My Storytime Treasury 3999902471

Table of contents :
Answer to a child's question / Samuel Taylor Coleridge -- At Christmas play / Thomas Tusser -- The Bee, the mouse and the bum-clock / Irish -- A Belgian morning / Emile Cammaerts -- Belling the cat / Aesop -- The Boaster / Aesop -- The Bird's convention / Aristophanes -- A Bohemian evening / Czech nursery rhyme -- The Bow that bridges Heaven / Christina Rossetti -- Building the bridge / Russian -- The City mouse and the country mouse / Aesop -- The Clucking hen / from Aunt Effie's tales -- The Cock, the mouse and the little red hen / Felicite Le Fevre -- Come little leaves / George Cooper -- Dame Wiggins of Lee / M. Sharpe & J. Ruskin -- The Dancing monkeys / Aesop -- Dawlish fair / John Keats -- Donkey and the lap dog / Aesop -- An Explanation of the grasshopper / Vachel Lindsay -- The Foolish, timid little hare -- A German evening / Wilhelm Schiller -- The Gingerbread man / New England -- The Goldfinch / Odell Shepard -- Grasshopper green -- The Hare and the tortoise / Aesop -- Heap on more wood / Sir Walter Scott -- How the Brazilian beetles got their gorgeous coats / Elsie Spicer Eells -- How the finch got her colors / Flemish -- I heard the bells on Christmas / Longfellow -- Jack Frost / Gabriel Setoun -- Johnny & the three goats / Norse -- Late / Josephine Peabody -- Laughing song / William Blake -- The Lion and the mouse / Aesop -- The Little dog waltz / Story of Chopin -- The Little engine that could -- The Little gray pony / Maud Lindsay -- Little Gustava / Celia Thaxter -- Little Hansworst / Dutch puppet show -- The Little rabbit who wanted red wings / American -- The Little red hen and the grain of wheat / English -- The Little rooster and the little hen / Czech -- The Magpie's nest / English -- Monkeys / James Whitcomb Riley -- The Night before Christmas / Clement Moore -- Noah's ark / Bible -- Nonsense rhymes / Edward Lear -- Nurse's song / William Blake -- Oeyvind and Marit / Bjornstjerne Bjornsen -- Old shellover / Walter De la Mare -- Ole Shut Eyes, the Sandman / Hans Christian Andersen -- Over in the meadow / Olive A. Wadsworth -- The Owl and the pussycat / Edward Lear -- Please give me a ride on your back / Edward Lear -- Poems by Christina Rossetti -- The Poor old lady / Rafael Pombo -- Precocious piggy / Thomas Hood -- The Purple cow / Gelett Burgess -- Reen-reen-reeny-croak-frog / Rafael Pombo -- The Right time to laugh / Australian -- The Rooster and the sultan / Hungarian -- Russian rhymes -- School is over / Kate Greenaway -- The Sheep and the pig that made a home / Norse -- Snow / Mary Mapes Dodge -- A Song for Easter / Olive Beaupre Miller -- The Song of Solomon -- The Song of the bee / old jingle -- The Song of the flea / Berlioz -- The Star / Jane Taylor -- The Strange adventures of Baron Munchausen -- Sugar plum tree / Eugene Field -- A Swedish evening / Gustaf Froding -- The Tale of Nutcracker / Tchaikowsky -- The Teddy bear's picnic / John Bratton -- Ten little Indians -- There was an old man with a beard / Edward Lear -- The Turtle that could not stop talking / East Indian -- Two birds and their nest / Walt Whitman -- The Two crabs / Aesop -- The Ugly duckling / Hans Christian Andersen -- Uncle Mitya's horse / Leo N. Tolstoy -- Wee Robin's Christmas song / attributed to Robert Burns -- Whiskey Frisky -- A Winky-tooden song / James Whitcomb Riley -- Wynken, Blynken, and Nod / Eugene Field

Citation preview

MY STORYTIME

TREASURY

Stories Hans Christian Andersen

and Poems from •

John Keats William Blake Samuel Taylor Coleridge •

Aesop

•

Walt Whitman

Vachel Lindsay

•

•

Edward Lear

•

•

•

Leo Tolstoy

Christina Rossetti Sir Walter Scott

Mr

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2014

https://archive.org/details/storytimetreasurOOoliv

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

EDITED BY

OLIVE BEAUPRE MILLER

Houghton

Mifflin

Company

Boston 1991

COPYRIGHT

r

I920, I92I, I925, 1928,

1932, 1934, I936, 1937, 1950, I956 BY

Olive Beaupre Miller copyright



lings trailing along

"A

J\

i

behind her.

family,

fine

Duck/' clucked the

"Oh, but look terribly ugly duckling!'

quacked

'

a pert little

Madame chickens.

at that

one

Mr. Duck. And

he flew at the poor little creature and began to peck and bite him.

