,,the ,,art ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,with ,nearly ,half a ,hundred ,stories ,,by ,,julia ,,darrow ,,cowles ,author of 8,stories to ,tell0 ,illustration ,,chicago ,a4 ,c4 ,mc,c,l,u,r,g ,,co4 #aiad ,copyright by ,julia ,darrow ,cowles #aiad ,published ,march1 #aiad ,w4 ,f4 ,,hall ,,printing ,,company1 ,,chicago ,,preface ,in preparing this book the author has sought to awaken a keener perception and a higher appreciation of the artistic and ethical value of story-telling2 to simplify some of its problems2 to emphasize the true delight which the story-teller may share with her hearers2 and to present fresh material which answers to the test of being good in substance as well as in literary form4 ,grateful acknowledgment is made to ,miss ,mabel ,bartleson1 children's librarian1 and to ,miss ,ida ,may ,ferguson1 of the children's department of the ,minneapolis ,public ,library1 for their thoughtful assistance1 and to the authors and publishers of copyrighted stories included in this volume1 for their generous aid4 ,specific credit is given in connection with each story4 ,j4 ,d4 ,c4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,,part ,i ,i4 ,,story-,,telling ,,in ,,the ,,home #a ,,ii4 ,,why ,,tell ,,stories ,,in ,,school8 #af ,,iii4 ,,how ,,to ,,choose ,,stories ,,for ,,telling #bb ,,iv4 ,,the ,,telling ,,of ,,the ,,story #cb ,v4 ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,story ,,in ,,primary ,,grades #da ,,vi4 ,,jingles1 ,,fables1 ,,and ,,folk-,,lore #eb ,,vii4 ,,myth ,,and ,,hero ,,tale #fg ,,viii4 ,,holiday ,,and ,,vacation ,,stories #hd ,,ix4 ,,bible ,,stories #hi ,x4 ,,systematic ,,story-,,telling #id ,,xi4 ,,the ,,joy ,,of ,,story-,,telling #ajj ,,xii4 ,,story-,,telling ,,as ,,an ,,art #ajd ,,part ,,ii ,,selected ,,stories ,,to ,,tell #aac ,,index ,,of ,,selected ,,stories #bfc ,,topical ,,index ,,of ,,stories #bfe ,,books ,,for ,,the ,,story-,,teller #bfg 8,the ,word ,painter is the ,greatest ,human ,artist0 ,,part ,i ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,story-,,telling ,,chapter ,i ,story-,telling in the ,home ,the home1 the school1 and the library have each a distinct purpose in story-telling4 ,these purposes may be more or less complex1 they may in some instances coincide1 yet the fields are separate1 and each has its own fundamental reason for presenting the oral story to the child4 ,in the home1 the chief object in story-telling is to give content1 to satisfy4 ,the child1 becoming tired of his toys or of his games1 comes to his mother and begs for a story4 ,he wants to be taken into her lap1 cuddled within her arms1 and entertained4 ,oh1 the wonderful1 the far-reaching opportunities held by the mother in such moments as these6 ,the child is in a quiet1 receptive mood1 and the stories told him at such times will never be forgotten2 their influence will follow him as long as he lives4 ,nothing that he can learn in school in the after years will abide and enter into the essence of his being as will the stories which his mother tells him4 ,strength of character1 purity of life1 truthfulness1 unselfishness1 obedience1 faith--all may be made beautiful and attractive by means of stories4 ,nor is the directly ethical training the greatest good achieved by story-telling in the home4 ,nothing else so closely links mother and child in a sweet fellowship and communion of thought4 ,nothing else so intimately binds them together1 nor so fully secures the confidence of the child4 ,when they enter together the enchanted realm of story-land1 mother and child are in a region apart1 a region from which others are excluded4 ,the companionship of story-land belongs only to congenial souls4 ,and so the mother1 by means of stories1 becomes the intimate companion1 the loving and wise guide1 the dearest confidant of her child4 ,not all the stories of the home need be ethical in their teaching1 though all stories worth telling have a foundation of truth4 ,there should be a wise blending of fairy stories1 mythological tales1 fables1 nonsense verses1 and true nature stories2 and the advantage of story-telling is that it may be carried on in connection with many of the household duties1 with no diminishing of the story's charm4 ,while the mother sews or embroiders or mends1 while she stirs a cake1 or washes dishes1 she can tell a story which will not only entertain or influence the child1 but will carry her own thoughts away from the ofttimes dullness of her task into realms of beauty and delight4 ,then1 too1 many a childish task may be robbed of its seemingly tedious character by the telling of a story during its progress1 or as a reward when the task is completed4 ,let me beg of you1 mothers1 do not think that you cannot tell stories4 ,try2 try2 keep on trying2 and ease in telling is bound to come4 ,do not think of yourself in the telling2 think of the story and of the child who listens4 ,nothing else matters4 ,it takes time to search out and familiarize oneself with just the stories that are best worth telling1 but surely no mother can find a more important or more worthy object upon which to expend the time4 ,librarians and story-tellers within the past few years have prepared lists which make such selection1 comparatively easy1 mid classified lists are included in the present volume4 ,the very little child can grasp only the simplest story1 but the essential facts of any story which he can comprehend1 can be simply told4 ,a story for a little child should have few characters1 little if any plot1 and a familiarity of action or place4 ,mother ,goose and similar nursery rhymes naturally come first for little children in the home4 ,the kindergarten collections of stories contain good material1 and these can be followed by or interspersed with the simplest myths and fairy tales4 ,just as children love the companionship of animals1 so do they love stories of animals2 and when these animals do the things that children do1 an element of surprise and new delight is added4 ,children intuitively want the right to prevail4 ,they love the old tales wherein animals talk1 and the crafty old fox is always beaten by the good little hen4 ,bible stories should be told to children day by day4 ,they can be made very simple in outline1 but they should be told over and over1 with a distinction made between them and the fables and folk tales4 ,the latter may teach a true lesson1 but the former teach ,the ,truth4 ,and not only should we tell the ,old ,testament stories of heroes and of great wonders1 but the story of ,christ's birth1 of his life1 his death1 and his resurrection1 should be made a part of every child's early teaching in the form of stories reverently told4 ,they will make a lasting impression2 an impression deeper than the most eloquent sermon heard in maturer years4 ,a careful choice of the kind of stories told to little children lays not only a sound moral foundation1 but a foundation for good literary taste4 ,a child brought up from its earliest years on stories from the ,bible1 ,anderson1 ,aesop1 ,stevenson1 and ,field1 will instinctively detect and reject trash when he begins to read for himself4 ,but the supply of good literature must be kept at hand1 for children will read something4 ,what sweeter bit of verse can a mother repeat to the child she is hushing to sleep than this3 ,sleep1 little pigeon1 and fold your wings-- ,little blue pigeon with velvet eyes2 ,sleep to the singing of motherbird swinging-- ,swinging her nest where her little one lies4 ,in through the window a moonbeam comes-- ,little gold moonbeam with misty wings2 ,all silently creeping1 it asks3 8,is he sleeping-- ,sleeping and dreaming while mother sings80 ,the stanzas are from 8,a ,japanese ,lullaby10 and are selected from a host of similarly dainty verses in ,lullaby ,land1 by ,eugene ,field 7,charles ,scribner's ,sons74 ,robert ,louis ,stevenson's ,child's ,garden of ,verse is another storehouse of treasure for mothers4 ,some of his rhymes1 such as 8,good and ,bad ,children10 are quite equal to ,mother ,goose in their good advice administered in quaintly merry form1 while his 8,foreign ,lands0 and 8,my ,shadow0 teach children to idealize the everyday happenings of the home life4 ,how could a mother better remind her small boy or girl that it is time to waken than by repeating his lines3 ,a birdie with a yellow bill ,hopped upon the window-sill1 ,cocked his shining eye and said3 8,ain't you 'shamed1 you sleepy-head60 ,when a mother habitually repeats to her child stories and verses of the character outlined1 she is not only forming his taste in literature along right lines1 but she is helping to enlarge his vocabulary4 8,what does #8embark' mean1 ,mamma80 is sure to follow the first or second recital of ,stevenson's 8,my ,bed ,is a ,boat03 ,my bed is like a little boat2 ,nurse helps me in when ,i embark2 ,she girds me in my sailor coat ,and starts me in the dark4 ,and 8gird0 will also need interpreting4 ,these words will soon become a part of his normal vocabulary4 ,he may not use them in his everyday speech1 but he will not need to have them explained to him when he comes upon them in his later reading4 ,teachers invariably know when a child comes from a home of culture and of good literary taste1 by the foundation already laid4 ,the child's own forms of expression and the range of his vocabulary are unmistakable evidence of the home influence and teaching4 ,a literary sequence which will give the child a knowledge of literature as a development or a growth--not as a vast accumulation of unrelated parts--can be carried through his reading and study4 ,this subject is taken up in the chapter upon 8,systematic ,story-,telling10 and while it is essentially the work of a teacher1 the foundation for it may be laid by the wise mother who starts her child along right lines through the medium of her story-telling4 ,it has already been said that all stories worth the telling have a foundation of truth4 ,the story with which this chapter closes is a beautiful example of a nature story which embodies a higher truth4 ,it is found in ,mrs4 ,gatty's ,parables from ,nature 7,the ,macmillan ,company73 ,a ,lesson of ,faith#a ,a mild1 green caterpillar was one day strolling about on a cabbage leaf1 when there settled beside her a beautiful ,butterfly4 ,the ,butterfly fluttered her wings feebly1 and seemed very ill4 8,i feel very strange and dizzy10 said the ,butterfly1 addressing the ,caterpillar1 8and ,i am sure that ,i have but a little while to live4 ,but ,i have just laid some butterfly eggs on this cabbage leaf1 and if ,i die there will be no one to care for my baby butterflies4 ,i must hire a nurse for them at once1 but ,i cannot go far to seek for one4 ,may ,i hire you as nurse1 kind ,caterpillar8 ,i will pay you with gold dust from my wings40 ,then1 before the surprised ,caterpillar could reply1 the ,butterfly went on1 8,of course you must not feed them on the coarse cabbage leaves which are your food4 ,young butterflies must be fed upon early dew and the honey of flowers4 ,and at first1 oh1 good ,caterpillar1 they must not be allowed to fly far1 for their wings will not be strong4 ,it is sad that you cannot fly yourself4 ,but ,i am sure you will be kind1 and will do the best you can40 ,with that the poor ,butterfly drooped her wings and died1 and the ,caterpillar had no chance to so much as say 8,yes10 or 8,no40 8,dear me60 she exclaimed1 as she looked at the butterfly eggs beside her1 8what sort of a nurse will ,i make for a group of gay young butterflies8 ,much attention they will pay to the advice of a plain caterpillar like me4 ,but ,i shall have to do the best that ,i can10 she added4 ,and all that night she walked around and around the butterfly eggs to see that no harm came to them4 8,i wish that ,i had someone wiser than myself to consult with10 she said to herself next morning4 8,i might talk it over with the house dog4 ,but1 no10 she added hastily1 8he is kind1 but big and rough1 and one brush of his tail would whisk all the eggs off the cabbage leaf4 8,there is ,tom ,cat10 she went on1 after thinking a few moments1 8but he is lazy and selfish1 and he would not give himself the trouble to think about butterfly eggs4 8,ah1 but there's the ,lark60 she exclaimed at length4 8,he flies far up into the heavens and perhaps he knows more than we creatures that live upon the earth4 ,i'll ask him40 ,so the ,caterpillar sent a message to the ,lark1 who lived in a neighboring cornfield1 and she told him all her troubles4 8,and ,i want to know how ,i1 a poor crawling ,caterpillar1 am to feed and care for a family of beautiful young butterflies4 ,could you find out for me the next time you fly away up into the blue heavens80 8,perhaps ,i can10 said the ,lark1 and off he flew4 ,higher and higher he winged his way until the poor1 crawling ,caterpillar could not even hear his song1 to say nothing of seeing him4 ,after a very long time--at least it seemed so to the ,caterpillar1 who1 in her odd1 lumbering way1 kept walking around and around the butterfly eggs--the ,lark came back4 ,first1 she could hear his song away up in the heavens4 ,then it sounded nearer and nearer1 till he alighted close beside her and began to speak4 8,i found out many wonderful things10 he said4 8,but if ,i tell them to you1 you will not believe me40 8,oh1 yes ,i will10 answered the ,caterpillar hastily1 8,i believe everything ,i am told40 8,well1 then10 said the ,lark1 8the first thing ,i found out was that the butterfly eggs will turn into little green caterpillars1 just like yourself1 and that they will eat cabbage leaves just as you do40 8,wretch60 exclaimed the ,caterpillar1 bristling with indignation4 8,why do you come and mock me with such a story as that8 ,i thought you would be kind1 and would try to help me40 8,so ,i would10 answered the ,lark1 8but ,i told you1 you would not believe me10 and with that he flew away to the cornfield4 8,dear me10 said the ,caterpillar1 sorrowfully4 8,when the ,lark flies so far up into the heavens ,i should not think he would come back to us poor creatures with such a silly tale4 ,and ,i needed help so badly40 8,i would help you if you would only believe me10 said the ,lark1 flying down to the cabbage patch once more4 8,i have wonderful things to tell you1 if you would only have faith in me and trust in what ,i say40 8,and you are not making fun of me80 asked the ,caterpillar4 8,of course not10 answered the ,lark4 8,but you tell me such impossible things60 8,if you could fly with me and see the wonders that ,i see1 here on earth1 and away up in the blue sky1 you would not say that anything was impossible10 replied the ,lark4 8,but10 said the ,caterpillar1 8you tell me that these eggs will hatch out into caterpillars1 and ,i know that their mother was a butterfly1 for ,i saw her with my own eyes2 and so of course they will be butterflies4 ,how could they be anything else8 ,i am sure ,i can reason that far1 if ,i cannot fly40 8,very well10 answered the ,lark1 8then ,i must leave you1 though ,i have even more wonderful things that ,i could tell4 ,but what comes to you from the heavens1 you can only receive by faith1 as ,i do4 ,you cannot crawl around on your cabbage leaf and reason these things out40 8,oh1 ,i do believe what ,i am told10 repeated the ,caterpillar--although she had just proved that it was not true--8at least10 she added1 8everything that is reasonable to believe4 ,pray tell me what else you learned40 8,i learned10 said the ,lark1 impressively1 8that you will be a butterfly1 yourself1 some day40 8,now1 indeed1 you are making fun of me10 exclaimed the ,caterpillar1 ready to cry with vexation and disappointment4 ,but just at that moment she felt something brush against her side1 and1 turning her head1 she looked in amazement at the cabbage leaf1 for there1 just coming out of the butterfly eggs1 were eight or ten little green caterpillars--and they were no more than out of the eggs before they began eating the juicy leaf4 ,oh1 how astonished and how ashamed the ,caterpillar felt4 ,what the ,lark had said was true6 ,and then a very wonderful thought came to the poor1 green ,caterpillar4 8,if this part is true1 it must all be true1 and some day ,i shall be a butterfly40 ,she was so delighted that she began telling all her caterpillar friends about it--but they did not believe her any more than she had believed the ,lark4 8,but ,i know1 ,i know10 she kept saying to herself4 ,and she never tired of hearing the ,lark sing of the wonders of the earth below1 and of the heavens above4 ,and all the time1 the little green caterpillars on the leaf grew and thrived wonderfully1 and the big green ,caterpillar watched them and cared for them carefully every hour4 ,one day the ,caterpillar's friends gathered around her and said1 very sorrowfully1 8,it is time for you to spin your chrysalis and die40 ,but the ,caterpillar replied1 8,you mean that ,i shall soon be changed into a beautiful butterfly4 ,how wonderful it will be40 ,and her friends looked at one another sadly and said1 8,she is quite out of her mind40 ,then the ,caterpillar spun her chrysalis and went to sleep4 ,and by and by1 when she wakened1 oh1 then she knew that what the ,lark had learned in the heavens was true--for she was a beautiful butterfly1 with gold dust on her wings4 ,,footnotes #a ,adapted for telling4 ,by permission of the publishers4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,why ,tell ,stories in ,school8 ,every lover of children knows that a good story1 well told1 is a source of the purest joy2 but while this of itself is sufficient reason for story-telling in the home and in the nursery1 it is not sufficient reason for general story-telling in the school4 ,happiness is a powerful ally of successful work1 but it never should be substituted for the work itself2 it may well be made one of the means of attainment1 but never the object to be attained4 ,useful service is a far higher ideal than personal happiness1 and it should be the ideal held before the child who enters school4 ,as all educational methods have for their ultimate object that of making the child of today the good neighbor1 the true friend1 the useful citizen of tomorrow1 so we have a right to question the recent and growing demand for story-telling in our schools4 ,what is its object8 ,does this object aid in the ultimate end to be attained8 ,first of all let us consider the well-recognized fact that through story-telling a teacher may come into so close and happy a relationship with her pupils that they will respond to her suggestions and be molded by her influence to a degree not easily attainable by any other means4 ,a story may be told as a means of restoring order in a roomful of restless children1 or when some untoward occurrence has brought the tension of school discipline dangerously near to the breaking point4 ,this use of the timely1 the appropriate1 story is worthy of consideration by teachers far beyond the primary grades4 ,stories may be used as an aid to language work4 ,the diffident1 self-conscious child who cannot be induced to talk upon the ordinary topics of school work1 can be aroused into forgetfulness of self and made to respond with growing animation to questions regarding a story that has awakened his interest4 ,a 8point of contact0 may be established with even the dullest child if his interests are studied and the right story chosen for telling4 ,sometimes the story may need to be improvised to fit the occasion4 ,a story chosen1 or especially written to meet the need of some particular child1 has in more than one instance influenced his whole after life4 ,lessons of unselfishness1 of thoughtfulness1 of cleanliness1 of patriotism1 of obedience--of all the characteristics which we wish to cultivate in the children--may be impressed by means of stories4 ,this field of story-telling should begin in the home1 but it may well extend on into the school room4 ,a love of nature and of out-door life may be strengthened by stories of birds and animals1 of trees and of plant life1 thus leading naturally to essays and poems upon the same subjects for later reading4 ,the funny story has its legitimate place in the school room1 although there are teachers who would as soon think of introducing a bit of fun into a church service as into a school session4 ,but fun is a wonderful lubricant1 and there are times when a funny story will oil up the pedagogical machinery as nothing else could4 ,in the more advanced grades stories may be used to awaken an interest in history1 both local and general1 ancient and modern4 ,nothing better can be devised for making the dry bones of names and dates take on life1 than the telling of an interesting story of the time and the characters of the lesson4 ,such stories should not be told as an end in themselves1 but as a means to an end--the awakening of interest in historical subjects by giving life and reality to historical characters4 ,in the same manner an interest in the works of the best authors may be aroused by telling the story of one character in a book1 or by telling part of the story of a book and leaving it at an interesting point4 ,there are many children1 boys especially1 who leave school after passing through the seventh or eighth grade4 ,if they have not formed a taste for good literature1 their reading after leaving school is likely to be without value if it is not positively injurious4 ,one of the surest means of leading such boys to read and enjoy good books lies in the hands of the teachers of these grades4 ,let her tell stories from ,dickens1 from ,scott1 from ,cooper1 from ,stevenson2 let her tell stories from local history1 general history2 stories of discovery1 of science1 and of art4 ,let her make these things attractive1 and show her pupils where more of the same fascinating material may be found4 ,so thoroughly is the value of this class of story-telling understood that progressive librarians throughout the country are having 8story hours0 at the libraries for the purpose of reaching boys of this age and bringing them into closer touch with the treasures of the library shelves4 ,teachers in districts having any large percentage of boys of this class can accomplish far-reaching results by devoting some portion of each week1 at least1 to telling stories having this special end in view4 ,with the foregoing objects--a sympathetic understanding between teacher and pupils1 better discipline1 help for the self-conscious and the 8dull0 pupil1 character lessons1 the development of a love of nature1 an interest in history and in good literature--all attainable through story-telling1 there remains little ground for question as to the work coinciding in its results with the ultimate object of our common school education4 ,but let the teacher have a definite object in her story-telling4 ,let her use this new-old art as a means of arousing her pupils to action1 to achievement4 ,a story told in school should not be offered as a sugary1 educational confection which will destroy the taste for solid food1 but as a spicy condiment to whet the appetite for a substantial feast4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,how to ,choose ,stories for ,telling ,there are certain subtle qualities which a story must possess in order to give pleasure through its telling1 which are not necessary in the story which is to be read4 ,these qualities are of form rather than of substance4 ,they are those qualities which permit of the personality of the speaker entering into the narrative to such an extent that the story becomes a recounting of something known to her4 ,no matter how remote in point of time or place1 the story must be of a character which can be personally set forth4 ,i do not mean by this that the one who tells the story should be thrown into the foreground1 or that there should be any use of the pronoun 8,i02 but simply that the teller of the story should be able to set it forth with all the earnestness and intimacy of a personal narrative1 and the story itself must therefore possess the form which makes this possible4 ,a story of this character may be so told to a roomful of small children that it will hold them breathless with interest even at the close of a hard day's work1 and when the dismissal bell is ringing1 as the writer has inadvertently proved4 ,to some1 the story that is adapted in substance and in form for telling1 makes instant appeal4 ,its possibilities are intuitively recognized4 ,to others1 only a critical examination and analysis will show whether the story is one to which children will listen with delight4 ,of course1 after all is said and done1 the true test of the story lies in telling it4 ,what1 then1 are the essential requirements in the form of the story8 ,the story must begin in an interesting way4 ,the first sentence1 or at most the first paragraph1 should locate the story and introduce its hero4 ,to be sure the 8location0 may be that delightfully indefinite past from which so many of childhood's stories emanate--the 8,once upon a time0 of the fairy tale or of the 8little small ,rid ,hin02 or it may be 8many years ago02 or 8in ancient times10 as in the story of 8,why the ,cat and ,dog ,are ,enemies02 or simply 8once0--8,there was once a shepherd boy who called #8,wolf1'0 or 8,the ,sun and the ,wind once had a quarrel40 ,of course the time may1 on the other hand1 be very definite--8',twas the night before ,christmas0--but in either case the story starts out positively1 the place or time is assigned1 the subject of the story is introduced4 ,then you will see the children1 their expectation aroused1 settle themselves for the delightful developments which are to be unfolded1 for the denouement which is sure to follow1 and their eager faces are all the incentive needed to arouse the story-teller to her best endeavor4 ,the story1 properly introduced1 should move forward clearly1 somewhat concisely1 toward a well-defined end or climax4 ,the form should be mainly narrative or conversational1 with vivid touches of description never prolonged4 ,there should be life1 action1 dramatic action1 but very little of explanation4 ,the incidents of the story should be so arranged as to be self-explanatory in their sequence4 ,for small children1 repetition has a special charm--repetition such as is to be found in 8,the ,three ,bears10 or 8,the ,cock and the ,mouse40 ,for older children there may be introduced a little more of the descriptive form1 but it is well to beware of adding much of either description or explanation4 ,even 8grown-ups0 enjoy the straightforward narrative that delights the child1 and the introduction of detail soon grows irksome and uninteresting1 even to the most conscientious listener4 ,and no child is a 8conscientious listener40 ,he listens for love of the story4 ,if it does not interest him he stops listening and does something else4 ,the story must reach a climax and stop there4 ,many a good story has been spoiled by its ending4 ,story-tellers sometimes remind one of a man holding the handles of an electric battery4 ,the current is so strong that he cannot let go4 ,the story-teller must know when and how to 8let go40 ,let us suppose that1 in telling ,hans ,christian ,anderson's story of 8,the ,nightingale10 the story-teller--after the delightful denouement of the supposedly dead ,emperor's greeting to his attendants1 where he 8to their astonishment said #8,good morning6'0--were to add an explanation of the effect of the nightingale's song in restoring the ,emperor to health6 ,it would be like offering a glass of 8plain soda0 from which all the effervescence had departed4 ,bring the story to its self-wrought denouement and--let go4 ,do not apologize for the ending1 do not explain it1 do not tack on a moral--just 8let go10 and you will leave all the tingle and exhilaration of the magnetic current still in the veins of your listeners4 ,so much for the structural form of the story4 ,next let us consider its ,point of ,contact ,has the story something which is in common with the life and experience of the listeners8 ,has it a familiar groundwork8 ,does it deal with familiar objects or actions8 ,in other words1 is it 8understandable0 from the child's point of view8 ,not that all the characters nor all the adjustments of the story need to be those which the child already knows by experience1 but there must be some common ground from which a start may be made4 ,then the story may lead on into wonderful regions of fancy or into remote times and places which only the imagination can trace4 ,for instance1 of what value or interest would the story of 8,toads and ,diamonds0 be to a child who never had seen a toad and who had no knowledge of what a diamond was like8 ,and does not the boy's understanding of 8,how ,thor ,went ,fishing0 lie in the fact that he has fished8 ,little children love to be told stories of the life which they know by daily contact2 stories of the home and of the home industries1 of school1 of children1 of pets and animals4 ,they live in 8a daily fellowship with nature and all creatures40 ,fairy tales and stories of animals are doubly delightful when the fairies and the animals do the things which children do4 ,this does not imply that the story be commonplace1 for the normal activities of children are far removed from the commonplace1 and the story1 having its point of contact established1 should1 through its imaginative or its moral influence1 carry the child into quite unexplored regions of beauty and truth4 ,this leads us to another determining factor--the determining factor--in choosing a story4 ,is ,it ,worth ,telling8 ,the structural form of a story may be changed2 with more difficulty a point of contact may be established by a bit of suggestive explanation1 but if the story content is not good1 no amount of 8doctoring0 will make it worth the telling4 ,suppose we apply these tests3 ,is the effect of the story helpful8 ,does it strengthen the imagination8 ,does it teach a right principle of action8 ,does it inspire a love for the beautiful and the true8 ,does it inspire reverence for the ,creator and appreciation of the works of ,his hand8 ,does it exemplify sane and happy living8 ,does it teach neighborly kindness8 ,will its telling make a child better and happier8 ,if the story calls for an affirmative answer to any of these questions1 if1 in other words1 its teaching is simple1 pure1 and true1 then it is by all means worthy of telling4 ,it is not necessary that the story should make no mention of selfishness1 of craftiness1 of evil temper1 or of disobedience to laws moral or physical2 but no story in which evil is rewarded or in which the wrongdoer triumphs should ever be told to children1 for in its essence such a story is not true1 its teaching is not true2 it is not in accord with ,god's eternal laws4 ,children assimilate long before they analyze4 ,at first glance it may seem easy to decide as to the moral influence of a story1 but there are differences of opinion even here1 and some writers condemn unsparingly that old acquaintance of our childhood1 ,jack1 of ,bean-stalk fame1 and set him down as an arrant thief and murderer whose crimes brought him riches and comfort in his old age4 ,and the tale of ,cinderella1 while it can be said to cast no stain upon the character of its heroine1 is condemned as leaving an impression1 upon the impressionable mind of childhood1 that all step-mothers are hard and cruel and unjust4 ,as the ,mother ,goose stories are dealt with at greater length in a later chapter1 ,i will make no comment now upon these criticisms4 ,but they are worthy of due consideration1 and go to show that it is not always as easy as it may at first appear1 to judge the exact influence of a story1 and some of our old acquaintances which have been accepted simply because they are old acquaintances1 may really need to be given the 8cut direct40 ,this much is safe to say3 ,if you have any doubts about the influence of a story being wholly good1 leave it untold4 ,there are so many good stories1 so many whose teaching is wholly and positively helpful1 that there is no need of hesitating over one which presents a doubt4 ,there is one more qualification which should be required of the story told to children4 ,it should be written in ,good ,literary ,form ,since one of the objects of story-telling is to cultivate a taste for good literature1 the story chosen should not only be tellable in its form and true in its essence1 but it should be artistic in its workmanship4 ,it should be written in pure1 simple ,english1 fitted to the thought expressed4 ,but1 it may be objected1 few story-tellers ever give a story in the exact language in which it is written4 ,this is true1 for if the story is learned word for word1 the narrator is very apt to give a recitation1 rather than to tell a story4 ,at the same time the true story-teller will learn her story so thoroughly1 will become so at home in every essential detail1 that the spirit and style of the writer will be assimilated and so bound up with the story itself that the literary qualities will be retained and their essence imparted to the orally reproduced story4 ,so1 only1 can appreciation and love for the beauty of literary forms be imparted to the children by means of the verbal story4 ,herein lies the art of the story-teller4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,the ,telling of the ,story ,having chosen the right story for telling1 the next consideration is how to tell it in the best manner possible4 ,aside from all question of voice1 enunciation1 ease of manner--which1 though important1 are more or less matters of personal habit or physical endowment--there are two absolute essentials to successful story-telling3 a thorough knowledge of the story1 and forgetfulness of self4 ,the best story may be spoiled by the manner of telling4 ,a good story told by a master of the art will be a source of delight1 while the same story told by a self-conscious1 poorly prepared novice will be annoyingly tiresome4 ,the first step in the preparation1 then1 must be a thorough assimilation of the story4 ,this does not involve memorizing1 but the substance of the story must be made your own4 ,formulate in your own mind its plan or outline4 ,what is its climax8 ,what are the essential facts leading to this climax8 ,how do they follow1 in order to bring about the final surprise or culmination8 ,having this outline well fixed in mind1 begin to fill in details4 ,note the bits of wit or of wisdom which strengthen the story2 the apt phrases or happy turns of expression which exactly fit the thought4 ,memorize these1 and these only4 ,think the story over1 again and again1 until it becomes a personal possession--something which you know4 ,then begin formulating it4 ,you can do this mentally1 inaudibly at first1 following the general mode of expression of the written story1 so that you will tell it in a manner which conforms to the literary style of the author4 ,this is not difficult1 for if you have selected a well-written story1 the style in which it is written will be in keeping with its character and will seem the natural mode of expression4 ,this assimilation of style as well as of substance takes the place of literal memorizing4 ,it allows full liberty in the telling1 while memorizing only cramps and