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First language book

Catherine Turner Bryce , Frank Ellsworth Spaulding

EducT 759 , 13, 240

Harvard College Library

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COLLECTION OF TEXT- BOOKS

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3 2044 081 491 938
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 D
ALDINE

FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

FOR

GRADES THREE AND FOUR

BY

CATHERINE T. BRYCE
SUPERVISOR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS, NEWTON, MASS.
AND

FRANK E. SPAULDING
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, NEWTON, MASS .

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
ADA BUDELL

NEWSON & COMPANY

NEW YORK
775.8517.3 Harvard University

Ayol 757 , 12 , 24 Dept. of Education Library

Cife ofMy Publabers

MAY 20 19,5

TRANSFERRED TO
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
MAY 26 1921

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY
NEWSON & COMPANY.

Allrights reserved.

1376
 PREFATORY NOTE

THIS book is strictly a pupil's book ; every page and

paragraph of it is addressed to the pupil ; it is written
in language that the pupil can understand .
The Manual which accompanies this book is strictly
a teacher's book ; it is addressed to the teacher
throughout ; it explains in detail the purpose of every

exercise in this , the pupil's book, gives careful direc-

tions concerning the most effective ways of conducting
the various exercises, and is filled with practical sug-
gestions calculated to make language teaching not only
successful but a delight to teacher and pupil .
The subject matter of this book is most varied and
all of the kind that children love. There are stories

of boys and girls , stories of animals , fables and fairy

stories ; there are games and riddles, dialogues and
little dramas ; there are pictures that tell the most
wonderful tales ; there are poems that delight every

boy and girl ; children revel in all this , and revelling,

store their minds and hearts with true literary material .
There are irresistible appeals to the experiences of
every child, stimulating the observation and making
interesting and significant the occurrences of everyday
life.

Children not only take keen delight in all this ma-

terial, but they soon become eager to give expression
iii
iv PREFATORY NOTE

to the results of their own observations and experience ,

and of the activity of their imagination. That they
may express themselves effectively they are led to ob-
serve and to imitate the forms of expression - correct
language forms , oral and written - that others use .
Appreciating the use of these forms, and associating
them always with ideas that interest them , children take
real pleasure in learning to use correct language forms.
Under such conditions as these ideal and at the same
time natural — children make rapid and sure progress

not only in the mastery of language forms, but, more

important, in the effective use of correct language for
the purpose of expressing their own well - ordered
thoughts.
Acknowledgments are here cheerfully made to
authors and publishers who have kindly permitted the
use in this book of their copyrighted material.
The poems of Robert Louis Stevenson , " Autumn
Fires," and " The Dumb Soldier," are taken from " A
Child's Garden of Verse " ; " Little Blue Pigeon " is
from " Poems of Childhood ," by Eugene Field ; “ One,
Two, Three " is from " Rowen," by H. C. Bunner, all
published by Charles Scribner's Sons. The poems by

Emerson, Adeline D. T. Whitney, and Celia Thaxter

are used by permission of and by arrangement with
Houghton Mifflin Company, authorized publishers of
the works of these writers.
 CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
SECTION PAGE
I. GRAND TUSK AND NIMBLE Fable from India I
II. STUDYING THE STORY 3
III. How TO PLAY THE STORY 6
IV. PLAYING THE STORY 9
V. TELLING THE STORY 9
VI. A STORY TO FINISH 10
VII . FINISHING THE STORY, " STRONG AND QUICK " 12
VIII. STORIES TO TELL . 13
IX . A PICTURE STORY . 14
X. MORE PICTURE STORIES 17
XI . THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT Indian Fable 18
XII. GAMES OF DESCRIPTION 21
XIII . THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL R. W. Emerson 21
XIV . TELLING THE STORY OF THE POEM 24

CHAPTER II

I. HOW THE LINDEN CAME TO BE • A Danish Myth 25

II. STUDYING THE STORY · . 27
III. CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING 30
IV. ORAL REPRODUCTION OF THE STORY 30
V. TELLING TRUE STORIES 31
VI. SENTENCES, CAPITALS, AND PERIODS 32
VII. USING CAPITALS AND PERIODS 35
VIII. PREPARING TO WRITE FROM DICTATION 35
IX. UNSTUDIED DICTATION 36
X. QUESTIONS AND THE QUESTION MARK 36
w
B

XI . RIDDLES • 38
XII. ANSWERING RIDDLES 39
XIII . PICTURE STORIES 40
vi CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE
XIV. MORE PICTURE STORIES 43
XV. TELLING TRUE STORIES 44
XVI. SPRING WAKING . Isabel E. Mackay 46
XVII. PART READING AND DRAMATIZING 50
XVIII. LEARNING TO TELL A STORY 50
XIX . ORAL REPRODUCTIONS 51

CHAPTER III

I. MABEL AND THE FAIRY FOLK • Mary Howitt 52

II . DRAMATIZING THE STORY 55
III. STUDYING THE STORY . 55
IV. WRITING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY 57
V. How TITLES ARE WRITTEN 58

588
VI . COPYING THE STORY, " THE TREES AND THE WOOD-
CUTTER "" 59
VII. DICTATION OF THE STORY 60
VIII . TITLES TO COPY . 60
IX. WRITING TITLES FROM DICTATION 61
X. GIVING TITLES TO PICTURES 61
XI . PICTURE STORIES 61
XII. MORE PICTURE STORIES 62
XIII. TELLING TRUE STORIES 66
XIV . WRITING A STORY 67
XV. COPYING A STORY 67
58

XVI . AUTUMN FIRES R. L. Stevenson 67

XVII. WRITING A STANZA FROM MEMORY 69

CHAPTER IV

I. A STORY TO STUDY AND TELL . 71

II. Their AND There . 73
KORE

III. WRITING THE STORY OF THE FOUR OXEN 75

IV . A STORY TO STUDY 76
V. THE GAME OF NAMES 77
VI. WRITING NAMES . 77
VII. COPYING THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE
1788

LITTLE BIRDS . 77
VIII. DICTATION 78
 CONTENTS vii

SECTION PAGE
IX . To - Too- Two . 78
X. DICTATION • 80
XI. THE FIRST BUTTERCUPS . A Fairy Story 80
XII . ENLARGING A STORY FOR DRAMATIZING 82
XIII. DRAMATIZING THE STORY . 82
XIV . PICTURE STORIES 82

88888
XV. MORE PICTURE STORIES 86
XVI . TELLING TRUE STORIES 86
XVII. THE FIRST BLUEBELL A Poem
XVIII. THE STORY IN THE POEM 90

CHAPTER V

ཙ
I. THE LITTLE WHITE FLOWER A Fairy Story 91
II. STUDYING THE STORY 95
III. CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING 98
IV. TELLING THE STORY, " THE LITTLE WHITE FLOWER " 99
V. THE CAT AND THE OWL 99
VI. COPYING THE STORY 103
VII . DICTATION · 104
VIII . A STORY TO FINISH 104
IX . WRITING THE ENDING OF A STORY · 105
X. WORDS THAT CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF Said . 106
XI. QUESTIONS FOR YOU 108
XII . PICTURE STORIES 108
XIII . MORE PICTURE STORIES ΠΙΟ
XIV . THE CHESTNUT BUR • Christine H. Hamilton 113
XV. MEMORIZING THE POEM 116

CHAPTER VI

I. THE LITTLE RED HEN, PART I 117

II. COPYING • 120
III. THE LITTLE RED HEN, PART II 121
IV. WRITING FROM DICTATION . 122
V. UNSTUDIED DICTATION 122
VI . THE LIttle Red HEN, PART IV 123
VII. WHERE TO USE CAPITAL LETTERS 124
VIII. USING CAPITAL LETTERS 126
viii CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE
IX . THE STAR VISITOR An Indian Legend 127
X. STUDYING THE STORY . 130
XI . DRAMATIZING THE STORY 132
XII. WRITING A CONVERSATION IN DIALOGUE FORM . 132
XIII. PICTURE STORIES . 133
XIV. MORE PICTURE STORIES 135
XV . STUDYING THE POEM, " ONE, Two, THREE ' 138
XVI. TELLING THE STORY FROM THE POEM 141
XVII . PLAYING ONE, TWO, THREE 141

CHAPTER VII

I. ANOTHER USE FOR CAPITALS • 142

II. DICTATION • 144
III. THE DAYS OF THE WEEK 144
IV. KEEPING A DIARY · 146
V. A RHYME AND A STORY 147
VI. WRITING A STORY 150
VII. POSSESSIVES 151
VIII. UNSTUDIED DICTATION 153
IX. WHEN THE LITTLE BOY RAN AWAY A Poem 153
X. DRAMATIZING THE POEM • 159
XI. WRITING A DIALOGUE . • 159
XII. THE LOST BOY (a story to finish) 160
XIII. A PICTURE STORY 162
XIV . WRITING A STORY 165
XV. MORE PICTURE STORIES • 165
XVI . MORE STORIES TO WRITE • 169
XVII. A FAIRY WISH 170

CHAPTER VIII
I. FABLES . · 171
II. STUDYING A FABLE • 174
III. WRITING A FABLE FROM DICTATION • 176
IV . TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES . . 176
V. WRITING AN ORIGINAL FABLE · 179
VI. THE WISE Judge . A Storyfrom Palestine 180
VII . DRAMATIZING " THE WISE JUDGE " 185
 CONTENTS ix

SECTION PAGE
VIII. THE MAN AND THE SATYR . 185
IX . WRITING A STORY FROM A DIALOGUE 188
X. PICTURE STORIES . 188
XI. MORE PICTURE STORIES 191
XII. LITTLE BLUE PIGEON · Eugene Field 193
XIII. COPYING THE POEM 198
XIV . MEMORIZING THE POEM 199

CHAPTER IX

I. HOW SOME MARKS ARE USED 200

II. A COPYING LESSON 204
III. STUDIED DICTATION 204
IV . UNSTUDIED DICTATION 204
V. THE MONTHS AND THEIR ABBREVIATIONS 205
VI. HOLIDAYS 206
VII . WRITING DATES 206
VIII. MY BIRTHDAY 207
IX. How THE MONTHS WERE NAMED 208
X. WRITING ABOUT THE MONTHS • 210
XI . QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE MONTHS 210
XII . MEMORIZING A QUOTATION . · 217
XIII. PICTURE STORIES . 218
XIV . MORE PICTURE STORIES • 220
XV . A REVIEW OF CAPITALS AND PUNCTUATION MARKS · 220
XVI. STUDIED DICTATION · 223
XVII. FINISHING A STORY · 223

CHAPTER X

I. FOR THE KING Sir Walter Scott 224

II. STUDYING THE STORY . 227
III. DRAMATIZING THE STORY 230
IV. TELLING THE STORY 230
V. WHY MARKS OF PUNCTUATION ARE USED 230
VI. A FABLE TO STUDY AND COPY 233
VII. WRITING FROM DICTATION 234
VIII. TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES 234
IX. WRITING ORIGINAL FABLES . . 236
X CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE
X. CONTRACTIONS 237
XI. A CONTRACTION THAT IS ALWAYS WRONG . 238
XII. THE EXCLAMATION MARK 240 .
XIII. WRITING EXCLAMATIONS 242
XIV . PICTURE STORIES · 242
XV . THE DUMB SOLDIER R. L. Stevenson 244
XVI. THE LOST DOLL . Charles Kingsley 248
XVII. WRITING STORIES FROM POEMS . . 249
XVIII. WRITING TRUE STORIES 250

CHAPTER XI

I. MAKING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE 251

II. WRITING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE 252
III. THE KING'S DREAM A Story from India 253
IV . DRAMATIZING " THE KING'S DREAM "" · 256
V. ORAL REPRODUCTION OF " THE KING'S DREAM 256
VI . DATES . 257
VII. WRITING DATES FROM DICTATION 258
VIII. TOM'S LETTER 258
IX . TOM'S LETTER (Continued ) 262
X. TOM ANSWERS HIS LETTER . 264
XI . WRITING A LETTER TO A FRIEND 265
XII . ANSWERING A FRIEND'S LETTER 265
XIII . A FABLE TO STUDY 265
XIV . WRITING THE FABLE FROM DICTATION 266
XV. MAKING NEW FABLES 266
XVI . WRITING A FABLE · 268
XVII . AMERICA S. F. Smith 269
XVIII. WRITING " AMERICA 99 FROM MEMORY • 274
XIX . PICTURE STORIES 274
XX . MORE PICTURE STORIES 274

CHAPTER XII

SOME STORIES AND RHYMES • 276

 ALDINE

FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

CHAPTER ONE

GRAND TUSK AND NIMBLE

The Quarrel

GRAND TUSK, the elephant, and Nimble, the

monkey, were fast friends .

One day Grand Tusk said proudly : " Behold me !

See how big and strong I am ! "
Nimble answered : " Behold me ! See how quick
and clever I am ! "
"It is better to be big and strong than to be quick
and clever," said Grand Tusk.
" Not so," answered Nimble. " It is better to be

quick and clever than to be big and strong."

So they began to quarrel .
" Do not let us quarrei," said Nimble. " Let us
""
go to Dark Sage and ask him to settle the matter.'
Agreed ! " said Grand Tusk, and off they ran.

The Advice of Dark Sage

Now, Dark Sage was a wise old owl who lived in the
darkest corner of an old tower. After listening to all
Grand Tusk and Nimble had to say, Dark Sage spoke.
I
2 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

"You must do just as I bid. Then I will tell you

which is better.”
cc
Agreed ! " said Grand Tusk.
Agreed ! " said Nimble.
Then," said Dark Sage, " cross yonder river and
bring me the mangoes from the great tree beyond ."

It is Better to be Big and Strong

Off went Grand Tusk and Nimble . When they

came to the stream , which was very wide and deep,
Nimble was afraid.
" Oh, I can never cross that river ! " he cried .

" Let us go back."

But Grand Tusk laughed and said : " Didn't I tell
you it is better to be big and strong than to be quick
and clever ? I can easily swim across that river, and
carry you, too."
So he picked Nimble up with his trunk , put him
on his broad back, and swam across .

It is Better to be Quick and Clever

Soon they came to the mango tree. It was very tall .

Grand Tusk tried to reach the mangoes with his long
trunk, but they were too high. Then he tried to break
the tree with his trunk. But the tree was too strong.
" I can't get the mangoes," he said. " They grow
too high . We shall have to go back without any."
Then Nimble laughed and said : " Didn't I tell you
it is better to be quick and clever than to be big and
strong ? I can easily climb this tree.”
 GRAND TUSK AND NIMBLE 3

Up the tree sprang Nimble and soon threw down

enough mangoes to fill a large basket. Grand Tusk
picked them up, and the two friends crossed the river
as before.

Which is Better ?

When they came again to Dark Sage, Grand Tusk

said : " Here are your mangoes. Now tell us which
is better to be big and strong or to be quick and
clever ? "

Dark Sage answered , " I should think you would

know that yourself. Who crossed the river ? "
" I did ! " cried Grand Tusk , proudly.

"Who gathered the fruit ? "

" I did ! " answered Nimble.
" Then," said the wise old owl, " don't you see
that sometimes it is better to be big and strong, and
sometimes it is better to be quick and clever ? Each

thing in its place is best."

II

STUDYING THE STORY, “ GRAND TUSK

AND NIMBLE "

Answer to yourself every one of the questions

below. Ask yourself one at a time, and think

out the answer to that one question ; then ask

and answer the next, and so on . Try to answer
every one from the story as you remember it .
4 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

If there is a question that you cannot answer

from memory, after you have tried very hard ,

you may look back at the story and find the

answer there. If there is a question that you

cannot answer at all , or if you are not sure that

your answer is right, remember that question

and ask it of your teacher or of some pupil .

In answering these questions to yourself, you

are getting ready for the next lesson . Then

your teacher will ask you these questions and

many others about the story.

People in the Story

Why was the elephant called Grand Tusk ?

Why was the monkey called Nimble ?
What does nimble mean ?

A sage is a wise person. Why was the owl

called Dark Sage ?

Bring a picture of an elephant to school to-

morrow , if you can find one, and show the rest

of the class the tusks .

Places in the Story

Where did the owl live ?

After leaving the owl's house , where did

Grand Tusk and Nimble first stop ?
 GRAND TUSK AND NIMBLE 5

How did they cross the river ?

Where did they next stop ?

Think of any question you would like to ask

about some place in the story . To-morrow

your teacher will give you a chance to ask your

question. Have it ready.

The Talking in the Story

What kind of voice do you think the ele-

phant had ?

At recess or at home to -night say aloud to

yourself, or to any one that will listen to you

without being frightened : " Behold me ! See
how big and strong I am ! " Say it just as you
think Grand Tusk said it. To-morrow you

will have a chance to say it in school .

What kind of voice do you think Nimble

had ?

What did he say when he heard Grand Tusk

brag ?
To whom did they go to settle their quarrel ?
What did Dark Sage tell them to do ?
What did they answer ?
Think of any question you would like to ask

to-morrow about anything some one in the story

said .
6 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

III

HOW TO PLAY THE STORY, “ GRAND TUSK

AND NIMBLE "

If you and the other children can plan just

how to do it, your teacher will let some of

you play the story of Grand Tusk and Nimble.

The following questions and directions will help

you.
People

How many people will be needed to play

this story ?
What kind of person should Grand Tusk be ?

What kind of voice should he have ?

What kind of person should Nimble be ?
Which person must look very wise ?

Which part in the play would you like best

to take ?

Why do you think you can take this part

well ?

Choose children for the other parts, thinking

why you choose each one.

Places

Where was Dark Sage's home ?

Which is the darkest corner in the room ?
 GRAND TUSK AND NIMBLE 7

Is there a better place for Dark Sage's home ?

Think how wide you would have the river

and where you would have it flow. How can

you show it on the floor with books, pointers,

rulers, or chalk marks ?
What will you use for a tree ? You know
Nimble must climb a tree .

Actions

Look at the picture on the next page and see

how Grand Tusk might play carrying Nimble

over the river .

Think how Grand Tusk could play shaking

the tree .

How would you play picking mangoes from

the tree and throwing them to Grand Tusk ?

Think how Grand Tusk picked the mangoes

from the ground and put them into a basket .

With what does the elephant pick up things ?

Words

In playing the story, you must think all the

time who you are ; then you will speak like

Grand Tusk, or Nimble, or Dark Sage. Do

not try to recall the exact words that were used

in the story, but think of the meaning of what
Playing Grand Tusk and Nimble
 PLAYING THE STORY 9

Grand Tusk, Nimble, or Dark Sage said, then

say it as that one said it, but in the words that

come to you .

IV

PLAYING THE STORY, " GRAND TUSK AND

NIMBLE "
(Your teacher will help you play the story. )

TELLING THE STORY, " GRAND TUSK AND

NIMBLE "

You have read the story of Grand Tusk and

Nimble . You have heard it read. You have

seen different children take the parts of Grand

Tusk , Nimble, and Dark Sage . To -morrow
children will tell the story in class ; perhaps you

will be one of them. Telling the story will be

a hard thing to do much harder than playing

it ; for in playing the story , each child had to be

only one person . In telling the story, you will

have to speak like all three in turn .
Think the story all out carefully to yourself,

* NOTE TO THE TEACHER : The Teacher's Manual, which every teacher using
this book should have, gives full and definite directions for carrying out this and the
many subsequent lessons that are indicated only by title in this book. In addition, the
Teacher's Manual is full of helpful suggestions regarding the teaching of every lesson .
10 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

just as you will tell it if you are allowed. Try

to see in your mind each place, each person, and
everything each one does ; try to feel like each

person in the story as you speak for him . At

home, if you can , tell the story aloud to yourself,

or to any one who will listen to you.

VI

A STORY TO FINISH

You remember the words of Dark Sage,

" Sometimes it is better to be big and strong,
and sometimes it is better to be little and clever."

Here is another story to show that sometimes it

is better to be strong, and sometimes it is better
to be quick .
Strong and Quick

George was a big, strong boy who could lift and

carry a heavier load than any other boy in his class .
Tom was small and slim and had not much strength,
but he was the fastest runner in school .
One day as the two boys were walking home from
school, George said : " What a tiny chap you are !
Why, I am so much stronger than you that I could
lift you with one hand ."

Tom replied : " Yes, you may be stronger, but I

can run faster than you . Come on and I will race
you to the corner of our fence . "
 FINISHING THE STORY II

" Pshaw ! " said George, " any one can run. It is
much better to be strong."

Before Tom could make reply, they turned a

corner, and the pitiful sight that met their eyes stopped
all thought of their dispute. A poor old woman sat
on the ground, weeping over an old man who lay
there very still and very white .
“ What is the matter ? " asked Tom, stopping be-
side them . " Can I help you ? "

My husband is ill and has fallen here. He can-

not walk ; he cannot even stand. Oh , please carry him
into the house for me," cried the old woman .

Finish the story. Think how the story of

Grand Tusk and Nimble ended . The following

questions and directions will help you.

Could Tom carry the old man into the house ?
Why not ?
Who did carry him in ?

What may George have thought ?

Do not answer these questions with just a

word or two . Let your answers tell the story

something like this :

Tom was not strong enough to carry the old man,

so George lifted him carefully and carried him into the
house. While doing it he could not help thinking :

" I was right. It is better to be strong than to be

quick."
12 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What happened next ?

When any one is very ill , for whom do we

send ?

Who went for him ? Why ?

Perhaps you will go on somethin like this : —
g

After the boy had placed the old man on the bed,
the woman turned to George and said : " Run as fast as
you can for Dr. Grey. "
But George knew he could not run fast, so he said
to

Now you must complete the story with only

the help of the following questions . Be careful
to make a real story out of your answers, as we

have just done .

What did Tom do ?

What did he think as he ran along ?

Did the doctor cure the old man ?

What might the doctor have said ? Think

what Dark Sage said to Grand Tusk and
Nimble after they returned from the mango tree .

VII

FINISHING THE STORY , “ STRONG AND

QUICK "

(This is a class exercise .)

 STORIES TO TELL 13

VIII

STORIES TO TELL

Many stories have been written and told

about monkeys. Do you know any ? Be ready

to tell one to the other children in your class .
You may think of a story that has been told or

read to you , or of one that you have read ; or

you may make up one.

If you do not know a story about a monkey,

perhaps you can tell one about an elephant or
an owl.

Try to make up a story from one of these

hints, if you do not already know a good one to
tell .

1. A monkey saw himself in a looking-glass

and thought it was another monkey . What did
he do ? What did he say ? What happened ?

2. A monkey found an egg. He thought it

was a ball . What did he say ? What did he do ?

What happened ?
3. On page 18 you will find a story of some

blind men and an elephant. If you can think

of no other story , read that over carefully ; then
think it all out to yourself so that you can tell
it.
14 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

IX

A PICTURE STORY

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher.)

The boy on the garden wall is Tom. Look

at his face . Does he not look very much

excited about something ?

See how he points. He must be pointing

at something he sees beyond the garden wall .

Does he see something close to the garden

wall or something far off?

What does Tom see ? It must be something

very strange, or wonderful , or beautiful, or

awful, or exciting, to make him look and point

as he is doing .

Look out of the window, point as Tom is

doing, and try to look as excited as he looks.
Make believe that you see something very

wonderful that you want to have the other

children see . Think just how you will tell

the other children what you see.

Think well before you answer the next two

questions .

What is Tom saying to the other children ?

Use the very words you think Tom is using.

How does he speak ?
 ADA
(LBUDE

15
16 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What do the other children want to do ?

Now you know what the story is about . Let

us go back and tell the story from the beginning .

Give a name to each child .

Where are the children ?

What season is it ? How do you know ?

Let us suppose the children have been work-

ing in the garden.

Our story might begin then in this way,

One day in summer Tom, and

were working in the garden .

Who stopped working first ?

Where did he climb ?

How did he get to the top of the wall ?

Why did he climb there ?

Did he hear any noise from the other side

of the wall ?

The story might go on like this :

Suddenly Tom stopped working. He thought he

heard a noise from the other side of the wall . A
ladder stood against the wall. Up the ladder climbed
Tom - up to the very top of the wall.
From there he looked down and saw-

Now tell the part about what Tom saw and

how he called to the other children .
 MORE PICTURE STORIES 17

Did the other children climb to the top of

the wall ?
Finish the story.

What would be a good name for the story ?

MORE PICTURE STORIES

On page 19 is another picture full of stories

Try to read one of them as you read the stories

in the garden wall picture.
Look at the faces of the children . Do they
look happy ?

Are they looking at something sad ?

Are they looking at something awful ?

Are they looking at something very exciting ?
What are they looking at ?

Think of something funny you have seen

from your windows something that made

you laugh.
Now let us make the whole story about the
picture . Why do you think all the children

are in the house to -day ? It may be some one's

birthday party . Whose birthday shall it be ?
What were the children doing at the party ?

Think of things children really do at parties.

18 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Let us suppose they heard a noise from the

street. What did they all do ?

Finish the story, telling what they saw from

the window and what they said about it.
Think of a good name for the story .

Tell the story all over to yourself so that

you can tell it aloud to the class .

You might tell it at home to your mother

or father or to your brother or sister .

XI

THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

Once upon a time there were four blind men. One

day they heard the people in the village talking about

a large elephant that had been caught by some hunters.
" Take us to the elephant," they begged. " Let us
feel it with our hands. Then we shall know what an
elephant is like. "
Their friends led them to the elephant. The first
blind man put out his hand and touched the elephant's
broad side . The second took hold of a leg. The
third grasped a tusk, and the fourth clutched the ani-
mal's tail.

" Now do you know what an elephant looks like ? "

asked a friend .
"Yes," cried the first. "The elephant is broad
and flat like a barn door."
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20 FIRST LANGUAG BOOK
E

"What ! " exclaimed the second . " The elephant

is big and round like the trunk of a tree."
"Not so ! " cried the third. " The elephant is
hard and smooth like a polished stone . "
"What are you all talking about ? " cried the
fourth. " The elephant is just like a piece of rope."
-INDIAN FABLE .

Questions to Answer from the Story

Did each blind man give a good description

of the part of the elephant he touched ?

Did any one give a good description of the

elephant as he really is ?
What should each man have done before he

tried to describe the elephant ?

Something to Do

Think of a picture of an elephant, or better,

think of a real elephant , if you have seen one ,

or of what you have heard or read about ele-

phants. Then think how you would describe an

elephant so that one seeing an elephant for the

first time could not fail to know what it was.

Be sure that your description , when finished ,

would fit only an elephant , not some other
animal, also . For example, were you to say,

" An elephant is a large animal , with four legs,

 THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL 21

a tail, two ears, two eyes , and a mouth, " what

other animals would this description fit as well as

the elephant ? What more can you say about

the elephant that will fit only the elephant

no other animal ?

Think out your description carefully , and be

prepared to give it to the class, if your teacher

calls upon you.

When other children are trying to describe

an elephant, listen carefully . Think whether

their descriptions fit the elephant, and only the

elephant. Perhaps the teacher will ask you to

tell what you think of some child's description .
Then you can say whether or not it fitted the
elephant, and no other animal.

XII

GAMES OF DESCRIPTION

(Your teacher will show you how to play these games . )

XIII

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher .)

