i am glad it is something that can't find its way into the nursery40 ,little ,me ,too it was who first saw the ear of corn growing on the stalk4 ,he showed it to some people1 and there were others who saw it without having it shown to them4 ,each of them asked for a bite from it when it should be ripe4 ,little ,me ,too said 8yes10 to them all4 ,when he had said 8yes0 to thirty-one people1 his mother said1 8,don't say #8yes' to any more people2 you won't have corn enough for them all40 ,little ,me ,too promised not to say 8yes0 again1 but sometimes he forgot1 and by the time the corn was ripe he had said 8yes0 to fifty people4 ,but he had plenty of corn1 for it was an ear of pop corn4 ,after it was popped over the nursery fire it filled a big1 big bowl4 --,julia ,dalrymple4 8,,do ,,you ,,know80 ,do you know ,that you can go ,in the early morning light ,when the dew is on the grass ,and find the little cobweb tents ,the fairies sleep in all the night8 ,but1 alas1 you'll find no traces ,of their little fairy faces6 --,edith ,colby ,banfield4 ,,the ,,little ,,goatherds ,louis and ,marie live among the mountains in ,switzerland4 ,these mountains are very high and are called the ,swiss ,alps4 ,the cold winds sweep down the mountain-side and rush through the valleys4 ,sometimes it blows so hard that it almost blows the thatched roofs off the houses4 ,but the mountain people know all about these strong winds4 ,what do you suppose they do to keep the roof from blowing away8 ,they lay heavy stones on the roof to keep it in place4 ,the winters are long and cold2 and it snows and snows6 ,you never saw such deep drifts nor such big fields of ice4 ,but the summer is beautiful1--the sky is blue and the sun is bright2 and far away the mountain peaks are capped with glistening snow4 ,then the grass is green and the flowers blossom everywhere4 ,these are happy days for the children4 ,in summer ,louis and ,marie go out every morning with the goats4 ,marie is just a tiny bit of a girl only four years old1 but ,louis is a big boy4 ,he is almost nine1 and that is very old when one has such a little sister4 ,louis lets the goats out of their yard4 ,they jump and run and caper about1 and ,marie hides behind her mother's dress4 ,she is afraid of the goats at first4 ,one of the big goats always runs to the vineyard1 he is so fond of grapes4 ,louis drives him out with a long stick4 ,then the whole herd runs to the wheat field1 and ,louis runs after them1 shouting at them and driving them away toward the mountain pasture4 ,marie runs along with him and ,patte ,blanche goes1 too4 ,patte ,blanche is their dog1 and his name means ,white ,foot4 ,when the goats reach the pasture land they clamber over the rocks and eat the moss and the bushes and the sweet1 green grass4 ,louis and ,marie pick the flowers that grow on the mountain-side1 and play little games with the stones4 ,they watch the goats1 too1 and talk about them4 ,sometimes a goat wanders too far away and then ,louis sends ,white ,foot to drive her back to the others4 ,illustration ,at noon the children eat their lunch of barley-bread and cheese1 and ,white ,foot sits beside them and eats the bits they give him4 ,there is always so much to do and so much to see that the days seem very short4 ,soon it is time for ,white ,foot to drive the goats down from the rocks and the little company starts for home4 ,one night a very funny thing happened when they were on their way home4 ,the goats were wandering along1 nibbling at the green grass1 and the children were following them down the path1 when they saw a strange man sitting on a log4 ,the man was fast asleep and his head nodded and bobbed up and down4 ,just as ,louis saw him1 one of the goats spied him1 too1 and what do you think she did8 ,she trotted along1 ran up behind him and butted him right off the log4 ,of course the man waked up and ,i think he was going to be very angry1 but the goat put her fore feet up on the log and looked as if she wanted to laugh4 ,the children laughed1 and so the man laughed1 too4 ,then he walked home with them and helped them drive the goats into their yard4 ,louis and ,marie will never forget how funny the goat looked trying to laugh at the man1 and they like to tell the story over and over again4 ,,swiss ,,children ,you have just read a story about ,louis and ,marie1 who live among the mountains of ,switzerland4 ,switzerland is a land of mountains and valleys and many beautiful lakes and rivers4 ,most of the people live in the valleys and keep cattle1 sheep1 and goats4 ,in the springtime thousands of cattle are driven up into the mountains to stay all summer4 ,many of the people go up into the mountains1 too1 and live in little huts4 ,the men and boys take care of the cattle1 and the women make butter and cheese4 ,the cows wear bells which tinkle as they walk1 and the music of all the bells1 in the stillness of the mountains1 is very beautiful4 ,in the fall the men drive the cattle down into the valleys again4 ,when they reach the villages their friends come out to meet them1 and every one has a holiday4 ,the children think this is one of the best days in all the year4 ,they like to hear the bells ring out their welcome2 they like to see the flags and banners waving from the windows and the house-tops4 ,they sing and dance and shout and are very merry4 ,illustration ,at night there is a feast in the village square1 and perhaps they like this best of all4 ,many of the houses in ,switzerland are very small and are made of wood4 ,these little houses are called chalets4 ,louis and ,marie live in a tiny chalet on the side of a steep mountain4 ,their father owns a farm and has cows and sheep and goats1 and ever so many geese4 ,you never saw such a farm in all your life4 ,the mountain is so steep that the fields and pastures seem to be tipped up on edge1 and it looks as if the horses would fall off when the farmer is plowing the fields1 but they never do4 ,louis has a pet dog4 ,he harnesses his dog to a little wagon and drives him up and down the road4 ,sometimes he gives ,marie a ride in the wagon4 ,louis goes to the village school1 and ,marie will have to go as soon as she is six years old4 ,there are very good schools in ,switzerland1 and the children learn the same things that you learn in your school4 ,these children have many odd playthings and toys carved out of wood4 ,they have wooden whistles and horns1 and little wooden goats and bears4 ,marie has a tiny chalet1 almost like the one she lives in1 which she calls her 8playhouse40 ,the toys the children like best are the ones that have a music box in them4 ,the ,swiss people make all kinds of music boxes and put them in all kinds of things1 in chairs and tables and clocks1 and even in plates4 ,while the boys are learning to carve1 the girls learn to embroider on linen and to make lace4 ,very often the ,swiss girls sit outside the door of their chalet making lace which they sell to the people who are travelling through the mountains4 99 99 99 99 99 ,where do ,louis and ,marie live8 ,what does their father do8 ,where do the cattle live in the summer8 ,who takes care of them8 ,what do the women make1 up in the mountains8 ,which holiday do the ,swiss children like best8 ,what do they do on this day8 ,what is a ,swiss cottage called8 ,why do people like to travel in ,switzerland8 ,if you should go there1 what would you like to see8 ,what would you like to buy8 ,,lullaby-,,land ,where is the road to ,lullaby-land8 ,where is the ferry to ,dreamland-shore8 ,here1 little wanderer1 take my hand1 ,mother will show thee to ,lullaby-land1 ,mother will ferry her darling o'er ,the sweet rocking waters to ,dreamland-shore4 ,soft lie the shadows in ,lullaby-land1 ,soft lap the waters by ,dreamland-shore1 ,sweet is the sound on that far-away strand ,of little keels grating along the sand1 ,and tenderly stealeth the moonlight o'er ,the dear little children on ,dreamland-shore4 ,here1 little weary one1 take my hand1 ,soon shall my dearie be far afloat2 ,mother's lap is ,lullaby-land1 ,mother's arms are the empty boat1 ,waiting to carry her darling o'er ,the sweet rocking waters to ,dreamland-shore4 --,edith ,colby ,banfield4 ,,the ,,stone ,,blocks 8,why is your little sister crying1 dear80 asked the ,play ,angel4 8,i thought you were taking care of her40 ,illustration 8,so ,i am1 taking beautiful care of her10 said the child4 8,but the more beautiful care ,i take1 the more she cries4 ,she does not like to have me take care of her40 8,let me see10 said the ,play ,angel1 and she sat down on the nursery floor4 8,now show me what you have been doing40 8,look10 said the child4 8,first ,i showed her all my dolls1 and then all my dolls' dresses4 ,now ,i have given her my new stone blocks to play with1 but she will not play with them4 ,she puts them in her mouth and cries40 8,perhaps she is hungry60 said the ,play ,angel4 ,so she took a piece of bread and gave it to the baby4 ,the baby stopped crying and ate the bread1 and laughed and crowed4 8,see60 said the ,angel4 8,now she is happy4 ,remember1 dear1 that when babies are hungry1 stone blocks do them no good40 8,you are a very clever angel to know that10 said the child4 8,you are a rather foolish child10 said the ,angel1 8or you would have found it out for yourself40 --,laura ,e4 ,richards4 ,,great-,,great-,,grandma',s ,,christmas ,,in ,,england ,betty and ,percy sat up until eleven o'clock that ,christmas ,eve4 ,it was such a merry time6 ,they saw the men bring in the ,yule log4 ,it was so big that it took three men to carry it1 and then they had to bring it in on their shoulders4 ,illustration ,at one end of the hall was a large fireplace4 ,i think you never saw one like it4 ,pots and kettles hung over the fire1 and on each side were seats where the children could sit and eat apples and tell stories4 ,you see1 it was a very big fireplace4 ,the men rolled the ,yule log into the fireplace and lighted the fire4 ,how the sparks flew6 ,how the fire roared up the chimney6 ,it lighted the great hall4 ,it shone on the oak table where the supper was laid4 ,on the supper table were two wax candles4 ,these candles were almost as tall as you are4 ,they were wreathed with holly4 ,these were the ,christmas candles and they burned the whole evening4 ,the hall was trimmed with holly and mistletoe4 ,the holly had bright green leaves and red berries1 and the mistletoe had white berries4 ,a big bunch of mistletoe hung down from the ceiling before the fire4 ,if anyone happened to stand under the mistletoe1 she was kissed4 ,how many times ,betty was kissed6 ,first her father caught her under the mistletoe1 then ,uncle ,edward1 and then ,grandpa4 ,at eleven o'clock ,nurse said that ,betty and ,percy must go to bed4 ,they did not like to go one bit4 ,there was a fire in the fireplace in ,betty's bedroom1 but it was very cold4 ,in ,great-,great-,grandma's time there were no such things as stoves and furnaces4 ,nurse undressed ,betty1 and then the little girl climbed up the steps into her bed4 ,it was so big and high that she had to climb up five steps to get into it4 ,then ,nurse drew the curtains of the bed to keep out the cold4 ,betty was almost asleep when she heard the ,waits singing4 ,the ,waits always sang under the windows on ,christmas ,eve4 8,open the lattice1 please1 ,nurse10 she said4 ,so ,nurse opened one of the windows4 ,it opened like a door1 and had panes of glass which were small and diamond-shaped4 ,the house ,betty lived in was very1 very large1 and was called a castle4 ,this is what the ,waits were singing3-- 8,god rest ye1 merry gentlemen1 ,let nothing you dismay1 ,for ,jesus ,christ our ,saviour ,was born upon this day40 ,betty did not hear the next verse1 because her eyes were shut and she was fast asleep4 ,when she waked up in the morning1 the first thing she heard was another ,christmas carol4 ,she slid down the side of the bed and ran to the window4 ,it was a lovely ,christmas morning4 ,the trees and ground and walks were covered with snow4 ,how it glistened in the sunshine6 ,the singers were standing in a row under the window4 ,there were seven of them1 and they were all children from the village whom ,betty had seen when she was driving with her mother4 ,how they were bundled up1 and their cheeks were as red as roses6 ,they were singing this ,christmas carol3-- 8,i saw three ships come sailing in1 ,on ,christmas ,day1 on ,christmas ,day2 ,i saw three ships come sailing in1 ,on ,christmas ,day in the morning40 8,quick1 quick1 ,nurse10 said ,betty4 8,please dress me as quickly as you can4 ,i must run down with the ,christmas boxes40 ,illustration3 ,,please ,,dress ,,me ,,as ,,quickly ,,as ,,you ,,can4 ,so ,nurse hurried1 and ,betty hurried1 and in a little while she was ready1 with a sprig of holly in her dress1 and a bit of mistletoe in her hair4 ,percy was ready1 too1 and they ran down the long staircase into the wide hall4 ,the ,yule log was still burning1--it had burned all night4 ,the door was opened1 and the little singers came in to warm themselves by the fire4 ,betty and ,percy gave each of them a 8,christmas box40 ,it wasn't a box1 it was a gift2 but a ,christmas gift was called a ,christmas box in those days4 ,after the singers had looked at their gifts and had eaten a slice of plum cake1 they went home4 ,i cannot tell you everything that ,betty and ,percy did that day1 but you may be sure they had a good time4 ,i must tell you about the ,christmas dinner4 ,it was served in the hall1 on the big oak table that stood before the fire4 ,when dinner was ready they did not ring a bell1 but the cook knocked three times with his rolling-pin on the door4 ,two men stood in the hall1 and when they heard the three knocks they sounded their trumpets1 the doors were opened1 and all the family marched in to dinner4 ,i do not know just what they had to eat1 but ,i know they had roast goose1 and a plum pudding just as you do at ,christmas time4 ,after dinner the children played games4 ,and what do you think they played8 ,first they played 8,puss-puss-in-the-corner10 and then 8,blind-man's-buff40 ,isn't it strange that ,great-,great-,grandma should have played the very games you play1 on that ,christmas night more than two hundred years ago8 ,,the ,,whipping ,,boy ,many years ago there was a little boy living in ,england whose name was ,edward4 ,of course there have been many boys in ,england by the name of ,edward1 but they are not so well known as this boy1 for he was the son of a king4 ,illustration ,edward's father was ,king ,henry the ,eighth1 and ,edward was called ,edward the ,sixth when he became ,king of ,england4 ,king ,henry was very fond of his children and did not like to have them punished1 so he had a little 8whipping boy0 for each one of them4 ,whenever one of the ,princes or ,princesses did anything naughty1 the whipping boy was punished4 ,sometimes he had to stand in the corner for a whole hour4 ,sometimes he was sent to bed without any supper1 and sometimes he had to have a whipping4 ,prince ,edward's whipping boy was ,edward ,brown4 ,he lived in the castle and played with the ,prince every day4 ,the two boys were very fond of each other1 and the ,prince did not like to have his friend punished4 ,so he tried to be good1 but there are so many things a ,prince must not do6 ,a ,prince must not throw his toys out of the castle window4 ,he must never get angry at his brothers and sisters and quarrel with them4 ,he must learn his lessons every day4 ,he must be polite and obedient to the ,king and ,queen1 to all the ,gentlemen in ,waiting and ,ladies in ,waiting1 to the ,head ,nurse and all the ,under ,nurses1 and to his ,tutor and all his teachers4 ,oh6 it is very hard to be a good ,prince6 ,sometimes ,edward ,brown had to be punished more than once while the boys were at play1 and sometimes ,prince ,edward was quite good all day long4 ,one day the ,prince did something that was very wrong2 and when his ,tutor would have punished the whipping boy1 ,edward took the cane from his hand and said1 8,sir1 you shall whip me for this4 ,it is my command4 ,i did wrong4 ,i should be punished40 ,when ,prince ,edward was nine years old1 his father died1 and the ,prince was made ,king of ,england4 ,perhaps you would like to know how he was dressed when he went to be crowned4 ,he wore a suit of white velvet1 embroidered with diamonds1 pearls1 and rubies4 ,his cap was white velvet1 and his coat was cloth of silver4 ,he rode on a white horse through the city and the people shouted1 8,long live ,king ,edward40 ,,the ,,christmas ,,spruce ,,tree ,among the tall trees in the forest grew a little spruce tree4 ,it was no taller than a man1 and that is very short for a tree4 ,the other trees near it grew so tall and had such large branches that the poor little tree could not grow at all4 ,she liked to listen when the other trees were talking1 but it often made her sad4 8,i am king of the forest10 said the oak4 8,look at my huge trunk and my branches4 ,how they reach up toward heaven6 ,i furnish planks for men from which they build their ships4 ,then ,i defy the