hampers4 ,repeat the story mentally until you not only know its substance as a personal experience1 but until you are so familiar with its literary style that you could scarcely tell that particular story in any other form4 ,this assimilation of style as well as of substance takes time1 but the ability to learn a story readily will come with practice4 ,after you have mastered the method of learning1 you will be able to acquire new stories with little difficulty4 ,you are now ready to tell the story orally2 not at once to an audience--at least not until you have gained sufficient experience to know to just what extent you can depend upon yourself--but to an imaginary assembly4 ,a doll makes a very good 8practice auditor10 and is not inclined to encourage you overmuch by her responsiveness4 ,if your imagination is good1 a sofa pillow or a chair will do as well4 ,you will probably make your first audible effort at an opportune moment when you are left quite alone in the house1 and the first opening door will bring the rehearsal to a definite close4 ,but in time1 if you persevere1 the family will become used to it4 ,as for yourself1 however1 you will probably find that an amused audience of one1 even though unseen1 is more conducive to self-consciousness than an interested audience of one hundred4 ,a teacher presenting a story to her own class of pupils will not1 of course1 have so many difficulties to overcome4 ,she and the children are on a familiar footing2 she talks to them every day2 she knows the number and responsiveness of her audience1 the size of the room1 the carrying power of her own voice4 ,she is scarcely conscious that these factors enter into the success of story-telling4 ,but when a story-teller addresses an unknown audience1 these factors assume unexpected importance4 ,i have in mind an early experience when a story hour was arranged at one of the branch libraries of a large city4 ,i knew that the 8fifty-seven varieties0 of childhood were accustomed to assemble there and that the room was not large1 but ,i was not prepared to find two hundred children compressed within little more than two hundred square feet of space4 ,my natural voice proved wholly inadequate4 ,i began1 but saw at once that the children at the farther end of the room could not hear1 and ,i stopped4 ,taking a more central position1 ,i found an entirely new voice--one so much higher pitched that ,i am sure ,i should never have recognized it as my own1 elsewhere--and ,i told the stories4 ,the new voice carried1 and under the conditions sounded wholly normal4 ,the children grew quiet1 and for nearly an hour we traveled together through fairy-land1 across western prairies1 along the streets of ,hamelin town1 into the ,empire of ,japan1 and among the ,korean folk4 ,how we did enjoy it6 ,the incident taught me two things at least3 one1 the value of having an intimate knowledge of the stories to be told1 so that no unexpectedness of conditions could cause them to take flight2 the other1 the necessity of being able to adapt oneself to unexpected conditions4 ,the need of adapting the story1 or the mode of telling1 to the requirements of the immediate occasion1 can only be learned by watching your audience4 ,be sure your voice reaches the farthest child in the room4 ,you need not use a loud tone1 but a little difference in the pitch will make a great difference in the carrying quality4 ,if the children must exert themselves1 hold themselves tense1 in order to hear1 they will soon relax the effort and become restless and indifferent4 ,if a child becomes inattentive1 address your story to him for a time1 and turn to him frequently afterward4 ,each child loves to feel that the story is being told to him4 ,for this reason1 the story and the children are the only things to be taken account of4 ,the story should be told directly to the individual children1 not to the mass of children4 ,at a recent story hour the children were grouped upon the left hand side of the large audience room1 and the older people1 of whom there were a goodly number1 upon the right hand side4 ,a small cousin of the story-teller--aged three--who had heard the stories until he could tell them himself1 sat upon his grandfather's lap on the 8grown-up0 side of the room4 ,the story-teller devoted her attention to the children's side of the room exclusively4 ,she began with the story of 8,raggylug10 by ,ernest ,thompson-,seton4 ,the moment the story was finished1 a small voice from the neglected side of the room demanded1 8,now tell it to me60 ,the incident is used to show that each child wants to feel that the story is being told to him1 and emphasizes the need of telling stories with a personal directness of appeal4 ,i have said that the story and the children should be the only things of which the story-teller takes note4 ,a consciousness of one's own self as the actor upon the boards1 spoils all4 ,this self-consciousness may be betrayed by a nervous twirling of a handkerchief1 a twisting of rings or bracelet1 by an arranging of the hair or the dress4 ,it may be but a slight action in itself1 but it betrays the fault which will be felt1 though probably not defined4 ,forget yourself4 ,become so interested in your story that you can think of nothing else--except the children who are drinking it in4 ,you may safely use as much dramatic action as springs spontaneously from a vivid telling of the story1 but it must never be a conscious effort for dramatic effect4 ,give yourself perfect liberty4 ,as you watch your audience1 interpolate1 enlarge1 omit1 explain briefly1 as you see the need arise--but you can only do this if you know your story4 ,the changes made should all be kept in harmony with the style of the original narrative1 and used only in order to stimulate or to arouse your hearers to a quicker perception or a better understanding4 ,take time to bring out the essence of the tale1 to impress the beauty of the description1 to enhance the humor of a situation4 ,a story should never be hurriedly told1 any more than it should be hurriedly prepared4 ,it is quite possible for the same story to be so told as to teach exactly opposite lessons1 and yet without any alteration of the essential facts4 ,this point is well illustrated by the story of 8,robin ,hood and ,sir ,richard-at-the-,lea10 taken as an example4 ,in this story it would be easy to call undue attention to ,robin ,hood as the 8robber outlaw40 ,on the other hand1 it is equally easy1 by a few wise omissions1 or a difference in handling1 to make prominent the characteristics which caused him to be loved by all his 8merrie men10 trusted by the poor and helpless1 and worshipped as a hero by the boys of all succeeding generations4 ,this difference in handling applies to nearly all of the ,robin ,hood stories1 and to many of the old nursery tales as well4 ,they illustrate the point which ,i have made1 that the same story may be so written1 or so told1 as to leave entirely different impressions upon the mind4 ,the story-teller may not as a rule require special training in the use of the speaking voice1 but it is essential that she enunciate easily1 clearly1 and agreeably4 ,a well modulated voice tires neither speaker nor hearer4 ,to summarize-- ,know your story2 know it so thoroughly that it is flexible under your handling1 yielding easily to the varying conditions under which it is told while retaining all its essential qualities of style and of substance3 ,see that your voice carries3 ,forget yourself3 ,do not hurry3 ,bring out the true essence of the tale3 ,tell it with directness of appeal to your immediate audience3 ,carry it to its climax3 8,let go40 ,,chapter ,v ,use of the ,story in ,primary ,grades ,in the primary grades of the schools1 stories may be told as a relaxation1 as an incentive to learning to read1 and as a means of enlarging the vocabulary of the little people and thereby giving them greater freedom of self-expression4 ,in the more advanced grades the story is used to awaken interest in new subjects1 to fix the essentials of a lesson1 and to cultivate a taste for the best in literature4 ,but in all the grades1 as well as in the home1 it may be made the means of carrying home a lesson or of clinching a truth4 ,the use of the story in the primary grades coincides in some degree with its use in the home1 but it goes much further4 ,the old method of primary teaching whereby a child was made by laborious exercises to learn to read in order that he might be able in later years to enjoy the treasures of literature1 has undergone a radical and healthful change4 ,under the former method1 the child1 through the barrenness of his labor1 was often discouraged in his attempt to master reading1 and he had but a dim idea at best of the benefit which was to accrue to him from learning4 ,under present methods1 the child1 before he is given any of the laborious drill work--which is as essential as ever to his learning to read for himself--is told stories1 is led into the beautiful realms of literature1 and is made to realize what is in store for him when he has mastered the technical difficulties of reading4 ,after that1 the drills and the oral stories are carried on together1 and the stories form a tempting incentive to hard work upon the drills4 ,children are willing to work1 and to work hard1 if they see a desirable object to be attained4 ,the primary teacher who makes judicious use of stories in her class room lays hold upon one of the most efficient aids to successful work4 ,but when a story has been told to the children1 it has but half served its purpose4 ,if it was worth telling1 it is worth remembering2 and there is no means by which the story may be so thoroughly impressed upon the child's mind as by his telling it himself4 ,the first advantage gained lies in the fact that if the child knows that he is likely to be called upon to re-tell the story1 he will listen more intently1 more acutely4 ,this in itself helps him1 because he learns to be attentive1 and to concentrate his thoughts4 ,when he tries to re-tell the story1 if he has not grasped the essentials or cannot follow the sequence1 then he will have to listen again--more carefully1 this time--and he will have shown wherein he needs help4 ,with very young children1 it is a good plan to talk the story over1 after it has been told1 bringing out the essential facts1 and so forming a framework or outline upon which the child can more readily rebuild the story4 ,the opportunity which the reproduction of a story affords of helping the child to express himself in clear1 correct ,english1 and to enlarge his vocabulary1 is of exceptional value4 ,at the same time his absorption in the story itself overcomes his timidity or self-consciousness to a wonderful degree1 and often arouses a child from a dull lethargy of indifference4 ,again1 no reading lesson will admit of the freedom of expression in face1 tone1 and general attitude which the telling of a story permits4 ,why8 ,because the child enjoys it4 ,it is a natural thing to him1 while reading1 in the early grades1 is unnatural4 ,teachers should be careful not to let the children who are eager to re-tell the story1 monopolize the time4 ,it is those who are shy and backward who need the exercise most4 ,the eager ones may lead the way1 but the shy ones should be encouraged to follow4 ,dramatization goes a step farther than reproduction4 ,the dramatizing or playing of a story makes it take on life and reality for the child4 ,when he hears a story read or told he forms a mental picture which is more or less hazy and easily dispelled4 ,when he has for himself played the story1 assumed one of the characters1 and acted its part1 then the thought of the story becomes crystallized4 ,he grasps its meaning1 sees its beauty1 understands its truth1 and remembers it4 ,this intensifying of his mental pictures results in more expressive reading as well as in better language work and in greater power of self-expression4 ,another distinct advantage gained through dramatizing is the bringing of the life of literature into direct contact with the child's life1 and so causing all literature to become more real and vital4 ,the play--for so it seems to the child--forms a connecting link between the home or play-life to which he has been accustomed1 and the new and strange life of the school4 ,it helps to banish diffidence1 and to establish a familiar atmosphere and a spirit of fellowship with the teacher and the other pupils4 ,it is also a source of pure joy to the child1 and 8the education that brings joy along with careful and exact training is better than the kind that omits the joy40 ,would that every teacher might remember this6 ,it need hardly be said that while dramatizing in the schoolroom may be helpful and vitalizing when under the control of a teacher who recognizes its educational value1 it may1 on the other hand1 become inane and even silly if used simply as an amusement or as a time-filler4 ,while much of the value of dramatizing must depend upon the insight and oversight of the teacher1 much also depends upon the selection of material4 8,not what may be dramatized1 but what should be40 ,if a teacher has clearly before her the thought of why we dramatize1 then the question of what to dramatize will be more readily determined4 ,stories of nature1 in which the children represent birds1 bees1 flowers1 the wind1 the seasons1 are all useful for the purpose4 ,such stories quicken the imagination and bring the child into closer relationship with out-door life4 ,an especially good example of a story to dramatize is the 8,lesson of ,faith10 in the first chapter of this book4 ,teachers will find this story especially appropriate to their ,easter exercises4 ,after the story has been told often enough for the children to become familiar with its thought and outline1 let some little girl represent the ,caterpillar1 and another the ,butterfly4 ,have a boy represent the ,lark1 and eight or ten other children the butterfly eggs4 ,begin the dramatizing by having this last group of children curl themselves down quietly together1 while the little girl who represents the ,caterpillar moves slowly about near them4 ,then let the ,butterfly1 slowly moving her wings1 settle beside the ,caterpillar and address her1 telling her of the little eggs1 and asking her to care for them4 ,then have the ,butterfly droop her wings and become quiet1 as though dead4 ,it is best1 then1 to allow this child to resume her seat while the others carry on the little play4 ,next have the ,caterpillar indulge in her soliloquy1 and presently the ,lark should come flying to her side4 ,then follows the dialogue between the two1 the ,lark flying away and returning as described in the story4 ,as the ,caterpillar declares that the ,lark is making fun of her when he tells her that she will one day be a butterfly herself1 have the little butterfly eggs--now caterpillars--begin to move about1 one brushing against her1 and let them begin to nibble as though eating4 ,after the ,caterpillar has shown her great surprise1 have her show her great joy at learning that the ,lark's message is true4 ,then she should go to one or two of the children in the seats1 who represent the ,caterpillar's friends1 and tell them the great good news which she has learned4 ,they are to show their unbelief of what she has said4 ,next have these friends come to her and tell her that it is time for her to form her chrysalis and die4 ,then the ,caterpillar becomes very still1 the little green caterpillars1 meanwhile1 eating and moving about very quietly4 ,as the final act of the little drama1 have the ,butterfly emerge from her chrysalis1 spread her wings1 and fly away4 ,this story answers perfectly to the requirements of dramatization1 and it is clearly not one which may be dramatized1 but one which should be4 ,the children who take part1 and those who look on at the little play1 will have their mental conception of the story1 which was first given in words only1 intensified2 made real and lasting4 ,when children imitate1 say1 the robin or the crow1 see that their motions accord with those of the bird represented--have them hop like the robin1 or walk like the crow4 ,the eagle and the swallow fly poised on outstretched wing1 while the humming bird's wings move rapidly4 ,all these differences1 if noted1 teach the children to observe4 ,if a child makes a mistake1 such as hopping when representing the crow1 do not tell him what his mistake is1 but have him find out before the next day how the crow moves when on the ground4 ,this is of especial value if he can have an opportunity of watching a crow for himself1 since it teaches him to observe closely2 to use his own eyes4 ,fairy and folk tales afford excellent material for dramatizing1 as do some of the familiar mythological stories4 ,they quicken the child's imagination by helping him to understand the personification of the forces of nature1 and this understanding is greatly helped if he not only hears and reads the stories1 but plays them as well4 ,the story of ,midas is well adapted for dramatizing4 ,choose a boy to represent the avaricious king1 and another boy for ,bacchus1 who bestows upon him the golden touch4 ,other children1 either boys or girls1 may be selected to typify the apple tree and the rose bush--moving their leaves in the breeze till stiffened by ,midas' touch4 ,a little girl must1 of course1 personify ,midas' little daughter4 ,after all these have been turned to gold1 ,midas visits ,bacchus and implores his aid in getting rid of the fatal power which has been given to him4 ,then he returns with joy and restores the apple tree1 the rose1 and1 best of all1 his own little daughter1 to life4 ,the details of the story will have to be worked out according to the version chosen1 but the story is too well known and too readily found1 to make it worth while to give it in detail here4 ,the reproduction of a story also through constructive mediums--clay modeling1 painting1 or paper cutting--helps the child to a physical application of the knowledge which he has gained1 and so strengthens the impression which has been made4 ,a little further on1 when lessons in nature study1 geography1 and history are about to be introduced1 the child can be led into them almost unconsciously1 through talks and stories of nature1 of travel1 of foreign countries1 and of biography and history4 ,under this method of teaching1 children are made to realize that history is a narrative of real events1 directed by people who did great things1 great enough for the whole country or the whole world to be interested in1 and the men of history become heroes of flesh and blood2 geography steps out from between the covers of a book and becomes a multiplied home1 the home of many people and of many races1 each home possessing characteristics which interest and appeal to the child2 nature study becomes an introduction to new friends clothed in feathers and fur4 ,when stories are reproduced in the school room the work should not be undertaken as a formal language drill4 ,the story should be left to make its appeal to the childish imagination and should then be expressed in his own words4 ,let the exact drill upon words be done with sentences which are designed for that purpose1 but let the reproduction of any story which is worthy of a place in literature be a spontaneous expression upon the part of the child1 so that the life and beauty of the story may be preserved to him4 ,a story loses its grace and its ethical value when hammered into a rigid form of words4 ,word drill is right and proper in its place1 but the reproduction of a worth-while story demands that the thought be kept living and active1 and the form of expression free4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,jingles1 ,fables1 and ,folk-,lore ,the first stories told to a child are almost invariably the ,mother ,goose rhymes and jingles1 beginning perhaps with3 ,pat-a-cake1 pat-a-cake1 baker's man6 ,so ,i will1 master1 as fast as ,i can3 ,pat it1 and prick it1 and mark it with ,t1 ,and toss in the oven for ,tommy and me4 ,or this1 from the ,chinese ,mother ,goose 7,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company73 ,pat1 pat1 ,a swallow's nest we'll make1 ,and if we pat some money out ,we'll buy ourselves a cake4 ,these are usually accompanied by appropriate finger plays4 ,can we give a tangible reason for this choice8 ,why do all mothers turn to them with unwavering fidelity8 ,why do all children love them8 ,there can be but one answer4 ,before a child is able to follow the thread of the simplest story1 he can enjoy the musical cadence of these rhymes4 ,there is rhythm in their measure1 an allurement of sound in their words and phrases which pleases his ear and satisfies his senses long before their words carry any intelligent thought to his mind4 ,why are 8memory gems0 taught in the primary grades of the schools8 ,the children understand but little of their true beauty of thought1 but the cadence of the lines fixes them in the memory1 and the deeper meaning comes with later years4 ,it is because this is so1 because the children love musical cadence before they understand words1 that mothers can follow or mingle the ,mother ,goose melodies with more modern verses such as those of ,field or ,stevenson4 ,the little child will love such lines as these1 by ,henry van ,dyke3 ,i guess the pussy-willows now ,are creeping out on every bough ,along the brook2 and robins look ,for early worms behind the plough4 ,or the introduction to 8,the ,fountain10 in ,james ,russell ,lowell's ,poems 7,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company73 ,into the sunshine1 ,full of the light1 ,leaping and flashing ,from morn till night4 ,into the moonlight1 ,whiter than snow1 ,waving so flower-like ,when the winds blow4 ,into the star-light ,rushing in spray1 ,happy at midnight1 ,happy by day4 ,the true poetry of these lines will not appeal to him in the beginning1 but the cadence of the lines will1 and they will become fixed in his mind4 ,the beauty of the poems will be his in later years4 ,as soon as a child is old enough to follow the thread of a simple story1 fables and folk-lore will lead him into the realm of the world's earliest literature4 ,these are the stories which delighted the race in its childhood1 and they have delighted childhood in all succeeding generations4 ,these old fables are so familiar that they are incorporated into our everyday conversation4 ,how often do we refer to 8,the ,hare and the ,tortoise10 to the 8,dog in the ,manger10 or to 8,the ,goose ,that ,laid the ,golden ,egg80 ,how frequently do we illustrate a point by a reference to 8,sour ,grapes10 or to 8,a ,wolf in ,sheep's ,clothing80 ,yet probably not one in twenty knows that all these familiar illustrations find their origin in the fables of ,aesop or ,la ,fontaine4 ,these old classic fables are a part of the literature 8which the world has chosen to remember40 ,they have become a part of the literary coin of the realm4 ,in his introduction to ,aesop's ,fables1 ,joseph ,jacobs says3 8,in their grotesque grace1 in their quaint humor1 in their trust in the simpler virtues1 in their insight into the cruder vices1 in their innocence of the fact of sex1 ,aesop's ,fables are as little children40 ,as an example3 ,it happened that a fisher1 after fishing all day1 caught only a little fish4 8,pray1 let me go1 master10 said the fish4 8,i am much too small for your eating just now4 ,if you put me back into the river ,i shall soon grow1 then you can make a fine meal off me40 8,nay1 nay1 my little fish10 said the fisher1 8,i have you now4 ,i may not catch you hereafter40 ,it has been well said that the fables are the child's best introduction to the study of human nature4 ,they are 8an interpretation of life40 ,that animals are made to talk1 and to exhibit human traits1 only adds to the charm of the story without lessening its ethical value4 ,the child applies to all nature his own standard of ethics4 ,the child's ability to understand is far in advance of his ability to read1 and the old folk-tales which have been handed down orally from generation to generation1 and later gathered into volumes for the children of all nations to enjoy together1 are a veritable mine of delight to both story-teller and listener4 ,folk tales and fairy tales are so interwoven that it is difficult to separate them4 ,that some of both are open to criticism is conceded1 but with such abundance of supply there is no need of telling a story which presents even a doubt as to its value4 ,in her introduction to 8,the ,story ,hour10 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin says3 8,some universal spiritual truth underlies the really fine old fairy tale2 but there can be no educational influence in the so-called fairy stories1 which are merely jumbles of impossible incidents1 and which not infrequently present dishonesty1 deceit1 and cruelty in attractive or amusing guise40 ,here we have the true test which anyone may apply3 an underlying 8universal spiritual truth40 ,does our story contain such8 ,two very familiar nursery tales which owe their origin to the folk-lore of old--namely1 8,jack1 the ,giant ,killer10 and 8,cinderella0--have recently been brought into question upon the ground of their moral teaching4 ,the critics in question look upon ,jack as a thief and a murderer1 who 8lived happily ever after0 upon his ill-gotten gains4 ,for my own part1 ,i find less to condemn in ,jack's treatment of the ,giant1 than in making a hero of a boy who was lazy and disobedient4 ,the ,giant had robbed and killed ,jack's father1 and he was wicked and cruel to all1 and ,jack could scarcely be blamed for trying to regain his father's stolen wealth1 or for cutting down the bean-stalk when the ,giant was descending for the purpose of killing him and1 in all probability1 his mother4 ,but the false note in the story1 to my mind1 lies in selecting a boy who was avowedly lazy1 idle1 disobedient1 and neglectful of his mother1 for the hero of a tale of such marvelous deeds4 ,the tale of ,jack1 the ,giant ,killer1 however1 has many versions1 and there is no need whatever1 when telling the story1 of giving to ,jack any of these undesirable traits4 ,rather1 picture him as a boy capable of performing heroic deeds4 ,the change is easily made4 ,on the other hand1 ,i would champion the story of 8,cinderella40 ,the recent criticism brought against this story is that it leads boys and girls to believe that all step-mothers are cruel4 ,i do not think so4 ,the stories of 8,the ,babes in the ,woods10 and of 8,the ,princes in the ,tower10 do not teach that all uncles are cruel4 ,of course the fact that ,cinderella's step-mother was a step-mother might be so emphasized in the telling as to give this impression1 but it is not emphasized in the story--not1 at least1 in most of the versions which ,i have read4 ,selfishness and pride are set forth in the half-sisters in all their unattractiveness2 while ,cinderella's final triumph serves as a means of showing her gentle and forgiving nature4 ,these are the points to be brought out in the story-telling1 and it would seem to me to be an unjustifiable robbery to take the story of ,cinderella from the child's early store of fairy tales4 ,what a thrill of exquisite delight is felt by the child when the magic of the god-mother's wand turns ,cinderella's rags into the robe of a princess and she is whirled away in her golden chariot to meet the prince4 ,it is a story of goodness rewarded and of evil punished1 but all in such a magical and wonderful way6 ,i can feel the early thrill of it yet--and so can you4 ,there are different versions of both these stories1 and it is not a difficult matter to tell either one in such a way as to do away with all objectionable features4 ,as was shown in a previous chapter1 much of the impression which a story leaves is due to the manner of its telling4 ,the story of ,cinderella certainly contains the 8underlying universal1 spiritual truth10 and so answers to the test of a truly 8fine old fairy tale40 ,american story tellers should not go far afield for their tales of folk lore1 and overlook the two distinctive sources afforded by our own country4 ,the stories of the ,north ,american ,indian1 told by camp fire or in tepee1 are full of poetic imagery1 of symbolic truth1 and of heroic valor4 ,they form the original legendary lore of our land1 and they should be told to the children1 preparing them for a later reading of the poets and authors who have shown us the picturesque as well as the tragic side of the history of the ,red ,man4 ,the other ,american source of folk lore tales is found in the south1 and is typified at its best in 8,uncle ,remus10 though not confined to him4 ,as has been said1 the dialect story is difficult for a child to read1 and ,uncle ,remus is undoubtedly most thoroughly appreciated by children of a larger growth4 ,but no child can resist the drollery or the rollicking fun of the true darkey story when it is told to him4 ,the following story of 8,ithenthiela0 which closes this chapter is a good example of the folk lore tales of the ,indian4 ,only a portion of the original story is here given1 but it is to be found1 with other good stories for telling1 in ,tales of the ,red ,children1 by ,abbie ,f4 ,brown1 and ,james ,m4 ,bell 7,d4 ,appleton and ,company74 8,the ,story of ,ithenthiela0#b ,many years ago there was a brave ,indian boy named ,ithenthiela1 the ,caribou-,footed1 who lived far away in the great northwest4 ,one day1 as ,ithenthiela went through the woods1 he saw a squirrel in the branches of a tall red spruce tree1 and1 raising his bow1 he shot an arrow at it4 ,down fell the squirrel1 but the arrow lodged in the branches4 ,then ,ithenthiela started to climb after the arrow1 but he had not climbed far when he heard a great pack of wolves howling at the foot of the tree4 ,so he climbed higher1 and as he mounted1 the arrow went up1 too4 ,up1 up1 it went1 until at last it came to the sky itself4 ,the arrow passed through the thin blue1 and ,ithenthiela wriggled after it4 ,great was ,ithenthiela's surprise when he entered the ,sky ,country2 it was so different from what he had expected4 ,he had imagined a glorious country where the sun always shone1 and where huge herds of musk-oxen1 caribou1 and moose roamed at large4 ,he had expected to find many of his own people camped in wigwams here and there1 preparing to fight with other tribes4 ,but instead1 the air was damp1 dreary1 and cold2 no trees or flowers grew2 no herds of animals ran on the silent plains2 the smoke of no wigwam greeted his anxious eyes2 no war-whoop or hunting cry was heard4 ,but far in the distance against the sky shimmered a great white mass1 like a pile of snow when the sun shines upon it in the early summer4 ,toward this great white wonder ran a winding path from the very spot where ,ithenthiela stood4 8,i will follow it10 thought he1 8and see what ,i find in that shining wigwam over there40 ,as he passed along he met an old woman who said to him3 8,who are you1 and where are you going80 8,i have come from far10 said ,ithenthiela4 8,i am the ,caribou-,footed4 ,can you tell me who lives over there in that big white wigwam80 8,ah10 said ,capoteka--for that was the old woman's name--8,i know you1 ,ithenthiela6 ,long have ,i known that sometime you would come here4 ,but you have done wrong2 this is no country for man4 ,in that great wigwam over there lives ,itakempka2 and he is unhappy because he has lost his great medicine belt4 ,until he gets it again1 no one will be happy in the ,sky ,country4 ,the belt is at the tepee of the two blind women who live far beyond the wigwam which shines so white1 and no one has been able to get it from them4 ,but whoever captures it1 and takes it from the blind women1 will have the daughter of ,itakempka1 the beautiful ,etanda1 for his wife40 ,at these words off started ,ithenthiela1 and1 traveling hard1 he soon came to a tepee which stood alone2 the home of the two old blind women4 ,dull and gloomy was the covering of the wigwam2 but from the tiny hole in the smoke-begrimed moose skins came a strange1 bright light at which ,ithenthiela marveled4 ,but when he entered he saw what it was that gave the mysterious light4 ,it came from the great medicine belt which hung upon the wall1 and surrounding the belt were the skulls of many men4 ,the belt was studded with gems4 ,from great rubies sparkled the rays of crimson2 from huge amethysts shone streams of purple2 from mighty sapphires came the deepest blue1 and gorgeous emeralds shot rays of green2 while great cairngorms scintillated with yellow glow4 ,the lights changed from blood-red to purple1 from purple to blue1 from blue to green1 from green to yellow1 and ever and anon faded altogether1 to be succeeded by the mixed rainbow of color from fair opals or by the pure white light of great diamonds4 ,this was the magic belt of ,itakempka4 ,the blind women bade ,ithenthiela welcome and said to him3 8,tell us1 ,ithenthiela1 when you are about to leave1 so that we may bid you good-by40 ,now1 ,ithenthiela had noticed that each of the old women had behind her back a knife of copper1 long and sharp and gleaming2 and that one sat on either side of the door1 waiting4 8,ah60 thought he1 8when ,i leave they mean to kill me4 ,but1 ,i shall fool them40 ,in one part of the wigwam lay a muskamoot1 or bag1 of bones and feathers4 ,to this he tied a string1 which he pulled over the pole above the door4 ,then1 said he3 8,i am going now1 ,blind ,women4 ,remember that ,i am old and fat1 and when ,i leave ,i make much noise40 ,with this he pulled the string1 whereat the bag of bones and feathers trundled toward the door4 ,immediately the two old hags stabbed2 but striking only feathers1 the long knife of each passed through the bag into the body of the other1 and both were killed4 ,then ,ithenthiela took the precious belt and hastened with all speed toward the wigwam of ,itakempka4 ,as he neared the great ,chief's home he heard no sound of man or beast4 ,entering1 he saw that all the camp was sleeping4 ,around the long-cold fire lay the warriors and maidens1 the old men and women1 and in their midst the tall ,chief1 decked with faded plumes4 ,then for the first time1 ,ithenthiela drew from beneath his leathern shirt the belt of medicine4 ,around the wigwam flashed the rays of red1 purple1 green1 and gold4 ,instantly the warriors and maidens1 the old men and women1 awoke4 ,up rose the ,chief1 fine and stately among them1 as the color came back to his gorgeous head-dress1 and as the fire on the hearth sparkled into life4 ,then said ,ithenthiela3 8,great ,chief1 be you happy now4 ,i have brought you back your healing belt1 the band of life1 of hope1 of war1 and of peace4 ,henceforth it shall abide here in its true place with you40 ,then said ,itakempka3 8,greatly ,i rejoice1 ,o ,ithenthiela6 ,you have saved my people4 ,now shall the sun shine again4 ,now shall musk-oxen1 caribou1 moose1 and bears live once more in our country4 ,again shall we see the smoke of many wigwams4 ,once more shall we hear the voice of many hunters1 and ever and anon the war-whoop of the warriors4 ,you have wakened us from our long winter sleep4 ,take you now my daughter1 the fair ,etanda1 for