,,the ,,story ,,hour ,a ,,book ,,for ,,the ,,home ,,and ,,the ,,kindergarten ,by ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin and ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,therefore ear and heart open to the genuine story teller1 as flowers open to the spring sun and the ,may rain4 ,,friedrich ,,froebel ,,contents4 ,,introduction4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,preface4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin and ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,the ,,oriole',s ,,nest4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,dicky ,,smily',s ,,birthday4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,aqua2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,water ,,baby4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,moufflou4 ,adapted from ,ouida by ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,benjy ,,in ,,beastland4 ,adapted from ,mrs4 ,ewing by ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin and ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,the ,,porcelain ,,stove4 ,adapted from ,ouida by ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,the ,,babes ,,in ,,the ,,wood4 ,e4 ,s4 ,smith ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,christmas4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,the ,,first ,,thanksgiving ,,day4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,little ,,george ,,washington4 ,part ,i4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,great ,,george ,,washington4 ,part ,,ii4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,the ,,maple-,,leaf ,,and ,,the ,,violet4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,mrs4 ,,chinchilla4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,a ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,forest4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,piccola4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,the ,,child ,,and ,,the ,,world4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,when ,i ,,was ,a ,,little ,,girl4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin ,,froebel',s ,,birthday4 ,nora ,a4 ,smith ,,introduction4 ,story-telling1 like letter-writing1 is going out of fashion4 ,there are no modern ,scheherezades1 and the ,sultans nowadays have to be amused in a different fashion4 ,but1 for that matter1 a hundred poetic pastimes of leisure have fled before the relentless ,hurry ,demon who governs this prosaic nineteenth century4 ,the ,wandering ,minstrel is gone1 and the ,troubadour1 and the ,court of ,love1 and the ,king's ,fool1 and the ,round ,table1 and with them the ,story-,teller4 8,come1 tell us a story60 ,it is the familiar plea of childhood4 ,unhappy he who has not been assailed with it again and again4 ,thrice miserable she who can be consigned to worse than oblivion by the scathing criticism1 8,she doesn't know any stories60 and thrice blessed she who is recognized at a glance as a person likely to be full to the brim of them4 ,there are few preliminaries and no formalities when the ,person with a ,story is found4 ,the motherly little sister stands by the side of her chair1 two or three of the smaller fry perch on the arms1 and the baby climbs up into her lap 7such a person always has a capacious lap71 and folds his fat hands placidly4 ,then there is a deep sigh of blissful expectation and an expressive silence1 which means1 8,now we are ready1 please2 and if you would be kind enough to begin it with ',once upon a time1' we should be much obliged2 though of course we understand that all the stories in the world can't commence that way1 delightful as it would be40 ,the ,person with a ,story smiles obligingly 7at least it is to be hoped that she does71 and retires into a little corner of her brain1 to rummage there for something just fitted to the occasion4 ,that same little corner is densely populated1 if she is a lover of children4 ,in it are all sorts of heroic dogs1 wonderful monkeys1 intelligent cats1 naughty kittens2 virtues masquerading seductively as fairies1 and vices hiding in imps2 birds agreeing and disagreeing in their little nests1 and inevitable small boys in the act of robbing them2 busy bees laying up their winter stores1 and idle butterflies disgracefully neglecting to do the same2 and then a troop of lost children1 disobedient children1 and lazy1 industrious1 generous1 or heedless ones1 waiting to furnish the thrilling climaxes4 ,the ,story-,teller selects a hero or heroine out of this motley crowd1--all longing to be introduced to ,bright-,eye1 ,fine-,ear1 ,kind-,heart1 and ,sweet-,lips1--and speedily the drama opens4 ,did ,rachel ever have such an audience8 ,i trow not4 ,rachel never had tiny hands snuggling into hers in 8the very best part of the story10 nor was she near enough her hearers to mark the thousand shades of expression that chased each other across their faces1--supposing they had any expression1 which is doubtful4 ,rachel never saw dimples lurking in the ambush of rosy cheeks1 and popping in and out in such a distracting manner that she felt like punctuating her discourse with kisses6 ,her dull1 conventional1 grown-up hearers bent a little forward in their seats1 perhaps1 and compelled by her magic power laughed and cried in the right places2 but their eyes never shone with that starry lustre that we see in the eyes of happy children1--a lustre that is dimmed1 alas1 in after years4 ,their eyes still see visions1 but the 8shadows of the prison house0 have fallen about us1 and the things which we have seen we 8now can see no more60 ,if you chance to be the ,person with a ,story1 you sit like a queen on her throne surrounded by her loyal subjects2 or like an unworthy sun with a group of flowers turning their faces towards you4 ,inspired by breathless attention1 you try ardently to do your very best4 ,it seems to you that you could never endure a total failure1 and you hardly see how you could bear1 with any sort of equanimity1 even the vacant gaze or restless movement that would bespeak a vagrant interest4 ,if you are a novice1 perhaps the frightful idea crosses your mind1 8,what if one of these children should slip out of the room80 ,or1 still more tragic possibility1 suppose they should look you in the eye and remark with the terrible candor of infancy1 8,we do not like this story60 ,but no2 you are more fortunate4 ,the tale is told1 and you are greeted with sighs of satisfaction and with the instantaneous request1 8,tell it again60 ,that is the encore of the ,story-,teller1--8,tell it again6 ,no1 not another story2 the same one over again1 please60 for 8what novelty is worth that sweet monotony where everything is known1 and loved because it is known80 ,no royal accolade could be received with greater gratitude4 ,you endeavor to let humility wait upon self-respect2 but when you discover that the children can scarcely be dragged from your fascinating presence1 crying like ,romeo for death rather than banishment1 and that the next time you appear they make a wild dash from the upper regions1 and precipitate themselves upon you with the full impact of their several weights 8multiplied into their velocity10 you cannot help hugging yourself to think the good ,god has endowed you sufficiently to win the love and admiration of such keen observers and merciless little critics4 ,now this charming little drama takes place in somebody's nursery corner at twilight1 when you are waiting for 8that cheerful tocsin of the soul1 the dinner-bell10 or around somebody's fireside just before the children's bedtime2 but the same scene is enacted every few days in the presence of the fresh-hearted1 childlike kindergartner1 of all women the likeliest to find the secret of eternal youth4 ,she chooses the story as one of the vessels in which she shall carry the truth to her circle of little listeners1 and you will never hear her say1 like the needy knife-grinder1 8,story8 ,god bless you1 ,i have none to tell1 sir60 ,if the group chances to be one of bright1 well-born1 well-bred youngsters1 the opportunity to inspire and instruct is one of the most effective and valuable that can come to any teacher4 ,on the other hand1 if the circle happens to be one of little ragamuffins1 ,arabs1 scrips and scraps of vagrant humanity 7sometimes scalawags and sometimes angels71 born in basements and bred on curbstones1 then believe me1 my countrymen1 there is a sight worth seeing1 a scene fit for a painter4 ,it might be a pleasant satire upon our national hospitality if the artist were to call such a picture 8,young ,america10 for comparatively few distinctively ,american faces would be found in his group of portraits4 ,make a mental picture1 dear reader1 of the ring of listening children in a ,san ,francisco free kindergarten1 for it would be difficult to gather so cosmopolitan a company anywhere else3 curly yellow hair and rosy cheeks 444 sleek blonde braids and calm blue eyes 444 swarthy faces and blue-black curls 444 woolly little pows and thick lips 444 long1 arched noses and broad1 flat ones4 ,there you will see the fire and passion of the ,southern races and the self-poise1 serenity1 and sturdiness of ,northern nations4 ,pat is there1 with a gleam of humor in his eye 444 ,topsy1 all smiles and teeth 444 ,abraham1 trading tops with little ,isaac1 next in line 444 ,hans and ,gretchen1 phlegmatic and dependable 444 ,francois1 never still for an instant 444 ,christina1 rosy1 calm1 and conscientious1 and ,duncan1 canny and prudent as any of his clan4 ,what an opportunity for amalgamation of races and for laying the foundation of ,american citizenship6 for the purely social atmosphere of the kindergarten makes it a school of life and experience4 ,imagine such a group hanging breathless upon your words1 as you recount the landing of the ,pilgrims1 or try to paint the character of ,george ,washington in colors that shall appeal to children whose ancestors have known ,napoleon1 ,cromwell1 and ,bismarck1 ,peter the ,great1 ,garibaldi1 ,bruce1 and ,robert ,emmett4 ,to such an audience were the stories in his little book told2 and the lines that will perhaps seem commonplace to you glow for us with a 8light that never was on sea or land20 for 8the secret of our emotions never lies in the bare object1 but in its subtle relations to our own past40 ,as we turn the pages1 radiant faces peep between the words2 the echo of childish laughter rings in our ears and curves our lips with its happy memory2 there isn't a single round ,o in all the chapters but serves as a tiny picture-frame for an eager child's face6 ,the commas say1 8,isn't there any more80 the interrogation points ask1 8,what did the boy do then80 the exclamation points cry in ecstasy1 8,what a beautiful story60 and the periods sigh1 8,this is all for to-day40 ,at this point--where the dog ,moufflou returns to his little master--we remember that ,carlotty ,griggs clapped her ebony hands1 and shrieked in transport1 8,i ,,knowed ,,he',d come6 ,i ,,knowed he'd come60 ,here is the place where we remarked impressively1 8,a lie1 children1 is the very worst thing in the world60 whereupon ,billy interrogated1 with wide eyes and awed voice1 8,,is ,,it ,,worse ,,than ,a ,,railroad ,,crossing80 ,and there is a sentence in the story of the 8,bird's ,nest0 sacred to the memory of ,tommy's tear6--,tommy of the callous conscience and the marble heart4 ,tommy's dull eye washed for one brief moment by the salutary tear6 ,truly the humble ,story-,teller has not lived in vain4 ,sing1 ye morning stars1 together1 for this is the spot where ,tommy cried6 ,if you would be the ,person with a ,story1 you must not only have one to tell1 but you must be willing to learn how to tell it1 if you wish to make it a 8rememberable thing0 to children4 ,the ,story-,teller1 unlike the poet1 is made as well as born1 but he is not made of all stuffs nor in the twinkling of an eye4 ,in this respect he is very like the ,ichneumon in the nonsense rhyme3 8,there once was an idle ,ichneumon ,who thought he could learn to play ,schumann2 ,but he found1 to his pains1 ,it took talent and brains1 ,and neither possessed this ,ichneumon40 ,to be effective1 the story in the kindergarten should always be told1 never read2 for little children need the magnetism of eye and smile as well as the gesture which illuminates the strange word and endows it with meaning4 ,the story that is told is always a thousand times more attractive1 real1 and personal than anything read from a book4 ,well-chosen1 graphically told stories can be made of distinct educative value in the nursery or kindergarten4 ,they give the child a love of reading1 develop in him the germ1 at least1 of a taste for good literature1 and teach him the art of speech4 ,if they are told in simple1 graceful1 expressive ,english1 they are a direct and valuable object lesson in this last direction4 ,the ear of the child becomes used to refined intonations1 and slovenly language will grow more and more disagreeable to him4 ,the kindergartner cannot be too careful in this matter4 ,by the sweetness of her tone and the perfection of her enunciation she not only makes herself a worthy model for the children1 but she constantly reveals the possibilities of language and its inner meaning4 8,the very brooding of a voice on a word10 says ,george ,macdonald1 8seems to hatch something of what is in it40 ,stories help a child to form a standard by which he can live and grow1 for they are his first introduction into the grand world of the ideal in character4 8,we live by ,admiration1 ,hope1 and ,love2 ,and even as these are well and wisely fixed1 ,in dignity of being we ascend40 ,the child understands his own life better1 when he is enabled to compare it with other lives2 he sees himself and his own possibilities reflected in them as in a mirror4 ,they also aid in the growth of the imaginative faculty1 which is very early developed in the child1 and requires its natural food4 8,imagination10 says ,dr4 ,seguin1 8is more than a decorative attribute of leisure2 it is a power in the sense that from images perceived and stored it sublimes ideals40 8,if ,i were to choose between two great calamities for my children10 he goes on to say1 8,i would rather have them unalphabetic than unimaginative40 ,there is a great difference of opinion concerning the value of fairy stories4 ,the ,gradgrinds will not accept them on any basis whatever1 but they are invariably so fascinating to children that it is certain they must serve some good purpose and appeal to some inherent craving in child-nature4 ,but here comes in the necessity of discrimination4 ,the true meaning of the word 8faerie0 is spiritual1 but many stories masquerade under that title which have no claim to it4 ,some universal spiritual truth underlies the really fine old fairy tale2 but there can be no educative influence in the so-called fairy stories which are merely jumbles of impossible incidents1 and which not unfrequently present dishonesty1 deceit1 and cruelty in attractive or amusing guise4 ,when the fairy tale carries us into an exquisite ideal world1 where the fancy may roam at will1 creating new images and seeing truth ever in new forms1 then it has a pure and lovely influence over children1 who are natural poets1 and live more in the spirit and less in the body than we4 ,the fairy tale offers us a broad canvas on which to paint our word-pictures4 ,there are no restrictions of time or space2 the world is ours1 and we can roam in it at will2 for spirit1 there1 is ever victorious over matter4 8,once upon a time10 saith the ,story-,teller1 8there was a beautiful locust tree1 that bent its delicate fans and waved its creamy blossoms in the sunshine1 and laughed because its flowers were so lovely and fragrant and the world was so fresh and green in its summer dress40 8,it's queer for a tree to laugh10 said ,bright-,eye4 8,but queerer if it didn't laugh1 with such lovely blossoms hanging all over it10 replied ,fine-,ear4 ,everything is real to the happy child4 ,life is a sort of fairy garden1 where he wanders as in a dream4 8,he can make abstraction of whatever does not fit into his fable2 and he puts his eyes into his pocket just as we hold our noses in an unsavory lane40 ,stories offer a valuable field for instruction1 and for introducing in simple and attractive form much information concerning the laws of plant and flower and animal life4 ,a story of this kind1 however1 must be made as well as told by an artist2 for in the hands of a bungler it is quite as likely to be a failure as a success4 ,it must be compounded with the greatest care1 and the scientific facts must be generously diluted and mixed in small proportions with other and more attractive elements1 or it will be rejected by the mental stomach2 or1 if received in one ear1 will be unceremoniously ushered from the other with an 8,avaunt6 cold fact6 ,what have thou and ,i in common60 ,did you ever tell a story of this kind and watch its effect upon children8 ,did you ever note that fatal moment when it ,,began to ,,begin to dawn upon the intelligence of the dullest member of your flock that your narrative was a 8whited sepulchre10 and that he was being instructed within an inch of his life8 8,treat me at least with honesty1 my good woman60 he cries in his spirit4 8,read me lessons if you will1 but do not make a pretense of amusing me at the same moment60 ,this obvious attitude of criticism is very disagreeable to you1 but never mind1 it will be a salutary lesson4 ,did you think1 ,o clumsy visitor in childhood land1 that simply because you called your stuffed dolls 8,prince0 and 8,princess0 you could conduct them straight through the mineral kingdom1 and allow them to converse with all the metals with impunity8 ,nest time make your scientific fact an integral part of the story1 and do not try to introduce too much knowledge in one dose4 ,all children love ,nature and sympathize with her 7or if they do not1 8then despair of them1 ,o ,philanthropy6071 and all stories that bring them nearer to the dear mother's heart bring them at the same time nearer to ,god2 therefore lead them gently to a loving observation of 8,the hills ,rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun2 the vales ,stretching in pensive quietness between2 ,the venerable woods2 rivers that move ,in majesty1 and the complaining brooks ,that make the meadows green40 ,stories bring the force of example to bear upon children in the very best possible way4 ,here we can speak to the newly awakened soul and touch it to nobler issues4 ,this can be done with very little of that abstract moralizing which is generally so ineffective4 ,a moral 8lugged in0 by the heels1 so to speak1 without any sense of perspective on the part of the ,story-,teller1 can no more incline a child to nobler living than cold victuals can serve as a fillip to the appetite4 ,the facts themselves should suffice to exert the moral influence2 the deeds should speak louder than the words1 and in clearer1 fuller tones4 ,at the end of such a story1 8,go thou and do likewise0 sounds in the child's heart1 and a new throb of tenderness and aspiration1 of desire to do1 to grow1 and to be1 stirs gently there and wakes the soul to higher ideals4 ,in such a story the canting1 vapid1 or didactic little moral1 tacked like a tag on the end1 for fear we shall not read the lesson aright1 is nothing short of an insult to the better feelings4 ,it used to be very much in vogue1 but we have learned better nowadays1 and we recognize 7to paraphrase ,mrs4 ,whitney's bright speech7 that we have often vaccinated children with morality for fear of their taking it the natural way4 ,it is a curious fact that children sympathize with the imaginary woes of birds and butterflies and plants much more readily than with the sufferings of human beings2 and they are melted to tears much more quickly by simple incidents from the manifold life of nature1 than by the tragedies of human experience which surround them on every side4 ,robert ,louis ,stevenson says in his essay on 8,child's ,play10 8,once1 when ,i was groaning aloud with physical pain1 a young gentleman came into the room and nonchalantly inquired if ,i had seen his bow and arrow4 ,he made no account of my groans1 which he accepted1 as he had to accept so much else1 as a piece of the inexplicable conduct of his elders4 ,those elders1 who care so little for rational enjoyment1 and are even the enemies of rational enjoyment for others1 he had accepted without understanding and without complaint1 as the rest of us accept the scheme of the universe40 ,miss ,anna ,buckland quotes in this connection a story of a little boy to whom his mother showed a picture of ,daniel in the lions' den4 ,the child sighed and looked much distressed1 whereupon his mother hastened to assure him that ,daniel was such a good man that ,god did not let the lions hurt him4 8,oh10 replied the little fellow1 8,i was not thinking of that2 but ,i was afraid that those big lions were going to eat all of him themselves1 and that they would not give the poor little lion down in the corner any of him60 ,it is well to remember the details with which you surrounded your story when first you told it1 and hold to them strictly on all other occasions4 ,the children allow you no latitude in this matter2 they draw the line absolutely upon all change4 ,woe unto you1 scribes and ,pharisees1 if you speak of ,jimmy when 8his name was ,johnny20 or if1 when you are depicting the fearful results of disobedience1 you lose ,jane in a cranberry bog instead of the heart of a forest6 ,personally you do not care much for little ,jane1 and it is a matter of no moment to you where you lost her2 but an error such as this undermines the very foundations of the universe in the children's minds4 8,can ,jane be lost in two places80 they exclaim mentally1 8or are there two ,janes1 and are they both lost8 because if so1 it must be a fatality to be named ,jane40 ,perez relates the following incident3 8,a certain child was fond of a story about a young bird1 which1 having left its nest1 although its mother had forbidden it to do so1 flew to the top of a chimney1 fell down the flue into the fire1 and died a victim to his disobedience4 ,the person who told the story thought it necessary to embellish it from his own imagination4 ',that's not right1' said the child at the first change which was made1 'the mother said this and did that4' ,his cousin1 not remembering the story word for word1 was obliged to have recourse to invention to fill up gaps4 ,but the child could not stand it4 ,he slid down from his cousin's knees1 and with tears in his eyes1 and indignant gestures1 exclaimed1 ',it's not true6 ,the little bird said1 coui1 coui1 coui1 coui1 before he fell into the fire1 to make his mother hear2 but the mother did not hear him1 and he burnt his wings1 his claws1 and his beak1 and he died1 poor little bird4' ,and the child ran away1 crying as if he had been