ABOUT SIX LITTLE CHICKENS

First Stories For Very Little Folk

First Stories For Very Little Folk

ABOUT SIX LITTLE CHICKENSBY S. L. ELLIOTT“a little girl came out with some corn-meal in a dish.”A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There was a noise that went “snick, snick,” and out of the shell stepped something like a little fuzzy ball, but with two bright eyes, and two bits of feet to walk on. What do you think it was? A little chicken? Yes, and Mother Biddy was so glad to see it, and she called it “Fluffy.” And Fluffy said “Peep, peep! I have some brothers and sisters in the shells; if you call them, I think they will come.” So Mother Biddy said “Cluck, cluck!” and something said: “Peep, peep!” and out came another chicken, as black as it could be, so Mother Biddy called it “Topsy.”“Are there any more?” said Mother Biddy. “Yes. Peep, peep! We’re coming; wait for us,” and there came four more little chickens as fast as they could run. One was as white as snow, and Mother Biddy called it “Snowball.” The next was yellow and white, and she named it “Daisy.” Then there was a yellow one with a brown ring around its neck, and that was called “Brownie.” And what do you think! one was all black, only it had a little white spot on the top of its head that looked like a cap, so Mother Biddy called it “Spottie.” Now they were all out of their shells, and they said: “Peep, peep! We’re hungry.” So Mother Biddy said: “Cluck, cluck! Come see my babies,” and out of the house, close by, came a little girl with some corn-meal in a dish, and my! wasn’t she glad to see the chickens?Fluffy Topsy Snowball Daisy Brownie SpottieAfter they had eaten all they wanted, they thought they would take a walk and see this queer world they had come to live in.Pretty soon they came to a brook, and they all stood in a row and looked in. “Let us have a drink,” they said, so they put their heads down, when—“Peep, peep!” said Spottie. “I see a little chicken with a spot on its head.”“No, no,” said Brownie; “it has a ring around its neck, and looks like me.”“Peep, peep!” said Daisy. “I think it’s like me, for it is yellow and white.” And I don’t know but they would all have tumbled in to see if they hadn’t felt something drop right on the ends of their noses. “What’s that?” said Fluffy.“Cluck, cluck!” said Mother Biddy. “Every chicken of you come in, for it is going to rain, and you’ll get your feathers wet.”So they ran as fast as they could, and in a few minutes the six little chickens were all cuddled under Mother Biddy’s wing, fast asleep.“TRADE-LAST”By Lucy Fitch Perkins“My frock is green.”“My frock is blue.”“You look pretty.”“So do you.”PHILIP’S HORSEphilip in his“rough-rider” suit.Little Philip was very fond of horses, and as he was too old to sit on a chair or box or trunk and make believe a rocking-horse was pulling it along his bedroom floor, his father bought him a horse all spotted brown and white, with a beautiful white mane; and Philip loved to get up on his back.In winter he would go out in his sleigh, even when the snow was deep. It was jolly fun to be in the sleigh all wrapped up cozy and warm in furry robes. He would crack his long whip and make it sound almost as loud as a fire-cracker. He used to carry a make-believe pistol when he dressed up in his “Rough-Rider” suit and went horseback-riding. But all the neighbors thought it was funny that Philip would always leave the saddle on his horse when he went out in his sleigh. But you won’t think it is funny when I tell you a secret—maybe you have guessed it already—Philip couldn’t get the saddle off, because, don’t you see, his horse was only a make-believe, hobby-horse.philip in his sleigh.The Kitten That Forgot How to MewBy Stella George SternAll little girls, and little boys too, like to read stories about kittens. Here is a story about a dear little kitten that belonged to a dear little girl named Peggy.Peggy had two brothers, and three cousins—all boys—and every boy had a little dog. At first the dogs would tease the kitten, but they soon learned better. The dogs and the kitten played together. All day long, out in the yard, you could hear them going, “Bow-wow!” and “Mew!”But, you see, there was only one little “Mew” and ever so many “Bow-wows,” and after a while the kitten hardly ever spoke at all.But one day the kitten wanted to mew, and—what do you suppose?—she had forgotten how to do it! She tried and tried, and all she could say was “M-m-m-bow!”—just as much like a dog as a kitten. She was so sad. She ran out into the yard and cried.The Big White Hen passed by and asked what was the matter.“Oh, Big White Hen,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Hen; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-cut, cut, cut, cut, cut-ca-da-cut!”“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.Then along came the Sheep and asked, “What is the matter?”“Oh, Sheep,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Sheep; “I will teach you to talk. Listen: M-m-m-baa!”“No,” said the kitten, “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.Then along came the Horse and asked what was the matter.“Oh, Horse,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Horse; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-neigh!”“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.Then along came the Cow and asked what was the matter.“Oh, Cow,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, as hard as I ever can, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Cow; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-moo!”“No,” said the kitten; “that is more like it, but that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.The New Baby was sitting in her high chair at the kitchen door.“Baby dear,” sighed the kitten, “I am in trouble. I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow! Can’t you teach me?”The Baby nodded her head and began, “M-m-m-google-google-goo!”“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she sat on the kitchen step and cried again.“What is the matter?” asked a soft voice behind her.“Oh!” sobbed the kitten, without looking up, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and nothing can help me. All I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”“Look at me,” said the soft voice.The little kitten looked. And there stood a beautiful big gray cat!“I can teach you to talk,” said the Cat. And she did. She taught her so well that the little kitten never again forgot how to mew, though she played out on the soft, green grass with the dogs every day.FLEDGLINGSBy Lucy Fitch PerkinsI saw a stork on a chimney high,And called to him as I passed by,“O stork! what’ll you bring,Tucked away carefully under your wing?A baby sister and a brother,One for me, and one for mother.”“TIME TO GET UP!”BY ELLEN FOSTERLittle Elinor Gray lived in a big city, but her grandmother lived in a big house in the country. Elinor and her Nurse Norah were going to visit her, and had to take a long ride in the railway-train, and another ride in a carriage that Grandmother sent to meet them, so it was almost dark when they drove up to the door.Elinor’s grandmother had two beautiful dogs—“Bruno,” a big collie, and “Bounder,” a little fox-terrier. And when they saw the little girl jump out of the carriage, they barked and barked because they were so glad to see her. And they said to themselves (Ithinkthey said to themselves): “We will let her have a good sleep to-night, for she must be very tired and it is nearly dark. But to-morrow, bright and early, we will ask her to come for a romp with us in the garden, and show her how much nicer it is to live in the country than in the city, where little girls have to walk so quietly along the streets, and dogs have to be led along the sidewalk, and cannot frolic on the soft green grass.”Elinor was very sleepy after her long ride in the train, and so, after she had had her supper, her grandmother told her she might go to bed early and get a good sleep, and that Nurse Norah would call her at seven o’clock in the morning.But what do you think happened? Why, Bruno and Bounder somehow got into the housebeforeseven o’clock that morning, and came leaping up the stairs, and went straight to Elinor’s door. Elinor was a very sound sleeper, and did not hear them at first, and did not wake up. But soon Bounder began to scratch at the door with his little, sharp claws and to make queer little whine-y sounds; and Bruno’s bushy tail went “Rap! rap! rap!” on the door, too. Then Elinor woke up, and listened a moment, and then she said: “Oh,Iknow what it is! It’s those darling dogs!” And she jumped out of bed and opened the door, and there, sure enough, was Bounder, dashing right into the room, barking, “Good morning! good morning!” and big Bruno, looking at Elinor as if saying, “Good morning! didn’t you hear us? It’s time to get up!”Elinor said: “Oh, you beauties! Yes, I know! And I’ll get dressed right away!”But what do you think happenedthen! Why, Bruno and Bounder didn’t give her time even to call Nurse Norah and get dressed. You see, Bruno and Bounder did not often have so nice a little visitor, and they were ready to begin play that very minute. Bounder was jumping up and down and all over the room, and at last he spied Elinor’s slippers on the floor and caught up one of them between his sharp little teeth and ran round and round the room with it. But Bruno chased Bounder all round the room trying to make him drop the slipper, while Elinor stood still and laughed and laughed and laughed!But just then Nurse Norah came rushing in from the next room, asking whatwasthe matter and in a minute, the naughty Bounder was made to give up Elinor’s slipper, and Bruno chased him all the way out of the house.And just as soon as Elinor had had her breakfast, she ran out and had a fine romp with Bruno and Bounder in Grandmother’s garden.“time to get up!”Maggies very own secret(For Very Little Folk)and Mrs. Squeaky were two little, gray mice. They lived away back in the corner of a great, big, empty box in the cellar.One morning Mr. Squeaky went up the cellar stairs on tiptoes, to hunt for some bread and cheese in the kitchen.All at once he heard some one talking, and he hid behind the broom and was as still as he could be.It was the little boy Johnnie, who lived up-stairs. He had a big hammer and a saw in his hand, and he was talking to his little sister.“I think that big, empty box down cellar would make a fine dolls’ house, Maggie. I can fix a little porch on it, and make an up-stairs and a down-stairs,” the little boy said.“Oh, Johnnie, that will be lovely,” his little sister said. “I’ll do something for you sometime. Maybe—maybe—I’ll draw a whole slate full of el’phants, for you to look at!”Then they started down the cellar steps.Mr. Squeaky was so frightened that he almost tumbled down the stairs.“Oh, my dear,” he whispered, “they are going to break up our house with a big hammer and a saw, and make a dolls’ house out of it! Let’s run as fast as we can!”Poor little Mrs. Squeaky began to cry.“Where shall we go?” she whispered. “Oh, I am so afraid, and there are always those dreadful traps around to catch us!”But they ran as fast as they could to the darkest corner. Mrs. Squeaky’s sharp little eyes saw a hole, and she ran into it, and Mr. Squeaky squeezed in after her.Now where do you think they found themselves? Right inside of an old shoe! The hole that they came through was just a hole in the shoe and made a nice little door. And there was another hole a little higher up that made a nice little window to peep out of.“Why, this is the dearest little house, so cozy and warm,” Mrs. Squeaky said. “Nobody will ever find us in here, I know.”After they lived there a while, a whole family of little pink baby mice came to live with them. The papa mouse and the mama mouse were so proud and so glad, they got little bits of cotton and soft paper and rags, and made the nicest little beds you ever saw.The little pink baby mice could only say, “Squeak! Squeak!” and cuddle up under the warm covers, but Mr. and Mrs. Squeaky laughed, and thought they were the smartest babies in the whole world.“Why, I feel like ‘The Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe and had so many children she didn’t know what to do,’” Mrs. Squeaky said one day. She was sitting by the little window rocking the baby mouse and taking a little rest.Mr. Squeaky had gone out to hunt for some supper, and the four other little mice were peeping out of the little hole in the toe of their shoe house, for Papa to come home.All at once, Maggie, the little girl who lived up-stairs, ran into the dark corner to hide from Johnnie, just for fun. And what do you think she saw?The four little mice peeping out of the door, and the poor, frightened mama mouse and the little baby at the window.Maggie stopped just a minute to whisper gently to little, gray Mrs. Squeaky, “Don’t be frightened, ‘Little Old Woman Who Lives in the Shoe.’ I’ll never, never tell anybody where you live. No, I won’t even tell Johnnie or my kitty. They might try to catch you. It shall be myvery own secret—and yours!”So nobody but little Maggie ever knew about Mr. and Mrs. Squeaky, and their little pink babies in the old shoe—until long afterward, when she told me the story, as I have told it to you.“‘trot as fast as you can to market and get me a pail of milk.’”THE GOOD LITTLE PIGGIE AND HIS FRIENDSBY L. WALDO LOCKLINGOnce there was a little piggie, a very good little piggie, who obeyed his mother so well that often she let him out of the pen to play with his friends on the farm. One afternoon this little piggie was playing with them, when suddenly he heard his mother calling “Piggie, wiggie, wiggie, wiggie, wiggie!”“Piggie, dear,” she said, as he ran to her, “take this and trot as fast as you can to market and get me a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night.”“‘where are you off to, piggie?’ said bossie calf.”So Piggie took the pail between his teeth, and off he went to do what his mother told him. Now, you must remember that this little piggie was such a dear, good little piggie, that he had a great many friends among the other animals.So he had not gone far when who should spy him but his friend Bossie Calf. “Hello, there!” said the calf. “Where are you off to, Piggie?”“I’m going to market to bring my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie.“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” And the calf leaped over his master’s fence, and away he went scampering after Piggie.By and by, who should come along but Piggie’s friend Billie Goat. “Mercy on us!” baa-ed Billie. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Bossie?”“Going with Piggie,” said the calf.“Where are you going, Piggie?”“Going to market to bring my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie, in a great hurry.“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” So Billie Goat ran out of the barn-yard and hurried after the calf.Just as they were passing the house, who should spy them but Rover the dog.“Where are you going, Billie,” barked Rover, running out to the gate as he saw them rushing along. “Going with Bossie,” said the goat.“Where are you going, Bossie?” “Going with Piggie.”“Where are you going, Piggie?”“I am going to market to bring Mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie, in a great hurry.“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” So Rover hurried along up the road after the goat.Just as they turned into the road, who should come jumping along but Tabby the cat.“Well, well!” he meowed. “When did the circus come to town, Rover?”“This is not a circus parade,” said the dog, the goat, the calf, and Piggie all at once, as they ran on.“Then, where are you going, Rover?” again meowed Tabby.“Going with Billie,” barked Rover.“‘my, that’s good!’”“Where are you going, Billie?” “Going with Bossie.”“Where are you going, Bossie?” “Going with Piggie.”“Where are you going, Piggie?”“I am going to market to get my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie in a great hurry.“Are you? I believe I’ll go along. I am so fond of milk.” So Tabby raced along after Rover.When they got to the market, Piggie told his friends to wait outside while he hurried in and got the milk for his father’s supper. It did not take him long, and he soon came trotting out because he was to hurry back home.“Give me a sup for politeness’ sake,” meowed Tabby the cat, as she stuck her head in the pail. “My, that’s good!”“Pass it to me, Tabby,” barked Rover the dog, “for politeness’ sake. My, that’s good!”“Give me a sup for politeness’ sake,” said Billie Goat. “My, that’s good.”“Do not forget me, Billie, for politeness’ sake,” said Bossie the calf. “My, that’s good!”“away he trotted with an empty pail.”“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” squealed Piggie, when he saw what had happened. “What shall I do?” And away he trotted all by himself with an empty pail, to tell his mother that he did really and truly get the milk, but that his friends had “supped” it all up!But just then the farmer came with a great,bigpail of milk and gave it all to them, so that the good little piggie and his father and mother had a fine supper, and much more milk than Piggie could have brought.BABY’S PARADISEBy Lucy Fitch PerkinsOver the hills and far away,There’s a beautiful, wonderful place,Where happy babies in gardens play,With mothers dressed all in lace,—Dressed all in lace and in silken gown,With flowers in their hair,—Where trees with blossoms are laden down,And perfumes fill the air.Disobedience“who speaks first?”from an engraving of the painting by arthur j. elsley.for a little girl of threeMoo, moo!What can I doFor my little girl of three?I will eat the sweet grass,I will give her a glassOf my milk for her tea;Moo, moo! that ’s what I’ll doFor my dear little maiden of three.Mew, mew!What can I doFor my little girl of three?I will catch all the mice,And they shall not come twiceTo the cake, you’ll see;Mew, mew! that’s what I’ll doFor my sweet little maiden of three.Bow-wow!I will go nowWith my little girl of three;I will make a great noise;I will frighten the boys,For they all fear me;Bow-wow! that is just howI’ll guard my sweet maiden of three.Neigh, neigh!Out of the wayFor my little girl of three!I will give her a ride,We will canter and glideO’er the meadowy lea;Neigh, neigh! that’s just the wayI’ll help my sweet maiden of three.A FUNNY FAMILYLITTLE BY LITTLE.When Charley awoke one morning, he looked from the window, and saw the ground deeply covered with snow.On the side of the house nearest the kitchen, the snow was piled higher than Charley’s head.“We must have a path through this snow,” said his father. “I would make one if I had time. But I must be at the office early this morning.“Do you think you could make the path, my son?” he asked little Charley.“I? Why, the snow is higher than my head! How could I ever cut a path through that snow?”“How? Why, by doing itlittlebylittle. Suppose you try,” said the father, as he left for his office.So Charley got the snowshovel and set to work. He threw up first one shovelful, and then another; but it was slow work.“I don’t think I can do it, mother,” he said. “A shovelful is so little, and there is such a heap of snow.”“Little by little, Charley,” said his mother. “That snow fell in tiny bits, flake by flake, but you see what a great pile it has made.”“Yes, mother, I see,” said Charley. “If I throw it away little by little, it will soon be gone.”So he worked on.When his father came home to dinner, he was pleased to see the fine path. The next day he gave little Charley a fine blue sled, and on it was painted in yellow letters, “Little by Little.”“safety first”