"Let him be!" said Mother Duck.

"He's so queer,

Mr. Duck. Then

I

all

"He

is

doing no harm."

have to whack him!" said pert

little

the chickens and geese, the other ducks

and the turkeys began to notice strange, little duckling

and they

all

how

ugly was that one

began to peck and bite

him, to push him around the yard, and make fun of his queer appearance.

The Turkey Cock after

puffed himself up and went

him, "Gobble, gobble!" Even the

own brothers and sisters pecked him. They bit him and shoved him around until he was at his wit's

little

duck's

end. Then, one day,

when all

the barn-

yard was chasing and pestering him,

he flew over the hedge and away. 132

THE UGLY DUCKLING He

half ran and half flew until he was

he settled down

in a marsh.

there were wild ducks to

"What

certainly frightfully ugly!" his face

and

By and came

left

him

by, as he

did so need to

rest.

But here

are

you?" they

And

cried.

"You

they flipped their

swam

geese and they

fell

Come,

fly

along with us!"

down, plump, flocks

The

at the

in the water. Bang! bang!

of geese flew up out of the

reeds and rushes, and dogs ran into the

till

in

"we've

moment, bang! Some hunters shot

went the guns. Whole

splashing around.

tails

are

around, lonely, some wild geese

flying by. "I say, ugly creature," they called,

But, just at that

Then

alone to himself.

taken a fancy to you.

hid

tired out.

mock him.

of creature

sort

He

all

swamp, dashing and

duckling was terribly frightened.

He

the chase was over, then he ran away from the marsh*

MY STORYTIME TREASURY Over the until he

fields

came to

he ran

a cottage*

The door was open a crack, so he slipped

into

house. There he saw a a hen, *

cat,

and an old woman,

'What on earth is that?*

asked the

"A

the

9

woman.

very strange creature," said the cat,

"Can you

lay eggs?" asked the hen.

"No," said the poor little duckling. "Can you purr?" asked the cat. 'No," said the poor

little

duckling.

'Then whatuseare you?" snapped the cat,

"No

use,"

thought the poor duckling and

he scurried out of the house and took refuge on

a

pond.

Slowly the summer passed. Leaves turned to gold and scarlet,

then withered into brown and danced about in

the wind.

The

sky grew gray and cold, and clouds hung

heavy with snow.

Then one

evening just as the sunset

shone red on a wintery world, a flock of great, beautiful birds appeared

on the edge of the pond. They were

a dazzling

white with long, graceful, waving necks. Never had the ugly duckling seen anything so beautiful before. 134

THE UGLY DUCKLING Uttering a strange, piercing

the birds spread their

cry,

broad, white wings and flew off toward the

The

duckling circled madly around on the

craned his neck after those birds. a strange,

cry,

warm southland.

piercing,

Then

longing cry.

little

He

pond.

he, too, uttered a

He

did so want to

go with them. They were such beautiful things. All winter long he dreamed of those beautiful, great,

white birds.

The weather grew

colder and colder and the

duckling had to keep swimming, no matter was, to keep his one fishing hole

At

last all

the

how

from freezing

tired

he

into ice*

pond froze over and the duckling was frozen

Then a man came along and saw him. The man took his wooden shoe, hammered the ice from the duckling, and carried him home to his wife. "What a nice little plaything!' cried the children of the house and they ran to pick him up. But the duckling was now so afraid of every creature he met that he thought the in tight.

'

children

would harm him. In

a fright

he rushed into the milk

pan and the milk spurted up every which way floor

and the room. The

the duckling, cask, then in

still

more

woman

let

all

over the

out a loud shriek.

frightened,

And

flew into the butter

and out of the meal tub. The

woman

ran for

the tongs, intending to hit the wild creature, and the children fell

over each other chasing the frightened duckling and 135

MY STORYTIME TREASURY screaming with noisy laughter.

f

W

*

i^5^T \ ;

S^^C,

Out

the door flew the duckling

ancl

awa ) i nto the night. 7

Ml after

winter long he looked

himself in a world of

snow and

ice.