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter, “ Little Prig ! '
22 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Bunn replied,
" You are doubtless very big,
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year,
And a sphere .
And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place .
If I'm not so large as you ,
You are not so small as I ,
And not half so spry ;

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ ; all is well and wisely put ;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut."
— - RALPH WALDO EMERSON .

How is this story of the mountain and the

squirrel like that of Grand Tusk and Nimble ?

Who makes you think of Grand Tusk ?

Who makes you think of Nimble ?

In the story of Grand Tusk and Nimble,

think how the quarrel began . Grand Tusk said :

" Behold me ! See how big I am ! " Nimble

answered : " Behold me ! See how little I am ! "

Just how may the quarrel between the moun-

tain and the squirrel have begun ?
 THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL 23

Grand Tusk said , “ It is better to be big than

to be little." What did Nimble answer ?

Now what might the mountain have said and

the squirrel have answered ?
Read the third line in the poem .
the first person
The former here means
named. Who is named first in the poem ? See
་
the first line .

The latter here means the last person named .

Who is named last in the first line of the poem ?

Now read the third line and put in the names

of the persons quarreling in place of the former

and the latter.

A prig is a conceited person, a person who

thinks himself much better than he really is.

Why did the mountain call the squirrel

" Little Prig " ?
The fourth line says, " Bunn replied . "

You have heard a rabbit called Bunny.

Sometimes a squirrel is called Bunny, also . Bunn

is just a short name for Bunny.
Read lines 5-10 .

By sphere the squirrel means the world .

You know that there are all sorts and kinds
of weather in a year. There is an old saying,

“ It takes all kinds of people to make a world . ”

24 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Now tell in your own words what the squirrel

meant in the five lines you have just read .
The next two lines,

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place ,

just mean, " I am not ashamed to be a happy

little squirrel . "
Read the next three lines.

What does spry mean ?

Read the next two lines.

Did the mountain like to be told that he

made " a very pretty squirrel track ” ? I think

not, he was too proud . He may have said :

“ A squirrel track ! I am of more use than that !

Just see the great forests I carry on my back ! "

Read the last three lines just as you think the
squirrel said them.

Talents differ means that each one of us can

do something, but that all cannot do the same
thing well. What did the squirrel say the

mountain could do that he could not ? What

could he do that the mountain could not do ?

XIV

TELLING THE STORY OF THE POEM

(Your teacher will help you to tell the story . )

 CHAPTER TWO

HOW THE LINDEN CAME TO BE

The Little Plant and the Oak Tree

ONCE upon a time a little plant grew on the edge

of the forest. The ground around it was poor and
hard, the weather was cold ; so the little plant grew
very slowly.
Why don't you hurry and grow ? " cried a tall ,
strong oak tree who grew near. " Look at us ! Come,
try to grow straight and beautiful like me and the
other trees . Then you will be our sister."

" I am trying," said the plant.

But she couldn't grow fast, so the oak tree tossed
his branches and said , " You are so slow, we will have
nothing more to do with you."

The Little Plant and the Crow

One day an old crow hopped down beside the little

plant. " Why don't you grow, little plant ? " he
asked .

" I can't," sighed the little plant. 1

" Can't ! can't ! " cawed the old crow. " Don't
talk to me ! I'll tell you what is the matter with
25
26 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

you, you are lazy, that's all ! Can't grow, indeed !

Can't ! Can't ! Can't ! " he mocked, as he flew away.

The Little Plant and the Wind

"The crow is just right," said the wind. " You

must grow ! I'll make you ! Oo-00-000 ! " He

blew, and blew, and blew with all his might. The
poor little plant was almost torn from the ground.
But she grew no faster. Indeed, for many days she
seemed hardly to grow at all .

The Little Plant and the Sun

One day the sun, peeping through the branches of

the tall trees, saw the little plant.
Why don't you grow, little one ? " he asked .
" She is too slow," said the old oak .
" She is too lazy," cawed the old crow.
" She won't try," said the wind.
The little plant looked up into the sun's kind face.
" Indeed, I do try," she said. " I try , and try, and
try ! But the ground is so hard and cold that I just
can't grow any faster."
" You poor little plant ! " said the sun . " I am so
sorry for you , for I know that you have tried . Now:
I will help you , and my brother, the rain , will help,
too. Won't you, brother rain ? "
" To be sure I will," answered the rain. " All

that you need, little plant, is a friendly hand to help

you. Look up, little one, and be glad."

So the sun shone on the little plant and warmed

 THE LINDEN 27

her ; the rain softened the hard ground, and the little
plant lifted up her face and was glad . She was so
happy that she just laughed in the sunshine and the
rain, and grew and grew until she became the loveliest

tree in the forest— the graceful linden tree .

- – A DANISH MYTH .

II

STUDYING THE STORY, " THE LINDEN "

Recall how you studied the story, " Grand

Tusk and Nimble." Turn back and read again

carefully the directions given you for studying

that story ( p . 3 ) ; study this story in the same

way. Answer to yourself every question asked,
one after another ; do this from your memory

of the story, if you can ; if you cannot re-

member, turn to the story and find the answer
you need.
You may,
Think of good questions to ask.

if you wish , ask some easy questions that you

can answer yourself ; but you should also ask
some hard ones, that you cannot answer, but

that you would like to have answered .

At the next lesson , your teacher will ask

these and many other questions ; she will also
let you ask questions of her and of other pupils.
28 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

People in the Story

The Little Plant.

Where did the little plant grow ?

Why did she not grow fast ?

Think of one more question to ask about

the plant .
The Oak Tree.
What kind of tree was the oak ?

Did any other trees grow near him ?

How did the oak tree speak to the little

plant ?

Think of a question about the oak .

The Crow.

How did the crow talk to the little plant ?

Did he believe that the little plant was try-

ing to grow ?
What did he say was the matter with the
little plant ?

Think of a question about the crow.

The Wind.

What did the wind say to the little plant ?

What did he do to help her grow faster ?
What harm did he do ?
The Sun and the Rain.

How did the sun and the rain speak to the

little plant ?
 THINGS TO DO AND SAY 29

What did they say was all she needed ?

What did the rain mean by " a friendly
hand "?

Did they help the little plant ?

What did she grow to be ?

Think of two or more questions to ask

about the story, or about any one in it .

Things to Do and Say

In school you can think how to do and say

these things ; but you must really do and say
them out of school . It will be better and more

fun if you can get one , or two , or several , of

your friends to do and say them with you . This

will help you to play the story . By letting you

and your classmates do and say these things for

her, your teacher will find out who will make

the best oak tree, the best little plant, the best
crow, and so on .
Show how the oak tree tossed his branches.

Show how the crow hopped to the little plant .

Show how the wind blew the little plant .

Show how she swayed and rocked.

Show how the sun and the rain gave the little

plant a friendly hand and helped to lift her up .

Show how the little plant laughed.
30 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Say, " Why don't you hurry and grow ? " as

the oak tree said it .

Say, " I can't, " as the little plant sighed it.

Say, " Can't ! Can't, " as the old crow cawed.
Say, " Oo-00-000 ! " as the wind blew.

Say, " Look up, little one, and be glad, " as

the sun said it.

Giving out the Parts for the Play

If you could choose
the children to play this
story, which part would you keep for yourself?

Whom would you choose for the little plant ?

For the oak tree ?

For the crow ?

For the wind ?

For the sun ?

For the rain ?

You must have some good reason for every

choice .

III

CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING *

IV

ORAL REPRODUCTION OF THE STORY,

" THE LINDEN " *

* Where no directions are given, your teacher will tell you what to do .
 TELLING TRUE STORIES 31

TELLING TRUE STORIES

Read the following questions and answer

them to yourself. If you have ever had some

seeds or a plant of your own, make your answers

to the questions into a little story about your

seeds or plant, just as some one made the story

for you about the little linden tree.

Have you ever planted any seeds ?

Have you ever had a plant of your own ?

Where did you get your seed or plant ?

Where did you plant it ?
What did you do to help it grow ?

Did it grow well ?

What happened to it ?
If you cannot make a story from the above
questions, you surely can from the follow-

ing :
Who gave the little plant the linden

" a friendly hand ” ?

What is meant by " a friendly hand " ?

Did you ever see any one that needed help ?

Whom ? When ? Where ?

Did you help ?

How ?
32 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

VI

SENTENCES, CAPITALS , AND PERIODS

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher.)

Read the following sentences : -

1. The little plant grew slowly .

2. Strong trees looked down on the plant.

3. One tree spoke.

How many sentences have you read ?

Capital Letters

Read the first sentence again .

What is the first word of this sentence ?

With what kind of letter does the first word

begin ?
Read the second sentence .

What is the first word of this sentence ?

With what kind of lette: does this word begin ?

Read the third sentence .

What is the first word of this sentence ?

With what kind of letter does this word begin ?

The first word of every sentence begins with a

capital letter.
Statements

What does the first sentence tell you about

the little plant ?

 SENTENCES , CAPITALS , AND PERIODS 33

What does the second sentence tell you about

strong trees ?
What does the third sentence tell you about
one tree ?

Sentences that tell something are called statements.

Periods

Look at the mark after the first statement .

This mark is called a period.

What is the mark after the second statement?
What is the mark after the third statement ?

There is a period after every statement.

Why Capitals and Periods are Used

Read the following :

The first sentence is

The little plant grew slowly.

The begins with a capital letter because it is the first
word in a sentence .

There is a period after the sentence because it is a

statement.

Finish the following study of the second

sentence.

The second sentence is

Strong begins with a - because it is

There is a after the sentence because it is a
34 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Read the third sentence, telling how it begins

and why, and what mark is placed after it and

why.
Study the following sentences in the same

way.

The oak tree was proud .

He looked down on the little plant.
He tossed his branches .

The little plant was sad .

She tried to grow.

An old crow saw the little plant.

He hopped down beside her.
He told her to grow.

The little plant tried her best.

The old crow mocked her.
He flew away.

The wind saw the little plant.

He tried to make her grow.
He blew and blew.

The little plant was nearly blown down.

The wind was rough and rude.
 USING CAPITALS AND PERIODS 35

VII

USING CAPITALS AND PERIODS

Copy the sentences under Section 1 on page

34. Tell yourself, as you make them, why you
use each capital and each period , like this : “ I

am making a capital 7 because it begins the first

word of the sentence, " and " I am making a

period because this is the end of a statement."

VIII

PREPARING TO WRITE FROM DICTATION

Look at the sentences under Section 2 , page

34.
Can you spell hopped ? Look off the book
and spell it to yourself.
Can you spell beside ?

Is there any word in any of the six sentences

that you are not sure you can spell ? If so ,

study it until you know you can spell it.

With what kind of letter does every sentence

begin ?
What mark is placed at the end of every
sentence ?
 E
36 FIRST LANGUAG BOOK

When your teacher dictates these sentences to you, do

not make a mistake

in the spelling of any word,

in the beginning of any sentence,
in placing the right mark at the end of any state-
ment.
IX

UNSTUDIED DICTATION

QUESTIONS AND THE QUESTION MARK

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher.)

Read this little story.

The Question Boy

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was

always asking questions. From the moment that his
eyes opened in the morning till they closed at night,
he asked questions . For this reason his friends called
him The Question Boy. He asked the queerest ques-
tions any one ever heard. Here are some of them

Why do we call the old moon the full moon?

Why don't we call the new moon the empty
moon ?

Where does a dog keep his bark ?

Where do the fairies live in winter ?
Where does the dark go when we light the
lamp ?
 STUDYING QUESTIONS 37

Studying Questions

You need not try to answer the little boy's

questions to-day . Let us study them for a few

moments.

How many questions are given above ?

With what kind of letter does the first word

of every question begin ?

Every one of these questions is a sentence .
Can you think why the first word of every

question begins with a capital letter ?

This is the answer :

The first word of every sentence begins with a capital.

Every one of these questions is a sentence, so every one of
them begins with a capital.

Look at the mark after the first sentence .

Look at the marks after the other sentences.

How many marks of this kind are there ?

How many sentences are there ?

The mark after every question is called a

question mark.

A question mark must be placed after every sentence

that asks a question.

Study each of the little boy's questions like

this .
 E
AG
S T N GU OK
38 FIR LA BO

The first question is, -

Why do we call the old moon the full moon ?
Why begins with a capital letter because it is the
first word in a sentence .

There is a question mark after the sentence because

it is a sentence that asks a question .

Finish the following study of the second

sentence.

The second sentence is

Why begins with a letter because it is

There is a after the sentence because it is a
sentence that

Study the rest of the sentences in the same

way, telling how each one begins and ends, and

why.
XI

RIDDLES

Read the following riddles and answer as

many as you can :

1. What has a face but no mouth ?

2. What has a head but no face ?

3. What has an eye but cannot see ?

4. What has a trunk that needs no key ?

5. What has two hands but no fingers ?

6. What has teeth but cannot bite ?

7. What has legs but cannot walk ?

 ANSWERING RIDDLES 39

Copy these riddles . Be careful to begin

every one with a capital letter and to place a

question mark after each .

As you make each capital letter, think like

this : " This is a capital letter because it begins

the first word of a sentence . "

As you make each question mark , think like

this : “ There is a question mark here because

this is the end of a sentence that asks a

question ."
XII

ANSWERING RIDDLES

As you have perhaps already guessed, the

answers to the riddles that you copied in the

last lesson are these :

1. A clock or a watch. 5. A watch or a clock .

2. A pin. 6. A saw or a comb.
3. A needle . 7. A chair or a table.
4. A tree or an elephant.

Here is the answer to the first riddle , written

out,
A clock has a face but no mouth.

Is this sentence a question or a statement ?

With what kind of letter does it begin ?

Why ?
40 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

With what mark does it end ? Why ?

Write out in full the answer to each riddle .

Remember how every statement should begin

and end.

XIII

PICTURE STORIES

The children in this picture are looking

through the window of a shop . Look with

them and answer these questions to yourself.

What can be bought in this shop ?

What toys would please a small child ?

What toys would a girl like to have ?

Which toys would a boy choose ?
What time of the year is it ?
How do you know ?

Now look at the three children at the right

of the picture . Are they poor children ? Do

you think they are two brothers and their

sister ? Why do you think they have come to

the toyshop ?
Look at the three children at the left of the

picture . What kind of children are they ?

Have they come to the toyshop to buy toys ?

Why have they come ?

Now look again at the little girl at the right
 "1"

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AF

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2

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41
42 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

of the picture, Is she looking at the toys in

the window ? At whom is she looking ?

Does she look sorry for the poor children ?

What might she and her brothers do for the
poor children ?

Suppose the rich children buy a toy for each

poor child, what will the little one have ? the
boy ? the girl ? Will the poor children be

pleased ? What will they do ? What will

they say ? What will they do with their

presents ?
Will the rich children be happy ?

Now tell the whole story to yourself. You

may begin something like this :

It was the day before Christmas . Clara, Tom, and

Jack went out early in the morning to buy their
Christmas presents . Soon they came to the toyshop.
Tom and Jack ran at once to the window.

What did they do ? What did they say ?

What did Clara see ? What did she do ? Fin-
ish the story.

Or you may begin the story like this : —

Once upon a time there were three children named

Mary, Will, and Fred . They were very poor. They
knew they could have no Christmas presents.
 MORE PICTURE STORIES 43

The morning before Christmas Mary said : " Come,

let us go to the toyshop and look at the windows .
It will be fun just to see the pretty toys. "
When they reached the toyshop window, Fred
said : " Oh, look at that ! I wish I could have it."

What did Will say ? What did Mary say ?

Who else came to the toyshop ? What hap-
pened ? Finish the story, telling how the poor
children's wishes came true .

Think of a good title for your story .

XIV

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Look at the picture on page 45 , and answer

these questions to yourself.
Where are the children ?

Which child lives in the house you see ?

Where has the little girl been ? See what

she is carrying .

What kind of home does the little boy

have ? (Suppose he has no home , or suppose

he is very poor because his father can get no

work, or suppose his mother is ill . )

What is the little boy doing ?
Do you think he likes to look at the beauti-

ful garden and house ?

44 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Do you think he would like to live in such a

home ? ( Perhaps his father would like to work

in that beautiful garden ; perhaps his mother

would like some flowers. )

What do you think he is wishing as he stands

looking through the fence ?

Does the little girl look kind ?

What do you think she will say to the little

boy ?
What will she do for him ?

How would you end the story to make every

one feel happy ?

Think the story straight through from the

beginning, so that you can tell the whole story

to the class .

Think of a good title for your story .

XV

TELLING TRUE STORIES

Read the following questions and answer

them to yourself. Then make up a story from

your answers to the questions under 1, or 2,
or 3.
I
Did any one ever let you choose a toy for your-

self ?
 9
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45
 E
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46 FI LA BO

Who ? When ?

Where ? Why ?
What did you choose ?

What did you do with the toy ?

Did you ever give a toy to a poor child ?

When ?

Where ?
What ?

Did the child like the toy ?

What did the child say to you ?

When you are grown up, will you buy toys

for poor children ?
How will you do it ; will you take the

children to a shop and let them choose their

presents, or will you buy them and give them to
the children as a surprise ?

Just how will you do ?

XVI

SPRING WAKING

A snowdrop lay in the sweet dark ground,

" Come out," said the sun. " Come out ! "
 SPRING WAKING 47

But she lay quite still and she heard no sound ;

" Asleep," said the sun, "
" no doubt ! "

The snowdrop heard, for she raised her head .

" Look spry," said the sun, " look spry ! "
" It's warm ," said the snowdrop, " here in bed .”
" Oh, fie ! " said the sun, " oh, fie ! "

"You call too soon , Mr. Sun , you do ! "

" No , no," said the sun, " oh, no ! "
" There's something above and I can't see through. "
" It's snow," said the sun , "just snow ! "

" But I say, Mr. Sun, are the robins here ? "
" Maybe," said the sun, " maybe."
" There wasn't a bird when you called last year."
" Come out," said the sun , " and see ! "

The snowdrop sighed , for she liked her nap,

And there wasn't a bird in sight,
But she popped out of bed in her white nightcap .
" That's right ! " said the sun, " that's right !"

And, soon as that small nightcap was seen,

A robin began to sing,
n
The air grew warm and the grass turned gree .
d
" Tis spring ! " laughe the sun , "'tis spring !
-ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY .

The snowdrop in this poem is a little white

-
flower the first flower that comes up in the
 E
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RS NG OK
48 FI LA BO

spring . Often it peeps out before the snow is

all gone. The little snowdrop in the poem has

been sleeping under the ground all winter .

Now spring is about here, and it is time for the
little snowdrop to wake.
First Stanza.
Who calls the snowdrop ?

Read what the sun says in the second line

exactly as you think the sun speaks .

Does little snowdrop hear him ?
What does the sun say next ? The fourth
line will tell you . The sun must

speak in a louder voice this time , for

the snowdrop hears him.
Second Stanza .
What does the snowdrop do ?
" Look spry " means hurry up . Now

read : " Look spry ! Look spry ! "

just as the sun speaks these words .
Does the little snowdrop want to come
out ?

What does she say ? She means,

She means, " It is so
warm here in my cozy bed, and so
cold out there that I don't want to

get up ." Now read what snowdrop

says in the third line just as she speaks .

 SPRING WAKING 49

What does 66 Oh, fie ? " mean ? Read

these words as you would say, " Oh,

shame ! "

Third Stanza.

What excuse for not getting up does the

snowdrop give ? She is cross when

she speaks, also sleepy ; read her words

as she speaks them.

Does the sun think he has called the snow-

drop too soon ? Read , 66 No ! no ! "

as he says these words .

What is the next excuse that the snowdrop

gives for not getting up ?

Does the sun think she should stay back
for some snow ? Read, " It's snow,

just snow ! " as you think the sun

says these words.

Fourth Stanza.

Snowdrop does not want to come out all

alone, so she asks Mr. Sun about some
of her friends . Read the first line .

Will the sun tell her if her friends , the

robins, have come back ? Why do

you think he won't say yes or no ?
Read the last line and then maybe you
can tell.
50 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Fifth Stanza.
What does the snowdrop do now ? The

flower of the snowdrop is shaped

something like a cap, and that is what

is meant by " her white nightcap ."

Is the sun pleased when the snowdrop
comes out ? What does he say ? Say
it just as you think he says it.
Sixth Stanza.

As soon as the snowdrop shows her white

night-cap above the ground , who sees

her ?

What does the robin begin to do ?

What else happens ?
How does the sun feel ?

The last line tells us how he laughs . Read

what he says in the last line, and show

by your reading that you are glad.

XVII

PART READING AND DRAMATIZING THE

POEM, " SPRING WAKING "

XVIII

LEARNING TO TELL A STORY

Read the poem, " Spring Waking ," again .

Think how you would tell the story.
 ORAL REPRODUCTIONS 51

You may begin somewhat like this :

A little snowdrop had been asleep all winter long.

In the spring the sun came to the little flower and
called, " Come out ! Come out ! "
But the snowdrop was so sound asleep that she did
not hear him . Then the sun said , " She is still asleep . "
This time the snowdrop heard him and raised her
head. " Look spry ! Look spry ! " called the sun.

Finish the story, and be ready in your next

lesson to tell it aloud to your classmates and

teacher.

XIX

ORAL REPRODUCTIONS

Your teacher will help you and your class-

mates to tell in your own words the story of the

sun and the little snowdrop .
Do not try to remember words . Look at the

picture of the sun shining down on the little

snowdrop out in the snowy field . Close your

eyes a moment and you can see it .

Then listen to Mr. Sun and Snowdrop talking

together.
If you can only see and hear them , it will be

easy to tell their story .

 CHAPTER THREE

MABEL AND THE FAIRY FOLK

Mabel and the Fairy Queen

" MABEL ," said Grandmother one morning, "to-day

is Midsummer Day and all the fairies are abroad . Be

careful to do nothing that will displease them , or they

may punish you .
" Take the pitcher and go to the Woodland Spring
for some fresh water. The Fairy Queen loves the

bright water of that spring. I have seen her drinking

there myself on bright moonlight nights . She may be
near the spring to -day. But do not be afraid. Fill
your pitcher carefully and do not spill any back into
the spring."
" I will be very careful, Grandmother," answered
Mabel as she took the pitcher and started off.
When Mabel reached the spring, she looked around
for the Fairy Queen . No one was in sight.
" There is no one to see me, " said Mabel to her-
self. " Still I will be very careful. It would be a

shame to disturb this beautiful clear spring."

She stooped and filled her pitcher, taking care to
spill not a single drop of water back into the spring.
52
 MABEL AND THE FAIRY FOLK 53

" Thou art a handy maiden," said a voice behind

her.

Mabel turned round . There stood a dainty little

lady. Mabel knew at once that she was the Fairy
Queen, so she bowed low before her.
" Because you have not spilled a drop of water, nor
troubled my spring, I will give you a gift. Whatever
you do inlife, you will do well, and every one shall love you."
As she finished speaking, the Fairy Queen passed from
sight.
Mabel carried her pitcher of water home to her
grandmother.
Mabel and the Brownies

" Now, child , " said Grandmother, " run into the
Fir Wood and bring me some sticks for the fire.
Take only the wood that lies on the ground and break
no living bough, or the wood brownies will be dis-
pleased."
Away to the woods tripped Mabel . She picked up
the dead wood and soon had her apron full , but she
was very careful not to break one living branch . She
saw no brownies ; but the brownies saw her. They
were watching her from behind the trees . When they

saw that she hurt nothing in their woods, they were

glad .
" How neat and tidy she is," said one.
cc
Yes, and did you see how careful she was to break
none of the live branches ? " asked another.

" Let us give her a good luck penny," said a third .

54 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

" Good, good ! " cried the others. Right on the

path leading from the woods, they dropped a tiny
silver penny . When Mabel saw it, shining before her,
she picked it up and carried it away in her pocket.
Now," said one of the brownies, " she will never
be poor. As long as she carries that penny in her
purse, she can have all the money she wants."

Mabel and the Elves

After Mabel had put the sticks away in the wood-

box, her grandmother said : " Now, child , it is time to
drive home the cow. You will find her in the Elfin
Glen . Hurt none of the plants that grow there, for
they are all dear to the elves ."
" Trust me, Grandmother ; I will be very careful,"
answered Mabel, " for I , too , love the sweet plants ."
When she reached the glen, she stepped along
softly, calling to the cow.
" See, there is a human child, " she heard a tiny
voice say.

Yes," answered another voice, “ and do you see

that the flowers are not crushed nor the ferns broken

as she passes by ? "

" Give her a fairy cake," said a third voice.
Then out from behind a tall fern stepped a tiny elf.
In his hand he carried a very tiny cake.
" Take this cake," he said, " put it in your pantry ,
and you will always have enough for yourself and
something to give to others."
 MABEL AND THE FAIRY FOLK 55

Mabel took the cake, and was about to thank the

elf, when he flew away. But Mabel stood with the
cake in her hand and called : " Dear little elves,
brownies, and fairies, I cannot see you , but I know
you are hidden near and can hear me, and I thank
you every one. I promise that I will never, never do
anything to make you unhappy ."
There was a moment's silence, then from grass and
flowers and ferns and bushes came soft little voices

singing,

“ If children and fairies would but work together,

How happy would all be in all sorts of weather."

Adapted from " Mabel on Midsummer Day,"

by MARY HOWITT.

II

DRAMATIZING " MABEL AND THE FAIRY

FOLK "

III

STUDYING THE STORY, " MABEL AND THE

FAIRY FOLK "

You will be able to answer to yourself most

of the questions below without looking back at

the story .
Go back to the story only when
you have forgotten . After you have studied

the story in this way, your teacher will ask you

 GE
56 FIRST LANGUA BOOK

these and many other questions ; and you will

be allowed to ask your questions .

At the Woodland Spring

What did Mabel's grandmother tell her about

the Woodland Spring ?

What did the grandmother tell about the

fairies on Midsummer Day ?
How did Mabel act at the spring ?
Whom did she meet there ?

How did she please the Fairy Queen ?

What gift did she receive from her ?

Think of at least one question to ask about

the Fairy Queen .

In the Fir Wood

Why did Mabel go into the Fir Wood ?

Did she see any one there ?

Who watched her all the while ?

Why were the brownies pleased with Mabel ?

What gift did she receive from them ?

Think of one question to ask about the
brownies.
In the Elfin Glen

Who lived in the Elfin Glen ?

What did they have under their care ?

How did Mabel act in the Elfin Glen ?
 WRITING QUESTIONS 57

What reward did she receive from the elves ?

Think of more questions about the elves.

IV

WRITING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY,

" MABEL AND THE FAIRY FOLK "

Write three questions that you would like to

ask about this story . Let every question be a
good one - the best one you can ask . You

may ask about Mabel, or her grandmother, or

the Fairy Queen , or the brownies, or anybody
or anything else in the story .
Your teacher will give your questions to some
other child to answer. That child will not

answer a question that is not written correctly.

Do not forget to begin every question with a

capital letter and to follow every one with a

question mark . Make your questions short.

Your teacher will give you some other pupil's

questions to answer. If any question is not

correctly written , you are not to answer it, but
to tell what is wrong with it.

What will you look for at the beginning of

every question ?

What will you look for at the end of every

question ?
 E
S T G UAG K
58 FIR LAN BOO

HOW TITLES ARE WRITTEN

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher.)

Read the following story .