storm on the ocean as ,i did the thunder in the forest40 8,and ,i go with you over the foaming waves10 said the tall straight pine4 8,i hold up the flapping sails when the ships fly over the ocean40 8,and we warm the houses when winter comes and the cold north wind drives the snow before him10 said the birches4 8,we have the same work to do10 said a tall fir tree1 and she bowed gracefully1 drooping her branches toward the ground4 ,illustration ,the little spruce tree heard the other trees talking about their work in the world4 ,this made her sad1 and she thought1 8,what work can ,i do8 ,what will become of me80 ,but she could not think of any way in which she could be useful4 ,she decided to ask the other trees in the forest4 ,so she asked the oak1 the pine and the fir1 but they were so proud and stately they did not even hear her4 ,then she asked the beautiful white birch that stood near by4 8,you have no work to do10 said the birch1 8because you can never grow large enough4 ,perhaps you might be a ,christmas tree1 but that is all40 8,what is a ,christmas tree80 asked the little spruce4 8,i do not know exactly10 replied the birch4 8,sometimes when the days are short and cold1 and the ground is covered with snow1 men come out here into the forest4 ,they look at all the little spruce trees and choose the prettiest1 saying1 #8,this will do for a ,christmas tree4' 8,then they chop it down and carry it away4 ,what they do with it ,i cannot tell40 ,the little spruce asked the rabbit that hopped over the snow1 the owls that slept in the pines1 and the squirrels that came to find nuts and acorns4 ,but no one knew more than the birch tree4 ,no one could tell what men did with the ,christmas trees4 ,then the little spruce tree wept because she had no work to do and could not be of any use in the world4 ,the tears hardened into clear1 round drops1 which we call gum4 ,at last a boy came into the forest with an axe in his hand4 ,he looked the little tree all over4 8,perhaps this will do for a ,christmas tree10 he said4 ,so he chopped it down1 laid it on a sled1 and dragged it home4 ,the next day the boy sold the tree1 and it was taken into a large room and dressed up with pop corn and gilded nuts and candles4 ,packages of all sizes and shapes1 and tiny bags filled with candy1 were tied on its branches4 ,the tree was trembling with the excitement1 but she stood as still as she could4 8,what if ,i should drop some of this fruit10 she thought4 ,when it began to grow dark1 every one left the room and the tree was alone4 ,it began to feel lonely and to think sad thoughts4 ,soon the door opened and a lady came in4 ,she lighted all the candles4 ,how light and glowing it was then6 ,the tree had never even dreamed of anything so beautiful6 ,then the children came and danced about the tree1 singing a ,christmas song4 ,the father played on his violin1 and the baby sat in her mother's arms1 smiling and cooing4 8,now ,i know what ,i was made for10 thought the spruce tree2 8,i was intended to give joy to the little ones1 because ,i1 myself1 am so small and humble40 --,anna von ,rydingsvrd4 ,a ,,rose ,a sepal1 petal1 and a thorn ,upon a common summer's morn1 ,a flash of dew1 a bee or two1 ,a breeze ,a caper in the trees1-- ,and ,i'm a rose6 --,emily ,dickinson4 ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,st4 ,,nicholas ,it was the ,eve of ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,in ,germany ,st4 ,nicholas's ,day comes on the sixth of ,december4 ,the children were in the nursery4 ,on the hearth before the fireplace1 were five little sugar shoes4 ,thekla was filling her shoe with oats4 ,max put rye in his shoe4 ,hans put an apple in his1 and ,gretchen filled hers with lumps of sugar4 ,betty1 the poor little girl who sometimes helped in the kitchen1 had only a bit of brown bread to put in her shoe4 ,the children were expecting ,st4 ,nicholas1 who always comes on a white horse1 and the things in the shoes were for the horse to eat4 ,as the clock struck six there was a loud knock at the door4 ,aunt ,hilda opened the door1 and in came ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,he was very tall and had a long white beard4 ,he wore a long black robe and a red and white cap1 with a big red tassel4 8,dear little children10 he said1 8it will soon be ,christmas4 ,i have come to find the good children4 ,i shall bring gifts to them on ,christmas ,eve4 ,has ,thekla learned to knit80 ,illustration 8,yes1 indeed10 said her mother4 8,see this pair of stockings she has knit for ,hans40 8,they are very well made10 said ,st4 ,nicholas4 8,i shall surely bring a gift for ,thekla4 ,has ,hans learned to get up early80 8,we have not had to call him for six weeks10 said his father4 8,good10 said ,st4 ,nicholas4 8,has ,max learned his multiplication tables80 8,max is trying very hard10 said ,aunt ,hilda4 8,he knows all but the nines and twelves40 8,and the dear little ,gretchen80 said ,st4 ,nicholas1 patting the baby's golden curls4 ,they all smiled1 and the mother said1 8,the dear little ,gretchen is always sweet and good40 8,well1 well1 ,i shall certainly bring many beautiful gifts to this house10 said ,st4 ,nicholas4 8,and don't forget little ,betty10 said ,aunt ,hilda4 ,so the good ,saint took the oats1 the rye and the apple1 the lumps of sugar1 and the bit of brown bread out of the sugar shoes and went out into the night4 ,i suppose he gave them to his horse4 8,st4 ,nicholas has eyes like ,uncle ,max10 said ,thekla4 8,he smiled like ,uncle ,max1 too10 said her brother4 ,st4 ,nicholas kept his word4 ,on ,christmas ,eve there was a ,christmas tree in the parlor4 ,on it there were many beautiful gifts1 and little ,betty was not forgotten4 ,the next night the children hung gifts on the same tree for father1 mother1 ,uncle ,max1 ,aunt ,hilda1 and the dear ,grandfather4 ,each one of the children had something of his very own for ,grandfather4 ,thekla had knit a warm scarf for him4 ,max can carve in wood1 so he had made a stout cane and had carved it very handsomely4 ,hans drew a picture for him1 and the dear little ,gretchen gave him two of her very best kisses4 ,oh1 it was a very happy ,christmas6 ,,robin ,,redbreast ,good-by1 good-by to summer6 ,for summer's nearly done2 ,the garden smiling faintly1 ,cool breezes in the sun2 ,our thrushes now are silent1 ,our swallows flown away1-- ,but ,robin's here1 in coat of brown1 ,and ruddy breast-knot gay1 ,robin1 ,robin ,redbreast1 ,o ,robin dear6 ,robin sings so sweetly ,in the falling of the year4 ,bright yellow1 red1 and orange1 ,the leaves come down in hosts2 ,the trees are ,indian princes1 ,but soon they'll turn to ghosts2 ,the leathery pears and apples ,hang russet on the bough2 ,it's autumn1 autumn1 autumn late1 ',twill soon be winter now4 ,robin1 ,robin ,redbreast1 ,o ,robin dear6 ,and what will this poor ,robin do8 ,for pinching days are near4 ,the fireside for the cricket1 ,the wheat stack for the mouse1 ,when trembling night-winds whistle ,and moan all round the house4 ,the frosty ways like iron1 ,the branches plumed with snow1-- ,alas6 in winter dead and dark1 ,where can poor ,robin go8 ,robin1 ,robin ,redbreast1 ,o ,robin dear6 ,and a crumb of bread for ,robin1 ,his little heart to cheer6 --,william ,allingham4 8,,the ,,little ,,turkeys0 ,,in ,,school ,the 8little ,turkeys0 that ,i am going to tell you about are the children that live in a far away land called ,turkey4 ,to reach this land you would have to travel many hundreds of miles in railroad trains and big ships4 ,in fact it is almost as far away as ,china1 and that1 you know1 is farther away than you can imagine4 ,the 8little ,turkeys0 are very interesting1 and they would think your way of living just as strange as you will think theirs is4 ,to begin at the very beginning1 the tiny baby doesn't wear any dresses4 ,he is wrapped round and round1 body1 legs1 and arms1 with cloths1 until he looks like a dry-goods bundle4 ,every baby wears a gay little bonnet1 usually bright green1 because the favorite color of the ,turks is green4 ,the ,turkish baby is often hung up in a little cloth hammock1 but sometimes he is rocked to sleep in a wooden cradle4 ,the cradle is a long wooden box on low rockers with high carved ends4 ,in the ,sultan's treasure house is a cradle of solid gold1 decorated with pearls1 diamonds1 and rubies4 ,this is the cradle in which the baby princes are rocked2 and it is very beautiful1 as you can easily imagine4 ,when the boy baby is about a year old he is placed in charge of a man nurse1 if the father is not too poor4 ,this man takes care of him until he is six years old4 ,then the boy is given a new suit of clothes and a pony1 and he is ready to go to school4 ,almost all of the boys in ,turkey ride on horse-back4 ,i think you would like that4 ,the new suit may be big baggy trousers1 with an embroidered shirt and short jacket4 ,or it may be long full trousers of gay striped calico1 and a little jacket1 quilted in puffy squares4 ,every boy wears on his head a red fez with a black tassel4 ,in his new suit1 the boy starts off for school on his pony1 and his brothers go with him4 ,the bells on the pony jingle1 the boys shout and sing1 and it is a very merry procession4 ,illustration ,the schoolhouse stands near the church4 ,inside1 it is very plain4 ,there is a blackboard hung from the ceiling1 a shelf for books and slates1 and one for a water jar4 ,there is a little shelf for the teacher's pipe1 and a place where he makes coffee over a tiny lamp4 ,for the teacher smokes and sips coffee while the children study their lessons4 ,the children sit cross-legged on mats on the floor1 and study out loud1 bending their bodies back and forth all the time4 ,perhaps they think this helps them to remember4 ,they learn their letters1 and very queer letters you would think them1 out of the ,koran4 ,they have no other book until they know this one by heart1 and can repeat it and write it4 ,then they learn a little arithmetic and a very little geography4 ,in olden times the girls did not go to school at all1 but stayed at home learning to keep house1 sew1 and embroider4 ,they were also taught to weave cloth and to make beautiful rugs4 ,now there are many schools for girls1 as well as high schools and colleges for both girls and boys4 ,the noise of the studying is stopped once during the day4 ,at noon the time for prayer is called out from the tower of the church4 ,then all is quiet for a few minutes while teacher and pupils kneel to say the midday prayer4 ,then the candy-man appears with all sorts of sweets on trays4 ,the candies are called 8,turkish delights40 ,they are 8pasty1 creamy1 crackly things1 made from rose-leaves1 violets1 nuts1 dates and grapes1 mixed with honey1 sugar1 syrup and spices40 ,doesn't that sound good enough to eat8 99 99 99 99 99 ,where do the 8little ,turkeys0 live8 ,how would you reach their country8 ,describe the ,turkish baby's cradle4 ,describe the princes' cradle4 ,how does the ,turkish boy go to school8 ,tell what you can about the school4 ,what does the candy-man sell8 ,what are the candies made of1 and what are they called8 8,,the ,,little ,,turkeys0 ,,at ,,home ,little boys who like to lie in bed in the morning would not like to live in ,turkey4 ,all the grown people and all the children have to get up twice every day4 ,illustration ,they get up first at day-break1 wash their faces and hands1 and repeat their morning prayer4 ,then they go back to bed4 ,two hours later they rise1 wash1 and have their coffee4 ,breakfast is served two hours later still4 ,after breakfast the father goes to work and the mother gets the children ready for school4 ,the children have their lunch at school1 as ,i told you4 ,dinner is served at night4 ,if there are gentlemen to dine with the father1 only the sons sit at the table4 ,the mother and daughters dine in another room4 ,after dinner every one has a good time4 ,the children play games1 and sometimes the older people play with them4 ,they are also fond of story telling1 and tell wonderful stories of battle and adventure4 ,then the family goes to bed on the floor4 ,that is1 they lay mattresses on the floor and cover themselves with blankets4 ,every one goes to church on ,friday4 ,the boys sit with their father1 and the girls sit with their mother in a gallery where they cannot be seen4 ,at the entrance to the church they wash their hands and feet and put on a pair of slippers4 ,after church the children play games of tag1 or hide-and-seek4 ,they have few toys4 ,the girls have dolls1 and the boys have marbles or balls4 ,the marbles are nothing but a kind of round nut4 ,they do not have the holidays you do1 but there are a few feast days1 when they have a very good time4 ,one of the feasts is like our ,easter1 only it lasts three days4 ,then there are merry-go-rounds in the squares1 and ponies to ride on for a penny4 ,the girls have new dresses of red1 blue and yellow silk1 and the boys have gay little uniforms4 ,the candy-men walk the streets with big trays piled high with sweets1 and every one eats a great deal too much candy4 ,should you like to live in ,turkey1 or do you like your own country best8 99 99 99 99 99 ,tell what the 8,little ,turkeys0 do in the morning4 ,what do the children do after dinner8 ,what toys do they have8 ,what games do they play8 ,where do the ,turkish people sleep8 ,would you like to live in ,turkey8 ,why8 8,,gillyflower ,,gentleman0 8,why do you play alone1 dear10 asked the ,play ,angel1 8and look so sadly over your shoulder at the other children80 ,illustration 8,because they are so selfish60 said the child4 8,they will not play with me40 8,oh1 what a pity60 said the ,angel4 8,tell me all about it40 8,i want to play one game1 and they all want to play another60 said the child4 8,it is very unkind of them40 8,did you ever play ,gillyflower ,gentleman80 asked the ,angel4 8,no10 said the child4 8,what is it80 8,you shall see10 said the ,angel4 8,let us ask the others if they know it40 ,the other children did not know it1 but they were eager to learn1 and soon they were all playing ,gillyflower ,gentleman4 ,they played till all their breath was gone1 and they had to sit down on the haycocks to rest4 8,that was a fine game60 said the first child4 8,i will play yours now1 if you wish me to40 8,we were just going to tell you that we would play yours10 said the other children4 ,so they played both the games1 and the ,play ,angel went back to her work4 --,laura ,e4 ,richards4 ,,the ,,ruler ,it was time for the ,child to have lessons4 ,the father gave him a sheet of paper1 smooth and white2 a pencil1 and a ruler4 ,illustration 8,write as well as you can10 he said1 8and be sure you keep the lines straight60 ,the ,child admired the ruler very much4 8,i will put it up on the wall10 he said1 8where ,i can see it always40 ,so he put it up on the wall1 and the sunbeams sparkled on it4 8,it must be pure gold10 said the ,child2 8there is nothing else so beautiful in the world40 ,and then he began his task4 ,by and by the lesson time was over1 and the father came to see what had been done4 ,the ,child showed him the paper on which he had written his task4 ,up and down went the lines1 here and there1 from side to side of the sheet1 which was covered with sprawling1 straggling letters4 ,there were spots1 too1 where he had tried to rub out something4 ,it was not a pretty page4 8,what is this80 asked the father4 8,where is your ruler80 8,there it is10 said the ,child4 8,it is up on the wall4 ,it was so beautiful that ,i put it up there where ,i could see it all the time4 ,see where it hangs6 ,but it does not seem as bright as it was40 8,no10 said the father4 8,it would have been brighter if you had used it40 8,but ,i admired it very much10 said the ,child4 8,but your lines are crooked10 said the father4 --,laura ,e4 ,richards 7,adapted74 ,,the ,,moon ,there's a throne in the east and a throne in the west1 ,and the royal heavens lie between4 ,for the golden sun is a sceptred king1 ,and the moon is his crownd queen4 ,a lonely queen is the silver moon1 ,though the dimpling stars her maidens are2 ,she passes among them silently ,as she follows her lord afar4 --,edith ,colby ,banfield4 ,,the ,,children ,,of ,,armenia ,when you were a very little boy did you have a 8,noah's ,ark0 for a plaything8 ,and do you remember the story of 8,noah and his ,ark80 ,this story tells1 you remember1 about a severe storm1 when it rained forty days and forty nights and all the land was flooded4 ,but ,noah had built an ark and invited two animals of every kind1 and a few persons1 to live in his ark during the flood4 ,when the storms were over1 the ark rested on a mountain1 and this was ,mount ,ararat4 ,mount ,ararat is in the country of ,armenia1 and in this country lives a very interesting people4 ,armenia is a mountainous country and ,mount ,ararat is the highest of all the mountains4 ,it is so high that it has a snow cap all the year round1 even during the hottest part of the summer4 ,the ,armenian children are often very pretty1 with black hair1 black eyes1 and round1 red cheeks4 ,they are