But, by and by,

the sun began to shine warmly

began to

again, the larks

and

spring

Then

green, covering the earth with flowers. ling,

came

the ugly duck-

lilacs

two

shores of a lake. All at once he saw

and

fresh

one day, found himself in a garden where the apple

were in bloom and sweet-smelling purple

sing,

trees

hung over the

beautiful, stately

white birds, the very same kind of birds of which he had

dreamed

all

winter.

fully over the water

They

slid into the lake, gliding grace-

and arching their

fine,

"Look! Look! The swans have come!"

white necks.

cried

some children,

The duckling was very sad. The swans made him feel ugly and lonely.

rushing from a house.

beauty of those fine "I will

fly

to pieces!"

to them," he said, "even

And

he, too, slid into the lake

the beautiful swans.

"Now

they'll

head to meet

though they peck

go

They turned and at

and swam toward

started

toward him.

me," he thought, and he bowed

their attack; but, as

136

me

his

he bent down his head, he

THE UGLY DUCKLING

saw himself in the water. For the very

he saw his

own

reflection.

dark-gray bird.

He

long, graceful neck!

And

lo,

He was

time that spring

he was no longer an ugly,

He

was white!

first

was

splendid!

He

stately!

He

had

a

was beautiful! He,

The other swans came up, not to peck, but to welcome him. Round and round him they swam; they stroked him with their bills; they bent their long himself, was a swan!

And

necks before him. to

him and

new swan

the children threw bread crumbs

cried aloud in their joy,

this year!

He's the

finest

"There's a beautiful,

one on the lake."

All at once the swan's sadness melted into joy.

"How that

I

happy

I

am!" he thought. "I never even dreamed

could be so happy when

I

was the ugly duckling.

It

doesn't matter in the least having been born in a duckyard if

one comes out of a swan's egg!"

The Swan, Camille Saint-Saens shows us in music this beautiful, white bird gliding calmly over smooth waters, broken only by little ripples. Majestically lifting its head, the swan circles about before us, then swims off out of sight.

In

i37

The Clucking Hen

WILL you

take a walk with me,

My little wife,

today?

There's barley in the barley

And

field,

hayseed in the hay/'

"Thank you,"

said the clucking hen;

'Tve something I'm busy I

sitting

on

else to do;

my

eggs,

cannot walk with you/'

The

clucking hen sat on her nest,

She made

And warm and

A

it

on the hay;

snug beneath her breast

dozen white eggs

lay.

Crack, crack, went

all

Out dropped

the eggs,

the chickens small;

'

'Cluck," said the clucking hen,

"Now

I

Come

have you

along,

my

all.

little chicks,

Til take a walk with you."

Hello!" said the barn-door cock.

"Cock-a-doodle-do!"

—From Aunt i

3

8

Effie's

Rhymes

SCHOOL

is

over,

Oh, what fun! Lessons finished, Play begun. Who'll run fastest,

You

or I?

Who'll laugh loudest? Let us try. Kate Greenaway*

—

*Kate Greenaway is famous for her charming little pictures of children. As she began to draw the quaint costumes, by her love of English country people, she dressed dolls as models in order to experiment with color and style'

inspired

i39

A

German Evening coming, FROM the woods, the father,

Gladly

To

now

his dear

is

turning

homeward

and cheerful cottage.

Homeward all the sheep come bleating, And the herds of cattle lowing, Homeward to their stalls are going. and markets grow more quiet; Round the bright and kindly lamplight All the family comes together, Streets

And

the town-gate closes creaking.

— Wilhelm

A

Bohemian Evening

NIGHT has

called the sun to rest

Homeward wind

D ay

for children, too,

Come, my

children,

—

;

/

is

the flocks of sheep. over,

come

to sleep.

Czechoslovak ian Nursery

it'll

140

Rhyme

urn

Schiller

A

o

Ai

Morning

Belgian H,

the merry tinkling sounds

Every morning

Of the

milk-carts

on

their rounds,

And the yelping of the dogs; And on the golden' straw As they

The

jolt the

road along,

big fat cans of copper bright

Beneath the summer sun.