The Trees and the Woodcutter

A woodcutter once went into the forest and asked

the trees to give him a handle for his ax. The trees
gave him a young ash tree. It was the smallest tree
in the forest. Soon the man had made the new
handle. Then what do you think happened ? Day
after day the strokes of his ax rang through the
forest. Soon all the tall trees were laid low. Were

they not well punished for giving their little brother

to the woodcutter ?

The Title

What is the name of this story ?

The name of a story is often called the title.

Which words in this title begin with capitals ?

The begins with a capital letter because it is

the first word in the title .

Trees and Woodcutter begin with capitals be-

cause they are the important words in the title ;

the story is about the trees and the woodcutter.

The first and the important words in every title

begin with capital letters.
 COPYING THE STORY 59

Questions about the Sentences

With what kind of letter does every sentence

begin ?

How many sentences in this story ?

What mark ends every statement ?
How many of these sentences are statements ?

What mark is placed at the end of every

question ?
How many of these sentences are questions ?

Study of the Story

The Title.
The title of the story is

The begins with a capital because

Trees and Woodcutter begin with capital
letters because
Sentences.

Read the sentences, one by one, and answer

these questions for each : -

How does it begin ?

What mark is placed at the end ? Why?

VI

COPYING THE STORY, " THE TREES AND

THE WOODCUTTER ”

Copy the story, " The Trees and the Wood-

cutter."
60 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Copy every capital, period , and question mark

just as they are in the story . Tell yourself as

you copy each just why it is used .
Be careful about the title . Between the title

and the first sentence, skip one line.

VII

DICTATION, " THE TREES AND THE WOOD-

CUTTER "

VIII

TITLES TO COPY

Here are several titles of stories . Study

them ; think why each capital is used .

The Fox and the Cat

The Lion and the Mouse

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Race of the Trees
The Robin and the Bluebird
The Moss Rose

The Crow and the Pitcher

Copy the above titles, telling yourself as you

make each capital letter why it is used, like

this :

The begins with a capital because it is the

first word of a title.
 PICTURE STORIES 61

Fox begins with a capital because it is an

important word of a title .

Cat begins with a capital because

IX

WRITING TITLES FROM DICTATION

GIVING TITLES TO PICTURES

Look at the pictures in this book. Choose

three beyond this page that you like best.

Make up a title for each of these three

pictures. If your titles are good, the other

children should be able to tell from the titles

the pictures that you have chosen .

Remember to begin the first and all impor-

tant words in the titles with capital letters .

ΧΙ

PICTURE STORIES

On page 63 are two pictures. The upper one

The

shows what is happening outside the house .

The lower one shows what is happening inside
the house .

For what are the two children waiting ?

62 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Have they been waiting long ? (See the

time on the clock in the tower . )
Where should they be ?

Do the children hear anything ? What ?

What are they trying to do ?

Does Santa Claus know the children are there ?

Will he go down the chimney right away ?

Does Santa Claus like children to wait for
him ?

What will he do ?
How many children live in this house ?

( Count the stockings . )

Where is the other child ?

In the morning what will the three children

find when they come for their stockings ?

Give the children names. Think the story

straight through so that you can tell it to the

class . What title will you give your story ?

XII

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Look at the picture on page 65 .

What does the monkey see in the mirror ?

Does he know it is only his own image ?
What does he think he sees ?
་ ་་་

ADA
BUDELL

63
64 FIRST LANG BOOK
UAGE

What has the monkey in his left hand ?

If he thinks his image in the mirror is a real

monkey, what will he think the image of the

biscuit is ?

Look at the monkey's right hand . What is

he going to try to clutch with it ?

How will he try to get the biscuit from the

monkey in the mirror ? ( Move his hand slowly

and carefully till he gets near, and then make

a quick snap ?)
What will happen ?

Will he hurt his hand on the hard glass , or

will he break the glass ?

Will he know the glass has hurt or cut his

hand , or will he think the other monkey has
hurt him ?

What will he do then ? (Look for the other

monkey . Will he find him ?)

After studying the picture and the above

questions, make a story , telling where the mon-

key got the biscuit, what happened at the

mirror, and what happened to the monkey when
his master found what he had done .
What is the title of your story ?

What lesson does this story teach ?

Might it be a true story ?

 8

ADA
BUD ELL

65
66 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Did you ever see any animal look into a

mirror and think his image was another real

animal ? How did he act ? Make a story
about any such animal that you have seen and

be ready to tell it to the class.

XIII

TELLING TRUE STORIES

Read the following questions and tell a story

from the questions under 1 , or 2 , or 3 .

Remember your story must be a true story ,

something that really happened to you ; or you

may tell something that you know happened to

some one else .

Did you ever try to stay awake to surprise

Santa Claus ?
Where did you wait ? How long ?

Did you see him ? If not, why not ?

Do you remember the happiest Christmas you

ever had ?

Why was it the happiest ?

Tell just what happened .
 AUTUMN FIRES 67

Did you ever try to make a happy Christmas

for any one?

Tell what you did and how you enjoyed it

yourself.

XIV

WRITING A STORY

XV

COPYING A STORY

XVI

AUTUMN FIRES

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher.)

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail !

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes ,

The gray smoke towers .

Sing a song of seasons !

Something bright in all !
68 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall !
- ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON .

Studying the Poem

What kind of fires are autumn fires ?

Are they made in the house ?

Where are they made ? Of what ?

Why do people make bonfires in the fall ?

The word vale in the second line means

valley .
Read the first stanza again . What do you

see ?

Where are all the gardens ?

Can you see the gray smoke coming from

every garden all the way along the valley ?

Read the second stanza .

The first two lines make one feel a little sad

to think that the pleasant summer is over and

all the bright summer flowers dead . But has all

the brightness gone from the gardens ?

What makes the gardens bright in the
autumn ?
The last line says " The gray smoke towers."

What does towers mean ?

Think of some tower that you have seen .

 WRITING A STANZA FROM MEMORY 69

Why does the smoke make you think of a

tower ?

Read the last stanza.

Which stanza is the happiest ?

Read the last stanza to yourself three times,

then close your book and see if you can say it.
If not, study it until you can say it .

Copy the last stanza . Be sure to begin every

line with a capital letter, because every line in a

poem begins with a capital letter . Look closely

at the mark you find after each line and copy

it carefully .
XVII

WRITING A STANZA FROM MEMORY

Without looking at it in the book, think of

the last stanza of " Autumn Fires ." Can you see

just how it looks ? Say it over to yourself slowly,

and see whether you know how every line

begins, and with what mark each line ends.

Now, if you feel sure you can do it, write it.

If you do not feel sure about it , turn back to
the poem . Look carefully at each line ; see
with what kind of letter it begins ; notice the
mark at the end . Make sure of the spelling of

every word .
70 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Now try to write it.

After you have written it, compare your copy

with the stanza in the book . Correct any mis-

takes.

Bright Things

Under the stanza you have written , write four

statements, each one telling some bright thing

that each season brings, as, —

Spring brings the bluebird .

Summer brings
Autumn brings
Winter brings
 CHAPTER FOUR

A STORY TO STUDY AND TELL

The Four Oxen

FOUR oxen fed together in the same field . A lion

who lived near tried every day to kill one of the oxen .
But whenever the oxen saw him coming, they stood
close together and showed him their horns . This al-
ways frightened the lion away . One sad day the oxen
quarreled and fed apart. This gave the lion the
chance he wanted. He rushed into the field and

dragged them off to his den, one by one.

As you rea
d the story above , " The Four Oxen ,"
could you see the picture in your mind ? Could

you see the oxen feeding togethe in the field

r
and the lion come stealing upon them ? Could

you see all the oxen standin boldly togeth

g er
and shakin their horns savagel at the lion ?
g y
Could you see the lion sneak away , frighte ?
dne
Then could you see the oxen quarrel and go

away to feed , each one by himself ? Could you

see the lion come boldly upon one ox and drag

71
72 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

him away , then upon another and drag him

away, and so on until all four oxen were gone ?

Look off your book ; close your eyes. Can

you see all of that picture now clearly ? If not,

read the story again . Build up the picture in

your mind, as you read . At the end, close your

eyes and try to see the picture, a moving picture

from beginning to end . If you can't yet see it

all clearly , read and try again .

Studying the Story

If you can see the moving picture of the four

oxen and the lion , you can easily answer these

questions without looking at the story . Think

each answer in the words you would use to
answer the question aloud . Think a whole
sentence for each answer . The first question is

answered for you ; the answer to the second is

begun.
Where did the oxen feed ?

Four oxen fed in a large field .

Who lived near them ?

A lion

What was the lion always trying to do ?

How did the oxen keep him off?
 THEIR AND THERE 73

What sad thing happened one day ?

How did this please the lion ?

What did he do ?

What lesson does this story teach ?

Close your eyes and look at the moving pic-

ture of the story from beginning to end.

Now, still looking at this picture, try to tell

the story to yourself from the beginning . Use

whole sentences. Say the words to yourself.

Make the words tell what you see in the picture.

Read the story in the book. Did you tell

it to yourself almost as well as the book tells
it ? If so, you will be able to tell it aloud when
the teacher asks you.

When you tell it aloud , get the picture into

your mind before you begin. Look at that all

the time ; then you cannot forget the story.

Use your own words ; do not try to remember
the words of the book .

II

THEIR AND THERE

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher. )

The oxen showed the lion their horns.

They drove the lion from their field .
74 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

In these sentences their means belonging to

them .

The horns belonged to the oxen .

The field belonged to them.

Look carefully at the spelling of the word

their.

There is my home.
It is over there near the road.

In these sentences there means in that place.

Look carefully at the spelling of the word

there .
Take the first letter from the word that

means in that place and you have the word ,

for another place (t) here. This may help

you to remember which word to write, there

or their.

Copy the six sentences below, putting there or

their in the place of each blank . If you want

the word to mean in that place, write there. If

you want it to mean belonging to them, write
their.

Think how every sentence should begin .

Think how every statement should end .

Two little birds built nest.

They built it over in the old apple tree.
they are safe.
 WRITING THE STORY 75

little ones are in the nest.

They like to stay
They love little nest.

III

WRITING THE STORY, " THE FOUR OXEN "

Read the story (p . 71 ) . Do you see the picture

of the field, the oxen and the lion ? Do you see

clearly what happened ?

Look at the words carefully, one by one . Is

there any word that you cannot spell ?

Look at each of the following words, then

look off your book and try to spell it to your-

self: four, together, field tried, coming, their, always,

frightened, quarreled.
In the same way, try any other word in the
story that looks hard to you . If you have

trouble with the spelling of any word , study it

until you are sure of it, until you can think of

the word and spell it correctly without looking

at the book.

Do not waste time in studying any word that

you are sure you can spell correctly.
When you are sure that you can spell every

word, close your book and write the story .

76 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Writing the Title

Which words in the title must be written

with capital letters ?

Writing Sentences

What kind of sentences are used in telling

this story ? Are they questions or statements ?

How does each sentence begin ? How does it
end ?

IV

A STORY TO STUDY

Kindness

One day Abraham Lincoln was riding with a friend.

They came to two little birds lying on the road . The
wind had blown them from their nest. One man rode
on. But that man was not Abraham Lincoln . He

stopped and put the little birds back into their nest.
Then with a happy heart he rode after his friend .

Study of the Story

The title of the story is

Kindness begins with a capital letter because

The first sentence is

One begins with a capital letter because

Abraham Lincoln begins with capital letters

because it is the name of a person .
 THE GAME OF NAMES 77

There is a period after this sentence because

Study every other sentence in the same way.

THE GAME OF NAMES

VI

WRITING NAMES

Write your own full name .

Write the name of the man who put the

birds back in their nest.
Write the name of your father or brother .

How many names can you write ?

Write correctly as many names of your class-

mates as you can . Write them neatly in a

column .

Be careful to begin every name with a capital

letter, like this : John Brown .

Every name of a person begins with a capital.

VII

COPYING THE STORY, "ABRAHAM LINCOLN

AND THE LITTLE BIRDS "

Copy the story on page 76 . Be sure to copy

every capital and every period exactly as it is
78 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

given in your book . As you make each one,

tell yourself just why it is used .

When you write Abraham think to your-

self, " This word begins with a capital because it

is the name of a person ."

Think the same when you write Lincoln .

Be sure of the spelling of friend, lying, road,

rode, stopped, their.
VIII

DICTATION

IX

TO — TOO — TWO

(A lesson to study with your teacher .)

Two little birds had fallen to the ground.

They were too young to fly.

two
Two means 2 .

See how two is spelled .

Look off your book, shut your eyes, and spell

two to yourself.

Say to yourself, " two dogs, " and spell two.

too

This porridge is too hot.

This porridge is too cold.
 TO - TOO - TWO 79

This chair is too big.

This chair is too high .

Shut your eyes and spell too.

Say to yourself: " I will not make a mistake ;

I am too old, " then spell too.

The Big Bear went for a walk.

The Little Bear went, too .
You may go, too, Middle-sized Bear.

Shut your eyes and 66

say to yourself, Big
Bear and Little Bear, too, went for a walk ; "

then spell too .

to

A friend came to see me .

We ran to the attic.
We went there to play.

Shut your eyes and spell to.

""
Say to yourself, " I go to school to learn ;
then spell to.

Copy these sentences, writing to, two, or too

in place of the blanks :

I ran school one day.

I started late.
I got there minutes after the bell rang.
Were you late , ?
80 FIRST LANGU BOOK
AGE

DICTATION

XI

THE FIRST BUTTERCUPS

A pot of gold was hidden at the end of the rainbow.

One day a selfish man found it. He poured the gold
pieces into a bag and ran to the woods to hide it.
He did not know that there was a hole in the bag.
As he ran, the gold pieces fell out and lay shining in
the grass. There a little fairy found them . She did

not want the selfish man to find them again . So she

changed them into flowers for the children.
When the man missed the gold, he ran back to
look for it. Not a piece of gold could he find . But
bright golden buttercups --the first buttercups in the
world - grew among the grass.

Would it be easy to play this story ? Suppose

you were to take the part of the selfish man ,

just what would you do ? What would you

say ? Suppose you were to be the little fairy .

What would you do ? What would you say ?

As it is written here , the story does not tell

exactly what the man and the fairy did , and just
how they did it ; and there is no talking in it .
Yet we may well believe that the man and the
 THE FIRST BUTTERCUPS 81

fairy talked, and we know that they must have

done many things that the story does not

mention . If we can imagine just what they did

and said, we can make this into a little play, or

into a story that might be played . Let us try
it .

These questions will help you to think it all

out . Try to give answers to them that would

tell those taking the parts of the man and the

fairy just what to do and just what to say.

Let us suppose the man went out to look for
the end of the rainbow .

(1 ) What tool did he carry ? How did he carry

it?
(2 ) What did he say when he saw the end of the
rainbow ?

(3 ) What did he say that told why he came ?

(4) What did he say that told how he was going
to get the gold ?
(5) What did he say when he saw the gold ?
(6) What did he do then ?
(7) What did he say that told what he was going
to do with the gold ?
(8) What did he say that showed he was a self-
ish man ?

(9) What happened to the gold as he ran ?

( 10) Who saw and heard all he did and said ?
82 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

( 11 ) Did the little fairy like the selfish man ?

(12 ) What did she say that showed how she felt ?
(13 ) When the fairy saw the gold pieces fall from
the man's bag, what did she say ?
( 14 ) Into what did she change the gold pieces ?
(15) How?
( 16 ) Why did she change them into flowers?
(17) When the man opened his bag and saw no
gold, what did he say ?
( 18 ) What did he do ?
( 19 ) Did he ever find his gold ?
(20) What did he find ?
(21 ) Did he ever know what happened to his gold
pieces ?
(22) What did he say as he went away ?

XII

ENLARGING A STORY FOR DRAMATIZING

XIII

DRAMATIZING THE STORY

XIV

PICTURE STORIES

The Upper Picture

Look at the upper picture and answer these

questions to yourself :

What is the boy saying to the man ?

 дого
до

ADA BUDELL
83
84 FIR LAN BOO
ST GUA K
GE
What does the man mean to do with the

little dog ? See the rope around the dog's neck

and the stone at the end .

How does the boy feel about it ?

Look at the man's face . Do you think he

will be glad to give the puppy to the boy, or

will the boy have to coax hard to get it ?

Just what does the boy say to the man ? ( It

will not be right for the man to let the boy

have the puppy unless the boy will be very good

to it . If the boy means to take good care of

the dog, have him tell the man just how he will
treat it. )
What will the man answer ? Tell his exact

words .

End the part of the story told by the picture

at the top of the page .

The Lower Picture

What story does this picture tell you ?

How came the boy in the water ? See the

overturned boat and the floating oar.

Has he been in the water long ? Look at his

face .

If no one had come to his help , what would

have happened ?
 PICTURE STORIES 85

Finish the story , telling how the dog got the

boy to the shore .

Between the Pictures

Is the boy in the water the same boy that is

saving the puppy's life in the upper picture ?
Is the dog in the lower picture the puppy

that the boy saved from drowning ?

What might the puppy have thought when

the boy saved his life ? (" Sometime I may
save your life . " )

How much time passed between the saving of

the puppy's life by the boy and the saving of
the boy's life by the dog ?

What might the boy have said when the dog

saved his life ? (" Good dog ! I saved your

life when you were a tiny puppy, now you have

saved my life. " )

Now tell the story through from the begin-

ning. You may begin somewhat like this :

One day Tom (give the boy any name you wish )
was playing by the river when a man came down carry-
ing a mite of a dog. It was such a dear little fat
puppy ! Tom ran up to the man and said, " What a
pretty puppy ! What are you going to do with it ? "

What did the man answer ?

Finish the story .
86 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XV

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Make a story from this picture . These ques-

tions may help you .

From whom is the girl taking the kitten ?

What was the big boy going to do ?
Where was the kitten when the big boy was

going to stone it ?
Will he stone it now ?

Does he look ashamed of himself ?

Does the kitten belong to the girl or is she just

saving it because she feels sorry for it ; or does

the kitten belong to the children on the steps ?
Is Kitty afraid now, or does she know she

is safe with the little girl ?

What will the little girl do with the kitten ?

Will the boy ever throw stones at a poor,
harmless kitten again ?

XVI

TELLING TRUE STORIES

You have heard the story of Abraham

Lincoln's kindness to the little birds ; your

pictures show you a boy who was kind to a dog

and a girl who was kind to a kitten .
 O
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88 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

1. Have you ever been kind to a bird , a dog ,

a kitten , or any other animal ? Tell about it.

2. Do you know any one who is always kind

to animals ? Tell something that you have seen

or have heard that this person has done .

3. The dog repaid the boy by saving his life.

Did any one ever do something very kind to

you ? If so, did you repay that person ? What

did he do and how did you repay him ?

XVII

THE FIRST BLUEBELL

(A poem to study with your teacher. )

There is a story I have heard ,

A poet learned it from a bird,
And kept its music every word.

About two thousand years ago,

A little flower as white as snow
Swayed in the silence to and fro.

Day after day, with longing eye,

The floweret watched the azure sky

And fleecy clouds that floated by.

And swiftly o'er its petals white ,

There crept a blueness like the light
Of skies upon a summer night.
 THE FIRST BLUEBELL 89

And in its chalice, I am told ,

The bonny bell was found to hold
A tiny star that gleamed like gold.

Questions to Help in the Study of the Poem

Who first told the story of the Bluebell ?

How do you think it was told ?

Who heard it ?
How did this one tell it ?

What color was the little flower at first ?

In the last line of the second stanza we read

that the little flower " swayed in the silence to

and fro." What kind of stem do you think it

had to sway so lightly ?

Why do you think that there were no little

boys and girls playing there ?

What one word tells you that the flower lived

in a quiet place ?

At what did the little flower look every day ?

Why did it look "with longing eye " ?

What was it longing for ?

Azure is not a common word ; it means blue.
What is a floweret ?

How do " fleecy clouds " look ?

Have you ever seen a fleece ?

What happened to the little flower ?

90 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Why do you think that the little flower was

happy then ?

In the last stanza we find the word chalice.

Chalice means a cup . What does this word tell

us about the shape of the flower ?

Read the last stanza , saying " blue cup " for
chalice .

What did the little flower hold in its blue cup ?

Where did the star come from ?

Read the poem again . It will mean more

to you now that you have studied it.

XVIII

THE STORY IN THE POEM

Read the poem , " The First Bluebell." Think

how you would tell , in your own words, the

story that the poem tells .

With what stanza does the story begin ?

You might begin like this : " Once upon a

time, ever so long ago , there lived a little flower . "

Then go on to tell what color the flower was

and what it did .

Study the poem and think the story all out

to yourself, so that you can tell it without

hesitating when the teacher calls upon you.

 CHAPTER FIVE

THE LITTLE WHITE FLOWER

Tom's Gift

ONCE upon a time in a land far from here there

lived the most beautiful queen in the world . She was

as good as she was beautiful, and so all her people
loved her dearly .

In the good queen's country lived a poor little boy

named Tom . One morning little Tom heard some
men talking together in the market place.
" To- morrow is our dear queen's birthday," said
one. " I shall give her a pot of honey, for honey is

the sweetest thing in the world.”

" I shall give her a cup of pure gold ," said another,
" for gold is the richest thing in the world ."
" I shall give her a bird in a golden cage. It will
sing to her, and everybody knows that music is the
most joyous thing in the world, " said the third man .
Poor little Tom walked sadly away.

" I love the sweet queen more than any one else
does," he sighed, " yet I alone am too poor to carry
her a gift on her birthday .”
Suddenly his face brightened . " I know what I
91
92 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

can do," he thought. " The good queen loves the

white flowers that grow in the meadow. I will gather
a bunch and give them to her for her birthday."

Tom and the Fairy Queen

Off rushed little Tom . He searched the meadow

over and over, but not a single white flower was in
bloom . There was only one little green bud .

Little Tom looked at the bud and sighed . " If

only that one bud were open, I could carry it to her,"
he whispered . " She would love even one sweet flower."
"Who would love one sweet flower ? " asked a voice .

Tom turned round . There stood a dear little fairy,

all dressed in white, with shining golden wings , and a
tiny golden crown on her head.
" Our beautiful queen would love the flower," an-
swered Tom. " To-morrow is her birthday and I am
too poor to buy a gift for her, so I came for some
flowers ; but you see there are none open not even
one."
" I, too, am a queen ," answered the fairy, "the
queen of all the fairies in the world. We will open

this little bud for you."

The Wind Fairies

So saying, the fairy queen waved her golden wand

and cried, " Wind fairies, come here ! "
In rushed the wind fairies, flying here and there,
never still for an instant.
 THE LITTLE WHITE FLOWER 93

"Wind fairies," said the queen , "this little bud

must be opened for the queen's birthday . Blow upon

it."
The wind fairies circled around the little bud. At

first they blew softly, then harder and louder, till they
blew a gale. But the little bud only seemed to close
up tighter.
"We cannot open it," they said, and away they
blew.

The Rain Fairies

" Rain fairies, come here," cried the queen.

In pattered the rain fairies, dressed all in soft gray .
“ Rain fairies ,” said the queen , " this little bud must
be opened for the queen's birthday. Rain upon it. ”
The rain fairies bent over the little bud, sending
first a gentle shower, then pouring down a heavy rain,
till the little bud was beaten to the ground ; but she
only closed her petals tighter.
"We cannot open it, " cried the rain fairies, and
away they ran up the rainbow.

The Sunshine Fairies

" Sunshine fairies, come here," cried the queen.

In glided the dearest, brightest little fairies in the
world , all dressed in shining gold .
" Sunshine fairies," said their queen, " this little bud
must be opened for the queen's birthday. Smile upon
her."
94 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The sunshine fairies clustered around the little bud.

They touched her with their warm beams and smiled

upon her- oh, so sweetly. The little flower felt

the warmth ; she could keep closed no longer. She

opened one tiny petal and peeped out. When she
saw the sweet, kind faces of the sunshine fairies she
laughed aloud for very joy. " Ha ! ha ! ha ! " rang
her silvery laughter, " Ha ! ha ! ha ! " At every " ha"
a petal flew open, until at last she stood before them—
a perfect white flower with a heart as golden as the
yellow sunshine.
There, Tom , is your sweet white flower," said the
fairy queen .
Tom could hardly speak for joy ; but he managed
to thank the queen and her sunshine fairies for their
goodness to him. Then he stooped and gently plucked
the dear white flower.

The Queen's Birthday

Next day Tom stood timidly at one side and

watched all the people give their presents to the queen.
At last he drew near and handed her his one perfect
blossom, saying, " My gift, dear queen, is very small,
but my love is very great."
Tears came into the eyes of the beautiful queen.
She took the fair flower and stooping down to Tom,
she whispered : " Thank you , dear little Tom . I like

your gift the best of all . For I know and you know
that love is the best thing in the world ."
 STUDYING THE STORY 95

II

STUDYING THE STORY, " THE LITTLE

WHITE FLOWER "

Try to recall clear pictures of the story of the

little white flower, scene by scene . Try to see

first the picture of Tom in the market place,

overhearing the conversation of the three men

about the presents they were to give the queen

on her birthday. Then see Tom in the meadow

meeting with the fairy queen . Next, see the

pictures of the different fairies trying to open the
bud ; first the wind fairies, next the rain fairies,
then the sunshine fairies . Finally, see Tom pre-

senting his gift to the queen on her birthday.

If you are not able to recall every one of

these pictures clearly, turn back to the story,

and read just enough to help you see the
picture. When you are able to see all these

pictures clearly, you will be ready to answer

most of the questions that follow without look-
ing back at the story . This you should try to

do . If there is any question that you cannot

answer, you may either try to find the answer

in the story, or you may ask your teacher to

help you.
 GE
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96 FIR LAN BOO

In the Market Place

Of what were the men in the market place

speaking ?
What gift did each say he would carry to the
queen ?

Why did each choose the gift he did ? Think

just what the first man said, then what the sec-
ond one said, then what the third one said .
Do you think these men felt proud because

they had such fine gifts for the queen ?

In playing the story think how you would

stand and speak if you were one of these men.

Think how you would stand if you were little
Tom .

How would you walk away ?

How would you speak when you thought you

were the only one who would have no gift for

the queen ?

In the Meadow

What might Tom have said when he found

no white flower in bloom ?
How did he feel ?

What kind of voice had the fairy queen ?

The story says that the wind fairies rushed,

the rain fairies pattered, the sunshine fairies

 STUDYING THE STORY 97

glided. Think how you will rush, or patter,

or glide, if you are chosen to be one of these
fairies.
The little bud at first had her face covered

with her petals . Play that you are the bud and
that your fingers are your petals . Think how you
would open one little petal and peep out ; then
how you would throw all your petals open and

laugh up at the sunshine fairies .

In the Palace

The story does not tell exactly what happened

when the people gave the queen her gifts on
her birthday. You will have to think how it

was for yourself. Recall how you thought just

what was said and done in the story about the

first buttercups . pages 80-82 . )
( See pages
(See
Where do you think the queen was when

they brought her the gifts ?

What was she doing ?

How would each man give his present to the

queen ?
What do you think the man who carried the

honey to the queen said when he gave it to her ?

What did the man say who brought the

golden cup ?
 T UAGE
98 FIRS LANG BOOK

What did the man say who gave the queen

the bird ?