bright and anxious to learn1 and they often ride a long way on donkey-back to get to the church schools4 ,illustration ,the schools are not free like the school you go to1 and often the parents have to pay the school with grain and cheese because they have no money4 ,there is a free school near every church1 and the priest is the teacher4 ,here the little boys and girls learn the ,armenian alphabet1 and also study reading1 writing1 geography1 and grammar4 ,the mirigs 7mothers7 of the little ,armenians have to wake them very early1 for they have to go to school at seven4 ,they sit cross-legged on the floor1 and study their lessons aloud4 ,all the children carry a lunch from home1 and they eat together in another little room1 still sitting on the floor4 ,boys and girls go to the same school until they are ten or twelve years old2 then the girls go to a different school4 ,here they learn dressmaking and embroidery4 ,the materials are supplied by the school1 and at the end of the year the articles are sold and the money goes to the school4 ,the boys do not earn money for the school1 but they have to sing in the church on ,sunday4 ,when school closes at night the children form in line1 with their hands folded1 and march to their homes4 ,the line stops at each house where a child lives1 while the little one bids his friends good-night4 ,in winter there are deep snows1 and then ,hagop 7,jacob7 and ,garabet 7,george7 and the other boys build snowmen and have snowball battles4 ,but in summer they work more than they play1 for they have to go up to the mountains with herds of goats4 ,a few women go to cook for them1 and they all live in huts built of boughs4 ,the girls have rag dolls1 with painted eyes1 nose and mouth1 and very red cheeks4 ,these dolls are dressed just like the little girls1 with gaily colored dresses of red1 green1 purple1 or yellow4 ,their hair is braided in long braids1 and strung with beads and coins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,where is ,mount ,ararat8 ,tell the story of ,noah and his ,ark4 ,what is the highest mountain in ,armenia8 ,what covers the top of this mountain8 ,what is the ,armenian word for 8mamma80 ,what do the children learn in the church schools8 ,how do the children go home from school8 ,what do the boys do in winter8 ,in summer8 ,,armenian ,,homes ,hagop and ,garabet live at the foot of ,mount ,ararat in a small village4 ,their father is very poor and cannot afford to build a house1 so they live in a hut1 built of mud1 with walls three feet thick4 ,the inside of the house is plastered with chopped straw and mud mixed together4 ,the mud roof is flat and is kept smooth by rolling it often with a stone1 or treading it with bare feet4 ,hagop and ,garabet think it is great fun to go up on the roof after it rains and tread the soft mud with their bare feet4 ,then their father rolls it with a big round stone until it is smooth and firm4 ,there are many huts like this in ,armenia1 and they are often half under ground1 with the earth that has been dug out piled up around them4 ,a village of such dwellings looks a good deal like a village of huge ant-hills4 ,there is only one door for the people and animals4 ,animals8 ,yes1 animals4 ,for in winter the poor people let the animals come into the room with them1 and almost every family has at least a few goats4 ,there is a fireplace in the middle of the earth floor for cooking1 but there is no chimney1 and the room is very smoky4 ,the mother makes big thin sheets of blanket bread and bakes it before the fire4 ,sometimes she makes little cakes of the bread and spreads them with thick cream4 ,the children drink goats' milk with their bread1 and once in a long while they have a few raisins4 ,there are no windows in the hut1 instead there are a few holes for light2 and there are no tables1 no chairs1 no beds1 no bureaus4 ,in fact there is no furniture except some mats and blankets4 ,hagop's mother weaves the mats and blankets herself4 ,the children like to watch the patterns grow on the rugs as the mother weaves the colored threads back and forth4 ,the people sit on the mats in the daytime and at night they roll themselves in the blankets and sleep on these same mats4 ,of course the rich people in the towns and cities have much more comfortable houses1 and they often have beautiful carved furniture and handsome rugs4 ,but these houses have flat roofs1 too1 and in summer every one1 rich or poor1 lives on the roofs4 ,illustration ,there all the work is done2 the women weave rugs or make beautiful lace2 the little girls play with their dolls2 and at night the mats are spread and the family sleep under the stars4 ,i do not believe ,i should like to live in ,armenia1 but ,i should enjoy sleeping out of doors on the warm summer nights1 watching the twinkling stars until ,i fell asleep4 99 99 99 99 99 ,describe the house where ,hagop and ,garabet live4 ,what does a village of these huts look like8 ,where do the goats live8 ,what makes the house smoky8 ,what do the children have to eat and drink8 ,describe the inside of the house where ,hagop and ,garabet live4 ,where do the people live in the summer time8 ,where do they sleep in summer8 ,in winter8 ,tell all the things you can that ,hagop's mother has to do4 ,,the ,,nest ,under the apple tree1 somebody said1 8,look at that robin's nest overhead6 ,all of sharp sticks1 and of mud1 and clay-- ,what a rough home for a summer day60 ,gaunt stood the apple tree1 gaunt and bare1 ,and creaked in the winds which blustered there4 ,the nest was wet with the ,april rain2 ,the clay ran down in an ugly stain2 ,little it looked1 ,i must truly say1 ,like a lovely home for a summer day4 ,up in the apple tree1 somebody laughed1 8,little you know of the true home-craft4 ,laugh if you like1 at my sticks and clay2 ,they'll make a good home for a summer day4 ,may turns the apple tree pink and white1 ,sunny all day1 and fragrant all night4 ,my babies will never feel the showers1 ,for rain can't get through these feathers of ours4 ,snug under my wings they will cuddle and creep1 ,the happiest babies awake or asleep10 ,said the robin-mother1 flying away ,after more of the sticks and mud and clay4 ,under the apple tree somebody sighed1 8,ah me1 the blunder of folly and pride6 ,the roughest small house of mud or clay ,might be a sweet home for a summer day1 ,sunny and fragrant all day1 all night1 ,with only good cheer for fragrance and light2 ,and the bitterest storms of grief and pain ,will beat and break on that home in vain1 ,where a true-hearted mother broods alway1 ,and makes the whole year like a summer day40 --,helen ,hunt ,jackson4 ,,ahmow--,,the ,,wolf ,i ,little ,ahmow was an ,eskimo boy4 ,he lived with his parents on the bleak northern shore of ,hudson ,bay4 ,during the long ,arctic winter these ,eskimos kill the walrus which live at the edge of the ice4 ,in the short summer they hunt them on the islands near the shore4 ,the walrus meat is cut into strips and sewed up in bags made of the walrus skin4 ,this is to keep the dogs from stealing and eating it4 ,the walrus oil is put into casks to be used in the dark winter months for heat and light4 ,ahmow's father killed many walrus every summer and stored the meat and oil on the islands4 ,then in the winter he rode over on the ice to get it4 ,one cold winter day1 when ,ahmow was ten years old1 his father said1 8,to-morrow ,i shall go to the island for oil40 8,we need meat1 too10 said his wife1 8and food for the dogs40 8,may ,i go with you1 father80 said ,ahmow4 8,i will help you all ,i can40 ,illustration 8,no10 answered ,nannook4 8,it is far and you are only a boy40 ,ahmow begged so hard that at last his father said he might go4 8,but it will be a long cold ride1 and there are often bears and wolves on the island40 ,so ,ahmow dressed himself in his new reindeer suit that his mother had made1 and pulled his sealskin cap well over his ears4 ,he helped his father get ready for the long1 cold journey4 ,first they put a thick coating of ice on the sledge-runners4 ,then they filled two sealskin bags with food and water4 ,they called the dogs and harnessed them to the sledge4 ,there were eight of them1 and they could run like the wind4 ,last of all ,ahmow crawled into the house1 bade his mother good-by1 and brought out the long whip4 ,nannook wrapped his little boy in a bearskin1 cracked his whip over the dogs1 and away they flew over the ice4 ,oh1 how happy ,ahmow was6 ,,ii ,after a while the dogs stopped running and began to trot1 and ,ahmow looked about over the vast fields of ice4 ,not a tree1 not a house1 not a person was in sight4 ,as far as he could see there was nothing but ice and snow4 ,everything was still and white in the dim light4 ,when they had nearly reached the island1 what did they see but a huge polar bear6 ,he was prowling around the oil casks1 looking for something to eat4 ,nannook unharnessed the dogs at once4 8,go10 he cried1 and they raced across the ice after the bear4 ,the bear was so big and clumsy that he could not run fast4 ,the dogs soon surrounded him1 and held him until ,nannook came running up to shoot him4 ,ahmow helped his father skin the bear and cut up the meat4 ,then they loaded the sledge with a cask of oil1 some walrus meat1 the bearskin1 and part of the bear meat4 ,after eating their luncheon1 ,ahmow was again rolled up in the bear rug1 and they started for home4 ,nannook walked beside the sledge4 ,the dogs walked too1 because the load was so heavy4 ,when they were nearly halfway home1 ,nannook saw some reindeer4 8,watch the dogs1 ,ahmow10 he said1 8and ,i will try to shoot one of those reindeer4 ,then we can have a fine dinner40 ,so he took the gun and ran swiftly over the snow4 ,soon he was out of sight1 and ,ahmow was alone with the dogs4 ,the little boy played with the dogs at first1 but after a while they curled up and went to sleep4 ,ahmow was sleepy1 too1 and it was so warm in the bear rug that he almost went to sleep4 ,all at once he heard a growl1 then a dog barked4 ,ahmow was wide awake and listening4 8,what is it1 ,naka80 he said to the dog that barked4 ,naka barked again1 and the hair stood up straight on his back4 ,ahmow stood up and looked about4 ,there was a fierce1 hungry-looking wolf coming toward him6 ,he looked again6 ,one1 two1 three1 four wolves were leaping over the snow6 ,the boy threw off the rug1 and seized his father's whip and walrus spear4 8,come here10 he called to the dogs4 8,come here to the sledge40 ,then1 as the wolves came nearer1 he jumped into the cask of meat4 ,illustration ,one big wolf ran up to the sledge4 ,ahmow leaned over and struck him with the whip with all his might4 ,the wolf howled and turned back4 ,another wolf would have killed one of the dogs1 but ,ahmow threw out a big piece of bear meat4 ,the wolf seized the meat and began to eat it4 ,now a third wolf came up to the sledge4 ,just then ,ahmow saw his father running toward him4 8,he will drive the wolves away10 he thought1 8but ,i should like to kill one if ,i can40 ,so he held the spear as he had seen his father hold it4 ,as the wolf came nearer1 he raised it4 ,as the wolf jumped1 he threw it with all his might right into the wide-open mouth4 ,there was a howl1 a growl1 and then the wolf tried to run away4 ,but ,ahmow wound the spear line around the sledge post and held it tight4 ,nannook shot two of the wolves1 but the one that had the meat got away with it4 ,then as he ran to the sledge1 8,look1 father10 cried ,ahmow4 8,see this fine wolf1 with the sharp nose1 and the bushy tail4 ,he is held fast with the walrus line1 and he has eaten the walrus spear40 8,well done1 lad10 said his father4 8,you will be a good hunter4 ,now1 you shall have a spear of your own and you shall go with me on the big hunts40 ,so from that day the boy was a hunter1 and the people in the village called him 8,ahmow10 which means1 8little wolf40 --,frederick ,schwatka4 ,,eskimo ,,children ,the ,eskimos live in ,greenland4 ,i am sure you would wonder why it is called 8,greenland10 for it is almost never 8green40 ,nearly all the year round the ground is covered with ice and snow1 so that it seems as if 8,whiteland0 would be a better name4 ,illustration ,it is so cold in ,greenland that the ,eskimos have to wear very warm clothing4 ,the boys and girls and men and women dress very much alike4 ,they wear trousers made of bearskin and coats made of sealskin4 ,their stockings are like leggings and are made of birdskin1 with soft feathers inside to keep their feet warm4 ,over these they wear sealskin boots1 which are long enough to cover their knees4 ,it is so cold in ,greenland that trees cannot grow4 ,if you think of all the ways in which we use the wood from our forest trees you will wonder what the ,eskimos can do without them4 ,we build houses of wood1 but the ,eskimos make theirs of blocks of ice and snow4 ,we burn wood in our stoves4 ,the ,eskimos burn oil and fat which they get from the walrus and the seal4 ,they burn this oil in a lamp which gives them all the light and heat they have4 ,our beds1 chairs and tables are made of wood4 ,the ,eskimos have no beds4 ,they sleep on bearskin rugs4 ,they have no tables and no chairs4 ,a big bowl made of bone is set on the floor1 and the family sit around the bowl on bearskins1 and eat out of it4 ,there are no stores in ,greenland1 no churches1 and no schools4 ,everything that a family needs has to be provided by the father or the mother4 ,the father goes hunting and fishing1 to get food to eat1 and oil to burn1 and skins to wear4 ,he catches fish1 and kills bears1 seals1 walrus1 and reindeer4 ,sometimes in the summer he kills a few birds4 ,the mother helps cut up the meat1 and sometimes she cooks it1 but much of the meat and fat is eaten raw4 ,from the skins and furs she makes all the clothing for her family4 ,as there are no schools the ,eskimo children never learn to read or write1 but they like to hear their mother and father tell stories1 and they learn these stories so that they can tell them to their children4 ,every one in ,greenland has a sled4 ,the runners are made of bone1 and the top is made of sealskin4 ,dogs draw these sleds over the snow1 and they can run very fast and very far4 ,the boys and girls have very few toys1 but they like to play games1 and they have many good times4 ,the girls have dolls made of bone1 and the boys play a game with a ball and stick made of bone4 ,but the boys like to hunt and fish4 ,they have small boats made of bone and sealskin1 and paddles made of bone4 ,of course they can use these boats only in the short summer time1 as the water is frozen the rest of the year4 ,when they go hunting they carry spears1 and a bow and arrows4 99 99 99 99 99 ,do you think you would like to live in ,greenland8 ,name ten things that you have that the ,eskimo children have never seen4 ,tell five things that you can do that the little ,eskimos cannot do4 ,what do we have to eat that the ,eskimos cannot have8 ,why do the ,eskimos build their houses of snow8 ,how is the house heated8 ,of what is their clothing made8 ,how do they cook and eat their food8 ,what do the ,eskimo children do for fun8 ,,the ,,dream-,,ship ,the ,dream-ship minds no stormy gales1 ,her masts are all of gold1 ,with splendor of wide silken sails1 ,red-rosy1 fold on fold4 ,they spread below1 they spread aloft1 ,they're never reefed nor furled1 ,and they will bear us safe and soft1 ,the other side the world4 ,we shall not see the shadow crew ,that work among the spars1 ,but watch the topmast sailing through ,the shoals of shining stars4 ,from point to point of silver light1 ,through purple gulfs and bays1 ,as we below a-gliding go ,along the water-ways4 --,blanche ,m4 ,channing4 ,a ,,trip ,,to ,,japan ,there are so many things to tell you about 8,nippon10 as the ,japanese call their country1 that ,i do not know where to begin4 ,but first of all ,i must tell you how we landed4 ,there were six of us1--,charlotte and ,alice and ,fred1 their father and mother1 and ,i1--and we had come all the way across the ,pacific ,ocean in a big ship4 ,our ship was anchored out in the harbor1 and we were told we might go ashore4 ,we wondered if we were expected to swim1 but it seemed too far for that4 ,you can imagine how glad we were when we looked over the side of the ship and saw a great many little boats waiting for us4 ,a stairway was hung out over the side of the ship1 and we walked down into the little boats1 just as we walk down stairs in our houses4 ,then the trunks were lowered by ropes into little ,japanese rowboats1 called sampans1 and we waved 8good-by0 to the captain and all our friends on the ship4 ,illustration ,did you ever go to sleep and dream you were in a doll's country1 where you seemed like a giant8 ,alice said she knew now just how that other ,alice felt in her visit to ,wonderland1 for she never saw such tiny little people1 and such tiny little houses1 and even such tiny little trees4 ,when we got on shore we found queer little two-wheeled carriages1 drawn by men instead of horses4 ,the carriages are called jinrikishas1 and are