beaten4 ,he had been worse than beaten2 he had been deceived1 or at least he thought so2 his story had been spoiled by being altered40 ,so seriously do children for a long time take fiction for reality4 ,if you find the attention of the children wandering1 you can frequently win it gently back by showing some object illustrative of your story1 by drawing a hasty sketch on a blackboard1 or by questions to the children4 ,you sometimes receive more answers than you bargained for2 sometimes these answers will be confounded with the real facts2 and sometimes they will fall very wide of the mark4 ,i was once telling the exciting tale of the ,shepherd's ,child lost in the mountains1 and of the sagacious dog who finally found him4 ,when ,i reached the thrilling episode of the search1 ,i followed the dog as he started from the shepherd's hut with the bit of breakfast for his little master4 ,the shepherd sees the faithful creature1 and seized by a sudden inspiration follows in his path4 ,up1 up the mountain sides they climb1 the father full of hope1 the mother trembling with fear4 ,the dog rushes ahead1 quite out of sight2 the anxious villagers press forward in hot pursuit4 ,the situation grows more and more intense2 they round a little point of rocks1 and there1 under the shadow of a great gray crag1 they find 8,what do you suppose they found80 8,,fi' ,,cents660 shouted ,benny in a transport of excitement4 8,,bet ,,yer ,,they ,,found ,,fi' ,,cents660 ,you would imagine that such a preposterous idea could not find favor in any sane community2 but so altogether seductive a guess did this appear to be1 that a chorus of 8,fi' cents60 8,fi' cents60 sounded on every side2 and when the tumult was hushed1 the discovery of an ordinary flesh and blood child fell like an anti-climax on a public thoroughly in love with its own incongruities4 ,let the psychologist explain ,benny's mental processes2 we prefer to leave them undisturbed and unclassified4 ,if you have no children of your own1 dear ,person with a ,story1 go into the highways and by-ways and gather together the little ones whose mothers' lips are dumb2 sealed by dull poverty1 hard work1 and constant life in atmospheres where graceful fancies are blighted as soon as they are born4 ,there is no fireside1 and no chimney corner in those crowded tenements4 ,there is no silver-haired grandsire full of years and wisdom1 with memory that runs back to the good old times that are no more4 ,there is no cheerful grandame with pocket full of goodies and a store of dear old reminiscences all beginning with that enchanting phrase1 8,when ,i was a little girl40 ,brighten these sordid lives a little with your pretty thoughts1 your lovely imaginations1 your tender pictures4 ,speak to them simply1 for their minds grope feebly in the dim twilight of their restricted lives4 ,the old1 old stories will do2 stories of love and heroism and sacrifice2 of faith and courage and fidelity4 ,kindle in tired hearts a gentler thought of life2 open the eyes that see not and the ears that hear not2 interpret to them something of the beauty that has been revealed to you4 ,you do not need talent1 only sympathy1 8the one poor word that includes all our best insight and our best love40 ,,kate ,,douglas ,,wiggin4 ,,preface4 ,the fourteen little stories in this book are not offered as a collection ample enough to satisfy all needs of the kindergartner4 ,such a collection should embrace representative stories of all classes--narrative1 realistic1 imaginative1 scientific1 and historical1 as well as brief and simple tales for the babies4 ,an experience of twelve years among kindergartners1 however1 has shown us that there is room for a number of books like this modest example2 containing stories which need no adaptation or arrangement2 which are ready for the occasion1 and which have been thoroughly tried before audience after audience of children4 ,the three adaptations1 8,benjy in ,beast-,land10 8,moufflou10 and the 8,porcelain ,stove10 have been made as sympathetically as possible4 ,their introduction needs no apology1 for they are exquisite stories1 and in their original form much too advanced for children of the kindergarten age4 ,,kate ,,douglas ,,wiggin4 ,,nora ,a4 ,,smith4 ,,the ,,oriole',s ,,nest4 8,see how each boy1 excited by the actual event1 is all ear40--,froebel4 ,there it hangs1 on a corner of the picture frame1 very much as it hung in the old willow-tree out in the garden4 ,it was spring time1 and ,i used to move my rocking-chair up to the window1 where ,i could lean out and touch the green branches1 and watch there for the wonderful beautiful things to tell my little children in the kindergarten4 ,there ,i saw the busy little ants hard at work on the ground below2 the patient1 dull1 brown toads snapping flies in the sunshine2 the striped caterpillars lazily crawling up the trunk of the tree2 and dozens of merry birds getting ready for housekeeping4 ,did you know the birdies 8kept house08 ,oh1 yes2 they never 8board0 like men and women2 indeed1 ,i don't think they even like to ,,rent a house without fixing it over to suit themselves1 but they 'd much rather go to work and build one1 8,so snug and so warm1 so cosy and neat1 ,to start at their housekeeping all complete40 ,now there hung just inside my window a box of strings1 and for two or three days1 no matter how many ,i put into it1 when ,i went to look the next time none could be found4 ,i had talked to the little girls and scolded the little boys in the house1 but no one knew anything about the matter1 when one afternoon1 as ,i was sitting there1 a beautiful bird with a yellow breast fluttered down from the willow-tree1 perched on the window-sill1 cocked his saucy head1 winked his bright eye1 and without saying 8,if you please10 clipped his naughty little beak into the string box and flew off with a piece of pink twine4 ,i sat as still as a mouse to see if the little scamp would dare to come back2 he didn't1 but he sent his wife1 who gave a hop1 skip1 and a jump1 looked me squarely in the eye1 and took her string without being a bit afraid4 ,now do you call that stealing8 8,no10 you answer4 ,neither do ,i2 to be sure they took what belonged to me1 but the window was wide open1 and ,i think they must have known ,i loved the birds and would like to give them something for their new house4 ,perhaps they knew1 too1 that bits of old twine could not be worth much4 ,then how busily they began their work6 ,they had already chosen the place for their nest1 springing up and down in the boughs till they found a branch far out of sight of snakes and hawks and cruel tabby cats1 high out of reach of naughty small boys with their sling-shots1 and now everything was ready for these small carpenters to begin their building4 ,no hammer and nails were needed1 claw and bill were all the tools they used1 and yet what beautiful carpenter work was theirs6 ,do you see how strongly the nest is tied on to those three slender twigs1 and how carefully and closely it is woven1 so that you can scarcely pull it apart8 ,those wiry black hairs holding all the rest together were dropped from ,prince ,charming's tail 7,prince ,charming is the pretty saddle-horse who crops his grass1 under the willow-tree74 ,those sleek brown hairs belonged to ,dame ,margery1 the gentle mooly cow1 who lives with her little calf ,pet in the stable with ,prince ,charming2 and there is a shining yellow spot on one side4 ,ah1 you roguish birds1 you must have been outside the kitchen window when baby ,johnny's curls were cut6 ,we could only spare two from his precious head1 and we hunted everywhere for this one to send to grandmamma6 ,now just look at this door in the side of the nest1 and tell me how a bird could make such a perfect one2 and yet ,i've heard you say1 8,it's only a bird2 he doesn't know anything40 ,to be sure he cannot do as many things as you1 but after all you are not wise enough to do many of the things that he does4 ,what would one of my little boys do1 ,i wonder1 if he were carried miles away from home and dropped in a place he had never seen8 ,why1 he would be too frightened to do anything but cry2 and yet there are many birds1 who1 when taken away a long distance1 will perch on top of the weather-vane1 perhaps1 make up their little bits of minds which way to go1 and then with a whir-r-r-r fly off over house-tops and church-steeples1 towns and cities1 rivers and meadows1 until they reach the place from which they started4 ,look at the nest for the last time now1 and see the soft1 lovely lining of ducks' feathers and lambs' wool4 ,why do you suppose it was made so velvet soft and fleecy8 ,why1 for the little birds that were coming1 of course2 and sure enough1 one morning after the tiny house was all finished1 ,i leaned far out of the window and saw five little eggs cuddled close together2 but ,i did not get much chance to look at those precious eggs1 ,i can tell you2 for the mamma bird could scarcely spare a minute to go and get a drink of water1 so afraid was she that they would miss the warmth of her downy wings4 ,there she sat in the long ,may days and warm1 still nights3 who but a mamma would be so sweet and kind and patient8--but ,,she didn't mind the trouble--not a bit4 ,bless her dear little bird-heart1 they were not eggs to her3 she could see them even now as they were going to be1 her five cunning1 downy1 feathery birdlings1 chirping and fluttering under her wings2 so she never minded the ache in her back or the cramp in her legs1 but sat quite still at home1 though there were splendid picnics in the strawberry patches and concerts on the fence rails1 and all the father birds1 and all the mother birds that were not hatching eggs1 were having a great deal of fun this beautiful weather4 ,at last all was over1 and ,i was waked up one morning by such a chirping and singing--such a fluttering and flying--,i knew in a minute that where the night before there had been two birds and five eggs1 now there were seven birds and nothing but egg-shells in the green willow-tree6 ,the papa oriole would hardly wait for me to dress1 but flew on and off the window-sill1 seeming to say1 8,why don't you get up8 why don't you get up8 ,i have five little birds2 they came out of the shells this very morning1 so hungry that ,i can't get enough for them to eat6 ,why don't you get up1 ,i say8 ,i have five little birds1 and ,i am taking care of them while my wife is off taking a rest60 ,they were five scrawny1 skinny little things1 ,i must say2 for you know birds don't begin by being pretty like kittens and chickens1 but look very bare and naked1 and don't seem to have anything to show but a big1 big mouth which is always opening and crying 8,yip1 yip1 yip60 ,now ,i think you are wondering why ,i happen to have this nest1 and how ,i could have taken away the beautiful house from the birds4 ,ah1 that is the sad part of the story1 and ,i wish ,i need not tell it to you4 ,when the baby birds were two days old1 ,i went out on a long ride into the country1 leaving everything safe and happy in the old green willow-tree2 but when ,i came back1 what do you think ,i found on the ground under the branches8----,a wonderful hang-bird's nest cut from the tree1 and five poor still birdies lying by its side4 ,five slender necks all limp and lifeless1--five pairs of bright eyes shut forever6 and overhead the poor mamma and papa twittering and crying in the way little birds have when they are frightened and sorry--flying here and there1 first down to the ground and then up in the tree1 to see if it was really true4 ,while ,i was gone two naughty boys had come into the garden to dig for angle-worms1 and all at once they spied the oriole's nest4 8,o ,tommy1 here's a hang-bird's nest1 such a funny one6 there's nobody here1 let's get it10 cried ,jack4 ,up against the tree they put the step-ladder2 and although it was almost out of reach1 a sharp jack-knife cut the twigs that held it up1 and down it fell from the high tree with a heavy thud on the hard earth1 and the five little orioles never breathed again6 ,of course the boys didn't know there were any birdies in the nest1 or they wouldn't have done it for the world2 but that didn't make it any easier for the papa and mamma bird4 ,now1 dear children1 never let me hear you say1 8,it's no matter1 they're only birds1 they don't care40 ,think about this nest3 how the mother and father worked at it1 weaving hair and string and wool together1 day by day6 ,think how the patient mamma sat on the eggs1 dreaming of the time when she should have five little singing1 flying birds to care for1 to feed and to teach6 and then to have them live only two short days6 ,was it not dreadful to lose her beautiful house and dear little children both at once8 ,never forget that just as your own father and mother love their dear little girls and boys1 so ,god has made the birds love their little feathery children that are born in the wonderful nests he teaches them to build4 ,,dicky ,,smiley',s ,,birthday4 8,in order to be especially beneficial and effective1 story-telling should be connected with the events and occurrences of life40--,froebel4 ,dicky ,smiley was eight years old when all these things happened that ,i am going to tell you2 eight years old1 and as bright as a steel button4 ,it was very funny that his name should be ,smiley1 for his face was just like a sunbeam1 and if he ever cried at all it was only for a minute1 and then the smiles would creep out and chase the tear-drops away from the blue sky of his eyes4 ,dicky's mother tried to call him ,richard1 because it was his papa's name1 but it never would say itself somehow1 and even when she did remember1 and called him 8,richard10 his baby sister ,dot would cry1 8,mamma1 don't scold ,dicky40 ,he had once a good1 loving papa like yours1 when he was a tiny baby in long white clothes2 but the dear papa marched away with the blue-coated soldiers one day1 and never came back any more to his little children2 for he died far1 far away from home1 on a green battlefield1 with many other soldiers4 ,you can think how sad and lonely ,dicky's mamma was1 and how she hugged her three babies close in her arms1 and said3 8,darlings1 you haven't any father now1 but the dear ,god will help your mother to take care of you60 ,and now she was working hard1 so very hard1 from morning till night every day to get money to buy bread and milk and clothes for ,bess and ,dot and ,dicky4 ,but ,dicky was a good little fellow and helped his mamma ever so much1 pulling out bastings from her needlework1 bringing in the kindling and shavings from the shed1 and going to the store for her butter and potatoes and eggs4 ,so one morning she said3 8,dicky1 you have been such a help to me this summer1 ,i'd like to give you something to make you very happy4 ,let us count the money in your bank--you earned it all yourself--and see what we could buy with it4 ,to be sure1 ,bess wants a waterproof and ,dot needs rubbers1 but we do want our little boy to have a birthday present40 8,oh1 mamma10 cried he1 clapping his hands1 8what a happy day it will be6 ,i shall buy that tool-box at the store round the corner6 ,it's such a beauty1 with a little saw1 a claw-hammer1 a chisel1 a screw-driver1 and everything a carpenter needs4 ,it costs just a dollar1 exactly60 ,then they unscrewed the bank and found ninety-five cents1 so that it would take only five cents more to make the dollar4 ,dicky earned that before he went to bed1 by piling up wood for a neighbor2 and his mamma changed all the little five and ten cent pieces into two bright half-dollars that chinked together joyfully in his trousers pocket4 ,the next morning he was up almost at the same time the robins and chimney-swallows flew out of their nests2 jumped down the stairs1 two at a time1 and could scarcely eat his breakfast1 such a hurry as he was in to buy the precious tool-box4 ,he opened the front door1 danced down the wooden steps1 and there on the curb in front of the house stood a little girl1 with a torn gingham apron1 no shoes1 no hat1 and her nut-brown curls flying in the wind2 worse than all1 she was crying as if her heart would break4 8,why1 little girl1 what's the matter80 asked ,dicky1 for he was a kind-hearted boy1 and didn't like to see people cry4 ,she took down her apron and sobbed3 8,oh1 ,i've lost my darling little brown dog1 and ,i can never get him back60 8,why1 has somebody poisoned him--is he dead80 said ,dicky4 ,she shook her head4 8,no1 oh no6 ,the pound-man took him away in his cart--my sweet little bit of a dog2 he has such a cunning little curly tail1 and long1 silky ears2 he does all kinds of tricks1 and they'll never let me in at home without ,bruno40 ,and then she began to cry harder than ever1 so that ,dicky hardly knew what to say to her4 ,now the pound1 children1 is a very large place somewhere near the city1 with a high fence all around it1 and inside are kept colts and horses1 the little calves and mother cows1 and the sheep and goats that run away from home1 or are picked up by the roadside4 ,the pound-man rides along the street in a big cart1 which has a framework of slats built over it1 so that it looks something like a chicken-coop on wheels1 and in it--some of you have seen him do it--he puts the poor dogs that haven't collars on1 and whose masters haven't paid for them4 ,then he rides away and locks them up in the great place inside the high fence1 and they have to stay awhile4 ,the dogs are killed if nobody comes for them4 8,well10 said ,dicky1 8let us go and see the pound-man4 ,do you know where he lives80 8,yes1 indeed10 answered the little girl1 whose name was ,lola4 8,i ran behind the cart all the way to the pound4 ,i cried after ,bruno1 and ,bruno whined for me1 and poked his nose between the bars and tried to jump out1 but he couldn't4 ,it's a pretty long way there1 and the man is as cross as two sticks40 ,but they started off1 and on and on they walked together1 ,dicky having tight hold of ,lola's hand1 while she told him about the wonderful things ,bruno could do2 how he could go up and down a ladder1 play the fife and beat the drum1 make believe go to sleep1 and dance a jig4 ,it was by these tricks of his that ,lola earned money for her uncle1 with whom she lived2 for her father and mother were both dead1 and there was no one in the whole world who loved the little girl4 ,the dear mother had died in a beautiful mountain country far across the ocean1 and ,lola and ,bruno had been sent in a ship over to ,america4 ,now this dear1 pretty mamma of ,lola's used to sing to her when she rocked her to sleep1 and as she grew from a baby to a tiny girl she learned the little songs to sing to ,bruno when he was a little puppy4 ,would you like to hear one of them8 ,she used to sing it on the street corners1 and at the end of the last verse that knowing1 cunning1 darling ,bruno would yawn as if he could not keep awake another minute1 tuck his silky head between his two fore paws1 shut his bright eyes1 give a tired little sigh1 and stay fast asleep until ,lola waked him4 ,this is the song3 ,wake1 lit-tle ,bru-no6 ,wake1 lit-tle ,bru-no1 ,wake1 lit-tle ,bru-no quick-ly6 ,when the two children came to the pound and saw the little house at the gate where the pound-man lived1 ,dicky was rather frightened and hardly dared walk up the steps2 but after a moment he thought to himself1 8,i won't be a coward2 ,i haven't done anything wrong40 ,so he gave the door a rousing knock1 for an eight-year-old boy1 and brought the man out at once4 8,what do you want80 said he1 in a gruff voice1 for he did seem rather cross4 8,please1 sir1 ,i want ,lola's little brown dog4 ,he's all the dog she has1 and she earns money with him4 ,he does funny tricks for ten cents40 8,how do you think ,i know whether ,i've got a brown dog in there or not80 growled he4 8,you'd better run home to your mothers1 both of you40 ,at this ,lola began to cry again1 and ,dicky said quickly3 8,oh1 you 'd know him soon as anything1--he has such a cunning curly tail and long silky ears4 ,his name is ,bruno40 8,well10 snapped the man1 8where's your money8 ,hurry up6 ,i want my breakfast40 8,money60 cried ,dicky1 looking at ,lola4 8,money60 whispered little ,lola1 looking back at ,dicky4 8,yes10 said he1 8of course6 ,give me a dollar and ,i will give you the dog40 8,but10 answered ,lola1 8,i haven't a bit of money2 ,i never have any40 8,neither have0--began ,dicky2 and then his fingers crept into his trousers pocket and felt the two silver half-dollars that were to buy his tool-box4 ,he had forgotten all about that tool-box for an hour1 but how could he--how could he ever give away that precious money which he had been so long in getting together1 five cents at a time8 ,he remembered the sharp little saw1 the stout hammer1 the cunning plane1 bright chisel1 and shining screw-driver1 and his fingers closed round the money tightly2 but just then he looked at pretty little ,lola1 with her sad face1 her swollen eyes and the brave red lips she was trying to keep from quivering with tears4 ,that was enough2 he quickly drew out the silver dollar1 and said to the pound-man3 8,here's your dollar--give us the dog60 ,the man looked much surprised4 ,not many little eight-year-old boys have a dollar in their trousers pocket4 8,where did you get it80 he asked4 8,i earned every cent of it10 answered poor ,dicky with a lump in his throat and a choking voice4 8,i brought in coal and cut kindlings for most six months before ,i got enough1 and there ain't another tool-box in the world so good as that one for a dollar--but ,i want ,bruno60 ,illustration3 8,here's your dollar--give us the dog'0 ,then the pound-man showed them a little flight of steps that led up to a square hole in the wall of the pound1 and told them to go up and look through it and see if the dog was there4 ,they climbed up and put their two rosy eager faces at the rough little window4 8,bruno6 ,bruno60 called little ,lola1 and no ,bruno came2 but every frightened homesick little doggy in that prison poked up his nose1 wagged his tail1 and started for the voice4 ,it didn't matter whether they were ,fidos1 or ,carlos1 or ,rovers1 or ,pontos2 they knew that they were lonesome little dogs1 and perhaps somebody had remembered them4 ,lola's tender heart ached at the sight of so many fatherless and motherless dogs1 and she cried1 8,no1 no1 you poor darlings6 ,i haven't come for you2 ,i want my own ,bruno40 8,sing for him1 and may be he will come10 said ,dicky2 and ,lola leaned her elbow on the window sill and sang3 ,lit-tle shoes are sold at the gate-way of ,heaven1 ,and to all the tattered lit-tle an-gels are giv-en2 ,slum-ber my dar-ling1 ,slum-ber my dar-ling1 ,slum-ber my dar-ling sweet-ly4 ,now ,bruno was so tired with running from the pound-man1 so hungry1 so frightened1 and so hoarse with barking that he had gone to sleep2 but when he heard ,lola's voice singing the song he knew so well1 he started up1 and out he