After giving his present to the queen, each

man stepped back, facing the queen . No man

must ever turn his back on a queen .

What did the queen mean by saying that love

is the best thing in the world better than

gold, or music , or sweetness ?

At the next lesson, what would you like to

do to show just how you think it should be

done ? Perhaps you would like to show how a

wind fairy blows on the bud, how the bud

opens, or how Tom presents the flower to the

queen ; whatever it is, practice it at home, so

that you can do it well before the class .

What would you like to have shown by other

children ? Think of several things and ask for

them when the teacher allows you .

When this story is dramatized, what part

would you like to take ? Think which children

you would choose for the other parts. Do not

choose only your friends ; choose those that you

think can play the parts best.

III

CONVERSATION AND DRAMATIZING

 THE CAT AND THE OWL 99

IV

TELLING THE STORY, " THE LITTLE WHITE

FLOWER "

THE CAT AND THE OWL

(A lesson to study with your teacher.)

One night a cat met an owl .

" Good evening," said the cat.
" Good evening," answered the owl .
"What large eyes you have, " said the cat.
" Your eyes are just as large," answered the owl.
" I can see in the dark," said the cat.
" So can I ," said the owl .
" Then you must be a cat," said Pussy.
" I think you are an owl," said the owl.

Quotations

Read the second sentence in this story.

Who is speaking in this sentence ?

What does the cat say ?

Whenever in speaking or in writing we use the

exact words of another, we call these words a
quotation.

Read the quotation in the second sentence .

100 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Quotation Marks

In speaking our voice tells the listener when

we use a quotation . In writing we have

another way to show when we use a quotation .

See the little marks (" " ) that are placed

around " Good evening " in the second sentence .

They are called quotation marks.

In writing, quotation marks are placed around

the exact words that any one speaks.

Whenever you see quotation marks on a page

of writing or print, you may know that quo-

tations are there, or that the exact words of
some one have been used .

Quotations and Quotation Marks

Read the third sentence in the story, " The

Cat and the Owl ."

Is any one speaking ?

Who is speaking ?
What does he say ?

What do you call, " Good evening " ?

What marks are around the quotation ?

Why ?

Read the quotation in the fourth sentence.

Whose words are these ?

What marks are around these words ?

 THE CAT AND THE OWL ΙΟΙ

In the fifth sentence , who is speaking ?

Read the quotation in each of the remaining

sentences.

Who says the words in each , and what marks

are around each ?

The Comma

Look again at the second sentence.

Is the whole sentence a quotation ?

What words in it were not spoken by the

cat ?

See the little mark ( , ) between the quotation

and the rest of the sentence . This little mark

is called a comma, and is used to separate the

quotation from the rest of the sentence.

Look at the third sentence .

Read the quotation . Read the rest of the

sentence . What mark is used to separate the

quotation from the rest of the sentence ?

Read each sentence in the same way, telling

the quotation, the rest of the sentence, and what

mark is used to separate the quotation from the

rest of the sentence .

Studying Sentences

Now we are ready to study each sentence

alone, telling all we can about it, like this :
102 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

" Good evening," said the cat.

Good begins with a capital letter because it is the
first word in a sentence .

There are quotation marks around Good evening

because these are the exact words of the cat.

There is a comma to separate the quotation from

the rest of the sentence.

There is a period after the sentence because it is a

statement.

Third sentence : " Good evening," answered the

owl .

Good begins with a capital letter because ————

There are marks around because
There is a to separate the from the rest
of the sentence .

There is a period after the sentence because

Study each sentence in the same way.

Things to be Remembered

The exact words of another are called a

quotation.
When we write the exact words of another

we must place quotation marks (" ") around

them .

A quotation is separated in some way from the

rest of the sentence in which it occurs. In this

story the comma ( , ) is used to separate the quo-

tation from the rest of the sentence .
 COPYING THE STORY 103

VI

COPYING THE STORY, " THE CAT AND THE

OWL "

Copy the story, " The Cat and the Owl. "

Copy every quotation mark and every comma

exactly as it is used . As you copy each, tell

yourself just why it is used , like this :

Quotation marks are used around Good evening

because they are the exact words of the cat ; a comma
is placed at the end of the quotation to separate it
from the rest of the sentence .

Look closely at the quotation marks. See

which turn up ( " ) and which turn down (") .

It is easy to remember to put the quotation
marks at the beginning of the quotation , but
sometimes, when we are not careful, we forget
to put them at the end. Quotation marks are
-
like a pair of scissors , if one blade is lost the
other is useless . Be sure you copy the quota-

tion marks at the end of the quotation as well

as at the beginning .
After you have copied a sentence , read your

copy to see just what some one says in that

sentence . Look to see whether you have quo-

tation marks both at the beginning and at the

 AGE
104 FIRST . LANGU BOOK

end of the words that the speaker used ; also

see whether you have a comma at the end of the

quotation . If anything is omitted , put it in at

once.
VII

DICTATION

VIII

A STORY TO FINISH

(A lesson to study with your teacher.)

The Helpers

One day the angel of all wild things came into the
woods.

Every one who lives here must do something to

make his home better," she said .
Every one tell me what you are doing."
“ I give a drink of cool water to all who visit me,"
Isaid the little brook.
said the robin.
said the oak tree.
said the wild rose.

How could the Story be Finished ?

What might the robin have answered ? Give

the robin's exact words.

What might the oak tree have said ? Give

the oak tree's exact words .
 WRITING THE ENDING OF A STORY 105

What do you think the rose answered ? Give

the rose's exact words.

If you were going to write what the robin

said in place of the line in your book , what

marks would you put around the robin's words ?

How would you separate what the robin said

from the rest of the sentence ?

What will you have the oak tree say to the

angel ? What words would you put quotation

marks around , if you were writing the whole sen-

tence ? Where would you put a comma ? Why ?

Read the last sentence , putting in the words

of the rose . Where should you use quotation

marks and where should you use a comma, if

you were writing this sentence ?

Do you think the answers of the brook, the

robin , the oak tree, and the rose pleased the
angel ?

End the story by telling what the angel said

to the forest people . Use the angel's exact

words.

IX

WRITING THE ENDING OF A STORY

Look back at the story, " The Helpers."

Write the last three sentences, telling what

106 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

the robin, the oak tree and the rose each

answered .

Write a good ending to the story, telling

what the angel thought of the answers , and what

she said . In telling what the angel said, use

her exact words .

Three Things to Remember

1. Remember that what each one says is a

quotation.
2. Remember that every quotation must have
quotation marks around it .

3. Remember to separate every quotation

from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

WORDS THAT CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF

SAID

(A lesson to study with your teacher .)

Read these sentences .

" I water the plants," said the brook .

" I give my sweetest music, " said the robin.

" I feed the squirrels, " said the oak tree.

" I watch all night," said the owl .
"I help make the woods beautiful," said the rose.
In every one of the above sentences the word
said is used.
 WORDS USED IN PLACE OF SAID 107

Now read these sentences.

" I water the plants," murmured the brook.

" I give my sweetest music," sang the bird.
" I feed the squirrels," rustled the oak tree.
" I watch all night," hooted the owl.
" I help make the forest beautiful," whispered the
rose.

Which set of sentences do you like better ?

What words have been used instead of said in
the second set ?

Think of all the words you know that might

be used instead of said. If you were speaking,

you might say, or shout, or cry, or whine

something .
Your teacher will write on the blackboard

all the words that you and the other pupils can

tell her that might be used in place of said.

Whenever you see in your reading, in or out

of school, whenever you hear or think of a new

word that might be used in place of said, re-

member to tell it to your teacher, that she may
add it to the list on the blackboard .

When you are writing or speaking, look at

this list of words and find one which seems to

fit best in the place in which you wish to use

it.
108 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XI

QUESTIONS FOR YOU

You remember the question that the Angel

of all the Flowers asked . Suppose the Angel

of all the Children should ask you these ques-

tions, how would you answer ?

1. What are you doing to make your home

more beautiful ?

2. What are you doing to make your school-

room a happy place ?

Think these questions over carefully, then
write your answers .
If you have never really tried to make home
more beautiful or school happier , you may

answer these questions instead of those above .

3. How might you make your home more

beautiful ?

4. How might you make your schoolroom

a happier place ?

XII

PICTURE STORIES

Here is a fairy story picture. See what a

fine fairy tale you can make from it with the

help of these questions.
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ΙΙΟ FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Who has come to visit the fairies ?

Who brought the little mouse ?

Has Mr. Mouse come for a short visit or to

stay for a long time ? ( See bag. )

Where are the fairies ?

Which is the queen ?

Why has Mr. Mouse come to see the fairies ?

(Perhaps he was afraid of something at home
and ran away. Of what would a mouse be
afraid ? Perhaps he wanted the fairies to do

something for him. What fairy gift might a

little mouse like to have ?)

Finish the story, telling what happened to
Mr. Mouse in Fairyland .

XIII

MORE PICTURE STORIES

In the last picture we studied , the little mouse

was visiting the fairies . Who has come to visit

the fairies in this picture ?

To whom is the child talking ?

What is he asking the fairy to do ?

Look at his hands and see if he really wants
very, very much to have the fairy open the
door. When you are telling the story, beg the
 ДИЛ ЭНТ
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I12 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

fairy just as you think the boy is begging her

to open the door.

Who are the little folk with the fairy ?

See their little pointed ears, their queer caps,
and their little shoes with bells at the toes.

These all tell us they are little elf men.

Where do elf men live ? ( In Fairyland ?)
Look at the elves' faces . Are they glad to
see the child ?

Will they like him for a playmate ?

What is written above the door ?

You see the letters are written backwards.

That is so that only the people whom fairies

love can read them . Can you read them ?

Then be sure the fairies love you .

What is another name for the Land of Far-

away ? (Fairyland ? "A long time ago " ?

"Once upon a time " ?)

Where is the door that leads to the Land of

Faraway ? (This door is not always in a tree.

Sometimes it is in a story . Sometimes it is in a

book . )

When the fairy opens the door , what does

the child see ? Make the land the most beau-
tiful land you can dream about . Tell what

the child sees in the land the people he sees

 THE CHESTNUT BUR 113

there, what they are doing, what they say to

him ; the beautiful flowers, the birds, the music .

Make a complete story, telling how and

where the little boy met the fairy and the
elves, whether he ever came back from the

Land of Faraway, or whether he stayed there

always. What title will you give your story ?

XIV

THE CHESTNUT BUR

(A poem to study with your teacher . )

The wind cried aloud to the chestnut bur,

(C
Open, come open to me ! "
And he blew with his might
Till the bur shook with fright,
But never a bit opened she.

Then the sun smiled down on the little green bur,

" Please open," he coaxed, " to me ! "
And he shone so warm ,
That the bur in alarm
Hid under the leaves of the tree.

Jack Frost came hurrying down the hill.

" Ho , ho, ha, ha ! " laughed he.
And the bur laughed back
Till her brown sides cracked ,
Then out fell the chestnuts three.
- CHRISTINE H. HAMILTON .
114 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The Story in the Poem

Recall the story, " The Little White Flower . "

That told about the opening of what ? This

poem tells about the opening of what ?

Who tried first to open the chestnut bur ?

What did he say to the bur ? Give his exact

words.

What kind of voice did he have?

What did he do ?

What did the bur do when she heard him ?

Did she open to him ?

Who next tried to open the bur ?

What did he say ? Give his exact words .

What kind of voice did he have ?
What did he do ?

Why did the bur hide under the leaves ?

Who next came to the little bur ?

How did he come ?
What did he do ?

What did the little bur do then ?

Reading Parts of the Poem

(To be read with your teacher .)

66 ""
Read, Open, come open to me ! just as
you think the wind cried these words.
 THE CHESTNUT BUR 115

Read,

And he blew with his might

Till the bur shook with fright,

so that the other children can see and feel that

little bough shaking with fear.

Read, " Please open to me, " as the sun said it

when he coaxed the little bur to open.
What does alarm mean ?

Read,

And he shone so warm ,

That the bur in alarm
Hid under the leaves of the tree,

so that the other children will know that the

little bur was afraid the sun was going to burn

her up .

Laugh , “ Ho, ho, ha, ha ! " as you think jolly

little Jack Frost laughed .

Read the poem all through from the

beginning. This time try to make the other
children see everything that happened . Let

them hear the rough wind shouting at the little

bur, the warm sun coaxing her, and Jack Frost
laughing with her. Make them feel the rough-

ness of the wind, the kindness of the sun , and

the jollity of Jack Frost .

116 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XV

MEMORIZING THE POEM, " THE CHESTNUT

BUR "

Read the first stanza of the poem , " The

Chestnut Bur," to yourself. Close your book

and try to say it . If cannot, open your
you
book and read and try again.

Write on a piece of paper the number of

times you have had to read the stanza before

you could say it.

Study the second and the third stanzas in the

same way . If you are really studying you
should not have to read the second stanza as

many times as the first, nor the third as many

times as the second .
 CHAPTER SIX

THE LITTLE RED HEN, PART ONE

(A lesson to study with your teacher.)

ALL the quotations you have studied up to this

time have been written at the beginning of
sentences. As you read the story below, notice

where in the sentence each quotation comes.

One day the little red hen found a grain of wheat .

""
She said, " Who will plant this wheat ?
The rat said, " Not I."
The cat said, " Not I."
The pig said, " Not I."
" I will ," said the little red hen , and she did .

Studying the Sentences of the Story

Read the second sentence.

Read the quotation in this sentence .

What is the first word of the quotation ?

With what kind of letter does it begin ?

Read the third sentence .

Read the quotation in this sentence .

117
118 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What is the first word in this quotation ?

With what kind of letter does it begin ?

Read the quotations in all the other sentences

and tell how the first word in each is written .

The first word of a quotation begins with a

capital letter.

How is every quotation in this story separated

from the rest of the sentence of which it is

a part ?
In the second sentence why is a question mark
used after the quotation ?

Where is the question mark - inside or out-

side of the quotation marks ?

When a quotation asks a question , the question

mark that follows it must be placed inside the

quotation marks ; for the quotation marks must
be around all the quotation , and the question
mark is part of the quotation .

How to Study Each Sentence

This is the way the second sentence of the

story should be studied , aloud or silently :

She said, " Who will plant this wheat ? "

The begins with a capital letter because
There is a comma to separate the quotation from
the rest of the sentence.
 THE LITTLE RED HEN 119

There are quotation marks around Who will plant

this wheat? because they are the exact words of the
little red hen .

Who begins with a capital letter because it is the

first word in the quotation .

There is a question mark after the quotation be-

cause the little red hen asked a question . The ques-

tion mark is inside the quotation marks because the

question mark is part of the quotation .

This is the way to study the third sentence : -

The rat said, " Not I. "

The begins with a capital letter because
There is a comma to separate

There are quotation marks around because

Not begins with a capital letter because

I is a capital letter because it always is when it
stands alone.

There is a period at the end of the sentence be-

cause

The way to study the fourth sentence : -

The cat said, " Not I."

The begins
There is a comma to

There are quotation marks around -because-

Not begins with a capital letter because

I is a capital letter because
There is a period after the sentence because
I 20 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Study the other sentences in the same way.

Three New Things Learned in This Lesson

1. The first word of a quotation begins with a

capital letter.
2. I is always a capital letter when it stands
alone in a sentence .

3. When a quotation asks a question, the ques-

tion mark must be inside the quotation marks .

II

COPYING

Copy Part One of the story , " The Little Red

Hen " (p . 117 ) . Copy each capital and each

mark of punctuation exactly as it is in your
book. As you make each one, tell yourself just

why it is used.

As you copy the second sentence , think to

yourself like this :

She begins with a capital because it is the first word

of a sentence .

There is a comma to separate the quotation from

the rest of the sentence .

Who begins with a capital because it is the first

word of a quotation .
There is a question mark after the quotation be-
cause the quotation asks a question .
 THE LITTLE RED HEN 121

There are quotation marks around Who will plant

this wheat? because these are the exact words of the
little red hen.

Try to make your paper perfect so that there

will be no mistakes to correct. Should you

make a mistake, you must correct it as neatly as

possible. Your paper will be saved . From day

to day you are going to write other parts of the

story . Then all your papers will be put to-

gether and you will have a whole story that you

will have written yourself. Perhaps you will
want to take this home .

III

THE LITTLE RED HEN, PART Two

(A lesson to study alone . )

The wheat grew until it was ripe.

Then the little red hen said, Who will take this
wheat to the mill to be made into flour ? "
The rat said, " Not I."
The cat said, " Not I."
The pig said , “ Not I. ”
" I will," said the little red hen , and she did .

How to study this Lesson

The title is

The begins with a capital letter because

122 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Little, Red, and Hen begin with capitals because

The first sentence is

The begins with a capital letter because
There is a period after the sentence because
The second sentence is
Then begins with — .
There is a comma to separate
There are quotation marks around because

Who begins with a capital because .

There is a question mark after the quotation be-
cause The question mark is inside the quota-
tion mark because
The third sentence is
The begins
There is a comma to

There are quotation marks

Not begins with
I is a capital letter because
There is a period

Study the other sentences in the same way.

IV

WRITING FROM DICTATION

UNSTUDIED DICTATION

(The Little Red Hen, Part Three)

 THE LITTLE RED HEN 123

VI

THE LITTLE RED HEN, PART FOUR

(A lesson to study alone .)

The little red hen made the bread .

Then she said, " Who will eat this bread ? '
The rat said, " I will. "
The cat said, " I will ."
The pig said, " I will . ”
" No, you will not. I am going to eat it myself,"
said the little red hen , and she did .

Studying the Story

Read carefully this part of the story, " The

Little Red Hen ."

Answer to yourself the following questions .

In the second sentence , why does Then begin

with a capital letter ? Why does Who begin

with a capital letter ?

In the third sentence , why is I a capital letter ?

How is each quotation separated from the rest

of the sentence in which it is found ?

Why is each period used ?

There is a new use for the comma in this
lesson. Find it.
124 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

A comma is always used to separate yes and

no, meaning the opposite of yes, from the rest

of a sentence .

Writing the Story

As soon as you think that you can do it,

close your book and write this part of the story.

Try to have your paper perfect the first time .

After you have written it, open your book
and compare your work carefully, word by word

and sentence by sentence , with the story in the

book . Correct all mistakes you can find before

handing your paper to the teacher.

VII

WHERE TO USE CAPITAL LETTERS

(A lesson to study with your teacher .)

1. The first word of every sentence must begin

with a capital letter.

2. The first word in every title must begin with a

capital letter.

3. All important words in titles must begin with

capital letters .

4. The first word in a quotation begins with a

capital letter.

5. The letter I when written alone is always a

capital.
 WHERE TO USE CAPITAL LETTERS 125

6. Every name of a person must begin with a

capital letter .
7. The first word in every line of poetry must be-
gin with a capital letter .

Here are a few paragraphs of a story that you

already know.

The Little White Flower

Once upon a time in a land far from here there

lived the most beautiful queen in the world . She was
as good as she was beautiful, and so all her people
loved her dearly .

In the good queen's country lived a poor little boy

named Tom. One morning little Tom heard some
men talking together in the market place .
"To-morrow is our dear queen's birthday," said
one." I shall give her a pot of honey, for honey is

the sweetest thing in the world."

Read the title .

Why does The begin with a capital letter ?

Why does Flower begin with a capital letter ?

In the first sentence, why does Once begin

with a capital letter ?

In the second paragraph , why does Tom

begin with a capital letter ?
Read the third paragraph.

Why does To-morrow begin with a capital ?

Tell three reasons why I must be a capital .
126 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

In this paragraph from the same story, find

all the capitals and tell why each is used .

Little Tom looked at the bud and sighed . " If

only that one bud would open, I could carry it to
her," he whispered. " She would love even one sweet
flower. "

What word in the next paragraph begins with

a capital because it is a person's name ?

Little Tom answered : " Our beautiful queen would

love the flower. To- morrow is her birthday and I
have no gift for her."

Which words begin with capitals because

they are the first words in sentences ?
Which because it is the first word in a quo-
tation ?

What other capitals are used, and why ?

VIII

USING CAPITALS

The Greedy Boy

Do you know the greedy boy's name ? It is Jack

Horner.

One day Jack Horner had a fine pie given to him.

He said : " This is just what I want. I will not

give a piece to any one."

So he ran into a corner and ate it all .
 THE STAR VISITOR 127

Why are the Capitals Used ?

Copy all the words in this story that begin

with capitals and after each tell why a capital

is used. This is the way you should do it.

The begins with a capital because it is the first

word in the title .

Greedy and Boy begin with

Do begins with
It begins with
Jack and Horner begin with

IX

THE STAR VISITOR

The Visitor's Message

One night as a young Indian warrior lay asleep

before his fire, he had a wonderful dream . From far

over the prairie , he saw gliding toward him a most

beautiful maiden . Her garments were all white and

shining like the misty moonbeams, and amid her dark

tresses glittered a golden star. Reaching the young
man's side, she stopped and looked down upon him .
"Young brave," she said , "listen to my words and
speak them again in the ears of the wise men . Far
above the earth in the land of the stars , I lived with
my star sisters. But looking down on the earthland
with its flowers , its birds , its running rivers , quiet
lakes , and lofty mountains , I grew to love it. So I
128 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

have left my home in starland to live here on the

earth.
" Ask your wise men where I may live and what
form I shall take that all men may love me. When

you want me, seek me beyond the mountain . ”

Then slowly the maiden faded from his sight.

The Message of the Wise Men

Next morning when he awoke, the young warrior

remembered his dream and told it to the wise men.
" It is good," said they. " Take with you four
young warriors, tall, brave, and good to look upon ,
and go and meet the star maiden . Tell her she
may choose her own home and that we welcome her
to our land in any form that she cares to take."

The Warriors and the Maiden

The five handsome young warriors set out at once

and traveled beyond the mountain . There they found
the star maiden awaiting them.
One young warrior presented her with a peace pipe
filled with sweet- smelling herbs.
" You are welcome to our land," he said. " You

may choose your own home and the form you wish to
take . These are the words of the wise men."
The maiden bowed gravely.
" You are so fair," said another young warrior,
" that you should live as a white rose on the mountain.
Then all may see you . "
 THE STAR VISITOR 129

" Ah," replied the maiden , " but I should be very

lonely, all alone on the mountain. No, I cannot
live there."
" Live as a wild flower on the prairie. Then you
will be free," said another warrior.
" But I fear the hoofs of the buffalo , " answered the
maiden . " They will crush me . I cannot live on the

prairie."
" Live as a vine on the high cliff behind the village,"
said another warrior. " There you will be near the
tribe and none can harm you ."
" Then I could never feel the touch of the hands
of the little children . No , the cliff is too high for me.
Return to the village and I will follow you and find a
place for myself. "

The New Flower

The five young men set out on their homeward way

and the star maiden spread her misty wings and followed
close behind them .

On the way she flew over the quiet waters of a little

pond. She saw herself reflected there.
cc Ah," she cried , " I have found my home. Here

will I stay where I can watch the swiftly gliding canoes

and where the little children can be my playmates ."
Slowly and softly she sank to rest on the waters of
the pond. Her misty white garments turned into the
petals of a sweet white flower and closed around her
golden star. And so we got our first water lily.
- AN INDIAN LEGEND .
130 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

STUDYING THE STORY, “ THE STAR VISITOR"

Read again to yourself the story, " The Star

Visitor."
The Dream

How should the young warrior be resting ?

If you were to take this part, think just how

you would play sleeping beside your fire.
How should the maiden move toward the

warrior ? Think how smoothly and noiselessly

your shadow glides along .

When she speaks to the warrior in his dream

what kind of voice should she use ?

What did she mean by, " Speak my words

again in the ears of the wise men ” ?

Who are the wise men in the Indian tribe ?

What did the maiden mean by, " What form

shall I take ? "

How would you show how the maiden faded

from the sight of the warrior ?

Telling the Story to the Wise Men

If you were planning the play, how many

wise men would you have ?

What would you have them doing ?
 STUDYING THE STORY 131

Think how you would tell the story of the

dream to the wise men if you were the young

man. Begin, " Last night as I slept beside my

99
fire
What did the wise men mean by five war

riors good to look upon ?

The Warriors and the Maiden

Can you see the meeting between the war-

riors and the maiden ? How did the warriors
stand ?

How did the maiden " bow gravely " ?

The New Flower

How could you show how the " maiden

spread her misty wings and followed "?

Show how she looked down on the waters

of the lake at her reflection .

Show how " she sank slowly and softly to

rest on the waters of the pond . "

What might one of the warriors say to show

that the maiden had changed into a flower ?

What might another's answer be, to let us

know what name they gave her ?

What form did the maiden take to wear on

the earth ?
132 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Have you ever seen a water lily ?

Does it look like a star ?

XI

DRAMATIZING THE STORY

XII

WRITING A CONVERSATION IN DIALOGUE

FORM

When two or more people are speaking to-

gether, sometimes instead of writing the words

of each in quotation marks and telling who

spoke them, only the words spoken are written
and without quotation marks. Then the name

of the person speaking is written before his

words . A piece so written , we call a dialogue.

Let us write the following story, already

familiar, in dialogue form .

The Cat and the Owl

One night a cat met an owl.

" Good evening," said the cat.
" Good evening," answered the owl.
" What large eyes you have," said the cat.
"Your eyes are just as large," answered the owl .
" I can see in the dark ," said the cat .
“ So can I ," said the owl .
 PICTURE STORIES 133

" Then you must be a cat," said Pussy .

" I think you are an owl," said the owl.

The Cat and the Owl

Cat : Good evening.

Owl: Good evening.
Cat: What large eyes you have .
Owl:

Finish the story in this way .

XIII

PICTURE STORIES

What has happened to the little girl in the

picture on page 134 ?
Who has found her ?

Who has been looking for her ?

What time is it ? ( See the lantern . )
Did the little girl go out at night ? Do you
think a mother would let such a little girl go

out alone at night ?

Why did the child go out ?

Why is she lying in the snow ?

Has she been there long ? See the snow

drifted over her feet . )

What is the matter with her ? Is she asleep ?
Where is she -on the road ? in a field ?
 1

ADA
BUDEL

134
 MORE PICTURE STORIES 135

Has the dog been with her from the be-

ginning, has he been with her long, or has he

just found her ?

Make a story about this picture . Begin by

telling how the little girl came to be out of

doors ; then tell how she lost her way, why she

lay down on the snow, how the people started

out to look for her, how they found her , what
they did with her, and what you think ofthe dog.

Give names to the little girl and the dog.

What is the title of your story ?

XIV

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Look at the picture on page 137.

What is the matter with the children ?

Why are they frightened ?

Look at each tree carefully and tell what
frightens the children in each . Which trees
seem to have faces ? What makes these faces ?
Which seem to have great long arms and

hands ready to clutch the children ? What are

these hands and arms ?

Which seem to have legs and feet ready to

run after the children ? What are these legs
and feet ?
136 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

By looking closely at the picture you see

that the eyes, noses, and mouths are really nothing

but knots and stubs of broken branches ; the

hands and arms are only branches, and the feet,

spreading roots .
How could the children have found out

what these things — faces, arms, hands , feet—

really were ?
What time is it day or night ?