just big enough for one person4 ,we each got into one of these carriages and the jinrikisha boys picked up the shafts and trotted off like nice little ponies4 ,these boys wear dark-blue trousers that fit their legs very tightly1 and a short blue jacket with flowing sleeves1 and on their back is a ,chinese letter painted in white1 which is their employer's name4 ,on their feet they wear straw sandals which they kick off1 when they are worn out1 as a horse casts his shoe4 ,the hat is a funny round straw disk1 covered with white1 which makes them look like toadstools4 ,the houses1 as ,i said1 are very tiny1 not much larger than your playhouses1 and the walls are all made of sliding screens that can be pushed aside1 leaving the house open4 ,the floors are covered with matting1 which is as soft as cushions1 but there is no furniture anywhere to be seen1 for the ,japanese sit on the floor and sleep on the floor1 and their tables are tiny little trays4 ,the houses are spotlessly clean1 for no ,japanese would think of going into a house with his shoes on1 any more than you would walk over your mother's chairs and cushions in your shoes4 ,one day we went to see a wonderful image4 ,we rode out to it in jinrikishas1 and we each had two 'rikisha boys to pull us4 ,we sped along at a rapid pace1 for the boys are so well trained that they make nearly as good time as a horse1 and a day's run is sometimes as much as forty miles4 ,we had a regular ,japanese 8tiffin10 or lunch1 at a little ,japanese inn that had a pretty garden all around it4 ,we took off our shoes at the door just as the ,japanese do1 and walked across the soft1 matted floor4 ,a screen was drawn aside for us to enter1 and then closed again1 leaving us in a little room4 ,here we all squatted on our heels1 as nearly like a ,japanese as our stiff muscles would let us1 for1 without being trained1 it is hard to shut up like a jackknife4 ,illustration ,then pretty little ,japanese girls stole in noiselessly1 bringing us trays of food1 one for each person1 and knelt down beside us to uncover our dishes and wait on us4 ,in one tiny bowl was some vegetable soup1 in another some rice1 and in a third some fish1 which was cooked for us1 though to have been truly ,japanese we should have eaten it raw4 ,of course there was tea4 ,everywhere you go they give you tea in wee cups without handles2 just about a thimbleful1 without cream and without sugar2 not at all as we drink it at home4 ,but with all this feast before us1 there was nothing to eat it with but two funny little chopsticks1 and terrible times we had trying to manage those little sticks that serve the ,japanese so well1 but which seemed bewitched the minute we got them between our fingers4 ,after trying a long time we would get a mouthful1 as we thought1 firmly fixed between the chopsticks1 but just as we would open our mouths to take it in1 the bewitched chopsticks would give a twitch1 and down the whole thing would fall again4 ,so1 though we spent much time over it1 we ate very little1 and we all agreed that it is better to eat with forks as we do in ,america4 ,after tiffin we went to a silk factory1 for a great deal of silk is manufactured in ,japan4 ,there we found over three thousand girls and women busy unrolling the cocoons4 ,the silk is woven in another place1 and rolled in neat rolls1 ready for sale4 ,most of the way we rode along the beach1 where we could see the fishermen in their boats1 and in one boat was a boy we called ,urashima1 for when we looked for him a second time he had disappeared4 --,charlotte ,chaffee ,gibson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what do the ,japanese call their country8 ,where was the big ship anchored8 ,how did the passengers get from the ship to the shore8 ,what is a jinrikisha8 ,how is it drawn8 ,describe a ,japanese house4 ,what is the ,japanese word for lunch8 ,what did the children have to eat at the inn8 ,what did they have to eat it with8 ,where did they go after 8tiffin80 ,what would you like to do if you should go to ,japan8 ,,urashima ,urashima was a fisher-boy who lived long ago in ,japan4 ,one day he went out in his boat1 and after he had been fishing a little while1 he felt something very heavy tugging at his line4 ,he gave a hard pull and got it up into his boat4 ,then he found that it was a big tortoise with such a funny old wrinkled face that he burst out laughing when he saw it4 ,in ,japan a tortoise lives a thousand years1 so ,urashima thought it would be a shame to kill this funny old fellow1 when he might have so long to live4 ,besides1 a small fish would suit him just as well for dinner1 so he threw the tortoise back into the sea1 and meant to go on fishing4 ,but somehow the air seemed too heavy and drowsy1 just as it does on a summer's day1 and ,urashima fell asleep4 ,while he was sleeping a beautiful maiden rose out of the water and got into the boat with him4 ,urashima waked1 and when he saw her he thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen4 ,the maiden spoke to him4 8,urashima10 she said1 8you thought you caught a tortoise a little while ago1 but it was really me4 ,my father had sent me in disguise to see if you were a good1 kind boy4 8,we know now that you are kind-hearted1 as you spared the life of the old tortoise4 ,so ,i am going to take you with me to the ,dragon ,palace1 where my father1 the ,sea ,king1 and ,i live4 ,there you shall marry me1 and we shall be very happy40 ,illustration3 ,i ,,am ,,going ,,to ,,take ,,you ,,with ,,me ,,to ,,the ,,dragon ,,palace4 ,urashima gladly consented1 and they floated away till they came to a wonderful palace at the bottom of the sea4 ,this palace was all built of the most beautiful pink and white coral1 and was studded with diamonds and pearls4 ,the leaves of the trees were emeralds1 with berries of rubies and sapphires2 and the fishes' scales were of pure silver and gold4 ,all this was given to ,urashima1 and the beautiful princess became his wife4 ,any boy would be happy in such a palace1 and ,urashima was happy for three years4 ,then he said to the princess1 8,i must go to see my father and mother1 and my brothers and sisters1 but ,i will return again to you40 ,this made the poor princess very sad1 for she did not wish to have ,urashima go away4 ,but when she saw how much he wished to go1 she gave him a little box to take with him1 telling him under no conditions to open it1 for if he did he could never return to her4 ,so ,urashima started off1 and soon found himself on the shore where he had lived4 ,but everything seemed strangely different4 ,even the people were different and looked at him in a curious way4 ,he could not seem to find his way home1 so he asked two men whom he met if they could tell him how to reach the house of ,urashima's parents4 8,urashima60 they cried4 8,why1 he was drowned out fishing about four hundred years ago1 and not even his body was found4 ,his father and mother are buried over there40 ,then they moved away hastily1 for they thought he must be insane4 ,illustration ,poor ,urashima could not think what to do4 ,he began to think that the ,dragon ,palace must be a part of ,fairyland1 where a day is the same as a year on earth1 and he wished to return to it4 ,but how could he find the way8 ,he could not remember how he had come4 ,suddenly he thought of the box that the princess had given him1 and forgetting that he had promised not to open it1 he pulled open the lid1 hoping to learn the way back4 ,there was nothing in the box but a fleecy white cloud that floated softly up into the blue sky4 ,then1 too late1 he remembered what the princess had said1 and he called and called the cloud to come back4 ,he even ran along the beach trying to catch it4 ,but soon he could not call1 for his breath came shorter and shorter1 his hair turned white1 and his back became weak and bent4 ,finally he fell down on the beach1 crushed by the weight of his four hundred years4 --,charlotte ,chaffee ,gibson4 ,a ,,day ,i'll tell you how the sun rose1-- ,a ribbon at a time4 ,the steeples swam in amethyst1 ,the news like squirrels ran4 ,the hills untied their bonnets1 ,the bobolinks begun1 ,then ,i said softly to myself1 8,that must have been the sun60 99 99 99 99 99 ,but how he set1 ,i know not4 ,there seemed a purple stile ,which little yellow boys and girls ,were climbing all the while4 ,till when they reached the other side1 ,a dominie in gray ,put gently up the evening bars1 ,and led the flock away4 --,emily ,dickinson4 ,,the ,,ants' ,,monday ,,dinner ,how did ,i know what the ants had for dinner last ,monday8 ,it is odd that ,i should have known1 but ,i'll tell you how it happened4 ,i was sitting under a big pine tree1 high up on a hillside4 ,the hillside was more than seven thousand feet above the sea1 and that is higher than many mountains which people travel hundreds of miles to look at4 ,but this hillside was in ,colorado1 so there was nothing wonderful in being up so high4 ,i had been watching the great mountains with snow on them1 and the great forests of pine trees--miles and miles of them--so close together that it looks as if you could lie down on their tops and not fall through2 and my eyes were tired with looking at such great1 grand things1 so many miles off4 ,so ,i looked down on the ground where ,i was sitting1 and watched the ants which were running about everywhere1 as busy and restless as if they had the whole world on their shoulders4 ,suddenly ,i saw a tiny caterpillar1 which seemed to be bounding along in a very strange way4 ,in a second more ,i saw an ant seize hold of him and begin to drag him off4 ,the caterpillar was three times as long as the ant1 and his body was more than twice as large round as the biggest part of the ant's body4 8,ho6 ho6 ,mr4 ,ant10 said ,i1 8you needn't think you're going to be strong enough to drag that fellow very far40 ,why1 it was about the same thing as if you or ,i should drag off a calf1 which was kicking and struggling all the time2 only that the calf hasn't half so many legs to catch hold of things with as the caterpillar had4 ,poor caterpillar6 how he did try to get away6 ,but the ant never gave him a second's time to take a good grip of anything2 and he was cunning enough1 too1 to drag him on his side1 so that he couldn't use his legs very well4 ,up and down1 and under and over stones and sticks2 in and out of tufts of grass2 up to the very top of the tallest blades1 and then down again2 over gravel and sand1 and across bridges of pine needles from stone to stone2 backward all the way ran that ant1 dragging the caterpillar after him4 ,i watched him very closely1 thinking1 of course1 he must be going toward his house4 ,presently he darted up the trunk of a pine tree4 8,dear me60 said ,i1 8ants don't live in trees6 ,what does this mean80 ,the bark of the tree was all broken and jagged1 and full of seams twenty times as deep as the height of the ant's body4 ,but he didn't mind2 down one side and up the other he went4 ,they must have been awful chasms to him1 and yet he never once stopped or went a bit slower4 ,i had to watch the ant very closely1 not to lose sight of him altogether4 ,i began to think that he was merely trying to kill the caterpillar2 that1 perhaps1 he didn't mean to eat him1 after all4 ,how did ,i know but some ants might hunt caterpillars1 just as some men hunt deer1 for fun1 and not at all because they need food8 ,if ,i had been sure of this1 ,i would have spoiled ,mr4 ,ant's sport for him very soon1 you may be sure1 and set the poor caterpillar free4 ,but ,i never heard of an ant's being cruel2 and if it were really for dinner for his family that he was working so hard1 ,i thought he ought to be helped1 and not hindered4 ,illustration ,just then ,i heard a sharp cry overhead4 ,i looked up1 and there was an enormous hawk1 sailing round in circles1 with two small birds flying after him4 ,they were pouncing down on his head1 and then darting away1 and all the time making shrill cries of fright and hatred4 ,i knew very well what that meant4 ,mr4 ,hawk was also out trying to do some marketing for his dinner4 ,he had his eye on some little birds in their nest1 and there were the father and mother birds driving him away4 ,you wouldn't have believed that two such little birds could drive off such a big creature as the hawk1 but they did4 ,they seemed to fairly buzz round his head just as flies buzz round a horse's head4 ,at last he gave up the quest and flew off so far that he vanished in the blue sky1 and the little birds came skimming home again into the forest4 8,well1 well10 said ,i1 8the little people are stronger than the big ones1 after all6 ,where has my ant gone80 ,sure enough6 ,it hadn't been two minutes that ,i had been watching the hawk and the birds1 but in that two minutes the ant and the caterpillar had disappeared4 ,at last ,i found them1--where do you think8 ,in a fold of my coat1 on which ,i was sitting6 ,the ant was running round and round the caterpillar4 ,i shook the fold out1 and as soon as the cloth lay straight and smooth1 the ant fastened his nippers into his prey and started off as fast as ever4 ,i suppose if ,i could have seen his face1 and had understood the language of ants' features1 ,i should have seen plainly written there1 8,dear me1 what sort of a country was that ,i tumbled into80 ,by this time the caterpillar had had the breath pretty well knocked out of his body1 and was so limp and helpless that the ant was not afraid of his getting away from him4 ,so he stopped now and then to rest4 ,sometimes he would spring on the caterpillar's back1 and stretch himself out there2 sometimes he would stand still on one side and look at him sharply1 keeping one nipper on his head4 ,all the time he was working steadily in one direction2 he was headed for home ,i felt certain4 ,it astonished me very much1 at first1 that none of the ants he met took any notice of him2 they all went on their own way1 and never took so much as a sniff at the caterpillar4 ,but pretty soon ,i said to myself1 8,you stupid woman1 not to suppose that ants can be as well behaved as people6 ,when you passed ,mr4 ,jones yesterday1 you didn't peep into his market-basket1 nor touch the cabbage he had under his arm40 ,presently the ant dropped the caterpillar1 and ran on a few steps--,i mean inches--to meet another ant who was coming towards him4 ,they put their heads close together for a second4 ,i could not hear what they said1 but ,i could easily imagine1 for they both ran quickly back to the caterpillar1 and one took him by the head and the other by the tail1 and then they lugged him along finely4 ,it was only a few steps1 however1 to the ant's house2 that was the reason he happened to meet this friend just coming out4 ,the door was a round hole in the ground1 about as big as my little finger4 ,several ants were standing in the doorway1 watching these two come up with the caterpillar4 ,they all took hold as soon as the caterpillar was on the doorstep1 and almost before ,i knew he was there1 they had tumbled him down1 heels over head1 into the ground1 and that was the last ,i saw of him4 ,the oddest thing was1 how the ants came running home from all directions4 ,i don't believe there was any dinner bell rung1 though there might have been one too fine for my ears to hear2 but in a minute1 ,i counted thirty-three ants running down that hole4 ,i fancied they looked as hungry as wolves4 ,i had a great mind to dig down into the hole with a stick1 and see what had become of the caterpillar4 ,but ,i thought it wasn't quite fair to take the roof off a man's house to find out how he cooks his beef for dinner2 so ,i sat still and wondered whether they would eat him all up or whether they would leave any for ,tuesday2 then ,i went home to my own dinner4 --,helen ,hunt ,jackson4 ,,my ,,ant',s ,,cow ,my ,ant lives in the country and keeps a cow4 ,i am ashamed to say that1 although ,i have always known she was a most interesting person1 ,i never went to see her until last week4 ,i am afraid ,i should not have gone then1 if ,i had not found an account of her1 and her house1 and her cow1 in a book which ,i was reading4 8,dear me10 said ,i1 8and there she has been living so near me all this time1 and ,i never have been to call on her40 ,to tell the truth1 it was much worse than that2 ,i had often met her in the street1 and had taken such a dislike to her looks that ,i always brushed by as quickly as possible without speaking to her4 ,i had great difficulty in finding her house1 though it is quite large4 ,she belongs to a very peculiar family2 they prefer to live in the dark2 so they have no windows in their houses1 only doors2 and the doors are nothing but holes in the roof4 ,the houses are built in the shape of a mound1 and are not more than ten inches high4 ,they are built out of old bits of wood1 dead leaves1 straw1 old bones2 in short1 every sort of old thing that they find1 they stick in the walls of their houses4 ,their best rooms are all down cellar2 and dark enough they must be on a rainy day1 when the doors are always kept shut tight4 ,but ,i ought to have told you about my ,ant herself before ,i told you about her house4 ,when you hear what an odd person she is1 you will not be surprised that she lives in such an outlandish house4 ,to begin with1 ,i must tell you that she belongs to a family that never does any work4 ,you'd never suppose so1 to see her4 ,i really think she is the queerest-looking creature ,i ever met4 ,in the first place1 her skin is of a dark brown color1 darker than an ,indian's1 and she has six legs4 ,of course she can walk three times as fast as if she had only two1--but ,i would rather go slower and be more like other people4 ,she has frightful jaws1 with which she does all sorts of things besides eating4 ,she uses them for scissors1 tweezers1 pickaxes1 knife and fork1 and in case of a battle1 for swords4 ,illustration ,then she has growing out of the front part of her head two long slender horns1 which she keeps moving about all the time1 and with which she touches everything she wishes to understand4 ,the first thing she does1 when she meets you1 is to bend both these horns straight towards you1 and feel of you4 ,it is quite disagreeable1--almost as bad as shaking hands with strangers4 ,my ,ant's name is ,fornica ,rufa4 ,if ,i knew her better ,i should call her ,ant ,ru1 for short4 ,but ,i do not expect ever to know her very well4 ,she evidently does not like to be intimate with anybody but her own family2 and ,i am not surprised1 for ,i was never in any house so overrun with people as hers is4 ,i wondered how they knew themselves apart4 ,when ,i went to see her last week ,i found her just going out1 and ,i thought perhaps that was one reason that she didn't take any more notice of me4 8,how do you do1 ,ant80 said ,i4 8,i am spending the summer near by1 and thought ,i would like to become acquainted with you4 ,i hear you have a very curious cow1 and ,i have a great desire to see it40 8,humph60 said she1 and snapped her horns up and down1 as she always does when she is displeased1 ,i find4 8,i hope it will not give you any trouble to show her to me4 ,you must be very proud of having such a fine cow4 ,perhaps you are on the way to milking now1 and if so ,i should be most happy to go with you40 8,humph60 said my ,ant again4 ,at least ,i think that was what she said4 ,it looked like it1 but ,i can't say that ,i heard any sound4 ,but she turned short on her heels 7,i suppose she has heels71 and plunged into the woods at the right1 stopping and looking back at me as if she expected me to follow4 ,so ,i stepped along after her as fast as ,i could1 and said1 8,thank you2 ,i suppose this is the way to the pasture40 ,my ,ant said nothing1 but went ahead1 snapping her horns furiously4 8,oh1 well10 thought ,i to myself1 8you are an uncivil ,ant4 ,even if ,i have come simply out of curiosity1 you might be a little more polite in your own house1 or at least on your own grounds1 which is the same thing4 ,i sha'n't speak to you again40 ,that's about all the conversation ,i have ever had with my ,ant4 ,but she took me to the pasture1 and ,i saw her cow4 ,i am almost afraid to tell you where the pasture was1 and what the cow was2 but if you don't believe me1 you can look in books written about such things1 and they will prove to you that every word ,i say is true4 ,the pasture was the stalk of a green brier2 and there stood1 not only my ,ant's cow1 but as many as five hundred others1 all feeding away upon it4 ,you have seen millions of them in your lives1 for you must know that they are nothing but little green plant-lice1 like those that we find on our rosebushes1 and that we try in every possible way to get rid of4 ,who would ever suppose there could be anything for which these little green plant-lice could serve as cows6 ,i assure you it is true1 and if you live in the country you can see it for yourself2 but you will have to look through a magnifying glass to see them milked4 ,think of looking through a magnifying glass at anybody's cow6 ,i looked at my ,ant's for an hour1 and it seemed to me ,i hardly winked1 ,i was so much interested in the curious sight4 ,its skin was smooth as satin and of a most beautiful light green color4 ,it had six legs1 and little hooks at the end1 instead of hoofs4 ,the oddest thing of all was that the horns were not on its head1 but at the other end of its body1 where the tail would have been if it had had a tail like any other cow4 ,the horns were hollow tubes1 and it is out of them that the milk comes1 a drop at a time4 ,the milk is meant for the little plant-lice to drink before they are old enough to hook their six legs on to stalks and leaves1 and feed on sap4 ,but ,i think that in any place where there are many of my ,ant's race1 the little plant-lice must fare badly1 for the ,ants are so fond of this milk that sometimes they carry off whole herds of the plant-lice and shut them up in chambers in their houses4 ,there they feed them as we do cows in barns1 and go and milk them whenever they please4 8,oh1 dear ,ant10 said ,i to my ,ant1 8do pray milk your cow6 ,i have such a desire to see how you do it40 ,she did not appear to understand me1 and ,i dare say if she had she would not have done it any sooner4 ,but presently ,i saw her go up behind her cow1 and begin to tap her gently on her back1 just at the place where the horns grew out4 ,the cow did not look round nor stop eating1 but in a moment out came a tiny drop of liquid from the tip of each tube4 ,my ,ant picked it up with her wonderful horns and whisked it into her mouth as quickly as you would a sugarplum4 ,then she went on to the next cow and milked that in the same manner1 and then to a third one4 ,she took only two drops from each one4 ,perhaps that is all that this kind of a cow can give at a time4 ,there were several of her friends there at the same time doing their milking2 and ,i could not help thinking how easy it would be for the great herd of cows to kill my ,ant and all her race1 if they chose4 ,but it is thought by wise people who have studied these wonderful things that the cows are fond of being milked in this way1 and would be sorry to be left alone by themselves4 ,after my ,ant had finished her supper1 she stood still watching the cows for some time4 ,i thought perhaps she would be in a better humor after having had so much to eat1 and might possibly feel like talking with me4 ,but she never once opened her mouth1 though ,i sat there an hour and a half4 ,at last it began to grow dark1 and as ,i had quite a long walk to take1 ,i knew ,i must go1 or ,i should not get home in time for my own supper of milk4 8,good-night1 ,ant10 said ,i4 8,i have had a charming visit4 ,i am very much obliged to you for showing me your cow4 ,i think she is the most wonderful creature ,i ever saw4 ,i should be very happy to see you at my house40 8,humph60 said my ,ant4 --,helen ,hunt ,jackson4 ,,colorado ,,snow-,,birds ,i'll tell you how the snow-birds come1 ,here in our ,winter days2 ,they make me think of chickens1 ,with their cunning little ways4 ,illustration ,we go to bed at night1 and leave ,the ground all bare and brown1 ,and not a single snow-bird ,to be seen in all the town4 ,but when we wake at morning ,the ground with snow is white1 ,and with the snow1 the snow-birds ,must have travelled all the night2 ,for the streets and yards are full of them1 ,the dainty little things1 ,with snow-white breasts1 and soft brown heads1 ,and speckled russet wings4 ,not here and there a snow-bird1 ,as we see them at the ,east1 ,but in great flocks1 like grasshoppers1 ,by hundreds1 at the least1 ,they push and crowd and jostle1 ,and twitter as they feed1 ,and hardly lift their heads up1 ,for fear to miss a seed4 ,what 'tis they eat1 nobody seems ,to know or understand2 ,the seeds are much too fine to see1 ,all sifted in the sand4 ,but winds last ,summer scattered them1 ,all thickly on these plains2 ,the little snow-birds have no barns1 ,but ,god protects their grains4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,some flocks count up to thousands1 ,i know1 and when they fly1 ,their tiny wings make rustle1 ,as if a wind went by4 ,they go as quickly as they come1 ,go in a night or day2 ,soon as the snow has melted off1 ,the darlings fly away1 ,but come again1 again1 again1 ,all winter with each snow2 ,brave little armies1 through the cold2 ,swift back and forth they go4 ,i always wondered where they lived ,in summer1 till last year ,i stumbled on them in their home1 ,high in the upper air2 ',way up among the clouds it was1 ,a many thousand feet1 ,but on the mountain-side gay flowers ,were blooming fresh and sweet4 ,illustration ,great pine trees' swaying branches ,gave cool and fragrant shade2 ,and here1 we found1 the snow-birds ,their summer home had made4 8,oh1 lucky little snow-birds60 ,we said1 8to know so well1 ,in summer time and winter time1 ,your destined place to dwell-- 8,to journey1 nothing doubting1 ,down to the barren plains1 ,where harvests are all over1 ,to find your garnered grains6 8,oh1 precious little snow-birds6 ,if we were half as wise1 ,if we were half as trusting ,to the ,father in the skies1-- 8,he would feed us1 though the harvests ,had ceased throughout the land1 ,and hold us1 all our lifetime1 ,in the hollow of his hand60 --,helen ,hunt ,jackson4 ,,the ,,peterkins' ,,excursion ,,after ,,maple ,,syrup ,the ,peterkins had decided not to go to ,egypt4 ,of course the little boys were very much disappointed1 so ,mr4 ,peterkin said that he would take them out into the woods to get some maple syrup instead4 ,but it was almost as difficult to arrange an excursion for maple sugar as to arrange for a trip to ,egypt4 ,you see1 sugar can not be made until it is warm enough to make the sap run4 ,on the other hand1 it must be cold enough for snow1 as you can only reach the woods on snow-sleds4 ,now1 if there were sun enough for the sap to rise1 it would melt the snow2 and if it were cold enough for sledding1 it must be too cold for the syrup4 ,the little boys1 however1 said there always had been maple sugar every spring1--they had eaten it2 why shouldn't there be this spring8 ,elizabeth ,eliza said that this was probably old sugar they had eaten1--you never could tell in the shops4 ,mrs4 ,peterkin thought there must be fresh sugar once in a while1 as the old sugar would be eaten up4 ,she felt the same about chickens4 ,she never could understand why there were only the old1 tough ones in the market1 when there were certainly fresh young broods to be seen around the farmhouses every year4 ,she supposed the market-men had begun with the old1 tough fowls1 and so they had to go on so4 ,she wished they had begun the other way2 and she had done her best to have the family eat up the old fowls1 hoping they might1 some day1 get down to the young ones4 ,as to the weather1 she suggested they should go to ,grandfather's the day before4 ,but how can you go the day before1 when you don't know the day8 ,all were much delighted1 therefore1 when ,hiram appeared with the wood-sled1 one evening1 to take them1 as early as possible the next day1 to their grandfather's4 ,he said that the sap had started1 the kettles had been on some time1 there had been a slight snow for sleighing1 and to-morrow promised to be a fine day4 ,illustration ,it was decided that he should take the little boys and ,elizabeth ,eliza in the wood-sled2 the others would follow later1 in the carryall4 ,mrs4 ,peterkin thought it would be safer to have some of the party go on wheels1 in case of a thaw the next day4 ,a brilliant sun awoke them in the morning4 ,the wood-sled was filled with hay1 to make it warm and comfortable1 and an armchair was tied in for ,elizabeth ,eliza4 ,the little boys put on their ,india-rubber boots and their red mittens4 ,elizabeth ,eliza took a shawl1 a hot brick1 and a big bag of cookies1 and they started off4 ,in passing the school-house the little boys saw five of their friends1 who had reached the school door a full hour before the time4 ,they asked these five boys to go with them1 but ,elizabeth ,eliza thought they ought to inquire if their parents would be willing they should go1 as they all expected to spend the night at ,grandfather's4 ,hiram thought it would take too much time to ask all the parents2 if the sun kept on shining so brightly1 the snow would be gone before they would reach the woods4 ,but the little boys said that most of these boys lived in a row1 and ,elizabeth ,eliza felt she ought not to take the boys away for all night without asking their parents4 ,at each place they were obliged to stop for tippets and great-coats and ,india-rubber boots for the little boys4 ,at the ,harrimans'1 too1 the ,harriman girls insisted on dressing up the wood-sled with evergreens1 and made one of the boys bring the ,christmas tree that was leaning up against the barn1 to set it up in the back of the sled1 over ,elizabeth ,eliza4 ,all this took a good deal of time2 and when they reached the highroad again1 the snow was indeed fast melting4 ,elizabeth ,eliza thought they ought to turn back1 but ,hiram said they would find the sleighing better farther up among the hills4 ,the armchair joggled about a good deal1 and the ,christmas tree creaked and swayed1 and ,hiram was obliged to stop once in a while and tie in the chair and the tree more firmly4 ,but the warm sun was very pleasant1 the eight little boys were very lively1 and the sleigh bells jingled gaily as they went on4 ,it was so late when they reached the wood-road that ,hiram decided they had better not go up the hill to their grandfather's1 but turn off into the woods4 8,your grandfather will be up at the sugar camp by this time10 he declared4 ,elizabeth ,eliza was afraid the carryall would miss them1 and thought they had better wait4 ,hiram did not like to wait longer1 and said that one or two of the little boys could stop to show the way4 ,but it was so difficult to decide which little boys should stay that he gave it up4 ,so he explained that there was a lunch hidden somewhere in the straw2 and the little boys thought this was a good time to eat it1 so they decided to stop in the sun at the corner of the road4 ,elizabeth ,eliza felt a little jounced in the armchair1 and was glad of a rest2 and the boys soon discovered a good lunch1--just what might have been expected from ,grandfather's1--apple pie and doughnuts1 and plenty of them6 8,it is lucky we brought so many little boys60 they exclaimed4 ,hiram1 however1 began to grow impatient4 8,there'll be no snow left10 he exclaimed1 8and no afternoon for the syrup60 ,but far in the distance the ,peterkin carryall was seen slowly approaching through the snow1 ,solomon ,john waving a red handkerchief4 ,the little boys waved back1 and ,hiram turned the sled into the wood-road1 but he drove slowly1 as ,elizabeth ,eliza still feared that by some accident the family might miss them4 ,illustration ,it was difficult for the carryall to follow in the deep but soft snow1 in among the trunks of the trees and over piles of leaves hidden in the snow4 ,at last they reached the edge of a meadow4 ,on the high bank above it stood a row of maples1 and back of which was a little shanty with smoke coming out of its chimney4 ,the little boys screamed with delight1 but there was no reply4 ,nobody there6 8,the folks all gone60 exclaimed ,hiram2 8then we must be late40 ,and he proceeded to pull out a large silver watch from a side pocket4 ,it was so large that he seldom was at the pains to pull it out1 as it took time2 but when he had succeeded at last1 and looked at it1 he started4 8,late1 indeed6 ,it is four o'clock1 and we were to have been here by eleven2 they have given you up40 ,the little boys wanted to force in the door2 but ,hiram said it was no use1--they wouldn't understand what to do1 and he should have to see to the horses1--and it was too late1 and very likely the men had carried off all the syrup4 ,but he thought a minute1 as they all stood in silence and gloom2 and then he guessed they might find some sugar at ,deacon ,spear's1 close by1 on the back road1 and that would be better than nothing4 ,mrs4 ,peterkin was pretty cold1 and glad not to wait in the darkening wood2 so the eight little boys walked through the wood-path1 ,hiram leading the way2 and slowly the carryall followed4 ,they reached ,deacon ,spear's at length2 but only ,mrs4 ,spear was at home4 ,she was very deaf1 but could explain that the family had taken all their syrup to the sugar festival4 8,we might go to the festival10 exclaimed the boys4 8,it would be very well10 said ,mrs4 ,peterkin1 8to eat our fresh syrup there40 ,but ,mrs4 ,spear could not tell where the festival was to be1 as she had not heard2 perhaps they might know at ,squire ,ramsay's4 ,squire ,ramsay's was on their way to ,grandfather's1 so they stopped there4 ,they were told that the 8,squire's folks0 had all gone with their syrup to the festival4 ,the man who was chopping wood did not know where the festival was to be4 8,they'll know at your grandfather's10 said ,mrs4 ,peterkin1 from the carryall4 8,yes1 go on to your grandfather's10 advised ,mr4 ,peterkin1 8for ,i think ,i felt a drop of rain40 ,so they made the best of their way to ,grandfather's4 ,at the moment they reached the door of the house1 a party of young people whom ,elizabeth ,eliza knew came by in sleighs4 ,she had met them all when visiting at her grandfather's4 8,come along with us10 they shouted2 8we are all going down to the sugar festival40 8,that is what we have come for10 said ,mr4 ,peterkin4 8,where is it80 asked ,solomon ,john4 8,it is down your way10 was the reply4 8,it is in your own ,new ,hall10 said another4 8,we have sent down all our syrup4 ,the ,spears and ,ramsays and ,doolittles have gone on with theirs4 ,no time to stop2 there's good sleighing on the old road40 ,hiram said he could take them back with the wood-sled1 when he heard there was sleighing on the old road4 ,so it was decided that the whole party should go in the wood-sled1 with the exception of ,mr4 ,peterkin1 who would follow on with the carryall4 ,mrs4 ,peterkin would take the armchair1 and cushions were put in for ,elizabeth ,eliza1 and more apple pie for all4 ,no more drops of rain appeared1 though the clouds were thickening over the setting sun4 8,all the way back again10 sighed ,mrs4 ,peterkin1 8when we might have stayed at home all day1 and gone quietly out to the ,new ,hall60 ,but the little boys thought the sledding was great fun1--and the apple pie6 8,and we did see the kettle through the cracks of the shanty60 --,lucretia ,p4 ,hale4 ,,the ,,grass ,the grass so little has to do1-- ,a sphere of simple green1 ,with only butterflies to brood1 ,and bees to entertain1 ,and stir all day to pretty tunes ,the breezes fetch along1 ,and hold the sunshine in its lap1 ,and bow to everything2 ,illustration ,and thread the dews all night1 like pearls1 ,and make itself so fine1-- ,a duchess were too common ,for such a noticing4 ,and even when it dies1 to pass ,in odors so divine1 ,as lowly spices gone to sleep1 ,or amulets of pine4 ,and then to dwell in sovereign barns1 ,and dream the days away1-- ,the grass so little has to do1 ,i wish ,i were the hay4 --,emily ,dickinson4 ,,sunset ,where ships of purple gently toss ,on seas of daffodil1 ,fantastic sailors mingle1 ,and then--the wharf is still4 --,emily ,dickinson4 ,,the ,,baby ,,squirrels ,the four baby squirrels were tired of staying in their soft nest in the hollow tree4 ,they wanted to find out what was going on in the world outside4 ,as they cuddled together in the shadowy hole they could hear the queerest sounds4 ,they cocked their heads curiously at the rustling and whispering of the wind among the leaves4 ,they heard chirping and singing1 and a silvery tinkle1 tinkle from the brook4 ,once a bee flew buzzing right over their heads1 and made them clutch one another in terror4 ,one morning1 when the old mother squirrel was away hunting for birds' eggs to eat1 the smallest baby crept to the mouth of the hole and peeped out with his round bright eyes4 ,all around and above him there were wonderful green things flickering and fluttering4 ,twinkles of sunlight danced through the leaves and dazzled him4 ,something soft and cool blew back the new bristles on his lips and ruffled his satiny red fur4 ,he was so much interested that he sat there1 staring and staring1 till the other little ones began to squeak and scold him for shutting out the light4 ,illustration ,after he crept down again to the nest the others climbed up1 one by one1 and looked out4 ,they blinked and winked at each wonderful sight2 they sniffed the strange odors1 and twitched their eager little heads at every new sound4 ,the scream of a blue jay in the tree-top above them sent them scampering inside again1 to cuddle close together in the darkest corner4 ,it was fun to see something new and exciting1 even if it did make them shiver all over4 ,soon the mother squirrel came springing from branch to branch to reach the hollow4 ,how the babies squeaked and chattered in welcome6 ,very likely they told her about the wonderful sights and sounds in the strange world outside the hole4 ,the smallest one clasped his fore paws around her neck1 and coaxed her to let them all go out to find more interesting things4 ,it was stupid there in the dark nest1 with nothing to watch except the patch of light across the opening above them4 ,the old squirrel knew that the little ones were not strong enough yet to leave the nest4 ,to be sure1 they had grown and changed very much since the first days4 ,then they had been ugly little creatures1 like tiny pug dogs1 with big heads1 no fur1 and their eyes tight shut4 ,now they were half as big as she was herself4 ,their eyes were like jewels1 and their red fur was smooth as satin4 ,but their tails1 with only fringes of hair along the sides1 were not nearly so fluffy as the mother's4 ,her tail was long and plumy4 ,it curved so gracefully over her back that she seemed to be sitting in its shadow4 ,one name of the squirrel is 8shadow-tail40 ,for a few weeks longer the four babies scrambled about the doorway and looked longingly out at the wonderful green tree-world4 ,they did not dare to step out upon the slender branches1 for fear of falling off4 ,it made them feel dizzy to look away down to the ground below4 ,they did not know how to cling to the limbs with their feet while they balanced themselves with their tails4 ,when the young squirrels were almost strong enough to learn to run and climb in the tree1 the mother began to build another home higher up the trunk4 ,the old nest was growing too warm for comfort1 as summer brought the long sunny hours4 ,the squirrel father was not there to help his mate4 ,the mother squirrel thought the tree belonged to her1 and that she needed all the room in the hollow for her little ones4 ,she chased him off to live in the woods with all the other squirrel fathers till the babies were big enough to take care of themselves4 ,the mother squirrel worked on the new nest in the early morning4 ,she bit off leafy twigs and carried them to the top of the tree4 ,there1 where two branches forked1 she packed the sticks and leaves together in a loose ball4 ,then she pushed a doorway through1 at one side or another1 just as she happened to be standing4 ,this was not such a neat home as one in the next tree4 ,that other mother squirrel built her new nest of strips of bark tied together with ribbons of soft fibre4 ,over the doorway she hung a curtain of bark1 and lifted it up carefully whenever she went inside4 ,at last the new home was ready4 ,the old mother hurried down to the hollow and called the babies to come out and follow her4 ,they stepped out1 one after another1 just as carefully as they could4 ,the smallest baby came last4 ,he dug his claws into the bark and hung on4 ,the branch seemed so narrow that he trembled from fear of falling4 ,the tree swayed in the wind4 ,the branch bounced up and down1 and a leaf blew in his face4 ,the poor little fellow shut his eyes1 because everything seemed to be whirling round and round4 ,when he opened his eyes again he saw the three other little ones climbing up the trunk above him4 ,they clutched the bark with their claws1 and moved forward1 one paw at a time4 ,the mother was running on ahead of them4 ,every few steps she turned around to coax them on faster4 ,finally they reached a narrow branch which led over to the new nest4 ,they crawled out on it1 lifting one foot and then setting it down before lifting another4 ,the farther they crept the narrower the branch grew under them4 ,their little paws began to slip over the smoother bark4 ,the one in front tried to turn around1 but he was afraid of falling4 ,so they all three scrambled backwards to the safe trunk4 ,illustration ,the mother ran back to them1 and chattered and scolded4 ,again and again they started out over the branch1 and then went scrambling back4 ,when at last the mother had coaxed them across to the nest she looked around for the smallest baby4 ,there he was1 away down at the door of the old nest4 ,the old squirrel was tired out4 ,her fur was ruffled and her ears drooped4 ,she ran down to the nest and began to scold the little fellow4 ,he sat up and put his paws around her to let him stay there4 ,but she started him up the trunk and pushed him along to the branch4 ,then she took hold of him by the neck and carried him across to the new home4 ,after that the little ones were taken out every morning to practise climbing4 ,little by little they learned to balance themselves on the branches4 ,their tails were fluffy enough by this time to be of use in balancing4 ,first to one side1 then to the other1 each baby tilted his tail as he crept along1 step by step4 ,every day they could move a little faster4 ,finally they were able to chase one another up and down1 from branch to branch4 ,they went running around the trunks1 skipping and leaping from twig to twig1 and jumping from one tree to another1 even through the air4 ,sometimes one or another missed his footing after a reckless jump4 ,often he caught hold of a branch below by a single toe and lifted himself up to a firmer foothold4 ,or1 if there was no branch within reach1 he spread out his fur1 and flattened his tail1 and went sailing down to the ground1 almost as if he could fly4 ,they never seemed to get hurt4 ,the little squirrels seemed to be always doing something4 ,they turned somersaults in the grass1 or swung by one paw from the tip of a tough branch4 ,there was always something to do or to see4 ,now they chattered at a blue jay1 or chased a toad for the fun of watching him hop4 ,now they caught beetles or scolded at a fox slinking along through the woods4 ,and every day there was the excitement of finding something to eat4 ,the babies lived on milk till they were almost as heavy as their mother4 ,then she began to feed them with fruit and buds and grubs1 which she first chewed for them4 ,like the beavers and the hares and rabbits1 each had four chisel teeth in the front of its mouth4 ,they needed to gnaw hard nuts or bark every day to keep these teeth from growing too long4 ,the young squirrels were three months old in ,july and were then big enough to take care of themselves4 ,away they scampered from the old home tree and found new homes in stumps and hollows4 ,the smallest one used to curl up in an old robin's nest to sleep at night4 ,all day long they were as busy as they could be4 ,there were cones to be gathered from the evergreens4 ,the little squirrels ran up the trees in a hurry1 and1 cutting off the cones with their sharp teeth1 tossed them over their shoulders to the ground4 ,every few minutes they scurried down to bury the cones under the pine needles for the winter4 ,sometimes a drop of sticky pitch from the cut stems was rubbed against their fur4 ,that made them so uncomfortable that they had to stop and lick it off4 ,the squirrels loved to be clean4 ,ever since they were tiny babies1 with their new red fur1 they always helped one another with washing their faces and combing their tails with their claws4 ,they were careful to run along logs over a muddy spot4 ,if one happened to get wet he dried himself with his fluffy tail4 ,when they were tired of eating seeds and twigs they hunted for grubs4 ,clinging to the bark of a dead tree1 they listened till they heard something gnawing beneath the surface4 ,then1 tearing off the bark in ragged pieces1 they pounced upon the flat whitish grub beneath and ate him up4 ,but the best time of all came in the autumn when nuts were ripe4 ,then what fun the little squirrels had6 ,early every morning out popped the little heads from the hollow stumps and logs4 ,the big round eyes twinkled eagerly in every direction4 ,then1 whisk6 they were out1 with a bark and a squeak6 ,scampering to the top of a tree1 each one took a flying leap to the next tree4 ,up and down they followed the squirrel-paths through the woods till they reached the grove1 where the nuts were ripening4 ,it was a busy place1 with little wings fluttering and little feet pattering1 and yellow leaves drifting down in the sunshine4 ,all the squirrels scurried to and fro1 picking one nut here1 and another there4 ,they sat on the branches1 with their bushy tails curving over their backs1 and held the nuts in their fore paws to nibble4 ,the smallest baby could open the hardest walnut and clean it out in less than a minute4 ,all the while the blue jays and the thrifty chipmunks were gathering nuts and corn1 and hiding their stores for the winter4 ,that seemed so interesting that the squirrels gathered some1 too4 ,autumn passed away1 and the days grew colder4 ,in the woods the leaves were all fallen and the branches were stripped bare of nuts4 ,every morning when the squirrels poked out their heads the air nipped their noses4 ,frost sparkled on the dead grass4 ,the chipmunks had crept into their holes for the winter1 and most of the birds had flown away south4 ,the squirrels were not quite so gay now as in the autumn days1 when they danced upon the branches and whistled and chuckled over the good things to eat and the curious sights to see4 ,they slept with their warm tails wrapped over their noses4 ,illustration ,they still ran busily through the tree-tops1 except when snow or icy rain kept them shut within their holes4 ,they ate all the nuts they could find1 and dug up the buried pine cones4 ,they climbed the hemlock trees and ate the seeds4 ,once the smallest squirrel happened to dig up a heap of nuts from between two stones under the snow4 ,he could not remember whether he had hidden them himself or not4 ,how he squealed when he saw them6 ,late in the winter the squirrels had eaten all the nuts and cones within reach4 ,they were so hungry on many a day that they tried to creep into a chipmunk's hole and steal his store of food4 ,but he was smaller than they were1 and he had wisely made one bend in his tunnel too small for them to pass4 ,then they had to live on bark and seeds till spring started the tender green plants to growing4 ,the squirrels gnawed the bark of the maple trees and drank the sweet sap that came oozing out4 ,later there were elm buds to nibble and birds' eggs to suck4 ,the woods were once more green with juicy leaves4 ,all the squirrels went to housekeeping4 ,soon in almost every tree there was a family of squirrels peeping out with their round1 bright eyes4 --,julia ,a4 ,schwartz4 ,,the ,,baby ,,that ,,sleeps ,,in ,a ,,pocket ,for days and days the baby opossums lay crowded close together in their mother's furry pocket4 ,they slept and drank milk1 and grew and grew till their eyes began to open4 ,it was dark all around them1 but above their heads a gray line showed where light was stealing in over the edge of the pocket4 ,the biggest baby opossum looked up with his little bright eyes4 ,he wanted to see more4 ,so he crawled up1 clambering over the soft tiny bodies of the eleven other babies4 ,some of them wriggled and squirmed under his little bare feet4 ,after slipping back once or twice he reached the edge and poked his pointed white snout outside4 ,he could not see anything because he was under his mother1 and her long fur hung down over him4 ,she was lying on a nest of grasses in a hollow tree4 ,that was where she stayed all day long while the sun was shining4 ,every night at dusk she climbed down the rough trunk and went to hunt for something to eat4 ,when she felt the tiny claws of her baby clutching her fur she looked down between her fore paws at the little mouse-like fellow4 ,then with her smooth pink hands she gently pushed him back into the pocket and closed the opening4 ,he was not big enough yet to come out of the warm dark nursery4 ,so for a week longer he cuddled down beside the others1 while they all slept and drank more milk and grew stronger every hour4 ,the biggest baby was so restless that he scrambled around and crowded the others4 ,once he caught hold of a tiny tail between the thumbs and fingers of his hind feet1 and pulled till the little one squeaked4 ,his fore feet were like tiny hands without any thumbs4 ,at last1 one day1 he saw the edge of the pocket open a crack4 ,he was so glad that he climbed up as fast as he could scramble1 and pushed outside4 ,he held on to his mother's fur with all four feet4 ,when she reached down to smell him the bristles on her lips tickled his nose4 ,then he climbed around upon her back and twisted his tail about hers to hold him steady4 ,he looked like a mouse with his long tail1 his black ears1 his bright eyes twinkling in his little white face1 and his pointed nose4 ,in a few minutes another and another baby followed the big brother and clung there on the mother's furry back4 ,it must have seemed a noisy place to them1 for in the pocket they had heard only the soft rustling and scratching of the mother's feet on the nest4 ,now they could hear a chirping1 and a squeaking1 and a rattling of branches4 ,they crowded close together in fright at the scream of a blue jay1 as it chased a chattering red squirrel through the tree-top4 ,then a sudden loud thump--thump--thump of a woodpecker hammering on the bark of the tree sent them tumbling