BY S. L. ELLIOTT

“a little girl came out with some corn-meal in a dish.”

A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There was a noise that went “snick, snick,” and out of the shell stepped something like a little fuzzy ball, but with two bright eyes, and two bits of feet to walk on. What do you think it was? A little chicken? Yes, and Mother Biddy was so glad to see it, and she called it “Fluffy.” And Fluffy said “Peep, peep! I have some brothers and sisters in the shells; if you call them, I think they will come.” So Mother Biddy said “Cluck, cluck!” and something said: “Peep, peep!” and out came another chicken, as black as it could be, so Mother Biddy called it “Topsy.”“Are there any more?” said Mother Biddy. “Yes. Peep, peep! We’re coming; wait for us,” and there came four more little chickens as fast as they could run. One was as white as snow, and Mother Biddy called it “Snowball.” The next was yellow and white, and she named it “Daisy.” Then there was a yellow one with a brown ring around its neck, and that was called “Brownie.” And what do you think! one was all black, only it had a little white spot on the top of its head that looked like a cap, so Mother Biddy called it “Spottie.” Now they were all out of their shells, and they said: “Peep, peep! We’re hungry.” So Mother Biddy said: “Cluck, cluck! Come see my babies,” and out of the house, close by, came a little girl with some corn-meal in a dish, and my! wasn’t she glad to see the chickens?

Fluffy Topsy Snowball Daisy Brownie Spottie

After they had eaten all they wanted, they thought they would take a walk and see this queer world they had come to live in.

Pretty soon they came to a brook, and they all stood in a row and looked in. “Let us have a drink,” they said, so they put their heads down, when—

“Peep, peep!” said Spottie. “I see a little chicken with a spot on its head.”

“No, no,” said Brownie; “it has a ring around its neck, and looks like me.”

“Peep, peep!” said Daisy. “I think it’s like me, for it is yellow and white.” And I don’t know but they would all have tumbled in to see if they hadn’t felt something drop right on the ends of their noses. “What’s that?” said Fluffy.

“Cluck, cluck!” said Mother Biddy. “Every chicken of you come in, for it is going to rain, and you’ll get your feathers wet.”

So they ran as fast as they could, and in a few minutes the six little chickens were all cuddled under Mother Biddy’s wing, fast asleep.

“TRADE-LAST”By Lucy Fitch Perkins

“My frock is green.”“My frock is blue.”“You look pretty.”“So do you.”

philip in his“rough-rider” suit.

Little Philip was very fond of horses, and as he was too old to sit on a chair or box or trunk and make believe a rocking-horse was pulling it along his bedroom floor, his father bought him a horse all spotted brown and white, with a beautiful white mane; and Philip loved to get up on his back.

In winter he would go out in his sleigh, even when the snow was deep. It was jolly fun to be in the sleigh all wrapped up cozy and warm in furry robes. He would crack his long whip and make it sound almost as loud as a fire-cracker. He used to carry a make-believe pistol when he dressed up in his “Rough-Rider” suit and went horseback-riding. But all the neighbors thought it was funny that Philip would always leave the saddle on his horse when he went out in his sleigh. But you won’t think it is funny when I tell you a secret—maybe you have guessed it already—Philip couldn’t get the saddle off, because, don’t you see, his horse was only a make-believe, hobby-horse.

philip in his sleigh.

By Stella George Stern

All little girls, and little boys too, like to read stories about kittens. Here is a story about a dear little kitten that belonged to a dear little girl named Peggy.

Peggy had two brothers, and three cousins—all boys—and every boy had a little dog. At first the dogs would tease the kitten, but they soon learned better. The dogs and the kitten played together. All day long, out in the yard, you could hear them going, “Bow-wow!” and “Mew!”

But, you see, there was only one little “Mew” and ever so many “Bow-wows,” and after a while the kitten hardly ever spoke at all.

But one day the kitten wanted to mew, and—what do you suppose?—she had forgotten how to do it! She tried and tried, and all she could say was “M-m-m-bow!”—just as much like a dog as a kitten. She was so sad. She ran out into the yard and cried.

The Big White Hen passed by and asked what was the matter.

“Oh, Big White Hen,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”

“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Hen; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-cut, cut, cut, cut, cut-ca-da-cut!”

“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.

Then along came the Sheep and asked, “What is the matter?”

“Oh, Sheep,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”

“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Sheep; “I will teach you to talk. Listen: M-m-m-baa!”

“No,” said the kitten, “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.

Then along came the Horse and asked what was the matter.

“Oh, Horse,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”

“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Horse; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-neigh!”

“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.

Then along came the Cow and asked what was the matter.

“Oh, Cow,” sobbed the kitten, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, as hard as I ever can, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”

“Never mind, Kitty Cat,” said the Cow; “I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-moo!”

“No,” said the kitten; “that is more like it, but that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she cried again.

The New Baby was sitting in her high chair at the kitchen door.

“Baby dear,” sighed the kitten, “I am in trouble. I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow! Can’t you teach me?”