Does the light of the moon make the old

trees look like strange creatures ? How might

the snow help to change their looks ?

Would the children have been afraid of the

trees in the daytime ?

What do they think the trees are ?

What are the children doing out in the woods

at night ?
What will they tell their parents when they
get home ?

Will the parents believe that the children

have seen frightful creatures in the woods, or

will they know what they really have seen ?

What will they say to the children ?
How might the parents teach the children
that it is most silly to be afraid of things ?

Suppose the father took a lighted lantern and

 ADA
BUDELL

137
138 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

walked back into the woods with the children .

Suppose he said to the boy, " Now show me

the creature with the great long arms that tried

to catch you . " What tree would the boy show

him ? Now, suppose he turned the bright light

of the lantern on the tree, what would the boy
see ? If the father lifted him up and let him
touch the face that frightened him , and shake
hands with the branch that scared him , do
you think he would be silly and afraid of that
tree again ? How could the father show the

girls that there was really nothing to fear ?

Make a story from the picture, telling why
the children were alone in the woods at night,

what the trees looked like to them, how

frightened they were, how they ran home, what
they told their parents, how their father showed
them how silly they were .

What is a good name for your story ?

XV

STUDYING A POEM

(A lesson to study with your teacher. )

"One, Two, Three "

It was an old , old , old , old lady

And a boy that was half- past three,
 STUDYING A POEM 139

And the way that they played together

Was beautiful to see.

She couldn't go running and jumping,

And the boy, no more could he ;
For he was a thin little fellow,
With a thin little twisted knee.

They sat in the yellow sunlight,

Out under the maple tree,
And the game that they played I'll tell you ,
Just as it was told to me.

It was Hide-and- Go - Seek they were playing,

Though you'd never have known it to be
With an old, old , old , old lady

And a boy with a twisted knee.

The boy would bend his face down

On his little sound right knee,
And he'd guess where she was hiding ,
In guesses One, Two, Three.

" You are in the china closet ? "

He would cry and laugh with glee -

It wasn't the china closet
But he still had Two and Three .

“ You are up in Papa's big bedroom ,

""
In the chest with the queer old key ? '
And she said : " You are warm and warmer ;

But you're not quite right," said she.

140 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

" It can't be the little cupboard

Where Mamma's things used to be-
So it must be the clothespress, Grandma."
And he found her with his Three.

Then she covered her face with her fingers,

That were wrinkled and white and wee,
And she guessed where the boy was hiding,
With a One and a Two and a Three.

And they never had stirred from their places

Right under the maple tree-
This old , old, old , old lady
And the boy with the lame little knee —
This dear, dear, dear, old lady
And the boy who was half-past three.
-H . C. BUNNER .

Why couldn't the dear old lady and the little

boy play the real game of Hide-and - Go-Seek ?

Did the old lady really hide in the clothespress ?

What did the boy mean by saying she was
there ?

How many guesses did the little boy have ?

What is meant by saying the boy was " half-

past three "?
The poem says that you'd never have known

it to be Hide -and- Go- Seek they were playing ;

why not ?
 ""
PLAYING " ONE , TWO, THREE ' 141

Why did the boy bend his face down on his

little knee while he guessed where Grandma

was hiding ?
What did Grandma mean by saying, " You

are warm and warmer " ?

What is meant by " He found her with his

Three "?

After the little boy guessed where Grandma

was hiding, what did he do ?

Isn't this is a pretty good game to play ?

Think out the story of the poem in your own

words. Your teacher will call upon some chil-

dren to tell it. If you are given the chance,

try to tell it so well that the other children can

see the little boy and his grandma sitting in the

bright sunlight under the maple tree . Tell

and show just what they were doing, and tell

what each one said , using the very words.

XVI

TELLING THE STORY FROM THE POEM

XVII

PLAYING " ONE, TWO, THREE "

 CHAPTER SEVEN

ANOTHER USE FOR CAPITALS

The Man in the Moon

THERE are many stories telling how there came

to be a man in the moon. This is one of these

old stories .

One Sunday a man went through the woods gather-

ing sticks. He knew that this was wrong. He knew

he had six days for work and that Sunday was the day
of rest . So he was punished for his wrongdoing. He

was lifted up into the sky. First he tried to enter the

sun.
" Go away," cried the sun. " Do you not know that
this is my day ? You have done wrong on my day.
So you cannot enter here . Go to the moon.”
cc
" Come right in," said the moon . Monday is my
day. On Monday people should work. You have
been working, and so you must belong to me."
The man entered the moon . He still carried his
bundle of sticks on his back . There he stands to this
very day to teach men that they must not work on Sun-
day and that they must work on Monday.
CELTIC MYTH .
142
 ANOTHER USE FOR CAPITALS 143

Studying the Story

Read the title and tell yourself why each

capital letter is used .
Read the first sentence . Which words in

this sentence begin with capital letters ?

Sunday begins with a capital letter because it
is the name of one of the days of the week .
Look through the story and find another
name of a day. How is the name of the second
day you have found written ?

The names of all the days of the week begin with

capital letters.

This is the way to study the days of the

· week .

Sunday begins with a capital letter because it is the

name of one of the days of the week.
Monday begins with a capital letter because

Study each sentence in the first paragraph ,

telling yourself why each capital is used and
what mark follows each sentence , and why .

Read the second paragraph . Study each

sentence, telling yourself how each begins and

ends, and why. Tell yourself also which words

are inside quotation marks and why.

Study the rest of the story in the same way.
144 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

II

DICTATION

III

THE DAYS OF THE WEEK

(A lesson to study with your teacher. )

In the story, " The Man in the Moon," the

sun said, “ Sunday is my day," and the moon

said, " Monday is my day." Do you know

what they meant ?

Long ago the people worshiped many gods
and goddesses, and they named the days of the
week after some of them . Among the gods
they worshiped were the sun and the moon ; it

is from these that the first two days of the week

got their names.

Sun day or Sunday means the day of the sun .
Moon day or Monday means the day of the
moon.

Tuesday was named by the Northmen for

their god of war, Tiu .

Wednesday was also named by the North-

men after Woden, or Odin , their chief god .

Thursday was named after Thor, the god

of thunder.
 THE DAYS OF THE WEEK 145

Friday was named after Odin's beautiful

wife, Fria.

Saturday was named by the Romans after

one of their gods, Saturn .

We do not always write the whole name

when we write the name of a day of the week .

Sometimes we shorten, or abbreviate, the name.

A part of a word used for the whole word we

call an abbreviation .

Here are the days of the week and their ab-

breviations : -
DAYS ABBREVIATIONS

Sunday Sun.

Monday Mon.

Tuesday Tues.

Wednesday Wed.

Thursday Thurs.

Friday Fri.

Saturday Sat.

With what does each name begin ?

With what does each abbreviation begin ?

What mark is placed after every abbreviation ?

Two Things to Remember

The name and the abbreviation of every day begin

with a capital letter.
There is a period after every abbreviation.
146 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Silent Study

Learn how to spell the days of the week .

Wednesday is the hardest to spell . What part

of the word is likely to give you trouble ?

Look carefully at the two letters in the mid-
dle of Saturday.

Study the abbreviations .

Which days have their first three letters for

their abbreviation ?

In the other two days what part is left off?

When you are sure you can write the days
and their abbreviations correctly , close your

book and write them just as they are written in

your book. Remember where to use capitals

and where a period is needed .

After you have finished, open your book and

see that your work is correct.

IV

KEEPING A DIARY

Some people keep a little book in which they

write at least one interesting thing that happens

each day. Sometimes they write like this :

Sun We all went to church.
Mon. I went to Chicago.
 A RHYME AND A STORY 147

Tues. Cousin Tom visited us.

Wed. My arithmetic was all right.
Thurs. I lost my glove on the way to school.
Fri. Mother took me to the church fair .
. Sat. I played all day long.

Sometimes they write it in this way :

We all went to church on Sunday.

On Monday I went to Chicago.
Cousin Tom visited us on Tuesday .

Last Wednesday my arithmetic was perfect.

Going to school on Thursday I lost my glove.
On Friday I went to the church fair with Mother.
I played all day Saturday .

Choose one of the ways given above and write

seven sentences telling something you did or

saw for every day of last week . Take the days

in order, beginning with Sunday . Try to tell

something interesting something a friend
would like to know . Think how every sentence

should begin, how it should end , and how the

names of the days should be written .

A RHYME AND A STORY

(A lesson to study with your teacher. )

Hickory, dickory, dock !

The mouse ran up the clock .
148 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.
Hickory, dickory, dock !

You all know this little rhyme from your old

Mother Goose book. Here is a little story

about the rhyme.

The Mouse and the Clock

One night two mice were playing in the hall.

"What is that noise I hear ? " asked the little one .

" That is the old clock ticking," answered the big

mouse.

" I am afraid ,” cried the little one. " Let us go home."

" I am not afraid," said the big one. " Just see me
run right over that clock . ”
So the big mouse ran over the old clock's face.
Would you like a mouse to run over your face ? The
old clock did not like it, and he struck one.
Down to the floor jumped the mouse . Away to
his home he ran . He never went near the old clock
again. The Story as told by the Moon.

Studying the Story

The title of the story is

The begins with a capital letter because

What other words in the title begin with

capital letters ? Why ?

Tell all you can about the first sentence .
 A RHYME AND A STORY 149

Read the second sentence .

Tell two reasons why What begins with a

capital letter.

Why are there quotation marks around ,

" What is that noise I hear ? "

What mark is placed after these words ?

Why is that mark within the quotation marks ?
What other capital is used in this sentence ?
Why ?
Read the third sentence . Study it like this.

That begins with a capital letter because

because
There are quotation marks around

There is a comma to separate - from

There is a period at the end of the sentence because

Study the next two sentences in the same way.

Look closely at the word clock's in this sen-

tence,

The big mouse ran over the old clock's face.

The mark ( ' ) between clock and s is called

an apostrophe. The face is the face of the
clock . It belongs to the clock .

The apostrophe and the letter s are added to the

name of a person or thing to show that something be-
longs to that person or thing.
150 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

-VI

WRITING A STORY

Where were the mice and the old clock in

the story, " The Mouse and the Clock" ?

This story was told by the moon .

Who else might have told the story ?
You may make believe you saw the whole

story. You may be the little mouse who was

afraid , or the big mouse who was so bold, or

the old clock, or you may be anything in the

hall . Then you may tell the story to some one .

1. The Little Mouse's Story

If you are the little mouse, write the story

just as you told it to your mother when you got

home. Begin something like this :-

O mother, I am so frightened . I was playing in

the hall with a big mouse. I heard a noise, and I said ,
"What is that noise I hear ? "

Finish the story .

2. The Big Mouse's Story

If you are the big mouse, you may tell the

story as the big mouse told it to his mother

when he got home .
 POSSESSIVES 151

3. The Old Clock's Story

If you are the old clock , tell the story that the
old clock told the sun when he peeped in the

next morning. You might begin like this :

Last night it was very still in the hall. There was

no sound to be heard but my ticking. Suddenly in
the moonlight I saw two little mice.
Finish the story.

If you are anything in the hall , - as a chair

or a picture, - tell the story as you saw it.

After you have finished your story, read your

work over carefully. See that you have used

capitals and all marks correctly before giving
your paper to your teacher.

VII

POSSESSIVES

(A lesson to study with your teacher. )

The Old Clock's Face

The apostrophe (' ) and s added to clock show

that the face belongs to the clock.

The Little Mouse's Story

The apostrophe (' ) and s added to mouse

show that the story belongs to the mouse.

152 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The Moon's Story

Why is the apostrophe and s added to moon ?

Words having the apostrophe ( ' ) and s added

to them to show that something belongs to the

persons or things named are called possessives.

Tom's Escape

Tom's heart beat rapidly. He saw the bear's great

head just below him . He heard the bear's deep
breathing. Suddenly a man's voice was heard in the
distance . Tom knew it was his father's voice. The
bear's head turned from the boy. He , too , had heard
the man's voice. " Crack ! " sounded the hunter's
rifle. The bear's great form sank to the earth . Soon
Tom was safe in his father's arms .

Find the words that have the apostrophe and s

added to them. What are these words called ?

How to Study Possessives

The word Tom's is a possessive. The apostrophe and

s are added to Tom to show that heart belongs to Tom .
The word bear's is a possessive . The apostrophe
and s are added to show

Study each possessive in the same way.

Written Work

Make a list of all the possessives in the para-

graph, entitled " Tom's Escape, " and after each

 WHEN THE LITTLE BOY RAN AWAY 153

write the word that shows what is owned , like

this :
POSSESSIVES OWNED
Tom's heart
bear's head

VIII

UNSTUDIED DICTATION

IX

WHEN THE LITTLE BOY RAN AWAY

(A poem to read and study with your teacher . )

When the little boy ran away from home,

The birds in the tree top knew,

And they all sang, “ Stay ! " but he wandered away

Under the skies of blue .

And the wind came whispering from the tree,

" Follow me, follow me ! "
And it him a
a song that was soft and sweet,
sang
And scattered the roses before his feet,
That day, that day,
When the little boy ran away.

The violet whispered , " Your eyes are blue

And lovely and bright to see ,
And so are mine , and I'm kin to you,
So dwell in the light with me."
But the little boy laughed , while the wind in glee
Sang, " Follow me, follow me ! "
154 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

And the wind called the clouds from their home in

the skies
And said to the violet, “ Shut your eyes ! "
That day, that day ,
When the little boy ran away.

Then the wind played leapfrog over the hills

And twisted each leaf and limb ;
And all the rivers and all the rills

Were foaming mad with him ;

And ' twas dark as the darkest night could be,
""
But still came the wind's voice, " Follow me !
And over the mountain and up from the hollow
Came echoing voices with, " Follow him ; follow ! "
That awful day,
When the little boy ran away.

Then the little boy cried, " Let me go , let me go ! "

For a scared, scared boy was he.
But the thunder growled from a black cloud , " No ! "
And the wind roared , " Follow me ! "
And an old gray owl from a tree top flew,
Saying, " Who are you -oo ? Who are you- oo ? "
And the little boy sobbed , " I'm lost away !
And I want to go home where my parents stay."
Oh, the awful day
When the little boy ran away !

Then the moon looked out from a cloud and said :

" Are you sorry you ran away ?

If I light you home to your trundle- bed,
Will you stay, little boy, will you stay ? "
 STUDYING THE POEM 155

11
And the little boy promised — and cried and cried -
He never would leave his mother's side ,
And the moonlight led him over the plain ;
And his mother welcomed him home again.
But, oh, what a day
When the little boy ran away !

Studying the Poem

First Stanza.
Who first sees the little boy running away ?
What do they say ?

Does he obey them ?

How does the wind speak to him ?

Say, " Follow me, follow me, " just as the

wind said it when he was coaxing the

little boy to go with him.

How did the wind scatter the roses before

the little boy's feet ?

In this stanza, everything seems bright and

happy and sunny to the little boy, -
the skies are blue, the birds sing, the

wind coaxes him and sings him a

soft, sweet song and scatters roses
before him .
Second Stanza.

What does the violet say to the little boy ?

What does she mean by saying , “ I'm kin

to you "?
156 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Does the little boy stay with the violet ?

Does the wind like the violet to coax the

little boy to stay with her ?

How does he punish her ?

Say, " Shut your eyes, " just as the wind
said it.

In this stanza is the little boy still happy ?

Read the words that prove what you say.

Third Stanza.

The wind has now coaxed the little boy

far away from home - far from the
gentle birds and sweet violet. Now

what does he begin to do ?

Do the trees like the way he treats them ?

How do the rivers and rills feel toward
him ?

Read the line that shows how they feel.

Read, " It was dark as the darkest night
could be," so as to make it seem very,
very dark indeed .

Does the wind still coax, or does he order

the little boy to follow him ?

Read , " Follow me," as you think the
wind said it in this stanza .

Now let us see if you are right . When we

call and echo answers, our strongest
 STUDYING THE POEM 157

words are the words that echo repeats

most. Which of the wind's words

was repeated twice ?

Now read, 66 Follow me ! " and " Follow

him ! Follow ! " making follow the

strong word.

Do you think the little boy is as happy

now as when he first ran away ?
Fourth Stanza.

The little boy is now scared and wants

to go home . Will the wind let him

go ?
Think of the wind holding the little boy,

who is a “ scared, scared boy ," and is

trying to get away from the wind .
Then read, " Let me go ! Let me

go ! " as you think he cried it .

Who next frightens the boy, and how ?

Growl " No , " as he did .
Read, " Who are you -oo ? Who are you-
oo ? " as the owl hoots these words.

Read, " I am lost away, and I want to go

home where my parents stay," just as

the little boy sobs these words .

What kind of day does the little boy think

it is now ?
158 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Fifth Stanza.

Who speaks to the little boy now ?

What does she say ?

What is a trundle-bed ?

Read what the moon said as you think she

said it.

Read , -

The little boy promised - and cried and cried -

He never would leave his mother's side,

so that every one may know just what

the little boy promised .

What did the moon do for the tired little

boy ?

Who was glad to see him ?

Read the line that shows some one was

glad to see him.

When the little boy thought of the day he

ran away , do you think he felt happy ?

Do you believe he kept his promise to the

gentle moon ?

Now read the poem through again , and show

by your voice what happened , and just how the

boy felt at each change of scene on the day

that he ran away.

As you read, try to see and feel everything

just as it happened .
 WRITING A DIALOGUE 159

DRAMATIZING THE POEM, " WHEN THE

LITTLE BOY RAN AWAY "

XI

WRITING A DIALOGUE

The story in the poem , "When the Little

Boy Ran Away," can be written out in the form

of an interesting dialogue . To do this you will

have to make the little boy , the birds, the wind ,

and the others speak more than the poem says

they did . They must be made to say things

that show what happened . In the following

outline some help is given in the harder places .

Compare this outline step by step with the
poem ; copy and fill out the blanks.

Birds : Where are you going ?

Little Boy : I am running away.
Birds : (What did they say then ? )
Wind :
Violet :

Boy: Ha, ha, ha.

Wind : (To violet.)
Boy : Where are you going now, wind ?
Wind : I am going to play leapfrog over the hills .
Now see me twist the branches of the tall trees . See
me tease the river and the little rill.
160 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Boy: How dark it is ! I am afraid . I want to go

home.
Wind : Follow me ! Follow !
Echoes :

Boy : Let me go ! Let me go !

Thunder:
Wind :
Owl :
Boy:
Moon:

Boy:
Moon : Then I will show you the way. See, there
is your home and your mother waiting at the door for

you .
Mother :

Boy :
XII

THE LOST BOY

(A story to finish. )

Willie Burton was a little boy who lived in America

before many white people made their homes here.
His father had cut down the trees and made a clearing
in the forest where he had built his little log cabin.
The forest was still full of savage animals and Indians
who were not always friendly to the white men . For
this reason Willie had often been told not to go far
from the clearing .

Willie was a good boy and really meant to obey his

 THE LOST BOY 161

parents, but one day he saw a strange bird at the edge

of the woods near his home. He crept up to see it

better. The bird flew a little way into the forest.

Willie followed it. The bird flew farther and then
farther into the forest. Willie followed it on and on.

He was so interested in following the bird that he did

not know how far he had gone. At last the bird rose
high in the air and flew out of sight.
Willie now felt tired and thought he would rest for
a time. He lay down under a great oak tree . It was
very still in the woods . Not a bird was to be heard .

The wind gently rustled the leaves in the oak tree

above him .
"Swish, swish ! Sleep, sleep ! " they seemed to
say. Slowly, slowly the boy's eyes closed and he fell
fast asleep .
When he awoke it was late . The shadows of the
trees were long and black. It was growing dark in
the forest.

Willie sprang to his feet and started to run home.

But where was home ? There was no path to show him
the way. He ran this way and that ; but all about

was the lonely forest, and it was growing darker and

darker.

" I am lost," cried the little boy, and he threw him-

self on the ground and began to cry bitterly.
Suddenly he heard a rustling in the underbrush.
He looked up and there he saw

Copy the last paragraph and finish the story .

162 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XIII

A PICTURE STORY

Which child is frightened ?

What is she trying to get the boy to do ?

What has frightened her ? (The dark ? The

owl ? The little men ?)
At whom is the little girl looking ?

The little men in the picture are dwarfs that

live in the mountains. They gather all the

gold and silver and jewels they can find and
hide their treasure in caves.

Do you see any cave in the picture ?

Do you think the dwarfs have hidden any

treasure in that cave ?

Do the dwarfs look cross ?

Will they harm the children ?

Look at the children , at their clothes, their
shoes. Do you think they are American

children ?

They are German children and they are in a

forest in Germany called the Black Forest .

Many fairies, elves, and dwarfs are said to live in

this forest, also wolves and other large animals .

What time is it ? (See the moon peeping

over the hill . )

 ADA
BUDEL

163
164 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What are the children doing in the woods

alone at night ?

Did they come into the woods after dark or

have they been in the woods for a long time ?

Let us suppose the children are a little brother

and sister named Hans and Gretchen . They

came into the forest one afternoon to gather

flowers . They lost their way. It grew dark .

They looked for a place to spend the night .

They found a cave .

Who lived in this cave ?

Did the children stay in the cave all night ?

Did they find their way home the next

morning ?
What might the owl have done ? (Showed

the children the way to the cave ? Screeched

and frightened them ? Called the dwarfs out

to see the children ?)

What might the dwarfs have done ? (Let

the children stay in their cave all night ? Given

them something to eat ? Shown them their

treasures ? Given them some of their gold or

silver or jewels ? Shown them the way home ?)
After thinking out answers to all these ques-
tions, make a story to tell the class . What title
will you give your story ?
 WRITING A STORY 165

XIV

WRITING A STORY

Think out and write answers to each of the

following questions. Make a whole sentence

for each answer . The answer to the first ques-

tion might be, Two children went into the forest

one day. It should not be, Two children.

Do not copy the questions ; just write the

answers one after the other in a paragraph.

Who went into the forest one day ?
Why did they go ?
What happened to them ?
Where did they think they could spend the night ?
What people did they meet ?
What did these people do for them ?
Did the children get home ?
Who showed them the way ?

If you have written your answers as directed

above, you have a whole story. What title will

you give to it ? Write the title over the story.

XV

MORE PICTURE STORIES

On page 166 there is a picture of a brownie

offering something to a little girl. A brownie

is a sort of fairy who loves to help others.

 Im

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166
 MORE PICTURE STORIES 167

This brownie is offering the girl a beautiful

box or casket. The casket is made of pure

gold. Who is to open the casket ? How ?

Look at the little girl . Is she rich or poor ?

How do you know ?

Why has she come into the woode (Look

into her basket. )

What will she do with what she has gathered ?

Brownies like best to help people who are

kind. Do you think he would offer the casket

to a child who was not good and kind ?

How does he know this little girl is kind ?

Did he test her in some way to find out ?
Perhaps the little girl has berries in her basket ;

what might the brownie have asked her ? What

did she answer ? Perhaps she has been gather-
ing mushrooms . Are there any growing near

her ? To whom do they belong ? ( See how

near they are to the brownie's house. ) What

might the brownie have asked her about the

mushrooms ? What did she answer ?

When the brownie was testing the little girl ,

did he have the casket in his hand ?

Where might he have hidden it ?

When he got it and offered it to her, what

might he have said ? Remember he would
168 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

want her to know he was giving it to her be-

cause she was so good and kind .

Perhaps he said , " Make a wish, turn the

key, and you will find what you wish for in this
casket ." Now you see he was giving her a

fairy gift, so it would be silly for her to wish

for something she could earn or find for herself
or even buy for money. She should wish for

something that only the fairies can give .

What do you think she wished for ?

Perhaps the brownie said, " Because I know

you are good and kind, I will give you this

golden casket. It is yours, but do not open it
till you reach your home. Inside you will find

a fairy gift."
If she opened the casket before she reached

home, what might happen ?

Did she open it on the way, or did she wait

until she got home ?

If she carried it home, whom would she call

to come to see her open the casket ?

Now think of the most beautiful , wonderful
fairy gift you can imagine and tell what she

found when she opened her casket .

Think just how you will tell the whole

story.
 MORE STORIES TO WRITE 169

XVI

MORE STORIES TO WRITE

Here are
two beginnings for this picture
story :
1. The Wonderful Casket

In the long ago time a poor woman and her little

girl lived near the edge of a forest. One day the little
girl went into the woods to gather berries to sell in
the near-by town . She walked and walked and searched
and searched , but at noontime she had only a few berries
hardly enough to cover the bottom of her basket.
" This will never do, " she said aloud. " I must find
more berries, or we shall starve. There is not a piece
of bread left in the house."
Now the little girl did not know that she was near
the home of two brownies . Nor did she know that
one of the brownies was watching her from behind a
big tree, and that he heard every word she said .
Ahem," said the brownie to himself. " Here is
some one that needs my help. I will find out whether
she is good and kind . If she is, I will be her good
fairy ."
So the brownie said a few magic words and changed
himself into a little old man . Then, coming from be-
hind the tree, he said : " Little girl , I am very hungry.
Will you please give me some of your berries ? "

Write the rest of the story , telling what the

girl answered and what the brownie gave her.
170 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

2. The Brownie's Gift

Two tiny brownie brothers lived in a tiny house in

the middle of a forest. Now what do you think these
brownies ate ? Not bread and butter, nor meat, nor
milk, but mushrooms ! They had mushrooms for
breakfast and mushrooms for dinner and mushrooms
for supper. They raised thousands of mushrooms.

One morning Brownie Little looked out of the

window and called : " See, brother, there is a little girl
picking our mushrooms . Drive her away ."

Brownie Big ran to the window and looked out. " I

know that little girl," he said. "She is a poor child

who lives with her mother on the edge of the forest.
She looks good and kind . If I ask her to go away, I
am sure she will not gather our mushrooms ."
Finish this story .

If you can think of a story quite different from

either that has been begun for you , write it.

XVII

A FAIRY WISH

Write an answer to the following question .

If you should meet a fairy who promised to grant

you one wish, for what would you wish ?

Make your answer into a short story. Ask fo

a real fairy gift . Do not wish for something

you could get without the aid of fairies.
 CHAPTER EIGHT

FABLES

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher. )

You have read and studied these four fables : -

Grand Tusk and Nimble

The Blind Men and the Elephant

The Trees and the Woodcutter

The Four Oxen

You have also written titles of fables, such as :

The Fox and the Cat

The Lion and the Mouse

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Crow and the Pitcher

Look over all the above titles and be ready

to tell how many of these fables you know .

What are Fables ?

Are fables long stories ? Before answering,

think of the ones you know .

What are fables usually about ?
171
172 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Are fables true stories ?

One thing is true about every fable , and that

is the lesson it teaches. Fables were not writ-

ten just for the stories they told ; every fable

was written to teach some lesson or some truth .
Fables are the oldest stories in the world.

Many of our best- known fables are called Æsop

Fables, because they are supposed to have been
made by Æsop , a slave, who lived in Greece
many years ago . Esop did make many fables,

but some of the so - called Æsop Fables were

known long before Æsop was born . What

Æsop did do was to tell these old fables, as well

as his own, to the people about him.

How One Fable was Made

This is the way one fable came to be told .