—

Emile Cammacrts

x ft

9

A DID

you

Swedish Evening

ever hear the cowbells, did

you

ever hear the

singing,

loating

meadow when the evening shadows fall? a-lowing; down the path they're swinging,

down

lows are

all

the

lurrying in answer to the milkmaid's )ver field

call.

and pasture hear the calling come

"ome, Lily!

Come,

Lily!

Come,

Lily!

|

—

Come! Gustaf Froding

\

?

%

rr

The

Bird's

Convention

together! ALL the birds have comecould mention,

All the birds that

l

Meet

I

to hold a big convention!

How they cluster, how they muster, How they flitter, flutter, fluster! Now they dart with gleaming feather. Now they cuddle all together!

—

Answer

Aristophanes

to a Child's Question

DO

you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove? The linnet and thrush say, "I love and I love!" In the winter they're silent the wind is so strong. What it says I don't know, but it sings a loud song. But green leaves and blossoms and sunny warm weather, And singing and loving all come back together. %$PJ But the lark is so brimful of gladness and love, 0jtf6 The green fields below him, the blue sky above, }>*A y-j. & pf< That he sings and he sings and forever sings he: "I love my Love and my Love loves me!"

—

—

—Samuel Taylor

Coleridge

E.flORTON

I42

How

Got Her Colors

the Finch

A FLEMISH LEGEND

ONCE no

upon

a

colors at alL

them, called them

up

And

all

Then

the birds were gray; they had the Great Bird,

who

He showed them

together.

all

shimmering with

in the sky

violet.

time

ruled over

the rainbow

red, yellow, green, blue,

and

he told them that he meant to give each of them

one of those splendid

At once they began pushing

colors.

and shoving and crowding about him,

"Let

me

have

choicel Til take

first

green," screeched the parrot,

"Give

me blue! I want blue!"

"I'll cake

piped the bluebird.

yellow," cried the canary.

But, during

all this

clamor, one

little

^^^^^ bird sat quietly

and waited her turn to speak. That was the Finch.

"Now said the

you each have

Great Bird, "and

you have for every But, just at that

The

"Why

it's

single color

well that is

gone."

moment, the Great Bird

spied the little Finch.

he cried,

a splendid color,"

"Come

here, little Finch!"

have you asked for nothing?"

"I was waiting

my

"But now

the colors are gone," said the Great Bird,

earliest

all

turn,

said the Finch.

examples of musical tone were imitations of the voices of nature, and many compositions song of the bird. "Ye Birds without Number" from the opera, I Pagliacci,

for the flute or the voice imitate the

by Leoncavallo expresses

the voices of birds.

MY STORYTIME TREASURY sighed

"Dear, dear, dearie/'

the Finch,

"must

I

then

always be gray?"

Suddenly the Great Bird called just as they

were about to

"Be always gray," he

fly

all

away

cried,

the other birds back

in their splendid colors,

"because you would not push

and shove! Because you would not screech what you wanted ahead of

all

the

rest!

No,

Then he made all the him. From each he took a bit a bit

the

with

all

hers,

but

it

of

a bit

Finch.

Then

And lo

—

all

not!"

he gave

From

the cardinal

of blue, from the parrot

a bit all

of yellow, from the these bits of color to

and behold, the

the tints of the rainbow. all

color.

a bit

of green, from the canary

little

shall

other birds pass in order before

of red, from the blue bird

grackle a bit of purple.

you

indeed,

little

Not one

Finch shone

color alone was

melting beautifully into each other. Thus

came about that the

prettiest bird

144

of the

air

was the

little

The Sh eep ana th. Pig That a me Made a Home A NORSE FOLK TALE

ONCE upon

a

time there was

a Sheep,

and he started

out into the world to build himself a home. First he

went to the Pig and he

"There are

of

is

said:

nothing like having

my way

a

home of your own.

Yes, the Pig was quite willing. "It's

and off they

When "Good are

good company/

'

said he,

started.

they had got a bit on

the way, they day,

you

of thinking, we will go into the woods and

build a house and live by ourselves/'

nice to be in

If

met

a

Goose.

my good

you off to?"

said the

people.

Goose.

145

Where

MY STORYTIME TREASURY "Good woods

answered the Sheep.

day/'

"We're

off to the

to build a house and live by ourselves/'

"Why shouldn't I join you?" said the Goose. "No house can be built by gobbling and quacking/' the Pig.