The Baby nodded her head and began, “M-m-m-google-google-goo!”

“No,” said the kitten; “that’s not the way to talk kitten-talk.” And she sat on the kitchen step and cried again.

“What is the matter?” asked a soft voice behind her.

“Oh!” sobbed the kitten, without looking up, “I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and nothing can help me. All I can say is, M-m-m-bow!”

“Look at me,” said the soft voice.

The little kitten looked. And there stood a beautiful big gray cat!

“I can teach you to talk,” said the Cat. And she did. She taught her so well that the little kitten never again forgot how to mew, though she played out on the soft, green grass with the dogs every day.

FLEDGLINGSBy Lucy Fitch Perkins

I saw a stork on a chimney high,And called to him as I passed by,“O stork! what’ll you bring,Tucked away carefully under your wing?A baby sister and a brother,One for me, and one for mother.”

BY ELLEN FOSTER

Little Elinor Gray lived in a big city, but her grandmother lived in a big house in the country. Elinor and her Nurse Norah were going to visit her, and had to take a long ride in the railway-train, and another ride in a carriage that Grandmother sent to meet them, so it was almost dark when they drove up to the door.

Elinor’s grandmother had two beautiful dogs—“Bruno,” a big collie, and “Bounder,” a little fox-terrier. And when they saw the little girl jump out of the carriage, they barked and barked because they were so glad to see her. And they said to themselves (Ithinkthey said to themselves): “We will let her have a good sleep to-night, for she must be very tired and it is nearly dark. But to-morrow, bright and early, we will ask her to come for a romp with us in the garden, and show her how much nicer it is to live in the country than in the city, where little girls have to walk so quietly along the streets, and dogs have to be led along the sidewalk, and cannot frolic on the soft green grass.”

Elinor was very sleepy after her long ride in the train, and so, after she had had her supper, her grandmother told her she might go to bed early and get a good sleep, and that Nurse Norah would call her at seven o’clock in the morning.

But what do you think happened? Why, Bruno and Bounder somehow got into the housebeforeseven o’clock that morning, and came leaping up the stairs, and went straight to Elinor’s door. Elinor was a very sound sleeper, and did not hear them at first, and did not wake up. But soon Bounder began to scratch at the door with his little, sharp claws and to make queer little whine-y sounds; and Bruno’s bushy tail went “Rap! rap! rap!” on the door, too. Then Elinor woke up, and listened a moment, and then she said: “Oh,Iknow what it is! It’s those darling dogs!” And she jumped out of bed and opened the door, and there, sure enough, was Bounder, dashing right into the room, barking, “Good morning! good morning!” and big Bruno, looking at Elinor as if saying, “Good morning! didn’t you hear us? It’s time to get up!”

Elinor said: “Oh, you beauties! Yes, I know! And I’ll get dressed right away!”

But what do you think happenedthen! Why, Bruno and Bounder didn’t give her time even to call Nurse Norah and get dressed. You see, Bruno and Bounder did not often have so nice a little visitor, and they were ready to begin play that very minute. Bounder was jumping up and down and all over the room, and at last he spied Elinor’s slippers on the floor and caught up one of them between his sharp little teeth and ran round and round the room with it. But Bruno chased Bounder all round the room trying to make him drop the slipper, while Elinor stood still and laughed and laughed and laughed!

But just then Nurse Norah came rushing in from the next room, asking whatwasthe matter and in a minute, the naughty Bounder was made to give up Elinor’s slipper, and Bruno chased him all the way out of the house.

And just as soon as Elinor had had her breakfast, she ran out and had a fine romp with Bruno and Bounder in Grandmother’s garden.

“time to get up!”

Maggies very own secret

(For Very Little Folk)

and Mrs. Squeaky were two little, gray mice. They lived away back in the corner of a great, big, empty box in the cellar.

One morning Mr. Squeaky went up the cellar stairs on tiptoes, to hunt for some bread and cheese in the kitchen.

All at once he heard some one talking, and he hid behind the broom and was as still as he could be.

It was the little boy Johnnie, who lived up-stairs. He had a big hammer and a saw in his hand, and he was talking to his little sister.

“I think that big, empty box down cellar would make a fine dolls’ house, Maggie. I can fix a little porch on it, and make an up-stairs and a down-stairs,” the little boy said.

“Oh, Johnnie, that will be lovely,” his little sister said. “I’ll do something for you sometime. Maybe—maybe—I’ll draw a whole slate full of el’phants, for you to look at!”

Then they started down the cellar steps.

Mr. Squeaky was so frightened that he almost tumbled down the stairs.

“Oh, my dear,” he whispered, “they are going to break up our house with a big hammer and a saw, and make a dolls’ house out of it! Let’s run as fast as we can!”

Poor little Mrs. Squeaky began to cry.

“Where shall we go?” she whispered. “Oh, I am so afraid, and there are always those dreadful traps around to catch us!”

But they ran as fast as they could to the darkest corner. Mrs. Squeaky’s sharp little eyes saw a hole, and she ran into it, and Mr. Squeaky squeezed in after her.

Now where do you think they found themselves? Right inside of an old shoe! The hole that they came through was just a hole in the shoe and made a nice little door. And there was another hole a little higher up that made a nice little window to peep out of.

“Why, this is the dearest little house, so cozy and warm,” Mrs. Squeaky said. “Nobody will ever find us in here, I know.”

After they lived there a while, a whole family of little pink baby mice came to live with them. The papa mouse and the mama mouse were so proud and so glad, they got little bits of cotton and soft paper and rags, and made the nicest little beds you ever saw.

The little pink baby mice could only say, “Squeak! Squeak!” and cuddle up under the warm covers, but Mr. and Mrs. Squeaky laughed, and thought they were the smartest babies in the whole world.

“Why, I feel like ‘The Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe and had so many children she didn’t know what to do,’” Mrs. Squeaky said one day. She was sitting by the little window rocking the baby mouse and taking a little rest.

Mr. Squeaky had gone out to hunt for some supper, and the four other little mice were peeping out of the little hole in the toe of their shoe house, for Papa to come home.

All at once, Maggie, the little girl who lived up-stairs, ran into the dark corner to hide from Johnnie, just for fun. And what do you think she saw?

The four little mice peeping out of the door, and the poor, frightened mama mouse and the little baby at the window.

Maggie stopped just a minute to whisper gently to little, gray Mrs. Squeaky, “Don’t be frightened, ‘Little Old Woman Who Lives in the Shoe.’ I’ll never, never tell anybody where you live. No, I won’t even tell Johnnie or my kitty. They might try to catch you. It shall be myvery own secret—and yours!”

So nobody but little Maggie ever knew about Mr. and Mrs. Squeaky, and their little pink babies in the old shoe—until long afterward, when she told me the story, as I have told it to you.

“‘trot as fast as you can to market and get me a pail of milk.’”

BY L. WALDO LOCKLING

Once there was a little piggie, a very good little piggie, who obeyed his mother so well that often she let him out of the pen to play with his friends on the farm. One afternoon this little piggie was playing with them, when suddenly he heard his mother calling “Piggie, wiggie, wiggie, wiggie, wiggie!”

“Piggie, dear,” she said, as he ran to her, “take this and trot as fast as you can to market and get me a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night.”

“‘where are you off to, piggie?’ said bossie calf.”

So Piggie took the pail between his teeth, and off he went to do what his mother told him. Now, you must remember that this little piggie was such a dear, good little piggie, that he had a great many friends among the other animals.So he had not gone far when who should spy him but his friend Bossie Calf. “Hello, there!” said the calf. “Where are you off to, Piggie?”

“I’m going to market to bring my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie.

“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” And the calf leaped over his master’s fence, and away he went scampering after Piggie.

By and by, who should come along but Piggie’s friend Billie Goat. “Mercy on us!” baa-ed Billie. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Bossie?”

“Going with Piggie,” said the calf.

“Where are you going, Piggie?”

“Going to market to bring my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie, in a great hurry.

“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” So Billie Goat ran out of the barn-yard and hurried after the calf.

Just as they were passing the house, who should spy them but Rover the dog.

“Where are you going, Billie,” barked Rover, running out to the gate as he saw them rushing along. “Going with Bossie,” said the goat.

“Where are you going, Bossie?” “Going with Piggie.”

“Where are you going, Piggie?”

“I am going to market to bring Mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie, in a great hurry.

“Are you? I believe I’ll go, too. I am so fond of milk.” So Rover hurried along up the road after the goat.

Just as they turned into the road, who should come jumping along but Tabby the cat.

“Well, well!” he meowed. “When did the circus come to town, Rover?”

“This is not a circus parade,” said the dog, the goat, the calf, and Piggie all at once, as they ran on.

“Then, where are you going, Rover?” again meowed Tabby.

“Going with Billie,” barked Rover.

“‘my, that’s good!’”

“Where are you going, Billie?” “Going with Bossie.”

“Where are you going, Bossie?” “Going with Piggie.”

“Where are you going, Piggie?”

“I am going to market to get my mother a pail of milk for Father’s supper to-night,” squealed Piggie in a great hurry.

“Are you? I believe I’ll go along. I am so fond of milk.” So Tabby raced along after Rover.

When they got to the market, Piggie told his friends to wait outside while he hurried in and got the milk for his father’s supper. It did not take him long, and he soon came trotting out because he was to hurry back home.

“Give me a sup for politeness’ sake,” meowed Tabby the cat, as she stuck her head in the pail. “My, that’s good!”

“Pass it to me, Tabby,” barked Rover the dog, “for politeness’ sake. My, that’s good!”

“Give me a sup for politeness’ sake,” said Billie Goat. “My, that’s good.”

“Do not forget me, Billie, for politeness’ sake,” said Bossie the calf. “My, that’s good!”

“away he trotted with an empty pail.”

“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” squealed Piggie, when he saw what had happened. “What shall I do?” And away he trotted all by himself with an empty pail, to tell his mother that he did really and truly get the milk, but that his friends had “supped” it all up!

But just then the farmer came with a great,bigpail of milk and gave it all to them, so that the good little piggie and his father and mother had a fine supper, and much more milk than Piggie could have brought.

BABY’S PARADISEBy Lucy Fitch Perkins

Over the hills and far away,There’s a beautiful, wonderful place,Where happy babies in gardens play,With mothers dressed all in lace,—

Dressed all in lace and in silken gown,With flowers in their hair,—Where trees with blossoms are laden down,And perfumes fill the air.

Disobedience

“who speaks first?”from an engraving of the painting by arthur j. elsley.

for a little girl of three

Moo, moo!What can I doFor my little girl of three?I will eat the sweet grass,I will give her a glassOf my milk for her tea;Moo, moo! that ’s what I’ll doFor my dear little maiden of three.

Mew, mew!What can I doFor my little girl of three?I will catch all the mice,And they shall not come twiceTo the cake, you’ll see;Mew, mew! that’s what I’ll doFor my sweet little maiden of three.