bounded half awake--the dearest1 loveliest little brown dog in the world1 with a cunning curly tail sticking up in a round bob behind1 two long silky ears that almost touched the ground1 and four soft white feet4 ,then they were two such glad children1 and such a glad little brown dog was ,bruno6 ,why1 he kissed ,lola's bare feet and hands and face1 and nearly chewed her apron into rags1 he was so delighted to see his mistress again4 ,even the cross pound-man smiled and said he was the prettiest puppy1 and the smartest1 he had ever had in the pound1 and that when he had shut him up the night before he had gone through all his funny tricks in hopes that he would be let out4 ,then ,dicky and ,lola walked back home over the dusty road1 ,bruno running along beside them1 barking at the birds1 sniffing at the squirrels1 and chasing all the chickens and kittens he met on the way1 till at last they reached the street corner1 where ,lola turned to go to her home1 after kissing her new friend and thanking him for being so good and kind to her4 ,but what about ,master ,dicky himself1 who had lost his tool-box8 ,he didn't feel much like a smiling boy just then4 ,he crept in at the back door1 and when he saw his dear mother's face in the kitchen he couldn't stand it a minute longer1 but burst out crying1 and told her all about it4 8,well1 my little son10 said she1 8,i'm very1 very sorry4 ,i wish ,i could give you another dollar1 but ,i haven't any money to spare4 ,you did just right to help ,lola find ,bruno1 and buy him back for her1 and ,i'm very proud of my boy2 but you can't give away the dollar and have the tool-box too4 ,so wipe your eyes1 and try to be happy4 ,you didn't eat any breakfast1 dear1 take a piece of nice bread and sugar40 ,so ,dicky dried his tears and began to eat4 ,after a while he wanted to wipe his sticky1 sugary little mouth1 and as he took his clean handkerchief out of his pocket1 two shining1 chinking1 clinking round things tumbled out on the floor and rolled under the kitchen table6 ,what could they have been6 ,why1 his two silver half-dollars1 to be sure4 ,and where in the world did they come from1 do you suppose8 ,why1 it was the nicest1 funniest thing6 ,the pound-man was not so cross after all1 for he thought ,lola and ,dicky were two such kind children1 and ,bruno such a cunning dog1 that he could not bear to take ,dicky's dollar away from him2 so while the little boy was looking the other way the pound-man just slipped the money back into ,dick's bit of a pocket without saying a word4 ,wasn't that a beautiful surprise8 ,so ,dicky ran to the corner store as fast as his feet could carry him1 and bought the tool-box4 ,every ,saturday afternoon he has such a pleasant time playing with it6 ,and who do you suppose sits on the white kitchen floor with ,dot and ,bess1 watching him make dolls' tables and chairs with his carpenter's tools8 ,why1 ,lola1 to be sure1 and a little brown dog too1 with a cunning curly tail turned up in a round bob behind1 and two long silky ears touching the floor4 ,for ,dick's mamma had such a big heart that ,i do believe it would have held all the children in the world1 and as ,lola's uncle didn't care for her the least little bit1 he gave her to this mamma of ,dicky's1 who grew to love this little girl almost as well as she loved her own ,dicky and ,dot and ,bess4 ,,aqua2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,water ,,babay4 ,footnote3 ,the plan of this story was suggested to me many years ago2 so many1 indeed1 that ,i cannot now remember whether it was my friend's own1 or whether he had read something like it in ,german4--,k4 ,d4 ,w4 8,this standing above life1 and yet grasping life1 and being stirred by life1 is what makes the genuine educator40--,froebel4 ,it was a clear1 sunshiny day1 and out on the great1 wide1 open sea there sparkled thousands and thousands of water-drops4 ,one of these was a merry little fellow who danced on the silver backs of the fishes as they plunged up and down in the waves1 and1 no matter how high he sprung1 always came down again plump into his mother's lap4 ,his mother1 you know1 was the ,ocean1 and very beautiful she looked that summer day in her dark blue dress and white ruffles4 ,by and by the happy water-drop tired of his play1 and looking up to the clear sky above him thought he would like to have a sail on one of the white floating clouds2 so1 giving a jump from the ,ocean's arms1 he begged the ,sun to catch him up and let him go on a journey to see the earth4 ,the ,sun said 8,yes10 and took ever so many other drops1 too1 so that ,aqua might not be lonesome on the way4 ,he did not know this1 however1 for they all had been changed into fine mist or vapor4 ,do you know what vapor is8 ,if you breathe into the air1 when it is cold enough1 you will see it coming out of your mouth like steam1 and you may also see very hot steam coming from the nose of a kettle of boiling water4 ,when it is quite near to the earth1 where we can see it1 we call it 8fog40 ,the water-drops had been changed into vapor because in their own shape they were too heavy for sunbeams to carry4 ,higher and higher they sailed1 so fast that they grew quite dizzy2 why1 in an hour they had gone over a hundred miles6 and how grand it was1 to be looking down on the world below1 and sailing faster than fish can swim or birds can fly6 ,but after a while it grew nearly time for the ,sun to go to bed2 he became very red in the face1 and began to sink lower and lower1 until suddenly he went clear out of sight6 ,poor little ,aqua could not help being frightened1 for every minute it grew darker and colder4 ,at last he thought he would try to get back to the earth again1 so he slipped away1 and as he fell lower and lower he grew heavier1 until he was a little round1 bright drop again1 and alighted on a rosebush4 ,a lovely velvet bud opened its leaves1 and in he slipped among the crimson cushions1 to sleep until morning4 ,then the leaves opened1 and rolling over in his bed he called out1 8,please1 dear ,sun1 take me with you again40 ,so the sunbeams caught him up a second time1 and they flew through the air till the noon-time1 when it grew warmer and warmer1 and there was no red rose to hide him1 not even a blade of grass to shade his tired head2 but just as he was crying out1 8,please1 ,king ,sun1 let me go back to the dear mother ,ocean10 the wind took pity on him1 and came with its cool breath and fanned him1 with all his brothers1 into a heavy gray cloud1 after which he blew them apart and told them to join hands and hurry away to the earth4 ,helter-skelter down they went1 rolling over each other pell-mell1 till with a patter and clatter and spatter they touched the ground1 and all the people cried1 8,it rains40 ,some of the drops fell on a mountain side1 ,aqua among them1 and down the rocky cliff he ran1 leading the way for his brothers4 ,soon1 together they plunged into a mountain brook1 which came foaming and dashing along1 leaping over rocks and rushing down the hillside1 till in the valley below they heard the strangest clattering noise4 ,on the bank stood a flour-mill1 and at the door a man whose hat and clothes were gray with dust4 ,inside the mill were two great stones1 which kept whizzing round and round1 faster than a boy's top could spin1 worked by the big wheel outside2 and these stones ground the wheat into flour and the corn into golden meal4 ,but what giant do you suppose it was who could turn and swing that tremendous wheel1 together with those heavy stones8 ,no giant at all4 ,no one but our tiny little water-drops themselves1 who sprang on it by hundreds and thousands1 and whirled it over and over4 ,the brook emptied into a quiet pond where ducks and geese were swimming4 ,such a still1 beautiful place it was1 with the fuzzy1 brown cat-tails lifting their heads above the water1 and the yellow cow lilies1 with their leaves like green platters1 floating on the top4 ,on the edge lived the fat green bullfrogs1 and in the water were spotted trout1 silver shiners1 cunning minnows1 and other fish4 ,aqua liked this place so much that he stayed a good while1 sailing up and down1 taking the ducks' backs for ships and the frogs for horses2 but after a time he tired of the dull life1 and he and his brothers floated out over a waterfall and under a bridge for a long1 long distance1 until they saw another brook tumbling down a hillside4 8,come1 let's join hands60 cried ,aqua2 and so they all dashed on together till they came to a broad river which opened its arms to them4 ,by the help of ,aqua and his brothers the beautiful river was able to float heavy ships1 though not so long ago it was only a little rill1 through which a child could wade or over which he could step4 ,here a vessel loaded with lumber was carried just as easily as if it had been a paper boat2 there a steamer1 piled with boxes and barrels1 and crowded with people1 passed by1 its great wheel crashing through the water and leaving a long trail1 as of foamy soapsuds1 behind it4 ,on and ever on the river went1 seeking the ocean1 and whether it hurried round a corner or glided smoothly on its way to the sea1 there was always something new and strange to be seen--busy cities1 quiet little towns1 buzzing sawmills1 stone bridges1 and harbors full of all sorts of vessels1 large and small1 with flags of all colors floating from the masts and sailors of all countries working on the decks4 ,but ,aqua did not stay long in any place1 for as the river grew wider and wider1 and nearer and nearer its end1 he could almost see the mother ,ocean into whose arms he was joyfully running4 ,she reached out to gather all her children1 the water-drops1 into her heart1 and closer than all the others nestled our little ,aqua4 ,his travels were over1 his pleasures and dangers past2 and he was folded again to the dear mother heart1 the safest1 sweetest place in all the whole wide world4 ,in warm1 still summer evenings1 if you will take a walk on the sea-beach1 you will hear the gentle rippling swash of the waves2 and some very wise people think it must be the gurgling voices of ,aqua and his brother water-drops telling each other about their wonderful journey round the world4 ,,moufflou4 ,adapted from ,ouida4 8,we tell too few stories to children1 and those we tell are stories whose heroes are automata and stuffed dolls10--,froebel4 ,lolo and ,moufflou lived far away from here1 in a sunny country called ,italy4 ,lolo was not as strong as you are1 and could never run about and play1 for he was lame1 poor fellow1 and always had to hop along on a little crutch4 ,he was never well enough to go to school1 but as his fingers were active and quick he could plait straw matting and make baskets at home4 ,he had four or five rosy1 bright little brothers and sisters1 but they were all so strong and could play all day so easily that ,lolo was not with them much2 so ,moufflou was his very best friend1 and they were together all day long4 ,moufflou was a snow-white poodle1 with such soft1 curly wool that he looked just like a lamb2 and the man who gave him to the children1 when he was a little puppy1 had called him 8,moufflon10 which meant sheep in his country4 ,lolo's father had died four years before2 but he had a mother1 who had to work very hard to keep the children clean and get them enough to eat4 ,he had1 too1 a big brother ,tasso1 who worked for a gardener1 and every ,saturday night brought his wages home to help feed and clothe the little children4 ,tasso was almost a man now1 and in that country as soon as you grow to be a man you have to go away and be a soldier2 so ,lolo's mother was troubled all the time for fear that her ,tasso would be taken away4 ,if you have money enough1 you can always pay some one to go in your place2 but ,tasso had no money1 and neither had the poor mother1 so every day she was anxious lest her boy might have to go to the wars4 ,but ,lolo and ,moufflon knew nothing of all this1 and every day1 when ,lolo was well enough1 they were happy together4 ,they would walk up the streets1 or sit on the church1 steps1 or1 if the day was fair1 would perhaps go into the country and bring home great bundles of yellow and blue and crimson flowers4 ,the tumble-down old house in which the family lived was near a tall1 gray church4 ,it was a beautiful old church1 and all the children loved it1 but ,lolo most of all4 ,he loved it in the morning1 when the people brought in great bunches of white lilies to trim it2 and at noon1 when it was cool and shady2 and at sunset1 when the long rays shone through the painted windows and made blue and golden and violet lights on the floor4 ,one morning ,lolo and ,moufflou were sitting on the church steps and watching the people1 when a gentleman who was passing by stopped to look at the dog4 8,that's a very fine poodle10 he said4 8,indeed he is10 cried ,lolo4 8,but you should see him on ,sundays when he is just washed2 then he is as white as snow40 8,can he do any tricks80 asked the gentleman4 8,i should say so10 said ,lolo1 for he had taught the dog all he knew4 8,he can stand on his hind legs1 he can dance1 he can speak1 he can make a wheelbarrow of himself1 and when ,i put a biscuit on his nose and count one1 two1 three1 he will snap and catch the biscuit40 ,the gentleman said he should like to see some of the tricks1 and ,moufflou was very glad to do them1 for no one had ever whipped him or hurt him1 and he loved to do what his little master wished4 ,then the gentleman told ,lolo that he had a little boy at home1 so weak and so sick that he could not get up from the sofa1 and that he would like to have ,lolo bring the poodle to show him the next day1 so he gave ,lolo some money1 and told him the name of the hotel where he was staying4 ,lolo went hopping home as fast as his little crutch could carry him1 and went quickly upstairs to his mother4 8,oh1 mamma60 he said4 8,see the money a gentleman gave me1 and all because dear ,moufflou did his pretty tricks so nicely4 ,now you can have your coffee every morning1 and ,tasso can have his new suit for ,sunday40 ,then he told his mother about the gentleman1 and that he had promised to take ,moufflou to see him the next day4 ,illustration3 ,he will snap and catch the biscuit ,so when the morning came1 ,moufflou was washed as white as snow1 and his pretty curls were tied up with blue ribbon1 and they both trotted off4 ,moufflou was so proud of his curls and his ribbon that he hardly liked to put his feet on the ground at all4 ,they were shown to the little boy's room1 where he lay on the sofa very pale and unhappy4 ,a bright little look came into his eyes when he saw the dog1 and he laughed when ,moufflou did his tricks4 ,how he clapped his hands when he saw him make a wheelbarrow1 and he tossed them both handfuls of cakes and candies6 ,neither the boy nor the dog ever had quite enough to eat1 so they nibbled the little cakes with their sharp1 white teeth1 and were very glad4 ,when ,lolo got up to go1 the little boy began to cry1 and said1 8,oh1 ,i want the dog4 ,let me have the dog60 8,oh1 indeed ,i can't10 said ,lolo1 8he is my own ,moufflou1 and ,i cannot let you have him40 ,the little boy was so unhappy and cried so bitterly that ,lolo was very sorry to see him1 and he went quickly down the stairs with ,moufflou4 ,the gentleman gave him more money this time1 and he was so excited and so glad that he went very fast all the way home1 swinging himself over the stones on his little crutch4 ,but when he opened the door1 there was his mother crying as if her heart would break1 and all the children were crying in a corner1 and even ,tasso was home from his work1 looking very unhappy4 8,oh6 what is the matter80 cried ,lolo4 ,but no one answered him1 and ,moufflon1 seeing them all so sad1 sat down and threw up his nose in the air and howled a long1 sad howl4 ,by and by one of the children told ,lolo that at last ,tasso had been chosen to be a soldier1 and that he must soon go away to the war4 ,the poor mother said1 crying1 that she did not know what would become of her little children through the long1 cold winter4 ,lolo showed her his money1 but she was too unhappy even to care for that1 and so by and by he went to his bed with ,moufflou4 ,the dog had always slept at ,lolo's feet1 but this night he crept close up by the side of his little master1 and licked his hand now and then to show that he was sorry4 ,the next morning ,lolo and ,moufflon went with ,tasso to the gardens where he worked1 and all the way along the bright river and among the green trees they talked together of what they should do when ,tasso had gone4 ,tasso said that if they could only get some money he would not have to go away to the wars1 but he shook his head sadly and knew that no one would lend it to them4 ,at noon ,lolo went home with ,moufflon to his dinner4 ,when they had finished 7it was only bean soup and soon eaten71 the mother told ,lolo that his aunt wanted him to go and see her that afternoon1 and take care of the children while she went out4 ,so ,lolo put on his hat1 called ,moufflou1 and was limping toward the door1 when his mother said3 8,no1 don't take the dog to-day1 your aunt doesn't like him2 leave him here with me40 8,leave ,moufflou80 said ,lolo1 8why1 ,i never leave him2 he wouldn't know what to do without me all the afternoon40 8,yes1 leave him10 said his mother4 8,i don't want you to take him with you4 ,don't let me tell you again40 ,so ,lolo turned around and went down the stairs1 feeling very sad at leaving his dear ,moufflou even for a short time4 ,but the hours went by1 and when night-time came he hurried back to the little old home4 ,he stood at the bottom of the long1 dark stairway and called 8,moufflou6 ,moufflou60 but no doggie came2 then he climbed half-way up to the landing and called again1 8,moufflou60 but no little white feet came pattering down4 ,up to the top of the stairs went poor tired ,lolo and opened the door4 8,why1 where is my ,moufflou80 he said4 ,the mother had been crying1 and she looked very sad and did not answer him for a moment4 8,where is my ,moufflou80 asked ,lolo again1 8what have you done with my dear ,moufflou80 8,he is sold10 the mother said at last1 8sold to the gentleman who has the little lame boy4 ,he came here to-day1 and he likes the dog so much and his little boy was so pleased at the pretty tricks he does1 that he told me he would give a great deal of money if ,i would sell him the dog4 ,just think1 ,lolo1 he gave me so much money that we can pay somebody now to go to the war for ,tasso40 ,but before she had finished talking1 ,lolo began to grow white and cold and to waver to and fro1 so that his little crutch could hardly support him4 ,when she had done he called out1 8,my ,moufflou--my ,moufflou sold60 and he threw his hands up over his head and fell all in a heap on the floor1 his poor little crutch clattering down beside him4 ,his mother took him up and laid him on his bed1 but all night long he tossed to and fro1 calling for his dog4 ,when the morning came1 his little hands and his head were very1 very hot1 and by and by the doctor came and said he had a fever4 ,he asked the mother what it was the little boy was calling for1 and she told him that it was his dog1 and that he had been sold4 ,the doctor shook his head1 and then went away4 ,day after day poor ,lolo lay on his bed4 ,his hair had been cut short1 he did not know his brothers and sisters1 nor his mother1 and his little aching head went to and fro1 to and fro1 on the pillow from morning till night4 ,once ,tasso went to the hotel to find the gentleman4 ,he was going to tell him to take the money and give him back the dog2 but the gentleman had gone many miles away on the cars and taken ,moufflou with him4 ,so every day ,lolo grew weaker1 until the doctor said that he must die very soon4 ,one afternoon they were all in the room with him4 ,the windows were wide open4 ,his mother sat by his bed and the children on the floor beside her2 even ,tasso was at home helping to take care of his little brother4 ,all was so still that you could hear poor ,lolo's faint breath1 when--suddenly--there was a scampering and a pattering of little feet on the stairs1 and a white poodle dashed into the room and jumped on the bed4 ,it was ,moufflou6 but you would never have known him1 for he was so thin that you could count all his bones4 ,his curls were dirty and matted1 and full of sticks and straws and burrs2 his feet were dusty and bleeding1 and you could tell in a moment that he had traveled a great many miles4 ,when he jumped on the bed1 ,lolo opened his eyes a little4 ,he saw it was ,moufflou1 and laid one little thin hand on the dog's head2 then he turned on his pillow1 closed his eyes1 and went quietly to sleep4 ,moufflou would not get off the bed1 and would eat nothing unless they brought it to him there4 ,he only lay close by his little master1 with his brown eyes wide open1 looking straight into his face4 ,by and by the doctor came1 and said that ,lolo was really a little better1 and that perhaps he might get well now4 ,the mother and ,tasso were very glad indeed1 but they knew that the gentleman would come back for his dog1 and they scarcely knew what to do1 nor what to say to him4 ,lolo grew a little stronger every day1 and at the end of a week a man came upstairs asking if ,moufflou was there4 ,they had taken him a long way off1 but he had run away from them one day1 and they had never been able to find him4 ,tasso asked the messenger to let ,moufflou stay until he had seen the gentleman1 and he took the money and put on his hat and went with him to the hotel4 ,the sick boy was in the room with his father1 and ,tasso went straight to them and told them all about it3 that ,lolo nearly died without his dear ,moufflon1 that day after day he lay in his bed calling for the dog1 and that at last one afternoon ,moufflon came back to them1 thin and hungry and dirty1 but so glad to see his little master again4 ,nobody knew1 said ,tasso1 how he could have found his way so many miles alone1 but there he was1 and now he begged the gentleman to be so kind as to take back the money4 ,he would go and be a soldier1 if he must2 but ,lolo and his dog must never be parted again4 ,the gentleman told ,tasso that he seemed to be a kind brother1 and that he might keep the money and the dog too1 if only he would find them another poodle and teach him to be as wise and faithful as ,moufflou was4 ,tasso was so glad that he thanked them again and again1 and hurried home to tell ,lolo and his mother the good news4 ,he soon found a poodle almost as pretty as ,moufflou1 and every day ,lolo1 who has grown strong now1 helps ,tasso to teach him all of ,moufflon's tricks4 ,sometimes ,lolo turns and puts his arms around ,moufflon's neck and says1 8,tell me1 my ,moufflou1 how you ever came back to me1 over all the rivers1 and all the bridges1 and all the miles of road80 ,moufflou can never answer him1 but ,i think he