your wife4 ,but leave me not4 ,you shall stay with me1 and be a great chief after me40 ,so ,ithenthiela remained in the shining white home of ,itakempka4 ,and still the ,red ,children in the distant northern lands tell of ,ithenthiela when the northern lights flit across the sky4 8,ah60 they cry1 with their faces bowed before that splendid light1 which is to them the most mysterious thing of nature4 8,see the fingers of ,ithenthiela are beckoning us to the home which he found for us beyond the sky40 ,,footnotes #b ,adapted for telling4 ,by permission of the publishers4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,myth and ,hero ,tale ,the world is a wonder-palace to the child4 8,everything hints at something more magical and more marvelous which is to come40 ,the inanimate objects about him are given living attributes2 animals and flowers are endowed by his fancy with human thought and feeling4 ,he talks to the clouds and the stars2 he peoples the sky with living inhabitants2 to him the winds are not 8forces of nature02 they are boisterous companions or gentle friends4 ,this applies to the imaginative child1 and there are more imaginative children than the most of us suspect4 ,the imagination may be suppressed by older and 8wiser0 companions1 or natural shyness may cause the imaginative fancies to remain unvoiced2 but the fancies are there--bubbling over in fantastic follies or childish imagery1 or kept in those hidden chambers of the soul to which grown-ups are forbidden entrance4 ,because of this mental attitude1 children are inherent myth-makers4 ,and to the same mental attitude upon the part of the children of the race1 is due the fund of mythological lore which has enriched the world's literature and inspired much of its art4 ,to this rich store1 then1 the child may be introduced by means of mythological stories4 ,their appeal is strong because they are in harmony with his own spontaneous interests4 ,froebel says3 8,would'st thou know how to teach the child8 ,observe him1 and he will show you what to do40 ,if1 then1 the child so loves the myth1 let us hold him and help him by means of the mythological story4 ,those which contain an objectionable element may readily be withheld2 there are plenty which are beautiful in their form and true in their teaching4 ,the myth1 strictly speaking1 differs from the fairy story in that it personifies the forces and manifestations of nature3 ,aurora awakening the sleeping world with her shafts of light2 ,ceres presiding over the harvests of golden grain2 ,jove hurling the dreadful thunderbolts2 and ,narcissus living in the beautiful blossom which bears his name4 ,few children will accept these stories as absolute statements of fact1 nor need they be so presented4 ,whatever this personification of the universal elements may have meant to the ancient ,greeks1 to us it is purely imaginary2 it is the fairy-land of nature4 ,children love to 8make believe10 and their own personifications of the forces of nature1 while spontaneous and vivid1 are a part of their imaginative world--a part of their 8make believe40 ,so1 mythological stories are never accepted by them upon the literal plane of the true nature story1 nor should they ever be so presented4 ,when stories of the ancient gods and goddesses are told1 they may be very briefly outlined as the imaginative stories of an ancient race4 ,this will give them their true place1 without in the least detracting from their charm4 ,the child who is made familiar with the old mythology by means of stories and verse1 holds the key of understanding to the countless allusions of the world's best literature4 ,he may not comprehend the deeper meaning1 nor understand that they were the religion of an ancient people1 but when in his later reading of some masterpiece of poetry or prose he finds an allusion to ,phaeton1 to ,apollo1 or to ,neptune1 he will experience the same delight that comes to one who meets an old playfellow in a foreign land4 ,the ,hero-,tale ,as the child creates a world of fancy and1 when left to himself1 lives within it1 so marvelous deeds and achievements are to him as the daily breath of our own lives4 ,he imagines himself the hero of such wonderful and impossible adventures that when he is told of ,phaeton and his mad ride1 he accepts it with the same calm appreciation which is accorded the imaginings of his own creative moods4 ,the slaying of the ,gorgon is fully in harmony with his own future plans4 ,not that he believes in these hero tales literally1 or comprehends their deeper significance1 but they fit in so perfectly with his normal habit of creative fancy that they seem to him as his very own1 and he loves them4 ,the hero-tale appeals as strongly to the child as does the myth--probably more strongly to the boy4 ,indeed1 the myth and hero-tale are often one1 for ,greek and ,norse mythology abound in heroes and heroic adventures1 and the lad who pores breathlessly over the thrilling experiences of a ,captain ,kidd1 would find equal delight in the story of the ,wooden ,horse and the ,fall of ,troy1 were it told him in a manner suited to his age and understanding4 ,the story of ,arion1 returning victorious from the great musical contest1 and threatened by the mutinous seamen of his vessel1 stirs any boy to enthusiasm1 as do the adventures of ,perseus1 who1 helped by ,minerva and ,mercury1 slew the ,gorgon1 ,medusa4 ,in another field there are the merry tales of ,robin ,hood1 the outlaw beloved of boys1 with his host of adventurous followers2 and the chivalrous deeds of ,king ,arthur and his ,knights of the ,round ,table4 ,stories of the knights appeal to universal boyhood4 ,well do ,i remember a story hour in which the compact body of the audience was fringed all about with boys under whose arms were shoe-blacking kits1 or bundles of newspapers4 ,they dodged in for a story1 and out again for a customer1 but with one voice they demanded--it was not a request--8,give us a knight story6 ,give us a knight story60 ,boys can be kept from reading worthless fiction if books and stories of the right sort are placed in their hands1 and the surest way to make these attractive is to give them the contents or a part of the contents in story form first4 ,make the stories vivid1 give them plenty of life and action1 and ,captain ,kidd or ,bunco ,bill will pale before ,king ,arthur and ,ulysses4 ,the younger children will listen with greatest delight to stories of imaginary heroes1 such as abound in folk-lore and myth--,jack the ,giant ,killer easily leading in favor1 as has been proven by statistics4 ,children demand definite aims1 swift action1 prompt reward of the good1 and punishment of the evil4 ,they do not understand complex motives nor the slow working out of nature's retribution4 ,this comes with later years4 ,the story-teller must choose her subjects in accordance with the age of the child4 ,the world of fancy gradually gives way before the world of fact1 and there comes a time when the heroes of the myth and the fairy tale are received with a certain degree of scorn4 ,they are 8out-grown40 ,at this period the boy and girl demand heroes of flesh and blood2 men who 8do and dare0 especially appeal to them4 ,there must still be rapid action and swift retribution or reward1 but motives begin to be understood more fully1 and little by little these motives begin to be less self-centered2 they touch an ever-broadening circle4 ,to follow this circle and select stories which fit its circumference should be the aim of mother and teacher4 ,here1 as everywhere in teaching1 the 8spontaneous interests0 furnish the key for selection4 ,the range of hero-tales is wide4 ,among them are the mythological and folk-lore tales previously suggested2 the legendary hero-tales which are partly fact and partly fancy1 such as the ,knights of the ,round ,table1 ,robin ,hood1 and most of the medieval stories2 and ,bible stories1 among which there are a host of heroic characters1 whose moral heroism should be made the dominant note4 ,there are also the heroes who have traveled1 explored1 and dared in the interests of science1 and those who have endured hardship and privation in order to carry civilization to the dark corners of the globe4 ,there are heroes also1 often unknown1 who risk their lives almost daily to carry on the mechanical processes of modern civilization4 ,any of these will form the nucleus of stories of thrilling interest to the growing boy and girl4 ,let the motive for the heroic deed be felt throughout the story4 ,do not tack it on as a moral2 let it permeate the whole narrative4 ,it has been truly said that 8,to add a moral application to a story is as complete a confession of failure as to append an explanation to a joke40 ,the material for hero-tales lies all about us--upon the pages of the newspaper and the magazine1 as well as between the covers of the ,iliad and the ,odyssey4 ,give the boy and girl stories 8clean in the warp and woof02 stories of brave1 noble men and women1 worthy of emulation1 for 8with the great1 one's thoughts and manners easily become great40 ,the following story of 8,the ,coming of ,arthur0 from ,some ,great ,stories and ,how to ,tell ,them 7,newson and ,company71 by ,richard ,thomas ,wyche1 founder of ,the ,story-,tellers' ,league1 is one of the best examples known to the author of the sort of hero or knight story which all boys love1 and which will lead them into the realms of the best and purest literature4 ,the ,coming of ,arthur#c ,one dark stormy night a long time ago1 in a land beyond the seas1 old ,king ,uther lay upon his bed dying4 ,he was weeping and lamenting1 not so much because he was leaving this world1 as because he had no son or daughter to come after him and rule ,england4 ,there were two old men who stood near the king1 whose names were ,bleys and ,merlin4 ,when they saw that their king was silent in death1 they passed out into the black night and walked down toward the ocean where the great waves came rolling in from the deep4 ,the night was stormy1 and they noticed that the waves grew larger and larger4 ,they counted them--one1 two1 three1 up to the ninth--which seemed to gather half the sea4 ,suddenly1 on the highest crest of this wave1 they saw a shining ship in the form of a dragon1 and all from stem to stern the deck was covered with shining people4 ,no sooner had they seen the ship than it disappeared4 ,but nevertheless this great wave came rolling in and tumbled at their feet4 ,strange to say out of this wave there rolled a little naked child1 and ,merlin picked it up and cried1 8,the ,king6 ,the ,king6 ,an heir for ,uther60 ,then the long wave swept up the beach1 wrapped about the old man and flashed like fire4 ,after which there was a calm1 and the stars came out1 and the elves and fairies blew their horns from cliff to cliff4 ,merlin gave the little child to an old woman to nurse4 ,he was given the name of ,arthur1 and as the years passed by he grew into a beautiful boy with blue eyes and golden hair4 ,merlin1 who was a very wise old man1 became the boy's teacher4 ,but let me tell you a story about the boy4 ,one day1 as ,arthur was walking out all alone in the sunny fields1 he came upon a little girl sitting upon a bank of heath1 weeping as if her heart would break1 and saying3 8,i hate this fair world and all that's in it40 ,she had been beaten for a fault of which she was not guilty4 ,when she looked up there stood the boy1 ,arthur4 ,whether he could walk unseen like his old teacher ,merlin1 who was something of a wizard1 she did not know1 but there he stood smiling at her4 ,he dried her tears1 comforted her heart1 and was a child with her4 ,but one day after that when she saw him again he was so dignified and cold she was afraid of him4 ,but again when she saw him his ways were sweet and they played as children together4 ,they were golden hours for her and for him4 ,she said then1 8,some day he will be ,king40 ,as ,arthur grew into manhood he wanted a sword1 as all boys did in those days4 ,one summer day he was in his boat on the lake4 ,all around him spread the shining water1 above him bent the sky1 soft and blue4 ,he moved to the center of the lake and stopped4 ,it was noon1 and he sat thinking4 ,perhaps he was wondering what he would do when he became a man4 ,suddenly he heard the water ripple1 and near by he saw1 rising from the lake a white arm and hand holding a sword4 ,arthur reached out and took the sword and then the hand disappeared4 ,the hilt of the sword was in the shape of a cross1 studded with jewels that sparkled and flashed4 ,he pulled it from the scabbard and the blade was so bright that it hurt his eye to look at it4 ,on one side of the blade he saw cut in the steel in the oldest language of all the world1 the words1 8,take me10 but on the other side1 in the language of the people1 8,cast me away40 ,it made him sad to think he must cast it away4 ,he took it to his old teacher ,merlin1 who was then a hundred winters old4 ,merlin said3 8#8,take me' means that you must take the sword1 clear the forest1 let in the light and make broad pathways for the hunter and the knight2 break up the robber bands and bandit holds2 drive back the heathen that come swarming over the seas1 burning the houses and killing the people40 ,then he whispered into ,arthur's ear and said3 8,some day you may be king4 ,after you have ruled the land and made it better1 the time will come when you may cast the sword away1 but that is a long way off40 ,the years passed4 ,not since the dark stormy night on which ,king ,uther died had there been a strong ruler in ,england4 ,the people fought among themselves4 ,the heathen came swarming over the seas2 the wild animals came from the woods and carried off the children4 ,the land was going to ruin4 ,one day the people came together and said3 8,we must make one man king40 ,whom do you suppose they crowned8 ,merlin1 with his knowledge and power1 had ,arthur lifted up and put on the throne4 ,many believed he was the rightful king1 but others said3 8,away with him1 he is no king of ours1 he is base-born40 ,but then ,arthur spoke to the people in the hall1 and asked all the young men who would help him rule the land to come forward4 ,many heard his manly voice and came and stood before him4 ,he said to them3 8,will you speak the truth2 be pure2 right the wrong2 be strong1 yet gentle2 be true in love2 obey the king and your conscience80 ,when they said 8yes10 they kneeled before him1 and he made them his knights4 ,when they arose from the knighting1 he spoke to them in a low deep voice of authority and told them that he wished to make a good king1 and that he wanted them to rule the land and make the world better1 and the people happier4 ,while he stood speaking to them1 for a moment every man seemed to favor the king2 their faces were radiant4 ,then suddenly three rays of light fell as if from heaven1 and lit up the faces of three tall queens1 who stood near the throne to help the king at his need4 ,near him stood his old teacher ,merlin1 and the ,lady of the ,lake who1 it was said1 made and gave him ,excalibur1 the wonderful sword4 ,after that1 other young men came and took the vows of knighthood1 until there were hundreds of knights4 ,they were called ,knights of the ,round ,table4 ,then ,king ,arthur went against the heathen1 and in twelve great battles drove the last one from the country4 ,one day1 as he was passing with his army through the streets of a village1 he saw1 standing by a castle wall1 a beautiful young woman4 ,he did not know her1 nor did she know him2 for ,arthur was clad simply as one of his knights1 and not in his kingly robes4 ,arthur could not forget the face4 ,he was in love with the young woman1 and wanted to make her his wife and queen4 ,when he returned to his palace1 he called ,sir ,bedivere and two other knights1 and sent them to search for the young woman4 ,the young woman's name was ,guinevere1 called the pearl of beauty1 and her father was an old king1 ,leodogran1 ,king of ,camelaird4 ,when the knights stood before him1 and said1 8,king ,arthur wishes ,guinevere to be his wife and queen10 the old man spoke roughly to them1 and said1 8,who is ,arthur1 that ,i should give my daughter in marriage to him8 ,he is base-born1 and not the son of a king4 ,even though he has helped me in battle1 how can ,i1 being a king1 give my daughter in marriage to a man that is not a king1 or the son of a king80 ,when ,leodogran was persuaded to make further inquiries1 and heard of ,arthur's birth and boyhood1 of the wonderful sword ,excalibur1 of the three rays of light at his coronation1 and of his pure life and great deeds1 he still doubted4 ,he sat upon his seat and actually nodded1 napped1 and kept the knights waiting4 ,but while he napped1 he dreamed1 and in his dream saw a great battlefield starting at his feet and sloping away as far as the eye could reach4 ,on this field armies were passing and moving4 ,arthur1 the newly crowned king1 with his army1 was victorious and glorious4 ,when ,leodogran woke up1 he called the knights and said3 8,yes1 ,guinevere1 my daughter1 may go40 ,some time after that1 ,king ,arthur called ,sir ,lancelot1 his best knight and warrior1 and sent him to bring the ,queen-to-be to his palace4 ,sir ,lancelot and the other knights with him rode away on horseback1 while ,king ,arthur stood and watched them from the gates as they disappeared4 ,guinevere was ready and came with ,sir ,lancelot4 ,it was the first of ,may1 when the earth was white with hyacinths4 ,the woods were all abloom and seemed full of singing birds4 ,guinevere rode on horseback by ,sir ,lancelot4 ,each day couriers went before and pitched a tent where the ,queen-to-be might rest at noon4 ,the journey was soon at an end4 ,sir ,lancelot had entertained ,guinevere with talk of the tourney1 the chase1 the hunt1 and of ,king ,arthur and his noble deeds4 ,sir ,lancelot was so strong1 yet gentle and tender1 that she could not help but like him1 and love him4 ,when ,king ,arthur came out to meet her1 clad in his kingly robes1 he seemed so tall and dignified that she felt a little afraid of him4 ,but she knew that she was to be his wife and queen4 ,straightway they went to the church1 and there before the highest of altar shrines1 the bishop made them man and wife1 and blessed them4 ,then as they went from the church ,king ,arthur's ,knights1 clad in stainless white1 marched before him with trumpets and a song3 ,blow trumpet1 for the world is white with ,may6 ,blow trumpet1 the long night hath rolled away6 ,blow thro' the living world1 8,let the ,king reign60 ,and that was the coming of ,king ,arthur4 ,,footnotes #c ,by permission of the author1 and publishers4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,holiday and ,vacation ,stories ,stories fitted to the holiday seasons1 and the out-door stories of vacation time are always a source of delight to both story-teller and listeners4 ,each holiday has its quota of timely stories2 and by no other means can the spirit and the lesson of a special day or season be more vividly impressed upon a child's mind than by a well-chosen1 well-told story4 ,many mothers and teachers understand this1 and a still larger number would find undreamed-of pleasure and resultant good in a practical test of the statement4 ,the spirit of ,thanksgiving may be made active in the child and a lasting impetus for good imparted through stories which are strong1 and full of the ,thanksgiving atmosphere4 ,the same is true of stories pertaining to ,christmas1 to ,new ,year's1 to ,washington's and ,lincoln's ,birthdays1 to ,memorial ,day1 and to all other days that are generally observed1 and whose lessons teachers are expected to impress4 ,in making up special day programs1 if teachers will devote one number to a good1 strong story1 appropriate to the occasion1 it will prove not only one of the most interesting features of the day1 but the one which will make the most lasting impression4 ,this applies to the higher grades even more emphatically than to the lower grades where stories are more frequently told1 and are1 in consequence1 less of a treat and an innovation4 ,vacation ,stories ,after the first few blissful days of vacation idleness1 children of school age begin to grow restless1 and are ready for occupation or entertainment4 ,this natural desire opens up a useful and delightful occupation for teachers1 or for others who are interested in children and capable of telling them stories in a fascinating way4 ,this consists of a series of 8story hours in the open0 which may be arranged for the summer months4 ,the work should be planned systematically1 with a definite object in view for each series1 and with special regard to grouping children of the same approximate age4 ,one series may be made up of stories of out-door mythology1 or fairy tales dealing with out-door life4 ,they may be told upon a lawn or in some park1 with the children seated upon the grass in informal groups1 and the story-teller in their midst4 ,the out-door environment will give the children a sense of participation in the events of the story which cannot be gained within four walls4 ,a park or a bit of natural woods makes an ideal setting for a series of ,robin ,hood tales1 or for tales of chivalry4 ,the boys and girls will people the woods about them with the characters of the story1 and the tales they hear under such conditions will not be easily effaced4 ,excursions to parks1 or near-by lakes1 or woods1 seem an almost necessary accompaniment to stories of the trees1 the birds1 the wild life of the floral and the animal world4 ,material for such stories is abundant4 ,there are the works of ,john ,burroughs1 ,olive ,thorne ,miller1 ,dr4 ,long1 ,kipling1 ,thompson-,seton1 and ,charles ,g4 ,d4 ,roberts1 with a host of others which any library or book store can furnish4 ,boys and girls will show a vital interest in stories of local history1 if the stories are not thus labeled4 ,the early history of the region in which they live1 the struggles1 experiences1 and adventures of the early explorers of the territory surrounding their own home1 may be made intensely interesting2 and if the group of listeners can be taken to the spot which forms the setting of the story1 the bit of history becomes most vital and real4 ,this plan of out-door story-telling combines the benefits of the usual vacation activities with the legitimate good of the story hour as conducted in our libraries during the winter months4 ,stories of industry1 and of the development of a given line of commerce or manufacture are full of interest for boys especially4 ,these may be told in connection with the leading business interests of the city or community in which the stories are given4 ,every state1 every city1 affords story material which may be so cast as to rival the wonders of ,aladdin's lamp4 ,these stories are not1 as a rule1 ready-made4 ,they require study1 research1 preparation1 but the warp and the woof are there1 ready at hand in the records which any state or city library holds1 and it remains for the story-teller so to weave the fabric of her story that it shall attract the fancy and stir the imagination4 ,it need not be a literary masterpiece1 but it must have life and action2 it must tell of difficulties overcome1 with a triumphant ending of final achievement4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,bible ,stories ,of all the stories that we may tell our children1 first in importance are the stories of the ,bible4 ,during the early years1 when the most lasting impressions are made1 when faith is simple1 when the thought of ,god's presence and love is natural1 the ,bible stories should be told over and over again4 ,there should be no attempt at this time to interpret the stories or to bring out theological questions4 ,the stories should be told in all their original simplicity1 using as far as possible the ,bible language1 which is brief1 strong1 picturesque4 ,no possible improvement could be made over the wording of the ,creation ,story as told in the first chapter of ,genesis and the first three verses of the second chapter4 ,the children will not tire of its telling1 and it should become as familiar to them as are their nursery rhymes4 ,the shame is upon us as fathers and mothers that this is so seldom the case4 ,the story of the flood1 divided into its four parts1 as given in the collected stories of this book1 should be made equally familiar to the children4 ,a comparison of these stories with the ,bible narrative will show that the original language has been retained1 and only such detail and repetition as would confuse the little child1 have been omitted4 ,the literary style is unchanged4 ,in these stories there is all the charm of the folk-tale with its simple directness of style1 its rapid action1 its repetition of words and phrases1 such as 8every living thing1 of fowl1 and of cattle1 and of every creeping thing10 yet it is lifted far above the folk-tale by the all-pervading thought of ,god acting in righteousness4 ,no ,bible story is worthily told which does not touch the underlying truth of the beauty of holiness1 and the folly and inevitable consequences of sin4 ,in preparing ,bible stories for telling1 the story-teller should have always in mind what has been called the 8basic principle of both ,old and ,new ,testaments0--the perfect ,god desiring to restore man 8to holiness and true communion with ,himself40 ,but this truth should be inherent in the story1 and not presented in the form of an appended moral4 ,as to the manner of telling3 a ,bible story should be narrated with the spontaneous life that is accorded the telling of any other story4 ,too often1 through an effort upon the part of the conscientious story-teller to impress their religious nature1 to communicate to the child a feeling of awe1 the ,bible stories are told in a truly awful manner1 and the child1 without knowing why1 learns to dread them4 ,they have been made to him something unreal1 something which he cannot understand1 which he fears4 ,this is the last result that the story-teller has desired1 but it is the inevitable result when sanctimoniousness is substituted for the 8love1 joy1 and gentleness0 which are among the fruits of the ,spirit1 and which must fashion the telling of the ,bible stories4 ,rightly told1 the ,bible stories arouse in the child the keenest interest and the deepest pleasure4 ,what child1 after hearing the story of ,joseph--the child who dreamed dreams and who wore the marvelous coat of many colors--being sold into bondage to the ,midianites by his brethren1 will not want to hear 8what happened next80 ,and what story is more beautiful1 more filled with wonders and marvels1 with love1 and forgiveness1 and moral steadfastness1 than the story of ,joseph8 ,it is quite as fascinating as any tale from the ,arabian ,nights1 and it excels the latter a thousand-fold in its fundamental value1 for these ,old ,testament stories eclipse the myth and the hero-tale not only in their genuine interest for the child1 but because they bring him into conscious relationship with ,god--the ,god of ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob2 the ,god whose throne is for ever and ever1 and the sceptre of whose kingdom is the sceptre of righteousness4 ,it is possible here to give only the briefest outline of the various kinds of stories which one may choose from this wealth of material4 ,there are the wonder stories of the creation1 the ,garden of ,eden1 the flood1 in the first part of the book of ,genesis2 the patriarch stories of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and ,joseph1 in the latter part of the same book2 the story of ,moses1 and all the wonders of the ,exodus2 the stories of the prophets1 of ,joshua1 ,samuel1 ,daniel2 the hero-stories of ,samson1 of ,david's encounter with ,goliath2 of ,gideon2 the pastoral story of ,ruth4 ,in the ,new ,testament are the stories of ,christ's birth1 ,his life1 with all its boyhood incidents1 its parables1 and its wonders1 closing with ,his death and resurrection4 ,the question is not1 8,what can ,i tell80 but1 8,which shall ,i tell80 ,the fund is practically inexhaustible4 ,i have a word of caution to offer to the one--be she mother1 ,sunday ,school teacher1 or story-teller1 who presents ,bible stories to children3 put nothing into the stories by way of explanation which the ,bible does not put there1 and which will have to be recalled or modified when the child grows older and begins to ask questions1 and to this end do not make the mistake of confounding the truth taught1 with the literal form of its teaching4 ,as the child grows older and begins to analyze1 to reason1 and to ask questions1 then must the story-teller--and let us hope that the chief ,bible story-teller may be the mother--be ready to guide surely and unfold wisely the deeper and higher meaning of the stories of the ,book of ,books4 ,,chapter ,x ,systematic ,story-,telling ,the thought that literature is a growth2 that it had its infancy1 and its periods of development through succeeding ages2 that the different periods are related to each other and spring from one another1 is too often ignored in the study and in the teaching of the subject4 ,not only the average child1 but the great majority of children--if not of adults--look upon literature as a great heap of miscellany2 a vast array of unrelated writings4 ,few grasp the idea that 8literature is the evolution of the thought of humanity02 that it had its beginning in the myth-making ages1 was further developed by the ,greeks and then by the ,latin races2 that after the time of ,christ there was the distinctive literature of the chivalric period1 followed by the development of ,chaucer's time1 of ,shakespeare's1 up to and including that of the present age4 ,each of these periods has its many subdivisions1 but each is the outgrowth of the preceding4 ,the story-teller who has grasped even the simplest outlines of literary development will be able to present to the children a sequence of stories which shall1 dimly at first1 but more and more clearly as time goes on1 enable them to look at the literature of the world as a related whole4 ,this is1 of course1 the privilege only of the mother1 or of the teacher who is in daily contact with the same pupils for an extended length of time4 ,it cannot be done by the occasional story-teller4 ,as ocular demonstration produces the most lasting impression1 the best method of fixing this idea of development is by means of diagrams made up in the simplest manner possible4 ,if no blackboard is available1 a paper chain will answer the purpose1 its few1 large links representing the literary periods4 ,suggestions for diagrams or charts suited to all grades1 and to children of all ages1 are given in ,miss ,m4 ,e4 ,burt's concise but comprehensive book ,literary ,landmarks 7,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company7--a book which every teacher should read4 ,the simplest chart of all consists of a straight line drawn horizontally1 in the middle of which is a cross1 representing the time of ,christ4 ,the portion of the line to the left indicates the time before ,christ2 that to the right1 the time since ,christ4 ,present day stories may be shown as belonging to the right hand portion of the chart1 ,new ,testament stories to the middle portion1 and the myth to the left hand4 ,a very few words of explanation will suffice to make plain the meaning of the chart as giving the relative time of the story's origin4 ,then proceed to tell the story as usual4 ,the first story in a series planned along these lines1 may well be one of the earliest myths1 that of ,phaeton1 or of ,vulcan1 illustrating the earliest conception of the phenomenon of light and of fire4 ,the ,indian myth1 giving the origin of fire as conceived by the ,north ,american ,indian1 should also be told1 and located on the right hand side of the chart4 ,the story of ,cupid can be traced from its origin in the old time myth1 through ,greek literature and on into modern poems and prose1 thus showing how the original thought of the myth-making period grows into new forms and new beauty in the literature of later periods4 ,miss ,burt sets forth clearly the use of the diagram or chart in the teaching of literature4 ,it can be used with equal success and to as great advantage by the story-teller who gives a related series of stories from different periods of time4 ,grade teachers can make the chart serve its original purpose in the teaching of literature1 and in story-telling can place the story in a brief word or two which shall give it a place1 or a relationship to literature4 ,this makes the story of greater value1 through helping the child to assemble his literary landmarks4 ,the mother who follows this method of story-telling in the home1 selecting her stories from the best that literature affords1 and grouping or placing them according to the period to which each belongs1 will find as great delight and profit in the task1 as will the children in the stories themselves4 ,to many a mother1 and teacher as well1 it will prove a new viewpoint from which to study literature1 while meeting the child's desire for stories in more than aimless fashion4 ,the historical outline of a nation's progress can be given by means of stories told in sequence4 ,these stories should follow a chronological plan which can be as readily developed by means of a chart as can the periods of literature4 ,the outline should be a very simple one at first1 dividing the history into a few main periods of development1 and telling stories characteristic of the divisions of time4 ,later these main periods may be subdivided1 and new stories told of prominent characters or events1 until a fairly comprehensive view of the history as a whole has been acquired4 ,mothers who fear that the home duties and the rearing of children will cause them to drop behind the times1 or to become out of date in their mental equipment1 need have no fear of the children outstripping them if they will prepare themselves with a good outline of literature and of history1 and follow these in the stories they tell their children4 ,such outlines may be found at any good library4 ,mythology and chivalry may be knitted into the hose and mittens of the little people2 fairy tales may be hemmed into the dainty garments2 and deeds of heroism mixed with the custard and the rolls1 thus clothing and building up discriminating minds to fit strong and rugged bodies4 ,to mothers1 as to teachers1 ,i would most heartily recommend ,miss ,burt's book already mentioned1 for it is full of suggestive outlines which may be simplified or modified to meet any existing need1 while it gives a wide range of books from which stories may be chosen to fill the outlines4 ,another source of help to which too few mothers have recourse is to be found in the modern 8children's librarian40 ,since story-telling has been made so important a feature of library work in the children's department1 the subject has been given close study1 lists have been compiled1 and special outlines prepared4 ,librarians are eager to extend these helps to mothers who may thus be saved the time which would otherwise be required for individual research4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,the ,joy of ,story-,telling ,did you ever drop down upon a somewhat sleepy village where recreations and amusements are almost unknown1 and there gather the children together and give them a story hour8 ,they come with wonder1 even with suspicion that you have some ulterior object as yet undisclosed1 and they file in and eye you askance4 ,and then you begin to tell the stories--animal stories1 for all children love those2 a story from the ,bible which reveals to them the fact that there are as great heroes among the ,bible characters as are to be found in secular history2 a tale of chivalry which stirs the boys2 and then perhaps a dialect story from ,uncle ,remus2--and as you tell the stories the suspicious look vanishes2 the clear eyes before you look straight into yours2 then there creeps into them a brightness1 an eagerness for more2 then comes the ripple of merriment2 a spontaneous ring of laughter2 and then the plea1 8,one more1 oh1 please1 one more60 ,when you have done this2 when you have won to you the shy children of a whole village1 then you know the pure joy of story-telling4 ,there is nothing better worth winning than the love of a child1 and there is no surer way of reaching a child's heart than through the story4 ,the ,story ,hour ,story-telling may be made a serious matter as to its purpose1 but it should never be a serious matter as to its presentation4 ,whatever its purpose1 the story itself must be a source of joy to the hearer1 or its purpose fails4 ,the lesson to be taught1 whether moral or educational1 fails in its object if the story itself be irksome or stupid4 ,conscientious teachers1 feeling the weight of argument against them1 and taking up the task of story-telling as an added obligation of schoolroom duty1 wonder why the results are not what the evidence of other story-tellers had led them to believe4 ,story-telling1 as a duty1 unlightened and unbrightened by a genuine love of the story and an eagerness for the joy it is to bring to the listeners1 can never prove a success4 ,the story-teller must enter with all her heart and all her enthusiasm into the life and beauty of the story she is telling1 in order to achieve the best results4 ,without this she cannot win the response of her hearers1 nor reap the reward which should be her own4 ,it is in the story hour that the true story-teller comes into her kingdom4 ,here she is free to give to the expectant hearers just the tale which they love to hear4 ,she is not bound by rules or regulations1 by systems or courses1 but may follow the promptings of her intuition and sway her small auditors at her will4 ,here the rig-ma-role story may find its proper place and delight by its whimsical nonsense2 the tale of chivalry1 the story of brave achievement1 or of loyalty of purpose1 may be made to stir her hearers2 the dialect story--which the children seldom read but love to hear--may lend its quaint charm2 or the nonsense tale may be used as the safety valve for bubbling emotions4 ,varied in character as the stories may be1 each is permeated by the truest1 purest joy in the telling--be it the classical story of the 8,wooden ,horse0 and the 8,fall of ,troy10 or the nursery tale of the 8,little ,small ,rid ,hin0 and the fall of 8,reynard the ,fox40 ,thus may we win the hearts and the confidence of the children1 and having won these1 we may lead them whithersoever we will4 ,and so1 with ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin1 ,i can truly say3 8,i would rather be the children's story-teller than the queen's favorite or the king's counsellor40 ,,chapter ,,xii ,story-,telling as an ,art ,the artist in colors works out his conception of a picture upon canvas4 ,it is finished1 and he steps aside4 ,personally he has nothing further to do with the presentation of that picture4 ,but if his own individuality has not entered into the work1 if something of himself has not permeated it1 it can never be a work of true art4 ,the story-teller also presents a picture--a word picture--and1 like that of the artist of the brush1 if her own individuality has not entered into it1 if something of herself has not permeated it1 it can not be true art4 ,but1 unlike the painter1 her picture is never completed2 she is never able to step aside and say1 8,it is finished40 ,and here the story-teller has the advantage of the painter1 for each re-telling of her story is a new presentation1 and in each re-telling her own personality may lend a deeper pathos1 a rarer glint of humor1 a more searching vision of truth4 ,the story itself is the picture2 its theme forms the subject2 its literary quality corresponds to canvas and color4 ,hence a story1 to be artistically told1 must be well chosen4 ,in its inherent character it must awaken the imagination2 it must satisfy the love of beauty2 it must mirror truth2 and it must appeal to both the intellect and the emotion4 ,art's chief charm lies in its power to awaken the imagination1 to stir the fancy1 to suggest something above and beyond the actual portrayal4 ,the subject of artistic story-telling must always be beautiful1 but there are many types of beauty1 many forms and fancies which appeal to our aesthetic sense4 ,again1 no story which is not painted against 8a universal background of truth0 can be artistic1 for truth1 not error1 is beautiful4 ,finally1 a story1 to be great1 must of necessity appeal to the intellect2 but if its appeal be to the intellect alone1 it is cold and formal4 ,it must touch the emotions as well3 it must have a human interest4 ,every well-told story1 as every gem from the artist's brush1 must have atmosphere--that indefinable something which casts its glamour over the whole4 ,in story-telling1 this sense of atmosphere must come from the personality of the teller4 ,that is why there is such a variety of charm in hearing the same story told by different persons4 ,this sense of atmosphere is created by the story-teller's losing herself wholly in the story4 ,she completely absorbs the story1 its setting1 its characters1 its ideals1 and when she gives it forth again1 it takes op something of herself4 ,this cannot be the case if the story is told as something assumed1 external1 or borrowed4 ,in the latter1 no matter how good the technique1 the art is lost4 ,perhaps this point1 which is most essential to artistic story-telling1 may be more deeply impressed by a concrete example3 ,the story-lovers of one of our large cities recently had the pleasure of listening to two well-known story-tellers1 each giving an hour with ,uncle ,remus4 ,only a few days elapsed between the two presentations4 ,in the first instance the story-teller had scarcely more than commenced when we felt that we were sitting in ,uncle ,remus' cabin1 away down ,south1 listening to the adventures of ,brer ,wolf1 ,brer ,fox1 and ,brer ,rabbit1 told by the old man who loved them as his own brothers of the woods4 ,we were the little boy1 to whom ,uncle ,remus was telling the stories in his own inimitable way4 ,in the second instance we were an audience in the ,north1 listening to a well-told--a thoroughly well-told--account of ,uncle ,remus' telling to a little boy the adventures of ,brer ,wolf1 ,brer ,fox1 and ,brer ,rabbit4 ,we laughed with the little boy2 we enjoyed it with the little boy1 but we ourselves were not that little boy sitting at the feet of ,uncle ,remus4 ,do you see the contrast8 ,the first story-teller created the true 8,uncle ,remus atmosphere02 his story-telling was an art4 ,what was the difference in the telling8 ,it was very simple4 ,the one became ,uncle ,remus in spirit4 ,in all conscious simplicity he was the old colored story-teller whom ,joel ,chandler ,harris created1 and he was telling his story to the little boy--not to an 8audience40 ,the other told us--most delightfully--about the old colored story-teller1 and reproduced for us his stories4 ,his technique was above reproach1 and he satisfied the intellect4 ,the first also satisfied the intellect1 but he reached far beyond it and touched the heart4 ,the artistic story must have perspective4 ,one which lacks this quality is like a diagram2 it is not a picture4 ,there must be relative values1 and the 8witching glamour of the past40 ,give the old stories their appropriate setting in time and place4 ,let the modern story be the central figure against the universal background of truth--a background which will soften its sharper outlines1 and mellow its cruder tones4 ,preserve in the classic the classical spirit1 as well as the classical form--that classical spirit which kindles the fancy and stirs the imagination4 ,let the hearers see their heroes through the vista of vanishing years4 ,technique is a necessary part of any artistic production4 ,note how carefully the artist selects his brushes and prepares his palette4 ,the story-teller should do no less4 ,as the brush of the artist must1 to a certain extent1 influence the effect of his colors1 so the voice and manner of the story-teller must1 to a certain degree1 affect the presentation of the story4 ,even the manner of dress has its influence4 ,and so1 with the example of the artist before us1 let us choose these minor tools of our art with the single purpose of their suitability4 ,let them be natural1 simple1 harmonious4 ,no judge of a picture thinks of the canvas or the pigments4 ,they are wholly lost sight of4 ,so will it be with the elements of the story-teller's equipment if they are suitable2 in other words1 if they are in harmony with her real purpose4 ,but let us also bear in mind the fact that a true artist can do much with a poor brush1 and the true story-teller can achieve good results even though the details of her equipment are not at their best4 ,there must be variety in the story-pictures4 ,no one cares to look continually at the paintings of even the greatest master1 be he a ,michael ,angelo1 or a ,velasquez4 ,the water colors of a ,turner1 or even the vagaries of a ,whistler afford needed change and variety--each arousing our admiration1 each presenting its own phase of art4 ,so we need not always tell the stories of a ,homer or a ,shakespeare4 ,these may well be interspersed with the tales of an ,anderson1 a ,dickens1 or a ,joel ,chandler ,harris4 ,there is an 8indefinite something0 about art which raises it above the commonplace4 ,perfection of craftsmanship does not produce this indescribable charm4 ,it must emanate from the personality of the worker4 ,let us never confuse art with artificiality4 ,art is nothing assumed2 it is something felt4 ,until we feel our story we can never tell it at its best4 ,not all are artists1 few are great artists2 but you and ,i may do our best toward artistic attainment1 and comfort ourselves over any lack of achievement by the reflection that while only the favored few see the great masterpieces of painting1 the lives of the multitude are made brighter and happier by the work of the lesser artists1 who1 striving against their limitations1 have yet given to the world their best4 ,,part ,,ii ,,selected ,,stories ,,to ,,tell ,selected ,stories to ,tell ,the following stories are selected with a view to fulfilling various purposes1 to meeting varied needs4 ,though not all are great stories1 yet the object to be attained by telling them is great2 for the work of molding the mind of a child can be nothing less4 ,each story is worth while3 most of them lie outside the beaten path4 ,the ,robin's ,carol#d ,this is the carol the robin throws ,over the edge of the valley2 ,listen how boldly it flows1 ,sally on sally3 ,tirra-lirra1 ,down the river1 ,laughing water ,all a quiver4 ,day is near1 ,clear1 clear1 ,fish are breaking1 ,time for waking4 ,tup1 tup1 tup6 ,do you hear8 ,all clear-- ,wake up6 ,the ,little ,baldhead#e ,you dear little baby1 ,don't you cry2 ,your father's drawing water ,in the south1 near by4 ,a red tasseled hat ,he wears on his head2 ,your mother's in the kitchen ,making up bread4 ,walk a step1 walk a step1 ,off he goes1 ,see from his shoe-tips ,peep three toes4 ,why the ,bear ,sleeps ,all ,winter#f ,once upon a time1 little ,brother ,rabbit lived1 quite sober and industrious1 in the woods1 and just close by lived a big1 brown ,bear4 ,now little ,brother ,rabbit never troubled his neighbors in those days1 nor meddled with their housekeeping1 nor played any tricks the way he does now4 ,in the fall1 he gathered his acorns1 and his pignuts1 and his rabbit tobacco4 ,on a frosty morning1 he would set out with ,brother ,fox for the farmer's2 and while ,brother ,fox looked after the chicken yards1 little ,brother ,rabbit picked cabbage1 and pulled turnips1 and gathered carrots and parsnips for his cellar4 ,when the winter came1 he never failed to share his store with a wandering chipmunk4 ,now1 in those days1 old ,bear was not content to do his own housekeeping1 and doze in the sun1 and gather wild honey in the summer1 and fish through the ice in the winter4 ,he was full of mischief1 and was always playing tricks4 ,of all the beasts of the wood1 the one he loved best to trouble was sober little ,brother ,rabbit4 ,just as soon as ,brother ,rabbit moved to a new tree stump1 and filled his bins with vegetables1 and his pantry with salad1 along came old ,bear and carried off all his stores4 ,just as soon as ,brother ,rabbit filled his house with dry1 warm leaves for a bed1 along came old ,bear1 and tried to squeeze himself into the bed1 too1 and of course he was too big4 ,at last1 ,brother ,rabbit could stand it no longer1 and he went to all the beasts in the wood to ask their advice4 ,the first one he met was ,brother ,frog1 sitting on the edge of the pond1 and sticking his feet in the nice1 cool mud4 8,what shall ,i do1 ,brother ,frog80 asked ,brother ,rabbit2 8,brother ,bear will not leave me alone40 8,let us ask ,brother ,squirrel10 said ,brother ,frog4 ,so the two went to ,brother ,squirrel1 cracking nuts in the hickory tree4 8,what shall we do1 ,brother ,squirrel80 asked ,brother ,frog2 8,brother ,bear will not leave ,brother ,rabbit alone40 8,let us ask ,brother ,mole10 said ,brother ,squirrel1 dropping his nuts4 ,so the three went to where ,brother ,mole was digging the cellar for a new house1 and they said3 8,what shall we do1 ,brother ,mole8 ,brother ,bear will not leave ,brother ,rabbit alone40 8,let us ask ,brother ,fox10 said ,brother ,mole4 ,so ,brother ,mole1 ,brother ,squirrel1 ,brother ,frog1 and ,brother ,rabbit went to where ,brother ,fox was combing his brush behind a bush1 and they said to him3 8,what shall we do1 ,brother ,fox8 ,brother ,bear will not leave ,brother ,rabbit alone40 8,let us go to ,brother ,bear10 said ,brother ,fox4 ,so they all went along with little ,brother ,rabbit1 and they hunted and hunted for old ,bear1 but they could not find him anywhere4 ,they hunted and hunted some more1 and at last they peeped into a hollow tree4 ,there lay old ,bear1 fast asleep4 8,hush10 said ,brother ,fox4 ,then he whispered to ,brother ,frog1 8,bring a little mud40 ,and he whispered to ,brother ,squirrel1 8,bring some leaves40 ,and he whispered to ,brother ,mole1 8,bring some dirt1 little brother40 ,and to ,brother ,rabbit he said1 8,stand ready to do what ,i tell you40 ,so ,brother ,frog brought mud1 ,brother ,squirrel brought leaves1 ,brother ,mole brought dirt1 and ,brother ,rabbit stood ready to do what ,brother ,fox told him4 ,then ,brother ,fox said to ,brother ,rabbit1 8,stop up the ends of ,brother ,bear's log40 ,so ,brother ,rabbit took the mud and the leaves and the dirt1 and he stopped up the ends of the log4 ,then he hammered hard with his two back feet1 which are good for hammering4 ,and they all went home1 for they thought that old ,bear would never1 never get out of the log4 ,well1 old ,bear slept and slept1 but after a while he awoke1 and he opened one eye4 ,he saw no sunshine1 so he thought it was still night1 and he went to sleep again4 ,after another while1 he awoke again1 but he heard the rain and sleet beating outside1 and it was very warm and dry inside4 8,what a very long night10 said old ,bear1 and he curled up his paws1 and he went to sleep again4 ,this time1 he just slept1 and slept1 until it began to be very warm inside the log1 and he heard in his dreams the footsteps of birds outside4 ,then he awoke1 and he stretched himself1 and he shook himself4 ,he rubbed his eyes with his paws1 and he poked away the mud1 and the leaves1 and the dirt1 and he went outside4 ,but was he not surprised8 ,it had been a frosty night when he had gone to sleep1 and now the woods were green4 ,old ,bear had slept all winter4 8,that was a fine long sleep10 said old ,bear1 as he set out for little ,brother ,rabbit's house to see if he had anything good for breakfast2 8and ,i shall go to sleep again1 next fall40 ,so every summer1 old ,bear plays tricks on little ,brother ,rabbit1 but when fall comes1 he creeps away to a warm1 dark place to sleep until spring4 ,and so have his grandchildren1 and his great-grandchildren1 and his great-great-grandchildren ever since4 ,the ,little ,boy ,who ,forgot to ,wash ,his ,hands#g ,once upon a time1 so very long ago that of course there are no children like that now1 there was a little boy who almost never washed his hands4 ,he wrote with ink and got ink on his fat little fore-finger2 he made pictures with his paints and daubed his thumbs with red and yellow and blue color2 he made mud pies and splashed mud all over his chubby palms and he never washed off the ink or the paint or the mud4 ,and when anyone spoke of his dirty hands1 ,bobby--that was the little boy's name--would say1 8,oh1 ,i forgot40 ,and then he would keep right on forgetting all about nice warm soap and soft dry towels1 and pretty1 clean1 pink hands4 ,one day1 ,bobby decided that he wanted to play1 very hard4 ,the sun was up1 there was a soft1 singing wind out in the garden1 and the whole world looked clean and happy4 ,so ,bobby put on his cap1 and because it is always better to play with someone than to play alone1 ,bobby called his big white pussy cat who often loved to chase up and down the path that ran between the hedges4 8,come1 pussy1 pussy dear60 called ,bobby1 8come and play with me40 ,then1 because the white cat did not seem to hear1 ,bobby stooped over and picked her up in his arms4 ,but the white cat wriggled and scratched and spit at ,bobby and jumped out of his arms4 ,she ran away from him and hid beneath a chair4 8,i wonder why she will not play with me10 ,bobby said as he went out into the garden4 ,there1 on the door-step1 stood ,bobby's white dove with the pink1 pink toes4 ,bobby loved the white dove1 who was very tame and often flew to his shoulder1 cooing gently in his ear4 ,he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a handful of grain which he scattered on the door-step for the dove--pretty yellow grain it was4 ,but the white dove would not eat it1 and when ,bobby called her1 she flew away from him1 as far as the green gables at the very top of the house4 8,i wonder why she will not play with me10 said ,bobby1 as he ran down the garden path to the little round pond where his six yellow gold fish lived4 ,the six yellow gold fish were ,bobby's friends and they often played with him as well as they knew how4 ,when he threw crumbs into the pond they would come to the top with their little mouths wide open1 and would dart about in the shining water as if they wanted ,bobby to jump in and swim about and enjoy the feast with them4 ,but today1 when ,bobby gave them some crumbs which he had in his pocket1 they did not come up to eat them4 ,they stayed deep1 deep down in the pond4 8,i wonder why--0 ,bobby began1 and then he happened to look down at the water4 ,the top of the pond was a shining mirror and in it ,bobby saw a picture of two little black hands4 ,the crumbs that he had thrown to the six yellow gold fish were black1 too4 ,the pretty yellow grain that he gave the dove had been black1 and when he had lifted the white pussy cat1 his hands had left two big1 black smudges upon her beautiful white fur4 8,why1 my hands are dirty10 exclaimed ,bobby4 ,you see1 he had never really thought about his hands before4 ,so he went right into the house to wash them and he never1 never forgot to wash them again4 ,the ,honest ,woodman#h ,once upon a time a poor woodman lived with his family near a great forest4 ,every week day he shouldered his ax very early in the morning1 and bidding his wife and children good-by1 went out to cut wood for his master4 ,one day when he was chopping at the trunk of a great tree growing near a stream1 his ax suddenly slipped out of his hands and dropped with a splash into the water4 ,oh1 how troubled the poor man was6 ,he couldn't earn a penny without an ax1 and he was too poor to buy one4 ,he sat down on the bank and wept as though his heart would break4 8,what is the trouble1 my good man80 asked a voice at his side4 ,it was a fairy6 ,and such a jolly-looking fairy1 too4 ,he had wings on his cap1 and wings on his shoes1 and even on his staff6 8,i dropped my ax in the stream1 and ,i can't chop wood any more1 and my family will starve10 sobbed the man4 ,instantly ,mercury1 for that was the fairy's name1 dived down into the water1 and came up1 dripping wet1 holding a beautiful golden ax in his hand4 8,is this your ax80 he asked4 8,no1 that is not mine40 ,the good fairy dived into the stream again1 and this time brought up a silver ax4 8,is this yours80 8,no1 that isn't mine1 either40 ,the poor man needed an ax very much1 but he would not claim one that did not belong to him1 of course4 ,once more ,mercury plunged into the water1 but this time he came up with a common ax in his hand4 8,is this your ax80 he asked4 8,yes6 ,oh1 yes6 that is mine60 cried the man1 joyfully4 8,thank you so much for your kindness4 ,i am sorry you are so wet40 8,i don't mind that10 said ,mercury4 8,it is indeed a pleasure to meet such an honest man4 ,i will give you both the gold and the silver axes as well as your own1 and you can sell them for much gold1 and you shall never be poor again40 ,and he was gone before the woodcutter had time to thank him4 ,the woodcutter went home a very happy man1 for now he would always have plenty for his family4 ,when his neighbors heard about his good fortune1 one of them who was a lazy1 good-for-nothing fellow decided to try his luck in the same way4 ,he went to the stream1 threw his ax in1 and sitting down on the bank1 wept aloud as the honest woodman had done4 ,suddenly ,mercury appeared to him4 8,what is the trouble1 my good man80 he asked1 as before4 8,i dropped my ax in the river10 sobbed the man4 ,instantly the fairy dived into the water1 and in a moment came up with a golden ax in his hand4 8,is this your ax80 8,yes6 ,oh1 yes6 that is mine10 the dishonest man cried1 reaching out eagerly for the beautiful golden tool4 ,but ,mercury knew he was not speaking the truth1 and was very angry with him4 ,instead of giving him the golden ax1 he dropped it into the stream and disappeared without trying to find the man's own ax4 ,so1 instead of going home a rich man1 as he had expected1 he went home poorer than he had come4 ,tabby and the ,mice#i ,three little mice once lived in an old box4 8,i am going to make a new house10 said the largest mouse1 whose name was ,rus4 8,i am going to make a new house10 said the next mouse1 whose name was ,fus4 8,i am going to make a new house10 said the third mouse1 who name was ,mus4 8,my house shall be made of hay10 said ,rus1 who did not like to be cold4 8,my house shall be made of paper10 said ,fus1 who was fond of books4 8,my house shall be made of bricks10 said ,mus1 who was as wise as he could be4 ,so the three little mice made their homes4 ,one day ,tabby ,cat came along4 ,she saw the three houses that the little mice had made4 ,she was a very polite old cat1 so she knocked at the door of the first house4 8,come1 ,mr4 ,rus2 please let me in60 said she4 8,oh1 no10 said ,rus2 8you can't come in40 ,tabby was a wise old cat4 ,she put her soft paw into the hay and caught poor ,rus4 ,then she went to the next house4 8,come1 ,mr4 ,fus2 let me in10 she said4 8,oh1 no60 said ,fus1 8you can't come in40 ,but ,tabby knew better than that4 ,she put her paw through the paper door and caught poor ,fus4 ,then she went to the next house4 8,come1 ,mr4 ,mus2 let me in60 said she4 8,oh1 yes60 said ,mus2 8when ,i am ready40 ,so ,tabby sat down to wait4 ,she laughed when she thought what a nice supper ,mus would make4 ,when she had waited a long time1 she grew tired4 8,are you ready now1 ,mr4 ,mus80 she asked4 8,not yet10 said ,mus4 ,by and by ,tabby knocked loudly on the door4 8,i am coming in now1 ,mr4 ,mus10 said she4 8,very well2 come in if you like10 said ,mus2 but he did not open the door4 ,so ,tabby tried and tried to open the door4 ,then she tried to push down the house4 ,then she tried to make ,mus come out4 ,at last she told ,mus just what she thought of him4 ,this did not trouble ,mus at all4 ,he had curled himself up in a snug corner of his house and was fast asleep4 ,the ,gold ,bugs#aj ,once upon a time there were two green and glittering gold bugs1 and one said to the other3 8,the day is warm and sunny2 let us go out and play40 8,we will10 said the second gold bug1 and they decided to play at dancing4 ,so the two green1 glittering gold bugs went down to a brook near by1 and there1 shining and floating above the water1 they saw two glorious dragon flies1 one green1 and one blue4 8,we will dance with these dragon flies10 said one gold bug4 8,i choose the blue one40 8,you cannot have her10 said the other gold bug1 8,i choose her40 8,i will dance with the blue dragon fly10 said the second gold bug4 ,so they quarreled until two other gold bugs came along1 and asked the dragon flies to dance with them1 so that was an end of the matter4 ,the two green and glittering gold bugs then said they would play at something else4 8,we will play hide and seek10 said the first gold bug4 8,no1 we will play tag10 said the second gold bug4 8,i will play nothing but hide and seek10 said the first gold bug4 8,and ,i will play nothing but tag10 said the second gold bug4 8,i am going to hide10 said the first gold bug2 so he went away and hid himself beneath a clover leaf1 but1 ah1 there was no one to blind1 and then go and look for him4 8,i will run10 said the second gold bug2 so he ran1 but1 ah1 there was no one to catch him4 ,it was not fun to play that way1 and there was an end of the matter4 ,the two green and glittering gold bugs then said they would play at something else1 so they went to a tall bell flower to swing4 8,i will sit inside1 and you shall rock me10 said the first gold bug4 8,no1 ,i will sit inside first1 and you shall rock me10 said the second gold bug4 ,so they quarreled as to which should swing first1 and in their quarreling they tore a petal of the beautiful bell flower1 so they could not swing at all1 and there was an end of the matter4 8,tut1 tut1 what is the meaning of this80 asked an old gold bug who came crawling along just then4 8,why do you two green and glittering young things quarrel this bright morning80 8,we cannot play1 and we are very unhappy1 grandfather10 said the two gold bugs4 8,we do not both wish to play at the same games40 8,silly1 silly10 said the old gold bug1 and as he crawled away1 he turned his head about1 and he said1 8,take turns1 take turns4 ,turn about is fair play40 ,now it had never occurred to the two green and glittering gold bugs that to take turns is the best way to play1 and they decided to try4 ,they went back to the brook1 and there were the two beautiful dragon flies1 again floating over the water4 ,so the first gold bug danced with the green dragon fly1 and the second gold bug danced with the blue dragon fly2 and then they changed about until they could dance no longer4 ,after that they played tag1 and the first gold bug chased the second gold bug until they were tired4 ,then the first gold bug hid himself1 and the second gold bug tried to find him1 which was very good fun indeed4 ,and last of all they found another bell flower1 and they rocked each other all the afternoon1 until it was time to go home4 ,so they had a very good day after all1 did those green and glittering gold bugs1 for they had learned that to take turns is the best way to play4 ,the ,history of ,tip-,top#aa ,under the window of a certain pretty cottage there grew a great old apple tree1 which in the spring had thousands and thousands of lovely pink blossoms on it1 and in the autumn had many bright red apples4 ,the nursery of this cottage was a little bower of a room1 and here five little children used to come to be dressed and have their hair brushed and curled every morning4 ,now it used to happen1 every morning1 that the five little heads would be peeping out of the window1 together1 into the flowery boughs of the apple tree2 and the reason was this4 ,a pair of robins had built a very pretty1 smooth-lined nest directly under the window4 ,the robins1 at first1 had been rather shy of this inspection2 but1 as they got better acquainted1 they seemed to think no more of the little curly heads in the window than of the pink blossoms about them1 or the daisies and buttercups at the foot of the tree4 ,when the little nest was finished1 it was so neat1 and workmanlike1 that the children all exulted over it1 and called it 8our nest10 and the two robins they called 8our birds40 ,but wonderful was the joy when the little eyes1 opening one morning1 saw in the nest a beautiful pale-green egg2 and the joy grew from day to day1 for every day there came another egg1 and so on till there were five little eggs4 ,after that the mother bird began to sit on the eggs1 and then it seemed a very long time for the children to wait4 ,but one morning1 when they pushed their five curly heads out of the window1 the patient little bird was gone and there seemed to be nothing left in the little nest but a bunch of something hairy4 8,o1 mamma1 do come here60 they cried1 8the bird has gone and left her nest60 ,but at that five little red mouths opened wide1 and then they saw that the hairy bunch of stuff was five little birds4 8,they are dreadful looking things10 said one of the children2 8,i didn't know that little birds began by looking so bad40 ,but after this it was great fun to watch the parent birds feed this nestful of little red mouths1 until it became a nestful of little1 fat1 speckled robins4 ,then1 as there were five children1 and five robins1 they each chose one bird for his own1 and they named them ,brown-,eyes1 ,tip-,top1 ,singer1 ,toddy1 and ,speckle4 ,time went on1 and as ,brown-,eyes1 ,tip-,top1 ,singer1 ,toddy1 and ,speckle grew bigger1 they began to make a very crowded nestful of birds4 ,now the children had been taught a little verse which said3 ,birds in their little nests agree1 ,and 'tis a shameful sight ,when children of one family ,fall out1 and chide1 and fight2 and they thought anything really written and printed must be true2 therefore they were very much astonished to see1 from day to day1 that their little birds in their nest did not agree4 ,tip-,top was the biggest and strongest bird1 and he was always shuffling and crowding the others1 and clamoring for the most food4 ,speckle was a bird of spirit1 and he used to peck at ,tip-,top1 while ,brown-,eyes was a meek1 tender little fellow4 ,as for ,toddy and ,singer1 they turned out to be sister birds1 and showed quite a feminine talent for chattering4 8,i say10 said ,tip-,top one day1 8this old nest is a dull1 crowded hole1 and it's quite time some of us were out of it40 8,my dear boy10 said ,mother ,robin1 8we shall teach you to fly as soon as your wings are strong enough40 8,humbug60 cried ,tip-,top1 balancing with his short little tail on the edge of the nest4 8,look at those swallows1 skimming and diving through the blue air6 ,that's the way ,i want to do40 8,my dear boy10 said his mother1 8do go into the nest and be a good little bird1 and then you will be happy40 8,i'm too big for the nest10 said ,tip-,top1 8and ,i want to see the world4 ,it's full of beautiful things1 ,i know4 ,now there's the most lovely creature with bright eyes1 that comes under the tree every day1 and wants me to come down in the grass and play with her40 8,my son1 my son1 beware60 said the frightened mother2 8that seemingly lovely creature is our dreadful enemy1 the cat--a horrid monster1 with teeth and claws40 ,at this all the little birds shuddered and cuddled deeper into the nest--all but ,tip-,top1 who didn't believe it4 ,so the next morning1 after the father and mother were gone1 ,tip-,top got on the edge of the nest again1 and looked over and saw lovely ,miss ,pussy washing her face among the daisies under the tree1 and her hair was smooth and white as the daisies1 and her eyes were yellow and beautiful to behold1 and she looked up to the tree bewitchingly and said1 8,little birds1 little birds1 come down4 ,pussy wants to play with you40 8,only look at her60 said ,tip-,top2 8her eyes are like gold40 8,no1 don't look10 said ,singer and ,speckle4 8,she will bewitch you and then eat you up2 mother said so40 8,i'd like to see her try to eat me up10 said ,tip-,top1 again balancing his short tail over the edge of the nest4 8,her paws are as white as velvet1 and so soft6 ,i don't believe she has any claws40 8,don't go1 brother1 don't60 screamed both sisters4 ,a moment after1 a dreadful scream was heard from the nursery window4 8,o1 mamma1 mamma1 do come here6 ,tip-,top's fallen out of the nest1 and the cat has got him60 ,poor1 foolish ,tip-,top6 ,but in another moment the children were in the yard1 and ,jamie plunged under a bush and caught the cat1 with luckless ,tip-,top in her mouth4 ,tip-,top was not dead1 but some of his pretty feathers were gone1 and one of his wings was broken4 8,oh1 what shall we do for him60 cried the children4 8,poor ,tip-,top60 8,we will put him back into the nest1 children10 said mamma4 8,his mother will know best what to do for him40 ,so a ladder was brought1 and papa climbed up and put poor ,tip-,top safely into the nest4 ,the cat had shaken all the nonsense well out of him1 and he was a dreadfully humbled young robin4 ,and when the time came for all the other little birds to learn to fly1 poor ,tip-,top was still confined to the nest with his broken wing4 ,the ,good ,king#ab ,once upon a time there was a ,king in ,spain who had only one leg4 ,he was a ,good ,king1 and he had a big ,animal ,farm where he kept all the animals who had lost one or more of their legs4 ,in another part of ,spain there was a ,little ,half ,chick with only one eye1 one wing1 and one leg4 ,the other chickens with two eyes and two legs gobbled up the corn so fast that ,little ,half ,chick was nearly starved4 ,one day a ,donkey told ,little ,half ,chick about the ,good ,king and his ,animal ,farm4 ,little ,half ,chick at once started hoppity-hop for ,mother ,hen and said3 8,mother ,hen1 ,i am going to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king40 8,all right10 said ,mother ,hen1 8good luck to you40 ,so ,little ,half ,chick started off1 hoppity-hop1 hoppity-hop1 along the road to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king4 ,soon she met a ,two-legged ,cat going along hippity-hip1 hippity-hip1 on her leg and crutch4 ,the ,cat said3 8,hello1 ,little ,half ,chick1 where are you going so fast80 ,little ,half ,chick said1 8,i am going to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king40 8,may ,i go too80 said the ,two-legged ,cat4 8,yes10 said ,little ,half ,chick1 8fall in behind40 ,so the ,cat fell in behind4 ,hoppity-hop1 hoppity-hop1 went ,little ,half ,chick4 ,hippity-hip1 hippity-hip1 went the ,two-legged ,cat4 ,soon they met a ,three-legged ,dog going along humpity-hump1 humpity-hump4 ,the ,dog said3 8,hello1 ,little ,half ,chick1 where are you going so fast80 ,little ,half ,chick said1 8,i am going to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king40 8,may ,i go too80 said the ,three-legged ,dog4 8,yes10 said ,little ,half ,chick1 8fall in behind40 ,so the ,dog fell in behind4 ,hoppity-hop1 hoppity-hop1 went ,little ,half ,chick4 ,hippity-hip1 hippity-hip1 went the ,two-legged ,cat4 ,humpity-hump1 humpity-hump1 went the ,three-legged ,dog4 ,soon they met a ,one-legged ,crow going along jumpity-jump1 jumpity-jump4 ,the ,crow said3 8,hello1 ,little ,half ,chick1 where are you going so fast80 ,little ,half ,chick said1 8,i am going to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king40 8,may ,i go too80 said the ,one-legged ,crow4 8,yes10 said ,little ,half ,chick1 8fall in behind40 ,so the ,crow fell in behind4 ,hoppity-hop1 hoppity-hop1 went ,little ,half ,chick4 ,hippity-hip1 hippity-hip1 went the ,two-legged ,cat4 ,humpity-hump1 humpity-hump1 went the ,three-legged ,dog4 ,jumpity-jump1 jumpity-jump1 went the ,one-legged ,crow4 ,soon they met a ,snake with no legs at all4 ,he had caught his tail in his teeth1 and was rolling along1 loopity-loop1 loopity-loop4 ,the ,snake said3 8,hello1 ,little ,half ,chick1 where are you going so fast80 8,i am going to ,madrid to see the ,good ,king10 said ,little ,half ,chick4 8,may ,i go too80 said the ,snake4 8,yes10 said ,little ,half ,chick1 8fall in behind40 ,so the ,snake fell in behind4 ,hoppity-hop1 hoppity-hop1 went ,little ,half ,chick4 ,hippity-hip1 hippity-hip1 went the ,two-legged ,cat4 ,humpity-hump1 humpity-hump1 went the ,three-legged ,dog4 ,jumpity-jump1 jumpity-jump1 went the ,one-legged ,crow4 ,loopity-loop1 loopity-loop1 went the ,snake with no legs at all4 ,soon they came to ,madrid and saw the ,good ,king4 ,with the ,king was his little daughter ,margaret4 ,they both laughed as all these funny animals came up4 ,the ,king said to ,little ,margaret3 8,do you want to see us all go out to the ,animal ,farm80 8,yes10 said ,little ,margaret1 8,i will lead the way40 ,so she led the way along the street to the ,animal ,farm4 ,behind ,margaret came the ,one-legged ,king4 ,next came ,little ,half ,chick1 next the ,two-legged ,cat1 next the ,three-legged ,dog1 next the ,one-legged ,crow1 and last of all the ,snake with no legs at all4 ,so they all went out to the ,animal ,farm4 ,and there they lived happily ever after4 ,the ,plowman ,who ,found ,content#ac ,a plowman paused in his work one day to rest4 ,as he sat on the handle of his plow he fell a-thinking4 ,the world had not been going well with him of late1 and he could not help feeling downhearted4 ,just then he saw an old woman looking at him over the hedge4 8,good-morning60 she said4 8,if you are wise you will take my advice40 8,and what is your advice80 he asked4 8,leave your plow1 and walk straight on for two days4 ,at the end of that time you will find yourself in the middle of a forest1 and in front of you there will be a tree towering high above the others4 ,cut it down1 and your fortune will be made40 ,with these words the old woman hobbled down the road1 leaving the plowman wondering4 ,he unharnessed his horses1 drove them home1 and said good-by to his wife2 and then taking his ax1 started out4 ,at the end of two days he came to the tree1 and set to work to cut it down4 ,as it crashed to the ground a nest containing two eggs fell from its topmost branches4 ,the shells of the eggs were smashed1 and out of one came a young eagle1 while from the other rolled a small gold ring4 ,the eagle rapidly became larger and larger1 till it was of full size2 then1 flapping its wings1 it flew up4 8,i thank you1 honest man1 for giving me my freedom10 it called out4 8,in token of my gratitude take the ring--it is a wishing ring4 ,if you wish anything as you turn it round on your finger1 your wish will be fulfilled4 ,but remember this--the ring contains but one wish1 so think well before you use it40 ,the man put the ring on his finger1 and set off on his homeward journey4 ,night was coming on when he entered a town4 ,almost the first person he saw was a goldsmith standing at the door of his shop4 ,so he went up to him1 and asked him what the ring was worth4 ,the goldsmith looked at it carefully1 and handed it back to the man with a smile4 8,it is of very little value10 he said4 ,the plowman laughed4 8,ah1 ,mr4 ,goldsmith10 he cried1 8you have made a mistake this time4 ,my ring is worth more than all you have in your shop2 it's a wishing-ring1 and will give me anything ,i care to wish for40 ,the goldsmith felt annoyed and asked to see it again4 8,well1 my good man10 he said1 8never mind about the ring4 ,i dare say you are far from home1 and are in want of some supper and a bed for the night4 ,come in and spend the night in my house40 ,the man gladly accepted the offer1 and was soon sound asleep4 ,in the middle of the night the goldsmith took the ring from his finger1 and put another just like it in its place without disturbing him in the least4 ,next morning the countryman went on his way1 all unconscious of the trick that had been played on him4 ,when he had gone the goldsmith closed the shutters of his shop1 and bolted the door2 then turning the ring on his finger he said1 8,i wish for a hundred thousand sovereigns60 ,scarcely had the sound of his voice died away than there fell about him a shower of hard1 bright1 golden sovereigns4 ,they struck him on the head1 on the shoulders1 on the hands4 ,they covered the floor4 ,presently the floor gave way beneath the weight1 and the goldsmith and his gold fell into the cellar beneath4 ,next morning1 when the goldsmith did not open the shop as usual1 the neighbors forced open the door1 and found him buried beneath the pile4 ,meanwhile the countryman reached his home1 and told his wife of the ring4 8,now1 good wife10 said he1 8here is the ring2 our fortune is made4 ,of course we must consider the matter well2 then1 when we have made up our minds as to what is best1 we can express some very big wish as ,i turn the ring on my finger40 8,suppose10 said the woman1 8we were to wish for a nice farm2 the land we have now is so small as to be almost useless40 8,yes10 said the husband2 8but1 on the other hand1 if we work hard and spend little for a year or two we might be able to buy as much as we want4 ,then we could get something else with the wishing-ring40 ,so it was agreed4 ,for a year the man and his wife worked hard4 ,harvest came1 and the crops were splendid4 ,at the end of the year they were able to buy a nice farm1 and still had some money left4 8,there10 said the man1 8we have the land1 and we still have our wish40 8,well10 said his wife1 8we could do very well with a horse and a cow40 8,they are not worth wishing for10 said he2 8we can get them as we got the land40 ,so they went on working steadily and spending wisely for another year4 ,at the end of that time they bought both a horse and a cow4 ,husband and wife were greatly pleased with their good fortune1 for1 said they1 8,we have got the things we wanted and we have still our wish40 ,as time went on everything prospered with the worthy couple4 ,they worked hard1 and were happy4 ,indeed1 the husband would probably have forgotten all about the ring had not his wife constantly asked him to wish for something4 8,let us work while we are young10 her husband would answer4 8,life is still before us1 and who can say how badly we may need our wish some day40 ,so the years passed away4 ,every season saw the bounds of the farm increase and the granaries grow fuller4 ,all day long the farmer was about in the fields1 while his wife looked after the house and the dairy4 ,sometimes1 as they sat alone of an evening1 she would remind him of the unused wishing-ring1 and would talk of things she would like to have for the house4 ,but he always replied that there was still plenty of time for that4 ,the man and his wife grew old and gray4 ,then came a day when they both died--and the wishing-ring had not been used4 ,it was still on his finger as he had worn it for forty years4 ,one of his sons was going to take it off1 but the oldest said3 8,do not disturb it2 there has been some secret in connection with it4 ,perhaps our mother gave it to him1 for ,i have often seen her look longingly at it40 ,thus the old man was buried with the ring1 which was supposed to be a wishing-ring1 but which1 as we know1 was not1 though it brought the old couple more good fortune and happiness than all the wishing in the world could ever have given them4 ,king of the ,frogs#ad ,once upon a time--so long ago that the oldest frog now living does not remember it--all the frogs of a far-away country came together in solemn council4 8,i propose10 said a big green fellow with a very deep voice1 8that we ask to have a king appointed to rule over us40 8,what do we want of a king80 asked a small and inquisitive frog4 ,but his voice was hardly heard1 for all the other frogs shouted together1 8,yes1 let us have a king4 ,let us have a king40 8,haven't we all we need1 now1 to make us happy80 asked the little1 inquisitive frog again4 ,but nobody paid the slightest attention to him4 ,so the other frogs sent a request to the ,great ,ruler of the land1 asking that he appoint a king to rule over them4 8,a king of the frogs60 said the ,great ,ruler1 when he heard their request4 ,and then he knit his brows and thought for a very long time4 ,but nobody knew that his thoughts were the same as those of the little1 inquisitive frog to whom nobody had paid any attention4 ,at last the ,great ,ruler spoke4 8,why do you want a king80 he asked4 8,have you not1 now1 everything you need to make you happy80 ,but all the frogs shouted in chorus1 8,give us a king4 ,give us a king40 ,so the ,great ,ruler knit his brows and thought again for a very long time4 ,at length he spoke4 8,i will give you a great log for a king4 ,it will bear you upon the water and the sun will shine upon you as you rest on its broad surface40 ,but the frogs were angry at this4 8,the idea60 they shouted4 8,we want a living king2 we want no dead log for a king40 ,so the ,great ,ruler knit his brows and thought again for a very long time4 ,at length he spoke4 8,since you insist upon it1 ,i will give you the stork for your king40 ,then all the frogs sang joyfully1 8,yes1 we will have the stork for our king4 ,the stork is our king6 ,the stork is our king60 ,so the stork was sent to rule over them1 and as soon as he came among them he began to eat4 ,and he ate and ate--till he had swallowed every frog in the land4 ,the ,adder ,that ,did ,not ,hear#ae ,away in the midst of the forest1 there lived a tiny adder4 ,he was so very little that the great beasts never thought of talking to him4 ,but the spiders and the wasps and the frogs often stopped to visit at his doorway4 ,one morning1 as a frog hopped down the path1 he stopped and called 8,good morning4 ,i've a bit of news for you40 8,good morning10 replied the adder4 8,i hope it is good news1 ,i am sure40 8,what's good news to one person may be bad news to another10 croaked the frog4 8,but listen6 ,as ,i came along through the forest ,i heard a great chattering among the monkeys1 and ,i stopped to hear what it was all about4 8,one little monkey sat crying in the midst of them1 and the others were all saying1 #8,you know you tried to steal--'0 ,but the adder had rolled over so that one ear lay close to the ground1 and he had stuck the end of his tail in the other ear4 ,of course he couldn't hear another word of what the frog was saying4 8,dear me60 said the frog1 looking very much offended4 8,that is a great way to treat a friend1 ,i am sure40 ,and he hopped off into the rushes4 ,presently a wasp flew down by the adder's home and settled upon a leaf near by4 8,good morning10 said the adder politely4 8,what a beautiful day this is40 8,yes10 buzzed the wasp1 8it's nice today1 but there's sure to be a storm--0 ,but the adder had rolled over so that one ear lay close to the ground1 and he had stuck the end of his tail into the other ear4 8,well1 ,i declare10 buzzed the wasp angrily4 8,what an impertinent fellow40 ,and she flew away as fast as ever she could4 ,the adder straightened himself out and went about his work once more1 thinking as he did so how bright the sunlight was1 and how soft and warm the air felt1 and how beautifully the birds were singing4 ,presently a little brown spider dropped a thread from her web and ran down to the adder's doorway4 8,good morning10 she said4 8,i have come to invite you to a forest revel4 ,why are you always so quiet8 ,you should come with us and not mind what the sober workers tell you4 ,we will have music and dancing and wine and song--0 ,but the adder had rolled over so that one ear lay close to the ground and he had stuck the end of his tail into the other ear4 8,such manners60 exclaimed the spider1 and she climbed the thread back to her web4 ,and so it came about that the small people of the forest began to have this saying amongst them1 8,he's as deaf as an adder40 ,the ,north ,star#af ,three ,ojibway hunters had been out hunting for meat many days2 it was in a new place4 ,the woods were very thick1 but there were no deer in them4 ,the hunters had nothing to eat2 they had no water1 for there was none2 they were lost in the thick forest4 ,the hunters sat down and smoked the pipe of peace4 ,they offered the smoke to the ,manitous who might live in the woods4 ,they asked the ,manitous to help them4 ,the day sun was gone and there was no night sun4 ,the chief covered his head with his blanket and chanted3 8,our wigwams will see us no more4 ,we will stay here forever4 ,we can go no further40 ,a little ,pukwudjinnie came out of a hollow tree when the chief had chanted his story4 ,the ,little ,one was like a little papoose1 but he was very old and knew very much4 ,he said3 8,i will help the hunters4 ,i will show you the trail40 ,he pulled the thick bushes apart1 and the hunters followed4 ,he found the trail and soon came upon a herd of deer feeding in the bush4 ,the hunters shot two deer and ate much meat2 they were stronger after they had eaten the meat4 ,the ,little ,one did not eat2 he was not hungry4 ,there was no rain1 and the hunters had no water2 they lost their strength and could not walk on the trail4 ,the ,pukwudjinnie left them2 then the hunters put their blankets over their heads and sat down4 ,they said no words4 ,they could not smoke the pipe of peace1 for their strength was all gone4 ,the ,little ,one came back with a deer-skin full of drink for them2 he poured it into their mouths2 it was not water2 it was like no drink they ever had before4 ,they became very strong and wanted nothing more to eat or drink for more than one moon4 ,he led them on a long trail1 to the land of his ,little ,people2 he took them to his own chief4 ,the chief was like a little papoose1 but he knew all the trails in the forest4 ,he knew all the trails in the sky4 ,the little chief showed the ,ojibway chief the star in the north1 the star that never moves4 ,the little chief showed them how to watch this star and not lose their trail4 ,he found their lost trail for them and sent them home4 ,the three hunters came back to their own wigwams4 ,they talked in the council and showed their people the star that never moves4 ,other nations and tribes know this star now1 but the ,ojibways believe that their people were the first to know where to find it in the ,great ,blue ,wigwam4 ,the ,cobbler#ag ,once upon a time there lived a cobbler who sat day after day in his shop1 working away at his cobbler's last--just making shoes4 ,after a time he came to think that because he had made so very many pairs of shoes1 he knew more about them than anybody else in the world4 ,he grew quite puffed up with pride1 and was always looking for some way of showing his knowledge4 ,one day as he was walking in the public square of the town1 he saw a statue which had been made by a great artist4 ,and he discovered--ha-ha-ha--he discovered that the shoe-latchet of the statue was not made just right4 8,aha1 aha60 he said1 and his chest swelled with pride and delight4 8,here is a statue made by a great artist--but he does not know how a shoe-latchet is made4 ,surely1 ,i am greater than he60 ,then he began to look the statue over to see what other mistakes he might find4 ,and after a while it seemed to him that the legs of the statue were not shaped just right1 either4 8,i will go to the ,lord ,mayor of the town10 he said to himself1 8and order the statue removed from our public square40 ,so he went to the ,lord ,mayor's palace1 and when he came into the ,lord ,mayor's presence1 he said1 8,may it please your ,honor1 ,i have discovered great errors in the statue which is in our public square1 and ,i have come to petition your ,honor to have it removed40 ,then the ,lord ,mayor looked the cobbler over gravely1 and asked1 8,can you make a better statue to put in its place80 ,at that the cobbler turned quite red and stammered1 8,oh1 no1 your ,honor2 but ,i can make a better shoe-latchet40 8,then1 ,sir ,cobbler10 replied the ,lord ,mayor1 8,i would advise you to stick to your last40 ,opechee the ,robin ,redbreast#ah ,a great hunter among the ,chippewas1 or ,ojibways1 wanted his son to secure a powerful spirit to protect him in war and all danger4 ,to gain the help of the strong ,manitou the boy must fast twelve days4 ,many ,indian boys can do this1 but not all4 ,many try and fail4 ,the boy did as his father commanded1 for when the time came he went into the secret lodge in the deep forest and laid himself down alone on the mat his mother had woven for him4 ,he did not fear1 but his strength was weak4 ,all night he lay there alone4 ,in the morning his father came and asked him if the strong spirit had come to him in his dreams4 ,the boy shook his head4 ,no dreams had come to him4 ,each day for ten days the father came to the little lodge in the wilderness and asked his son if the strong ,manitou had come to him4 8,it is not for me to have such dreams1 my father1 ,i am not brave4 ,the strong ,manitou will not come to me4 ,let me give up my fast40 8,if you give up now1 the ,manitou will never come4 ,hunger makes my son weak1 but his heart is strong4 ,it is only a short time more to wait4 ,then my son shall be the strongest of all40 ,the ,indian boy covered his face and lay still upon the mat4 ,he would obey his father4 ,on the morning of the eleventh day the boy saw his father enter the wigwam4 ,he slowly turned his face toward him and whispered3 8,let me break my fast2 ,i have no dreams40 8,tomorrow ,i will bring you food4 ,tomorrow you shall come to the lodge of your father40 ,the boy closed his eyes and said no more4 ,he was very weak and faint4 ,the next morning the father went with the earliest morning light to the little lodge in the forest4 ,peeping through the door he saw his son sitting up4 ,beside his mat were brushes and paint4 ,he was painting himself red and brown4 8,the ,manitou will free me1 but it is not the spirit my father wanted10 he heard the boy say4 ,the father rushed into the lodge1 but as he touched his boy the lad changed into a bird and flew out of the open doorway4 ,sitting on the top of the lodge he sang these words3 8,do not mourn for me1 my father1 for ,i am happy4 ,i did not want to be a warrior4 ,i wanted only to be free4 ,i shall find food upon the fields and the hills4 ,i will comfort you40 ,then he flew away4 ,opechee lives near the homes of men4 ,he loves to comfort them when they are sad4 ,he is happy when they are happy4 ,his songs are for the little children and for the fathers and mothers who want their little ones to be brave4 ,opechee is not afraid in the storm1 and many have heard him singing just after the great thunder-birds had called to each other and the water was coming fast from the sky to find a place to hide in the ground4 ,opechee is brave1 but not strong4 ,the ,country ,cat#ai ,the big white cat trotting across the lawn with a rat in his mouth started ,meriky on a story this afternoon4 8,huh60 exclaimed ,meriky1 8cats and mouses didn't used to be sich bad friends as dey is now4 8,once upon a time dey visited back an' forth like yo' ma an' ,miz ,paterson40 8,what made them fall out80 8,hit come 'bout dis-er-way4 ,ol' ,miz ,cat live in de country1 but she mighty hongry to know 'bout town doin's4 ,she tell round 'mongst her friends 'bout greatly she's honin' to see de sights4 8,middle of de night come little ,mr4 ,gray ,mouse knockin' on de door1 and say he got a cousin goin' up to town1 an' if ,miz ,cat still wantin' to see de sights1 dis hyer cousin be proud to give her a lift4 8,den ,miz ,pussy ,cat put on her bonnet an' put on her shawl1 an' tuck her a poke full o' victuals an' started out wid ,mr4 ,mouse4 ,mouses does dey travelin' by night an' de cat an' mouse travel all night and git to town de next day4 8,when dey come where all de people was1 ,mr4 ,mouse pick up his foot and run in a rat hole2 but ,miz ,cat set down by de side de road for to eat the snack4 8,she was a-sittin' dar1 spreadin' out all dat good country sassige1 and good country ham and sich truck1 when a town cat come along past4 8,dis hyer town cat was hongry2 he was all raggety same as de beggar man what yo' ma give a dinner to yisstiddy4 ,he want ,miz ,cat's victuals mighty bad4 #8,m'lan'6' he say1 #8whar you git dat pig mess8' 8#8,dat my snack1' say ,miz ,cat1 mighty polite4 #8,i brung hit wid me from home4 ,won't you jine1 sir8' 8,now1 dat dar ol' hungry town cat want every bit of ,miz ,pussy ,cat's snack4 ,he never want to jine2 so he say1 #8,does dey really eat sich a mess as dat in de country whar you come from8' 8#8,yes1 indeed1' say de country cat1 mighty glad to meet up wid town folks1 an' larn town ways4 #8,don't you eat sich in town8 ,what you eat in town1 anyhow8' 8,de town cat look all 'bout4 ,he boun' to sen' ,miz ,pussy ,cat on a arrant dat'll take her 'way from dem good victuals4 ,right den he see ,mr4 ,mouse peep out a hole to ax ,miz ,cat how she come on4 ,he boun' if ,miz ,cat git to runnin' after ,mr4 ,swif' ,foot ,mouse he have time to steal her dinner4 8#8,we eats mices1' he say1 in de grandest way imaginable4 #8,you never will larn town ways tell you larn to eat mices6' 8,i done told you dat ,miz ,pussy ,cat plumb crazy 'bout larnin' to do like town folks does4 ,she hop up and leave dat lunch1 quick as you could wink--an' dat ol' hongry town cat grab hit des' as quick4 ,she ran dat mouse plumb down all de way to de ,co't ,house4 ,dar she ketch him1 an' right dar she eat him--all but de squeak an' de teef4 8,den1 by dat1 she got de taste2 and all cats been eatin' rats and mouses to dis good day40 ,legend of the ,arbutus#bj ,an old tepee stood by a frozen river in the forest where there are many pine trees4 ,the tops of the trees were white with snow4 ,the tepee was almost covered with the snow4 ,an old chief sat in this tepee2 his hair was like the icicles that hang from dead pine-tree branches2 he was very old4 ,he was covered with furs4 ,the floor of his tepee was covered with the skins of the bear and the elk4 ,he had been a great hunter4 ,his name was ,peboan4 ,peboan was faint with hunger1 and he was cold4 ,he had been hunting for three days4 ,he had killed nothing4 ,all the moose1 deer1 and bear had gone4 ,they had left no trail4 ,wabasso1 the rabbit1 had hidden in the bushes4 ,there was no food1 no meat1 for ,peboan4 ,he called upon the great ,menabozho for help4 8,come1 ,menabozho1 come help ,peboan1 the chief of the winter ,manitous4 ,come1 for ,mukwa1 the bear1 has gone from me4 ,come1 or ,peboan must go to the far north to find ,mahto1 the white bear4 ,peboan is old1 and his feet are weary40 ,peboan crawled on his knees over the furs to the little fire in the middle of the tepee4 ,he blew on the coals with his faint breath1 and the coals grew very red4 ,his breath was like a wind2 the coals made the wind warm like a south wind4 ,the deerskins that covered the tepee trembled like leaves1 for the warm wind blew them4 ,peboan sat on the furs on the floor of his tepee and waited4 ,he knew ,menabozho would hear him4 ,peboan heard no sound1 but he looked toward the door of his tepee4 ,it was lifted back1 and he saw a beautiful ,indian maiden4 ,she carried a great bundle of willow buds in her arms4 ,her dress was of sweet grass and early maple leaves4 ,her eyes were like a young deer4 ,her hair was like the blackest feathers of a crow1 and it was so long that it was like a blanket over her shoulders4 ,she was small2 her feet were hidden in two moccasin flowers4 8,menabozho heard ,peboan1 the winter ,manitou4 ,he has sent me4 ,i am ,segun40 8,you are welcome1 ,segun4 ,sit by my fire2 it is warm4 ,i have no meat4 ,sit down and tell me what you can do40 8,peboan may tell first10 said ,segun4 ,peboan said3 8,i am a winter ,manitou2 ,i blow my breath1 and the flowers die4 ,the waters stand still2 the leaves fall and die40 ,segun said3 8,i am a summer ,manitou2 ,i blow my breath1 and the flowers open their eyes4 ,the waters follow me on my trail40 ,peboan said3 8,i shake my hair1 and the snow falls on the mountains1 like the feathers of ,waubese1 the great white swan40 ,segun said3 8,i shake my hair1 and warm rain falls from the clouds4 ,i call1 and the birds answer me4 ,the trees put on their leaves1 and the grass grows thick like the fur of the bear4 ,the summer sky is my tepee4 ,menabozho has said that the time has come for you to go40 ,peboan's head bent over on his shoulder4 ,the sun melted the snow on the pine trees2 it melted the snow on the tepee4 ,segun waved her hands over ,peboan1 and a strange thing happened4 ,peboan grew smaller and smaller4 ,his deer-skin clothes turned to leaves and covered ,peboan on the ground4 ,segun looked1 but ,peboan was gone4 ,she took some flowers from her hair and hid them under the leaves on the ground4 ,there was ice on the leaves1 but it did not hurt the pink flowers4 ,segun breathed on the flowers1 and they became sweet4 ,she said3 8,i go1 but the flowers shall stay to tell of ,segun's visit to ,peboan4 ,the children shall find them and know that ,segun has sent ,peboan away4 ,it shall be so each time the snows melt and the rivers begin to run4 ,this flower shall tell that spring has come40 ,peboan's tepee was sweet with the breath of the flowers1 but ,segun was gone4 ,why the ,dog ,cannot ,endure the ,cat1 ,nor the ,cat the ,mouse#ba ,long years ago it was the custom to give the dog all the meat that fell from the master's table4 ,but one day when all the dogs met in council1 one of them said1 8,it might be a wise plan to have an agreement drawn up for the dogs and their masters to sign4 8,some time10 said he1 8one of our masters might drink too much wine1 or get into a rage1 and forbid us to have the meat4 ,and then what could we do8 ,it is best to be on the safe side10 and he shook his head sagely4 8,that is a very good plan10 agreed the other dogs4 8,let us carry it out at once40 ,so the secretary of the dogs' council drew up a document and wrote it upon parchment4 ,it stated that all the dogs of every country were entitled to the meat that fell from their masters' tables4 ,it was a very carefully worded document1 and it was written out in the most learned form by the lawyer of the council4 ,then the secretary took the parchment1 rolled it up and went about the whole land until it had been signed by all the masters of dogs4 ,the parchment was then given to the ,king of the ,dogs1 to be carefully kept4 ,the ,king of the ,dogs gave the parchment to his private secretary1 the ,tomcat1 telling him that it was a very important document1 and must be put away with the greatest care4 ,tomcat took the parchment and went softly away to the garret1 where he hid the precious document behind a beam4 ,for a long time there was no need of bringing out the parchment1 for all the masters did as they had agreed1 and the dogs fared well4 ,but one day it happened that ,master ,miller had a new cook who was very careless1 and when this cook brought in a prime roast of beef1 he let it slip from the platter to the floor4 ,instantly it was seized upon by ,dog ,trophy1 who started off with it4 ,but ,master ,miller was in no mood to lose his dinner1 and he snatched the roast from ,dog ,trophy1 telling him that he was a thief4 ,then he rubbed ,dog ,trophy's paw with hot ashes to teach him not to steal4 ,dog ,trophy's heart burned with indignation1 and his paw burned with the hot ashes1 and he went away on three legs as fast as ever he could to the ,king of the ,dogs4 ,when he reached the ,king's house1 he set forth his case4 8,bring out the official parchment10 called the ,king1 when ,dog ,trophy had told his story4 ,tomcat ran quickly to the garret1 sprang to the beam where he had tucked the precious document1 and then set up a 8maou0 of anger and dismay4 ,the mice had nibbled the valuable parchment into tiny scraps6 ,tomcat vowed1 then and there1 that no mouse should escape his claws from that day on4 ,the ,king of the ,dogs sent ,tomcat away in disgrace1 and the dogs agreed that thereafter they would chase a cat whenever they should see one4 ,but1 ,dog ,trophy lost his roast of beef4 ,the ,miser of ,takhoma#bb ,long1 long ago1 ,miser lived near the foot of ,takhoma4 ,he never was happy4 ,when food was scarce and the tribe were starving1 ,miser could find fish in secret places in the streams4 ,when the snows were deep and the black-necked elk hid in the dark places of the forest1 he could still secure meat4 ,his skill as a hunter and fisherman was known to all his tribe4 ,but ,miser cared only for hiaqua1 or shell money4 ,now ,moosmoos1 the elk1 was ,miser's tomanowos1 or guardian spirit4 ,therefore1 he tried to talk with the elk1 even while hunting them4 ,he wanted more hiaqua4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one night ,moosmoos whispered to ,miser the secret hiding-place of the hiaqua of the tomanowos4 ,the hiding-place was high up on ,takhoma4 ,early in the morning1 ,miser began to make ready for his search4 ,he sent his klootchman1 or squaw1 to dig camas roots4 ,thus he could work secretly4 ,he made two elk-horn picks by taking off all the prongs except the upper ones4 ,he filled his ikta1 or bag1 with kinnikinnick1 and with dried salmon4 ,at sunset ,miser began to climb the mountain4 ,all night he climbed the trail4 ,all the next day he climbed4 ,by night again he was above the snow line1 cold and tired and hungry4 ,when the moon arose1 he climbed again4 ,over vast snow fields1 across wide cracks in the ice1 over the slippery shoulders of the lower peaks he climbed4 ,at sunrise he reached the top4 ,now ,takhoma was the home of the tomanowos1 therefore1 ,miser was afraid4 ,but ,moosmoos had told him where the hiaqua was hidden4 ,in the white snow field which covered the crater was a black lake4 ,beyond it were three stones of equal height1 all as tall as a giant4 ,the top of the first was shaped like a salmon's head1 the top of the second was like a camas root1 and the third like an elk's head4 ,then ,miser believed the voice of ,moosmoos4 ,miser threw down his ikta4 ,he unwrapped his elk-horn pick4 ,then he began to dig in the snow at the foot of the elk's head4 ,miser struck the first blow4 ,as an echo he heard a sudden puff4 ,startled1 he turned to see a huge otter climbing out of the black waters of the lake4 ,big ,otter struck his tail with a loud thump on the snow4 ,another otter appeared1 then another4 ,at last twelve otters gathered in a circle around their huge leader4 ,they formed a circle around ,miser1 digging with his pick at the foot of the elk's head4 ,then ,big ,otter leaped to the top of the elk's head4 ,all the others gave a loud puff4 ,miser kept digging4 ,at every thirteenth blow of the pick ,big ,otter thumped with his tail on the elk's head4 ,then the circle of twelve thumped with theirs on the snow4 ,miser became tired and stopped digging for a moment4 ,big ,otter turned on the elk's head4 ,with his tail he struck ,miser on the shoulder4 ,then the twelve turned1 walked backward1 and struck him with their tails4 ,miser began to dig again4 ,as he dug in the rock1 his pick broke4 ,big ,otter jumped from the elk's head4 ,he seized the second pick in his mouth and gave it to him4 ,miser dared not stop4 ,with each thirteenth blow of the pick and the thump of the tails1 the otters came nearer4 ,he could feel their breath as he lifted the last stone4 ,beneath lay a great hole1 filled with hiaqua4 ,as he lifted out the shells1 the otters returned to their larger circle4 ,miser lifted out handful after handful of the shell money4 ,he strung the hiaqua on elk sinews1 twenty strings in all4 ,the rest he covered again4 ,he hurried1 for it was after noon and he must return below the snow line4 ,then ,miser left the elk's head4 ,he offered no shells to ,moosmoos or to ,sahale4 ,he had forgotten the tomanowos4 ,as he crossed the crater1 the otters1 one by one1 with a loud puff1 jumped into the black lake4 ,they began to beat the black water with their tails4 ,he heard them beat the water as he plunged through the snow to the edge of the crater4 ,miser felt that the shells were very heavy4 ,as he stepped over the edge of the crater1 he glanced hack4 ,the three stones had vanished4 ,a thick mist rose from the black waters of the lake4 ,under the mist was a black cloud1 hiding the water4 ,miser feared tomanowos in the clouds4 ,then the storm seized him4 ,it flung him over an ice bank4 ,the blackness of all darkness lay around him4 ,colenass1 the storm god1 came down upon the mountain4 ,tootah1 the thunder1 deafened him with its roar4 ,the storm crashed about him4 ,fiery blasts melted the snow into great torrents4 ,icy winds froze them solid again4 ,in the roar and thunder1 ,miser heard the voices of all the tomanowos1 8,ha1 ha1 hiaqua6 ,ha1 ha1 hiaqua60 ,miser threw away a string of hiaqua4 ,the storm slackened for a moment4 ,then all began louder than ever4 ,kakahete screamed1 8,ha1 ha1 hiaqua6 ,ha1 ha1 hiaqua60 ,one by one ,miser threw away the strings of hiaqua1 strung on the sinews of ,moosmoos1 the elk4 ,always the tomanowos screamed after him4 ,then when the last string was gone1 with a last gust the storm blew him down1 flat upon the ground4 ,miser slept a long time4 ,when he awoke1 ,takhoma glistened above him1 shining white in the sunlight4 ,all around him grew camas roots4 ,rocky ridges lay where once the forest had stretched4 ,sunny meadows lay around him4 ,miser stretched himself and arose4 ,only dry leaves and dead grass remained in the rotted ikta4 ,miser wondered4 ,then he went down the mountain side4 ,he ate berries for food until he came to a cabin in the valley4 ,there lived a very old woman4 ,he talked with her and found she was his klootchman4 ,klootchman said he had slept thirty snows4 ,miser looked at himself in a pool4 ,he was very old4 ,his hair