"What

"I can pluck

can you do to help build?'*

moss and

logs so the house will be

"Very the Pig.

well,

When

"Good

day,

said

stuff

it

into the holes between the

warm and

cozy," said the Goose.

you may come along then,"

said the

Sheep and

they had gone a bit farther, they met a Hare*

my good

people," said the Hare.

"Where

are

you going to-day?"

"Good

day," answered the Sheep. "We're off to the woods

to build a house and live by ourselves." "I've a

good mind to go with you,"

said the Hare.

"But what can you do to help us build?" asked the

"Nothing

at all, I

"There this

is

Pig.

should say."

always something for willing hands to do in

world," said the Hare. "I have sharp teeth to gnaw pegs

with, and

I

have paws to knock them into the walls; so

146

I'll

THE SHEEP AND THE

PIG

"Well, you may come along with us then," said the Sheep, the Pig, and the Goose.

When

they had gone a bit

met

farther, they

"Good ple/

'

day,

said the

Cock.

a

my

good peo-

Cock. "Where

are you all going to-day?*

"Good

f

day," said the

Sheep. "We're off to the

woods and

to build a house

by ourselves."

live

"Well, have

it's

own

your

than to

sit

better to

on

roost

a neighbor's roost

"I should like to go to the

woods and build a house with you."

"Flapping and crowing a

house," said the Pig. "It

not well to

is

dog nor

a

and crow," said the Cock.

is fine

for noise, but

"How

live in a

it

won't build

can you help us build?"

house where there

is

neither a

cock to awaken you in the morning," said the Cock.

"I rise very early and can awaken you

"Early to said the Pig,

rise

all

with

my

crowing."

makes one happy and wealthy and wise,"

who found

it

very hard to

morning. "Let the Cock come along then."

H7

wake up

in

the

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

So they Pig cut the

all set

down

off to the

carpenter,

into walls and roof;

stuffed

it

built the house.

the trees and the Sheep dragged

Hare was the

them

woods and

The

them home;

and gnawed pegs and hammered the

Goose plucked moss and

into the little holes between the logs; the

Cock

crew and took care that they did not oversleep themselves in the mornings. lived happily

And when the house was together. And they often "It's pleasant to

travel both

East and West

But home m,

the

is,

after all}

best"

finished, they all said:

— Building the Bridge ADAPTED FROM A RUSSIAN FOLK SONG

IN

the

forest,

in

stood a big pine

the

tree.

forest

Green

and shaggy in the forest stood

a

big pine tree.

Men

came there with

axes

Bang, bang, bang with axes they cut the pine tree

down.

They took it

— Zim,

it.

a

zim, zip, they sawed

They sawed

They took one across

They hammers

And made

so they

a great

shining

river.

made

a bridge.

They

big bridge across the

And who

will

go

across that bridge? Michael, Michael,

he will go, go across the bridge!

i

49

into planks.

laid

them one by

a shining river.

nailed the planks with

— Rap,

hammers they

down

it

the planks and laid

They

them.

saw and sawed

fast.

tap,

tap,

with

nailed the boards

The

Dog Waltz

Little

A STORY OF THE MUSICIAN, CHOPIN*

ONCE

a lady

had

dog and he loved to cats,

He

a little dog.

was

a lively little

around madly

tear

after rats

man came

or just after nothing at alL Well, one day a

to see the lady.

His name was Mr. Chopin and

talking with the lady, the little

All at once, with a

had to have

a chase.

bound

He

the

lay beside

little

dog sprang up.

sit still

after

after his tail.

Round and round

He

sat

them.

He

just

any longer and he

he tore, round and round

and round, but the faster and faster he too.

he

something, so he thought he'd chase

had to chase

tail ran,

as

dog

couldn't

and

ran, the faster his

just couldn't catch that tail.

He

ran and

Then he rested. Then he

he ran and he ran until he began to get dizzy.

tumbled down

in a heap.

For

caught sight of that crazy

a

tail

time he just

of

his again.

There

wagging behind him, inviting another chase. In he was on his feet whirling

as

As he ran round and round

madly

Mr. Chopin, 'Td make up

was

moment

as before.

in circles, his mistress

to laugh. "IF I could play the piano as to

a

it

began

you can," she

said

a waltz so the little fellow

could have music for that whirligig he's dancing!" *The lady whose little dog inspired this waltz was the great French writer who went by the name of George Sand. And the man who composed The Little Dog Waltz or The Minute Waltz, as it is also called, was the half French, half Polish musician, Frederic Chopin (1809-1849) known also for his gay Mazurka and other Polish dances.