must have found his way home because he loved his master so much2 and the grown people always say1 8,love will find out the way40 ,,benjy ,,in ,,beastland4 ,,adapted ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,ewing4 8,with the genuine story-teller the inner life of the genuine listener is roused2 he is carried out of himself1 and he thereby measures himself40--,,froebel4 ,benjy was a very naughty1 disagreeable boy6 ,it is sad to say it1 but it is truth4 ,he always had a cloudy1 smudgy1 slovenly look1 like a slate half-washed1 that made one feel how nice it would be if he could be scrubbed inside and out with hot water and soap4 ,benjy was the only boy in the family1 but he had two little sisters who were younger than he4 ,they were dear1 merry little things1 and many boys would have found them pleasant little playmates2 but ,benjy had shown how much he disliked to play with them1 and it made them feel very badly4 ,one of them said one day1 8,benjy does not care for us because we are only girls1 so we have taken ,nox for our brother40 ,nox was a big curly dog1 something like a ,newfoundland4 ,now ,benjy was not at all handsome1 and he hated tubs and brushes and soap and water4 ,he liked to lie abed late in the mornings1 and when he got up he had only time enough to half wash himself4 ,but ,nox rose early1 liked cold water1 had snow-white teeth and glossy hair1 and when you spoke to him he looked straight up at you with his clear honest brown eyes4 ,benjy's jacket and shirt-front were always spotted with dirt1 while the covering of ,nox's chest was glossy and well kept4 ,benjy came into the parlor with muddy boots and dirty hands2 but ,nox1 if he had been out in the mud1 would lie down when he came home1 and lick his brown paws till they were quite clean4 ,benjy liked to kill all kinds of animals1 but ,nox saved lives1 though he often came near losing his own4 ,near their home was a deep river1 where many a dog and cat was drowned4 ,there was one place on the bank of this river where there was an old willow-tree1 which spread its branches wide and stretched its long arms till they touched the water4 ,here ,nox used to bring everything that he found in the river4 ,i must tell you that ,benjy did not like ,nox1 and with very good reason4 ,benjy had had something to do with the death of several animals belonging to the people in the neighborhood1 and he had tied stones or tin cans around their necks and dropped them into the river4 ,but ,nox used to wander round quite early in the morning1 and very often found in the river and brought out what ,benjy had thrown in1 and this is why he did not like the brave dog4 ,there was another dog in the family1 named ,mr4 ,rough4 ,his eyes had been almost scratched out by cats1 his little body bore marks of many beatings1 and he had a hoarse bark which sounded as if he had a bad cold4 ,if ,benjy cared for any animal1 it was for ,mr4 ,rough1 although he treated him worse than he did ,nox1 because he was small4 ,one day ,benjy felt very mischievous2 he even played a cruel trick on ,nox while he was asleep4 ,as he sat near to him he kept lightly pricking the dog's lips with a fine needle4 ,the dog would half wake up1 shake his head1 rub his lips with his paws1 and then drop off to sleep again4 ,at last this cruel boy stuck the needle in too far and hurt poor ,nox1 who jumped up with a start1 and as he did so the needle broke off1 part of it staying in the flesh1 where1 after a great deal of work which hurt the poor dog dreadfully1 the little sisters found it4 ,how they cried for their pet6 ,the braver one held ,nox's lips and pulled out the needle1 while the other wiped the tears from her sister's eyes1 that she might see what she was doing4 ,nox sat still and moaned and wagged his tail very feebly1 but when it was over he fairly knocked the little sisters down in his eagerness to show his gratitude4 ,but ,benjy went out and found ,mr4 ,rough1 and as he did not feel like being kind to any one1 he kicked him1 and ,mr4 ,rough for the first time ran away4 ,benjy could not find him1 but he found a boy as naughty as himself1 who was chasing another little dog and pelting it with stones4 ,this would have been very good fun1 but one of the stones struck the dog and killed him4 ,so the boys tied something around his neck and threw him into the river4 ,benjy went to bed early that night1 but he could not sleep1 because he was thinking of that little white dog1 and wishing he had not thrown him into the river2 so at last he got up and went to the willow-tree4 ,he looked up through the branches and saw the moon shining down at him1 and it seemed so large and so close that he thought if he were only on the highest part of the tree he could touch it with his hand4 ,while he was looking he thought of a book his mother had1 which told him that all animals went up into the moon after they left the earth4 8,i wonder10 said ,benjy1 8if that dog we killed last night is really up there40 ,the ,man in the ,moon looked down on him just then1 and1 to his surprise1 said3 8,this is ,beastland4 ,won't you come up and see if the dog is here8 ,can you climb80 8,i guess ,i can10 said ,benjy1 and he climbed up first on one branch1 then up higher on to another1 till he stood on the very top1 and all he could see about him was a shining white light4 8,walk right in10 said the ,man in the ,moon4 8,put out your feet1--don't be afraid60 ,so ,benjy stepped into the moon and found himself in ,beastland4 ,oh6 it was such a funny place1 and yet it was very beautiful4 ,there were many more beasts there than in a menagerie1 and they were so polite to each other1 too1 and so merry and kind to ,benjy1 that it made him feel quite at home4 ,a nice old spider was anxious to teach him how to make a web4 ,so he said to ,benjy3 8,when you are ready1 look around and find a spot where you can tie your first line2 then you have a ball of thread inside of you1 of course40 8,i can't say that ,i have10 said ,benjy1 8but ,i have a good deal of string in my pocket40 8,oh1 well60 said the spider1 8that is all right2 whether it's in your pocket or your stomach it is all the same40 ,just as the spider was giving ,benjy his lesson1 one animal whispered to another1 and that one to another1 who and what ,benjy was4 ,dear me6 in a minute the beasts all changed their way of treating him4 ,they called him ,,boy6 and up there that meant something not at all nice4 ,then they took him to the ,lion1 the king of all the beasts1 and asked him what should be done with the ,boy4 ,the ,lion said3 8,if you want me to have anything to do with this trouble1 you must mind me4 ,first1 however1 we will hear what ,benjy has to say for himself40 ,they all placed themselves in a circle1 the ,lion on a high chair1 7because1 you know1 he was going to be judge1 and all judges sit in big chairs17 and ,benjy sat in the middle of the circle4 8,now1 what has the ,boy done80 asked the ,lion4 8,he stones and drowns dogs1 and he hurts and kills cats10 shouted the beasts all together4 8,mr4 ,rough kills the cats10 said ,benjy1 because he was frightened4 8,very well10 said the ,lion1 8we will send some one down for ,mr4 ,rough40 ,so they all waited1 and in a little while they heard the jingling of ,mr4 ,rough's collar1 and he walked into the circle with his little short tail standing right up4 8,mr4 ,rough10 said the ,lion1 8,benjy says it is you1 and not he1 who tease and kill the cats40 8,well10 said ,mr4 ,rough1 jumping about in an angry way1 8am ,i to blame8 ,,bouf1 ,,bouf1 who taught me to do it8 ,,bouf1 ,,bouf1 it was that ,boy over there4 ,,bouf-,,bouf60 ,then ,mr4 ,rough told them that ,benjy had made him tease and worry the cats and dogs so often that he had quite learned to like it4 ,all the beasts were very angry at this1 and said that ,benjy must be punished4 ,the ,lion said that he did not know just then what was best to be done with ,benjy1 so he asked the beasts if they would wait till he had walked around and thought about it4 ,they said yes1 so he walked around the circle seven times1 lashing his tail in the grandest way2 then he took his seat again and said3 8,gentle beasts1 birds and fishes1 you have all heard what this ,boy has done1 and you would like him to be treated as he has treated you4 ,we will not abuse ,benjy1 but ,i do not think he is good enough to stay with us4 ,we will tie a tin-kettle to him and chase him from ,beastland1 and ,mr4 ,rough shall be our leader40 ,this was no sooner said than done4 ,the ,lion gave one dreadful roar as a signal for the animals to begin the chase4 ,with the tin-kettle fastened to him and hurting him at every step1 and with ,mr4 ,rough at his very heels1 ,benjy was run out of ,beastland4 ,when he got to the edge of the moon he jumped off1 ,mr4 ,rough after him4 ,down1 down1 they went1 oh6 so fast and so far6 ,benjy screaming all the way and ,mr4 ,rough's collar jingling4 ,they came to the river1 and making all the noise they could1 in they fell4 ,as ,benjy sank he thought of all the unkind things he had done4 ,he came to the top1 but sank again1 and sinking1 thought of his papa and mamma and his little sisters1 and of his nice little bed1 and of the prayers his dear mamma used to hear him say4 ,he rose for the last time1 and saw ,nox standing on the bank1 and thought1 8,now he has come to do something to me because ,i have so often hurt him40 ,down1 down he went1 as a lark flew up in the summer sky4 ,the bird was almost out of sight when a soft black nose and great brown eyes came close to his face1 and a kind1 gentle mouth took hold of him1 and paddling and swimming as hard as he could1 ,nox carried ,benjy to the shore and laid him under the willow-tree4 ,there ,benjy's papa found him1 and took him home1 where he was sick for a long1 long time4 ,when he got a little better he used to tell people of his visit to ,beastland1 but they always said it was only a dream he had during the fever4 ,in the long weeks of his sickness he grew much kinder and sweeter4 ,but something happened when he was getting well which softened his little heart once and forever4 ,while he was sick1 ,mr4 ,rough was given to one of the servants to be cared for and fed well1 but he did not treat him kindly1 and besides1 the dog wanted his little master2 he wanted to see him1 but no one would let him2 so poor faithful ,mr4 ,rough got thinner and weaker every day1 till at last he would not eat anything nor even go out for a little walk4 ,one day the barn door was open and ,mr4 ,rough thought of ,benjy and crept into the house4 ,when he got into the front hall he smelled ,benjy and ran into the parlor2 and when he got into the parlor he saw ,benjy1 who had heard the jingle of his collar and who stood up and held out his arms for him4 ,mr4 ,rough jumped into them1 and then fell dead at his master's feet4 ,yes1 dear children1 ,mr4 ,rough died of joy at seeing ,benjy again4 ,benjy felt very sorry for him1 and it kept him from growing well for a long time1 but it did him good in other ways1 for as the tears rolled down his cheeks on to ,mr4 ,bough's poor little scratched face1 he felt as if he never could hurt or be unkind to any animal again4 ,,the ,,porcelain ,,stove4 ,adapted ,from ,ouida4 8,the story-teller must take life into himself in its wholeness1 must let it live and work whole and free within him4 ,he must give it out free and unabbreviated1 and yet ,,stand ,,above ,,the ,,life which actually is40--,froebel4 ,in a little brown house1 far1 far away in ,germany1 there lived a father and his children4 ,there were ever so many of them1--let me see1--,hilda1 the dear eldest sister1 and ,hans1 the big1 strong brother2 then ,karl and ,august1 and the baby ,marta4 ,just enough for the fingers of one hand4 ,how many is that8 ,but it is ,karl that ,i am going to tell you about4 ,he was nine years old1 a rosy little fellow1 with big bright eyes and a curly head as brown as a ripe nut4 ,the dear mother was dead1 and the father was very poor1 so that ,karl and his brothers and sisters sometimes knew what it was to be hungry2 but they were happy1 for they loved each other very dearly1 and ate their brown bread and milk without wishing it were something nicer4 ,one afternoon ,karl had been sent on a long journey4 ,it was winter time1 and he had to run fast over the frozen fields of white snow4 ,the night was coming on1 and he was hurrying home with a great jug of milk1 feeling cold and tired4 ,the mountains looked high and white and still in the cold moonlight1 and the stars seemed to say1 when they twinkled1 8,hurry1 ,karl6 the children are hungry40 ,at last he saw a little brown cottage1 with a snow-laden roof and a shining window1 through which he could see the bright firelight dancing merrily1--for ,hilda never closed the shutters till all the boys were safely inside the house4 ,when he saw the dear home-light he ran as fast as his feet could carry him1 burst in at the low front door1 kissed ,hilda1 and shouted3 8,oh6 dear1 dear ,hirschvogel6 ,i am so glad to get back to you again2 you are every bit as good as the summer time40 ,now1 ,hirschvogel was not one of the family1 as you might think1 nor even a splendid dog1 nor a pony1 but it was a large1 beautiful porcelain stove1 so tall that it quite touched the ceiling4 ,it stood at the end of the room1 shining with all the hues of a peacock's tail1 bright and warm and beautiful2 its great golden feet were shaped like the claws of a lion1 and there was a golden crown on the very top of all4 ,you never have seen a stove like it1 for it was white where our stoves are black1 and it had flowers and birds and beautiful ladies and grand gentlemen painted all over it1 and everywhere it was brilliant with gold and bright colors4 ,it was a very old stove1 for sixty years before1 ,karl's grandfather had dug it up out of some broken-down buildings where he was working1 and1 finding it strong and whole1 had taken it home2 and ever since then it had stood in the big room1 warming the children1 who tumbled like little flowers around its shining feet4 ,the grandfather did not know it1 but it was a wonderful stove1 for it had been made by a great potter named ,hirschvogel4 ,a potter1 you know1 children1 is a man who makes all sorts of things1 dishes and tiles and vases1 out of china and porcelain and clay4 ,so the family had always called the stove ,hirschvogel1 after the potter1 just as if it were alive4 ,to the children the stove was very dear indeed4 ,in summer they laid a mat of fresh moss all around it1 and dressed it up with green boughs and beautiful wild flowers4 ,in winter1 scampering home from school over the ice and snow1 they were always happy1 knowing that they would soon be cracking nuts or roasting chestnuts in the heat and light of the dear old stove4 ,all the children loved it1 but ,karl even more than the rest1 and he used to say to himself1 8,when ,i grow up ,i will make just such things too1 and then ,i will set ,hirschvogel up in a beautiful room that ,i will build myself4 ,that's what ,i will do when ,i'm a man40 ,after ,karl had eaten his supper1 this cold night1 he lay down on the floor by the stove1 the children all around him1 on the big wolf-skin rug4 ,with some sticks of charcoal he was drawing pictures for them of what he had seen all day4 ,when the children had looked enough at one picture1 he would sweep it out with his elbow and make another--faces1 and dogs' heads1 and men on sleds1 and old women in their furs1 and pine-trees1 and all sorts of animals4 ,when they had been playing in this way for some time1 ,hilda1 the eldest sister1 said3 8,it is time for you all to go to bed1 children4 ,father is very late to-night2 you must not sit up for him40 8,oh1 just five minutes more1 dear ,hilda10 they begged4 8,hirschvogel is so warm2 the beds are never so warm as he is40 ,in the midst of their chatter and laughter the door opened1 and in blew the cold wind and snow from outside4 ,their father had come home4 ,he seemed very tired1 and came slowly to his chair4 ,at last he said1 8,take the children to bed1 daughter40 ,karl stayed1 curled up before the stove4 ,when ,hilda came back1 the father said sadly3 8,hilda1 ,i have sold ,hirschvogel6 ,i have sold it to a traveling peddler1 for ,i need money very much2 the winter is so cold and the children are so hungry4 ,the man will take it away to-morrow40 ,hilda gave a cry4 8,oh1 father6 the children1 in the middle of winter60 and she turned as white as the snow outside4 ,karl lay half blind with sleep1 staring at his father4 8,it can't be true1 it can't be true60 he cried4 8,you are making fun1 father40 ,it seemed to him that the skies must fall if ,hirschvogel were taken away4 8,yes10 said the father1 8you will find it true enough4 ,the peddler has paid half the money to-night1 and will pay me the other half to-morrow when he packs up the stove and takes it away40 8,oh1 father6 dear father60 cried poor little ,karl1 8you cannot mean what you say4 ,send our stove away8 ,we shall all die in the dark and cold4 ,listen6 ,i will go and try to get work to-morrow4 ,i will ask them to let me cut ice or make the paths through the snow4 ,there must be something ,i can do1 and ,i will beg the people we owe money to1 to wait4 ,they are all neighbors2 they will be patient4 ,but sell ,hirschvogel6 ,oh1 never1 never1 never6 ,give the money back to the man40 ,the father was so sorry for his little boy that he could not speak4 ,he looked sadly at him2 then took the lamp that stood on the table1 and left the room4 ,hilda knelt down and tried to comfort ,karl1 but he was too unhappy to listen4 8,i shall stay here10 was all he said1 and he lay there all the night long4 ,the lamp went out2 the rats came and ran across the room2 the room grew colder and colder4 ,karl did not move1 but lay with his face down on the floor by the lovely rainbow-colored stove4 ,when it grew light1 his sister came down with a lamp in her hand to begin her morning work4 ,she crept up to him1 and laid her cheek on his softly1 and said3 8,dear ,karl1 you must be frozen4 ,karl6 do look up2 do speak40 8,ah60 said poor ,karl1 8it will never be warm again40 ,soon after some one knocked at the door4 ,a strange voice called through the keyhole1 8,let me in6 quick6 there is no time to lose4 ,more snow like this and the roads will all be blocked4 ,let me in6 ,do you hear8 ,i am come to take the great stove40 ,hilda unfastened the door4 ,the man came in at once1 and began to wrap the stove in a great many wrappings1 and carried it out into the snow1 where an ox-cart stood in waiting4 ,in another moment it was gone2 gone forever6 ,karl leaned against the wall1 his tears falling like rain down his pale cheeks4 ,an old neighbor came by just then1 and1 seeing the boy1 said to him3 8,child1 is it true your father is selling that big painted stove80 ,karl nodded his head1 and began to sob again4 8,i love it6 ,i love it60 he said4 8,well1 if ,i were you ,i would do better than cry4 ,i would go after it when ,i grew bigger10 said the neighbor1 trying to cheer him up a little4 8,don't cry so loud2 you will see your stove again some day10 and the old man went away1 leaving a new idea in ,karl's head4 8,go after it10 the old man had said4 ,karl thought1 8,why not go with it80 ,he loved it better than anything else in the world1 even better than ,hilda4 ,he ran off quickly after the cart which was carrying the dear ,hirschvogel to the station4 ,how he managed it he never knew very well himself1 but it was certain that when the freight train moved away from the station ,karl was hidden behind the stove4 ,it was very dark1 but he wasn't frightened4 ,he was close beside ,hirschvogel1 but he wanted to be closer still2 he meant to get inside the stove4 ,he set to work like a little mouse to make a hole in the straw and hay4 ,he gnawed and nibbled1 and pushed and pulled1 making a hole where he guessed that the door might be4 ,at last he found it2 he slipped through it1 as he had so often done at home for fun1 and curled himself up4 ,he drew the hay and straw together carefully1 and fixed the ropes1 so that no one could have dreamed that a little mouse had been at them4 ,safe inside his dear ,hirschvogel1 he went as fast asleep as if he were in his own little bed at home4 ,the train rumbled on in its heavy1 slow way1 and ,karl slept soundly for a long time4 ,when he awoke the darkness frightened him1 but he felt the cold sides of ,hirschvogel1 and said softly1 8,take care of me1 dear ,hirschvogel1 oh1 please take care of me60 ,every time the train stopped1 and he heard the banging1 stamping1 and shouting1 his heart seemed to jump up into his mouth4 ,when the people came to lift the stove out1 would they find him8 and if they did find him1 would they kill him8 ,the thought1 too1 of ,hilda1 kept tugging at his heart now and then1 but he said to himself1 8,if ,i can take ,hirschvogel back to her1 how pleased she will be1 and how she will clap her hands60 ,he was not at all selfish in his love for ,hirschvogel2 he wanted it for them at home quite as much as for himself4 ,that was what he kept thinking of all the way in the darkness and stillness which lasted so long4 ,at last the train stopped1 and awoke him from a half sleep4 ,karl felt the stove lifted by some men1 who carried it to a cart1 and then they started again on the journey1 up hill and down1 for what seemed miles and miles4 ,where they were going ,karl had no idea4 ,finally the cart stopped2 then it seemed as though they were carrying the stove up some stairs4 ,the men rested sometimes1 and then moved on again1 and their feet went so softly he thought they must be walking on thick carpets4 ,by and by the stove was set down again1 happily for ,karl1 for he felt as though he should scream1 or do something to make known that he was there4 ,then the wrappings were taken off1 and he heard a voice say1 8,what a beautiful1 beautiful stove60 ,illustration3 8,oh let me stay please let me stay0 ,next some one turned the round handle of the brass door1 and poor little ,karl's heart stood still4 8,what is this80 said the man4 8,a live child60 ,then ,karl sprang out of the stove and fell at the feet of the man who had spoken4 8,oh1 let me stay1 please let me stay60 he said4 8,i have come all the way with my darling ,hirschvogel60 ,the man answered kindly1 8,poor little child6 tell me how you came to hide in the stove4 ,do not be afraid4 ,i am the king40 ,karl was too much in earnest to be afraid2 he was so glad1 so glad it was the king1 for kings must be always kind1 he thought4 8,oh1 dear king60 he said with a trembling voice1 8,hirschvogel was ours1 and we have loved it all our lives1 and father sold it1 and when ,i saw that it really did go from us ,i said to myself that ,i would go with it2 and ,i do beg you to let me live with it1 and ,i will go out every morning and cut wood for it and for all your other stoves1 if only you will let me stay beside it4 ,no one has ever fed it with wood