Bow-wow!I will go nowWith my little girl of three;I will make a great noise;I will frighten the boys,For they all fear me;Bow-wow! that is just howI’ll guard my sweet maiden of three.

Neigh, neigh!Out of the wayFor my little girl of three!I will give her a ride,We will canter and glideO’er the meadowy lea;Neigh, neigh! that’s just the wayI’ll help my sweet maiden of three.

When Charley awoke one morning, he looked from the window, and saw the ground deeply covered with snow.

On the side of the house nearest the kitchen, the snow was piled higher than Charley’s head.

“We must have a path through this snow,” said his father. “I would make one if I had time. But I must be at the office early this morning.

“Do you think you could make the path, my son?” he asked little Charley.

“I? Why, the snow is higher than my head! How could I ever cut a path through that snow?”

“How? Why, by doing itlittlebylittle. Suppose you try,” said the father, as he left for his office.

So Charley got the snowshovel and set to work. He threw up first one shovelful, and then another; but it was slow work.

“I don’t think I can do it, mother,” he said. “A shovelful is so little, and there is such a heap of snow.”

“Little by little, Charley,” said his mother. “That snow fell in tiny bits, flake by flake, but you see what a great pile it has made.”

“Yes, mother, I see,” said Charley. “If I throw it away little by little, it will soon be gone.”

So he worked on.

When his father came home to dinner, he was pleased to see the fine path. The next day he gave little Charley a fine blue sled, and on it was painted in yellow letters, “Little by Little.”

“safety first”

Little stories that grow bigTo Mother:This is the kind of stories that the kindergartners call “cumulative,” or “repetitive.” They keep repeating and then adding to themselves until they are quite long. The repetition helps the children memorize them, and adding to them holds the children’s attention and interest.You will find these very useful to read and teach to the little ones.The Editors.

Little stories that grow big

To Mother:

This is the kind of stories that the kindergartners call “cumulative,” or “repetitive.” They keep repeating and then adding to themselves until they are quite long. The repetition helps the children memorize them, and adding to them holds the children’s attention and interest.

You will find these very useful to read and teach to the little ones.

The Editors.