150

THE LTTLE DOG WALTZ

Then Mr, Chopin laughed, too. He went to the piano, sat down on the stool and, in no more than one minute, he played that whole playful chase right on the piano keys.

Round and round went and whirling,

all

He

even put in the

dog got dizzy and tumbled down

For an instant the music

chase again for

And

music, whirling and circling

just like the little dog.

part where the little a heap.

his

in

rested, then it started to

the world like the dog.

the lady said,

"Mr, Chopin,

I

think you should

your waltz The Minute Waltz because you can play

it

call

in a

minute/'

But Mr. Chopin

said,

this waltz. I shall call it

"It was the little

The

Little

!5i

dog who made

Dog Waltz.'

9

Nurse's Song WILLIAM BLAKE

WHEN And

the voices of children are heard on the green,

laughing

My heart

is

And

*

at rest

is

heard on the

my

within

everything else

is

hill,

breast, stilL

'Then come home, my children, the sun isgonedown, And the dews of the night arise; Come, come, leave off play, and let us away Till the morning appears in the skies/'

"No,

no, let us play, for

And we

yet day,

cannot go to sleep;

Besides in the sky the

And

it is

little

the hills are

all

birds

fly,

covered with sheep."

'Well, well, go and play till the light fades away,

And The

little

then go

home

to bed/'

ones leaped, and shouted, and laughed,

And

all

the hills echoed.

all thought they must preach; but the poet, William Blake, in a flash of pure genius wrote Songs of Innocence in 1789, full of the joyous spirit of childhood and with no thought of preaching.

*Early writers for children

152

Late JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY

MY

Father brought somebody up,

To show

us

all,

asleep.

They came as softly up the As you could creep.

Used by permission

of,

stairs

and by special arrangement with, Houghton

153

Mifflin

Company,

the publishers.

!

'

Nonsense

Rhymes

EDWARD LEAR

PLEASE give me a ride on your back," Said the duck to the kangaroo: "I

would

sit

quite

still

and say nothing

but 'Quack*

The whole of the long day

And we'd go

through;

to the Dee, and the

Jelly

Bo

Lee,

Over the land and over the Please take

me

a ride!

sea:

Oh, do!"

Said the duck to the kangaroo.

THERE was an old man with

Who

a beard,

said, "It is just

as I feared!

Two

owls and a hen, four larks and a wren,

Have

all

built their nests

in

my

beard!*

1

54

The

Mouse and

Bee, the

the

Bum-Clock AN

ONCE Jack* a red

"Jack,

Go

We

have nothing at

set

only one son,

world but a black cow,

One

day the mother

said,

to eat except a few potatoes*

sell

the big black cow."

out at sun-up, driving the cow before him.

when he came

of them looking

wee harp,

all

tomorrow and

to the at

a

fair,

he saw a big crowd of people,

something. Pushing his way through the

crowd, Jack saw a queer a

a thing in the

cow, and a spotted cow,

So Jack

all

They hadn't

TALE

woman who had

there lived a poor

to the fair

But,

IRISH

little

mouse, and

man with a

little

a bee

brown

went by the name of a bum-clock. The queer a whistle; the bee

who

could play

beetle

little

which

man

gave

began to play the harp, the mouse and the

MY STORY TIME TREASURY bum-clock

stood

up,

took

hold of each other's shoulders,

d started in to dance.

And children; horses, cows,

The

gan to dance.

started in to jig.

all

the men,

and chickens; ducks and geese be-

pots and pans,

the wheels and reels

cow stood on her hind

Jack's

took hold of her hoofs and they danced But,

when

the

man

women, and

legs;

Jack

over the town.

all

picked up the creatures and put them

in his pocket, the people, the beasts, the pots, the pans, the

wheels, and the reels

all

"Jack," said the man,

stopped dancing

"why

don't you buy

"I should like to," said Jack, "but

"You

have

a fine

cow,"

at once.

said the

I

my

dancers?"

haven't any money."

man. "I will give you the

bee and the harp in exchange for your cow."