but me since ,i grew big enough1 and it loves me2 it does indeed60 ,and then he lifted up his little pale face to the young king1 who saw that great tears were running down his cheeks4 8,can't ,i stay with ,hirschvogel80 he pleaded4 8,wait a little10 said the king4 8,what do you want to be when you are a man8 ,do you want to be a wood-chopper80 8,i want to be a painter10 cried ,karl4 8,i want to be what ,hirschvogel was4 ,i mean the potter that made my ,hirschvogel40 8,i understand10 answered the king1 and he looked down at the child1 and smiled4 8,get up1 my little man10 he said in a kind voice2 8,i will let you stay with your ,hirschvogel4 ,you shall stay here1 and you shall be taught to be a painter1 but you must grow up very good1 and when you are twenty-one years old1 if you have done well1 then ,i will give you back your beautiful stove40 ,then he smiled again and stretched out his hand4 ,karl threw his two arms about the king's knees and kissed his feet1 and then all at once he was so tired and so glad and hungry and happy1 that he fainted quite away on the floor4 ,then the king had a letter written to ,karl's father1 telling him that ,karl had drawn him some beautiful charcoal pictures1 and that he liked them so much he was going to take care of him until he was old enough to paint wonderful stoves like ,hirschvogel4 ,and he did take care of him for a long time1 and when ,karl grew older1 he often went for a few days to his old home1 where his father still lives4 ,in the little brown house stands ,hirschvogel1 tall and splendid1 with its peacock colors as beautiful as ever1--the king's present to ,hilda2 and ,karl never goes home without going into the great church and giving his thanks to ,god1 who blessed his strange winter's journey in the great porcelain stove4 ,,the ,,babes ,,in ,,the ,,wood 8,nature and life speak very early to man40--,,froebel4 ,a great many years ago three little girls lived in an old-fashioned house in the ,east4 ,they had a very lovely home1 and a kind father and mother1 who tried to make them happy4 ,all through the summer they used to roam over the hills and fields1 catching butterflies1 watching the birds and bees at work1 and studying the flowers and trees in the beautiful meadows and woods4 ,then when winter came1 and the days grew cold1 they went to school2 and in the evening1 when the fire was burning brightly1 they read and studied in books about all they had seen in the summer4 ,besides all these lovely things1 and perhaps best of all1 they had a very large yard to play in1 so large that it took up a whole block1 and seemed like a little farm in the middle of the town4 ,there was a lovely lawn and flower beds2 a vegetable garden1 barnyard and stable2 and an orchard where all kinds of fruit trees grew1 apple1 peach1 pear1 and many others4 ,a cow lived down in the meadows of clover1 and old ,bob1 the horse1 was sometimes turned out to pasture there4 ,but nicest of all1 there was the wood yard4 ,you must remember that every winter1 where these little girls lived1 the snow fell1 and lay so deep on the roads that no one could bring in wood from the forest1 and without it all the people would have frozen in their cold homes4 ,so every ,september the gates were thrown wide open1 and into the yard load after load of wood was drawn and piled up under the shed4 ,then1 when it was too cold to play out on the hills1 the little girls used to have a fine time in the yard1 piling up the wood1 making beds1 tables1 chairs1 and stoves of the sticks that had once been the waving branches and strong1 sturdy trunks of trees4 ,toward spring they often found a strange yellow powder on the ground under the wood4 ,at first they played with it1 calling it flour1 and made pies and cakes out of it4 ,but at last they began to wonder where the flour came from1 and after watching and studying a long time this is what they found out4 ,but first ,i must tell you that all the time the three little girls were happy and busy in this beautiful place1 they were not the only family there4 ,there were the robins' children1 whose mammas were trying to make them good and happy too4 ,there were the beetles' children1 the ants' children1 and families of toads1 butterflies1 and spiders4 ,and while the three little girls were playing with the sticks of wood1 there lay1 tucked snugly away inside of them1 many families of children1 warm and safe in their wooden home4 ,now ,i want the smallest of you little children to hold up her hand4 ,how small it is compared with your body6 ,now let us see the little finger on that hand1--it is smaller still2 and now look at the nail on that finger3 the brothers and sisters of one of these families were altogether about as large as that tiny nail4 ,their mamma was a wasp1 with light1 gauzy wings and a strong body with a long sting on the end of it1 about the length of a needle4 ,with this little sting or saw1 as it really was1 she had bored many holes in the wood when it was still a green tree1 and at the bottom of each hole she had laid a tiny egg4 ,there it lay for a long time1 all white and still1 until one day it cracked open1 and out came a funny little white grub1 with six short white feet1 and black jaws very strong and large for such a tiny thing4 ,this little creature had never had anything to eat1 and as it was very hungry indeed1 it fell to eating--what do you think8 ,wood--its own house6 ,you wouldn't like a stick of wood for your breakfast1 ,i know1 but the wasp-mamma knew what her little grub-children would want1 so she put them in just the right place2 for they couldn't have eaten anything else4 ,and the hungry little grubs ate and ate and ate as long as they could1 pushing away from the hole the part they did not want1 and this fell upon the ground as the strange yellow powder the children found in the wood-yard1 every spring4 ,and so1 while the little girls were placing away in the sunshine the little grubs were eating away in the wood1 until at last1 one day1 they grew satisfied1 and one after another went to sleep4 ,there they lay in their dark homes1 fast asleep1 through long weeks1 while the snow was melting and the grass coming up1 and the birds and bees beginning their summer work again2 until one day these lazy little creatures1 that had never done anything in their lives but eat and sleep1 woke up and began to stretch themselves4 ,but what had happened to them8 ,instead of the soft white bodies they had gone to sleep with1 they now had black ones and four gauzy wings2 while six slender legs had taken the place of the six short ones4 ,there were still the strong black jaws to do all needful work with1 and in addition1 delicate mouth-parts1 for their food was now to be the honey from flowers4 ,in fact1 they looked and were just like their mamma1 the gauzy wasp4 ,one after another they crept to the end of the passage that led from their dark homes to the bright world without4 ,they stood one minute at the little dark hole1 and then1 spreading their wings1 flitted out into the beautiful world of sunshine and flowers4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,christmas1 8,a great spiritual efficiency lies in story-telling40--,,froebel4 ,christmas ,day1 you knew1 dear children1 is ,christ's day1 ,christ's birthday1 and ,i want to tell you why we love it so much1 and why we try to make every one happy when it comes each year4 ,a long1 long time ago--more than eighteen hundred years--the baby ,christ was born on ,christmas ,day3 a baby so wonderful and so beautiful1 who grew up to be a man so wise1 so good1 so patient and sweet1 that1 every year1 the people who know about him love him better and better1 and are more and more glad when his birthday comes again4 ,you see that he must have been very good and wonderful2 for people have always remembered his birthday1 and kept it lovingly for eighteen hundred years4 ,he was born1 long years ago1 in a land far1 far away across the seas4 ,before the baby ,christ was born1 ,mary1 his mother1 had to make a long journey with her husband1 ,joseph4 ,they made this journey to be taxed or counted2 for in those days this could not be done in the town where people happened to live1 but they must be numbered in the place where they were born4 ,in that far-off time1 the only way of traveling was on a horse1 or a camel1 or a good1 patient donkey4 ,camels and horses cost a great deal of money1 and ,mary was very poor2 so she rode on a quiet1 safe donkey1 while ,joseph walked by her side1 leading him and leaning on his stick4 ,mary was very young1 and beautiful1 ,i think1 but ,joseph was a great deal older than she4 ,people dress nowadays1 in those distant countries1 just as they did so many years ago1 so we know that ,mary must have worn a long1 thick dress1 falling all about her in heavy folds1 and that she had a soft white veil over her head and neck1 and across her face4 ,mary lived in ,nazareth1 and the journey they were making was to ,bethlehem1 many miles away4 ,they were a long time traveling1 ,i am sure2 for donkeys are slow1 though they are so careful1 and ,mary must have been very tired before they came to the end of their journey4 ,they had traveled all day1 and it was almost dark when they came near to ,bethlehem1 to the town where the baby ,christ was to be born4 ,there was the place they were to stay1--a kind of inn1 or lodging-house1 but not at all like those you know about4 ,they have them to-day in that far-off country1 just as they built them so many years ago4 ,it was a low1 flat-roofed1 stone building1 with no window and only one large door4 ,there were no nicely furnished bedrooms inside1 and no soft white beds for the tired travelers2 there were only little places built into the stones of the wall1 something like the berths on steamboats nowadays1 and each traveler brought his own bedding4 ,no pretty garden was in front of the inn1 for the road ran close to the very door1 so that its dust lay upon the doorsill4 ,all around the house1 to a high1 rocky hill at the back1 a heavy stone fence was built1 so that the people and the animals inside might be kept safe4 ,mary and ,joseph could not get very near the inn2 for the whole road in front was filled with camels and donkeys and sheep and cows1 while a great many men were going to and fro1 taking care of the animals4 ,some of these people had come to ,bethlehem to pay their taxes1 as ,mary and ,joseph had done1 and others were staying for the night1 on their way to ,jerusalem1 a large city a little further on4 ,the yard was filled1 too1 with camels and sheep2 and men were lying on the ground beside them1 resting1 and watching1 and keeping them safe4 ,the inn was so full and the yard was so full of people1 that there was no room for anybody else1 and the keeper had to take ,joseph and ,mary through the house and back to the high hill1 where they found another place that was used for a stable4 ,this had only a door and a front1 and deep caves were behind1 stretching far into the rocks4 ,this was the spot where ,christ was born4 ,think how poor a place6--but ,mary was glad to be there1 after all2 and when the ,christ-child came1 he was like other babies1 and had so lately come from heaven that he was happy everywhere4 ,there were mangers all around the cave1 where the cattle and sheep were fed1 and great heaps of hay and straw were lying on the floor4 ,then1 ,i think1 there were brown-eyed cows and oxen there1 and quiet1 woolly sheep1 and perhaps even some dogs that had come in to take care of the sheep4 ,and there in the cave1 by and by1 the wonderful baby came1 and they wrapped him up and laid him in a manger4 ,all the stars in the sky shone brightly that night1 for they knew the ,christ-child was born1 and the angels in heaven sang together for joy4 ,the angels knew about the lovely child1 and were glad that he had come to help the people on earth to be good4 ,there lay the beautiful baby1 with a manger for his bed1 and oxen and sheep all sleeping quietly round him4 ,his mother watched him and loved him1 and by and by many people came to see him1 for they had heard that a wonderful child was to be born in ,bethlehem4 ,all the people in the inn visited him1 and even the shepherds left their flocks in the fields and sought the child and his mother4 ,but the baby was very tiny1 and could not talk any more than any other tiny child1 so he lay in his mother's lap1 or in the manger1 and only looked at the people4 ,so after they had seen him and loved him1 they went away again4 ,after a time1 when the baby had grown larger1 ,mary took him back to ,nazareth1 and there he lived and grew up4 ,and he grew to be such a sweet1 wise1 loving boy1 such a tender1 helpful man1 and he said so many good and beautiful things1 that every one loved him who knew him4 ,many of the things he said are in the ,bible1 you know1 and a great many beautiful stories of the things he used to do while he was on earth4 ,he loved little children like you very much1 and often used to take them up in his arms and talk to them4 ,and this is the reason we love ,christmas ,day so much1 and try to make everybody happy when it comes around each year4 ,this is the reason3 because ,christ1 who was born on ,christmas ,day1 has helped us all to be good so many1 many times1 and because he was the best ,christmas present the great world ever had6 ,,the ,,first ,,thanksgiving ,,day4 8,the story brings forward other people1 other relations1 other times and places1 other and even quite different forms2 notwithstanding this fact1 the auditor seeks his image there40--,,froebel4 ,nearly three hundred years ago1 a great many of the people in ,england were very unhappy because their king would not let them pray to ,god as they liked4 ,the king said they must use the same prayers that he did2 and if they would not do this1 they were often thrown into prison1 or perhaps driven away from home4 8,let us go away from this country10 said the unhappy ,englishmen to each other2 and so they left their homes1 and went far off to a country called ,holland4 ,it was about this time that they began to call themselves 8,pilgrims40 ,pilgrims1 you know1 are people who are always traveling to find something they love1 or to find a land where they can be happier2 and these ,english men and women were journeying1 they said1 8from place to place1 toward heaven1 their dearest country40 ,in ,holland1 the ,pilgrims were quiet and happy for a while1 but they were very poor2 and when the children began to grow up1 they were not like ,english children1 but talked ,dutch1 like the little ones of ,holland1 and some grew naughty and did not want to go to church any more4 8,this will never do10 said the ,pilgrim fathers and mothers2 so after much talking and thinking and writing they made up their minds to come here to ,america4 ,they hired two vessels1 called the ,mayflower and the ,speedwell1 to take them across the sea2 but the ,speedwell was not a strong ship1 and the captain had to take her home again before she had gone very far4 ,the ,mayflower went back1 too4 ,part of the ,speedwell's passengers were given to her1 and then she started alone across the great ocean4 ,there were one hundred people on board1--mothers and fathers1 brothers and sisters and little children4 ,they were very crowded2 it was cold and uncomfortable2 the sea was rough1 and pitched the ,mayflower about1 and they were two months sailing over the water4 ,the children cried many times on the journey1 and wished they had never come on the tiresome ship that rocked them so hard1 and would not let them keep still a minute4 ,but they had one pretty plaything to amuse them1 for in the middle of the great ocean a ,pilgrim baby was born1 and they called him 8,oceanus10 for his birthplace4 ,when the children grew so tired that they were cross and fretful1 ,oceanus' mother let them come and play with him1 and that always brought smiles and happy faces back again4 ,at last the ,mayflower came in sight of land2 but if the children had been thinking of grass and flowers and birds1 they must have been very much disappointed1 for the month was cold ,november1 and there was nothing to be seen but rocks and sand and hard bare ground4 ,some of the ,pilgrim fathers1 with brave ,captain ,myles ,standish at their head1 went on shore to see if they could find any houses or white people4 ,but they only saw some wild ,indians1 who ran away from them1 and found some ,indian huts and some corn buried in holes in the ground4 ,they went to and fro from the ship three times1 till by and by they found a pretty place to live1 where there were 8fields and little running brooks40 ,then at last all the tired ,pilgrims landed from the ship on a spot now called ,plymouth ,rock1 and the first house was begun on ,christmas ,day4 ,but when ,i tell you how sick they were and how much they suffered that first winter1 you will be very sad and sorry for them4 ,the weather was cold1 the snow fell fast and thick1 the wind was icy1 and the ,pilgrim fathers had no one to help them cut down the trees and build their church and their houses4 ,the ,pilgrim mothers helped all they could2 but they were tired with the long journey1 and cold1 and hungry too1 for no one had the right kind of food to eat1 nor even enough of it4 ,so first one was taken sick1 and then another1 till half of them were in bed at the same time1 ,brave ,myles ,standish and the other soldiers nursed them as well as they knew how2 but before spring came half of the people died and had gone at last to 8heaven1 their dearest country40 ,but by and by the sun shone more brightly1 the snow melted1 the leaves began to grow1 and sweet spring had come again4 ,some friendly ,indians had visited the ,pilgrims during the winter1 and ,captain ,myles ,standish1 with several of his men1 had returned the visit4 ,one of the kind ,indians was called ,squanto1 and he came to stay with the ,pilgrims1 and showed them how to plant their corn1 and their pease and wheat and barley4 ,when the summer came and the days were long and bright1 the ,pilgrim children were very happy1 and they thought ,plymouth a lovely place indeed4 ,all kinds of beautiful wild flowers grew at their doors1 there were hundreds of birds and butterflies1 and the great pine woods were always cool and shady when the sun was too bright4 ,when it was autumn the fathers gathered the barley and wheat and corn that they had planted1 and found that it had grown so well that they would have quite enough for the long winter that was coming4 8,let us thank ,god for it all10 they said4 8,it is ,he who has made the sun shine and the rain fall and the corn grow40 ,so they thanked ,god in their homes and in their little church2 the fathers and the mothers and the children thanked ,him4 8,then10 said the ,pilgrim mothers1 8let us have a great ,thanksgiving party1 and invite the friendly ,indians1 and all rejoice together40 ,so they had the first ,thanksgiving party1 and a grand one it was6 ,four men went out shooting one whole day1 and brought back so many wild ducks and geese and great wild turkeys that there was enough for almost a week4 ,there was deer meat also1 of course1 for there were plenty of fine deer in the forest4 ,then the ,pilgrim mothers made the corn and wheat into bread and cakes1 and they had fish and clams from the sea besides4 ,the friendly ,indians all came with their chief ,massasoit4 ,every one came that was invited1 and more1 ,i dare say1 for there were ninety of them altogether4 ,they brought five deer with them1 that they gave to the ,pilgrims2 and they must have liked the party very much1 for they stayed three days4 ,kind as the ,indians were1 you would have been very much frightened if you had seen them2 and the baby ,oceanus1 who was a year old then1 began to cry at first whenever they came near him4 ,they were dressed in deerskins1 and some of them had the furry coat of a wild cat hanging on their arms4 ,their long black hair fell loose on their shoulders1 and was trimmed with feathers or fox-tails4 ,they had their faces painted in all kinds of strange ways1 some with black stripes as broad as your finger all up and down them4 ,but whatever they wore1 it was their very best1 and they had put it on for the ,thanksgiving party4 ,each meal1 before they ate anything1 the ,pilgrims and the ,indians thanked ,god together for all his goodness4 ,the ,indians sang and danced in the evenings1 and every day they ran races and played all kinds of games with the children4 ,then sometimes the ,pilgrims with their guns1 and the ,indians with their bows and arrows1 would see who could shoot farthest and best4 ,so they were glad and merry and thankful for three whole days4 ,the ,pilgrim mothers and fathers had been sick and sad many times since they landed from the ,mayflower2 they had worked very hard1 often had not had enough to eat1 and were mournful indeed when their friends died and left them4 ,but now they tried to forget all this1 and think only of how good ,god had been to them2 and so they all were happy together at the first ,thanksgiving party4 ,all this happened nearly three hundred years ago1 and ever since that time ,thanksgiving has been kept in our country4 ,every year our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers have 8rejoiced together0 like the ,pilgrims1 and have had something to be thankful for each time4 ,every year some father has told the story of the brave ,pilgrims to his little sons and daughters1 and has taught them to be very glad and proud that the ,mayflower came sailing to our country so many years ago4 ,,little ,,george ,,washington1 ,,part ,i4 8,the child takes each story as a conquest1 grasps each as a treasure1 and inserts into his own life1 for his own advancement and instruction1 what each story teaches and shows40--,froebel4 ,every one of my little children has seen a picture of ,george ,washington1 ,i am sure4 ,perhaps you may remember his likeness on a prancing white horse1 holding his cocked hat in his hand1 and bowing low to the people1 or his picture as a general at the head of his armies1 with a sword by his side and high boots reaching to the knee2 sometimes you have seen him in a boat crossing the ,delaware ,river1 wrapped in his heavy soldier's cloak2 and again as a ,president1 with powdered hair1 lace ruffles1 and velvet coat4 ,of course all these are pictures of a strong1 handsome1 grown-up man1 and ,i suppose you never happened to think that ,george ,washington was once a little boy4 ,but ever so long ago he was as small as you are now1 and ,i am going to tell you about his father and mother1 his home and his little-boy days4 ,he was born one hundred and sixty years ago in ,virginia1 near a great river called the ,potomac4 ,his father's name was ,augustine1 his mother's ,mary1 and he had several brothers and a little sister4 ,they all lived in the country on a farm1 or a plantation1 as they call it in ,virginia4 ,the ,washington house stood in the middle of