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILTThis is the house that Jack built.This is the maltThat lay in the house that Jack built.This is the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the cock that crowed in the morn,That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.This is the farmer sowing his corn,That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.Giant thunder bonesIThis is GiantThunder Bones.IIThis is the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.IIIThis is the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.IVis the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.VHIS is the Prince so brave andso grandWho sailed over sea androde over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.VIis the Goblinwith fingers so frailWho hopped with easeover mountain and daleAs he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.VIIThisis the Witch with Broomstick and CatWho sputtered and snarled andshook her tall hatWhen she missed the Goblin with fingers so frailWho hopped with ease over mountain and daleAs he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.AndVIIIlast comes the Kobold who slept while ’twas lightAnd did all the housework in the dead of the nightTo worry the Witch with Broomstick and CatWho sputtered and snarled and shook her tall hatWhen she missed the Goblin with fingers so frailWho hopped with ease over mountain and daleAs he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.Stella Doughty.THE HOUSE THAT JILL BUILTBY CAROLYN WELLSThis is theHousethat Jill built.This is theDollthat lived in the House that Jill built.This is theCakethat fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theOventhat baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theWoodthat heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theTreeof a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theAxwith a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theWoodmansober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theHorsethat pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theKnightwith the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theLadyin gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theGlittering Cavalcadethat rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theDonkeywho loudly brayed at sight of the Glittering Cavalcade that rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.This is theKingwho was much dismayed to hear the Donkey who loudly brayed at sight of the Glittering Cavalcade that rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG[H]An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.”As she was coming home, she came to a stile, but the piggy wouldn’t go over the stile.She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to him: “Dog! dog! bite pig, piggy won’t go over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the dog wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said: “Stick! stick! beat dog! dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the stick wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said: “Fire! fire! burn stick, stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the fire wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said: “Water! water! quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile, and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the water wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said: “Ox! ox! drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the ox wouldn’t.So she went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said: “Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick, stick won’t beat dog, dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the butcher wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met a rope. So she said: “Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile, and I shan’t get home to-night!” But the rope wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met a rat. So she said: “Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the rat wouldn’t.She went a little further, and she met a cat. So she said: “Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won’t gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick, stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the cat said to her: “If you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.” So away went the old woman to the cow.But the cow said to her: “If you will go to yonder hay-stack, and fetch me a handful of hay, I’ll give you the milk.” So away went the old woman to the hay-stack; and she brought the hay to the cow.As soon as the cow had eaten the hay she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig, the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night.[H]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.THE LAMBIKIN[I]Once upon a time there was a wee, wee Lambikin, who frolicked about on his little tottery legs, and enjoyed himself amazingly. Now one day he set off to visit his Granny, and was jumping with joy to think of all the good things he should get from her, when whom should he meet but a Jackal, who looked at the tender young morsel and said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”But Lambikin only gave a little frisk, and said:“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”The Jackal thought this reasonable, and let Lambikin pass.By and by he met a Vulture, and the Vulture, looking hungrily at the tender morsel before him, said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”But the Lambikin only gave a little frisk, and said:“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”The Vulture thought this reasonable, and let Lambikin pass.And by and by he met a Tiger, and then a Wolf, and a Dog, and an Eagle; and all these, when they saw the tender little morsel, said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”But to all of them Lambikin replied, with a little frisk:“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”At last he reached his Granny’s house, and said, all in a great hurry, “Granny dear, I’ve promised to get very fat, so, as people ought to keep their promises, please put me into the corn-bin at once.”So his Granny said he was a good boy, and put him into the corn-bin, and there the greedy little Lambikin stayed for seven days, and ate, and ate, and ate, until he could scarcely waddle, and his Granny said he was fat enough for anything, and must go home. But cunning little Lambikin said that would never do, for some animal would be sure to eat him on the way back, he was so plump and tender.“I’ll tell you what you must do,” said Master Lambikin; “you must make a little drumikin out of the skin of my little brother who died, and then I can sit inside and trundle along nicely, for I’m as tight as a drum myself.”So his Granny made a nice little drumikin out of his brother’s skin, with the wool inside, and Lambikin curled himself up snug and warm in the middle, and trundled away gayly. Soon he met with the Eagle, who called out:“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”And Mr. Lambikin, curled up in his soft, warm nest, replied:“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”“How very annoying!” sighed the Eagle, thinking regretfully of the tender morsel he had let slip.Meanwhile Lambikin trundled along, laughing to himself, and singing.“Tum-pa, tum-too;Tum-pa, tum-too!”Every animal and bird he met asked him the same question:“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”And to each of them the little slyboots replied:“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too;Tum-pa, tum-too; Tum-pa, tum-too!”Then they all sighed to think of the tender little morsel they had let slip.At last the Jackal came limping along, for all his sorry looks as sharp as a needle, and he, too, called out:“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”And Lambikin, curled up in his snug little nest, replied gayly:“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa——”But he never got any farther, for the Jackal recognized his voice at once, and cried “Hullo! you’ve turned yourself inside out, have you? Just you come out of that!”Whereupon he tore open Drumikin and gobbled up Lambikin.[I]From “Indian Fairy Tales,” edited by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.THE CAT AND THE MOUSE[J]The cat and the mousePlayed in the malt-house:The cat bit the mouse’s tail off. “Pray, puss, give me my tail.” “No,” says the cat, “I’ll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and fetch me some milk.”First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the cow, and thus began:“Pray, Cow, give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.” “No,” said the cow, “I will give you no milk, till you go to the farmer, and get me some hay.”First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the farmer, and thus began:“Pray, Farmer, give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.”“No,” said the farmer, “I’ll give you no hay, till you go to the butcher and fetch me some meat.”First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the butcher, and thus began:“Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.” “No,” says the butcher, “I’ll give you no meat, till you go to the baker and fetch me some bread.”First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the baker, and thus began:“Pray, Baker, give me bread, that I may give butcher bread, that butcher may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.”“Yes,” says the baker, “I’ll give you some bread,But if you eat my meal, I’ll cut off your head.”Then the baker gave mouse bread, and mouse gave butcher bread, and butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and farmer gave mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave mouse milk, and mouse gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her own tail again.[J]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.HENNY-PENNY[K]One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the cornyard when—whack!—something hit her upon the head. “Goodness gracious me!” says Henny-penny; “the sky’s a-going to fall; I must go and tell the king.”So she went along, and she went along, and she went along till she met Cocky-locky. “Where are you going, Henny-penny?” says Cocky-locky. “Oh! I’m going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny. “May I come with you?” says Cocky-locky. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny. So Henny-penny and Cocky-locky went to tell the king the sky was falling.They went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Ducky-daddles. “Where are you going to, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky?” says Ducky-daddles. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. “May I come with you?” says Ducky-daddles. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Goosey-poosey. “Where are you going to, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles?” says Goosey-poosey. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddles. “May I come with you?” says Goosey-poosey. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Turkey-lurkey. “Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?” says Turkey-lurkey. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey. “May I come with you, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?” says Turkey-lurkey. “Oh, certainly, Turkey-lurkey,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-poosey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey all went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Foxy-woxy, and Foxy-woxy says to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey: “Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey?” And Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-Poosey, and Turkey-lurkey says to Foxy-woxy: “We’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling.” “Oh! but this is not the way to the king, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey,” says Foxy-woxy; “I know the proper way; shall I show it you?” “Oh, certainly, Foxy-woxy,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, Turkey-lurkey, and Foxy-woxy all went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they came to a narrow and dark hole. Now this was the door of Foxy-woxy’s cave. But Foxy-woxy says to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey: “This is the short way to the king’s palace; you’ll soon get there if you follow me. I will go first and you come after, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey,” “Why, of course, certainly, without doubt, why not?” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey.So Foxy-woxy went into his cave, and he didn’t go very far, but turned round to wait for Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So at last Turkey-lurkey went through the dark hole into the cave. He hadn’t got far when “Hrumph!” Foxy-woxy snapped offTurkey-lurkey’s head and threw his body over his left shoulder. Then Goosey-poosey went in, and “Hrumph!” off went her head and Goosey-poosey was thrown beside Turkey-lurkey. Then Ducky-daddles waddled down, and “Hrumph!” snapped Foxy-woxy, and Ducky-daddles’s head was off, and Ducky-daddles was thrown alongside Turkey-lurkey and Goosey-poosey. Then Cocky-locky strutted down into the cave, and he hadn’t gone far when “Snap, Hrumph!” went Foxy-woxy, and Cocky-locky was thrown alongside of Turkey-lurkey, Goosey-poosey, and Ducky-daddles.“this is the short way”But Foxy-woxy had made two bites at Cocky-locky, and when the first snap only hurt Cocky-locky, but didn’t kill him, he called out to Henny-penny. But she turned tail and off she ran home, so she never told the king the sky was a-falling.[K]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.THREE GOATS IN THE RYEFIELDADAPTED BY CECILIA FARWELLOnce upon a time there was a little boy whose task it was to drive the goats to and from the hills. One morning, as they went along the road, the first goat saw a hole in the fence which shut off a field of rye.“Oh,” said the first goat, “here is a chance to get into that field. I do not think that we want to eat rye—there is plenty of grass on the hill. But we can go in and see what it is like, just the same.”With that he turned aside from the road and went through the hole into the ryefield, and the others followed after him.“Here,” cried the boy, “come out of that!”But the goats did not come out, so the boy climbed over the fence and started after them to chase them out. But the goats just ran round and round in the field, until at last the little boy was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.By-and-by a dog came down the road. “Why, little boy,” he said, “what are you crying for?”“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them, and they will not come out.”“Well,” said the dog, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”So the dog ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking loudly. When the goats saw him coming they started to run, and ran round and round in the field until at last the dog was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.By-and-by a fox came trotting down the road. “Why, dog,” he said, “what are you crying for?”“I am crying because little boy is crying,” said the dog.“And what are you crying for, little boy?” asked the fox.“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out.”“Well,” said the fox, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”So the fox ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking shrilly. And when they saw him coming they started to run, and ran roundand round in the field until at last the fox was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.By-and-by a bee came flying lightly overhead.“Why, fox,” he said, “why are you crying?”“I am crying because dog is crying,” said the fox.“And why are you crying, dog?” asked the bee.“I am crying because little boy is crying,” said the dog.“And why are you crying, little boy?” asked the bee.“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills, and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out!”“Oh,” said the bee, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”So he flew over the fence and flew straight to the first goat and began to buzz in his ear. The first goat lifted up his head and said: “Ho! What is this?” and he looked all around him, but could see nothing from which to run.“Buzz, buzz, buzz!” said the bee, and he lighted on the ear of the goat.“Now here is someone that means business,” said the goat, and he shook his head to shake off the bee, but the bee only clung the tighter.“Buzz, buzz, buzz!” he said. Then he stung the first goat in the ear. “Now,” said the first goat, “this is a serious matter. Ouch!” he added, as the bee stung him again. “Come on, you,” he called to the others, “it is time to get out of here!” With that he led them straight to the hole in the fence, and they ran through it, all three of them, and out into the road where the little boy sat with the dog and the fox.“Oh,” said the dog, “the bee can do something that I cannot, even if he is so small.”“Yes,” said the fox, “the bee didn’t make much noise, but the noise that he did make counted more than all of our barking.”little bunnie brown is at the head of his classTEENY TINY[L]There was once upon a time a teeny-tiny woman who lived in a teeny-tiny house in a teeny-tiny village. Now, one day this teeny-tiny woman put on her teeny-tiny bonnet and went out of her teeny-tiny house to take a teeny-tiny walk. And when this teeny-tiny woman had gone a teeny-tiny way, she came to a teeny-tiny gate; so the teeny-tiny woman opened the teeny-tiny gate, and went into a teeny-tiny meadow. And when this teeny-tiny woman had got into the teeny-tiny meadow, she saw a teeny-tiny bone on a teeny-tiny stone, and the teeny-tiny woman said to her teeny-tiny self: “This teeny-tiny bone will make me some teeny-tiny soup for my teeny-tiny supper.” So the teeny-tiny woman put the teeny-tiny bone into her teeny-tiny pocket, and went home to her teeny-tiny house.Now, when the teeny-tiny woman got home to her teeny-tiny house, she was a teeny-tiny bit tired; so she went up her teeny-tiny stairs to her teeny-tiny bed, and put the teeny-tiny bone into a teeny-tiny cupboard. And when this teeny-tiny woman had been to sleep a teeny-tiny time, she was awakened by a teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard, which said:“give me my bone!”And this teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head under the teeny-tiny clothes, and went to sleep again. And when she had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice again cried out from the teeny-tiny cupboard a teeny-tiny louder:“Give Me My Bone!”This made the teeny-tiny woman a teeny-tiny more frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head a teeny-tiny further under the teeny-tiny clothes. And when the teeny-tiny woman had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard said again a teeny-tiny louder:“GIVE ME MY BONE!”At this the teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit more frightened; but she put her teeny-tiny head out of the teeny-tiny clothes, and said in her loudest teeny-tiny voice:“TAKE IT!”[L]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.SONG OF THE PEAR TREEOut in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.What on the tree may be?Why, there’s a beautiful branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too,And what on its branch may be?A beautiful twig.Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now what on the twig may be?A beautiful nest.Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what in the nest may be?A beautiful egg.Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what from the egg shall we see?A beautiful bird.Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what on the bird may be?A beautiful feather.Feather on the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.Now, what from the feather will be?A beautiful bed.Bed from the feather,Feather from the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.Now, what in that bed may be?A beautiful child.Child in the bed,Bed from the feather,Feather from the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg from the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree hath leaves, too,And on it these things all be.COCK-ALU AND HEN-ALIEBY MARY HOWITTIn this tale is shown to youHow large the boast of Cock-alu;But, when he comes to act, you’ll seeSmall hope indeed for Hen-alie;And thus you clearly will perceiveThat who has great things to achieveMust not stand talking but must do,Else he will fail like Cock-alu.For he who would perform the mostWill utter no vainglorious boast;But still press onward, staunch and true,With but the honest end in view.Cock-alu and Hen-alie sat on the perch above the bean-straw. It was four o’clock in the morning, and Cock-alu clapped his wings and crowed; then, turning to Hen-alie, he said: “Hen-alie, my little wife, I love you better than all the world, you know I do. I always told you so! I will do anything for you; I’ll go round the world for you, I’ll travel as far as the sun for you! You know I would! Tell me, what shall I do for you?”“Crow!” said Hen-alie.“Oh, that is such a little thing!” said Cock-alu, and crowed with all his might. He crowed so loud that he woke the farmer’s wife, and the dog and the cat, and all the pigeons and horses in the stable, and the cow in the stall. He crowed so loud that all the neighbors’ cocks heard him and answered him, and they woke all their people; and thus Cock-alu woke the whole parish.“I’ve done it rarely this morning!” said Cock-alu; “I told you I would do anything to please you!”The next morning, at breakfast, as Hen-alie was picking beans out of the bean-straw, one stuck in her throat; and she was soon so ill that she was just ready to die.“Oh, Cock-alu,” said she, calling to him in the yard, where he stoodclapping his wings in the sunshine, “run and fetch me a drop of water from the silver-spring in the Beech-wood! Fetch me a drop quickly, while the dew is in it; for that is the true remedy.”But Cock-alu was so busy crowing against a neighbor that he took no notice.“Oh, Cock-alu, do run and fetch me the water from the silver-spring, or I shall die; for the bean sticks in my throat, and nothing but water with dew in it can cure me! Oh, Cock-alu, dear, run quickly!”Cock-alu heard her this time, and set off, crowing as he went. He had not gone far before he met the snail.“Where are you going, snails?” says he.“I’m going to the cow-cabbage,” says the snail; “and what urgent business may it be that takes you out thus early, Cock-alu?” says the snail.“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,” says Cock-alu.“Oh,” says the snail, “run along quickly, and get the water while the dew is in it; for nothing else will get a bean out of the throat. Don’t stop by the way, for the bull is coming down to the silver-spring to drink, and he’ll trouble the water. Gather up my silver-trail, however, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better!”Cock-alu hastily gathered up the silver-trail which the snail left. “This will make Hen-alie a pair of stockings!” said he, and went on his way.He had not gone far before he met the wood-pigeon. “Good morning, pigeon,” says he; “and which way are you going?”“I am going to the pea-field,” says the pigeon, “to get peas for my young ones; and what may your business be this morning, Cock-alu!”“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”“I’m sorry to hear that,” says the pigeon; “but don’t let me detain you, for water with the dew in it is the best thing to get a bean out of the throat; and let me advise you to make haste, for the bloodhound is going to lap at the spring, and he’ll trouble the water. So run along, and here, take with you my blue velvet neck-ribbon, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better.”“Oh, what a nice pair of garters this will make for Hen-alie!” exclaimed Cock-alu, and went on his way.He had not gone far before he met the wild-cat. “Good morning, friend,” says Cock-alu, “and where may you be going this morning?”“I’m going to get a young wood-pigeon for my breakfast, while the mother is gone to the pea-field,” says the wild-cat; “and where may you be traveling to this morning, Cock-alu?”“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood,” replied Cock-alu, “to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”“That’s a bad business,” says the wild-cat, “but a drop of water with the dew in it is the right remedy; so don’t let me keep you; and you had better make haste, for the woodman is on his way to fell a tree by the spring, and if a branch falls into it, the water will be troubled; so off with you! But carry with you a flash of green fire from my right eye, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better.”“Oh, what a beautiful green light, like the green on my best tail-feathers! I’ll keep it for myself; it’s fitter for me than for Hen-alie!” said Cock-alu.So he hung the green light on his tail-feathers, which made them very handsome, and he went on his way.He had not gone far before he met with the sheep-dog. “Good morning, sheep-dog,” says Cock-alu; “where are you going?”“I’m going to hunt up a stray lamb for my master,” says the sheep-dog, “and what brings you abroad?”“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,” says Cock-alu.“Then why do you stop talking to me?” says the sheep-dog, in his short way; “your wife’s bad enough, I’ll warrant me; and a drop of water with the dew in it is the thing to do her good. Be off with you! The farmer is coming to lay the spring dry this morning. I left him sharpening his mattock when I set out. You’ll be too late, if you don’t mind!” and with that the sheep-dog went his way.“An unmannerly fellow,” says Cock-alu, and stood looking after him; “I’ll not go at his bidding, not I!” So he clapped his wings and crowed in the wood, just to show that he set light by his advice. “And never to give me anything for poor Hen-alie, that lies sick at home with a bean in her throat! The ill-natured churl!” cried Cock-alu to himself, and then he stood and crowed again with all his might.After that he marched on, and before long reached the Beech-wood, but as the silver-spring lay yet a good way off, he had not gone far in the wood before he met the squirrel.“Good morning, squirrel,” says he; “what brings you abroad so early?”“Early do you call it, Cock-alu?” says the squirrel; “why, I’ve been up these four hours; I just stopped to give the young ones their breakfasts, and then set off to silver-spring for a drop of water while the dew was in it; I’ve got it here in a cherry-leaf. And pray you, what business may take you abroad, Cock-alu?”“The same as yours,” replied Cock-alu; “I’m going for water, too, for my wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”“Ah, well-a-day!” says the squirrel, “that’s a bad thing! But run along with you; for the old sow is coming down with her nine little pigs, and if they trouble the water it will be all too late for poor little Hen-alie!”And with that the squirrel leaped up into the oak-tree above where Cock-alu stood, for that was her way home, and left him without further ceremony.“Humph!” said Cock-alu; “she might have given me some of the water out of her cherry-leaf for my poor little Hen-alie!” And so saying, he walked on through the Beech-wood, and as he met no more creatures he soon reached the silver-spring.But it was now noon-day, and there was not a drop of dew in the water, and the bull had been down and drunk, and the bloodhound had lapped, and the old sow and her nine little pigs had wallowed in it, so the water was troubled, and besides that the woodman had felled the tree which now lay across the spring, and the farmer was digging the new watercourse, so the spring was getting lower every minute. Cock-alu had come quite too late; there was not a drop left for poor little Hen-alie.When Cock-alu saw this he was very much disconcerted; he did not know what to do, he stood a little while considering, and then he set off as hard as he could go to the squirrel’s house to beg a drop of water from her. But the squirrel lived a long way off in the wood, and thus it was a considerable time before he got there.When he reached the squirrel’s house, however, nobody was at home. He knocked and knocked for a long time, and at last he walked in, but they were all gone out; he peeped therefore into the pantry to see if he could find the water; there was plenty of hazel-nuts and beech-nuts, heaps and heaps of them all laid up in store for winter, but no water; at length he saw the curled-up cherry-leaf, like a water-jug, standing at the squirrel’s bed-side, but it was empty; there was not a single drop in it.“This is bad business!” said Cock-alu to himself, and turned to leave the house. At the squirrel’s door he met a woodpecker.“Woodpecker,” says he, “where is the squirrel gone to? I want to beg a drop of water from the silver-spring for my wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat!”“Lack-a-day!” said the woodpecker, “the old squirrel drank every drop, and drained the jug into the bargain; he lay sick in bed this morning, but there was such virtue in the water that he got well as soon as he drank it; and now he has taken his wife and the little ones out for an airing; they will not be back till night, I know. But if you will leave any message with me I will be sure and deliver it, for the squirrel and I are very neighborly.”“Oh!” groaned Cock-alu; “but what would be the use of leaving a message if they have no water to give me!”With that he came down from the old pine tree where the squirrel lived, set out on his way home again, and came at length out of the Beech-wood, but it was then getting toward evening.He came to his own yard. There was the perch on which he and Hen-alie had so often sat, and there was the bean-straw, and there lay poor Hen-alie just as he had left her.“Hen-alie, my little wife,” said he, crowing loudly as he came up, that he might put a cheerful face on the matter, “I have been very unlucky; I could not get you any water, but I have got something so nice for you! I have brought you a pair of silver-gauze stockings which the snail has sent you, and a pair of blue velvet garters to wear with them, which the ring-tail dove gave me!”“Thank you,” said poor little Hen-alie, in a very weak voice, “but I wish you could have brought me some water, these things will do me no good!”“I could not bring you water, for the silver-spring is dry,” said Cock-alu, feeling very unhappy, and yet wishing to excuse himself; “there’s not a drop of water left in it!”“Then it’s all over with me!” sighed poor little Hen-alie.“Don’t be down-hearted, my little wife,” said Cock-alu, trying to seem cheerful, “I will give you something better than all, I will give you the green-fire flash from the wild-cat’s eye, which he gave me to wear on my tail-feathers. Look up, my poor little Hen-alie, and I’ll give it all to you!”“Alas!” sighed poor little Hen-alie, “what good will they do me! Oh, that somebody only loved me well enough to have brought me one drop of silver-spring water!”All this while something very nice was happening, which I must tell you.There was in the poultry-yard a shabby little drab-colored hen, very small and very much despised; Cock-alu would not look at her, nor Hen-alie either; she had no tail-feathers at all, and long black legs which looked as if she had borrowed them from a hen twice her size; she was, in short, the meanest, most ill-conditioned hen in the yard.All the time, however, that Cock-alu was out on his fruitless errand, she had been comforting Hen-alie in the best way she could, and assuring her that Cock-alu would soon be back again with the water from the silver-spring. But when he came back without a single drop, and only offered the fine silk stockings and blue velvet garters instead, she set off, without saying a word, as fast as her long legs would carry her out of the wood and down to the silver-spring, which she reached in a wonderfully short time.Fortunately the silver-spring had flowed into its new channel as clearly as ever, and the evening dew had dropped its virtues into it. The owls were shouting “Kla-vit!” from one end of the wood to the other, The dark leathern-winged bats and the dusky white and buff-colored moths were flitting about the broad shadows of the trees, but the little hen took no notice of any of them. On she went, thinking of nothing but that which she had to do; and reaching the silver-spring, she gathered up twelve drops of water, and, hurrying back again, came into the yard just as poor Hen-alie was saying: “Oh, that somebody had loved me well enough to fetch me only one drop of silver-spring water!”“That I do!” said the shabby little hen, and dropped one drop after another into her beak.The first drop loosened the bean, the second softened it, and the third sent it down her throat.Hen-alie was well again; Cock-alu was ready to clap his wings and crow for joy; and the little hen turned quietly away to her solitary perch.“Nay,” said Hen-alie, “but you shall not go unrewarded; see, here is a pair of silk stockings for you, and here is green fire which will make the most beautiful feathers in the world grow all over your body! Take them all, you good little thing, and to-morrow morning you will come out the handsomest hen in the yard!”So it was. There must have been magic in those silk stockings and that green fire, for the shabby little thing was now transformed into a regular queen-hen. The farmer’s wife thought she must have strayed away from some beautiful foreign country, and gave her a famous breakfast to keep her. Cock-alu was very attentive to her; and as to Hen-alie, she never ceased singing her praises as long as she lived.THERE IS THE KEY OF THE KINGDOMThere is the key of the Kingdom.In that Kingdom there is a city;In that city there is a town;In that town there is a street;In that street there is a lane;In that lane there is a yard;In that yard there is a house;In that house there is a room;In that room there is a bed;On that bed there is a basket;In that basket there are some flowers.Flowers in the basket,Basket on the bed,Bed in the room,Room in the house,House in the yard,Yard in the lane,Lane in the street,Street in the town,Town in the city,City in the Kingdom,And this is the key of the Kingdom.