was white4 ,many1 many snows had the angry tomanowos made him sleep4 ,but ,miser was happy4 ,he no longer cared for hiaqua4 ,little ,sister ,kindness and the ,loving ,stitches#bc ,once1 when the world was new1 there lived a beautiful princess whose father was the ,king of ,forgotten ,land4 ,the ,king loved his daughter very much1 but he was a very wise ,king2 the more he loved the ,princess1 the more he realized that she must learn obedience1 and many other hard lessons4 ,the ,king knew that if he allowed his little daughter to be worshipped as many ,princesses are1 her face would grow hard and full of ugly lines1 so the wee ,princess was taught to divide her treasures1 and to care for the poor in her father's kingdom4 ,and so1 instead of growing hard and selfish1 the ,king's daughter grew lovelier every day1 and she was known as ,princess ,tender-heart4 ,at last1 when the ,princess had grown1 there came a ,prince from the land of ,bye-and-,bye1 to marry the ,princess ,tender-heart4 ,for a wedding gift he presented her with five hundred and forty-three mansions1 surrounding his palace4 ,and the ,princess was to give these mansions to the friends she loved best1 so that she should not be lonely when she went with the ,prince to live in the land of ,bye-and-,bye4 ,but one day the ,king found his daughter very unhappy1 and when he begged her to tell him why she was in tears1 she said that she had given away five hundred and forty-two mansions1 but she still had many friends1 and she did not know what to do with the one mansion that remained4 ,it was the one which stood the very nearest to the palace of the ,prince4 ,then the wise ,king said1 8,there1 there6 ,we'll settle this matter easily4 ,that one home shall go to the one who loves you best40 8,but how--10 began the ,princess4 8,never mind how10 interrupted her father1 and then they both laughed so merrily that all the canary birds in the kingdom began to sing4 ,the very next day the ,king of ,forgotten ,land issued a proclamation which set all the people to talking4 ,among those who read the copy that was posted outside the palace gates was a maiden known as ,little ,sister ,kindness4 8,so the ,princess is to be married one month from today10 she exclaimed4 ,then1 turning1 she saw a blind man standing by1 who had no one with him to tell him what the ,king's message contained4 ,little ,sister ,kindness stepped to his side1 and explained to him the contents of the proclamation4 8,the ,princess ,tender-heart is to be married10 she said1 8and instead of having her wedding garments made by the court dressmaker1 the ,king wishes everyone who loves the ,princess to come to the palace and help make her clothes4 ,to the one whose work proves that she loves the ,princess best1 shall be given the finest gift house of the five hundred and forty-three presented by the ,prince of ,bye-and-,bye40 8,i beg you to tell me more10 urged the blind man4 8,my daughter is a dressmaker4 ,how shall it be known who best loves the ,princess80 8,how fortunate that your daughter is a dressmaker60 exclaimed ,little ,sister ,kindness4 8,i wish that ,i were a dressmaker1 too4 ,the ,king announces that by examining the wardrobe when it is completed he will know at a glance who best loves ,her ,royal ,highness4 ,everyone adores the ,princess1 so only by magic will the ,king know who loves her best40 8,i thank you10 the blind man said with a low bow4 8,i must hasten now to tell my daughter this good news40 8,and ,i must hasten1 too10 agreed ,little ,sister ,kindness1 8for ,i have many friends who are skillful with the needle1 and ,i must carry the news to each one40 ,from that hour the sewing room of the palace became a busy1 bustling place4 ,for the seamstresses1 and the embroiderers1 and the lace-makers came from all parts of the kingdom1 to sew upon the wardrobe of the ,princess ,tender-heart4 ,one day1 a week later1 ,little ,sister ,kindness called at the palace with a message for a friend who was a noted lace-maker4 ,and while she waited she watched the busy workers1 and heard them talking4 ,it did not take her long to discover that each worker was striving to make some great piece of work which should attract the attention of the ,king1 and that each was eager to secure the most showy garment to work upon4 ,she saw1 too1 that the lace-makers used knots in the end of the threads1 and that the stitches which would not show1 were carelessly made and finished4 ,finally1 ,little ,sister ,kindness became so distressed by what she saw in the workroom that she begged to stay4 8,but1 what can you do80 inquired the manager of the wardrobe4 8,nothing that will count10 replied ,little ,sister ,kindness1 8but ,i can tie loose ends of threads1 and darn little holes neatly1 and finish seams inside and--0 8,there1 there60 exclaimed the manager of the wardrobe4 8,do get a needle and begin4 ,i have been so worried lest the ,princess should not have one perfect garment40 ,so ,little ,sister ,kindness began her work and was soon the busiest maiden in the palace4 ,scarcely a garment escaped her loving fingers4 ,everything needed a little stitch here and a little stitch there2 a button and button-hole in place of a pin2 a bit of trimming to be firmly fastened2 a bow to be sewed securely in place2 always a stitch here and a stitch there2 never a piece of work that would show2 not so much as a collar or a belt that the ,king might say1 8,ah6 ,this was made by ,little ,sister ,kindness40 ,there were days when the maiden felt discouraged and wished that she1 too1 might be doing something worth while for love of the beautiful ,princess4 ,but the unfinished seams and the hastily caught bows kept her too busy to grow dissatisfied1 and she knew that she was not skillful enough to fashion beautiful garments1 or make filmy bits of lace4 ,at last1 when the wardrobe was completed1 the ,king gave a banquet to which all in the kingdom were invited4 ,then1 in the presence of his subjects1 he walked into the great hall where all the wardrobe was displayed4 ,some of the garments were of linen1 some of silk1 some of satin1 and others of lace2 and when the ,king appeared each robe began to glow with a soft light1 and to shine with a hundred little stars2 here a star and there a star4 8,oh1 oh60 exclaimed all the people1 8oh1 oh1 oh6 ,there are tiny gold stitches shining like stars on every garment4 ,why do those stitches shine like golden stars8 ,who put them there8 ,whose are the golden stitches80 8,those are the stitches of the one who loves the ,princess best60 the ,king made answer4 ,then came a low wondering murmur from all who had worked upon the royal wardrobe1 and the murmur sounded like sweet music that sang over and over3 8,little ,sister ,kindness6 ,it is ,little ,sister ,kindness60 ,so it came about that ,little ,sister ,kindness and her family went to live in the home that was nearest the palace of the ,prince and ,princess in ,bye-and-,bye1 and there they all lived happily ever after4 ,the ,queen's ,necklace#bd ,once upon a time there lived an old king whom you could not very well call good1 in fact he was very disagreeable and horrid4 ,now1 in his old age1 the king had a fancy for marrying and he cast his eye over his many kingdoms to spy out a suitable wife for himself4 ,in this way his eye fell upon quite a young princess who was called ,blanzeflor4 8,she is as fair as a sunny day1 as mild as a dove1 and as meek as a lamb1 and she is only seventeen years old1 too6 ,she will suit me admirably10 said the king4 ,but when her father came to her and said3 8,blanzeflor1 our sovereign lord1 the king1 would have you for his queen10 she wept and said she would rather sit upon a stone and spin goats' wool1 than sit as queen at that king's side4 ,but when her father said that she must realize that if she refused the king he would come and hang both her father and mother and all the family upon a tree like so many bunches of onions1 then the princess bowed her head and said1 8,then ,i will marry him40 ,so they clad her in silk and in gold1 and set a crown upon her head and combed her long golden hair over her shoulders1 then they lifted her upon a white palfrey and rode forth with her to the king1 and thus the wedding took place4 ,on her wedding day the king hung a necklace of pearls around her neck4 8,i threaded them myself on this silken cord10 said the king4 8,these are pearls of the ,east and there are three hundred and sixty-five of them1 the smallest being a little crooked2 and ,i warn you10 he added1 8take great care of them1 for on the day you lose the necklace1 ,i warrant you will not care to look me in the eyes20 and the king began to roll his eyes so horribly that the young queen felt cold shivers all down her spine4 ,thus ,blanzeflor became queen4 ,every morning the king ate porridge and cream in bed1 and the queen carried it to him in a golden bowl and fed him like a baby1 for such was his command4 ,every evening the king and queen would play chess1 and then the queen always had to let the king win1 otherwise he would get bad-tempered4 ,but the very worst was at mealtime1 for the king was so proud he would not let anyone sit at table with the queen and himself4 ,the young queen would sit with downcast eyes1 scarcely daring to swallow a morsel1 so greatly did she tremble for fear lest something should displease the king1 for then he became quite terrible4 ,the only pleasure the court had was to stand and stare at ,blanzeflor1 for she glowed with a beauty more bright and radiant than all the torchlights in the banqueting hall1 and when she bowed and smiled it warmed the heart like the sun in summer4 ,now1 dreadful stories came to the queen's ears of how the king would fling people into prison for the smallest offence1 or wring their necks like chickens2 but alas6 what could she do in the matter8 ,she1 herself1 sat like a prisoner in the royal castle1 and never was she allowed to go out on foot but only on horseback followed by a royal retinue and closely guarded4 ,it happened one day1 however1 that the queen was in church--there at least the king could not prevent her from going--and as she knelt in prayer before the high altar1 she noticed how meanly and poorly ,god's holy altar was adorned4 ,then the queen wept bitterly and said to herself3 8,i drink out of golden goblets1 and silver torches are lighted on my table1 but upon ,god's altar the candlesticks are of pewter and the velvet cloth which covers the ,lord's table is all faded and patched4 ,i cannot bear to see it40 ,and thereupon she slowly and carefully unclasped her necklace1 drew off seven of the largest pearls and laid them upon the altar4 ,that evening she had her hair combed back and fastened in a knot upon her neck1 so that the king might not see that the pearls were missing4 ,now it happened one night that the queen lay awake4 ,she could not sleep because she thought she heard strange sounds of sighing and sobbing out in the night4 ,it all sounded so piteous and heartrending that the queen wept upon her silken pillow4 8,here ,i lie upon my bed of satin10 she sighed1 8whilst outside1 perhaps little children go barefooted in the snow4 ,i cannot bear to think of it40 ,there was a sound of twittering and chirping1 and now she saw how one little half-frozen bird after another flew up and tapped upon the window-pane with its beak1 in search of a chance grain of corn4 8,alas1 alas60 sighed the queen1 8,i eat roast venison out of a golden dish and drink mulled wine1 and there outside the poor little birds starve to death in the cold4 ,i cannot bear to think of it20 and the next day she begged leave of the king to collect the crumbs after meals and to place them in a basket outside her window for the birds4 ,well1 of course the king thought it was asking a good deal1 but as the queen never begged for anything for herself1 and the crumbs were1 after all1 of not much use for anything else1 he allowed her to take them1 and from that day the queen always sat and rolled bread between her white fingers during meals1 and crumbled one little piece after another into little bits1 whilst she chatted and jested with the king1 so that he might not pay any heed to what she was doing1 and when she rose from the table she would sign to her page1 and then he would brush all the crumbs into a small basket which was hung outside the queen's chamber window1 and at sunrise she was always awakened by the chirping of the small hungry birds when they came to empty her basket4 ,now it happened one morning when the queen took in her basket to have it refilled1 that she thought she saw a large snowflake lying at the bottom1 but it was really a little piece of paper which had been folded around a small stone and thrown up at the window1 and on it was written an appealing tale of misery4 8,the queen who takes pity upon the starving birds of the air10 it said1 8will surely take pity upon the starving children upon earth20 and the queen read it over and over again1 whilst her tears fell like rain in spring4 ,but1 how could she help them8 ,at last she hit upon a plan4 ,the king had given the queen a page1 who was as young and beautiful as herself4 ,he carried her long velvet train embroidered with golden crowns1 he filled her goblet with wine1 and lit the torch which was to light her upon her way through the dark passages of the castle1 and he slept on a bear skin outside her door with his drawn sword beside him to protect her from all harm and danger4 ,now when the page came to carry the train of her sky-blue velvet gown1 the queen bent down as if to adjust it1 and at the same time she slipped a little piece of paper into the page's hand4 ,in it she had placed one of the pearls from off her necklace1 and had written down where she wished him to carry it4 ,away he flew as swiftly as a swallow1 and when he took up the queen's train again that evening1 he placed his hands upon his breast and bowed in silence1 but the queen could read in his face that his errand had well sped4 ,from that day prayers and petitions simply rained down upon the queen's window-sill4 ,what could she do but take the pearls from her necklace8 ,and so with trembling hands she drew off one pearl after another1 and finally one morning there was not a single pearl left4 ,the king was not in a good temper at dinner that day1 and he saw that the necklace was missing6 8,where is the necklace80 he shrieked4 ,his voice sounded like the caw of a hoarse old crow4 8,where is the necklace80 ,the queen looked confused4 8,oh1 ,i have not got it on today10 she said4 ,but the king had her eight tire-women and her eight ladies-in-waiting called up1 and they had to search over and over through all the queen's drawers and presses1 till they were as red as cranberries1 but the necklace was not to be found4 8,have you lost the necklace80 roared the king4 8,no10 said the queen1 timidly4 8,have you given it away80 shouted the king4 8,to whom have you given it80 ,the queen dropped her eyelids and said nothing4 ,then the king had the queen thrown into prison2 there she was to remain until the necklace was found4 ,now you can imagine what a hurly-burly there was after this4 ,the king in front1 with six attendants at his heels1 searched the whole castle from garret to cellar4 ,but still the necklace was not to be found4 ,alas for the queen1 poor young ,blanzeflor6 ,she sat in the darkest of dungeons4 ,no one could get to her4 ,she fell on her knees upon the straw lying on the prison floor1 and prayed to ,god that he might perform a miracle and set the guiltless free4 8,thou1 ,o ,god1 canst break through prison walls as easily as the sun breaks through the mists10 she said4 8,thou canst also set an innocent prisoner free40 ,but scarcely had she ended her prayer when she saw in the pale morning light how the thick prison walls fell apart1 and between them came a swallow flying1 as easily and as quickly as if it were merely flying through the air4 ,in its beak it held a white pearl1 which it dropped upon the queen's knees4 8,this is one of the tears you shed before the high altar10 twittered the swallow1 8,god gives it you back in the likeness of a pearl40 ,at the same moment came another swallow through the wall1 and another and another1 and in a twinkling the whole prison was filled with a flight of birds4 ,each had a white pearl in its beak1 which it laid upon ,blanzeflor's lap4 8,here are the tears you shed for those who were poor and sad at heart10 they chirped2 8not one has fallen in vain40 ,at last came a little bird with a maimed wing2 in its beak was the little crooked pearl1 for this1 too1 had been threaded on the necklace4 ,blanzeflor sat perfectly still and let the pearls lie upon her knees1 for she could not touch them with her fettered hands4 ,then the sun rose red in the ,east and shone into the prison so that it streamed with light like heaven itself4 ,but just then the king came in with all his retinue4 ,he had come to take the queen away to be beheaded4 ,but when he saw her sitting with a halo of light around her and with the pearls in her lap1 he stood stock-still with amazement4 ,then he began to count the pearls1 and every single one was there1 all three hundred and sixty-five1 even to the little crooked one6 ,but the silken cord on which they had been strung was missing4 ,away went the king hobbling up the stairs to his own apartments to fetch a new silken cord4 ,he was afraid to ask anyone else to go for it because he feared they would steal something4 ,when the king had snipped off his cord he hurried back so quickly down to the prison again1 that he tripped over his own feet and fell and broke his neck1 and there he lay dead on his way down to the dungeons where he had let so many innocent people suffer and pine to death4 ,the king was buried1 and the queen was proclaimed the only reigning sovereign in all the land4 ,and never was there a gentler queen than she4 ,if any one was in any trouble or distress they simply said3 8,we shall go to the queen1 there is sure to be one more pearl left on her ,majesty's necklace60 ,robin ,hood and ,sir ,richard-at-the-,lee#be ,listen1 and ,i will tell you about a good yeoman whose name was ,robin ,hood4 ,all his life he was a proud outlaw1 but so courteous an outlaw as he was never found1 and he would never do any harm to a company in which there was a woman1 for he held all women in great respect and honor4 ,now one day ,robin ,hood stood in the forest of ,barnsdale and leant against a tree1 and beside him stood his good yeoman1 ,little ,john1 and ,scarlet also1 and ,much1 the miller's son4 ,then ,little ,john spoke to ,robin1 saying3 8,master1 'tis time to dine40 ,but ,robin answered1 8,i will not dine till ,i have some bold baron or a knight or a squire with me who will pay for his dinner40 ,then ,little ,john and ,much and ,william ,scarlet set out in search of a guest1 and after a time they saw a knight riding towards them with his retinue4 ,he made but a sorry appearance1 and seemed to have lost his pride1 for he had but one foot in the stirrup1 and his hood hung down over his eyes1 and his clothes and trappings were mean and old4 ,but ,little ,john showed him courtesy1 and knelt before him saying3 8,welcome1 gentle knight2 welcome to the greenwood4 ,my master has been waiting for you1 fasting these three hours40 8,who is your master80 asked the knight2 and ,john answered1 8,robin ,hood40 8,he is a good yeoman10 said the knight1 8and ,i have heard men speak well of him40 ,so the knight1 whose name was ,sir ,richard-at-the-,lee1 rode on his way with ,little ,john1 till they came to where ,robin was waiting2 and ,robin took off his hood and went on his knee1 saying1 courteously3 8,welcome1 ,sir ,knight4 ,i have awaited thee these three hours40 ,and the gentle knight replied with fair words3 8,god save thee1 good ,robin1 and all thy company40 ,when they had thus exchanged greetings1 they washed and wiped their hands1 and sat them down to their dinner4 ,they had bread and wine and venison1 with swans and pheasants and many other birds4 ,and ,robin bade the knight make good cheer1 and the knight thanked him heartily4 8,for10 said he1 8,i have not had such a dinner for three weeks2 and if ,i come this way again1 ,robin1 ,i will give thee as good a dinner as thou hast given me40 8,i thank thee1 knight10 said ,robin2 8but methinks it is right that thou shouldst pay ere thou goest4 ,it was never the custom1 by ,heaven1 for a yeoman to pay for a knight40 ,but ,sir ,richard answered1 8,i have naught in my coffers that ,i can offer thee for very shame4 ,i have but ten shillings40 ,to this ,robin answered1 8,if thou hast no more1 ,i will not take a penny2 and if thou hast need of more ,i will lend it to thee40 ,then he called to ,little ,john3 8,go forth and see if there are but ten shillings in the knight's mantle40 ,so ,little ,john spread the mantle on the ground and searched in it2 and he found but ten shillings as the knight had said4 ,now ,robin wondered at this1 and said to ,sir ,richard3 8,surely thou must have been made a knight against thy will1 if thou art so poor2 or else thou hast been a bad husbandman1 or a usurer1 of hast done some evil or other40 ,but the knight replied3 8,i am none of these4 ,my ancestors have been knights before me for a hundred years4 ,but it has often happened that a knight has been disgraced through no fault of his own4 ,two years ago1 ,robin1 ,i could spend four hundred pounds yearly1 and my neighbors will bear me witness of this4 ,but now1 alas6 it has come to pass that ,i have no property whatsoever40 8,and in what manner10 asked ,robin1 8didst thou lose thy riches80 ,then ,sir ,richard told ,robin how his son had slain a knight in a joust1 and how to save him he had put his lands in pawn to a rich abbot whose abbey was near at hand4 ,the sum he had to pay to redeem them was four hundred pounds1 and since he could not pay it1 there was nothing left for him to do but to forfeit his lands and go on a pilgrimage to the ,holy ,land4 ,for the men who had boasted of their friendship towards him when he was rich had now deserted him1 so that he could find no one who was now willing to lend him any money4 ,robin and his followers were moved to great pity by this tale1 and ,robin sent ,little ,john to his treasury to fetch four hundred pounds to give to the knight4 ,then ,little ,john cried3 8,master1 his apparel is full thin4 ,ye must give the knight a suit of clothes1 for ye have scarlet and green-colored cloth in plenty1 and there is no merchant in merry ,england so rich as ye are60 8,give him three yards of each color10 said ,robin1 8and see you measure it fairly40 ,so ,little ,john took his bow as a measure and measured out the cloth1 and then he turned to ,robin ,hood1 saying3 8,master1 ye must give the knight a horse to carry home all this cloth40 ,so ,robin gave the knight a grey courser and a new saddle1 and ,much added a good palfrey1 and ,scarlet a pair of boots1 and ,little ,john a pair of gilt spurs4 ,then the knight asked what day he should come back to pay his debt1 and ,robin appointed that day twelve-month4 ,and as a last act of kindness1 he sent his trusty yeoman1 ,little ,john1 to attend his guest on his journey4 ,so ,sir ,richard went on his way rejoicing and blessing ,robin ,hood2 and he redeemed his lands from the abbot's hands1 and then returned home to his castle1 and began to collect money against the day when he should return to pay ,robin ,hood the four hundred pounds4 ,now the year went by and the appointed day came1 but the knight did not appear1 because as he rode on his way to the trysting-place he had turned aside for the love of ,robin to help a poor yeoman who was not receiving fair play in a wrestling match at some country games4 ,when ,robin found1 therefore1 that the knight did not come1 he sent forth ,little ,john1 ,scarlet1 and ,much1 to seek another guest to dine with him1 one who would be able to pay him four hundred pounds2 for though he would never rob a poor man1 he did not think it wrong to make the rich pay poor men's debts4 ,before long the three trusty yeomen saw a monk riding towards them1 followed by a retinue of fifty men1 with seven strong pack-horses bearing his riches1 and ,little ,john cried3 8,brethren1 ,i dare lay my life that this is the man who shall pay our master2 and though we are but three against so many1 we must bring him to dinner1 or we cannot go back to ,robin ,hood40 ,then he called to the monk3 8,abide1 and come no farther1 for if thou dost ,i shall slay thee4 ,thou hast made our master wroth1 because he has waited for thee fasting for so long40 8,who is your master80 asked the monk4 8,robin ,hood40 8,he is a thief10 said the monk1 8and ,i have never heard aught good of him40 ,but ,little ,john answered3 8,thou liest1 and thou shalt repent it4 ,he is a yeoman of the forest1 and has bidden thee to dine with him40 ,then the yeomen drew their bows1 and ,much pointed his arrow straight at the monk's breast4 ,at this all his followers turned and fled1 save only a little page and a groom1 who led the pack-horses to ,robin ,hood1 while ,much and ,little ,john took the monk in custody between them to their master4 ,when ,robin saw the monk he raised his hood2 but the monk was not so courteous1 and did not return the greeting4 ,then ,robin summoned his yeomen1 and they prepared the meal1 and served the monk with his dinner2 and afterwards ,robin asked1 as was his custom1 how much his guest had in his coffers4 8,sir10 said the monk1 8but twenty pounds1 as ,i hope to prosper40 8,if there is no more10 said ,robin1 8,i will not take a penny2 and if thou hast need of more ,i will lend it thee4 ,but if ,i find more than twenty pounds thou wilt have to give it up40 ,so ,robin sent ,little ,john to search the monk's mantle and there he found over eight hundred pounds4 ,at this ,robin rejoiced1 for it was twice the sum that he needed to repay him for what he had generously lent the knight4 ,but the monk was very wroth1 and cried3 8,by ,heaven1 'tis no courtesy to bid a man to dinner and then treat him so ill40 8,nevertheless it is an old custom of ours to leave but little behind for our guests to take away with them10 said ,robin4 ,then the monk put spurs to his horse1 for he feared to stay longer4 ,but ,robin cried after him3 8,will you not have a drink of wine before you go80 8,nay10 said the monk1 8,i would ,i had never come near you1 for ,i should have dined far more cheaply at ,blyth or ,doncaster40 8,greet well your abbot and your prior for me10 ,robin called back1 8and bid them send me such a monk as you to dinner every day40 ,so the monk rode away1 leaving all his riches behind him2 and now at last the knight came riding into the greenwood1 with all his merry company4 ,when he saw ,robin he alighted from his palfrey1 doffed his hood1 and fell on his knee1 saying3 8,god save thee1 ,robin ,hood1 and all this company40 8,welcome be thou1 gentle knight10 ,robin answered4 8,hast thou thy land again80 8,yea10 said the knight1 8and ,i thank ,heaven and thee for it4 ,but take it not amiss that ,i am come so late1 for ,i have been at a wrestling match1 where ,i helped a poor yeoman who was not getting fair play in the game40 8,sir knight10 ,robin answered1 8,i thank thee4 ,whoever helps a good yeoman will always be my friend40 ,now1 when they had thus greeted each other the knight said3 8,here is thy four hundred pounds which thou didst lend me1 and twenty pounds more for thy courtesy40 8,nay1 by ,heaven10 cried ,robin1 8thou shalt keep it for thyself1 for ,i have already received the money for the debt1 and it would be a disgrace to take it twice40 ,and he told the knight the story of the monk1 and they laughed together over it and made good cheer4 ,thus ,robin ,hood helped the knight out of all his troubles and they were friends from that time to the end of their days4 ,how the ,queen of the ,sky ,gave ,gifts to ,men#bf ,by the side of ,all-,father ,odin1 upon his high seat in ,asgard1 sat ,frigga1 his wife1 the ,queen of the ,asas4 ,sometimes she would be dressed in snow-white garments1 bound at the waist by a golden girdle1 from which hung a great bunch of golden keys4 ,and the earth-dwellers1 gazing into the sky1 would admire the great white clouds as they floated across the blue1 not perceiving that these clouds were really the folds of ,frigga's flowing white robe1 as it waved in the wind4 ,at other times she would wear dark gray or purple garments2 and then the earth-dwellers made haste into their houses1 for they said1 8,the sky is lowering today1 and a storm is nigh at hand40 ,frigga had a palace of her own called ,fensalir1 or the ,hall of ,mists1 where she spent much of her time at her wheel spinning golden thread1 or weaving web after web of many-colored clouds4 ,all night long she sat at this golden wheel1 and if you look at the sky on a starry night you may chance to see it set up where the men of the ,south show a constellation called the ,girdle of ,orion4 ,frigga was especially interested in all good housewives1 and she herself set them an excellent example in ,fensalir4 ,when the snow-flakes fell1 the earth-dwellers knew it was ,frigga shaking her great feather bed1 and when it rained they said it was her washing day4 ,it was she who first gave to them the gift of flax that the women upon earth might spin1 and weave1 and bleach their linen as white as the clouds of her own white robe4 ,and this is how it came about3 ,there was once a shepherd who lived among the mountains with his wife and children2 and so very poor was he that he often found it hard to give his family enough to satisfy their hunger4 ,but he did not grumble2 he only worked the harder2 and his wife1 though she had scarcely any furniture1 and never a chance of a new dress1 kept the house so clean1 and the old clothes so well mended1 that1 all unknown to herself1 she rose high in the favor of the all-seeing ,frigga4 ,now one day1 when the shepherd had driven his few poor sheep up the mountain to pasture1 a fine reindeer sprang from the rocks above him and began to leap upward along the steep slope4 ,the shepherd snatched up his crossbow and pursued the animal1 thinking to himself3 8,now we shall have a better meal than we have had for many a long day40 ,up and up leaped the reindeer1 always just out of reach1 and at length disappeared behind a great boulder just as the shepherd breathless and weary1 reached the spot4 ,no sign of the reindeer was to be seen1 but1 on looking around1 the shepherd saw that he was among the snowy heights of the mountains1 and almost at the top of a great glacier4 ,presently1 as he pursued his vain search for the animal1 he saw to his amazement an open door1 leading apparently into the heart of the glacier4 ,he was a fearless man1 and so1 without hesitation1 he passed boldly through the doorway and found himself standing in a marvelous cavern1 lit up by blazing torches which gleamed upon rich jewels hanging from the roof and walls4 ,and in the midst stood a woman1 most fair to behold1 clad in snow-white robes and surrounded by a group of lovely maidens4 ,the shepherd's boldness gave way at this awesome sight1 and he sank to his knees before the ,asa1 ,frigga1 for she it was4 ,but ,frigga bade him be of good cheer1 and said3 8,choose now whatsoever you will to carry away with you as a remembrance of this place40 ,the shepherd's eyes wandered over the glittering jewels on the walls and roof1 but they came back to a little bunch of blue flowers which ,frigga held in her hand4 ,they alone looked homelike to him2 the rest were hard and cold2 so he asked timidly that he might be given the little nosegay4 ,then ,frigga smiled kindly upon him4 8,most wise has been your choice10 said she4 8,take with the flowers this measure of seed and sow it in your field1 and you shall grow flowers of your own4 ,they shall bring prosperity to you and yours40 ,so the shepherd took the flowers and the seed1 and scarcely had he done so when a mighty peal of thunder1 followed by the shock of an earthquake1 rent the cavern1 and when he had collected his sense he found himself once more upon the mountain side4 ,when he reached home and had told his tale1 his wife scolded him roundly for not bringing home a jewel which would have made them rich forever4 ,but when she would have thrown the flowers away he prevented her4 ,next day he sowed the seed in his field1 and was surprised to find how far it went4 ,very soon after this the field was thick with tiny green shoots2 and though his wife reproached him for wasting good ground upon useless flowers1 he watched and waited in hope until the field was blue with the starry flax blooms4 ,then one night1 when the flowers had withered and the seed was ripe1 ,frigga1 in the disguise of an old woman1 visited the lowly hut and showed the shepherd and his astonished wife how to use the flax stalks2 how to spin them into thread1 and how to weave the thread into linen4 ,it was not long before all the dwellers in that part of the earth had heard of the wonderful material1 and were hurrying to the shepherd's hut to buy the bleached linen or the seed from which it was obtained4 ,and so the shepherd and his family were soon among the richest people in the land2 and the promise of ,frigga was amply fulfilled4 ,king ,midas' ,ears#bg ,once upon a time ,king ,midas--the very same ,king ,midas who had been cured of his hated golden touch--was invited to hear some very wonderful music4 ,it came about in this wise3 ,after ,king ,midas had been cured of his golden touch1 he loved to wander in the woods and fields1 away from all sight of the wealth of men1 and of the splendors that wealth could buy4 ,in this way he became a great friend of ,pan1 who ruled over the woods and fields1 and over the shepherds and their flocks4 ,now ,pan had invented the shepherd's flute1 which was made from a reed1 and upon which he could play better than could anyone else4 ,it was a very simple instrument3 one that could produce only simple melodies4 ,but after ,pan had learned to play upon it well1 he began to think that his pastoral tunes were wonderfully fine1 and at last he imagined that they were quite equal to the harmonies even of ,apollo1 who was master of the art of music1 and a matchless player upon a stringed instrument called the lyre4 ,king ,midas1 as he walked about the groves and pastures with ,pan1 listened with pleasure to the music of his pipe1 and praised him so warmly that ,pan's self-conceit grew beyond all bounds4 ,he thought his simple music equal to that of the gods4 ,at length ,pan sent a challenge to ,apollo1 asking him to meet him and let it be decided by the listeners who was the greater musician of the two4 ,apollo accepted the challenge1 and at the appointed time the people gathered in great numbers1 for such a meeting had never been heard of before4 ,among the listeners was ,king ,midas4 ,pan was the first to play4 ,he stepped forth1 clad all in green to match the verdure of the meadows and of the trees1 over which he ruled4 ,he put his simple pipe of reeds to his lips and began playing1 and the people listened with great interest and pleasure1 for surely no one dreamed that such music could come from the shepherd's pipe4 ,but when ,pan had finished1 ,apollo stepped forth4 ,he was clad in