green tobacco fields and flowery meadows1 and there were so many barns and storehouses and sheds round about it that they made quite a village of themselves4 ,the nearest neighbors lived miles away2 there were no railroads nor stages1 and if you wanted to travel1 you must ride on horseback through the thick woods1 or you might sail in little boats up and down the rivers4 ,city boys and girls might think1 perhaps1 that little ,george ,washington was very lonely on the great plantation1 with no neighbor-boys to play with2 but you must remember that the horses and cattle and sheep and dogs on a farm make the dearest of playmates1 and that there are all kinds of pleasant things to do in the country that city boys know nothing about4 ,little ,george played out of doors all the time and grew very strong4 ,he went fishing and swimming in the great river1 he ran races and jumped fences with his brothers and the dogs1 he threw stones across the brooks1 and when he grew a larger boy he even learned to shoot4 ,he had a pretty pony1 too1 named 8,hero10 that he loved very much1 and that he used to ride all about the plantation4 ,some of the letters have been kept that he wrote when he was a little boy1 and he talks in them about his pony1 and his books with pictures of elephants1 and the new top he is going to have soon4 ,think of that great ,general ,washington on a white horse once playing with a little humming top like yours6 ,many things are told about ,washington when he was little2 but he lived so long ago that we cannot tell very well whether they ever happened or not4 ,one story is that his father took him out into the garden on a spring morning1 and drew the letters of his name with a cane in the soft earth4 ,then he filled the letters with seed1 and told little ,george to wait a week or two and see what would happen4 ,you can all guess what did happen1 and can think how pleased the little boy was when he found his name all growing in fresh green leaves4 ,then another story1 ,i'm sure you've all heard1 is about the cherry-tree and the hatchet4 ,little ,george's father gave him one day1 so they say1 a nice1 bright1 sharp little hatchet4 ,of course he went around the barns and the sheds1 trying everything and seeing how well he could cut1 and at last he went into the orchard4 ,there he saw a young cherry-tree1 as straight as a soldier1 with the most beautiful1 smooth1 shining bark1 waving its boughs in a very provoking way1 as if to say1 8,you can't cut me down1 and you needn't try40 ,little ,george did try and he did cut it down1 and then was very sorry1 for he found it was not so easy to set it up again4 ,illustration3 ,the letters of his name 4 4 4 the soft earth ,his father was angry1 of course1 for he lived in a new country1 and three thousand miles from any place where he could get good fruit trees2 but when the little boy told the truth about it1 his father said he would rather lose a thousand cherry-trees than have his son tell a lie4 ,now perhaps this never happened2 but if ,george ,washington ever did cut down a cherry-tree1 you may be sure he told the truth about it4 ,i think1 though he grew to be such a wise1 wonderful man1 that he must have been just a bright1 happy boy like you1 when he was little4 ,but everybody knows three things about him1--that he always told the truth1 that he never was afraid of anything1 and that he always loved and minded his mother4 ,when little ,george was eleven years old1 his good father died1 and his poor mother was left alone to take care of her boys and her great plantation4 ,what a busy mother she was6 ,she mended and sewed1 she taught some of her children1 she took care of the sick people1 she spun wool and knitted stockings and gloves2 but every day she found time to gather her children around her and read good books to them1 and talk to them about being good children4 ,so riding his pony1 and helping his mother1 and learning his lessons1 ,george grew to be a tall boy4 ,when he was fourteen years old1 he made up his mind that he would like to be a sailor1 and travel far away over the blue water in a great ship4 ,his elder brother said that he might do so4 ,the right ship was found2 his clothes were packed and carried on board1 when all at once his mother said he must not go4 ,she had thought about it2 he was too young to go away1 and she wanted her boy to stay with her4 ,of course ,george was greatly disappointed1 but he stayed at home1 and worked and studied hard4 ,he wanted very much to learn how to earn money and help his mother1 and so he studied to be a surveyor4 ,surveyors measure the land1 you know4 ,they measure people's gardens and house-lots and farms1 and can tell just where to put the fences1 and how much land belongs to you and how much to me1 so that we need never quarrel about it4 ,to be a good surveyor you have to be very careful indeed1 and make no mistakes2 and ,george ,washington was careful and always tried to do his best1 so that his surveys were the finest that could be made4 ,when he was only sixteen1 he went off into the great forest1 where no one lived but the ,indians1 to measure some land for a friend of his4 ,the weather was cold2 he slept in a tent at night1 or out of doors1 on a bearskin by the fire1 and he had to work very hard4 ,he met a great many ,indians1 and learned to know their ways in fighting and how to manage them4 ,three years he worked hard at surveying1 and at last he was a grown-up man6 ,he was tall and splendid then1 over six feet high1 and as straight as an ,indian1 with a rosy face and bright blue eyes4 ,he had large hands and fingers1 and was wonderfully strong4 ,people say that his great tent1 which it took three men to carry1 ,washington could lift with one hand and throw into the wagon4 ,he was very brave1 too1 you remember4 ,he could shoot well1 and almost never missed his aim2 he was used to walking many miles when he was surveying1 and he could ride any horse he liked1 no matter how wild and fierce4 ,so you see1 when a man is strong1 when he can shoot well1 and walk and ride great distances1 when he is never afraid of anything1 that is just the man for a soldier2 and ,i will tell you soon how ,george ,washington came to be a great soldier4 ,,great ,,george ,,washington1 ,,part ,,ii4 8,the good story-teller effects much2 he has an ennobling effect upon children1--so much the more ennobling that he does not appear to intend it10--,,froebel4 ,all this time while ,george ,washington had been growing up1--first a little boy1 then a larger boy1 and then a young surveyor1--all this time the ,french and ,english and ,indians were unhappy and uncomfortable in the country north of ,virginia4 ,the ,french wanted all the land1 so did the ,english1 and the ,indians saw that there would be no room for them1 whichever had it1 so they all began to trouble each other and to quarrel and fight4 ,these troubles grew so bad at last that the ,virginians began to be afraid of the ,french and ,indians1 and thought they must have some soldiers of their own ready to fight4 ,george ,washington was only nineteen then1 but everybody knew he was wise and brave1 so they chose him to teach the soldiers near his home how to march and to fight4 ,then the king and the people of ,england grew very uneasy at all this quarreling1 and they sent over soldiers and cannon and powder1 and commenced to get ready to fight in earnest4 ,washington was made a major1 and he had to go a thousand miles1 in the middle of winter1 into the ,indian and ,french country1 to see the chiefs and the soldiers1 and find out about the troubles4 ,when he came back again1 all the people were so pleased with his courage and with the wise way in which he had behaved1 that they made him lieutenant-colonel4 ,then began a long war between the ,french and the ,english1 which lasted seven years4 ,washington fought through all of it1 and was made a colonel1 and by and by commander of all the soldiers in ,virginia4 ,he built forts and roads1 he gained and lost battles1 he fought the ,indians and the ,french2 and by all this trouble and hard work he learned to be a great soldier4 ,in many of the battles of this war1 ,washington and the ,virginians did not wear a uniform like the ,english soldiers1 but a buckskin shirt and fringed leggings like the ,indians4 ,from beginning to end of some of the battles1 ,washington rode about among the men1 telling them where to go and how to fight2 the bullets were whistling around him all the time1 but he said he liked the music4 ,by and by the war was over2 the ,french were driven back to their own part of the country1 and ,washington went home to ,mt4 ,vernon to rest1 and took with him his wife1 lovely ,martha ,washington1 whom he had met and married while he was fighting the ,french and ,indians4 ,while he was at ,mt4 ,vernon he saw all his horses again1--8,valiant0 and 8,magnolia0 and 8,chinkling0 and 8,ajax10--and had grand gallops over the country4 ,he had some fine dogs1 too1 to run by his side1 and help him hunt the bushy-tailed foxes4 8,vulcan0 and 8,bingwood0 and 8,music0 and 8,sweetlips0 were the names of some of them4 ,you may be sure the dogs were glad when they had their master home again4 ,but ,washington did not have long to rest1 for another war was coming1 the great war of the ,revolution4 ,little children cannot understand all the reasons for this war1 but ,i can tell you some of them4 ,you remember in the story of ,thanksgiving ,i told you about the ,pilgrim fathers1 who came from ,england to this country because their king would not let them pray to ,god as they liked4 ,that king was dead now1 and there was another in his place1 a king with the name of ,george1 like our ,washington4 ,now our great-grandfathers had always loved ,england and ,englishmen1 because many of their friends were still living there1 and because it was their old home4 ,the king gave them governors to help take care of their people1 and soldiers to fight for them1 and they sent to ,england for many things to wear and to eat4 ,but just before this ,revolutionary ,war1 the king and the great men who helped him began to say that things should be done in this country that our people did not think right at all4 ,the king said they must buy expensive stamps to put on all their newspapers and almanacs and lawyer's papers1 and that they must pay very high taxes on their tea and paper and glass1 and he sent soldiers to see that this was done4 ,this made our great-grandfathers very angry4 ,they refused to pay the taxes1 they would not buy anything from ,england any more1 and some men even went on board the ships1 as they came into ,boston ,harbor1 and threw the tea over into the water4 ,so fifty-one men were chosen from all over the country1 and they met at ,philadelphia1 to see what could be done4 ,washington was sent from ,virginia4 ,and after they had talked very solemnly1 they all thought there would be great trouble soon1 and ,washington went home to drill the soldiers4 ,then the war began with the battle of ,lexington1 in ,new ,england1 and soon ,washington was made commander in chief of the armies4 ,he rode the whole distance from ,philadelphia to ,boston on horseback1 with a troop of officers2 and all the people on the way came to see him1 bringing bands of music and cheering him as he went by4 ,he rode into camp in the morning4 ,the soldiers were drawn up in the road1 and men and women and children who had come to look at ,washington were crowded all about4 ,they saw a tall1 splendid1 handsome man in a blue coat with buff facings1 and epaulets on his shoulders4 ,as he took off his hat1 drew his shining sword and raised it in sight of all the people1 the cannon began to thunder1 and all the people hurrahed and tossed their hats in the air4 ,of course he looked very splendid1 and they all knew how brave he was1 and thought he would soon put an end to the war4 ,but it did not happen as they expected1 for this was only the beginning1 and the war lasted seven long years4 ,fighting is always hard1 even if you have plenty of soldiers and plenty for them to eat2 but ,washington had very few soldiers1 and very little powder for the guns1 and little food for the men to eat4 ,the soldiers were not in uniform1 as ours are to-day2 but each was dressed just as he happened to come from his shop or his farm4 ,washington ordered hunting shirts for them1 such as he wore when he went to fight the ,indians1 for he knew they would look more like soldiers if all were dressed alike4 ,of course many people thought that our men would be beaten1 as the war went on2 but ,washington never thought so1 for he was sure our side was right4 ,i hardly know what he would have done1 at last1 if the ,french people had not promised to come over and help us1 and to send us money and men and ships4 ,all the people in the army thanked ,god when they heard it1 and fired their guns for joy4 ,a brave young man named ,lafayette came with the ,french soldiers1 and he grew to be ,washington's great friend1 and fought for us all through the ,revolution4 ,many battles were fought in this war1 and ,washington lost some of them1 and a great many of his men were killed4 ,you could hardly understand how much trouble he had4 ,in the winter1 when the snow was deep on the ground1 he had no houses or huts for his men to sleep in2 his soldiers were ragged and cold by day1 and had not blankets enough to keep them warm by night2 their shoes were old and worn1 and they had to wrap cloths around their feet to keep them from freezing4 ,when they marched to the ,delaware ,river1 one cold ,christmas night1 a soldier who was sent after them1 with a message for ,washington1 traced them by their footprints on the snow1 all reddened with the blood from their poor cut feet4 ,they must have been very brave and patient to have fought at all1 when they were so cold and ragged and hungry4 ,washington suffered a great deal in seeing his soldiers so wretched1 and ,i am sure that1 with all his strength and courage1 he would sometimes have given up hope1 if he had not talked and prayed to ,god a great deal1 and asked ,him to help him4 ,in one of the hardest times of the whole war1 ,washington was staying at a farmer's house4 ,one morning1 he rode out very early to visit the soldiers4 ,the farmer went into the fields soon after1 and as he was passing a brook where a great many bushes were growing1 he heard a deep voice from the thicket4 ,he looked through the leaves1 and saw ,washington on his knees1 on the ground1 praying to ,god for his soldiers4 ,he had fastened his horse to a tree1 and come away by himself to ask ,god to help them4 ,at last the war came to an end2 the ,english were beaten1 and our armies sent up praise and thanks to ,god4 ,then the soldiers went quietly back to their homes1 and ,washington bade all his officers good-by1 and thanked them for their help and their courage4 ,the little room in ,new ,york where he said farewell is kept to show to visitors now1 and you can see it some day yourselves4 ,then ,washington went home to ,mt4 ,vernon to rest2 but before he had been there long1 the people found out that they must have some one to help take care of them1 as they had nothing to do with the king of ,england any more2 and they asked ,washington to come and be the first ,president of the ,united ,states4 ,so he did as they wished1 and was as wise and good1 and as careful and fine a ,president as he had been surveyor1 soldier1 and general4 ,you know we always call ,washington the ,father of his ,country1 because he did so much for us and helped to make the ,united ,states so great4 ,after he died1 there were parks and mountains and villages and towns and cities named for him all over the land1 because people loved him so and prized so highly what he had done for them4 ,in the city of ,washington there is a building where you can see many of the things that belonged to the first ,president1 when he was alive4 ,there is his soldier's coat1 his sword1 and in an old camp chest are the plates and knives and forks that he used in the ,revolution4 ,there is a tall1 splendid monument of shining gray stone in that city1 that towers far1 far above all the highest roofs and spires4 ,it was built in memory of ,george ,washington1 by the people of the ,united ,states1 to show that they loved and would always remember the ,father of his ,country4 ,,the ,,maple-,,leaf ,,and ,,the ,,violet4 8,story-telling must please children1 so that it will influence1 strengthen1 and elevate their lives40--,,froebel ,the ,maple-tree lived on the edge of the wood4 ,beside and behind her the trees grew so thick and tall that there was plenty of shade at her roots2 but as no one stood in front1 she could always look across the meadows to the brown house where ,bessie lived1 and could see what went on in the world4 ,after the cold winter had gone by1 and the spring had come again1 the ,maple-tree sent out thousands of tiny leaf-buds1 that stretched themselves1 and grew larger day by day in the warm sunshine4 ,one little ,bud1 on the end of a tall branch1 worked so hard to grow that by and by he finished opening all his folds1 and found himself a tiny pale green leaf4 ,he was curious1 as little folks generally are1 and as soon as he opened his eyes wanted to see everything about him4 ,first he looked up at the blue sky overhead1 but the sky only looked quietly back at him4 ,then he looked across the meadows to where ,bessie lived1 but ,bessie was at school and the house was still4 ,then he gazed far down below him on the ground2 and there1 just beneath1 was a little ,violet1 ,she had uncurled her purple petals a few days before1 and was waiting to welcome the first leaf-bud that came out4 ,so when the ,maple-leaf looked down1 she smiled up at him and said1 8,good-morning40 ,he answered her politely1 but he was very little1 and did not know quite what to say1 so he didn't talk any more that day4 ,the next morning they greeted each other again1 and soon they grew to be good friends1 and talked together very happily all day4 ,the ,maple-leaf lived so high up in the tree that he could easily see across the fields1 and he watched every day for ,bessie as she started for school4 ,when she came out of her door1 he told the ,violet1 and the ,violet always said every morning1 8,dear ,bessie6 ,i should like to see her1 too60 ,sometimes1 when the day was chilly and it was almost too damp in the shade1 the ,violet used to wish she might be high up on the branch above her1 waving about in the sunshine like the ,maple-leaf2 but she was a contented little thing1 and never fretted long for what she could not have4 ,it was generally pleasant on the ground1 and the bugs and caterpillars and worms1 as they crawled about at her roots1 often told her very interesting things about their families and their troubles4 ,one day it was very dry and warm4 ,the ,maple-leaf was not at all comfortable1 high in the hot air1 and he said to his mother1 8,mother-tree1 won't you let me go down by the ,violet and be cool80 ,then the ,maple-tree answered1 8,no1 no1 little leaf1 not now2 if ,i once let you go1 you can never come back again4 ,stay quietly here2 the time will soon come for you to leave me40 ,the ,maple-leaf told this to the ,violet1 and then they began to fear that when the mother-tree let him go1 by and by1 he might not be able to fall close beside the ,violet4 ,so the next day1 when the wind came whistling along1 the ,violet asked him if he would kindly take care of the leaf1 and send him to her when the mother-tree let him go4 ,the wind was rough and careless1 and said he really didn't know4 ,he couldn't be sure how he'd feel then4 ,they would have to wait and see4 ,the two little friends were rather unhappy about this1 but they waited quietly4 ,by and by the weather grew cold4 ,the air was so chill that the ,maple-leaf shivered in the night1 and in the morning1 when the sun rose1 and he could see himself1 he found he was all red1 just as your hands and cheeks are on a frosty morning4 ,when the mother-tree saw him1 she told him he would soon leave her now1 and she bade him good-by4 ,he was sorry to go1 but then he thought of his dear ,violet1 and was happy again4 ,by and by a gust of cold wind came blowing by1 and twisted the little leaf about1 and fluttered him so that he could not hold to the tree any longer4 ,so at last he blew off1 and the wind took him up and danced with him and played with him until he was very tired and dizzy4 ,but at last1 for he was a kind wind after all1 he blew the leaf back1 straight to the side of the ,violet4 ,how close they cuddled to each other1 and how happy they were6 ,you would have been very glad if you had seen them together4 ,in the morning1 when the sun rose yellow and bright1 ,bessie came into the woods with a basket and a trowel4 ,it was nearly winter1 and she knew that soon the snow would fall and cover all the pretty growing things4 ,so she dug up1 very carefully1 roots of plumy fern and partridge berries with their leaves1 and wintergreen and boxberry plants1 to grow in her window-garden in the winter4 ,she took the ,violet too1 bringing away so much of the earth around her roots that the little thing scarcely felt that she had been moved4 ,as ,bessie put her plants in the basket1 she saw the little ,maple-leaf resting close by the violet1 but he looked so pretty1 lying there1 that she did not move him4 ,in the sunny window of the little brown house the ,violet grew still more fresh and green4 ,but each day1 as the plants were watered1 the ,maple-leaf curled up a little more at the edges1 and sank down farther into the earth1 until soon he was almost out of sight1 and by and by crumbled quite away4 ,still he was close beside his ,violet1 and all the strength he had he gave to her roots4 ,she always loved him just the same1 though she could not see him any longer1 and by and by1 when she had lived her life1 and her leaves withered away1 each one1 as it fell from the stem1 sank into the earth where the ,maple-leaf lay4 ,,mrs4 ,,chinchilla4 ,,the ,,tale ,,of ,a ,,cat4 8,see what joyous faces1 what shining eyes1 and what glad jubilee welcome the story-teller1 and what a blooming circle of glad children press around him60--,,froebel4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla was not a lovely lady1 with a dress of soft gray cloth and a great chinchilla muff and boa4 ,not at all4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla was a beautiful cat1 with sleek fur like silver-gray satin1 and a very handsome tail to match1 quite long enough to brush the ground when she walked4 ,she didn't live in a house1 but she had a very comfortable home in a fine drug-store1 with one large bay-window almost to herself and her kittens4 ,she had three pretty fat dumplings of kittens1 all in soft shades of gray like their mother4 ,she didn't like any other color in kittens so well as a quiet ladylike gray4 ,none of her children ever were black1 or white1 or