back to the nursery in a hurry4 ,after this the whole family climbed out every day to play about on the mother's back4 ,the biggest baby liked to curl his small tail about her large one1 and then swing off head downward4 ,sometimes he pushed the others down just for the fun of seeing them scramble up again1 hand over hand1 clutching the long fur4 ,of course he was the first one to poke his head out every day4 ,once he woke from a nap in the pocket and started to climb outside4 ,but he stopped halfway1 hanging to the edge with both fore feet4 ,it was nearly evening1 and the mother opossum was clambering down the tree-trunk to go hunting for her supper4 ,the baby held on tightly while she trotted away through the woods4 ,now and then a leaf rustled or a stick cracked under her feet4 ,sleepy birds were twittering in their nests4 ,the mother pricked her ears and listened1 for she ate eggs and young birds whenever she could find them4 ,she had not tasted an egg this spring1 because she could not climb very nimbly with her pocket full of babies4 ,soon she came to a swamp1 and splash1 splash1 splash6 the mud went flying4 ,it spattered the baby's face and made him cough4 ,illustration ,then he heard the croakings of dozens of frogs1 and it frightened him so that he slid back into the nursery with his brothers4 ,the mother was trying to catch a frog to eat4 ,now she jumped this way1 and now she jumped that way4 ,such a jounce as the babies felt when she gave a spring for a big green fellow sitting on a log4 ,she caught him1 too1 but the jounce almost knocked the breath out of the twelve soft bodies in her pocket4 ,every day the babies stayed outside the nursery for a longer time1 though they were always ready to hurry back at the mother's first warning grunt4 ,they kept growing bigger1 too1 till one night they could not all crowd into the pocket4 ,then they cuddled together on her back1 with their tails twisted around hers4 ,in this way they rode through the woods when she went hunting4 ,they watched with their bright eyes while she turned over rotting logs with her snout to catch the grubs underneath4 ,sometimes she rooted in the ground for sprouting acorns1 or nipped off mouthfuls of tender grass4 ,once she caught a young rabbit4 ,then how excited the little opossums were6 ,and how they all squeaked and hissed together as they rode trotting home4 ,by this time they had cut their teeth1--fifty sharp little teeth in each hungry mouth4 ,then the mother picked some sweet red berries1 and taught the hungry babies how to eat them4 ,they learned to chew the juicy roots that she dug in the field4 ,the babies were greedy little things4 ,she was a good and patient mother4 ,of course1 as long as they were small enough to stay in her pocket she carried them everywhere with her4 ,even when they grew as large as rats they rode on her back through the woods4 ,these twelve fat babies were so heavy that sometimes she staggered and stumbled under the load4 ,one night when all the babies were trotting along on their own feet they saw gleaming red eyes in the dark bushes before them4 ,something round and furry snarled and sprang at them4 ,they all ran under their mother as quick as a wink4 ,she ruffled her long grayish hair above them4 ,when the animal jumped at her she growled1 and hissed1 and scratched1 and bit1 till he ran limping away4 ,on another evening a big dog came galloping up before they could scramble into a tree4 ,his red tongue was hanging out of his mouth between his white teeth4 ,as soon as he caught sight of the opossums he made a dash to catch them4 ,instantly they all fell down and rolled over just as if they were dead4 ,there they lay1 with their eyes shut1 their paws limber1 their tails limp4 ,they seemed to stop breathing4 ,the dog smelled them and pushed them with his cold nose4 ,but they kept perfectly still and did not move even an eyelash4 ,they were pretending to be dead4 ,it was one trick that they all knew without being taught4 ,the minute the dog walked away they all jumped up and scampered into a tree4 ,when the dog turned his head and saw them he ran back and leaped up to reach them4 ,but all the opossums were safe enough now4 ,while he was jumping and barking below they clung fast in the tree with their hand-like feet4 ,they wound their tails about the branches above to hold more securely4 ,the little opossums learned to climb all sorts of trees1 rough or smooth4 ,it was easier to climb the rough trees because they could dig their nails farther into the bark4 ,illustration ,the biggest baby could walk along the springiest limb1 even if it kept teetering up and down in the wind4 ,when he felt like it he swung by his tail the longest time without getting dizzy4 ,all summer long the twelve little opossums stayed with their mother4 ,during the day they slept cuddled in the hollow tree4 ,every night1 after sunset1 the mother and her twelve children set off on their hunting4 ,down through the marsh they trotted4 ,some waded into the mud to catch frogs1 while others chased mud turtles over the shore4 ,some hunted for berries and others nosed for acorns under the oaks4 ,it was beautiful there in the woods at night4 ,when the stars twinkled overhead and the soft wind rustled in the tree-tops the little ones frisked and frolicked4 ,they hid under the shadowy bushes or jumped hither and thither to snap at the fluttering moths4 ,but on stormy evenings they plodded on in the rain1 their wet fur drooping4 ,with their noses close to the ground they hunted till they found a few mouthfuls to eat4 ,then they went back to the cosy hollow for a longer nap1 after licking their pink hands and washing their faces1 just as kittens do4 ,one night1 in autumn1 the old mother opossum felt the nip of frost in the air4 ,then she knew that the persimmons were ready to be eaten4 ,away through the woods she hurried1 with the young ones trotting after her4 ,she led the way past the marsh and over the hill to a thicket of trees tangled with wild grapevines4 ,there on the branches the round persimmons were shining yellow in the moonlight4 ,up the trees eleven of the babies scrambled hungrily1 and1 hanging by their tails1 stuffed the fruit into their wide mouths4 ,ah6 ,but wasn't it delicious6 ,better than anything they had ever tasted before in all their short lives4 ,then the biggest baby1 who had stopped to gobble ripe grapes1 heard them munching so greedily4 ,one look sent him hurrying after the others4 ,he was sorry enough that he had wasted any time eating wild grapes4 ,night after night1 till the little persimmons were gone1 the opossums hurried away to the thicket1 and ate and ate till they could eat no longer4 ,they grew so fat that they puffed and panted when trotting home again in the gray light of the frosty dawn4 ,soon the ground was frozen hard over the juicy roots4 ,all the fruit left in the woods hung wrinkled and frost-bitten4 ,the worms and toads crawled into their holes for the winter4 ,the beetles disappeared1 and the spiders curled up in their hiding places to sleep through the cold weather4 ,most of the birds flew away south4 ,illustration ,one by one each little opossum wandered off by himself1 and made a nest in a cosy hole or a hollow stump4 ,there he dozed all day and often slept through the night without stirring out4 ,now and then one of them caught a mouse or dug up a frozen root to nibble4 ,sometimes they tore rotten logs apart to get at the grubs4 ,in the beginning of the winter the little opossums were so fat that they could live three or four weeks without eating or drinking4 ,when the cold winds blew1 and the snow fell1 they cuddled down in their warm nests and slept the time away4 ,but many a night they woke up hungry4 ,and every day their round furry bodies were a little thinner1 till at last1 spring melted the snow and ice everywhere4 ,there was plenty to eat by that time1 with all the green things growing4 ,there were buds to nibble and beetles to catch4 ,there were frogs croaking in the marsh1 and berries were ripening in the field4 ,the twelve little opossums were grown up now1 and knew how to take care of themselves4 ,their mother had another family of babies in her furry pocket4 ,sometimes she met her other children roaming beside the marsh to catch frogs4 ,one evening they saw a little pointed nose1 and two twinkling bright eyes1 peeping over the edge of her pocket4 --,julia ,a4 ,schwartz4 99 99 99 99 99 ,will there really be a morning8 ,is there such a thing as day8 ,could ,i see it from the mountains ,if ,i were as tall as they8 ,has it feet like water lilies8 ,has it feathers like a bird8 ,is it brought from famous countries ,of which ,i have never heard8 ,oh1 some scholar6 ,oh1 some sailor6 ,oh1 some wise man from the skies6 ,please to tell a little pilgrim ,where the place called morning lies6 --,emily ,dickinson4 ,,the ,,emperor ,,and ,,the ,,peasant ,i ,once upon a time there was an ,emperor of ,china1 named ,lee ,wong4 ,he would have been a very good ,emperor if he had not been spoiled by kindness4 ,if he cried when he was a baby1 his nurse called all the nurses in the palace4 ,they called the attendants1 and the attendants called the musicians4 ,the musicians played1 the attendants danced1 and the nurses walked up and down wheeling the baby in his carriage until he stopped crying4 ,sometimes this happened many times in one day4 ,when ,lee was a boy he had his own way in everything4 ,if he played soldier he was always the general4 ,if he went to fly kites1 he had the ones that would fly the highest4 ,sometimes he wished to fly his kites when the wind did not blow4 ,then the poor attendants had to blow with a huge bellows to make the kites sail up into the air4 ,illustration ,if he wished it were summer in the winter-time1 they filled his playroom with beautiful plants and brought canaries and nightingales to sing to him4 ,in the hot summer days1 if he longed for winter1 they brought evergreen trees to the playroom4 ,they covered the branches with cotton sprinkled with diamond dust to look like snow4 ,they brought cakes of ice and made a skating rink and jingled sleigh bells all day long while he played4 ,when he was a young man it was still worse4 ,if he said anything1 like1 8,this is a sunny morning10 or 8,i think it will rain to-night10 every one cried1 8,how wise60 8,how wonderfully wise60 ,so you see the ,emperor was spoiled1 and this was very unfortunate4 ,in ,china1 just as in other places1 every one longs for spring to come4 ,one year the ,emperor wanted the spring to come more than ever4 ,he had had a dull winter in his city palace and he wanted to go to his country palace4 8,command my brother1 the ,sun1 to shine to-morrow10 he said1 to his attendants4 8,command the spring to come1 also4 ,and be ready1 all of you1 to go to the country to-morrow40 ,one of the attendants wrote the ,emperor's commands on the finest ,chinese paper and then burned it in the garden4 ,he thought in this way the commands might reach the sun4 ,perhaps they did2 for the sun shone beautifully the next day1 and the ,emperor and his attendants went to the country palace4 ,,ii ,the next morning the ,emperor waked up very early4 ,a little bird was singing in the garden4 ,it was a lovely day4 ,the ,emperor thought he would go out into the garden to hear the little bird sing4 ,he put on his silk dressing-gown1 his silver shoes1 and his gold crown4 ,it was only six o'clock1 so no one was awake in the palace4 ,when the ,emperor went into the garden the bird flew into the forest and sang still more sweetly4 8,how stupid ,i was10 thought the ,emperor1 8,i ought to have commanded it to stay here4 ,now ,i must go into the woods to see it40 ,so he opened the gate and went across the field4 ,at the edge of the woods a peasant was plowing4 8,good morning1 peasant10 said the ,emperor1 8,that must be an ,emperor bird singing in the forest1 because it sings so sweetly40 8,no1 my lord10 said the peasant1 taking off his cap1 8that is a blackbird40 8,you may call it so10 said the ,emperor2 8but it is an ,emperor bird if ,i say so1 because ,i am always right4 ,it is as large as a swan1 and its feathers are like shining gold40 8,no1 my lord10 said the peasant1 8it is small and black40 ,just then the blackbird lighted on a post in the fence and began to sing4 ,it was easy to see that the peasant was right4 8,there must surely be something wrong10 said the ,emperor1 8because ,i never make a mistake40 8,but1 my lord1 the ,emperor can make a mistake4 ,every one does that4 ,your attendants may say that you are always right because they wish to please you4 ,perhaps they even praise what you do1 when it is wrong and foolish40 8,i can never believe that10 said the ,emperor4 8,if you will do as ,i say10 replied the peasant1 8,i will prove that ,i have told you the truth40 ,,iii ,the ,emperor promised to do this1 although he could not believe he had been deceived4 ,just then all the attendants came running across the field1 for they had waked up and missed the ,emperor4 ,tears ran down their cheeks4 ,they wished to have the ,emperor think they were weeping because he was gone4 ,he did not know each one had an onion in his handkerchief4 8,command them to stop where they are10 the peasant whispered4 ,the ,emperor made them stop about twenty feet away1 right in the middle of a ditch4 8,we are weeping because of your absence1 beloved ,emperor10 said the chief attendant4 ,he wiped his eyes with his handkerchief1 and all the others did the same thing4 8,how do you dare to stand beside the ,emperor1 you peasant10 said the ,lord ,marshal4 8,go back to your plow60 ,illustration 8,say that ,i am standing beside my plow10 whispered the peasant4 ,he was really standing beside the ,emperor1 and the plow was thirty feet away4 8,do you not see10 said the ,emperor1 8that he is standing beside the plow80 8,oh1 yes10 said one1 8he is holding the plow with one hand40 8,yes1 yes10 said another1 8he is surely driving his oxen40 8,ask them10 whispered the peasant1 8if they ever saw such white oxen40 ,now the peasant's oxen were coal black1 without a single white spot on them4 8,have you ever seen such beautiful white oxen80 said the ,emperor1 pointing to the black ones4 8,no1 never10 said one1 8they are indeed snow white40 8,yes10 said another1 8they are whiter than snow4 ,it hurts my eyes to look at them1 they are so white40 ,the ,emperor knew now that they were not telling the truth1 and he decided to punish them4 8,come here10 he called to some peasants who were plowing in the next field4 8,there is nothing so pleasant as plowing10 he said to his attendants4 8,it is a great pleasure10 said one4 8,i enjoy it more than anything in the world10 said another4 8,i would rather plow than dance10 said a third4 8,i am very glad you think so1 my lords10 said the ,emperor4 8,these peasants will be glad to have you plow for them4 ,this is my command4 ,begin at once60 ,there was no help for it4 ,the courtiers did not dare to disobey1 so they took hold of the plows and tried to drive the oxen across the long fields4 ,i do not believe they plowed very well1 for they had never touched a plow before1 and did not know how to drive oxen4 ,but the peasant went to the palace and became the ,emperor's chief counsellor4 ,the ,emperor had this story written on a block of marble in golden letters1 but few people can read it because it is written in ,chinese1 and it is very hard to have to read ,chinese4 --,anna von ,rydingsvrd4 ,,the ,,christmas ,,monks ,i--,,the ,,garden ,have you always wondered where the ,christmas presents come from8 ,well1 ,i am going to tell you4 ,of course1 every one knows that ,santa ,claus brings them4 ,he comes in a sleigh1 driving eight reindeer1 and carries the presents down the chimney in a pack on his back4 ,but where does he get them8 ,that is the question4 ,and the answer is1--in the garden of the ,christmas ,monks4 ,this garden is in a beautiful valley far away4 ,but ,i must not tell you the name of the valley1 for if ,i did you would all want to go there to live4 ,the ,christmas ,monks live in a stone castle covered with ivy and evergreen vines4 ,there are holly wreaths in every window1 and over the door is an arch1 with 8,merry ,christmas0 in evergreen letters4 ,the ,christmas ,monks wear white robes embroidered with gold1 and they never go without a ,christmas wreath on their heads4 ,every morning they sing a ,christmas carol1 and every evening they ring a ,christmas chime on the bells4 ,for dinner every day they have roast goose and plum pudding and mince pie1 and at night they set lighted candles in all of the windows4 ,but the best place of all is the garden1 for that is where the ,christmas presents grow4 ,it is a very large garden and is divided into beds1 just like our vegetable gardens4 ,every spring the ,monks go out to plow the ground and plant the ,christmas present seeds4 ,there is one big bed for rocking-horses1 another for drums1 and another for sleds4 ,the bed for the balls is not so large1 and the top bed is quite small1 because tops do not need much