This is the house that Jack built.This is the maltThat lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn,That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing his corn,That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,That married the man all tattered and torn,That kissed the maiden all forlorn,That milked the cow with crumpled horn,That tossed the dog,That worried the cat,That killed the rat,That ate the malt,That lay in the house that Jack built.

Giant thunder bones

IThis is GiantThunder Bones.

IIThis is the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

IIIThis is the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

IV

is the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and day

To please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

V

HIS is the Prince so brave andso grandWho sailed over sea androde over land

Till he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

VI

is the Goblinwith fingers so frailWho hopped with easeover mountain and daleAs he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

VII

This

is the Witch with Broomstick and CatWho sputtered and snarled andshook her tall hatWhen she missed the Goblin with fingers so frailWho hopped with ease over mountain and daleAs he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.

And

VIIIlast comes the Kobold who slept while ’twas lightAnd did all the housework in the dead of the nightTo worry the Witch with Broomstick and CatWho sputtered and snarled and shook her tall hatWhen she missed the Goblin with fingers so frailWho hopped with ease over mountain and dale

As he chased the Prince so brave and so grandWho sailed over sea and rode over landTill he found the Princess of WandeltregWho, while playing a game of Mumblepeg,Was caught by the Gnome with beard so grayWho digged for gems all night and dayTo please the Dwarf with anxious looksWho guarded the castle and kept the booksFor Giant Thunder Bones.Stella Doughty.

BY CAROLYN WELLS

This is theHousethat Jill built.

This is theDollthat lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theCakethat fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theOventhat baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theWoodthat heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theTreeof a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theAxwith a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theWoodmansober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theHorsethat pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theKnightwith the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theLadyin gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theGlittering Cavalcadethat rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theDonkeywho loudly brayed at sight of the Glittering Cavalcade that rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

This is theKingwho was much dismayed to hear the Donkey who loudly brayed at sight of the Glittering Cavalcade that rode after the Lady in gay brocade who followed the Knight with the red cockade who rode on the Horse that pranced and neighed when he saw the Woodman sober and staid who slung the Ax with a shining blade that chopped the Tree of a dusky shade that gave the Wood that heated the Oven that baked the Cake that fed the Doll that lived in the House that Jill built.

An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.”

As she was coming home, she came to a stile, but the piggy wouldn’t go over the stile.

She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to him: “Dog! dog! bite pig, piggy won’t go over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the dog wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said: “Stick! stick! beat dog! dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the stick wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said: “Fire! fire! burn stick, stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the fire wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said: “Water! water! quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile, and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the water wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met an ox. So she said: “Ox! ox! drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the ox wouldn’t.

So she went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said: “Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick, stick won’t beat dog, dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the butcher wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met a rope. So she said: “Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile, and I shan’t get home to-night!” But the rope wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met a rat. So she said: “Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the rat wouldn’t.

She went a little further, and she met a cat. So she said: “Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won’t gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick, stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I shan’t get home to-night.” But the cat said to her: “If you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.” So away went the old woman to the cow.

But the cow said to her: “If you will go to yonder hay-stack, and fetch me a handful of hay, I’ll give you the milk.” So away went the old woman to the hay-stack; and she brought the hay to the cow.

As soon as the cow had eaten the hay she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.

As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig, the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night.

[H]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

[H]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Once upon a time there was a wee, wee Lambikin, who frolicked about on his little tottery legs, and enjoyed himself amazingly. Now one day he set off to visit his Granny, and was jumping with joy to think of all the good things he should get from her, when whom should he meet but a Jackal, who looked at the tender young morsel and said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”

But Lambikin only gave a little frisk, and said:

“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”

The Jackal thought this reasonable, and let Lambikin pass.

By and by he met a Vulture, and the Vulture, looking hungrily at the tender morsel before him, said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”

But the Lambikin only gave a little frisk, and said:

“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”

The Vulture thought this reasonable, and let Lambikin pass.

And by and by he met a Tiger, and then a Wolf, and a Dog, and an Eagle; and all these, when they saw the tender little morsel, said: “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’LLeatYOU!”

But to all of them Lambikin replied, with a little frisk:

“To Granny’s house I go,Where I shall fatter grow,Then you can eat me so.”

At last he reached his Granny’s house, and said, all in a great hurry, “Granny dear, I’ve promised to get very fat, so, as people ought to keep their promises, please put me into the corn-bin at once.”

So his Granny said he was a good boy, and put him into the corn-bin, and there the greedy little Lambikin stayed for seven days, and ate, and ate, and ate, until he could scarcely waddle, and his Granny said he was fat enough for anything, and must go home. But cunning little Lambikin said that would never do, for some animal would be sure to eat him on the way back, he was so plump and tender.

“I’ll tell you what you must do,” said Master Lambikin; “you must make a little drumikin out of the skin of my little brother who died, and then I can sit inside and trundle along nicely, for I’m as tight as a drum myself.”

So his Granny made a nice little drumikin out of his brother’s skin, with the wool inside, and Lambikin curled himself up snug and warm in the middle, and trundled away gayly. Soon he met with the Eagle, who called out:

“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”

And Mr. Lambikin, curled up in his soft, warm nest, replied:

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”

“How very annoying!” sighed the Eagle, thinking regretfully of the tender morsel he had let slip.