yellow1 but sometimes they had four snow-white socks on their gray paws4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla didn't mind that1 for white socks were really a handsome finish to a gray kitten1 though1 of course1 it was a deal of trouble to keep them clean4 ,at the time my story begins the kits were all tiny catkins1 whose eyes had been open only a day or two1 so ,mrs4 ,chinchilla had to wash them every morning herself4 ,she had the most wonderful tongue6 ,i'll tell you what that tongue had in it3 a hair-brush1 a comb1 a tooth-brush1 a nail-brush1 a sponge1 a towel1 and a cake of soap6 ,and when ,mrs4 ,chinchilla had finished those three little catkins1 they were as fresh and sweet1 and shiny and clean1 and kissable and huggable1 as any baby just out of a bath-tub4 ,one morning1 just after the little kits had had their scrub in the sunny bay-window1 they felt1 all at once1 old enough to play2 and so they began to scramble over each other1 and run about between the great colored glass jars1 and even to chase and bite the ends of their own tails4 ,they had not known that they had any tails before that morning1 and of course it was a charming surprise4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla looked on lazily and gravely4 ,it had been a good while since she had had time or had felt young and gay enough to chase her tail1 but she was very glad to see the kittens enjoy themselves harmlessly4 ,now1 while this was going on1 some one came up to the window and looked in4 ,it was the ,boy who lived across the street4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla disliked nearly all boys1 but she was afraid of this one4 ,he had golden curls and a ,fauntleroy collar1 and the sweetest lips that ever said prayers1 and clean dimpled hands that looked as if they had been made to stroke cats and make them purr4 ,but instead of stroking them he rubbed their fur the wrong way1 and hung tin kettles to their tails1 and tied handkerchiefs over their heads4 ,when ,mrs4 ,chinchilla saw the ,boy she humped her back1 so that it looked like a gray mountain1 and said1 8,sftt60 three times4 ,when the ,boy found that she was looking at him1 and lashing her tail1 and yawning so as to show him her sharp white teeth1 he suddenly disappeared from sight4 ,so ,mrs4 ,chinchilla gave the kittens their breakfast1 and they cuddled themselves into a round ball1 and went fast asleep4 ,they were first rolled so tightly1 and then so tied up with their tails1 that you couldn't have told whether they were three or six little catkins4 ,when their soft purr-r-r-r1 purr-r-r-r had first changed into sleepy little snores1 and then died away altogether1 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla jumped down out of the window1 and went for her morning airing in the back yard4 ,at the same time the druggist passed behind a tall desk to mix some medicine1 and the shop was left alone4 ,just then the ,boy 7for he hadn't gone away at all2 he had just stooped out of sight7 rushed in the door quickly1 snatched one of the kittens out of the round ball1 and ran away with it as fast as he could run4 ,pretty soon ,mrs4 ,chinchilla came back1 and of course she counted the kittens the very first thing4 ,she always did it4 ,to her surprise and fright she found only two instead of three4 ,she knew she couldn't be mistaken4 ,there were five kittens in her last family1 and two less in this family2 and five kittens less two kittens is three kittens4 ,one chinchilla catkin gone6 ,what should she do8 ,she had once heard a lady say that there were too many cats in the world already1 but she had no patience with people who made such wicked speeches4 ,her kittens had always been so beautiful that they sometimes sold for fifty cents apiece1 and none of them had ever been drowned4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla knew in a second just where that kitten had gone4 ,it makes a pussy-cat very quick and bright and wise to take care of and train large families of frisky kittens1 with very little help from their father in bringing them up4 ,she knew that that ,boy had carried off the kitten1 and she intended to have it back1 and scratch the ,boy with some long scratches1 if she could only get the chance4 ,looking at her claws1 she found them nice and sharp1 and as the druggist opened the door for a customer ,mrs4 ,chinchilla slipped out1 with just one backward glance1 as much as to say1 8,gone out2 will be back soon40 ,then she dashed across the street1 and waited on the steps of the ,boy's house4 ,very soon a man came with a bundle1 and when the house-maid opened the door ,mrs4 ,chinchilla walked in4 ,she hadn't any visiting-card with her2 but then the ,boy hadn't left any card when he called for the kitten1 so she didn't care for that4 ,the housemaid didn't see her when she slipped in4 ,it was a very nice house to hold such a heartless boy1 she thought4 ,the parlor door was open1 but she knew the kitten wouldn't be there1 so she ran upstairs4 ,when she reached the upper hall she stood perfectly still1 with her ears up and her whiskers trembling4 ,suddenly she heard a faint mew1 then another1 and then a laugh2 that was the ,boy4 ,she pushed open a door that was ajar1 and walked into the nursery4 ,the ,boy was seated in the middle of the floor1 tying the kitten to a tin cart1 and the poor little thing was mewing piteously4 ,mrs4 ,chinchilla dashed up to the ,boy1 scratched him as many long scratches as she had time for at that moment1 took the frightened kitten in her kind1 gentle mouth1 the way all mother-cats do 7because if they carried them in their forepaws they wouldn't have enough left to walk on71 and was downstairs and out on the front doorstep before the housemaid had finished paying the man for the bundle4 ,and when she got that chinchilla catkin home in the safe1 sunny bay-window1 she washed it over and over and over so many times that it never forgot1 so long as it lived1 the day it was stolen by the ,boy4 ,when the ,boy's mother hurried upstairs to see why he was crying so loud1 she told him that he must expect to be scratched by mother-cats if he stole their kittens4 8,i shall take your pretty ,fauntleroy collar off10 she said2 8it doesn't match your disposition40 ,the ,boy cried bitterly until luncheon time1 but when he came to think over the matter1 he knew that his mother was right1 and ,mrs4 ,chinchilla was right1 too2 so he treated all mother-cats and their kittens more kindly after that4 ,a ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,forest 8,it is not the gay forms he meets in the fairy-tale which charm the child1 but a spiritual1 invisible truth lying far deeper40--,froebel4 ,far away1 in the depths of a great green rustling wood1 there lived a ,fir-tree4 ,she was tall and dark and fragrant2 so tall that her topmost plumes seemed waving about in the clouds1 and her branches were so thick and strong and close set that down below them on the ground it was dark almost as night4 ,there were many other trees in the forest1 as tall and grand as she1 and when they bent and bowed to each other1 as the wind played in their branches1 you could hear a wonderful lovely sound1 like the great organ when it plays softly in the church4 ,down below1 under the trees1 the ground was covered with a glossy brown carpet of the sharp1 needle-like leaves the fir-trees had let fall1 and on this carpet there were pointed brown fir cones lying1 looking dry and withered1 and yet bearing under their scales many little seeds1 hidden away like very precious letters in their dainty envelopes4 ,even on bright summer days this wood was cool and dark1 and1 as you walked about on the soft brown carpet1 you could hear the wonderful song the pine needles made as they rubbed against each other2 and perhaps far away in the top of some tall tree you could hear the wood-thrush sing out gladly4 ,all around the great ,fir-tree1 where her cones had dropped1 a family of young firs was growing up1--very tiny yet1 so tiny you might have crushed them as you walked1 and not felt them under your foot4 ,the ,fir-tree spread her thick branches over them1 and kept off the fierce wind and the bitter cold1 and under her shelter they were growing strong4 ,they were all fine little trees1 but one of them1 that stood quite apart from the rest1 was the finest of all1 very straight and well shaped and handsome4 ,every day he looked up at the mother-tree1 and saw how straight and strong she grew1--how the wind bent and waved her branches1 but did not stir her great trunk2 and as he looked1 he sent his own rootlets farther down into the dark earth1 and held his tiny head up more proudly4 ,the other trees did not all try to grow strong and tall4 ,indeed1 one of them said1 8,why should ,i try to grow8 ,who can see me here in this dark wood8 ,what good will it do for me to try8 ,i can never be as fine and strong as the mother-tree40 ,so he was unhappy and hung his head1 and let the wind blow him further and further over toward the ground2 and as he did not care for his rootlets1 they lost their hold in the earth1 and by and by he withered quite away4 ,but our brave little ,fir-tree grew on2 and when a long time had gone by1 his head was on a level with his mother's lowest branches1 and he could listen and hear all the whispering and talking that went on among the great trees4 ,so he learned many things1 for the trees were old and wise2 and the birds1 who are such great travelers1 had told them many wonderful things that had happened in far-off lands4 ,and the ,fir-tree asked his mother many1 many questions4 8,dear mother-tree10 he said1 8shall we always live here8 ,shall ,i keep on growing until ,i am a grand tall tree like you8 ,and will you always be with me80 8,who knows60 said the mother-tree1 rustling in all her branches4 8,if we are stout-hearted1 and grow strong in trunk and perfect in shape1 then perhaps we shall be taken away from the forest and made useful somewhere1--and we want to be useful1 little son40 ,it was about this time that the young ,fir-tree made himself some music that he used to whisper when the winds blew and rocked his branches4 ,this is the little song1 but ,i cannot sing it as he did4 ,,song ,,of ,,the ,,fir-,,tree4 ,root grow thou long-er heart be thou strong-er2 ,let the sun bless me1 soft-ly ca- ress me2 ,let rain-drops pat-ter1 wind1 my leaves scat-ter4 ,my root must grow long-er1 my heart must grow stronger4 8,root1 grow thou longer1 ,heart1 be thou stronger2 ,let the sun bless me1 ,softly caress me2 ,let raindrops patter1 ,wind1 my leaves scatter4 ,my root must grow longer1 ,my heart must grow stronger40 ,and one day1 when he was singing this song to himself1 some birds fluttered near1 pleased with the music1 and as he seemed kind they began to build their nest in his branches1 ,then what a proud ,fir-tree1 that the birds should choose him to take care of them6 ,he would not play now with the wind as it came frolicking by1 but stood straight1 that he might not shake the pretty soft nest4 ,and when the eggs were laid at last1 all his leaves stroked each other for joy1 and the noise they made was so sweet that the mother-tree bent over to see why he was so happy4 ,the mother-bird sat patiently on the nest all day1 and when1 now and then1 she flew away to rest her tired little legs1 the father-bird came to keep the eggs warm4 ,so the ,fir-tree was never alone2 and now he asked the birds some of the many questions he had once asked his mother1 8,tell me1 dear birdies10 he said1 8what does the mother-tree mean8 ,she says if ,i grow strong1 ,i shall be taken away to be useful somewhere4 ,how can a ,fir-tree be useful if he is taken away from the forest where he was born80 ,so the birds told him how he could be useful3 how perhaps men might take him for the mast of a ship1 and fasten to him1 strong and firm1 the great white sails that send the ship like a bird over the water2 or that he might be used to hold a bright flag1 as it waved in the wind4 ,then the mother-bird thought of the happy ,christmas time1 for the birds and flowers and trees know all about it2 and she told the ,fir of the ,christmas greens that were cut in the forest2 of the branches and boughs that were used to make the houses fresh and bright2 and of the ,christmas trees1 on which gifts were hung for the children4 ,now the ,fir-tree had seen some children one day1 and he knew about their bright eyes1 and their rosy cheeks1 and their dear soft little hands4 ,the day they came into the woods1 they had made a ring and danced about him1 and one little girl had held up her finger1 and asked the others to hush and hear the song he was singing4 ,so of all the thing's the birds had told him1 the sweetest to him was about the ,christmas tree4 ,if only he might be a ,christmas tree1 and have the children dance about him again1 and feel their presents among his green branches6 ,so he did all that a little tree could do to grow strong in every part1 and each day he sang his song3 8,root1 grow thou longer1 ,heart1 grow thou stronger2 ,sweet sunshine1 bless me1 ,softly caress me2 ,cold raindrops1 patter1 ,wind1 my leaves scatter1 ,my roots must grow longer1 ,my heart must grow stronger10 ,soon the days began to grow cold4 ,the birdlings who had been born in the ,fir-tree's branches had gone far away to the ,south4 ,the father and mother bird had gone too1 and on the way had stopped to say good-by to the brave little tree4 ,the white snow had fallen in gentle flakes1 and covered the cones and the glossy carpet of pine needles4 ,all was still and shining and cold in the forest1 and the great trees seemed taller and darker than ever4 ,one day some men came into the wood with saws and ropes and axes1 and cut down many of the great trees1 and among these was the mother-fir4 ,they fastened oxen to all the trees1 and dragged them away1 rustling and waving1 over the smooth snow4 ,the mother-tree had gone1--8gone to be useful10 said the little ,fir2 and though he missed her very much1 and the world seemed very empty when he looked up and no longer saw her thick branches and her strong trunk1 yet he was not unhappy1 for he was a brave little ,fir4 ,still the days grew colder1 and often the ,fir-tree wondered if the children who had made a ring and danced about him would remember him when ,christmas time came4 ,he could not grow1 for the weather was too cold1 and so he had the more time for thinking4 ,he thought of the birds1 of the mother-tree1 and1 most of all1 of the little girl who had lifted her finger1 and said1 8,hush6 hear the ,fir-tree sing40 ,sometimes the days seemed long1 and he sighed in all his branches1 and almost thought he would never be a ,christmas tree4 ,but suddenly1 one day1 he heard something far away that sounded like the ringing of ,christmas bells4 ,it was the children laughing and singing1 as they ran over the snow4 ,nearer they came1 and stood beside the ,fir4 8,yes10 said the little girl1 8it is my very tree1 my very singing tree60 8,indeed10 said the father1 8it will be a good ,christmas tree4 ,see how straight and well shaped it is40 ,then the tree was glad2 not proud1 for he was a good little ,fir1 but glad that they saw he had tried his best4 ,illustration3 ,not all firs can be ,christmas trees4 ,so they cut him down and carried him away on a great sled2 away from the tall dark trees1 from the white shining snow-carpet at their feet1 and from all the murmuring and whispering that go on within the forest4 ,the little trees stood on tiptoe and waved their green branches for 8,good-by10 and the great trees bent their heads to watch him go4 8,not all firs can be ,christmas trees10 said they2 8only those who grow their best40 ,the good ,fir-tree stood in the children's own room4 ,round about his feet were flowers and mosses and green boughs4 ,from his branches hung toys and books and candies1 and at the end of each glossy twig was a bright glittering ,christmas candle4 ,the doors were slowly opened2 the children came running in2 and when they saw the shining lights1 and the ,christmas tree proudly holding their presents1 they made a ring1 and danced about him1 singing4 ,and the ,fir-tree was very happy6 ,,piccola4 ,suggested by ,one of ,mrs4 ,celia ,thaxter's ,poems4 8,story-telling is a real strengthening spirit-bath40--,froebel4 ,piccola lived in ,italy1 where the oranges grow1 and where all the year the sun shines warm and bright4 ,i suppose you think ,piccola a very strange name for a little girl2 but in her country it was not strange at all1 and her mother thought it the sweetest name a little girl ever had4 ,piccola had no kind father1 no big brother or sister1 and no sweet baby to play with and to love4 ,she and her mother lived all alone in an old stone house that looked on a dark1 narrow street4 ,they were very poor1 and the mother was away from home almost every day1 washing clothes and scrubbing floors1 and working hard to earn money for her little girl and herself4 ,so you see ,piccola was alone a great deal of the time2 and if she had not been a very happy1 contented little child1 ,i hardly know what she would have done4 ,she had no playthings except a heap of stones in the back yard that she used for building houses1 and a very old1 very ragged doll that her mother had found in the street one day4 ,but there was a small round hole in the stone wall at the back of her yard1 and her greatest pleasure was to look through that into her neighbor's garden4 ,when she stood on a stone1 and put her eyes close to the hole1 she could see the green grass in the garden1 smell the sweet flowers1 and even hear the water plashing into the fountain4 ,she had never seen any one walking in the garden1 for it belonged to an old gentleman who did not care about grass and flowers4 ,one day in the autumn her mother told her that the old gentleman had gone away1 and had rented his house to a family of little ,american children1 who had come with their sick mother to spend the winter in ,italy4 ,after this1 ,piccola was never lonely1 for all day long the children ran and played and danced and sang in the garden4 ,it was several weeks before they saw her at all1 and ,i am not sure they would ever have done so but that one day the kitten ran away1 and in chasing her they came close to the wall1 and saw ,piccola's black eyes looking through the hole in the stones4 ,they were a little frightened at first1 and did not speak to her2 but the next day she was there again1 and ,rose1 the oldest girl1 went up to the wall and talked to her a little while4 ,when the children found that she had no one to play with and was very lonely1 they talked to her every day1 and often brought her fruits and candies1 and passed them through the hole in the wall4 ,one day they even pushed the kitten through2 but the hole was hardly large enough for her1 and she mewed and scratched1 and was very much frightened4 ,after that the little boy said he should ask his father if the hole might not be made larger1 and then ,piccola could come in and play with them4 ,the father had found out that ,piccola's mother was a good woman1 and that the little girl herself was sweet and kind1 so that he was very glad to have some of the stones broken away1 and an opening made for ,piccola to come in4 ,how excited she was1 and how glad the children were when she first stepped into the garden6 ,she wore her best dress1 a long bright-colored woolen skirt and a white waist4 ,round her neck was a string of beads1 and on her feet were little wooden shoes4 ,it would seem very strange to us--would it not8--to wear wooden shoes2 but ,piccola and her mother had never worn anything else1 and never had any money to buy stockings4 ,piccola almost always ran about barefooted1 like the kittens and the chickens and the little ducks4 ,what a good time they had that day1 and how glad ,piccola's mother was that her little girl could have such a pleasant1 safe place to play in1 while she was away at work6 ,by and by ,december came1 and the little ,americans began to talk about ,christmas4 ,one day1 when ,piccola's curly head and bright eyes came peeping through the hole in the wall1 they ran to her and helped her in2 and as they did so1 they all asked her at once what she thought she would have for a ,christmas present4 8,a ,christmas present60 said ,piccola4 8,why1 what is that80 ,all the children looked surprised at this1 and ,rose said1 rather gravely1 8,dear ,piccola1 don't you know what ,christmas is80 ,oh1 yes1 ,piccola knew it was the happy day when the baby ,christ was born1 and she had been to church on that day1 and heard the beautiful singing1 and had seen a picture of the ,babe lying in the manger1 with cattle and sheep sleeping round about4 ,oh1 yes1 she knew all that very well1 but what was a ,christmas present8 ,then the children began to laugh1 and to answer her all together4 ,there was such a clatter of tongues that she could hear only a few words now and then1 such as 8chimney10 8,santa ,claus10 8stockings10 8reindeer10 8,christmas ,eve10 8candies and toys40 ,piccola put her hands over her ears1 and said1 8,oh1 ,i can't understand one word4 ,you tell me1 ,rose40 ,then ,rose told her all about jolly old ,santa ,claus1 with his red cheeks and white beard and fur coat1 and about his reindeer and sleigh full of toys4 8,every ,christmas ,eve10 said ,rose1 8he comes down the chimney1 and fills the stockings of all the good children2 so1 ,piccola1 you hang up your stocking1 and who knows what a beautiful ,christmas present you will find when morning comes60 ,of course ,piccola thought this was a delightful plan1 and was very pleased to hear about it4 ,then all the children told her of every ,christmas ,eve they could remember1 and of the presents they had had2 so that she went home thinking of nothing but dolls1 and hoops1 and balls1 and ribbons1 and marbles1 and wagons1 and kites4 ,she told her mother about ,santa ,claus1 and her mother seemed to think that perhaps he did not know there was any little girl in that house1 and very likely he would not come at all4 ,but ,piccola felt very sure ,santa ,claus would remember her1 for her little friends had promised to send a letter up the chimney to remind him4 ,christmas ,eve came at last4 ,piccola's mother hurried home from her work2 they had their little supper of soup and bread1 and soon it was bedtime1--time to get ready for ,santa ,claus4 ,but oh6 ,piccola remembered then for the first time that the children had told her she must hang up her stocking1 and she hadn't any1 and neither had her mother4 ,how sad1 how sad it was6 ,now ,santa ,claus would come1 and perhaps be angry because he couldn't find any place to put the present4 ,the poor little girl stood by the fireplace2 and the big tears began to run down her cheeks4 ,just then her mother called to her1 8,hurry1 ,piccola2 come to bed40 ,what should she do8 ,but she stopped crying1 and tried to think2 and in a moment she remembered her wooden