room when they are growing4 ,the rocking-horse seed looks like tiny rocking-horses4 ,the ,monks drop these seeds quite far apart1 then they cover them up neatly with earth1 and put up a signpost with 8,rocking-horses0 on it in evergreen letters4 ,just so with the penny-trumpet seed1 and the toy-furniture seed1 the sled seed1 and all the others4 ,perhaps the prettiest part of the garden is the wax-doll bed4 ,there are other beds for the rag dolls and the china dolls1 and the rubber dolls1 but1 of course1 wax dolls look much handsomer growing4 ,wax dolls have to be planted very early in the season4 ,the ,monks sow them in rows in ,april and they begin to come up by the middle of ,may4 ,first there is a glimmer of gold1 or brown1 or black hair4 ,then the snowy foreheads appear1 and the blue eyes and black eyes1 and at last all the pretty heads are out of the ground and nodding and smiling to each other4 ,with their pink cheeks and bright eyes and curly hair1 there is nothing so pretty as these little wax-doll heads peeping out of the ground4 ,slowly the dolls grow taller and taller1 and by ,christmas they are all ready to gather4 ,there they stand1 swaying to and fro1 their dresses of pink or blue or white fluttering in the breeze4 ,just about the prettiest sight in the world is the bed of wax dolls in the garden of the ,christmas ,monks at ,christmas time4 ,,ii--,,peter ,,and ,,the ,,prince ,all the children for miles around knew about this garden1 of course1 but they had never seen it4 ,there is a thick hedge of ,christmas trees all around it1 and the gate where ,santa ,claus drives out is always locked with a golden key the moment he goes through4 ,so you can imagine what excitement there was among the boys when this notice was hung out on the hedge of ,christmas trees3-- ,wanted3--,by the ,christmas ,monks1 two good boys to help in garden work4 ,apply at the garden on ,april tenth4 ,the notice was hung out about five o'clock in the evening1 one day in ,february4 ,by noon the next day all the neighborhood had seen it and read it4 ,oh1 what fun it would be to work in the garden of the ,christmas ,monks6 ,there would be the dinner of roast goose and plum pudding every day4 ,there would be the ,christmas bells and the ,christmas candles every night4 ,and1 of course1 one could have all the toys he wanted1 and pick them out himself4 ,so1 from that very minute until the tenth of ,april1 the boys were as good1--as good as gold4 ,then1 on the tenth of ,april1 the big ,santa ,claus gate was opened1 and such a crowd poured into the garden6 ,the ground was plowed1 but the seed had not been planted1 so they could walk about everywhere4 ,two of the ,christmas ,monks sat on a throne trimmed so thick with evergreens that it looked like a bird's nest4 ,they wore ,christmas wreaths on their heads1 and their eyes twinkled merrily4 ,the little boys stood in a long row before them1 and the fathers1 mothers1 uncles1 aunts1 grandmothers1 and grandfathers looked on4 ,it was very sad6 ,one boy had taken eggs from a bird's nest2 and another had frightened a cat4 ,one boy didn't help his mother1 and another didn't take good care of his little brother4 ,at last there were only two boys left1--,peter and the ,prince4 ,now ,peter was really and truly a good boy1 and always had been4 ,and of course every one said the ,prince was a good boy1 because a ,king's son must be good4 ,so the ,monks chose ,peter and the ,prince to work in the garden4 ,the next morning the two boys were dressed in white robes and green wreaths like the ,monks4 ,then the ,prince was sent to plant ,noah's-,ark seed and ,peter was given picture-book seed4 ,up and down they went1 scattering the seeds4 ,peter sang a little song to himself1 but the ,prince grumbled because they had not given him gold-watch seed4 ,by noon ,peter had planted all his picture books and fastened up the card to mark them1 but the ,prince had planted only two rows of ,noah's ,arks4 8,we are going to have trouble with this boy10 said the ,monks to each other4 8,we shall have to punish him40 ,illustration ,so that day the ,prince had no ,christmas dinner1 and the next morning he finished planting the ,noah's-,ark seed4 ,but the very next day he was cross because he had to sow harmonicas instead of toy pianos1 and had to be punished again4 ,and so it was every other day through the whole summer4 ,so the ,prince was very unhappy and wished he could run away1 but ,peter had never been so happy in his life4 ,he worked like a bee all day1 and loved to watch the ,christmas gifts grow and blossom4 8,they grow so slowly10 the ,prince would say4 8,i thought ,i should have a bushel of new toys every month and not one have ,i had yet40 ,then he would cry1 and ,peter would try to comfort him4 ,at last one day the ,prince found a ladder in the tool house4 ,the ,monks were in the chapel1 singing ,christmas carols1 and ,peter was tuning the penny trumpets4 ,it was a fine chance to run away4 ,the ,prince put the ladder against the ,santa ,claus gate1 climbed up to the top1 and slid down on the outside4 ,,iii--,,the ,,prettiest ,,doll ,it was nearly ,christmas now1 and most of the toys had been gathered4 ,the rocking-horses were still growing1 and a few of the largest dolls2 but the tops1 balls1 guns1 blocks1 and drums were all packed in baskets ready for ,santa ,claus4 ,one morning ,peter was in the wax-doll bed1 dusting the dolls4 ,all of a sudden he heard a sweet voice saying1 8,oh1 ,peter60 ,he thought at first it was one of the dolls1 but they could only say 8,papa60 and 8,mamma60 8,here ,i am1 ,peter10 said the voice again1 and what do you suppose ,peter saw8 ,it was his own dear little lame sister4 ,she was not any taller than the dolls around her1 and she looked just like one of them with her pink cheeks and yellow hair4 ,she stood there on her crutches1 poor little thing1 smiling lovingly at ,peter4 8,oh1 you darling10 cried ,peter1 catching her up in his arms4 8,how did you get in here80 8,i saw one of the ,monks going past our house1 so ,i ran out and followed him4 ,when he came through the gate ,i came in1 too1 but he did not see me40 8,well10 said ,peter1 8,i don't see what ,i can do with you4 ,i can't let you out1 because the gate is locked1 and ,i don't know what the ,monks will say40 8,oh1 ,i know60 cried the little girl4 8,i'll stay out here in the garden4 ,i can sleep every night in one of those beautiful dolls' cradles over there1 and you can bring me something to eat40 8,but the ,monks come out every morning to look at the ,christmas gifts1 and they will see you10 said her brother4 8,no1 ,i'll hide6 ,oh1 ,peter1 here is a place where there isn't any doll40 8,yes1 that doll didn't come up40 8,well1 ,i'll tell you what ,i'll do6 ,i'll stand here where the doll didn't come up and try to look like one40 8,perhaps you can do that10 said ,peter4 ,he was such a good boy that he didn't want to do anything wrong1 but he couldn't help being glad to see his dear little sister4 ,he took food out to her every day1 and she helped him in the garden4 ,at night he tucked her into one of the dolls' cradles with lace pillows and a quilt of rose-colored silk4 ,so they went on1 day after day1 and they were just as happy as they could be4 ,finally the day came for gathering the very last of the ,christmas gifts1 because in six days it would be ,christmas1 and ,santa ,claus had to start out in a day or two4 ,illustration ,so the ,monks went into the garden to be sure that everything was perfect1 and one of them wore his spectacles4 ,when he came to the bed where the biggest dolls were growing1 there stood ,peter's sister1 smiling and swinging on her crutches4 8,why1 what is that60 said the ,monk4 8,i thought that doll didn't come up4 ,there is a doll there--and a doll on crutches1 too40 ,then he put out his hand to touch the doll and she jumped1--she couldn't help it4 ,the ,monk jumped too1 and his ,christmas wreath fell off his head4 8,the doll is alive60 he exclaimed4 8,i will pick her and show her to my brothers40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,good ,,father ,,took ,,peter',s ,,little ,,sister1 ,,crutches ,,and ,,all1 ,,in ,,his ,,arms4 ,then the good father put on his ,christmas wreath1 took ,peter's little sister1 crutches and all1 in his arms1 and carried her into the chapel4 ,,iv--,,christmas ,,gifts ,soon the ,monks came into the chapel to practise singing some new ,christmas carols4 ,there sat the near-sighted ,monk1 holding the big doll in his arms4 8,behold a miracle10 he said1 holding up the doll4 8,thou wilt remember that there was one doll planted which did not come up4 ,behold1 in her place ,i have found this doll on crutches1 which is--alive60 8,it is indeed a miracle10 said the ,monk who was a doctor4 ,he took the child in his arms and looked at the twisted ankle4 8,i think ,i can cure this lameness10 he said4 8,take her1 then10 said the abbot1 8and we will sing our ,christmas carols joyously in her honor40 ,peter1 of course1 heard the ,monks talking about the miracle1 and he knew what it meant4 ,he was very unhappy to think that he was deceiving them4 ,at the same time he did not dare to tell them for fear the doctor would not try to cure his sister4 ,he worked hard picking the ,christmas presents1 and getting them ready for ,santa ,claus4 ,on ,christmas ,eve he was called into the chapel4 ,the walls were covered with evergreen1 and ,christmas candles shone everywhere4 ,there were ,christmas wreaths in all the windows1 and the ,monks were singing a ,christmas carol4 ,on a chair covered with green branches sat ,peter's little sister1 dressed in white1 with a wreath of holly berries on her head4 ,when the carol was ended1 the ,monks formed in a line with the abbot at the head4 ,each one had his hands full of the most beautiful ,christmas presents4 ,the abbot held a wax doll1 the biggest and prettiest that grew in the garden4 ,when he held it out to the little girl1 she drew back1 and said in her sweet little voice1 8,please1 ,i'm not a miracle2 ,i'm only ,peter's little sister40 8,peter80 said the abbot2 8the ,peter who works in our garden80 8,yes10 said the little sister4 ,the ,monks looked at each other in dismay4 ,this was not a miracle1 it was only ,peter's little sister6 ,but the abbot of the ,christmas ,monks spoke to them4 8,this little girl did not come up in the place of the wax doll1 and she is not a miracle4 ,but she is sweet and beautiful1 and we all love her40 8,yes10 said the ,christmas ,monks1 and they laid their presents down before her4 ,peter was so happy he danced for joy4 ,and when he found his little sister was cured of her lameness1 he did not know what to do4 ,in the afternoon he took his sister and went home to see his father and mother4 ,santa ,claus filled his sleigh with gifts and drove his reindeer down to the cottage4 ,oh6 it was such a happy day4 ,there was so much to tell that they all talked at once4 ,there was so much to see that their eyes ached with looking4 ,but in the palace of the ,king it was very different4 ,the ,prince was cross and unhappy4 ,his old toys were broken4 ,he was tired of his old games4 ,there was no one for him to play with1 and he didn't have one single ,christmas gift4 --,mary ,e4 ,wilkins 7abridged and adapted74 ,,pronouncing ,,key ,,and ,,word ,,list ,the words in this list are divided into syllables and marked according to ,webster's ,international ,dictionary4 ,the list includes all the more difficult words which occur in the text4 gte bt cr a3 ba3ll cre sk wht a animal a senate w gt hr e e vent thre e they pne pn sr nte nt o3 do3 wlf sn r o o bey se cp frit fr fll u u nite m 7y cit7y oo boot 7oo f7oot oi7 oi7l oy7 boy7 ou7 ou7t ow7 cow7 c can ent g get em s so s as ik th think th7 th7em ,the silent letters are printed in italic4 bbt c cou7nt c quintd d mred d vnture d vsed fr f frd flat frid ftr wards 7wrdz7 gainst 7gnst7 hmw lve a3lmst lft lne lpha bt 7f7 7,alps a3l thugh a3l to3 gthr me th7yst mu lts chored 7krd7 nl n thr nswred anxious 7kshs7 p prachng 7,ara rt rctc rthme tc r mn rt cles shmed shre s sure 7shr7 str s tnshed ttc a3wl bckward 7wrd7 blaned blco n7y bnnrs bref7oot brle7y brren be lived bnt be wtched brch blckbard bldes blak blssms blndr blstred bbo lk bnbns bridd ,br zl brakfast brastknt brath breeze brde brr brstle broods breau 7r7 brst bttd clf cl co c nl c nr7y c no3e cpr crn val crl crpn tr crr7y a3ll crve csk cstle ctr pl lar 7lr7 cttle ased ilng llar 7lr7 rtan l7y cha let 7sh la7 chmbrs chne chpl chsm chttred cherfl l7y chmne7y ,ch nse chpmk chsl choose chpstcks clckng clmbr cla3ws cly clvr clow7n clms7y cltch cax cbwb ccoa nt co coon coi7ns clle ,cl o rd ,co lmbs cmfort ble 7frt7 cm mnd cmp n7y cn dition 7dshn7 cn snt cn tins cn vr stion 7shn7 coong crnsta3lk cstme cs7y cou7nsl or7r7 curtier 7yr7 crdle crnbr r7y crature crckt crak cr7ookd crwed crow7ned crl crmb crtchs cddle c r s t7y cr os crled crrent crtan cshin dffo dl dint7y drken ng drtd da3ughtr dacon de ivng ,de mbr de dd dco rt d d f de licious 7lshs7 de lghtfl de mre dsrt dso late dstned dmplng d rction 7shn7 agr agr l7y arl7y arn as l7y ,e7ypt e lven lves m broi7dr mer ald mpr or 7r7 m ploy7er ne m7y ,england 7gland7 ,english 7glsh7 n joy7 e nrmos nough 7nf7 ntr n tr tin rrand 7,esk m vr 7y where 7hwr7 v dnt l7y ex ctl7y 7gz7 x pt x tement x crsion 7shn7 x pctd x plined eyelsh 77 fcto r7y fintl7y fir7y fm l7y fn tstc fvor te 7vr7 fast frr7y fst val ftch fz fbre 7br7 fire fnal l7y freple frmr fleey flckr ng flod flff7y flttr ng flk fll7y foolsh fnd fre fr gtten ,frn c ,rf frward 7wrd7 fou7ntan frgrane ,frne frghten frghtfl frstng frzen fr os l7y frled frnae frnsh frn ture frr7y gles gllr 7y ,gra bt grland grnred gunt gyl7y nr al ntle man e gr phy 7f7y7 rman 7y ghsts ant gfts gldd ll7y flow7r gldl7y glamng glee glmmr glsten ng gloom gbble greos gow7ns ,grtchn ,hgp hmmck hndsme ,hns hrbor 7br7 hrdened hr mn c hrnss hst l7y htrd ha3wk hycck herth hav7y hrd hde os ,hlland hll7y hme-crft hst hou7sewfe how7l he hmble hmor 7mr7 humph 7hmf7 hndrd hgr7y hntr mae m ne m ptient 7shent7 m prtant n qure n sne nstant l7y n stad n tndd ntr st ng nt mate 7,ital 7y 7,i tlian 7yan7 jckt jggd ,ja pn jn rk sh jggled jou7ne jorne7y joy7 keels krnl kneel knck ,kran lguage 7gwaj7 lshed ltte la3wn lz7y lathr lggngs lete ld liquid 7lkwd7 lgr ng lmp lsten lnel7y low7red lll b lnchen mc mgn f ng mnae mn u fcture mrble ,mr ken msk m tr al mttrss mant measure 7mzh7 mddy mgle mnute 7t7 mr cle mrg mstle te man mke7y mk mou7ntan os mou7thfl mwr ml t pl ction 7shn7 mnchng m scian 7shan7 mscle ,nk ,nn n7ook nrrw na3ught7y narl7y neighbor h7ood 7br7 nghtn gle nmbl7y npprs ,nppon ,nh noi7selss l7y nnsnse nte nrsr 7y o bd ent o bey dor 7dr7 ften o pssm r le ou7t lndsh vr had vr rn pe ,p fc pckae pddle plae plm pne prent prrt ptient 7shent7 pttr ng pttrn pak parl pasant pe cliar 7yr7 plt pnl pr hps pr smmn prsn ,plgrms pnched plk plstred plasant plddd plmed plned plar 7lr7 po liceman 7ls7 po lte pn7y pou7nng prcte prise prttle precious 7prshs7 pre fr prsent l7y pre tndng prde prist prne prnss prb bl7y prmsed pro tcts prou7d prow7lng pnshed prple qua3rrl queerst qultd risin rpd ra3w ral l7y rason rcklss reefed reindeer re mmbr re pat rstlss rared rckrs roughst 7rf7 roy7al rbes rdd7y rlr rsst rstle smpns sndal sapphire 7sfr7 scmpred scrf scrlt scptred scrn scou7t scrmbled screen scrb scrred salskn sams se crel7y size slfsh spal srved srve svr al se vre shfts shnt7y shals sho3emk r shne sdewa3lk sgh slent l7y slken slvr 7y skmmng slde sleigh sle snrled snff snou7t sng sldier 7jr7 smr sa3ult smewhat 7hwt7 srrow fl sver egn ,spin sprkled sprs spar spct cles sped splsh splndor 7dr7 sptlss l7y spra3wlng sprg sprtes sprou7tng spre squa3ttd squak squre squrmed stin stircse stirwy sta3lk sttel7y stad l7y stalth strnl7y ,st4 ,nicho las 7snt nk7 stou7t strgglng stright strnd strne strnel7y strngth strpes strpped strgglng stddd sddn ly sg std snbam sp pled sp pse sr rou7ndd swa3n swa3rm swyed swftl7y ,swss ,switzr land 7swts7 s7yrp tsk tssel ta3ught tndr l7y thtched tha3w ,thkl therefre 7th7r7 thif thckt thmble fl thou7sand thrad thrft7y thrne thrshs tffn tltd tkle tn7y tppt tddle tpmst trtose tward 7rd7 tow7r tradng trmbled troubled 7trbled7 trou7srs trmpt trth tggng ,trke7y ,trksh ttor 7tr7 tweezrs twklng twtched gl7y n vl n cvr n dr stnd n frtu nate n hpp7y n hrnssed n frm n knd ,u r shim 7sh7 sefl selss v ction vin vst ve t ble vlvt vllae vneyard 7yrd7 v lt vl cn wit wa3lnt wa3lrs wa3nd wa3ndr r war7y wave wlcme wpt wharf 7hwa3rf7 what vr 7hwt7 whethr 7hwth7 whirlng 7hwrl7 whispred 7hws7 wgwa3m wsel7y wlves wndr fl wndr land wndros w7oodpck r worse 7wrs7 wound 7woond7 wven wraths wrggled wrkled ystr dy yle 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,page #baj1 on7 changed to ou7 ,page #bai1 the final 8e0 was made italic to match form of silent letters 7s sure7 ,page #bai1 italics removed from e as it is not silent 7brren7 ,page #bba1 the final 8e0 was made italic to match form of silent letters 7lguage7 ,page #bbb1 the final 8e0 was made italic to match form of silent letters 7po liceman7