Long ago there lived in Athens a very great
orator named Demosthenes. When Philip, the

king of another country, tried to conquer

Athens, Demosthenes fired the Athenians with

noble speeches . They fought so bravely that

they could not be overcome.
Philip knew that he could never conquer
while Demosthenes was with the people, so he
sent this message to the rulers of Athens :
 THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP 173

" I am tired of fighting and you are tired

of fighting, but there never can be peace

be

between us while Demosthenes and the other

orators stir up strife with their speeches . Send

them to me and I will swear an endless peace
between us."

The foolish Athenian rulers believed Philip

and were about to betray the orators to him.
Demosthenes heard of this and told the people
this little fable .

The Wolves and the Sheep

Once on a time the wolves said to the sheep : " Let

us be friends. Those wicked dogs are the cause of all
the trouble between us . They are always barking at
us and making us angry. Send them away and we
will live together in peace."

The silly sheep believed the wolves and sent the

dogs away . Then the wolves fell upon the sheep and
killed them all .

When Demosthenes had finished speaking,

the Athenians sent back word to Philip that

they would never give up their orators .

Whom did Demosthenes mean by the wolves

in his story ?

By the sheep ?
By the dogs ?
174 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What lesson did he teach the people by his

fable ?

What lesson does " Grand Tusk and Nimble

teach ?

What lesson does each of the following fables

teach ?

The Blind Men and the Elephant

The Trees and the Woodcutter
The Four Oxen

The Lion and the Mouse

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Crow and the Pitcher

II

STUDYING A FABLE

(A lesson with your teacher. )

The Wise Boar

Once a boar was sharpening his tusks on the trunk

of a tree .

A fox came by and said, " Why are you sharpening

your tusks now ? There are no hunters nor dogs in
the wood."

" That is just why I am sharpening them now,"

answered the boar. " I want to be ready to use them
when the hunters and dogs come."
-ESOP FABLE .
 STUDYING A FABLE 175

How to Study the Fable

Read the title and tell which words begin

with capitals and why.

How many paragraphs in this fable ?

The first word in every paragraph is written

farther to the right than the first word in the

other lines. This shows the beginning of a

paragraph .
Read the first paragraph . How many sen-

tences are there in the first paragraph ?

Tell about the capital and period in this

paragraph .
Read the second paragraph . How many

sentences are there in the second paragraph ?

Tell all about the capitals and every mark

of punctuation in this paragraph .

Tell about them in order like this :

A is a capital letter because

There is a comma to

There are quotation marks around

( Be sure you read every word inside the quo-

tation marks. )

Why begins with a capital letter because

There is a question mark after Why are you sharpen-
ing your tusks now because

There begins with a capital letter because

176 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

There is a period at the end of the sentence because

Read the third paragraph . How many sen-

tences in this paragraph ?

Tell all about the capitals and marks of

punctuation in this paragraph , taking up each
in order as was done in the second paragraph.
What lesson does this fable teach ?

Silent Study

Learn how to spell the words in this fable .

The ones to study most carefully are boar,
sharpening, answered.

III

WRITING A FABLE FROM DICTATION

IV

TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES

(A lesson with your teacher.)

The fable, " The Wise Boar, " teaches one to

get ready in time.

We are going to tell other fables that teach

the same lesson . Let us think of the story of

the wise boar for a moment, because we want

ours to be very much like this fable.

 TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES 177

The first paragraph tells us what some one

was doing. Read the first paragraph .
Read the second paragraph . What does it
tell us ?

Read the third paragraph . What does it tell ?

Here is another fable . We will call it -

The Fisherman and his Nets

One stormy day a fisherman was mending his nets .

His wife said : "Why are you mending your nets
to-day ? It is too stormy to go fishing."
" That is just why I am mending them," said the
fisherman . " I want to be ready to use them when I

can go fishing."

The first paragraph tells us what the fisher-

man was doing.

The second paragraph tells us what his wife
said.

The third paragraph tells us what the fisher-

man answered .

This fable teaches

Suggestions for Fables

Make up a fable from each of the following

subjects. Let each fable teach the same lesson
that " The Wise Boar " and " The Fisherman

and His Nets " taught.

178 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The Boy and his Skates

Let the boy be sharpening his skates on a

rainy day. Have a friend speak to him and the
boy answer.

The Farmer and the Tramp

Farmer working on a hot day.

Tramp stops and speaks to him.

Farmer answers .

The Indian and his War Paint

Indian mixing war paint in time of peace.

Cowboy speaks to him .
Indian answers .

The Woman and her Umbrella

Woman mending her umbrella on a fair day .

Husband speaks to her .

Woman answers.

Here are more titles . Choose one, make a

fable about it, and be ready to tell it.

The Indian and his Arrows

The Soldier and his Gun

The Ant and the Fly

The Bee and the Butterfly

The Squirrel and the Grasshopper

 WRITING AN ORIGINAL FABLE 179

The Girl and her Lesson

The Hunter and his Traps

The Man and his Woodpile

Think of titles for other fables that might be

made to teach the same lesson.

WRITING AN ORIGINAL FABLE

Read again the fable, " The Wise Boar ."

See how many paragraphs it contains .

How many sentences are used to tell the
whole story ?

Choose one of the titles for fables given in

the last lesson and write a fable.

Things to Think about while Writing

Make your fable short.

Do not have more than eight sentences . Tell

it in five or six if you can .

The fable must teach the lesson of being

ready in time.

Things to Do after Writing

After you have finished your fable read

it through carefully . Then read the fable,

" The Wise Boar, " in your book .
180 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Is your fable as well written as that one ?

How many sentences have you used ? Could

you not tell it just as well, or better, with fewer

sentences ?
Have you used capitals in the right places ?

See if quotation marks are around all the

words that the people in the story use .
Does your fable teach the right lesson ?

VI

THE WISE JUDGE

Early one morning as Adulla , the wise judge, was

stepping from his house to the street, a well-known
goldsmith of the town rushed up to him in great ex-
citement.
" O wise and honorable one," he cried, " I have
been robbed ! Last night a thief broke into my shop
and carried away my all, gold, silver, jewels, and
money, everything that I possessed ! Men say that
you are a just, far-seeing judge . I beg of you give
me justice ! "
"You shall have justice," replied Adulla. " I

promise you that I will discover the thief. Ifpossible,

your goods shall be returned . At any rate, the wicked
one shall be punished . "
Much comforted by the judge's words, the gold-
smith prostrated himself before Adulla, touching his
 THE WISE JUDGE 181

forehead to the earth . " Thanks, most merciful one,

for your heaven-sent words ," he said .

After the goldsmith had departed , the judge sent

for the town crier. " Go through all the streets of the
town. Ring your bell, and cry with a loud voice , ' All
who love strange sights come to the goldsmith's shop this
afternoon four hours before sunset,' he commanded .
Long before the appointed hour the street before
the goldsmith's house was packed with people. When
the judge and his soldiers were seen approaching, a way
to the goldsmith's door was made for them.
cc
My people," said the judge, " I have promised
justice to all and I mean to keep my promise. Every
evil doer shall be punished . Behold this door. It
was placed here to keep thieves out. Last night it
allowed a thief to enter. It shall therefore be punished

for failing to do its duty. Soldiers, a hundred lashes

for the door ! "
While the hundred lashes were being bestowed , the
people looked at one another in astonishment . "A
wise judge ! " " The man is mad ! " "What can it all

mean ? " they whispered .

When the punishment was ended , the judge again
addressed the door. " Now you shall tell us who en-
tered here last night."

As , the door gave no answer, the judge ordered an-

other hundred lashes in punishment.
" Now, " cried the judge, " are you willing to tell
the name of the thief? If you are afraid to speak it
aloud, you may whisper it in my ear."
182 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The judge bent close to the door and listened .

" Nonsense ! " he cried . " This door is talking non-
sense ! What it says is impossible ! Another hun-
dred lashes, soldiers !"
After the third beating, the judge again listened for
the door to name the robber, while the people shrugged
their shoulders and laughed at his folly.
"The same stupid tale ! Am I never to hear the
" This door will
truth ? " cried the judge at last.
persist in telling me that the thief is present in this
crowd of honest people. Moreover, it says he still
has some of the dust and cobwebs from the shop on
his fez. "

At this a man was noticed hurriedly to brush his fez.

The judge, on the lookout for just some such action ,
cried, " Soldiers, arrest that man ! "
When the man, trembling with fear, had been
dragged by the soldiers before the judge, Adulla cried ,
" Behold the thief! The door told but the truth. "

Then, turning to the wretched man , he continued ,

" Speak, man, and tell us what you have done with the
goods you stole from the goldsmith's shop."
The miserable man fell on his knees , confessed the
theft, and promised to return all he had stolen.
Thereupon Adulla ordered the soldiers to take the
prisoner first to the place where he had hidden the
goods, and then to the prison . The people, praising
the wisdom of the judge, followed.
Thus Adulla kept his word and gained a more last-
ing fame for his wisdom . -FROM PALESTINE.
 THE WISE JUDGE 183

Conversation about the Story

Was Adulla really a very wise judge ? Give

reasons for your answer .

Why did he have the door beaten ? Did

he think the door could feel the beating ?

Did he believe the door was really to blame ?

Did he think the door did or could tell him

anything about the thief ?

Did the judge know all along who the thief

was ?

Why did he say that some of the dust and cob-

webs of the shop were still on the thief's fez ?

Do you suppose the thief really had dust on
his fez ?

Did no one else have dust on his fez ?

Why was the thief the only one who brushed

his hat ?

Did the people believe that the door spoke to

the judge ?
What did the thief think about it ?

Getting Ready to Dramatize the Story

This is a very easy story to dramatize — one

of the easiest in your book . There are, how-
ever, a few things for you to think about before

playing the story .

184 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The town crier went through all the streets

of the town ringing his bell and calling loudly

as Adulla bade him do . What in the school-

room might be the streets ?

Make up your mind which door in the room

will be best for the goldsmith's door . Remem-

ber a great many people - all the class, perhaps

- gather in front of the door.

When Adulla was speaking , all the people

were looking at him, so he alone saw the thief
brush his fez. What gesture, then , must he
have used to show the soldiers which man to

arrest ?

The story says the thief fell on his knees,

confessed the theft, and promised to return all to

the goldsmith . If you were to play the thief,

what would you say ? Think of the exact

words you would use .

Adulla ordered the soldiers to take the man

to the place where he had hidden the treasure,

then to prison . If you are Adulla, what words
will you use ?

Read what the people said about the judge in

the eighth paragraph . At the end of the story

we read that they praised the judge for his wis-

dom . What might they have said ?
 THE MAN AND THE SATYR 185

VII

DRAMATIZING " THE WISE JUDGE "

VIII

THE MAN AND THE SATYR

Man : I am cold and hungry. I have lost my way

in the woods . May I come into your cave and rest ?
Satyr: Come right in. You are welcome.
Man : (Entering the cave and blowing on his fingers. )
It is good to find shelter this cold night.
Satyr: Why do you blow upon your fingers ?
Man: To warm them .

Satyr : (Bringing the man some hot soup. ) Eat this .

It will soon warm you.
Man : I thank you . ( Taking up a spoonful of soup,
he blows upon it.)
Satyr : Is the soup not hot enough ?
Man: It is too hot.
Satyr: Then why do you blow upon it ?
Man: To make it cool.
Satyr: Get out of my cave at once . I will have
no man here who blows hot and cold with the same
breath .

Turning the Dialogue into Story Form

Notice what is told in parenthesis ( ) when

the man speaks the second time . Read what is

within the parenthesis ( ) .

186 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The man does not speak these words . They

tell us what the man is doing as he says, " It is

good to find shelter this cold night ."

Tell in your own words what the man did,
like this : The man entered the satyr's cave .

Blowing on his cold fingers, he said, " It is

good to find shelter this cold night."

Find the next parenthesis. Read what is

told within this parenthesis. Tell in your own

words what the satyr did , as he spoke.

Find a third parenthesis and read what is

written within it. Tell in your own words
what the man did .

Both the man and the satyr did other things

as they talked with each other . But we do not

need to be told what these things were ; we

can guess what they were from the conversation .

We can also tell some other things that hap-

pened - things that made the man and satyr

speak as they did .

When we change the dialogue into story

form , we must tell some of the things that hap-

pened and some of the things that the man and

the satyr did. We must tell those things that

belong to the story those things that the
listener would want to know.
 THE MAN AND THE SATYR 187

You will see what some of these things are

if you will answer the following questions.
You can answer them all from the man's first

speech :
Where was the man ?

What had happened to him ?

Why was he suffering ?

What place of shelter did he find ?
Who lived there ?
What did the man ask ?
Now if you will put your answers to these

questions together, you will have the beginning

of the story.
Perhaps it will be something
like this :

One night a man was lost in a wood . He wan-

dered about, suffering from cold and hunger, until he
found a cave . The satyr who lived in the cave came
to the entrance . The man said,

You might go on with the story something

like this : ―

" Come right in," answered the satyr, kindly.

" You are welcome."
The man entered the cave and began blowing upon
his fingers . " It is good to find shelter this cold
night,” said he.
"Why do you blow upon your fingers ? " asked the
satyr.
188 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Go on with the story to the end . Make

it clear and connected. Tell just what was

said, using the words of the speakers in the

dialogue. Tell what they did and how they

spoke .
IX

WRITING A STORY FROM A DIALOGUE

Read again the dialogue, " The Man and the

Satyr." In the last lesson you turned this dia-

logue into story form . To-day you are to write

it in story form .
After each sentence ask yourself, " Is any one

speaking in this sentence ? " If no one is

speaking, write the next sentence . If some one

is speaking, ask , " What is he saying ? " Re-

member to put quotation marks around every

word that any one says .

What other marks must you remember to

use correctly ?
What words will you begin with capitals ?

PICTURE STORIES

The three doors in the picture are all alike .

They are in an enchanted palace. One door
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189
190 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

opens into a room in which is kept a fierce

lion. He will devour any one who opens his
door. Another door opens into a room in

which is kept a swarm of poisonous insects .

They will sting any one who enters their
room , and their sting means death . The other
door leads into a room in which a beautiful

princess is kept prisoner . Whoever opens

this door may wed the princess and rule the
land.

No one knows which door leads to the room

of the princess . The same key fits all three

doors. Many princes have tried to set the

princess free and have lost their lives . The

young prince in the is about to try.

picture
How may
He holds the key to all the doors.
he know or learn which door to open ?
Can he find out for himself ? How ?

Will some one help him ? Who ? Why ?

In all fairy stories help is only given to the

brave, the good, the kind-hearted .

How and why might some small animal like

an ant help him ?

He seems to be looking at the rose . How

and why might the rose help him ?

A fairy might help him. How and why ?
 MORE PICTURE STORIES 191

Perhaps he will be wise enough to think out

a way for himself.

Think of a way by which the prince may

open the right door. Will he do it himself

or will he get help ?

Now make the whole story from the begin-

ning. These questions may help you :

Who shut the princess in the castle ? Why ?

Why were the three doors made exactly alike ?
Why were the doors made so that one key would
unlock them all ?
Who said that the prince who opened the right
door might marry the princess and rule the land ?
What kind of man would the prince be who suc-
ceeded ?

Now finish the story, telling of the princes

who tried and failed, and of the one who suc-
ceeded , and how.

XI

MORE PICTURE STORIES

On page 192 there is a picture of two ladies

in chains— a queen and a little princess .

( 1 ) Make the story the picture tells you.

Why are they prisoners ?

Who has made them prisoners ? Why?
21011

ADA
BUDELL
192
 LITTLE BLUE PIGEON 193

Where are they ?

Why here instead of in a dungeon ?

What is the bird carrying ?

Is it just a beautiful jewel, or is it a magic jewel ?

What may it do for the prisoners ? Who sent it ?
Is this a real bird or some one in this form ?
Who ? Why in this form ? What may he do ?

Will the prisoners escape ? How ?

Make a happy ending to your story .

(2) Write your story .

XII

LITTLE BLUE PIGEON

(A Japanese lullaby . )

Sleep, little pigeon , and fold your wings -

Little blue pigeon with velvet eyes ;
Sleep to the singing of mother bird swinging —
Swinging the nest where her little one lies.

Away out yonder I see a star-

Silvery star with a tinkling song ;
To the soft dew falling I hear it calling-
Calling and tinkling the night along.

In through the window a moonbeam comes-

Little gold moonbeam with misty wings ;
All silently creeping, it asks, “ Is he sleeping
Sleeping and dreaming while mother sings ? "
194 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Up from the sea there floats the sob

Of the waves that are breaking upon the shore,
As though they were groaning in anguish, and moan-
ing-
Bemoaning the ship that shall come no more.

But sleep, little pigeon , and fold your wings-

Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes ;
Am I not singing ? - See, I am swinging -
Swinging the nest where my darling lies.
EUGENE FIeld .

Studying the Poem

The Title.

In the lullaby you know best , " Rock-a-by,

baby, on the tree top , " we sing to the baby as if
it were a birdie. So in many lands you will find

lullabies about different birds. Why do

do you

think this is so ? In what ways may a baby be

said to be like a little bird ?

The Japanese mother calls her baby " little

blue pigeon ." The pigeon is said to be the

most gentle creature in the world . May this

be the reason the Japanese mother calls her

baby a pigeon ?
In many lands there is an old legend which
tells of a wonderful bird . Sometimes it is a

dove, sometimes a strange new bird, but always

 LITTLE BLUE PIGEON 195

the bird is blue. It is said that whoever finds

this blue bird and brings it home will always be

happy. Perhaps the Japanese mother knows this

story and calls her baby the blue pigeon because

she loves it and finds in it her great happiness .

The First Stanza.

Swing your arm slowly and evenly from

side to side in long sweeps , like the
rocking of a cradle ; read to that time
and you will get the soothing lullaby
music into your voice.

What does the mother mean by " fold your

wings " ?
What kind of eyes did the baby have ?
Where was the mother and what was she

doing ? Can you see the picture ?

The Second Stanza.
Read the first line and make the star seem

at a great distance .

Why a silvery star ?

Do stars really sing ? In the very oldest

writings, we read of stars singing and

dancing. Why did the people of old

think the stars sang and danced ?
We speak of twinkling stars. What do you

think is meant by a tinkling song ?

196 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

To what does the star call and sing ?

The little drops of dew shine like little

stars. Perhaps the star in the sky
thinks the little stars of dew are her

babies and so sings and tinkles to them

all night long .
The second stanza should be so read that
the listeners can see and hear the star

away up in the sky - away out yonder

- can hear her sing her tinkling

lullaby to the baby stars of dew.
The Third Stanza.
Did you ever see a moonbeam creep through

a crack in the blind into your room ?

What part looked golden ? What part was

all soft and misty like fairy wings ?

How did the moonbeam come into the

baby's room ? Why ? What did it say ?

Read what it said, just as the moon-

beam spoke, so as not to waken the

baby .
Read the whole stanza, keeping your voice
as soft and sweet as you can .

Now let us look again at the mother and

baby. The room is very quiet . The

mother is singing sweetly and softly
 LITTLE BLUE PIGEON 197

and rocking the cradle slowly and

more slowly . Baby is almost asleep .

The Fourth Stanza.
Now what noise comes in through the

window something soft and sweet ?

What do the waves seem to be doing ?
When do people groan ?

What does bemoaning mean ?

Why will the ship come to shore no more ?

This moaning of the waves makes the
mother very sad. Do you think she
lost any one on the ship ? Whom ?

In the first three stanzas the mother's voice

was soft and gentle . She was think-

ing only of singing her baby to sleep .

When she is made sad by the waves,

does her voice change ? How ?

Read the fourth stanza, showing how the

waves break and groan, and moan ofthe

ship that shall never more come back .

The Fifth Stanza.
The baby, almost asleep, feels the sadness
in his mother's voice .

What do babies do when one speaks sadly ?

What word in the second line makes you

think the baby feels sad , too ?

198 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Perhaps the baby grew restless and even cried .

The mother at once tries to quiet him.

Read the fifth stanza as if the mother had

said : " But never mind, baby . Don't

cry . Why are you afraid ? Is Mother

not near ? Is she not singing to you ? '

Read the whole poem, showing all the
pictures and bringing out all the
changes of feeling in it .

XIII

COPYING A POEM

Copy the poem, " Little Blue Pigeon."

Look at the first word in each line .
The first words of which lines are written

directly under each other ?

Be careful to have the first words of the lines

of your copy stand just as they do in this book .

Notice the kind of letter with which the

first word in every line of the poem begins.

See the mark (—) after some of the lines .

This mark is called a dash, and is placed after

these lines because the thought is continued or

carried over . It is really lapped over, the thought

in the second line repeating something of that
in the first, and adding to it. Notice that the
 MEMORIZING THE POEM 199

thought is partly repeated by repeating one or

more words.

In the first line the mother speaks of little

pigeon; in the second line she says more, little

blue pigeon with velvet eyes. In the third line she

says swinging, and in the fourth line she repeats

swinging and adds, the nest where her darling lies.
In the second stanza what thought and what
word is carried over from the first to the second

line ? From the third to the fourth line ?

Wherever you find the dash , see what thought

and what word has been carried over.

After you have finished copying the first

stanza compare it with the stanza in your book .

Do this carefully . Show your teacher that you

can correct your work as surely as she can .

Correct each stanza in the same way.

XIV

MEMORIZING THE POEM , " LITTLE BLUE

22
PIGEON '

Which stanza of " Little Blue Pigeon " do you

like best ? Study it until you can say it by heart.

Then write it from memory .

If you have time, you may learn another

stanza, or , better still , the whole poem.

 CHAPTER NINE

HOW SOME MARKS ARE USED

What Frightened the Animals

( 1 ) ONE day a lion met an elephant, a deer, a

monkey, and a rabbit running through the woods .
They all seemed much frightened.
(2 ) " What is the matter, Brother Elephant ? "
asked the lion .
(3 ) " King Lion, there was such a loud noise back
there in the forest ! We are all so frightened ! We
are running away ! "
(4) " What caused the noise, Elephant ? " asked
the lion.

( 5 ) “ I do not know, King Lion , for I did not

hear it. The deer told me about it."
(6) " Deer, who told you about the noise ? "
asked the lion .
(7 ) " King Lion , the monkey told me ! "
( 8) " Who told you , Monkey ? "
(9 ) " The rabbit told me ! "

( 10 ) " Rabbit, who told you ?

(11 ) " King Lion , I heard the noise myself ! Come
and I will show you the place ! "
200
 HOW THE STORY IS WRITTEN 201

( 12 ) The lion and the other animals followed the

rabbit back into the woods . Soon they came to a
fallen tree.

( 13 ) " There," said the rabbit, " that is what fell

and made the great noise."
( 14 ) " My friends , I am ashamed of you," cried
the lion. " Here is nothing to fear . A brave heart

will never run from the noise of a falling tree."

-A CHINESE FOLK STORY .

How the Story is Written

Read the title and tell why each capital letter

is used .

In the second paragraph, who is speaking ?

To whom is he speaking ?

What mark is placed before Brother Elephant?

The name of the person spoken to is separated

from the rest of the sentence by a comma or commas.
The person spoken to is usually called the
person addressed.

Who is the person addressed in the second

paragraph ? In the third ? In the fourth ?

Who is the person addressed in the fifth

paragraph ?
How is the name of the person addressed in

the fifth paragraph separated from the rest of

the sentence ?
202 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Who is the person addressed in the sixth

paragraph ? In the seventh ? In the eighth ?
In the tenth ? In the eleventh ? In the

fourteenth ?

Tell in each case how the name of the

person addressed is separated from the rest of

the sentence .
.
You will see that when the name of the

person addressed comes at the end of the sen-

tence only one comma is needed , as —

" Who told you , Monkey ? "

When the name of the person addressed

comes at the beginning of a sentence, only one

comma is needed , as -

" Rabbit, who told you ? "

But when the name of the person addressed

comes in the middle of a sentence, two commas

are used, as -

" I do not know, King Lion , for I did not hear it .'

This is the way the second paragraph should

be studied aloud : -

What begins with a capital letter because ——— .

Brother Elephant begins with capital letters because

There is a comma to separate Brother Elephant from

 THE EXCLAMATION MARK 203

the rest of the sentence because Brother Elephant is the

name of the person addressed .
The quotation ends with a question mark because

There are quotation marks around because

There is a period at the end of the sentence be-

cause

In the third paragraph there is a new mark

after every sentence. This mark ( ) is called
the Exclamation Mark.

The exclamation mark is used after every

sentence that shows sudden strong feeling.

This sudden feeling may be a feeling of

pain, of sadness, of grief, of fear, of anger, or

surprise. In this story the animals are filled
with fear .

Study each sentence followed by an exclama-

tion mark in this way : -

There is an exclamation mark after this sentence.

because the animal is frightened .

Study aloud all the sentences in paragraphs

2, 3 , 4, 5 , 6, 7, 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 14 .

Two New Things Learned in This Lesson

1. The name of the person addressed is separated

from the rest of the sentence by one or two commas.
204 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

2. An exclamation mark (!) is placed after every

sentence expressing sudden strong feeling.

II

A COPYING LESSON

Copy paragraphs 1 , 7, 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11 , in

the story ,
" What Frightened the Animals. ”
Copy every capital and mark of punctuation
exactly as it is in your book. As you make

each, tell yourself why it is used .

Be very careful to tell yourself about the

commas that are used to separate the name of the

person addressed from the rest of the sentence and
the exclamation marks that are used to show that
the animals were frightened.

After you have finished copying these para-

graphs, compare them very carefully with the

paragraphs in your books. Correct any mis-
takes that you may have made . Do not leave

one mistake for your teacher to find .

III

STUDIED DICTATION

IV

UNSTUDIED DICTATION
 THE MONTHS 205

THE MONTHS AND THEIR ABBREVIATIONS

You have already learned that the names of

the days of the week should begin with capital
letters and that their abbreviations should also

begin with capitals and be followed by periods.

In the same way the names of the months and

their abbreviations begin with capitals and their

abbreviations are followed by periods.

January Jan.
February Feb.

August Aug.
September Sept:
October Oct.
November Nov.
December Dec.

Sometimes the abbreviation , Mar. , is used for

March, and Apr. for April , but it is better to

write out these short names in full .

May, June, and July are never abbreviated or

shortened .

Copy the names of the months and their

abbreviations.

Learn how to spell them .

Write them from memory.
206 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

VI

HOLIDAYS

In which months do the following days

come ?

Thanksgiving Day Washington's Birthday

New Year's Day Memorial Day
Lincoln's Birthday Christmas
Fourth of July Labor Day

With what kind of letters do the names of

these holidays begin ?

All names of holidays begin with capital letters.

Write sentences telling in which month each

of the above holidays comes. Remember the

names of all months and the names of all holi-

days must begin with capital letters.

VII

WRITING DATES

After each holiday below is written a date .

The month and the day of the month in each
date tell when in the year the holiday comes.

What happened on the dates given in 1732 ,

1775 , and 1776 ?

 MY BIRTHDAY 207

New Year's Day January 1 , 1913 .

Washington's Birthday February 22, 1732 .
Patriots ' Day April 19 , 1775.
Memorial Day May 30, 1913 .
Independence Day July 4 , 1776 .
Christmas December 25, 1912.

A complete date tells three things : the

month, the day of the month , and the year.
Find a comma in each one of the dates above .