Meanwhile Lambikin trundled along, laughing to himself, and singing.

“Tum-pa, tum-too;Tum-pa, tum-too!”

Every animal and bird he met asked him the same question:

“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”

And to each of them the little slyboots replied:

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too;Tum-pa, tum-too; Tum-pa, tum-too!”

Then they all sighed to think of the tender little morsel they had let slip.

At last the Jackal came limping along, for all his sorry looks as sharp as a needle, and he, too, called out:

“Drumikin! Drumikin!Have you seen Lambikin?”

And Lambikin, curled up in his snug little nest, replied gayly:

“Fallen into the fire, and so will you,On little Drumikin! Tum-pa——”

But he never got any farther, for the Jackal recognized his voice at once, and cried “Hullo! you’ve turned yourself inside out, have you? Just you come out of that!”

Whereupon he tore open Drumikin and gobbled up Lambikin.

[I]From “Indian Fairy Tales,” edited by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

[I]From “Indian Fairy Tales,” edited by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

The cat and the mousePlayed in the malt-house:

The cat bit the mouse’s tail off. “Pray, puss, give me my tail.” “No,” says the cat, “I’ll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and fetch me some milk.”

First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the cow, and thus began:

“Pray, Cow, give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.” “No,” said the cow, “I will give you no milk, till you go to the farmer, and get me some hay.”

First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the farmer, and thus began:

“Pray, Farmer, give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.”“No,” said the farmer, “I’ll give you no hay, till you go to the butcher and fetch me some meat.”

First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the butcher, and thus began:

“Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.” “No,” says the butcher, “I’ll give you no meat, till you go to the baker and fetch me some bread.”

First she leaped, and then she ran,Till she came to the baker, and thus began:

“Pray, Baker, give me bread, that I may give butcher bread, that butcher may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again.”

“Yes,” says the baker, “I’ll give you some bread,But if you eat my meal, I’ll cut off your head.”

Then the baker gave mouse bread, and mouse gave butcher bread, and butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and farmer gave mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave mouse milk, and mouse gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her own tail again.

[J]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

[J]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the cornyard when—whack!—something hit her upon the head. “Goodness gracious me!” says Henny-penny; “the sky’s a-going to fall; I must go and tell the king.”

So she went along, and she went along, and she went along till she met Cocky-locky. “Where are you going, Henny-penny?” says Cocky-locky. “Oh! I’m going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny. “May I come with you?” says Cocky-locky. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny. So Henny-penny and Cocky-locky went to tell the king the sky was falling.

They went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Ducky-daddles. “Where are you going to, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky?” says Ducky-daddles. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. “May I come with you?” says Ducky-daddles. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Goosey-poosey. “Where are you going to, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles?” says Goosey-poosey. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddles. “May I come with you?” says Goosey-poosey. “Certainly,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, and Ducky-daddles. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Turkey-lurkey. “Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?” says Turkey-lurkey. “Oh! we’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey. “May I come with you, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?” says Turkey-lurkey. “Oh, certainly, Turkey-lurkey,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-poosey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey all went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they met Foxy-woxy, and Foxy-woxy says to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey: “Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey?” And Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-Poosey, and Turkey-lurkey says to Foxy-woxy: “We’re going to tell the king the sky’s a-falling.” “Oh! but this is not the way to the king, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey,” says Foxy-woxy; “I know the proper way; shall I show it you?” “Oh, certainly, Foxy-woxy,” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, Turkey-lurkey, and Foxy-woxy all went to tell the king the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along till they came to a narrow and dark hole. Now this was the door of Foxy-woxy’s cave. But Foxy-woxy says to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey: “This is the short way to the king’s palace; you’ll soon get there if you follow me. I will go first and you come after, Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey,” “Why, of course, certainly, without doubt, why not?” says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey.

So Foxy-woxy went into his cave, and he didn’t go very far, but turned round to wait for Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So at last Turkey-lurkey went through the dark hole into the cave. He hadn’t got far when “Hrumph!” Foxy-woxy snapped offTurkey-lurkey’s head and threw his body over his left shoulder. Then Goosey-poosey went in, and “Hrumph!” off went her head and Goosey-poosey was thrown beside Turkey-lurkey. Then Ducky-daddles waddled down, and “Hrumph!” snapped Foxy-woxy, and Ducky-daddles’s head was off, and Ducky-daddles was thrown alongside Turkey-lurkey and Goosey-poosey. Then Cocky-locky strutted down into the cave, and he hadn’t gone far when “Snap, Hrumph!” went Foxy-woxy, and Cocky-locky was thrown alongside of Turkey-lurkey, Goosey-poosey, and Ducky-daddles.

“this is the short way”

But Foxy-woxy had made two bites at Cocky-locky, and when the first snap only hurt Cocky-locky, but didn’t kill him, he called out to Henny-penny. But she turned tail and off she ran home, so she never told the king the sky was a-falling.

[K]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

[K]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

ADAPTED BY CECILIA FARWELL

Once upon a time there was a little boy whose task it was to drive the goats to and from the hills. One morning, as they went along the road, the first goat saw a hole in the fence which shut off a field of rye.

“Oh,” said the first goat, “here is a chance to get into that field. I do not think that we want to eat rye—there is plenty of grass on the hill. But we can go in and see what it is like, just the same.”

With that he turned aside from the road and went through the hole into the ryefield, and the others followed after him.

“Here,” cried the boy, “come out of that!”

But the goats did not come out, so the boy climbed over the fence and started after them to chase them out. But the goats just ran round and round in the field, until at last the little boy was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a dog came down the road. “Why, little boy,” he said, “what are you crying for?”

“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them, and they will not come out.”

“Well,” said the dog, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”

So the dog ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking loudly. When the goats saw him coming they started to run, and ran round and round in the field until at last the dog was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a fox came trotting down the road. “Why, dog,” he said, “what are you crying for?”

“I am crying because little boy is crying,” said the dog.

“And what are you crying for, little boy?” asked the fox.

“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out.”

“Well,” said the fox, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”

So the fox ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking shrilly. And when they saw him coming they started to run, and ran roundand round in the field until at last the fox was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a bee came flying lightly overhead.

“Why, fox,” he said, “why are you crying?”

“I am crying because dog is crying,” said the fox.

“And why are you crying, dog?” asked the bee.

“I am crying because little boy is crying,” said the dog.

“And why are you crying, little boy?” asked the bee.

“I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills, and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out!”

“Oh,” said the bee, “that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you.”

So he flew over the fence and flew straight to the first goat and began to buzz in his ear. The first goat lifted up his head and said: “Ho! What is this?” and he looked all around him, but could see nothing from which to run.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!” said the bee, and he lighted on the ear of the goat.

“Now here is someone that means business,” said the goat, and he shook his head to shake off the bee, but the bee only clung the tighter.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!” he said. Then he stung the first goat in the ear. “Now,” said the first goat, “this is a serious matter. Ouch!” he added, as the bee stung him again. “Come on, you,” he called to the others, “it is time to get out of here!” With that he led them straight to the hole in the fence, and they ran through it, all three of them, and out into the road where the little boy sat with the dog and the fox.

“Oh,” said the dog, “the bee can do something that I cannot, even if he is so small.”

“Yes,” said the fox, “the bee didn’t make much noise, but the noise that he did make counted more than all of our barking.”

little bunnie brown is at the head of his class

There was once upon a time a teeny-tiny woman who lived in a teeny-tiny house in a teeny-tiny village. Now, one day this teeny-tiny woman put on her teeny-tiny bonnet and went out of her teeny-tiny house to take a teeny-tiny walk. And when this teeny-tiny woman had gone a teeny-tiny way, she came to a teeny-tiny gate; so the teeny-tiny woman opened the teeny-tiny gate, and went into a teeny-tiny meadow. And when this teeny-tiny woman had got into the teeny-tiny meadow, she saw a teeny-tiny bone on a teeny-tiny stone, and the teeny-tiny woman said to her teeny-tiny self: “This teeny-tiny bone will make me some teeny-tiny soup for my teeny-tiny supper.” So the teeny-tiny woman put the teeny-tiny bone into her teeny-tiny pocket, and went home to her teeny-tiny house.

Now, when the teeny-tiny woman got home to her teeny-tiny house, she was a teeny-tiny bit tired; so she went up her teeny-tiny stairs to her teeny-tiny bed, and put the teeny-tiny bone into a teeny-tiny cupboard. And when this teeny-tiny woman had been to sleep a teeny-tiny time, she was awakened by a teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard, which said:

“give me my bone!”

And this teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head under the teeny-tiny clothes, and went to sleep again. And when she had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice again cried out from the teeny-tiny cupboard a teeny-tiny louder:

“Give Me My Bone!”

This made the teeny-tiny woman a teeny-tiny more frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head a teeny-tiny further under the teeny-tiny clothes. And when the teeny-tiny woman had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard said again a teeny-tiny louder:

“GIVE ME MY BONE!”

At this the teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit more frightened; but she put her teeny-tiny head out of the teeny-tiny clothes, and said in her loudest teeny-tiny voice:

“TAKE IT!”

[L]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

[L]From “English Fairy Tales,” collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.What on the tree may be?Why, there’s a beautiful branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too,And what on its branch may be?A beautiful twig.Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now what on the twig may be?A beautiful nest.Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what in the nest may be?A beautiful egg.Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what from the egg shall we see?A beautiful bird.Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchardStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree has leaves, too.Now, what on the bird may be?A beautiful feather.Feather on the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.Now, what from the feather will be?A beautiful bed.Bed from the feather,Feather from the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg in the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree;The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.Now, what in that bed may be?A beautiful child.Child in the bed,Bed from the feather,Feather from the bird,Bird from the egg,Egg from the nest,Nest on the twig,Twig on the branch,Branch on the tree,Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadowStandeth a fine pear tree,The fine pear tree hath leaves, too,And on it these things all be.

BY MARY HOWITT

In this tale is shown to youHow large the boast of Cock-alu;But, when he comes to act, you’ll seeSmall hope indeed for Hen-alie;And thus you clearly will perceiveThat who has great things to achieveMust not stand talking but must do,Else he will fail like Cock-alu.For he who would perform the mostWill utter no vainglorious boast;But still press onward, staunch and true,With but the honest end in view.

Cock-alu and Hen-alie sat on the perch above the bean-straw. It was four o’clock in the morning, and Cock-alu clapped his wings and crowed; then, turning to Hen-alie, he said: “Hen-alie, my little wife, I love you better than all the world, you know I do. I always told you so! I will do anything for you; I’ll go round the world for you, I’ll travel as far as the sun for you! You know I would! Tell me, what shall I do for you?”

“Crow!” said Hen-alie.