shoes1 and ran off to get one of them4 ,she put it close to the chimney1 and said to herself1 8,surely ,santa ,claus will know what it's there for4 ,he will know ,i haven't any stockings1 so ,i gave him the shoe instead40 ,then she went off happily to her bed1 and was asleep almost as soon as she had nestled close to her mother's side4 ,the sun had only just begun to shine1 next morning1 when ,piccola awoke4 ,with one jump she was out on the floor and running toward the chimney4 ,the wooden shoe was lying where she had left it1 but you could never1 never guess what was in it4 ,illustration3 ,see the present ,santa ,claus brought me ,piccola had not meant to wake her mother1 but this surprise was more than any little girl could bear and yet be quiet2 so she danced to the bed with the shoe in her hand1 calling1 8,mother1 mother6 look1 look6 see the present ,santa ,claus brought me60 ,her mother raised her head and looked into the shoe4 8,why1 ,piccola10 she said1 8a little chimney swallow nestling in your shoe8 ,what a good ,santa ,claus to bring you a bird60 8,good ,santa ,claus1 dear ,santa ,claus60 cried ,piccola2 and she kissed her mother and kissed the bird and kissed the shoe1 and even threw kisses up the chimney1 she was so happy4 ,when the birdling was taken out of the shoe1 they found that he did not try to fly1 only to hop about the room2 and as they looked closer1 they could see that one of his wings was hurt a little4 ,but the mother bound it up carefully1 so that it did not seem to pain him1 and he was so gentle that he took a drink of water from a cup1 and even ate crumbs and seeds from ,piccola's hand4 ,she was a proud little girl when she took her ,christmas present to show the children in the garden4 ,they had had a great many gifts1--dolls that could say 8mamma10 bright picture-books1 trains of cars1 toy pianos2 but not one of their playthings was alive1 like ,piccola's birdling4 ,they were as pleased as she1 and ,rose hunted about the house till she found a large wicker cage that belonged to a blackbird she once had4 ,she gave the cage to ,piccola1 and the swallow seemed to make himself quite at home in it at once1 and sat on the perch winking his bright eyes at the children4 ,rose had saved a bag of candies for ,piccola1 and when she went home at last1 with the cage and her dear swallow safely inside it1 ,i am sure there was not a happier little girl in the whole country of ,italy4 ,,the ,,child ,,and ,,the ,,world4 ,i see a nest in a green elm-tree ,with little brown sparrows1--one1 two1 three6 ,the elm-tree stretches its branches wide1 ,and the nest is soft and warm inside4 ,at morn1 the sun1 so golden bright1 ,climbs up to fill the world with light2 ,it opens the flowers1 it wakens me1 ,and wakens the birdies1--one1 two1 three4 ,and leaning out of my window high1 ,i look far up at the blue1 blue sky1 ,and then far out at the earth so green1 ,and think it the loveliest ever seen1-- ,the loveliest world that ever was seen6 ,but by and by1 when the sun is low1 ,and birds and babies sleepy grow1 ,i peep again from my window high1 ,and look at the earth and clouds and sky4 ,the night dew comes in silent showers1 ,to cool the hearts of thirsty flowers2 ,the moon comes out1--the slender thing1 ,a crescent yet1 but soon a ring1-- ,and brings with her one yellow star2 ,how small it looks1 away so far6 ,but soon1 in the heaven's shining blue1 ,a thousand twinkle and blink at you1 ,like a thousand lamps in the sky so blue4 ,and hush6 a light breeze stirs the tree1 ,and rocks1 the birdies1--one1 two1 three4 ,what a beautiful cradle1 that soft1 warm nest6 ,what a dear little coverlid1 mamma-bird's breast6 ,she's hugging them close to her1--tight1 so tight ,that each downy head is hid from sight2 ,but out from under her sheltering wings ,their bright eyes glisten1--the darling things6 ,i lean far out from my window's height ,and say1 8,dear1 lovely world1 good-night6 8,good-night1 dear1 pretty baby moon6 ,your cradle you'll outgrow quite soon1 ,and then1 perhaps1 all night you'll shine1 ,a grown-up lady moon6--so fine ,and bright that all the stars ,will want to light their lamps from yours4 ,sleep sweetly1 birdies1 never fear1 ,for ,god is always watching near6 ,and you1 dear1 friendly world above1 ,the same ,one holds us in ,his love3 ,both you so great1 and ,i so small1 ,are safe1--,he sees the sparrow's fall1-- ,the dear ,god watcheth over all60 ,,when ,i ,,was ,a ,,little ,,girl4 ,,our ,,froggery4 8,turn back observantly into your own youth1 and awaken1 warm1 and vivify the eternal youth of your mind40--,,froebel4 ,when ,i was a little girl my sister and ,i lived in the country4 ,she was younger than ,i1 and the dearest1 fattest little toddlekins of a sister you ever knew4 ,she always wanted to do exactly as ,i did1 so that ,i had to be very careful and do the right things2 for if ,i had been naughty she would surely have been naughty too1 and that would have made me very sad4 ,as we lived in the country we had none of the things to amuse us that city children have4 ,we couldn't walk in crowded streets and see people and look in at beautiful shop-windows1 or hear the street-organs play and see the monkeys do tricks2 we couldn't go to dancing school1 nor to children's parties1 nor to the circus to see the animals4 ,but we had lovely plays1 after all4 ,in the spring we hunted for mayflowers1 and sailed boats in the brooks1 and gathered fluffy pussy-willows4 ,we watched the yellow dandelions come1 one by one1 in the short green grass1 and we stood under the maple-trees and watched the sap trickle from their trunks into the great wooden buckets2 for that maple sap was to be boiled into maple sugar and syrup1 and we liked to think about it4 ,in the summer we went strawberrying and blueberrying1 and played 8hide and coop0 behind the tall yellow haycocks1 and rode on the top of the full haycarts4 ,in the fall we went nutting1 and pressed red and yellow autumn leaves between the pages of our great ,webster's ,dictionary2 we gathered apples1 and watched the men at work at the cider-presses1 and the farmers as they threshed their wheat and husked their corn4 ,and in the winter we made snow men1 and slid downhill from morning till night when there was any snow to slide upon1 and went sleighing behind our dear old horse ,jack1 and roasted apples in the ashes of the great open fire4 ,but one of the things we cared for most was our froggery1 and we used to play there for hours together in the long summer days4 ,perhaps you don't know what a froggery is2 but you do know what a frog is1 and so you can guess that a froggery is a place where frogs live4 ,my little sister and ,i used at first to catch the frogs and keep them in tin cans filled with water2 but when we thought about it we saw that the poor froggies couldn't enjoy this1 and that it was cruel to take them away from their homes and make them live in unfurnished tin houses4 ,so one day ,i asked my father if he would give us a part of the garden brook for our very own4 ,he laughed1 and said1 8,yes10 if we wouldn't carry it away4 ,our garden was as large as four or five city blocks1 and a beautiful silver-clear brook flowed through it1 turning here and there1 and here and there breaking into tinkling little waterfalls1 and dropping gently into clear1 still pools4 ,it was one of these deep1 quiet pools that we chose for our froggery4 ,it was almost hidden on two sides by thick green alder-bushes1 so that it was always cool and pleasant there1 even on the hottest days4 ,my father put pieces of fine wire netting into the water on each of the four sides of the pool1 and so arranged them that we could slip those on the banks up and down as we pleased4 ,whenever we went there we always took away the side fences1 and sat flat down upon the smooth stones at the edges of the brook and played with the frogs4 ,here we used to watch our gay young polliwogs grow into frogs1 one leg at a time coming out at each 8corner0 of their fat wriggling bodies4 ,we kept two great bull-frogs1--splendid bass singers both of them1--that had been stoned by naughty small boys1 and left for dead by the roadside4 ,we found them there1 bound up their broken legs and bruised backs1 and nursed them quite well again in one corner of the froggery that we called the hospital4 ,in another corner was the nursery1 and here we kept all the tiniest frogs2 though we always let them out once a day to play with the older ones1 for fear that they never would learn anything if they were kept entirely to themselves4 ,one of our great bull-frogs grew so strong and well1 after being in the hospital for a while1 that he jumped over the highest of the wire fences1 which was two feet higher than any frog ever was known to jump1 so our hired man said1--jumped over and ran away4 ,we called him the 8,general10 because he was the largest of our frogs and the oldest1 we thought4 7,he hadn't any gray hairs1 but he was very much wrinkled47 ,we were sorry to lose the ,general1 and couldn't think why he should run away1 when we gave him such good things to eat and tried to make him so happy4 ,my father said that perhaps his home was in a large pond1 some distance off1 where there were so many hundred frogs that it was quite a gay city life for them1 while the froggery was in a quiet brook in our quiet old garden4 7,if ,i were a frog1 it seems to me ,i should like such a home better than a great noisy stagnant pond near the road1 where ,i should be frightened to death half a dozen times a day2 but there is no accounting for tastes67 ,illustration3 8,we were sorry to lose the ,general40 ,but what do you think8 ,after staying away for three days and nights the ,general came back safe and sound6 ,we knew it was our own beloved ,general1 and not any common stranger-frog1 because there was the scar on his back where the boys had stoned him4 ,my little sister thought that perhaps the ,general was born in ,lily ,pad ,pond1 on the other side of the village1 and only went back to get a sight of the pond lilies1 which were just in full bloom4 ,if that was so1 ,i cannot blame the ,general2 for snow-white pond lilies1 with their golden hearts and the green frills round their necks1 are the loveliest things in the world1 as they float among their shiny pads on the surface of the pond4 ,did you ever see them8 ,all our frogs had names of their own1 of course1 and we knew them all apart1 although they looked just alike to other people4 ,there was ,prince ,pouter1 ,brownie1 and ,goldilegs2 ,bright-,eye1 ,chirp1 and ,gray ,friar2 ,hop-o'-my-,thumb1 ,croaker1 ,baby ,mine1 ,nimblefoot1 ,tiny ,tim1 and many others4 ,we were so afraid that our frogs wouldn't like the froggery better than any other place in the brook that we gave them all the pleasures we could think of4 ,they always had plenty of fat juicy flies and water-bugs for their dinners1 and after a while we put some silver shiners and tiny minnows into the pool1 so that they would have fishes to play with as well as other frogs4 ,you know you do not always like to play with other children2 sometimes you like kittens and dogs and birds better4 ,then we gave our frogs little vacations once in a while4 ,we tied a long soft woolen string very gently round one of their hind legs1 fastened it to a twig of one of the alderbushes1 and let them take a long swim and make calls on all their friends4 ,we had a singing-school for them once a week4 ,it was very troublesome1 for they didn't like to stand in line a bit1 and it is quite useless to try and teach a class in singing unless the scholars will stand in a row or keep in some sort of order4 ,we used to put a nice little board across the pool1 and then try to get the frogs to sit quietly in line during their lesson4 ,the ,general behaved quite nicely1 and really got into the spirit of the thing1 so that he was a splendid example for the head of the class4 ,then we used to put ,myron ,w4 ,whitney next in line1 on account of his beautiful bass voice4 ,we named him after a gentleman who had once sung in our church1 and ,i hope if he ever heard of it he didn't mind1 for the frog was really a credit to him4 ,myron ,w4 ,whitney behaved nearly as well as the ,general1 but we could never get him to sing unless we held the class just before bedtime1 and then the little frogs were so sleepy that they kept tumbling out of the singing-school into the pool4 ,that was the trouble with them all2 they never could quite see the difference between school and pool4 ,it seems to me they must have known it was very slight after all4 ,towards the end of the summer we had trained them so well that once in a long while we could actually get them all still at once1 and all facing the right way as they sat upon that board4 ,oh6 it was a beautiful sight1 and worth any amount of trouble and work6 ,twenty-one frogs in a row1 all in fresh green suits1 with clean white shirt fronts1 washed every day4 ,the ,general and ,myron ,w4 ,whitney always looked as if they were bursting with pride1 and as they were too fat and lazy to move1 we could generally count upon their good behavior4 ,we thought that if we could only get them to look down into the pool1 which made such a lovely looking-glass1 and just see for once what a beautiful picture they made1--sitting so straight and still1 and all so nicely graded as to size1--they would like it better and do it a little more willingly4 ,we thought1 too1 the baby frogs would be ashamed1 when they looked in the glass1 to see that while the big frogs stayed still of their own free will1 ,,they had to be held down with forked sticks4 ,but we could never discover that they were ashamed4 ,so when everything was complete my little sister used to 8let go0 of the baby frogs 7for1 as ,i said1 she had to hold them down while we were forming the line71 and ,i would begin the lesson4 ,sometimes they would listen a minute1 and then they would begin their pranks4 ,they would insist on playing leap-frog1 which is a very nice game1 but not appropriate for school4 ,tiny ,tim would jump from the foot of the class straight over all the others on to ,myron ,w4 ,whitney's back4 ,baby ,mine would try to get between ,croaker and ,goldilegs1 where there wasn't any room4 ,nimblefoot would twist round on the board and turn his back to me1 which was very impolite1 as ,i was the teacher4 ,finally1 ,hop-o'-my-,thumb would go splash into the pool1 and all the rest1 save the good old ,general1 would follow him1 and the lesson would end4 ,i suppose you have heard frogs singing just after sunset1 when you were going to bed8 ,some people think the big bull-frogs say1 8,,jugo',,rum6 ,,jugo',,rum6 ,,jugo',,rum60 ,but ,i don't think this is at all likely1 as the frogs never drink anything but water in their whole lives4 ,we used to think that some of the frogs said1 8,,kerchug6 ,,kerchug60 and that the largest one said1 8,,gotacrumb6 ,,gotacrumb6 ,,gotacrumb60 ,perhaps you can't make it sound right1 but if you listen to the frogs you can very soon do it4 ,we thought the frogs in our froggery the very best singers in all the country round4 ,after our mother had tucked us in our little beds and kissed us good-night1 she used to open the window1 that we might hear the chirping and humming and kerchugging of our frogs down in the dear old garden4 ,as we wandered dreamily off into ,sandman's ,land1 the very last sound we heard was the cheerful chorus of our baby frogs1 and the deep bass notes of ,myron ,w4 ,whitney and the old ,general4 ,,froebel',s ,,birthday4 8,the whole future efficiency of man is seen in the child as a germ40-- ,,froebel4 ,on this day1 children1 the twenty-first of ,april1 we always remember our dear ,froebel2 for it was his birthday4 ,we bring flowers and vines to hang about his picture1 we sing the songs and play the games he loved the best1 and we remember the story of his life4 ,we thank him all day long2 for he made the kindergarten for us1 he invented these pretty things that children love to do1 he thought about all the pleasant work and pleasant play that make the kindergarten such a happy place4 ,on this very day1 more than a hundred years ago1 the baby ,froebel came to his happy father and mother4 ,he was a little ,german baby1 like ,elsa's brother and ,fritz's little sister1 and when he began to talk his first words were ,german ones4 ,but the dear mother did not stay long with her little ,friedrich1 for she died when he was not a year old1 and he was left a very sad and lonely baby4 ,his father was a busy minister1 who had sermons to write1 and sick people to see1 and unhappy people to comfort1 from one end of the week to the other1 and he had no time to attend to his little son2 so ,friedrich was left to the housemaid1 who was too busy herself to care for him properly4 ,she was often so hurried that she was obliged to shut him up in a room alone1 to keep him out of her way1 and then it was very hard work for the child to amuse himself4 ,the only window in this room looked out on a church that workmen were repairing1 and ,friedrich often watched these men1 and tried to do just as they did4 ,he took all the small pieces of furniture1 and piled one on top of the other to make a big1 big church1 like the one outside2 but the chairs and stools did not fit each other very well1 and soon the church would come tumbling about his head4 ,when ,froebel grew to be a man1 he remembered this1 and made the building blocks for us1 so that we might make fine1 tall churches and houses as often as we liked4 ,rebel's home was surrounded by other buildings1 and was close to the great church ,i told you about4 ,there were fences and hedges all around the house1 and at the back there were sloping fields1 stretching up a high hill4 ,when the little boy grew old enough to walk1 he played in the garden alone1 a great deal of the time2 but he was not allowed to go outside at all1 and never could get even a glimpse of the world beyond4 ,he could only see the blue sky overhead1 and feel the fresh wind blowing from the hills4 ,his father had no time for him1 his mother was dead1 and ,i think perhaps he would have died himself1 for very sadness and lonesomeness1 if it had not been for his older brothers4 ,now and then1 when they were at home1 they played and talked with him1 and he grew to love them very dearly indeed4 ,when ,friedrich was four years old1 his father brought the children a new mother1 and for a time the little boy was very happy4 ,the mother was quite kind at first2 and now ,froebel had some one to walk with in the garden1 some one to talk with in the daytime and to tuck him in his little bed at night4 ,but by and by1 when a baby boy came to the new mother1 she had no more room in her heart for poor ,friedrich1 and he was more miserable than ever4 ,he tried to be a good boy1 but no one seemed to understand him1 and he was often blamed for naughty things he had not done1 and was never praised or loved4 ,when he had learned to read he was sent to school1 though not with other boys1 for his father thought it better for him to be with girls4 ,the school was pleasant and quiet1 and ,friedrich liked the teacher very much4 ,every morning the children read from the ,bible1 and learned sweet songs and hymns which the little boy remembered all his days4 ,the life at home grew no happier1 as ,friedrich grew older2 indeed1 he seemed to be more in the way and to get into trouble more often4 ,when he was ten years old his uncle came to visit them1 and seeing ,friedrich so unhappy1 and fearing he would not grow up a good boy unless some one cared for him1 the good uncle asked to be allowed to take the child home with him to live4 ,now1 at last1 ,friedrich had five happy years6 ,his uncle lived in a pretty town on the banks of a sparkling little river4 ,everything was pleasant in the house1 and ,friedrich went to school with forty boys of his own age4 ,he jumped and ran with them in the playgrounds1 he learned to play all kinds of games1 and he was happy everywhere1--at school1 at home1 at church1 playing or working4 ,when these five pleasant years had gone by1 ,froebel had finished school1 and now he must decide what he would do to earn his living4 ,he had always loved flowers1 since the days when he played all alone in his father's garden1 and he liked to be out-of-doors and to see things growing2 so he made up his mind to be a surveyor1 like our ,george ,washington1 you know1 and to learn1 besides1 how to take care of trees and forests4 ,he studied and worked very hard at these things1 and gained a great deal of knowledge about flowers and plants and trees and rocks4 ,by and by he left this work and went to college1 where he studied a long time and grew to be very wise indeed4 ,there were numbers of things he had learned to do3 he could measure land1 take care of woods1 and draw maps2 he could make plans of houses1 and show men how to build them2 he knew all about fine stones and minerals1 and could sort and arrange them2 but he found1 at last1 that there was nothing in the world he liked so well as teaching1 for he loved children very much1 and he liked to be with them4 ,when ,froebel was a grown man1 thirty years old1 a great war broke out in ,germany1 and he went away to fight for his country2 like our ,george ,washington again1 you see4 ,he marched away with the soldiers1 and fought bravely for a year2 and then the war was over1 and he went back to his quiet work again4 ,for the rest of his life ,froebel went on teaching all kinds of people1--boys and men1 and young girls and grown-up women2 but he never was quite happy or satisfied till he thought of teaching tiny children1 just like you4 ,he remembered very well how sad and miserable he was when a little boy1 with no one to love him1 nobody to play with1 and nothing to do2 so he thought of the kindergarten1 where there are pleasant playmates1 pretty work1 happy play for everybody1 and teachers who love little children4 ,he was an old man when he thought of the kindergarten2 but he was never too old to play with children1 and people who went to his country home used to see him1 with the little ones about him1 playing the ,pigeon ,house1 or the ,wheel1 or the ,farmer1 or some of the games he made for us4 ,he was often very poor1 and he worked very hard all his life2 but he did not care for this at all1 if he could help other people and make children happy4 ,and when1 at last1 it was time for him to die1 and to go back to ,god1 who sent him to us1 he was quiet and happy through all his sickness1 and almost the last words he said were about the flowers he loved so well1 and about ,god who had been so good to him4 ,so this is the reason1 little ones1 that we keep ,rebel's birthday every year1--because we want you to remember all he did for little children1 and to learn to love him just as he loved you4 8,come1 let us live with our children2 so shall their lives bring peace and joy to us2 so shall we begin to be1 and to become wise40-- ,,froebel4