After what part of the date is it placed in every

case ?

Copy the dates given above . Be sure that

you put in correctly every capital letter, every
comma, and every period .

. After you have finished , compare each date

as you have written it with that in the book.
Correct any mistake that you find .

VIII

MY BIRTHDAY

One day a father said to his son : " Next Thursday

will be your birthday. I want you to spend the day
exactly as you wish. Take paper and pencil and write
down just what you would like to do on your birth-
day. When you have finished, bring the paper to me
and I will see whether we can carry out all your plans."
208 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Would you like to plan to spend your birth-

day as you wish ? That is just what you may

do ; or you may do something like that, but a

little different, if you prefer . Choose and write

according to one of the following directions : -

( 1 ) You may pretend that you were the boy

in the story, and write what you would have

written had you really been he.

( 2) You may write how you would like to

spend your next birthday if you could choose .

(3 ) You may write a true story of how you

really did spend your last birthday.

For your title you may take My Birthday.

Make your paper so interesting that your

teacher and classmates will be glad to hear it .

IX

HOW THE MONTHS WERE NAMED

You have already learned how the days

of the week were named . The months were

named by the Romans . Long ago, March used

to be the first month of the year ; so when you

read that September comes from a Latin word

meaning seven, you can count and see that when

March was the first month, September was the

 INDIAN MOONS 209

seventh month . In the same way, October

comes from a word meaning eight, November

from a word meaning nine, and December

from a word meaning ten.

January was named for the Roman god, Janus.

February was named for a Roman festival
that came in this month . It is the shortest

month of the year.

March was named for Mars, the god of war .

April comes from a word meaning opening.

What open in the woods and fields in April ?
May was probably named for the beautiful
young goddess, Maia.

June was named for the goddess Juno, or

from a Roman family name, Junius.

July was named for the greatest of Roman

soldiers, Julius Cæsar, who was born in this
month .

August was named for Augustus Cæsar , the

first emperor of Rome and a great warrior .

Indian " Moons "

The Indians talked of the months as

66 moons." The word month means nearly the

same as moon. The Indian month was the
time from one new moon to the next new
210 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

moon. Here are some of the Indians' names

for the months . Which month did they mean

by each ?
The moon of melting snow.
The moon of ripened corn.
The moon of green leaves.
The moon of opening buds.
The moon of winds .
The moon of drifting snow.
The hunting moon .
The moon of sprouting corn.
The moon of painted leaves.
The moon of falling leaves.

WRITING ABOUT . THE MONTHS

Write two sentences about each month, tell-

ing how it got its name, any birthday or holi-

day it contains, the Indian name for the month,
or any other interesting fact you know about it
or connected with it.

XI

QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE MONTHS

January

Sparkling world and shining sky,

Sleigh bells jingling, jangling by,
 QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE MONTHS 211

Skates that gleam and sleds that fly,

Make up January .

Snow and shine and shine and snow,

Days that swiftly come and go,

Thirty-one of them , you know,
Make up January.
-SELECTED .

What makes the sparkling world in January ?

Read the second line so that the listeners can

hear the sleighbells .

February

Will the winter never be over,

Will the dark days never go ?

Will the buttercup and the clover

Be always hid under the snow ?

Ah, lend me your little ear, love !

Hark ! ' tis a beautiful thing ;
The weariest month of the year, love,
Is shortest and nearest to spring.
ADELINE WHITNEY .

In this quotation how many people are

speaking ?
What questions does the first person ask ?

Who is the first person ?

Who is the person answering ?

212 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What is meant by saying that the weariest

month is the shortest month ?

How is February nearest the spring ?

March

O March that blusters and March that blows,

What color under your footsteps glows !
Beauty you summon from winter snows,
And you are the pathway that leads to the rose.
-CELIA THAXTER .

In this poem March is addressed as if it were

a person . The colors that glow under the foot-
steps of March or that are seen after March
passes are the colors of the flowers that follow.
What beauty does March summon or call
from the snows of winter ?

How is March the pathway that leads to the

rose ?

April

Ah, welcome ! sweet April , whose feet on the hills

Have walked down the valleys and crossed o'er the
rills ;

The pearls that you bring us are dews and warm

showers,
And the hem of your garment is broidered with
flowers.
SELECTED .
 QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE MONTHS 213

April is addressed as if she were a beautiful

maiden. When she walks down the valleys ,
flowers grow wherever she steps . When she

crosses the rills, the ice melts and the little

brooks sing for joy.

This is much like the fairy tale about the

girl with the fairy gift . Wherever she stepped

a flower grew , and whenever she spoke a pear!

fell from her lips . What pearls does April

bring ? What is meant by the last line ?

May

To show how they love her, their own darling May,

'Tis with blushes as pink as the dawn of the day,
That each apple tree turns to a blooming bouquet.
-ADA STEWART SHELDON .

How do the apple trees show that they love

May ?

June

June overhead !
All the birds know it, for swift they have sped
Northward, and now they are singing like mad ;
June is full-tide for them, June makes them glad,
Hark, the bright choruses greeting the day -
Sorrow, away !
SELECTED .
214 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What is meant by the first line ?

Where have the birds been ?

How do they show that they are glad it is

June ?
66
' June is full-tide for them " means June is
the happiest season for them. Why ?
What does the last line mean ?

July

When the scarlet cardinal tells

Her dreams to the dragon fly,
And the lazy breeze makes a nest in the trees,
And murmurs a lullaby ,
It is July.
SUSAN HARTLEY SWETt .

How quiet everything is in this poem ! The

dragon fly rests quietly near the cardinal flower,

as if listening to her whispering of her dreams.

The wind is so quiet as it rests in the trees , that

there is only a gentle rustle of the leaves as soft
as a lullaby .

August

It is summer, it is summer,
How beautiful it looks !
There is sunshine on the old gray hills
And sunshine in the brooks ,
 QUOTATIONS ABOUT THE MONTHS 215

A singing bird on every bough ,

Soft perfumes on the air,
A happy smile on each young lip,
And gladness everywhere .
SELECTED.

What picture do you see as you read this

stanza ? Before answering, read it again .

September

O sweet September ! thy first breezes bring

The dry leaf's rustle and the squirrel's laughter,
The cool, fresh air, whence health and vigor spring,
And promise of exceeding joy hereafter.
-- GEORGE ARNOLD .

What picture do you see in this poem ?

October

In the hush and the lonely silence

Of the chill October night
Some wizard has worked his magic
With airy fingers light..
The leaves of the sturdy oak trees
Are splendid with crimson and red ,
And the golden flags of the maple
Are fluttering overhead .
-ANGELINA WRAY.

Who is the wizard that comes in the still

October night ?
216 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What magic does he work ?

What are meant by the " golden flags of the

maple " ?
November

Trees bare and brown ,

Dry leaves everywhere ,
Dancing up and down,
Whirling through the air.

Red-cheeked apples roasted,

Popcorn almost done ,
Toes and chestnuts toasted ,
That's November fun.
SELECTED .

Here are two pictures. In the first stanza we

have an outdoor picture . Describe it as you
see it after reading the poem .
In the second stanza we have an indoor

picture . Describe it, telling what the children

are doing .
December

Ring on, O bells in the steeples,

In honor of Jesus ' birth ;
Let the music of your message
Encircle all the earth ;

Sing it on Christmas morning,

The grand old song again,
 MEMORIZING A QUOTATION 217

Glory to God in the highest !

Peace and good will to men. "
-EBEN E. REXFORD .

XII

MEMORIZING A QUOTATION

Which of the quotations about the months

do you like best ?

Which one is about your birthday month ?

Learn by heart the quotation you like best

or the one about your birth month . Read the

whole quotation through, close your book and

try to say it to yourself. If you cannot, read it
all through again, and again , until you can say it.

Do not try to learn it line by line . That breaks

up the poem and destroys the beauty of it.

Always read it all and try to say it all .

When you are sure you know it , write it from
memory. After you have finished writing , open

your book and compare the quotation as you

have written it with the quotation as it is in the
book. Correct any mistakes you have made .

If you really try to do your best work, you

should have very few mistakes in the first writ-

ing, and you should be able to find and correct
these without any help from your teacher.
218 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XIII

PICTURE STORIES

Who killed the fawn ? Was it the boy ?

See if he has any bow or arrows.

Did he shoot the fawn on purpose or by
accident ?

If the boy did not shoot the fawn , who may

have done it ? Why did this one do it ?
Is it a wild animal or a pet ? If a pet, to
whom does it belong ?

How do the children feel about it ? What

will they do ?
How would you want to punish any one who
killed a pet belonging to you ?
When did the story told in this picture hap-

pen- nowadays or long ago ?

Where do the children live ?

The castle on the hill may belong to a king.

Do you think the children are the son and

daughter of the king, or are they children living
near the castle ?

Put your thoughts together into a story .

Think how you will have it begin ; what

happens first ; what next ; and how it will

end.
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220 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XIV

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Here are some names for this picture .

Make a story from one of them.

The Friend of the Beasts

The Maid who lived in the Wood
The Maid whose Home was in a Tree
A Forest Breakfast

The Good Fairy of the Forest

The Prince's Quest for the Kindest Maid
The Prince's Hunting
Love Overcomes Fear
A Little Sister of the Beasts
My Turn Next

XV

A REVIEW OF CAPITALS AND PUNCTUATION

MARKS

A Queer Catch

PART I

One Saturday Tom and Ned were fishing in a small

river near their homes.
" Let us stop ," said Ned . "This is not a good
day for fish to bite . Have you had a single nibble ? "
" I have something on my line now," answered Tom.
" It is very heavy . Help me pull it in . Quick ! "
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222 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Ned grasped Tom's line and began to pull.

"What can it be? " he cried. " It's as heavy as a
whale."

" I only hope the line will not break, " cried Tom ,
in great excitement.

The line did not break , and soon the boys had
drawn a queer little tin box to the bank.

Studying the Story

There is nothing new in the use of capital

letters or marks of punctuation

in the above
u n
story. It is given as a test to see if yo ca tell
ion
the reasons why all the capitals and punctuat
marks are used .

Read the title and tell why every capital is

used.

Read the first paragraph. Tell about the

use of capitals and the period .

Read the second paragraph . Ask yourself
these questions :

Is any one speaking ? Who ?

What does he say ?

What marks are placed around what is said ? Why ?

Tell why each capital and each mark of

punctuation is used in this paragraph .

Study the remaining paragraphs in the same
way.
 FINISHING A STORY 223

Be sure you can spell all these words correctly.

Saturday bite break

nibble single heavy
answered drawn

XVI

STUDIED DICTATION

XVII

FINISHING A STORY

You have studied and written from dictation

Part I of " A Queer Catch " ; to -day you may

finish the story . Head your paper like this :

A Queer Catch

PART II

In your story tell

1. How the boys opened the box.

2. What it contained .

3. What the boys did with it .

If you wish, you may also tell how the box
came to be in the river.
You may have any kind of ending you wish.
You may make it a fairy story or a story that

might be true. Try to have a real surprise in

your story .
 CHAPTER TEN

FOR THE KING

ONE stormy night many years ago, an old woman

and her two sons sat in their little cottage in Scotland.
The room was small and the furniture poor, but a
bright fire burned on the hearth , and the little home
looked neat and cozy.

The mother sat at her spinning wheel, but any one

watching her closely could see that her mind was not
on her work. Every now and again she glanced at
her two sons who were preparing their bows and

arrows for a hunt the next day, so they had said, and
were whispering together.
At last the mother stopped her work and asked :
"What is the matter, my sons ? Why do you whisper
together and look so grave ? "
" Matter enough , mother," answered Malcolm , the
elder son . " The English army is encamped but two
miles from our village."

" Aye," continued Donald, " and if they come this

way, to-morrow may see us driven out into the heath ."
" And what if we should be driven from our
home ! " cried the mother. " Are we any better than
224
 FOR THE KING 225

our good king ? Even to -night he wanders through

this raging storm with no place to lay his head .”
A loud knock followed immediately on her words .
She hastened to open the door. A man closely muffled
in a cloak stood without.
My good woman ," he said , " may I come in from
""
the storm ?

" Come in. You are right welcome, " she said .
" For the sake of one who wanders abroad this wild

night, I gladly receive you ."

The stranger entered and stood before the fire, his
face still covered by a fold of his long cloak .
" For whose sake am I welcome ? " he asked .

" For the sake of our good king, Robert the Bruce,
who is hunted like a wild beast by the English," cried
the old woman . " How glad would my heart be to
know that he has found shelter this stormy night."
" Then, Dame, be of good cheer. Robert Bruce is
sheltered and is even now within your own home. I
am Robert Bruce." As he spoke, the king dropped his

cloak to the ground and stood smiling at the old woman .

"You ! You, our king ! " she cried . "Where are

your followers ? Why are you alone ? ”

" Alas ! I have no followers now. All have been
driven away . I travel alone," answered the king.
cc
Nay, my king, that you shall no longer do ! " ex-
claimed the good woman . " Here are my two sons !
Malcolm, Donald , behold your king. When he
leaves, go with him ; serve him ; follow him to the
death, if need be ! "
226 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

The two young men stepped forward and knelt

before the king, who placed a hand on each head as a
sign that he accepted them as loyal followers .
As they rose to their feet they were startled by
hearing loud voices outside the door.
" It is the English ! " whispered the mother, throw-
ing her full weight against the door. " Defend your king,
""
my sons ! Fight for him ! Protect him to the last !

Quickly the young men caught up heavy staves

and placed themselves before the king.
" Open ! open ! " cried a voice from without and a
heavy hand struck the door.
' Open, open, my good woman," repeated the
king. " That is no English voice, but the voice of
my brother, Edward Bruce."

The door was opened at once and the king's brother

and his friend, the Earl of Douglas, entered the room.
They were overjoyed to find the king, whom they
had been seeking. After greeting him, they cried :
cc
Hasten, my liege, we have with us one hundred and
fifty men enough to give the English an unpleasant
surprise this night. We need only you to be our
leader."
" One hundred and fifty-two men," answered the
king, pointing to the two Scottish youths. " These
new friends of mine are brave , gallant comrades . They
will go with us."
Aye, go, my sons," said the old woman, " and
remember that your mother has sent you out to fight
and, if need be, to die for the king ! "
 STUDYING THE STORY 227

" For the king ! " repeated the young men, lifting
their bonnets and following Robert the Bruce from the
room .
The two young Scots rose rapidly to fame and
served the king until every English soldier was driven
from the land and Robert Bruce reigned once more
the king of Scotland .
-SIR WALTER SCOTT (Adapted).

II

STUDYING THE STORY, " FOR THE KING "

What were Malcolm and Donald doing when

the story opens ? .

Did they want their mother to hear what

they were saying ?

Think how you will act if you take the part

of either son in playing the story .

Plan how you will act if you are to be the

mother.
Did the young men want their mother to

know the English were encamped near ? Did

they try to make her think they were talking of

something else ?

When Donald spoke of their being driven

from their home, was he thinking of himself or
of his mother ?
What answer did his mother make ?
228 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

What kind of woman was she ?

How did each member of the little family

act when the knock sounded at the door ?
Think how you will act if you are the mother,

or Malcolm , or Donald .
What does " closely muffled in his cloak "
mean ?

Why did the stranger keep his face covered ?

Read again to yourself the conversation be-
tween the old woman and the stranger.

If you play the part of Robert Bruce, how

will you speak and act when you tell the old

woman that you are the king ?

If you play the part of the mother, how will

you show the old woman's astonishment and

grief in learning that the lonely stranger is

indeed the king ?

Read to yourself the paragraph in which the

king tells that he has no followers.
How did his sad words make the old woman
feel ?

Was it a very great, noble, brave thing for her

to give her sons to the king ? Why ?

Read her words to the king and to her sons

and show by your reading how brave and good

she was .
 STUDYING THE STORY 229

When the young men knelt before the king,

they rested only on the right knee. Remember

this when you dramatize the story.

What is meant by " loyal followers " ?

How did the mother whisper , " It is the

English ! " ?
How did she throw her full weight against
the door ? Why ?

Did she not love her sons that she kept tell-
ing them to " fight for the king," to " protect
him to the last, " " if need be , to die for him " ?

Why did she tell her sons to guard the king

with their lives ?

Think how the young men caught up the

heavy staves and just how they stood in front of

the king. Plan how you will stand if you play

the part of either .

If you are the king, how will you act when

you tell the old woman to open the door ?

How will you greet the king, if you are
Edward Bruce or the Earl of Douglas ?

Read to yourself the paragraph which tells

the mother's last words to her sons. Before

reading, think how brave she was, how much

she must have loved her country , to talk thus to

her sons and send them perhaps to their deaths .

230 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

By lifting their bonnets taking off their

Scottish caps and saying, " For the king ! "

the young men meant that they would indeed

fight and, if need be, die for their king. How

then did they say these words ?

III

DRAMATIZING THE STORY , " FOR THE

KING "

Before dramatizing , your teacher will let you

choose parts and read the conversation in dia-
logue form, as you have done in other stories .

Think which part you would like to read .

When playing the story, be in earnest.
Remember you are taking the parts of real

people who really fought bravely and suffered

dreadfully for the love of their country. Act as

though you mean every word you speak .

When not speaking, act the parts. Show

how frightened and how brave the mother was,

how true and noble her sons were, how the king

was cheered by their kindness .

IV

TELLING THE STORY, " FOR THE KING "

WHY PUNCTUATION MARKS ARE USED 231

V.

WHY MARKS OF PUNCTUATION ARE USED

You have learned to use certain marks of

punctuation , the period, the comma, the

question mark, and quotation marks . You use

them because you have been told to use them

-
because others use them. But why should

any one use these marks ? Why did people ever

begin to use them ? Perhaps the following ex-

ercises will help you to answer these questions.

Here is an old rhyme :

Every lady in this land

Has twenty nails upon each hand
Five and twenty on hands and feet
And this is true without deceit.

"What nonsense ! you say . " It is not true ."

But read it now : -

Every lady in this land

Has twenty nails ; upon each hand
Five ; and twenty on hands and feet ;
And this is true without deceit.

Now the rhyme makes sense , is " true without

deceit ."

Why was it necessary to use marks of punctua-

tion in this rhyme ?
232 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Below you will find three sentences . The

same words are in each sentence , written in the

same order. Read them , and see if they all

have the same meaning .

1. John asked Tom, " Are you going to school ? "

2. John asked, " Tom , are you going to school ? "
3. " John," asked Tom, " are you going to school ? "

In which sentences does John ask a question ?

In which sentence does John say - Tom, are

you going to school ?

What tells you that John used these words in

that sentence ?

In which sentence does John say Are you

going to school ?

What tells you that John uses these words in

that sentence ?

In which sentence does Tom speak ?

What tells you that Tom is speaking in that

sentence ?
What does Tom say ?

You see the very same words may mean differ-

ent things if punctuated differently.
Now can you tell why writers must use marks

of punctuation ?

What use to the reader are marks of punctuation ?

 THE FOX AND THE GRAPES 233

VI

A FABLE TO STUDY AND COPY

The Fox and the Grapes

One day a fox spied a bunch of grapes high on a

vine.

" What a fine bunch of grapes ! " he cried. " Just

the thing to quench my thirst ! I will get it. "

He made a spring and a jump after the prize, but

could not reach it.

Then he walked away, saying, " I don't want those

grapes. They are sour."
ÆSOP.

When the fox saw the fine bunch of grapes,

he was surprised and delighted . He cried out,

or exclaimed :

"What a fine bunch of grapes ! Just the

thing to quench my thirst ! "

What mark is placed after these sentences ?

Sentences that show strong or sudden feeling

are called exclamatory sentences.

In the last paragraph of the fable you find the

word don't. This word is a shortening or con-

traction of do not. The o in not is left out, the

apostrophe is put in its place , and the two words

are written together as one.
234 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Copy the fable, " The Fox and the Grapes."

Copy every capital and every mark of punctua-

tion as it is given in your book. Tell yourself,

as you write each, just why it is used . As you

write each exclamation mark , say to yourself,

" There is an exclamation mark after this sen-

tence because it is an exclamatory sentence . "

Look over your copy very carefully after you

have finished it. It should be perfect. You

should not excuse yourself for even one mistake .

VII

WRITING FROM DICTATION

VIII

TELLING ORIGINAL FABLES

In the fable, " The Fox and the Grapes "

1. Some one sees something.

(The fox sees the bunch of grapes . )
2. He says something that shows he wants it.
(" What a fine bunch of grapes ! Just the
thing to quench my thirst ! I will get it.")
3. He tries to get it and fails .
(He made a spring and a jump, but could not
get it.)
4. He says something disagreeable about it.

(" I don't want those grapes. They are sour.")

 THE GIRL AND THE ROSE 235

Taking a story apart like this is called making

an outline of the story .

How many parts in the outline above ? You

may use the same outline in making up a fable

about The Girl and the Rose.

If you turn each of the four parts of the out-

line into a question about the girl and the rose,

you will have these questions : -

1. Where did a girl see a rose ?

2. What did she say that showed she wanted it ?
3. How did she try to get it and fail ?
4. What disagreeable thing did she say about it ?

Do not just answer the questions . Make a

story of your answers, something like this :

The Girl and the Rose

One day a girl saw a rose high up on a bush.

" What a lovely rose ! " she cried . " I will pick it
for mother."

She tried and tried to get the rose , but she could
not reach it.

At last she walked away , saying , " I don't want

that rose . It has too many thorns ."

Now tell a fable about The Cat and the Mouse.

1. Where did a cat see a mouse ?

2. What did the cat say that showed she wanted
the mouse ?
236 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

3. How did she try to get it, and why did she fail ?
4. What disagreeable thing did she say about the
mouse ?

Make up other fables with the following

titles . Be careful to follow the outline on page

234, changing only the names of the people .

How many parts will you have in your fable ?

What will each part tell ?

The Boy and the Butterfly

The Fox and the Goose
The Hawk and the Chicken
The Lamb and the Clover
The Cat and the Goldfish
The Mouse and the Cheese

IX

WRITING ORIGINAL FABLES

Read over carefully the fable, " The Fox and

the Grapes ."

Choose a title from the list given in the last

lesson , or take a title that you have thought of
yourself, and write a fable that teaches the same

lesson as the fable, " The Fox and the Grapes. "
Make your fable short.

Use capital letters in the right places.

 CONTRACTIONS 237

Remember the quotation marks and all other

marks of punctuation .
When you have finished, read your fable over

carefully, and correct any mistakes you have made

before handing it to your teacher.

CONTRACTIONS

Don't Doesn't

In the last paragraph of " The Fox and the

Grapes," you found the word don't. You

learned that don't was a contraction or shortening

of do not.

Don't always means do not. It should never

be used for does not. The contraction for does

not is doesn't.

It is correct to say " I don't know," for that

means " I do not know." It is not correct to

say " He don't know," for you would not say

"He do not know."

Read the following sentences, which are all

correct.

I do not know. I don't know .

You do not know. - You don't know.
We do not know. ― We don't know .
238 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

-
They do not know . They don't know .
He does not know. He doesn't know.
She does not know. ― She doesn't know.

Copy the following sentences, filling in the

blanks with ~ don't or doesn't. Before writing

ask yourself, " Is it correct in this sentence to

use do not or does not ? " If you should say do

not, write don't. If you should say does not,

write doesn't.

The Family Vacation

"I know where we shall go for our vacation ,"

said Mr. White. 'My wife like the mountains .
My son want to go to the country. My
daughter care to go to the seashore. We

find it easy to make our plans."

XI

A CONTRACTION THAT IS ALWAYS WRONG

There is one contraction used by some people

that should never be used . That is ain't. It
is wrong - always wrong to use this word .

There are no words that make ain't when con-

tracted . There is only one thing to do with

this word, and that is to drop it entirely from
your speech.
 A CONTRACTION THAT IS WRONG 239

The following contractions may be used, but

ain't may never be used.

I am not. I'm not .

You are not. You're not or you aren't.
He is not . —— He's not or he isn't .
We are not. We're not or we aren't.

They are not. They're not or they aren't.

Do you ever use ain't for any of the con-

tractions given above ? If so, copy on a piece
of paper the five pairs of sentences above and
read them over several times a day.
Copy the nine sentences below and write
form . Make no
opposite each a contracted
two alike . For example, if you write for the

second sentence , You aren't going, you should

write for the third, You're not going. Study the
contractions above to be sure you are right.

Arrange your work like this : -

1. I am not going. I'm not going.

2. You are not going . You aren't going.
3. You are not going.
4. He is not going.
5. He is not going.
6. We are not going.
7. We are not going.
8. They are not going.
9. They are not going.
240 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Write nine sentences ending with cold and

nine ending with afraid, using the same con-
tractions, like this, -

I'm not cold. I'm not afraid.

You aren't cold . You aren't afraid .

XII

THE EXCLAMATION MARK

In studying the story , "What Frightened

the Animals," and the fable, " The Fox and

the Grapes, " we learned that the exclamation

mark ( ! ) is used after words that express strong

or sudden feeling, as surprise, joy, fear, anger,

grief.
Read the following sentences carefully . See

just where each exclamation mark is used . Tell

yourself why each is used . Your teacher will
dictate these sentences to you . Be prepared to

give her a perfect paper.

The Circus Parade

Down the street came the circus parade . The

children stood on the porch to see it pass.
"Here it comes ! " cried Harry .

" See the big elephant ! " screamed Tom.

" What funny little monkeys ! " shouted Will .
 1964.
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242 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

" And do look at the clown ! " exclaimed Harry.

" Hurrah ! hurrah ! " called Dick.

XIII

WRITING EXCLAMATIONS

A regiment of soldiers is marching down

the street .

Write three exclamations that the people

watching them may use .

Write three quick , sharp orders that the offi-

cers might give their men.
Remember what mark is placed after all ex-
clamations .

XIV

PICTURE STORIES

There are many stories told of travel to

strange places in strange ways. One of the best
books of this sort is " The Wonderful Adventures

of Nils," by Selma Lagerlöf. It tells of the ex-

periences of a Swedish boy who traveled many,
many miles on the back of a goose . Hans

Andersen tells the story of a man who traveled

in a magic trunk . Other stories of travel in

strange ways are “ The Little Lame Prince, ” by

Mrs. Craik , and " At the Back of the North
 u

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243
244 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Wind," by George Macdonald . If you have not

read these stories, you will enjoy reading them,

or at least one of them , while you write stories
from the next three pictures.

Here you have pictures of a little boy who

had strange adventures traveling on the back of

a fish ( p. 241 ) ; of another who journeyed to

Beastland with a great bear in an airship (p . 243 ) ;

and of a third who visited strange lands on the

back of a sea gull ( p. 245 ).

Choose which picture you wish , and tell the

story it tells you . Think the story through .
Then write it.
If you wish, you may make one long story

about a little boy who had all three journeys –

the one on the fish, the one on the gull , and

the one in the airship .

XV

THE DUMB SOLDIER

When the grass was closely mown ,

Walking on the lawn alone ,
In the turf a hole I found,
And hid a soldier underground .

Spring and daisies came apace ;

Grasses hide my hiding place ;
 LA

ADA
BUDELL

245
246 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Grasses run like a green sea

O'er the lawn up to my knee.

Under grass alone he lies,

Looking up with leaden eyes,

Scarlet coat and pointed gun,
To the stars and to the sun .