“Oh, that is such a little thing!” said Cock-alu, and crowed with all his might. He crowed so loud that he woke the farmer’s wife, and the dog and the cat, and all the pigeons and horses in the stable, and the cow in the stall. He crowed so loud that all the neighbors’ cocks heard him and answered him, and they woke all their people; and thus Cock-alu woke the whole parish.

“I’ve done it rarely this morning!” said Cock-alu; “I told you I would do anything to please you!”

The next morning, at breakfast, as Hen-alie was picking beans out of the bean-straw, one stuck in her throat; and she was soon so ill that she was just ready to die.

“Oh, Cock-alu,” said she, calling to him in the yard, where he stoodclapping his wings in the sunshine, “run and fetch me a drop of water from the silver-spring in the Beech-wood! Fetch me a drop quickly, while the dew is in it; for that is the true remedy.”

But Cock-alu was so busy crowing against a neighbor that he took no notice.

“Oh, Cock-alu, do run and fetch me the water from the silver-spring, or I shall die; for the bean sticks in my throat, and nothing but water with dew in it can cure me! Oh, Cock-alu, dear, run quickly!”

Cock-alu heard her this time, and set off, crowing as he went. He had not gone far before he met the snail.

“Where are you going, snails?” says he.

“I’m going to the cow-cabbage,” says the snail; “and what urgent business may it be that takes you out thus early, Cock-alu?” says the snail.

“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,” says Cock-alu.

“Oh,” says the snail, “run along quickly, and get the water while the dew is in it; for nothing else will get a bean out of the throat. Don’t stop by the way, for the bull is coming down to the silver-spring to drink, and he’ll trouble the water. Gather up my silver-trail, however, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better!”

Cock-alu hastily gathered up the silver-trail which the snail left. “This will make Hen-alie a pair of stockings!” said he, and went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met the wood-pigeon. “Good morning, pigeon,” says he; “and which way are you going?”

“I am going to the pea-field,” says the pigeon, “to get peas for my young ones; and what may your business be this morning, Cock-alu!”

“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” says the pigeon; “but don’t let me detain you, for water with the dew in it is the best thing to get a bean out of the throat; and let me advise you to make haste, for the bloodhound is going to lap at the spring, and he’ll trouble the water. So run along, and here, take with you my blue velvet neck-ribbon, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better.”

“Oh, what a nice pair of garters this will make for Hen-alie!” exclaimed Cock-alu, and went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met the wild-cat. “Good morning, friend,” says Cock-alu, “and where may you be going this morning?”

“I’m going to get a young wood-pigeon for my breakfast, while the mother is gone to the pea-field,” says the wild-cat; “and where may you be traveling to this morning, Cock-alu?”

“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood,” replied Cock-alu, “to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”

“That’s a bad business,” says the wild-cat, “but a drop of water with the dew in it is the right remedy; so don’t let me keep you; and you had better make haste, for the woodman is on his way to fell a tree by the spring, and if a branch falls into it, the water will be troubled; so off with you! But carry with you a flash of green fire from my right eye, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she’ll soon be better.”

“Oh, what a beautiful green light, like the green on my best tail-feathers! I’ll keep it for myself; it’s fitter for me than for Hen-alie!” said Cock-alu.

So he hung the green light on his tail-feathers, which made them very handsome, and he went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met with the sheep-dog. “Good morning, sheep-dog,” says Cock-alu; “where are you going?”

“I’m going to hunt up a stray lamb for my master,” says the sheep-dog, “and what brings you abroad?”

“I’m going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,” says Cock-alu.

“Then why do you stop talking to me?” says the sheep-dog, in his short way; “your wife’s bad enough, I’ll warrant me; and a drop of water with the dew in it is the thing to do her good. Be off with you! The farmer is coming to lay the spring dry this morning. I left him sharpening his mattock when I set out. You’ll be too late, if you don’t mind!” and with that the sheep-dog went his way.

“An unmannerly fellow,” says Cock-alu, and stood looking after him; “I’ll not go at his bidding, not I!” So he clapped his wings and crowed in the wood, just to show that he set light by his advice. “And never to give me anything for poor Hen-alie, that lies sick at home with a bean in her throat! The ill-natured churl!” cried Cock-alu to himself, and then he stood and crowed again with all his might.

After that he marched on, and before long reached the Beech-wood, but as the silver-spring lay yet a good way off, he had not gone far in the wood before he met the squirrel.

“Good morning, squirrel,” says he; “what brings you abroad so early?”

“Early do you call it, Cock-alu?” says the squirrel; “why, I’ve been up these four hours; I just stopped to give the young ones their breakfasts, and then set off to silver-spring for a drop of water while the dew was in it; I’ve got it here in a cherry-leaf. And pray you, what business may take you abroad, Cock-alu?”

“The same as yours,” replied Cock-alu; “I’m going for water, too, for my wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat.”

“Ah, well-a-day!” says the squirrel, “that’s a bad thing! But run along with you; for the old sow is coming down with her nine little pigs, and if they trouble the water it will be all too late for poor little Hen-alie!”

And with that the squirrel leaped up into the oak-tree above where Cock-alu stood, for that was her way home, and left him without further ceremony.

“Humph!” said Cock-alu; “she might have given me some of the water out of her cherry-leaf for my poor little Hen-alie!” And so saying, he walked on through the Beech-wood, and as he met no more creatures he soon reached the silver-spring.

But it was now noon-day, and there was not a drop of dew in the water, and the bull had been down and drunk, and the bloodhound had lapped, and the old sow and her nine little pigs had wallowed in it, so the water was troubled, and besides that the woodman had felled the tree which now lay across the spring, and the farmer was digging the new watercourse, so the spring was getting lower every minute. Cock-alu had come quite too late; there was not a drop left for poor little Hen-alie.

When Cock-alu saw this he was very much disconcerted; he did not know what to do, he stood a little while considering, and then he set off as hard as he could go to the squirrel’s house to beg a drop of water from her. But the squirrel lived a long way off in the wood, and thus it was a considerable time before he got there.

When he reached the squirrel’s house, however, nobody was at home. He knocked and knocked for a long time, and at last he walked in, but they were all gone out; he peeped therefore into the pantry to see if he could find the water; there was plenty of hazel-nuts and beech-nuts, heaps and heaps of them all laid up in store for winter, but no water; at length he saw the curled-up cherry-leaf, like a water-jug, standing at the squirrel’s bed-side, but it was empty; there was not a single drop in it.

“This is bad business!” said Cock-alu to himself, and turned to leave the house. At the squirrel’s door he met a woodpecker.

“Woodpecker,” says he, “where is the squirrel gone to? I want to beg a drop of water from the silver-spring for my wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat!”

“Lack-a-day!” said the woodpecker, “the old squirrel drank every drop, and drained the jug into the bargain; he lay sick in bed this morning, but there was such virtue in the water that he got well as soon as he drank it; and now he has taken his wife and the little ones out for an airing; they will not be back till night, I know. But if you will leave any message with me I will be sure and deliver it, for the squirrel and I are very neighborly.”

“Oh!” groaned Cock-alu; “but what would be the use of leaving a message if they have no water to give me!”

With that he came down from the old pine tree where the squirrel lived, set out on his way home again, and came at length out of the Beech-wood, but it was then getting toward evening.

He came to his own yard. There was the perch on which he and Hen-alie had so often sat, and there was the bean-straw, and there lay poor Hen-alie just as he had left her.

“Hen-alie, my little wife,” said he, crowing loudly as he came up, that he might put a cheerful face on the matter, “I have been very unlucky; I could not get you any water, but I have got something so nice for you! I have brought you a pair of silver-gauze stockings which the snail has sent you, and a pair of blue velvet garters to wear with them, which the ring-tail dove gave me!”

“Thank you,” said poor little Hen-alie, in a very weak voice, “but I wish you could have brought me some water, these things will do me no good!”

“I could not bring you water, for the silver-spring is dry,” said Cock-alu, feeling very unhappy, and yet wishing to excuse himself; “there’s not a drop of water left in it!”

“Then it’s all over with me!” sighed poor little Hen-alie.

“Don’t be down-hearted, my little wife,” said Cock-alu, trying to seem cheerful, “I will give you something better than all, I will give you the green-fire flash from the wild-cat’s eye, which he gave me to wear on my tail-feathers. Look up, my poor little Hen-alie, and I’ll give it all to you!”

“Alas!” sighed poor little Hen-alie, “what good will they do me! Oh, that somebody only loved me well enough to have brought me one drop of silver-spring water!”

All this while something very nice was happening, which I must tell you.

There was in the poultry-yard a shabby little drab-colored hen, very small and very much despised; Cock-alu would not look at her, nor Hen-alie either; she had no tail-feathers at all, and long black legs which looked as if she had borrowed them from a hen twice her size; she was, in short, the meanest, most ill-conditioned hen in the yard.

All the time, however, that Cock-alu was out on his fruitless errand, she had been comforting Hen-alie in the best way she could, and assuring her that Cock-alu would soon be back again with the water from the silver-spring. But when he came back without a single drop, and only offered the fine silk stockings and blue velvet garters instead, she set off, without saying a word, as fast as her long legs would carry her out of the wood and down to the silver-spring, which she reached in a wonderfully short time.

Fortunately the silver-spring had flowed into its new channel as clearly as ever, and the evening dew had dropped its virtues into it. The owls were shouting “Kla-vit!” from one end of the wood to the other, The dark leathern-winged bats and the dusky white and buff-colored moths were flitting about the broad shadows of the trees, but the little hen took no notice of any of them. On she went, thinking of nothing but that which she had to do; and reaching the silver-spring, she gathered up twelve drops of water, and, hurrying back again, came into the yard just as poor Hen-alie was saying: “Oh, that somebody had loved me well enough to fetch me only one drop of silver-spring water!”

“That I do!” said the shabby little hen, and dropped one drop after another into her beak.

The first drop loosened the bean, the second softened it, and the third sent it down her throat.

Hen-alie was well again; Cock-alu was ready to clap his wings and crow for joy; and the little hen turned quietly away to her solitary perch.

“Nay,” said Hen-alie, “but you shall not go unrewarded; see, here is a pair of silk stockings for you, and here is green fire which will make the most beautiful feathers in the world grow all over your body! Take them all, you good little thing, and to-morrow morning you will come out the handsomest hen in the yard!”

So it was. There must have been magic in those silk stockings and that green fire, for the shabby little thing was now transformed into a regular queen-hen. The farmer’s wife thought she must have strayed away from some beautiful foreign country, and gave her a famous breakfast to keep her. Cock-alu was very attentive to her; and as to Hen-alie, she never ceased singing her praises as long as she lived.

There is the key of the Kingdom.In that Kingdom there is a city;In that city there is a town;In that town there is a street;In that street there is a lane;In that lane there is a yard;In that yard there is a house;In that house there is a room;In that room there is a bed;On that bed there is a basket;In that basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket,Basket on the bed,Bed in the room,Room in the house,House in the yard,Yard in the lane,Lane in the street,Street in the town,Town in the city,City in the Kingdom,And this is the key of the Kingdom.

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