royal purple1 and his cloak was thrown back that his right arm might be free4 ,he struck the strings of the lyre1 and the music that fell upon the air was so marvelously sweet1 so full of pathos1 so full of ravishing beauty1 that all the people were moved by the sound4 ,then they applauded ,apollo1 and laughed to scorn the boastful challenge of ,pan4 8,ho1 ho10 they cried1 8does ,pan think that he can match such melody as this80 ,but ,king ,midas was faithful to his friend1 and1 unconvinced by ,apollo's wondrous music1 he declared that ,pan was the better player of the two4 ,apollo1 wearing the laurel wreath as his crown of victory1 declared that the ears of ,king ,midas must be depraved1 and1 that they should thereafter take on a form more in keeping with the taste of their owner4 ,king ,midas had no sooner reached his castle than he felt a strange sensation about his ears2 and the strange feeling increased until at length1 putting his hands to the sides of his head1 he found with terror that his ears had grown long and were covered inside and outside with hair1 and he could move them about1 just as a donkey moves his4 ,in fact1 he found that they had become exactly like the ears of a donkey1 or an ass4 ,king ,midas was overcome with shame and rage1 and he kept himself hidden from all the people4 ,after a time it occurred to him that he could have a turban or head-dress made which would cover his monstrous deformity4 ,so he summoned a hair-dresser1 of great skill in his trade1 and when the hair-dresser had finished his task1 ,king ,midas was ready to go forth among his people again1 for his ears were quite hidden from sight under the ample folds of his head-dress4 ,only the hair-dresser knew his secret1 and he had promised never to tell it to a living being4 ,but as the days went by1 the secret began to burn in the hair-dresser's mind1 and it was with the greatest difficulty that he kept from repeating it4 ,at last he could keep still no longer1 yet he dared not disobey the ,king and break his promise4 ,so he went into a vacant field and dug a deep hole in the ground4 ,then1 kneeling down1 he breathed into the hole these words3 8,king ,midas has the ears of an ass2 ,king ,midas has the ears of an ass40 ,rising1 he covered the hole with earth and hastened away4 ,but what do you suppose happened8 ,the next spring the field produced a great crop of rushes1 and when the rushes had grown quite tall a wind passed over them1 and the rushes murmured1 8,king ,midas has the ears of an ass4 ,king ,midas has the ears of an ass40 ,and all summer long1 whenever a breeze swept over the field1 the rushes murmured1 8,king ,midas has the ears of an ass40 ,and when the hair-dresser heard it1 he wrung his hands in despair1 and said1 8,not even the rushes of the field can keep a secret40 ,hold ,fast1 ,tom#bh ,the sun was setting over the island of ,st4 ,helena on a spring evening in #afgc1 and in its red glow the vast black cliffs stood out like the walls of a fortress above the great waste of lonely sea that lay around them as far as the eye could reach4 ,very quiet and very lonesome did it appear1 that tiny islet of ,st4 ,helena1 far away in the heart of the boundless ocean4 ,but there was one part of the island that was busy and noisy enough1 and that was the spot where the low white houses and single church-spire of ,jamestown1 half buried in clustering leaves1 nestled in a deep gully close to the water's edge1 walled in by two mighty precipices nearly a thousand feet in height4 ,all along the line of forts and batteries1 perched like birds' nests among the frowning crags that overhung the sea1 there was an unwonted stir and bustle4 ,cannon were rumbling to and fro1 rusty pikes and muskets were being dragged forth and laid in readiness1 soldiers in buff jackets and big looped-up hats were clustering along the ramparts1 while hoarse words of command1 clanking swords1 the ceaseless tramp of feet1 and the clatter of gun-stocks and pike-staves made every cranny of the surrounding cliffs echo again4 ,what could it all mean8 ,it meant that the stout-hearted ,dutchmen who had taken the island from ,england a few months before were about to have their courage again put to the proof4 ,those five ships of war in the offing1 coming down before the wind under a full press of sail1 had just hoisted the red cross of ,st4 ,george 7not yet changed into the ,union ,jack71 and ,englishman and ,dutchman alike were eager to try ,whether ,john or ,jan ,be the better man1 as one of their favorite songs worded it4 ,neither side1 certainly1 lost any time in beginning4 ,the sturdy ,hollanders did not wait even for a summons to surrender4 ,the foremost ,english ship had barely dropped her anchor in front of the ,zwart ,steen ,battery1 when there was a red flash from the old gray wall1 a loud bang1 and then a cannon-ball came tearing through the foretopsail1 and splashed into the water far beyond4 ,bang went the ,englishman's whole broadside in return1 and the balls were heard rattling among the rocks1 or crashing into the front of the breastwork2 and now the fight began in earnest4 ,fire1 smoke1 flying shot1 crashing timbers1 deafening uproar1 multiplied a thousand-fold by the echoes of the surrounding hills--it was a hard fight1 for there were ,dutchmen behind those batteries who had swept the ,channel with ,van ,tromp1 and there were ,englishmen aboard those ships who had fought him and his men1 yardarm to yardarm1 under ,robert ,blake2 and it would have been hard to tell which were the braver or the more stubborn of the two4 8,fire away1 boys1 for the honor of ,old ,england60 shouted ,captain ,richard ,munden1 pacing up and down the quarter-deck of the ,british flagship amid a hail of shot4 8,stand to it1 my sons1 as if ,father ,van ,tromp were with you still60 cried the brave old ,dutch commandant1 ,pieter ,van ,gebhardt1 as he leveled a gun with his own hands over the fast-crumbling parapet4 8,fear not for the fire and smoke2 it is but the ,englishman lighting his pipe40 ,both sides fought stoutly1 and men began to fall fast2 but it seemed as if on the whole the ,dutch were getting the best of it4 ,the ships1 lying out upon the smooth water1 made an excellent mark1 while the rock-cut batteries could hardly be distinguished from the cliff itself4 ,but just at that moment a very unexpected turn of fortune changed the whole face of the battle4 ,to explain clearly how this happened we must go back a little way4 ,the ,dutch garrison had given their whole attention to the attack in front1 feeling sure that this was the only point from which they could be assailed4 ,and they reasoned well2 for everywhere else the coast was merely one great precipice of several hundred feet1 rising so sheer out of the sea that it seemed as if nothing without wings could possibly scale it4 ,but they might1 perhaps1 have been less confident had they seen what was going on just then at the opposite side of the island4 ,when the ,english ships first advanced to the attack1 the hindmost of them1 while still hidden from the ,dutch by the huge black pyramid of ,sugar-loaf ,point1 had lowered several large boats filled with armed men1 which instantly shot away round the great rocky bluff of 8the ,barn0 as fast as eight oars apiece could carry them4 ,away they went1 past headland after headland1 while every eye was fixed upon the rocky shore1 as if seeking something which was not easily to be found4 ,at length1 just when they rounded the bold1 craggy promontory of ,king and ,queen point1 a dull boom reached their ears1 followed instantly by the thunder of a sustained cannonade4 ,at that familiar sound the sailors clenched their teeth savagely1 as they looked up at the tremendous precipices that seemed to shut them out from all hope of taking part in the battle4 8,can't we get up anywhere80 growled the captain1 of the frigate1 who was in the foremost boat4 8,we're disgraced forever if they do the job without us40 8,with your honor's leave10 broke in a stalwart young topman1 touching his thick brown forelock1 8,i think ,i could get up that rock yonder1 and fasten a rope for the rest to climb by40 8,what6 up there80 cried the captain1 glancing doubtfully from the young sailor's bright1 fearless face to the tremendous height above4 8,well1 my lad1 if you can do it1 ,i'll give you fifty guineas60 8,it's for the honor of the flag1 not for the money1 sir60 answered the seaman1 springing from the boat to the lowest ledge of the terrible rock4 ,up1 up1 up1 ever higher he clambered1 with the rising wind flinging his loose hair to and fro1 and the startled sea-birds whirling around him with hoarse screams of mingled fear and rage4 ,to the watching eyes far below1 the tiny points of rock to which he clung were quite invisible1 and he seemed to be hanging in mid-air1 like a fly on the side of a wall4 ,and now he was two-thirds of the way up the precipice2 and now he was within a few yards of the top2 and now his hand almost touched the highest ledge1 when suddenly his feet were seen to slide from under him1 and in a moment he was swinging in the empty air1 grasping a projecting crag with the strength of desperation4 8,hold fast1 ,tom60 yelled his comrades1 as they saw him4 ,tom did hold fast1 and the strong hands that had defied the full fury of an ,atlantic gale to loosen them from the slippery rigging did him good service once more4 ,he regained his footing1 and the indrawn breath of the anxious gazers below sounded like a hiss in the grim silence as they watched the final effort that brought him safely to the top4 ,the rope was soon fixed1 and the last man had scarcely mounted when the daring band were hurrying across the ridgy interior of the island toward the spot whence the cannonade still boomed upon the evening air4 ,and there it was at last1 as they crowned the farthest ridge1 the tall masts standing up through billowy smoke1 and the batteries marked out amid the gathering darkness by the flashes of their own cannon4 ,a deadly volley of ,english musketry cracked along the cliff1 and several of the ,dutch were seen to fall while dismay and confusion spread fast among the survivors4 ,thus1 caught between two fires1 with the ,british ships thundering upon them from below1 and the ,british marksmen shooting them down from above1 the defenders had no chance2 and at length brave old ,van ,gebhardt1 with a look of bitter grief on his iron face1 slowly hauled down the ,dutch flag in token of surrender4 8,mynheer10 said he to the ,english captain1 as the latter came marching into the fort at the head of his men1 8my followers have done all that men could do2 but yours have done more40 8,and if we had not done more1 we could never have beaten the gallant ,dutchmen10 answered the captain1 taking off his battered cocked hat with a polite bow4 ,thus it was that the ,english regained ,st4 ,helena1 over which the ,british flag flies to this day4 ,nor has the brave fellow who led that daring attack been forgotten1 for the crag which he scaled 7and a very grim-looking crag it is7 still goes by the name of 8,hold-,fast ,tom40 ,nils and the ,bear#bi ,nils ,holgarsson1 a young boy1 has been traveling high over the country in company with a wild goose4 ,he is blown from her back during a hard wind1 and alights among the iron mines4 ,he is discovered by bears and taken to their cave4 ,father ,bear pushed ,mother ,bear aside4 8,don't meddle with what you don't understand60 he roared4 8,can't you scent that human odor about him from afar8 ,i shall eat him at once1 or he will play us some mean trick40 ,he opened his jaws again2 but meanwhile ,nils had had time to think1 and1 quick as a flash1 he dug into his knapsack and brought forth some matches--his sole weapon of defense--struck one on his leather breeches1 and stuck the burning match into the bear's open mouth4 ,father ,bear snorted when he smelled the burning sulphur1 and with that the flame went out4 ,the boy was ready with another match1 but1 curiously enough1 ,father ,bear did not repeat his attack4 8,can you light many of those little blue roses80 asked ,father ,bear4 8,i can light enough to put an end to the whole forest10 replied the boy1 for he thought that in this way he might be able to scare ,father ,bear4 8,perhaps you could also set fire to houses and barns80 said ,father ,bear4 8,oh1 that would be no trick for me60 boasted the boy1 hoping that this would make the bear respect him4 8,good60 exclaimed the bear4 8,you shall render me a service4 ,now1 ,i'm very glad that ,i did not eat you40 ,father ,bear carefully took the boy between his tusks and climbed up from the pit4 ,as soon as he was up he speedily made for the woods4 ,it was evident that ,father ,bear was created to squeeze through dense forests4 ,the heavy body pushed through the brushwood as a boat does through the water4 ,father ,bear ran along till he came to a hill at the skirt of the forest1 where he could see the big noise-shop4 ,here he lay down and placed the boy in front of him1 holding him securely between his forepaws4 8,now look down at that big noise-shop60 he commanded4 ,the great iron works1 with many tall buildings1 stood at the edge of a waterfall4 ,high chimneys sent forth dark clouds of smoke1 blasting furnaces were in full blaze1 and light shone from all the windows and apertures4 ,within1 hammers and rolling mills were going with such force that the air rang with their clatter and boom4 ,just beyond the workshops were long rows of workingmen's homes1 pretty villas1 schoolhouses1 assembly halls1 and shops4 ,but there all was quiet and apparently everybody was asleep4 ,the boy did not glance in that direction1 but gazed intently at the iron works4 ,the earth around them was black2 the sky above them was like a great fiery dome2 the rapids1 white with foam1 rushed by2 while the buildings themselves were sending out light and smoke1 fire and sparks4 ,it was the grandest sight the boy had ever seen4 8,surely you don't mean to say you can set fire to a place like that80 remarked the bear doubtingly4 ,the boy1 wedged between the beast's paws1 was thinking the only thing that might save him would be that the bear should have a high opinion of his capability and power4 8,it's all the same to me10 he answered with a superior air4 8,big or little1 ,i can burn it down40 8,then ,i'll tell you something10 said ,father ,bear4 8,my forefathers lived in this region from the time that the forests first sprang up4 ,from them ,i inherited hunting grounds and pastures1 lairs and retreats1 and have lived here in peace all my life4 ,in the beginning ,i wasn't troubled much by the human kind4 ,they dug in the mountains and picked up a little ore down here by the rapids2 they had a forge and a furnace1 but the hammers sounded only a few hours during the day1 and the furnace was not fired more than two moons at a stretch4 ,it wasn't so bad but that ,i could stand it2 but these last years1 since they have built this noise shop1 which keeps up the same racket both day and night1 life here has become intolerable4 ,there are so many people that ,i never feel safe from them4 ,i thought that ,i should have to move away1 but ,i have discovered something better60 ,the boy wondered what ,father ,bear had hit upon1 but no opportunity was afforded him to ask1 as the bear took him between his forepaws and held him up4 8,try to look into the house60 he commanded4 ,a strong current of air was forced into a big cylinder which was suspended from the ceiling and filled with molten iron4 ,as this current rushed into the mess of iron with an awful roar1 showers of sparks of all colours spurted up in bunches1 in sprays1 in long clusters6 ,they struck against the wall and came splashing down over the whole big room4 ,father ,bear let the boy watch the gorgeous spectacle until the blowing was over and the flowing and sparkling red steel had been poured into ingot moulds4 ,the boy was completely charmed by the marvellous display and almost forgot that he was imprisoned between a bear's two paws4 8,i call that real man's work60 the boy remarked to himself4 ,the bear then let the boy have a peep at the furnace and the forge1 and he became more and more astonished as he saw how the blacksmiths handled iron and fire4 8,those men have no fear of heat and flames10 he thought4 ,the workmen were sooty and grimy4 ,he fancied they were some sort of firefolk--that was why they could bend and mould the iron as they wished4 ,he could not believe that they were just ordinary men1 since they had such power6 8,they keep this up day after day1 night after night10 said ,father ,bear1 as he dropped wearily down on the ground4 8,you can understand that one gets rather tired of that kind of thing4 ,i'm mighty glad that at last ,i can put an end to it60 8,indeed60 said the boy4 8,how will you go about it80 8,oh1 ,i thought that you were going to set fire to the buildings60 said ,father ,bear4 8,that would put an end to all this work1 and ,i could remain in my old home40 ,the boy was all of a shiver4 ,so1 it was for this that ,father ,bear had brought him here6 8,if you will set fire to the noise-works ,i'll promise to spare your life10 said ,father ,bear4 8,but if you don't do it1 ,i'll make short work of you6 ,will you or won't you80 ,the boy knew that he ought to answer promptly that he would not1 but he also knew that then the bear's paws would squeeze him to death2 therefore he replied3 8,i shall have to think it over40 8,very well1 do so10 assented ,father ,bear4 8,let me say to you that iron is the thing that has given men the advantage over us bears1 which is another reason for my wishing to put an end to the work here40 ,the boy thought he would use the delay to figure out a way of escape1 but instead he began to think of the great help that iron had been to mankind4 ,they needed iron for everything4 ,there was iron in the plow that broke up the field2 in the axe that felled the tree for building houses2 in the scythe that mowed the grain2 and in the knife1 which would be turned to all sorts of uses4 ,there was iron in the horse's bit1 in the lock on the door1 in the nails that held furniture together4 ,the rifle that drove away wild beasts was made of iron2 iron covered the men-of-war2 the locomotives steamed through the country on iron rails2 the needle that had stitched his coat was of iron2 the shears that clipped the sheep and the kettle that cooked the food4 ,father ,bear was perfectly right in saying that it was the iron that had given men their mastery over the bears4 8,now will you or won't you80 ,father ,bear repeated4 ,the boy was startled from his musing4 8,you mustn't be so impatient10 he said4 8,this is a serious matter for me1 and ,i've got to have time to consider40 8,i can wait a little longer10 said ,father ,bear4 8,but after that you'll get no more grace40 ,the boy swept his hand across his forehead4 ,no plan of escape had as yet come to his mind1 but this much he knew--he did not wish to do any harm to the iron1 which was so useful to rich and poor alike1 and which gave bread to so many people in this land4 8,come1 come60 growled the bear4 8,will you or won't you80 8,i won't60 said the boy4 ,father ,bear squeezed him a little harder1 but said nothing4 8,you'll not get me to destroy the iron works60 defied the boy4 8,the iron is so great a blessing that it will never do to harm it40 8,then1 of course1 you don't expect to be allowed to live very long80 said the bear4 8,no1 ,i don't expect it10 returned the boy1 looking the bear straight in the eye4 ,father ,bear gripped him a little harder4 ,but just then the boy heard something click very close to them1 and saw the muzzle of a rifle two paces away4 8,father ,bear6 ,don't you hear the clicking of a trigger80 cried the boy4 8,run1 or you'll be shot60 ,father ,bear grew terribly hurried4 ,he thought he heard hounds and hunters pursuing him4 ,but the boy stood in the forest1 free and unharmed1 and could hardly understand how it was possible4 ,jericho ,bob#cj ,jericho ,bob1 when he was four years old1 hoped that one day he might be allowed to eat just as much turkey as he possibly could4 ,he was eight now1 but that hope had not been realized4 ,mrs4 ,jericho ,bob1 his mother1 kept hens for a living1 and she expected that they would lay enough eggs in the course of time to help her son to an independent career as a boot-black4 ,they lived in a tumbledown house in a waste of land near the steam cars1 and besides her hens1 ,mrs4 ,bob owned a goat4 ,our story has1 however1 nothing to do with the goat except to say he was there1 and that he was on nibbling terms1 not only with ,jericho ,bob1 but with ,bob's bosom friend1 ,julius ,caesar ,fish1 and it was surprising how many old hat-brims and other tidbits of clothing he could swallow during a day4 ,as ,mrs4 ,bob truly said1 it was no earthly use to get something new for ,jericho1 even if she could afford it2 for the goat browsed all over him1 and had been known to carry away even a leg of his trousers4 ,jericho ,bob was eight years old1 and the friend of his bosom1 ,julius ,caesar ,fish1 was nine4 ,they both1 were of a lovely black2 a tallow-dip couldn't take the kink out of their hair1 and the hardest whipping did not disturb the even cheerfulness of their spirits4 ,they were so much alike that if it hadn't been for ,jericho's bow-legs and his turn-up nose1 you really could not have told them apart4 ,a kindred taste for turkey also united them4 ,in honor of ,thanksgiving ,day1 ,mrs4 ,bob always sacrificed a hen which would1 but for such blessed release1 have died of old age4 ,one drumstick was given to ,jericho1 whose interior remained an unsatisfied void4 ,jericho ,bob had heard of turkey as a fowl larger1 sweeter1 and more tender than hen2 and about ,thanksgiving time he would linger around the provision stores and gaze with open mouth at the noble array of turkeys hanging1 head downward1 over bushels of cranberries1 as if even at that uncooked stage1 they were destined for one another4 ,and turkey was his dream4 ,it was springtime1 and the hens were being a credit to themselves4 ,mrs4 ,bob was laid up with rheumatism4 8,jericho ,bob60 she said to her son1 shaking her red and yellow turban at him1 8,jericho ,bob1 you go down an' fetch de eggs today4 ,ef ,i find yer don't bring me twenty-three1 ,i'll--well1 never mind what ,i'll do1 but yer won't like it40 ,now1 ,jericho ,bob meant to be honest1 but the fact was he found twenty-four eggs1 and the twenty-fourth was so big1 so remarkably big6 ,twenty-three eggs he brought to ,mrs4 ,bob1 but the twenty-fourth he sinfully left in charge of the discreet hen4 ,on his return he met ,julius ,caesar ,fish1 with his hands in his pockets and his head extinguished by his grandfather's fur cap4 ,together they went toward the hen-coop and ,julius ,caesar ,fish spoke1 or rather lisped 7he had lost some of his front teeth73 8,jericho ,bobth1 tha'th a turkey'th egg40 8,yer don't say so80 8,i think i'th a-goin' ter hatch40 ,no sooner said than they heard a pick and a peck in the shell4 8,pick60 a tiny beak broke through the shell4 8,peck60 more beak4 8,crack60 a funny little head1 a long1 bare neck1 and then 8,pick6 ,peck6 ,crack60 before them stood the funniest1 fluffiest brown ball resting on two weak little legs4 8,hooray60 shouted the woolly heads4 8,peep60 said turkeykin4 8,it's mine60 ,jericho shouted excitedly4 8,ith ,marm ,pitkin'th turkey'th2 she laid it there40 8,it's mine1 and ,i'm going to keep it1 and next ,thanksgiving ,i'm going ter eat him40 8,think yer ma'll let you feed him up for thath80 ,julius ,caesar asked1 grinning triumphantly4 ,jericho ,bob's next ,thanksgiving dinner seemed destined to be a dream4 ,his face fell4 8,i'll tell yer whath ,i'll do10 his friend said1 benevolently2 8,i'll keep 'm for you1 and ,thanksgivin' we'll go halvth40 ,jericho resigned himself to the inevitable1 and the infant turkey was borne home by his friend4 ,fish1 ,jr41 lived next door1 and the only difference in the premises was a freight-car permanently switched off before the broken-down fence of the ,fish yard2 and in this car turkeykin took up his abode4 ,i will not tell you how he grew and more than realized the hopes of his foster-fathers1 nor with what impatience and anticipation they saw spring1 summer1 and autumn pass1 while they watched their ,thanksgiving dinner stalk proudly up the bare yard1 and even hop across the railroad tracks4 ,but1 alas6 the possession of the turkey brought with it strife and discord4 ,quarrels arose between the friends as to the prospective disposal of his remains4 ,we grieve to say that the question of who was to cook him led to blows4 ,it was the day before ,thanksgiving4 ,there was a coldness between the friends which was not dispelled by the bringing of a pint of cranberries to the common store by ,jericho1 and the contributing thereto of a couple of cold boiled sweet potatoes by ,julius ,caesar ,fish4 ,the friends sat on an ancient wash-tub in the back yard1 and there was a momentary truce between them4 ,before them stood the freight-car1 and along the track beyond an occasional train tore down the road1 which so far excited their mutual sympathy that they rose and shouted as one man4 ,at the open door of the freight-car stood the unsuspecting turkey1 and looked meditatively out on the landscape and at the two figures on the wash-tub4 ,one had bow-legs1 a turn-up nose1 and a huge straw hat4 ,the other wore a fur cap and a gentleman's swallow-tail coat1 with the tails caught up because they were too long4 ,the turkey hopped out of the car and gazed confidingly at his protectors4 ,in point of size he was altogether their superior4 8,i think10 said ,jericho ,bob1 8we'd better ketch 'im2 tomorrow's ,thanksgiving4 ,yum60 ,and he looked with great joy at the innocent1 the unsuspecting fowl4 8,butcher ,tham'th goin' to kill 'im for uth10 ,julius ,caesar hastened to say1 8an' ,i kin cook 'im40 8,no1 you ain't4 ,i'm going to cook 'im10 ,jericho ,bob cried1 resentfully4 8,he's mine40 8,he ain'th2 he'th mine40 8,he was my egg10 and ,jericho ,bob danced defiance at his friend4 ,the turkey looked on with some surprise1 and he became alarmed when he saw his foster-fathers clasped in an embrace more of anger than of love4 8,i'll eat 'im all alone60 ,jericho ,bob cried4 8,no1 yes sha'n't60 the other shouted4 ,the turkey shrieked in terror1 and fled in a circle about the yard4 8,now1 look yere10 said ,julius ,caesar1 who had conquered4 8,we're goin' to be squar'4 ,he wath your egg1 but who brought 'im up8 ,me6 ,who'th got a friend to kill 'im8 ,me6 ,who'th got a fire to cook 'im8 ,me6 ,now you git up and we'll kitch 'im4 ,ef you thay another word about your egg ,i'll jeth eat 'im up all mythelf40 ,jericho ,bob was conquered4 ,with mutual understanding they approached the turkey4 8,come yere2 come yere10 ,julius ,caesar said1 coaxingly4 ,for a moment the bird gazed at both1 uncertain what to do4 8,come yere10 ,julius ,caesar repeated1 and made a dive for him4 ,the turkey spread his tail4 ,oh1 didn't he run6 8,now1 ,i've got her60 the wicked ,jericho ,bob cried1 and thought he had captured the fowl2 when1 with a shriek from ,jericho ,bob1 as the turkey knocked him over1 the ,thanksgiving dinner spread his wings1 rose in the air1 and alighted on the roof of the freight-car4 ,the turkey looked down over the edge of the car at his enemies1 and they gazed up at him4 ,both parties surveyed the situation4 8,we've got him10 ,julius ,caesar cried at last1 exultantly4 8,you git on the roof1 and ef you don't kitch 'im up thar1 ,i'll kitch 'im down yere40 ,with the help of the wash-tub1 an old chair1 ,julius ,caesar's back1 and much scrambling1 ,jericho ,bob was boosted on top of the car4 ,the turkey was stalking solemnly up and down the roof with tail and wings half spread4 8,i've got yer now10 ,jericho ,bob said1 creeping softly after him4 8,i've got yer now1 sure10 he was just repeating1 when1 with a deafening roar the express-train for ,new ,york came tearing down the road4 ,for what possible reason it slowed up on approaching the freight-car nobody ever knew2 but the fact remains that it did1 just as ,jericho ,bob laid his wicked black1 paw on the turkey's tail4 ,the turkey shrieked1 spread his wings1 shook the small black boy's grasp from his tail1 and with a mighty swoop alighted on the roof of the very last car as it passed2 and in a moment more ,jericho ,bob's ,thanksgiving dinner had vanished1 like a beautiful dream1 down the road6 ,jerusalem ,artie's ,christmas ,dinner#ca ,jerusalem ,artie sat on the door-step of his mammy's cabin1 buried in thought4 ,it was a very unusual condition for ,jerusalem ,artie1 but then1 the occasion was an unusual one4 ,the next day would be ,christmas4 ,presently he looked up4 8,mammy10 he questioned1 8what's we-all a-gwine hab fo' ,chris-mus dinnah80 8,lan' sakes1 chile10 his mammy answered1 8how-all's ,i a-gwine know dat8 ,yo' pappy ain't got nuthin' yit1 an' ,i ain't a-reckonin' he will git nuthin'40 ,jerusalem ,artie looked down1 and was once more lost in thought4 ,he made a comical little figure there on the door-step1 but to this fact both he and his mammy were blissfully oblivious4 ,on his head he wore an old straw hat which his pappy had discarded for a fur cap at the approach of winter weather4 ,in the spring the exchange would be made again1 and ,jerusalem ,artie would wear the fur4 ,but this did not trouble the boy4 ,when it grew too hot1 he left off any sort of head covering2 and when it grew too cold1 he wrapped one of mammy's gay bandanas about his woolly head1 and set the battered straw on top of that4 ,his shirt1 and his one-sided suspenders1 and even the trousers that he wore1 had also belonged to his pappy4 ,as ,jerusalem ,artie was only eight years old1 the trousers were a trifle long4 ,he had once suggested cutting them off1 but his mammy had objected4 8,co'se yo' cain't1 chile6 ,yo' pappy might hab to weah dem pants some mo' hisself yit1 an' how-all'd he look den80 ,the question was unanswerable4 8,an' what-all'd ,i weah den80 he had queried1 dismayed at the possibility4 8,how-all yo' s'pose ,i's a-gwine know dat80 his mammy had responded4 8,maybe yo' skin40 ,so ,jerusalem ,artie had rolled1 and rolled1 and rolled the bottom of the trouser legs till his little black toes emerged from the openings4 ,but now1 as he sat on the door-step1 his mind was not upon his clothes1 not even upon the offending trousers4 ,it was upon the ,christmas dinner for which he was longing1 but which did not exist4 8,all neighbo' folks a-gwine hab ,chris'mus dinnahs10 he was saying to himself4 8,boys done tol' me so4 ,an' we's gwine hab ,chris'mus dinnah1 too10 he added1 straightening up suddenly4 ,he got up from the door-step and started slowly toward the bit of tangled underbrush that grew back of the cabin4 ,he did not know1 yet1 where the ,christmas dinner was coming from4 ,he had gotten no further than the resolve that there should be one4 8,folks hab turkey1 er goose10 he was saying to himself1 8er chickun1 er--rabbit pie10 he ended with a sudden whoop1 and made a dash toward the tangled brush1 for1 at that very moment1 a rabbit's white flag of a tail had flashed before his eyes4 8,hi1 yo' ,molly ,cottontail1 ,i git yo' fo' a pie60 yelled ,jerusalem ,artie1 and the chase was on4 ,into the brush dashed ,molly1 and after her came ,jerusalem ,artie2 and1 as he ran1 one leg of his trousers began to unroll4 ,but there was no time to stop4 ,molly ,cottontail had the advantage1 but ,jerusalem ,artie's eyes were sharp1 and ,molly's white flag led him on4 ,molly slid beneath the tangled brush1 and ,jerusalem ,artie made desperate leaps above it1 each leap marked by a flying trouser leg4 ,suddenly ,molly doubled on her tracks1 for her pursuer was close at hand4 ,jerusalem ,artie attempted to do the same1 but his free foot became entangled with the elongated leg1 and down went ,jerusalem ,artie--squarely on top of ,molly ,cottontail4 ,it pretty well knocked the breath out of both of them1 but ,jerusalem ,artie recovered first1 naturally1 for he was on top4 8,chris'mus pie6 ,chris'mus pie60 he squealed1 as he wriggled one hand cautiously beneath him and got a good firm hold of ,molly's long ears4 ,then carefully he got upon his feet4 ,the rabbit hung limp from his hand4 8,knocked yo' breaf' clean out fo' suah60 he exclaimed1 deliberately surveying his prize4 ,then slowly he made his way to the road1 for the chase had taken him some distance from the cabin1 and the dragging trouser leg made walking difficult4 ,reaching the roadside1 he held aloft the still limp rabbit surveying it with a grin of satisfaction4 8,reckon she's done fo' as suah as ,i's a niggah chile10 he soliloquized2 and laying his ,christmas dinner on the grass beside him1 he proceeded to roll up the entangling trouser leg4 ,while he was in the midst of this occupation1 there was a startling 8honk1 honk10 close at hand and a big red motor car flashed into sight4 ,the sudden noise startled ,jerusalem ,artie4 ,it also startled ,molly ,cottontail4 ,her limp1 and apparently lifeless1 body gathered itself1 leaped1 and cleared the roadway1 barely escaping the wheels of the big red motor car as it flashed by4 ,jerusalem ,artie rose to his feet1 the trouser leg half rolled1 and shrieked3 8,m' ,chris'mus dinnah6 ,m' ,chris'mus dinnah60 for ,molly ,cottontail had disappeared4 ,as he stood looking helplessly after the offending cause of his loss1 a man in the back seat turned1 laughed1 and1 leaning over the side of the car1 threw something bright and shining back into the road4 ,jerusalem ,artie pounced upon the spot1 dug with his disentangled toes in the dust1 and brought to view a silver half-dollar4 8,chris'mus dinnah yit10 he exclaimed1 8as suah as ,i'se a niggah chile60 ,then1 with the half-dollar held hard between his teeth1 he finished rolling up the leg of his trousers4 8,mammy10 he cried1 a moment later1 as1 dusty and breathless1 he reappeared in the cabin doorway1 8see what-all ,i foun' in de road40 ,and ,mammy's look of dark suspicion faded as ,jerusalem ,artie recounted his brief and tragic adventure with ,molly ,cottontail4 8,yo-all's a honey chile10 said ,mammy1 when he had concluded2 8an we-all's a-gwine right now an' git a plumb fat chickun40 ,the next day1 as ,mammy cleared away the remains of the ,christmas dinner1 she said3 8,now1 chile1 yo' c'n tote dese yere chickun bones out on de do'-step an' gnaw 'em clean4 ,an'1 ,jerus'lem ,artie1 yo' pappy say yo' c'n cut off de laigs o' dem pants1 an' hab 'em fo' yo'self40 ,robin's ,christmas#cb ,when ,i was a little girl ,i used to look for ,robin ,redbreast perched in the holly on my ,christmas cards1 and nearly always he was there1 fluttering about in the green1 or singing a merry greeting from among the red berries4 ,nowadays ,i do not see him so often1 but ,i have heard the story of how he came to be there4 ,listen1 and you shall hear it1 too4 ,first1 you must know that the ,english ,robin ,redbreast 7which is the one in my story7 does not go ,south in the fall as our robin does4 ,that is why the little ,english children sing3 ,the ,north wind doth blow1 ,and we shall have snow1 ,and what will the robin do then1 poor thing8 ,he'll stay in the barn1 ,and keep himself warm1 ,and tuck his head under his wing1 poor thing4 ,generally ,robin gets through the winter very well1 but sometimes he has a pretty hard time1 and that is why this story came to be told4 ,one year1 about ,christmas time1 there came a long spell of cold1 stormy weather4 ,it would snow1 and all the children would shout for joy2 then it would rain1 and they would almost cry from disappointment2 then again it would freeze1 and they would run and slide and skate on the ice1 only to be driven in by more snow and wind4 ,so ,christmas eve found them all snug in their houses1 making the rooms gay with holly and evergreen1 and talking about ,santa ,claus and their ,christmas stockings4 ,but outdoors in the cold a poor little ,robin ,redbreast was far from being snug and comfortable4 ,it seemed to him that he hadn't had anything to eat for a month4 ,every grain of corn in the barnyard was under the snow1 no one threw out any crumbs1 and the seed pods and berries that were food in the coldest weather were so thickly coated with ice that it was like pecking glass beads to try to eat one4 ,the ,north wind seemed to be everywhere4 ,it drove him out of each corner in which he tried to nestle1 and ,farmer ,gray's barn door was closed while he was busy in the hedge trying to get a mouthful of seeds4 ,when it came night1 poor ,robin felt so chilled and hungry and miserable that he simply couldn't 8tuck his head under his wing10 much less 8keep himself warm40 ,once1 when the lamps were lighted1 he fluttered up to a window and tried to get behind the blind1 but he could not squeeze in4 ,then he pecked at the glass1 for he was a friendly birdie1 and had more than once been fed from a window1 but no one heard his little tap1 tap1 and away he flew1 trying once more to find shelter from the driving storm4 ,now1 there was a church near by4 ,people had been going in and out all day1 making it beautiful with ,christmas greens1 and preparing the children's ,christmas tree4 ,robin finally perched himself in the ivy at one window1 though the ,north wind threatened to blow him off any moment4 ,there were lights within1 and he could hear the happy children gathered round the ,christmas tree4 ,after awhile every one went away1 and the lights were turned out4 ,a half hour later the faithful sexton came back through the storm to take one more look at his fires1 and make sure that all was safe for the night4 ,robin1 just settling himself for a long1 cold night1 could see his lantern swinging as he pushed his way through the snowdrifts4 ,when he opened the great church door1 the wind and snow blew in--and something else1 too--a cold1 hungry little robin4 ,but the sexton never knew4 ,he banked his fires a little more and went home1 leaving ,robin alone4 ,oh1 how warm and quiet and comfortable it was6 ,robin tucked his head under his wing and was soon asleep on an oaken rafter4 ,when he awoke in the morning1 his first thought was that he was in the forest4 ,how big and green and beautiful6 ,evergreen and holly were everywhere4 ,great festoons were looped from chancel to window4 ,a great mass of holly hid the choir rail4 ,little ,christmas trees were banked against the walls4 ,wreaths hung from the arches1 and the red and golden lights from the windows bathed all in sunshine4 ,robin could hardly believe his eyes4 8,chirp6 ,chirp60 he cried1 and flew from rafter to rafter1 and from there to the organ loft4 ,what a wonderful place to awaken in6 ,why had he never found it before8 ,and what were those little red berries8 ,were they really good to eat8 8,chirp6 ,chirp6 ,i think ,i'll try one60 said he4 ,he hadn't had a good meal for two days and a half1 and if the ladies could have seen him eating their lovely decorations1 ,i am afraid they would have been shocked4 ,how good the holly berries tasted6 ,and there was such an abundance6 ,no hunting and picking good from bad2 no fuss of any kind4 ,hungry ,robin flew from festoon to wreath and enjoyed the best breakfast he had known that winter4 ,in fact1 he ate till he was tired1 and then he had another little nap on the rafter4 ,while he was sleeping the church bell rang1 and the children began to flock in again4 ,they had come to sing their carols at early morning service1 and soon the church was filled with happy faces4 ,then the organ played and they began to sing4 ,robin woke up and watched everything quietly from his perch4 ,he felt warm and happy1 and he liked the music2 in fact1 he began to feel like singing1 too4 ,in the middle of the second verse he broke in4 ,high and clear and sweet he sang1 and the children looked up amazed4 ,suddenly the minister held up his hand4 ,wonderingly the organist and the children ceased4 ,robin was singing a solo1 now4 ,perched high on the rafter1 he threw his little head back and sang and sang1 while the delighted children listened4 ,when had they ever heard ,robin ,redbreast sing in church8 ,how did he get in8 ,what a wonderful song6 ,when ,robin was through he flew to the top of the organ and looked down on them with bright eyes1 as if to say3 8,that is all ,i can do to thank you for my breakfast and shelter60 8,children10 said the minister1 8this little bird must have flown in here last night from the storm4 ,he sings because he is grateful to the ,heavenly ,father who cares for all1 and knows when even a sparrow falleth4 ,let us lift our hearts and voices1 and thank him in our carols for this happy ,christmas4 ,let our voices be as sweet as ,robin ,redbreast's--our little brother who is welcome to all the comfort our church can give him60 ,the children sang their carols as they never sang them before1 and they never forgot the ,christmas day when they found ,robin in church4 ,that was years ago1 but that is why1 for a long time1 ,robin ,redbreast was on the ,christmas cards4 ,did you ever see him there8 ,a ,tale of the ,christ ,child#cc ,it was ,christmas eve4 ,the soft snow fell in big flakes like white blossoms from the trees of ,june4 ,it covered the house roofs and glorified the trees4 ,it hung jewels above the windows of the poor1 and softened the lowliest hut to the white beauty of a palace4 ,and through the beautiful white pathway of the snow a herald rode1 and cried that to-night the dear ,christ ,child would walk through the streets1 and even as the falling snow made all barren and ugly things lovely1 so would the ,christ ,child's coming glorify the souls of them that met him aright1 and they would be forever blest who should gain speech with him4 ,no wonder that a million candles lighted the streets4 ,no wonder that great and proud1 rich and poor1 the sick1 the old1 and the lame thronged the white beauty of the streets and wandered up and down1 wondering and waiting4 ,the ,king came forth in royal robes with a throng of courtiers at his back4 ,he bore himself proudly1 and proudly he waited4 ,the priest was there1 bearing the blessed cross1 and lifting prayerful eyes to the white sky4 ,the great singer came1 singing his loveliest songs in tones so sweet that all who heard him wondered1 and said1 8,surely he will have speech with the ,christ ,child40 ,the poet came with his book1 and soldiers with gleaming swords1 boasting of battles they had won1 and all looked with eager eyes up and down the streets1 each longing to be the first to see the ,christ ,child in all his beauty4 ,so1 in their eagerness they pressed now this way and now that1 heeding nothing but their one desire4 ,the shivering beggar was jostled1 the lame man was trampled under foot1 and lay moaning in a doorway1 and children were thrust aside from their eager gazing1 and fell1 weeping and disappointed1 or fled from the stern presence of some blustering soldier1 to hide in alleyways1 praying that the little ,christ ,child would find them there1 waiting to worship him4 ,among the children was one braver than the others--little ,karl4 ,he had gone out with a glad heart1 saying to his mother1 8,i will not come back1 though ,i walk the streets all night1 until ,i will see the ,christ ,child and gain a blessing for you and for me40 ,but his mother kissed him fondly1 saying1 8,go my son1 but do not grieve if you do not see the ,christ ,child1 for there is blessing even in seeking him40 ,so little ,karl1 seeing so many crushed and crowded back1 though fearing that the ,christ ,child should pass while he spent the time1 lifted the lame man to a place of safety1 apart from the crowd1 followed the shivering beggar and lent him his cloak1 and comforted the weeping children4 ,and meanwhile the crowd pushed and jostled and threatened1 and no one gave heed to a ragged boy who pressed slowly through the throng1 going from street to street1 and saying now and again1 8,i hunger4 ,will one give me a crust of bread80 ,no one gave heed1 save that the ,king drew back his royal robes and bade his courtiers clear his pathway of beggars2 the great singer asked angrily who was this who dared to interrupt him in his singing1 and turned his back upon the child to begin his song anew2 the poet saw him not1 because his eyes were not lifted from the book1 while some1 impatient at the interrupted melody1 or taking counsel from the king's frown1 jostled him in rude malice4 ,true1 the priest turned on him a kindly glance and would have spoken1 but that a sudden movement in the crowd gave hope of the ,christ ,child's coming1 and he forgot all else to press after the others4 ,but little ,karl1 now shivering with cold1 had pity1 and crept to the stranger boy's side1 and broke his one piece of bread with him and offered him a place in his sheltered doorway4 8,it is cold10 ,karl said1 8and ,i have lent my cloak1 or we could share it with each other1 and the bread is old1 but it is all ,i have1 and indeed one feels hunger and cold but lightly who watches for the ,christ ,child and hopes for his blessing40 ,when1 lo6 as the ragged boy broke the bread and ate with ,karl1 his face became glorified1 and a light like soft moonlight played about his fair temples1 and the eyes that looked into the very soul of ,karl1 as he rose in glad amaze1 were clear and wonderful as the winter stars1 and yet gentle as the eyes of a pet lamb4 ,and suddenly1 as he gazed1 ,karl fell1 worshiping1 for he knew that he had had speech with the ,christ ,child4 ,then1 while the crowd still surged and quarreled and waited1 watching1 the ,christ ,child walked through the soft falling snows1 where little ,karl led the way4 ,and they sought out the beggar1 and the lame man1 and the little children1 and the great who were also good1 and all whose smiles were kindly and whose hearts were like those of little children4 ,story of the ,ark#cd ,now ,god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth1 and it repented ,god that he had made man4 ,but ,noah was a just man and perfect in his generation1 and ,noah walked with ,god4 ,and ,god said unto ,noah1 ,the end of all flesh is come before me2 for the earth is filled with violence through them1 and1 behold1 ,i will destroy them with the earth4 ,make thee an ark of gopher wood2 rooms shalt thou make in the ark1 and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch4 ,a window shalt thou make to the ark2 and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof2 with lower1 second1 and third stories shalt thou make it4 ,and behold1 ,i1 even ,i1 do bring a flood of waters upon the earth1 to destroy all flesh2 and everything that is in the earth shall die4 ,but with thee will ,i establish my covenant2 and thou shalt come into the ark1 thou1 and thy sons1 and thy wife1 and thy sons' wives with thee4 ,and of every living thing1 two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark1 to keep them alive with thee2 they shall be male and female4 ,of fowls after their kind1 and of cattle1 and of every creeping thing of the earth1 two of every sort shall come unto thee1 to keep them alive4 ,and take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten2 and it shall be for food for thee1 and for them4 ,thus did ,noah1 according to all that ,god commanded him1 so did he4 ,the ,flood#ce ,and the ,lord said unto ,noah1 ,come thou and all thy house into the ark2 for thee have ,i seen righteous before me in this generation4 ,and ,noah went in1 and his sons1 and his wife1 and his sons' wives with him1 into the ark1 because of the waters of the flood4 ,of clean beasts1 and of beasts that are not clean1 and of fowls1 and of everything that creepeth upon the earth1 there went in two and two unto ,noah into the ark1 the male and the female1 as ,god had commanded ,noah4 ,and the ,lord shut him in4 ,and it came to pass after seven days1 that the waters of the flood were upon the earth4 ,in the six hundredth year of ,noah's life1 in the second month1 the seventeenth day of the month1 the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up1 and the windows of heaven were opened4 ,and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights4 ,and the waters increased1 and bare up the ark1 and it was lift up above the earth1 and all flesh died that moved upon the earth4 ,and every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground1 both man1 and cattle1 and the creeping things1 and the fowl of the heaven2 and ,noah only remained alive1 and they that were with him in the ark1 and the ark went upon the face of the waters4 ,and the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days4 ,the ,olive ,leaf#cf ,and ,god remembered ,noah1 and every living thing1 and the cattle that was with him in the ark3 and ,god made a wind to pass over the earth1 and the waters asswaged4 ,the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped1 and the rain from heaven was restrained2 and the waters returned from off the earth continually1 and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated4 ,and the ark rested in the seventh month1 on the seventeenth day of the month1 upon the mountains of ,ararat4 ,and the waters decreased continually until the tops of the mountains were seen4 ,and it came to pass at the end of forty days1 that ,noah opened the window of the ark which he had made3 and he sent forth a raven1 which went forth to and fro1 until the waters were dried up from the earth4 ,also he sent forth a dove from him1 to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground2 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot1 and she returned unto him into the ark1 for the waters were on the face of the whole earth2 then he put forth his hand1 and took her1 and pulled her in unto him into the ark4 ,and he stayed yet other seven days2 and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark2 and the dove came in to him in the evening2 and1 lo1 in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off3 so ,noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth4 ,and he stayed yet other seven days2 and he sent forth the dove2 which returned not again unto him any more4 ,and ,noah removed the covering of the ark1 and looked1 and1 behold1 the face of the ground was dry4 ,and ,god spake unto ,noah1 saying1 ,go forth of the ark1 thou1 and thy sons1 and thy wife1 and thy sons' wives with thee4 ,bring forth with thee every living thing of all flesh1 both of fowl1 and of cattle1 and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth1 that they may be fruitful and multiply upon the earth4 ,and ,noah went forth1 and his sons1 and his wife1 and his sons' wives with him3 every beast1 every creeping thing1 and every fowl1 went forth out of the ark4 ,and ,noah builded an altar unto the ,lord4 ,the ,rainbow of ,promise#cg ,and the ,lord said in his heart1 ,i will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake2 for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth2 neither will ,i again smite any more every thing living1 as ,i have done4 ,while the earth remaineth1 seed time and harvest1 and cold and heat1 and summer and winter1 and day and night shall not cease4 ,and ,god blessed ,noah and his sons4 ,and ,god spake unto ,noah1 and to his sons with him1 saying1 ,and ,i1 behold1 ,i establish my covenant with you1 and with your seed after you2 and with every living creature that is with you1 of the fowl1 of the cattle1 and of every beast of the earth with you2 from all that go out of the ark1 to every beast of the earth4 ,i will establish my covenant with you2 neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood2 neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth4 ,and ,god said1 ,this is the token of the covenant which ,i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you1 for perpetual generations3 ,i do set my bow in the cloud1 and it shall be for a token of covenant between me and the earth4 ,and it shall come to pass1 when ,i bring a cloud over the earth1 that the bow shall be seen in the cloud3 and ,i will remember my covenant1 which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh2 and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh4 ,and ,noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years4 ,and all the days of ,noah were nine hundred and fifty years4 ,the ,story of ,david#ch ,more than two thousand years ago1 there was a great battle in the land of ,palestine4 ,at that time1 ,saul was king of ,israel1 and the battle was fought between the ,israelites and the ,philistines1 their enemies4 ,now1 the ,israelites worshiped ,god or ,jehovah1 while the ,philistines worshiped images of wood and stone4 ,and the ,philistines stood on the mountain on the one side1 and ,israel stood on the mountain on the other side2 and the ravine was between them4 ,and as the armies were drawn up for battle1 there stepped out from the ranks of the ,philistines a champion named ,goliath4 ,he was a giant in stature1 and he was clothed in a corselet of scales1 with a helmet of bronze upon his head4 ,his spear was like a weaver's beam--and a shield-bearer went before him4 ,and ,goliath stood and cried to the people of ,israel1 8,i have come forth to defy the army of ,israel4 ,choose ye a man who shall come and fight with me4 ,if he slays me1 then will the ,philistines be your servants1 but if ,i slay him1 then shall ye be the servants of the ,philistines40 ,then were the ,israelites dismayed1 and no man dared go forth to fight with ,goliath4 ,every night and every morning for forty days1 ,goliath came forth and challenged the army of ,israel1 and no man dared go forth to fight him4 ,at this same time1 away off among the hills of ,bethlehem1 there was a young man named ,david1 who was tending his father's sheep4 ,he was a shepherd lad1 but ruddy1 and of a beautiful appearance4 ,his father's name was ,jesse4 ,now1 ,jesse's three older sons were in the army of ,saul1 but ,david1 the youngest1 cared for the sheep4 ,he loved the country about ,bethlehem1 and he had many beautiful thoughts while watching over the sheep that he loved4 ,but one day his father called him away from the sheep pastures1 and sent him to see his brothers1 and to bring back a message from them1 for he was anxious about their welfare4 ,and he gave him parched corn and ten loaves as a gift for them4 ,so ,david journeyed to where his brothers were1 and when he reached them1 the armies were drawn up1 the ,philistines on one mountain1 and the ,israelites on the other1 with the ravine between4 ,and as ,david reached the place1 he saw ,goliath1 coming forth to challenge the army of ,israel1 as he had done for forty days4 ,and when ,david heard ,goliath's words1 and saw that all the army of ,israel was dismayed1 he was filled with indignation1 and he asked1 8,who is this ,philistine1 that he should defy the armies of the living ,god80 ,and ,david's words were repeated to ,saul1 and ,saul sent for ,david1 and ,david told ,saul that he would go forth and fight with ,goliath4 ,then said ,saul1 8,but thou art but a youth1 and this is a man of war40 ,then ,david answered1 8,i have slain with my hands both a lion and a bear1 when they came to destroy a lamb of my flock4 ,and ,i can also slay this ,philistine1 for ,jehovah1 who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and of the bear1 will deliver me out of the hand of this ,philistine40 ,and ,saul said to ,david1 8,go1 and ,jehovah be with thee40 ,and he would have put his armor upon ,david1 but ,david refused it1 and taking his staff in his hand1 he chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in the pocket of the shepherd's bag which he wore4 ,then with his sling in his hand1 he advanced to meet ,goliath4 ,but when ,goliath saw ,david1 he exclaimed1 8,am ,i a dog1 that thou comest to me with a staff8 ,come on1 then1 and ,i will give thy flesh to the fowls of the heavens and to the beasts of the field40 ,and ,david answered1 8,thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear1 but ,i come to thee in the name of ,jehovah of hosts1 the ,god of the armies of ,israel1 whom thou hast defied4 ,this day will ,jehovah deliver thee into my hand1 and all the earth shall know that ,israel has a ,god40 ,and ,david put his hand into his bag and drew forth a stone and put it into his sling and he slung it2 and it struck the ,philistine in the forehead1 and he fell on his face to the earth4 ,and the army of ,israel arose and shouted1 and the ,philistines became the servants of ,israel1 and great honors were heaped upon ,david4 ,some years after this1 at the death of ,saul1 ,david became king of ,israel1 but he never forgot his days upon the hills of ,bethlehem1 when he tended his father's sheep2 and he was called the 8,shepherd ,king40 ,after he had become king1 ,david wrote many beautiful songs or psalms1 and one of the most beautiful of them all is the twenty-third psalm1 which shows that even when all the glory and honor of being a king were his1 he loved to think of himself as one of the sheep over whom the ,lord watched as a shepherd4 ,the ,twenty-third ,psalm ,the ,lord is my shepherd2 ,i shall not want4 ,he maketh me to lie down in green pastures3 he leadeth me beside the still waters4 ,he restoreth my soul3 he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake4 ,yea1 though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will fear no evil3 for thou art with me2 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me4 ,thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies3 thou anointest my head with oil2 my cup runneth over4 ,surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life3 and ,i will dwell in the house of the ,lord for ever4 ,,footnotes #d ,from ,the ,angler's ,reveille1 by ,henry van ,dyke4--,by permission of ,charles ,scribner's ,sons4 #e ,from ,chinese ,mother ,goose ,rhymes4 ,translated by ,isaac ,t4 ,headland4 ,by permission of ,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company4 #f ,from ,firelight ,stories1 by ,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey 7,milton ,bradley ,company74 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #g ,jane ,arnold1 in ,american ,motherhood4 ,by permission of the publishers4 #h ,from ,aesop's ,fables2 adapted by ,d4 ,l4 ,graves in ,american ,motherhood4 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #i ,this story1 reprinted by permission from the second book of the series of ,jones ,readers 7,ginn and ,company71 is an especially good type of story to tell to small children1 since it is full of action and of conversation1 two features which they particularly enjoy1 and its lesson of forethought is made very plain through the development of the story itself4 #aj ,by ,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey1 in ,firelight ,stories 7,milton ,bradley ,company74 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #aa ,from ,queer ,little ,people1 by ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe 7,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company74 ,by permission of the publishers4 7,abridged47 #ab ,by ,margaret and ,clarence ,weed1 in ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,by permission of the authors and publishers4 #ac ,english ,folk-tale4 #ad ,original adaptation of an old legend4 #ae ,original adaptation of ,old ,folk-tale4 #af ,an ,ojibway legend from ,wigwam ,stories1 by ,mary ,catherine ,judd 7,ginn and ,company74 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #ag ,original adaptation of an old legend4 #ah ,schoolcraft4 ,from ,wigwam ,stories1 by ,mary ,catherine ,judd 7,ginn and ,company74 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #ai ,by ,grace ,mac,gowan ,cooke1 in the ,delineator4 ,by permission of the author and the publishers4 #bj ,chippewa4 ,from ,wigwam ,stories1 by ,mary ,catherine ,judd 7,ginn and ,company74 ,by permission of author and publishers4 #ba ,original adaptation from the folk-lore of ,south ,slavonia4 ,there is another and different version of 8,why the ,dog and ,cat ,are ,enemies0 under the title1 8,the ,enchanted ,wine ,jug10 in ,stories to ,tell 7,a4 ,flanagan ,company71 compiled by the author of this book4 ,stories of animals are always of interest to children1 and the more familiar the animals the greater the child's interest in the story4 ,these two versions of the above story1 ,i have found are not generally known to either teachers or children1 for they seem to have been generally overlooked in the many collections of folk-tales4 #bb ,from ,myths and ,legends of the ,pacific ,northwest1 by ,katharine ,b4 ,judson 7,a4 ,c4 ,mc,clurg ,co474 7,abridged47 #bc ,by ,frances ,margaret ,fox in ,little ,folks 7,s4 ,e4 ,cassino ,company74 ,by permission of the publishers4 #bd ,abridged from ,jolly ,calle1 by ,helena ,nyblom 7,j4 ,m4 ,dent and ,sons1 ,london74 #be ,from ,stories from ,old ,english ,romance1 by ,joyce ,pollard 7,frederick ,a4 ,stokes ,company74 ,by permission of the publishers4 7,abridged47 #bf ,from stories of ,norse ,heroes1 by ,e4 ,m4 ,wilmot-,buxton 7,thomas ,y4 ,crowell ,company74 ,by permission of the publishers4 7,abridged47 #bg ,adapted from ,greek mythology4 #bh ,by ,david ,ker1 in ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,by permission of the publishers4 #bi ,abridged from ,further ,adventures of ,nils1 by ,selma ,lagerlof 7,doubleday1 ,page and ,company74 ,by permission of the publishers4 #cj ,by ,mrs4 ,john ,lane1 in ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,by permission of the author and publishers4 #ca ,by ,julia ,darrow ,cowles1 in ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,by permission of the publishers4 #cb ,by ,a4 ,gertrude ,maynard1 in ,kindergarten ,review4 ,by permission of the publishers4 #cc ,by ,phila ,butler ,bowman1 in ,kindergarten ,review4 ,by permission of the publishers4 #cd ,genesis vi1 #e-bb4 #ce ,genesis vii4 #cf ,genesis viii4 #cg ,genesis viii1 #ba1 #bb2 ix1 #a1 #h-ae1 #bh1 #bi4 #ch ,first ,samuel xvii4 7,adapted47 ,,index ,,of ,,selected ,,stories ,,page ,,adder ,,that ,,did ,,not ,,hear1 ,,the ,old ,fable adapted #adi ,,ark1 ,,the ,bible #bea ,,birdie ,,with ,a ,,yellow ,,bill ,robert ,louis ,stevenson #f ,,cobbler1 ,,the ,old ,tale adapted #aed ,,coming ,,of ,,arthur1 ,,the ,richard ,thomas ,wyche #ge ,,country ,,cat1 ,,the ,grace ,mac,gowan ,cooke #aei ,,david ,bible #beg ,,fisherman1 ,,the ,aesop ,fable #ee ,,fountain1 ,,the ,james ,russell ,lowell #ed ,,flood1 ,,the ,bible #beb ,,gold ,,bugs1 ,,the ,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey #abh ,,good ,,king1 ,,the ,margaret and ,clarence ,weed #acg ,,history ,,of ,,tip-,,top1 ,,the ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe #aca ,,hold-,,fast ,,tom ,daniel ,ker #baj ,,honest ,,woodman1 ,,the ,aesop ,fable #abc ,,how ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,the ,,sky ,,gave ,,gifts ,,to ,,men ,e4 ,m4 ,wilmot-,buxton #bjj ,,japanese ,,lullaby #e ,,jericho ,,bob ,mrs4 ,john ,lane #bbf ,,jerusalem ,,artie',s ,,christmas ,,dinner ,julia ,darrow ,cowles #bcd ,,king ,,midas' ,,ears ,greek ,myth adapted #bje ,,king ,,of ,,the ,,frogs ,old ,tale adapted #adg ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,arbutus ,mary ,catherine ,judd #afb ,,lesson ,,of ,,faith1 ,a ,mrs4 ,gatty #h ,,little ,,baldhead1 ,,the ,chinese ,mother ,goose #aad ,,little ,,boy ,,who ,,forgot ,,to ,,wash ,,his ,,hands1 ,,the ,jane ,arnold #abj ,,little ,,sister ,,kindness ,,and ,,the ,,loving ,,stitches ,margaret ,fox #agd ,,my ,,bed ,,is ,a ,,boat ,robert ,louis ,stevenson #g ,,miser ,,of ,,takhoma1 ,,the ,katharine ,berry ,judson #afh ,,nils ,,and ,,the ,,bear ,selma ,lagerlof #bah ,,north ,,star1 ,,the ,mary ,catherine ,judd #aeb ,,olive ,,leaf1 ,,the ,bible #bed ,,opechee1 ,,the ,,robin ,,redbreast ,mary ,catherine ,judd #aef ,,pat-,a-,,cake1 ,,pat-,a-,,cake ,mother ,goose #eb ,,pat1 ,,pat ,chinese ,mother ,goose #eb ,,plowman ,,who ,,found ,,content1 ,,the ,old ,tale adapted #ada ,,pussy ,,willows ,henry van ,dyke #ec ,,queen',s ,,necklace1 ,,the ,helena ,nyblom #ahj ,,rainbow ,,of ,,promise1 ,,the ,bible #bef ,,robin',s ,,carol1 ,,the ,henry van ,dyke #aac ,,robin ,,hood ,,and ,,sir ,,richard-,,at-,,the-,,lee ,joyce ,pollard #aia ,,robin',s ,,christmas ,a4 ,gertrude ,maynard 7,old legend retold7 #bdj ,,sleep1 ,,little ,,pigeon ,eugene ,field #e ,,story ,,of ,,ithenthiela ,abbie ,farwell ,brown and ,james ,m4 ,bell #fj ,,tabby ,,and ,,the ,,mice ,old ,tale adapted #abf ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,christ ,,child ,phila ,butler ,bowman #bdf ,,twenty-,,third ,,psalm ,bible #bfa ,,why ,,the ,,bear ,,sleeps ,,all ,,winter ,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey #aae ,,why ,,the ,,dog ,,cannot ,,endure ,,the ,,cat ,old ,tale adapted #afe ,,topical ,,index ,,of ,,stories ,,page ,,rhymes ,,for ,,mothers ,,the ,,robin',s ,,carol #aac ,,the ,,little ,,baldhead #aad ,,japanese ,,lullaby #e ,,birdie ,,with ,a ,,yellow ,,bill #f ,,pat1 ,,pat #eb ,,the ,,fountain 7introduction to7 #ed ,,pussy ,,willows #ec ,,pat-,a-,,cake1 ,,pat-,a-,,cake #eb ,,fables ,,and ,,folk-,,lore ,,the ,,fisherman #ee ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,arbutus #afb ,,why ,,the ,,bear ,,sleeps ,,all ,,winter #aae ,,the ,,country ,,cat #aei ,,the ,,honest ,,woodman #abc ,,the ,,north ,,star #aeb ,,the ,,cobbler #aed ,,tabby ,,and ,,the ,,mice #abf ,,opechee1 ,,the ,,robin ,,redbreast #aef ,,king ,,of ,,the ,,frogs #adg ,,the ,,adder ,,that ,,did ,,not ,,hear #adi ,,why ,,the ,,dog ,,cannot ,,endure ,,the ,,cat #afe ,,the ,,miser ,,of ,,takhoma #afh ,,the ,,plowman ,,who ,,found ,,content #ada ,,fairy ,,stories ,,little ,,sister ,,kindness #agd ,,the ,,queen',s ,,necklace #ahj ,,ethical ,,stories ,,the ,,gold ,,bugs #abh ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,tip-,,top #aca ,,the ,,little ,,boy ,,who ,,forgot ,,to ,,wash ,,his ,,hands #abj ,,the ,,country ,,cat #aei ,,the ,,honest ,,woodman #abc ,,the ,,adder ,,that ,,did ,,not ,,hear #adi ,,the ,,miser ,,of ,,takhoma #afh ,,the ,,plowman ,,who ,,found ,,content #ada ,,little ,,sister ,,kindness #agd ,,the ,,queen',s ,,necklace #ahj ,,myth ,,and ,,hero-,,tale ,,robin ,,hood ,,and ,,sir ,,richard-,,at-,,the-,,lee #aia ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,arthur #ge ,,story ,,of ,,ithenthiela #fj ,,how ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,the ,,ant ,,gave ,,gifts ,,to ,,men #bjj ,,king ,,midas' ,,ears #bje ,,hold-,,fast ,,tom 7modern7 #baj ,,nils ,,and ,,the ,,bear 7modern7 #bah ,,stories ,,for ,,special ,,days ,a ,,lesson ,,of ,,faith 7,easter7 #h ,,jericho ,,bob 7,thanksgiving7 #bbf ,,robin',s ,,christmas #bdj ,,jerusalem ,,artie',s ,,christmas ,,dinner #bcd ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,christ ,,child #bdf ,,bible ,,stories ,,story ,,of ,,david #beg ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,ark #bea ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,flood #beb ,,the ,,olive ,,leaf #bed ,,rainbow ,,of ,,promise #bef ,,twenty-,,third ,,psalm #bfa ,,books ,,for ,,the ,,story-,,teller ,all of the following books contain excellent material for the story-teller4 ,while some of the stories are not perfectly adapted in form for telling1 the best of them can be used with comparatively little change4 ,the list is not by any means comprehensive1 but the books mentioned will abundantly reward the story-teller's search4 ,,melodies ,,and ,,folk ,,tales ,,mother ,,goose ,,melodies--edited by ,w4 ,a4 ,wheeler ,,chinese ,,mother ,,goose ,,rhymes--translated by ,isaac ,t4 ,headland ,,english ,,folk ,,tales--,jacobs ,,book ,,of ,,folk ,,stories--,scudder ,,lullaby ,,land--,eugene ,fields ,,child',s ,,garden ,,of ,,verse--,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson ,,nonsense ,,rhymes--,edward ,lear ,,ethical ,,stories ,,parables ,,from ,,nature--,mrs4 ,gatty ,,firelight ,,stories--,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey ,,for ,,the ,,children',s ,,hour--,carolyn ,sherwin ,bailey ,,murray',s ,,story ,,land ,,nature ,,stories ,,the ,,wonderful ,,adventures ,,of ,,nils--,selma ,lagerlof ,,further ,,adventures ,,of ,,nils--,selma ,lagerlof ,,true ,,bird ,,stories--,olive ,thorne ,miller ,,the ,,jungle ,,book--,kipling ,,secrets ,,of ,,the ,,woods--,w4 ,j4 ,long ,,true ,,tales ,,of ,,birds ,,and ,,beasts--,david ,starr ,jordan ,,true ,,hero ,,stories ,,adventures ,,and ,,achievements--,tappan ,,american ,,hero ,,stories--,tappan ,,european ,,hero ,,stories--,tappan ,,heroes ,,every ,,child ,,should ,,know--,mabie ,,st4 ,,nicholas--in bound volumes ,,fairy ,,tales ,,and ,,folk ,,lore ,,household ,,fairy ,,tales--,grimm ,,anderson',s ,,fairy ,,tales--translated by ,mrs4 ,e4 ,lucas ,,fairy ,,tales ,,from ,,perrault--translated by ,s4 ,r4 ,littleton ,,aesop',s ,,fables--,jacobs ,,the ,,golden ,,spears--,edmund ,leamy 7,irish ,fairy ,tales7 ,,in ,,fairy-,,land--,louey ,chisholm ,,japanese ,,fairy ,,tales--,williston ,,uncle ,,remus--,joel ,chandler ,harris ,,twilight ,,fairy ,,tales--,maud ,ballington ,booth ,,blue ,,fairy ,,book--,lang ,,jolly ,,calle--,helena ,nyblom 7,swedish ,fairy ,tales7 ,,history ,,and ,,legend ,,boys' ,,king ,,arthur--,lanier ,,king ,,arthur ,,and ,,his ,,knights--,m4 ,l4 ,warren ,,merry ,,adventures ,,of ,,robin ,,hood--,howard ,pyle ,,some ,,great ,,stories ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,them--,wyche ,,half ,a ,,hundred ,,hero ,,tales--,storr ,,story ,,of ,,siegfried--,baldwin ,,fifty ,,famous ,,stories ,,retold--,baldwin ,,stories ,,of ,,heroic ,,deeds--,johonnot ,,viking ,,tales--,hall ,,wonder ,,tales ,,from ,,wagner--,anna ,chapin ,,true ,,story ,,book--,lang ,,stories ,,from ,,old ,,english ,,romance--,joyce ,pollard ,,mythological ,,stories ,,norse ,,stories ,,retold--,mabie ,,stories ,,of ,,norse ,,heroes--,wilmot-,buxton ,,age ,,of ,,fable--,bulfinch ,,the ,,wonder ,,book--,hawthorne ,,tanglewood ,,tales--,hawthorne ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,iliad--,church ,,aeneid ,,for ,,boys ,,and ,,girls--,church ,,nature ,,myths--,holbrook ,,myths ,,of ,,northern ,,lands--,guerber ,,north ,,american ,,indian ,,stories ,,wigwam ,,stories--,mary ,c4 ,judd ,,myths ,,and ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,pacific ,,northwest--,katharine ,b4 ,judson ,,indian ,,fairy ,,tales--,mary ,hazelton ,wade ,,behind ,,the ,,dark ,,pines--,martha ,young ,,tales ,,of ,,the ,,red ,,children--,brown and ,bell ,in addition to the above1 comprehensive lists of books for story-tellers may be secured from the librarians of nearly all the large city libraries for a merely nominal cost1 and in some cases without charge except for postage4