When the grass is ripe like grain ,

When the scythe is stoned again ,
When the lawn is shaven clear,
Then my hole shall reappear.

I shall find him, never fear,

I shall find my grenadier ;
But for all that's gone and come,
I shall find my soldier dumb.

He has lived , a little thing,

In the grassy woods of spring ;
Done, if he could tell me true,
Just as I should like to do .

He has seen the starry hours ,

And the springing of the flowers ;

And the fairy things that pass
In the forests of the grass .

In the silence he has heard

Talking bee and ladybird ,

And the butterfly has flown
O'er him as he lay alone .
 THE DUMB SOLDIER 247

Not a word will he disclose ,

Not a word of all he knows.
I must lay him on the shelf,
And make up the tale myself.
-ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON .

Why did Robert Louis Stevenson hide his

soldier in a hole in the ground ? Read the
third and fourth lines in the sixth stanza .

All the time that the soldier was under-

ground, do you not think that the little boy,

Robert Louis Stevenson , was dreaming of all

the things the soldier was seeing and hearing ?

Was he not longing to stay out- of-doors, to see

and hear the very same things for himself?

Read the seventh stanza . What things does
this stanza tell us that the soldier might have
seen ? Robert Louis Stevenson loved the stars ;

but he was seldom allowed to sit up late to see

them , because he was not a strong child. Can

you not see him lying in bed on starlight nights ,

and thinking how happy his soldier must be,

out in the grass , looking up at the shining stars
through the long hours of the night ?
What were the " fairy things that passed in
the forests of the grass " ? How large were

these fairies ? Think , the grass looked like a

248 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

forest to them — each blade of grass a forest tree.

What did these " fairy things " say to the sol-

dier ? What did they do all the long night ?

Read the eighth stanza . What strange things
did the soldier hear ? What might the ladybird

and the bee and the butterfly talk about ?

Read the last stanza. When the boy brings

his soldier into the house again , will the soldier

tell him all he has seen and heard ? Stevenson

says he " must make up the story himself," and

so may you make up the soldier's story.

XVI

THE LOST DOLL

I once had a sweet little doll , dears ,

The prettiest doll in the world ;
Her cheeks were so red and white, dears,
And her hair was so charmingly curled .
But I lost my poor little doll , dears ,
As I played on the heath one day ;
And I cried for her more than a week, dears ,
But I never could find where she lay .

I found my poor little doll , dears,

As I played on the heath one day ;
Folks say she is terribly changed , dears,
For her paint is all washed away.
 WRITING THE STORIES 249

And her arms trodden off by the cows, dears,

And her hair not the least bit curled ;
Yet for old sakes ' sake , she is still , dears,
The prettiest doll in the world.
-CHARLES KINGSLEY.

Who is speaking in this poem ?

To whom is she speaking ?
How is this poem like " The Dumb Soldier " ?

The little boy left his soldier out- of- doors for
a reason . Did the little girl mean to leave her
doll on the heath ?

While the soldier was underground, was the

little boy unhappy about him ? What was he

thinking all the time ?

How did the little girl feel about her doll ?

What happened to the doll while she was lost ?

Was the little girl glad to find her doll ?

Did she love her doll still ? Why ?

XVII

WRITING THE STORIES, " THE DUMB

SOLDIER " AND " THE LOST DOLL ”

To the Boys.- The little boy put his toy

soldier on the shelf. Perhaps after the boy was

fast asleep in bed , the toy soldier told the other

toy soldiers who lay near him all that happened

to him while he was hidden away in the

1
250 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

ground . You may

think just what he told,
and write the Dumb Soldier's own story.
- You may write the story of
To the Girls.

the doll .Pretend you are the doll ; tell how you
felt when you were lost ; what happened to you ;
how you felt when the little girl found you.

XVIII

WRITING TRUE STORIES

( 1 ) Did you ever lose anything ?

What ? When ? Where ?
Did you ever find what you lost ?

(2 ) Did you ever find anything that some one

else had lost ?

What ? Where ? What did you do with it ?

(3 ) Did you ever hide anything ?

What ? Where ? Why ? What became of it ?
Write a story from one of the above sets of

questions. Remember it must be a true story .

If you have never lost, found , or hidden any-

thing, write on one of the following subjects : —

(1) Of all the things you own , which would

you feel most sorry to lose ? Why ?

(2 ) What would you like
like most
most to find ?

Why ? What would you do with it ?

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

MAKING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE

(A lesson to be studied with your teacher .)

You remember you had an outline to help you

make the little fable like the fable of " The Fox
""
and the Grapes . Here is an outline for a new

story.
A Daring Rescue

PARAGRAPH I. A large house on fire ; firemen

think everybody has been saved .
PARAGRAPH II. A little child appears in the attic
window ; child calls to his mother.
ons
PARAGRAPH III . Every one looks up ; exclamati
of horror.
PARAGRAPH IV. Brave fireman mounts a ladder ; is
driven back by smoke.
PARAGRAPH V. Mother rushes into burning build-
ing ; onlookers cry out that she is lost.
PARAGRAPH VI . Mother staggers out ; baby in her
arms ; saved.

Tell the whole story.

In telling such a story as this , many excl-

251
252 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

mations and contractions can be used, for we use

contractions and exclamations when we are

hurried or excited .

II

WRITING A STORY FROM AN OUTLINE

Write the story, " A Daring Rescue, " from

the outline given in the last lesson .

Before writing one word of the first paragraph

think out all the words you are going to use.

Before writing the second and third para-

graphs, think what the child will call to his
mother ; what the people will say when they
see the child . What kind of mark will you

place after these sentences ?

Before writing the fifth paragraph think

what words the people will use when they cry
out that the mother is lost, will be burned to
death . Remember the right mark to place
after these cries.

After you have finished writing, read your

story through carefully. See if you have

written it so that others may see the story just

as you had it in your mind when you wrote.

Have you used capitals and marks of punc-

tuation in the right places ?
 THE KING'S DREAM 253

Remember that the correct use of capitals

and marks of punctuation helps your readers to

understand your meaning .

III

THE KING'S DREAM

One night a king had a strange dream that troubled

him greatly. Next morning he sent for the wisest
men in the land . When they entered the great hall

of the castle , they saw the king seated on his throne

looking very sad. The wise men bowed low before
the king, then waited to hear what he had to say.
For some moments the king sat without speaking.
Then in a sad voice he said : " Last night I had a
strange dream. I dreamed that all my teeth fell out
of my mouth. I am afraid the dream means that some
great evil is to befall me."
The wise men looked at one another and nodded

their heads, but no one spoke.

" Speak ! " cried the king. " Can none of you tell

me the meaning of my dream ? "

Then one wise man stepped forward, and , bowing
low before the king, spoke. " O most unhappy king,
your dream has a sad , sad meaning ! It means that
all your relations - your mother, your brother, your
sister, and your wife - will die and leave you all
alone in the world ."
When the king heard these words, he felt very sad
254 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

for a moment. Then he grew angry at the wise man

who had read his dream in this way.

" How dare you tell me such sad news ! " he cried
in a great rage . " I do not believe you ! I do not
believe that you are a wise man !
" Soldiers, take this man away and give him a
hundred lashes ! "

The soldiers hurried the poor man away. Then the

king turned to the other wise men and said, " Now,
who will tell me the true meaning of my dream ?
The wise men were frightened , for all knew that
the first wise man had read the dream truly . So they
stood silent before the king.

' Speak, or you lose your heads ! " cried the angry
king.
Then the oldest man stepped forward, and, bowing
low before the king , said : “ Be of good cheer, most
fortunate king ! Your dream promises you much hap-
piness. For many years you shall live to rule over
your people. You will be blessed with long life and
health. You will live longer than any of your
kindred ."
The king's face grew bright with smiles. " That is
a good reading of my dream , ” he cried . " O wise

man, here are one hundred gold pieces for telling me

so happy a fortune ! "
Why," whispered one wise man to another, " that
is just what the first wise man said. He received one
hundred lashes, while this man receives one hundred
pieces of gold."
 THE KING'S DREAM 255

" True," answered the other, " but, my friend, there

are more ways than one of telling a thing."
A STORY FROM INDIA.

Did both wise men tell the king the same

thing ?

Which wise man spoke of the sad part of the

meaning of the dream ?

Of what part did the second wise man speak ?

Was it fair to punish one man and reward

another for telling the same thing ? Why do
you think this was fair or unfair ?

In dramatizing the story, think how many

wise men you will have . If you are one of the
wise men, how will you bow low before the

king ? If you are the king, how will you show

that you feel sad ?

Where will you have your soldiers stand ?
How many soldiers will you have ?

Just how will you say this : " How dare

you tell me such sad news ? I don't believe

you ! I don't believe you are a wise man ! "

How will your voice change when you speak

to the soldiers ? When you ask the other wise

men to tell you the true meaning of your dream ?

When you praise and reward the oldest wise man ?

If you are the first wise man, how will you

256 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

tell the king the meaning of his dream ? Re-

member, the king spoke sadly. How will you

look when the king is angry with you , and orders

the soldiers to give you one hundred lashes ?

What did the wise men mean when they

looked at one another and nodded their heads ?

Read the second paragraph before answering.

How did the other wise men act after the

first had been sent away with the soldiers ?

If you are the oldest wise man, how will

you tell the king the meaning of his dream ?

Remember, the oldest wise man tried to make
the king glad .
If you are the king, how will you change

while the oldest man speaks ? How will you

speak when you reward the wise man ?

In the next to the last paragraph when one

wise man speaks to another, did the first want

the king to hear what he said ? Then how did

he speak ? How did his friend answer him ?

IV

DRAMATIZING " THE KING'S DREAM "

ORAL REPRODUCTION OF " THE KING'S

DREAM "
 DATES 257

VI

DATES

Read over the following dates : —

Jan. 3 , 1910. May 3 , 1617.

July 4 , 1776 . Feb. 6, 1904 .

Dec. 21 , 1886 . Aug. 5 , 1882 .

March 5 , 1714 . Oct. 12, 1492 .

June 14, 1775. April 1, 1901.

Sept. 9 , 1492 . Nov. 25, 1664.

Which months are written in full ?

Is there any mark of punctuation after the

names of these months ?

For which months are the abbreviations given ?

What mark is placed after every abbreviation ?

What mark is placed after the number of the

day in each month ?

What mark is placed after the number of the

year in each date ?
Close your book and write a date for each

month in any year you wish.

Remember ( 1 ) the name of each month be-

gins with a capital letter ; ( 2 ) there is a period

after every
abbreviation ; ( 3 ) there is a comma
after every number that tells the day of the

month ; (4 ) there is a period after every com-

plete date.
258 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

VII

WRITING DATES FROM DICTATION

VIII

TOM'S LETTER

As Tom Allen was on his way to school one day,

he was struck by an automobile. His leg was broken
and his head badly cut. For days he had to lie abed .
One morning Mother came into his room . "Here

is something the postman left for you ," she said, as she
tossed a letter into Tom's lap.
Tom picked up the white envelope and read : -

Mr. Thomas E. Allen

25 Walnut St.

Louisville

Ky.

"Why, Mother, this letter can't be for me," he said.

"No one calls me Thomas and no one calls me Mister."
" No," answered Mother, " we all call you Tom , but
 TOM'S LETTER 259

whenever we write an address on an envelope, we write

the proper name of our friend and write Mr. or Mrs.
or Miss before it. I think the letter must belong to

you. Open it and see who has written to you."

Tom cut along one edge of the envelope and drew
out a carefully folded letter which he at once opened .
CC
Why, Mother, it is from Cousin Dick ! " he cried .
"Come and read it with me. "

So Mother and Tom read together this letter : —

Harrisburg, Ill.,
May 9, 1912.
Dear Tom,
a
Mother has just read Aunt Helen's letter to me. I m
sorry to hear of your accident. Do write and tell me just
how it happened.
Mother is writing to Aunt Helen asking her to bring you
here as soon as you can travel. I do hope you will come.
There are so many things I want to show you and so many
things I want to do with you.
In the first place, you shall see all my pets. They are
Rover, my dog, Mrs. White and her three kittens, old Molly
and her calf, Tim and Jim, the horses, and about a hundred
chickens.
Father lets me drive Jim , so you and I will have some
long drives. I have a new boat, and we will go rowing and
fishing. I have just learned to swim . Can you swim,
Tom ? Ifyou can, what fun we will have ! Ifyou can't, i
will teach you.
Do hurry and get well and come to see
Your loving cousin,
Dick Brown.
260 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

" What a jolly letter ! " cried Tom. " It makes me

feel well just to think of the good times I can have

with Dick ! You will take me, Mother ! Won't you,
please ?'
" We will see ," answered Mother. " I will talk it
over with Father and tell you to-morrow morning."

Why did Tom think Dick's letter was a jolly

one ?

Would you like to get such a letter ?

How did Dick know of Tom's accident ?

Who is Aunt Helen ?

What is the very first thing Dick has written

in his letter ?

What does Harrisburg, Ill. , tell us ?

Why is it necessary to write the place, or ad-

dress of the writer , at the top of a letter ?

In writing the address at the top of a letter,

the writer should tell just where he lives so that

the one who gets the letter may know just where

to send the answer to the letter. Dick lives in

a little village , so he has to tell only the name

of the village and the name of the state . But

if one lives in a city, he must give the number

of his house and the name of the street as well

as the name of the city and the name of the

state or country in which he lives. Then in-
 LETTER HEADINGS 261

stead of writing the address on one line, as Dick

Brown wrote

Harrisburg, Ill. ,

the address is written on two lines, like this :

424 Broadway,
Oakland, Cal..

In the address at the top of Dick's letter, how

many commas are used ? Where is each placed ?

Why did he use a period after Ill. ?

You know how to write dates .

The address and the date are called the head-

ing of the letter . The heading is written at the

right, about an inch or an inch and a half from
the top of the page.

Here are two letter headings ; look carefully

at capitals, commas, and periods.

( FORM I ) Princeton, N. J.,

June 3, 1911.

( FORM II) 368 Jefferson Ave.,

Detroit, Mich.,
Aug. 4, 1910.

Princeton begins with a capital because

N.J. are capitals because

What other capitals are used ? Why ?

Where are periods and commas used ? Why ?
 1

262 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

IX

TOM'S LETTER (CONTINUED)

Tom could hardly wait till the next morning to

hear what his parents should decide about his visit to
Dick.
All day he kept Dick's letter near him . He read
it over and over. He thought of how he would tell
Dick of his accident. He tried to picture Dick's
home and all his pets .
" I hope Rover is a big dog," he said . " I wonder

where Mrs. White and her kittens live . I hope that

Dick will let me milk Molly and sometimes drive
Jim. I can row, so I know he will let me row often.
How I love rowing and fishing ! I do hope I can go
swimming, but I am afraid I can't.”
So all day long Tom kept thinking and wishing,
and all night long he dreamed of having fine times in
Harrisburg .

When he awoke, Mother was standing by his bed .

" O Mother, tell me ' yes ' quickly ! " cried Tom.
"Yes !" said Mother. ་་
Just as soon as you can
travel, we will go ."
" Hurrah ! hurrah ! " shouted Tom . " O Mother,
may I write to Dick and tell him the good news ? "
" Yes, as soon as you have had breakfast," an-
swered Mother.
After Tom had finished breakfast and Mother had

made him comfortable with pillows at his back, she

 TOM'S LETTER 263

brought him a little lap desk and some paper and his
father's fountain pen . Tom wanted to begin at once,
but Mother said : " Wait a minute. Let us be sure

you know just what you want to say."

" O Mother, I do know just what I want to say,"
cried Tom . " I want to say that I am going to Harris-

burg, and I want to tell Dick all about my accident,

""
and —
" There, there ! " said Mother. "Think before

you write one word . You want to tell Dick all your
news, I know. But you want to write as fine a letter
""
as he wrote to you. Don't you ?
" Yes, Mother," answered Tom . " Do you think
I can ? "

" Yes , if you try . Look at Dick's letter. What

is the first thing he has written ? "

" The heading," answered Tom . " I learned all
about that in school ."

"Well, think just how you are going to write your

heading.
" Now what does Dick write next ? "
"Dear Tom, " answered Tom, “ and he has a comma
after Tom. So I will write Dear Dick and place a
comma after Dick ."

" Read the first paragraph in Dick's letter, " said

Mother. "What does he want you to do ? "

" Tell him just how I got hurt," answered Tom .

" So I will tell him that the first thing."

" What will you tell him next ? " asked Mother.
" I will thank him for his invitation and I will tell
264 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

him that as soon as I can I am coming to see him. I

will tell him I want to see all his pets, and I will ask
him if Rover is a big dog, and where Mrs. White and
her kittens live, and I will ask him if I can milk Molly
and drive Jim . I will tell him that I like to row and
- "
fish, but —
" But what, my son ?"
" I shall have to tell him that I can't swim this
summer. But next summer when my leg is quite
strong I will show him how I can swim and dive."
" Good," answered Mother, " if you tell all that, I
am sure Dick will like your letter as much as you like
his. Now I will leave you to write. See how Dick
has ended his letter, and end yours in the same way.
When you have finished, call me and I will tell
you whether your letter is good enough to send .”
" It will be," answered Tom, " for I am going to
do my best. I will write Dick's address on the enve-
lope, too. I know how to do it. I shall look at my
letter from Dick ."

TOM ANSWERS HIS LETTER

Tom did his best to make his letter to Dick a good

one. He wrote the heading in the right place and
had all the periods and commas and capitals right.
He began the letter, Dear Dick, and remembered to
put the comma after Dick . He told Dick all the

things he wanted him to know and was careful to use

 THE FOX AND THE CROW 265

capitals and periods where they were needed, and he

spelled all the words correctly . He thanked Dick for
his invitation and said he would be glad to visit him .
He ended his letter just as Dick had ended his .
Mother said it was a good letter, and she posted it at
once.

You may play you are Tom . Write the let-

ter just as you think Tom wrote it. Your

teacher will be Tom's mother and tell you if

your letter is good enough to send .

XI

WRITING A LETTER TO A FRIEND

XII

ANSWERING A FRIEND'S LETTER

XIII

A FABLE TO STUDY

The Fox and the Crow

A crow who had stolen a piece of cheese flew with

it to a high tree. A hungry fox saw the cheese and
made up his mind to get it.
"Dear Mrs. Crow, how beautiful your feathers are!
How bright your eyes are ! " he said. "Will you
please sing for me ? "
The silly crow was pleased with the fox's words .
266 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

She opened her mouth to sing . Down dropped the

cheese ! The fox quickly swallowed it.
<<
Ah, Mrs. Crow, your wits are not as bright as
your eyes," he said . " Never listen to flatterers."

Read this fable over carefully. Tell yourself

just why every capital and every mark of punc-

tuation is used.

XIV

WRITING THE FABLE FROM DICTATION

XV

MAKING NEW FABLES

In the fable, " The Fox and the Crow,"

what lesson is taught ?

In the first paragraph some one (the fox) wants to

get something (the cheese) that another (the crow) has.
In the second paragraph he tries to get it by flatter-
ing the one who holds it, so that she will let go.
In the third paragraph the flattered one loses the
prize.
In the fourth paragraph the flatterer gives advice.
Now let us make some fables that teach the

same lesson . Let us keep them short like the

one we have studied .

Read over the outlines for the fables given,

and make up your mind which you will tell .

 MAKING NEW FABLES 267

Think it out very carefully so that you can tell

it right off without waiting .

(a)
The Kingfisher and the Cat
FIRST PARAGRAPH . The kingfisher catches a fine
fish and flies with it to a tall tree. A hungry cat sees
the fish and plans to get it.
SECOND PARAGRAPH . Cat says : " What lovely
What a
feathers you have ! What crest !!
fine crest
a fine I know your
voice is sweet . Please sing to me."
THIRD PARAGRAPH . Kingfisher is flattered, opens
his bill to sing. What happens ?
FOURTH PARAGRAPH . Cat says , " You can catch

fish better than you can keep them . It is foolish to

listen to flatterers ."

(b)
The Bear and the Wolf

Bear catches lamb ; wolf plans to get it ; praises

bear's teeth ; asks to see them ; what happens ?

(c)
The Owl and the Cat

Owl has mouse ; how does cat get it ?

(d)
The Squirrel and the Blue Jay

Squirrel has nut in his mouth ; how does Blue Jay

get it?
268 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

(e)
The Rabbit and the Goat

Rabbit has carrot ; how can goat get it ?

The Weasel and the Fox

Weasel has chicken ; how does fox get it ?

XVI

WRITING A FABLE

Use one of the outlines for fables given in the

last lesson, or make up a title of your own, and
write a fable from it. Remember your fable
must teach that it is foolish to listen to flatterers.

It must be short ; it must have four paragraphs .

Before writing, read over again the fable of

the Fox and the Crow . When you are writing
your fable, you may look back at the fable of the

Fox and the Crow whenever you are not sure

how to write or punctuate any sentence .

After you have finished, read your fable over

carefully to see that you have begun every sen-

tence with a capital letter, that you have com-
mas, periods, question marks, exclamation marks,

and quotation marks in the right places.

 AMERICA 269

XVII

AMERICA

My country , ' tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing ;
Land where my fathers died ,
Land of the pilgrims ' pride ,
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring !

My native country , thee,

Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love ;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills ;
My heart with rapture thrills ,
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze ,

And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song ;
Let mortal tongues awake ,
Let all that breathe partake ,
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong .

Our fathers' God, to Thee,

Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing ;
270 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Long may our land be bright

With freedom's holy light.
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King !
-S. F. SMITH .

This is one of our national songs, our country's

hymn . It should be known by every man ,

woman, boy, and girl in America . When it is

sung, or when the music is played , every one

should rise at once to his feet. In most lands,

when the national song is sung, men and boys

take off their hats, even on the coldest days, and

keep them off until the last word has been sung.
It is not enough to know the words of this

song ; you must know the meaning as well .

Read the first three lines of the poem . Το

whom are you speaking ? " The comma after

country tells you that you are speaking to your

country. My country, it is of you that I sing ;

this is the meaning of the words .

My country, ' tis of thee,

Of thee I sing.

What is meant by Sweet land ofliberty ?

Are the people in all lands free ?

 AMERICA 271

Who were the Pilgrims ? Were they free in

England ? Why did they come to America ?

Did they find freedom here ? Why were the

Pilgrims proud of this land ?
The first line in the second stanza means,

You are my native country ; that is, I was born

in this country .

The second and third lines mean, You are the

land of the noble free, I love your name .

What else do I , do you, love ? You can tell

by reading the next two lines .

In the early days of our land the meeting

house or church or temple was often built on

the top of a hill . This was partly that the
people might watch out for the Indians. Often

a cannon was placed on top of the church , which

was sometimes the fort of the little settlement.

For this and other reasons, the churches so often

were built on hills that a stranger visiting New

England once said :

" In the centre of every New England village is a

hill , and on the top of every hill is a little white church . ”

This may be what is meant by templed hills.

In the third stanza read the last four lines .

Let mortal tongues awake means let all the people

join in singing of their country.
272 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

Let all that breathe partake means let all who

are alive take part in the song of praise. This
may include even the singing of the birds.

Let rocks their silence break ,

The sound prolong !

means that the very rocks must send back the

echo of the great song, repeating it over and

over, and so prolonging, or making it longer .

In the last stanza , to Whom are you singing ?

Our fathers' God means the God who brought the

Pilgrims and all those who wanted freedom, the
fathers and the grandfathers, across the ocean to
this new land offreedom.
In the last stanza we find capitals used for
a new reason . All names that mean God are

written with capitals. In the first line , what

word means God, and is therefore written with

a capital ? What word in the second line ? In

the third ? In the sixth ? In the last line ?
Read the first stanza over carefully. See

where capitals are used and what marks of punc-

tuation are used, and where . Then close your

book and say it to yourself.

In the same way study every stanza . Re-

member every one in this land should be able

to say every word of this song correctly.

 ADA
BUDELL

273
274 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

XVIII

WRITING " AMERICA " FROM MEMORY

Read over the first stanza of " America ," then

close your book and write it from memory .

After you have finished, open your book and see

if you have written it exactly as it is given in
the book ; if not, correct your mistakes.

In the same way read and write and correct

your writing of the other stanzas.

XIX

PICTURE STORIES

Write the story that the picture on page 273

tells to you .

Tell what the children were doing at the

shore ; how the boat with the little girl happened

to drift away ; why she cannot row back.

What will happen if she is not rescued ? See

what the boy is pointing at. Will the child be

saved ? By whom ? How ?

XX

MORE PICTURE STORIES

Write the story you find in this picture.

 田

田
000

ADA
BUDELL
A
'

275
 CHAPTER TWELVE

SOME STORIES AND RHYMES

1. The Proud Crow

A CROW found some peacock feathers. He stuck

them among his own feathers . Then he went to see

the peacocks. They flew at him and pecked him .

He was glad to fly away.

2. The Crow and the Pitcher

A thirsty crow saw a pitcher with a little water in it.

He could not reach the water. He threw stones into

the pitcher. This made the water rise to the top.

"Then the crow drank his fill.

3. The Golden Eggs

A man once owned a queer goose. Every day she

laid an egg of gold . The man thought she must be
full of gold . He wanted it all at once, so he killed
the goose. Do you think he found any gold ? He
did not find one bit . He wished he had not been so

greedy.
4. The First Fountain

Once there was a little girl who liked to play in the

water . One day she found a little stream . She
276
 SOME STORIES AND RHYMES 277

jumped up and down in it. A little voice called to her

from the ground . She tried to run away, but she
could not. Her hair became little streams of water.

What do you think had happened ? A fairy had

changed her into a pretty fountain . a

5. The Old Woman who lived in a Shoe

There was an old woman

Who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children

She didn't know what to do .

6. Little Bo-Peep

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,

And cannot tell where to find them.
Leave them alone and they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them .

7. Tommy Tucker's Dog

Dog : Bow, wow, wow !

Man: Whose dog art thou ?
Dog : Little Tommy Tucker's dog.
Bow, wow, wow !

8. The Little Pigs

This little pig went to market.

This little pig stayed at home.
This little pig had roast beef.
This little pig had none.
This little pig said , " I can't find my way home."
 278 FIRST LANGUAGE BOOK

9. Little Jack Horner

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner , eating a Christmas pie .
He put in his thumb and pulled out
a plum and said,
What a great boy am I ! "

10. The Wolf and the Goat

One day a wolf saw a goat on a high rock. The

goat was eating the grass there.
" That grass is short and dry," said the wolf.
" Come down here where the grass is long and tender .”
" Thank you ," said the goat . "I shall stay here.
It is better to eat dry grass than to be eaten by a wolf."

11. The Boys and the Frog

Some boys were throwing stones into a frog pond.
The stones hit some of the frogs and killed them. A
wise old frog popped his head out of the water .
" Please don't throw stones , boys ," he said . “I
know it is only sport to you.
But do you know it is
death to us ? "

12. The First Forget-me-not

God gave every little flower a name .

Then He said, " Blossom and make the earth beau-
tiful."

Next day one little flower came back . Her eyes

were soft and blue . They were full of tears. She
looked into the Father's face .

" Dear God, I have forgotten my name, " she said .

The Father smiled and said, " Forget me not."
BOOK

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