BEE, "But

home,"

my

MOUSE AND BUM CLOCK mother

must

said Jack. "I

"Oh,"

said the

sell

the

cow

for

man, "if your mother

bee and the harp.

"Maybe

We are

sad and in need.

is

is

She'll laugh until she

very poor at

money." sad, take her this is

merry."

you're right," said Jack. So he gave the

man

the

cow, took the bee and the harp, and put them in his pocket.

When

he got home, his mother ran out the door to greet

him. "I see you sold the cow," she "Yes,

I

said,

looking very glad*

did very well!" Jack took the bee and the harp from

his pocket

and

them on the ground. Then he whistled

set

to the bee and the bee began to play the harp. let

out a big laugh and she

and Jack started to dance, the pots and pans, the wheels and reels all

began to

jig

and the

very house itself went hopping

around on the ground.

when

Jack picked

But

up the bee

and the harp, everything stood still.

The mother

laughed a

while

longer but,

when

stopped,

she

she cried angrily: Z33

157

The mother

MY STORYTIME TREASURY home no money for the cow. Our gone and we shall have nothing to eat.

"Silly boy, to bring

potatoes are nearly

Go tomorrow

to the fair again and

the big red cow/*

sell

So Jack was off with sun-up, driving the big red cow. But

when he got

to the

there was the queer little clock.

The man

crowd of people and

there was the

fair,

man with

the

mouse and the bum-

gave a whistle as before and the

the bum-clock danced.

And

all

mouse and

the people and animals, the

pots and pans, the wheels and reels started in to

jig.

The

very

houses danced and hopped around on the ground. But, when the

man picked up

the creatures, everything stopped dancing.

my mouse for your cow." must sell my cow," said Jack.

"Jack," said the man. 'Til trade

"My

mother

is still

sad. I

"But," said the man, "if your mother is

sad, this

she sees

mouse

is

what she needs. When

dance while the bee plays the

it

harp, she will laugh

"Maybe

fit

to split her sides."

you're right," said Jack.

he gave the

man

mouse, and put

When

And

the cow, took the it

in his pocket.

he got home, his mother

ran out the door to meet him.

"Surely this time, Jack, you have

brought i

58

home money,"

she said*

MOUSE AND BUM CLOCK

BEE, "No," the cow."

said Jack. "I've

And

no money, but

see

what

I

got for

he took out of his pocket the mouse, the bee,

and the harp. Then he whistled to them; the bee began to play the harp and the

mouse stood up on

hind legs and

its

The mother let out a big laugh and she dance. The pots and pans, the wheels and

started in to dance.

and Jack started to reels all

began to

jig

and the very house

itself

went hopping

around on the ground. But when Jack picked up the creatures,

awhile longer, but

"You

stood

everything

when

boy," she

silly

Go tomorrow

still.

The mother

laughed

she stopped, she was angry.

said,

"our potatoes are

all

gone now*

to the fair again and sell the spotted cow."

So Jack was off with sun-up, driving the spotted cow. But

when he got

to the

fair,

and there was the queer clock.

The bum-clock

crowd of people,

there was the big little

man, whistling to the bum-

started to dance

and

all

the people and

animals, the pots and pans, the wheels and reels began to

The

very houses danced, hopping around

jig.

on the ground*

MY STORYTIME TREASURY man

But when the

picked up the

bum-

clock, everything stopped dancing.

"Hello, Jack," said the man. surely

buy

"You must

bum-clock to make your

this

dancers complete. Til trade it for your cow/'

my

"But

must

I

sell

"Ah,"

mother

my

is

sadder than ever.

cow," said Jack.

man, "but think, when

said the

your mother sees this bum-clock dancing with the mouse while the bee plays

"Maybe

on the

harp, she will laugh

you're right," said Jack.

cow, took the bum-clock from

When

he reached

home

all

And

her sadness away!"

he gave the

him and put

it

man

the

in his pocket.

mother ran out to meet

again, his

him. "Surely you've brought money this time," she

said.

But Jack took the bum-clock, the mouse, the bee, and the harp from his pocket.

The

He

set

them on the

floor

and whistled.

bee began to play the harp, the mouse and the

clock stood

up and

started to dance together. Jack's

bum-

mother

laughed a big laugh and she and Jack started to dance. pots and pans, the wheels and reels very house itself

when

all

began to

jig

The

and the

went hopping around on the ground. But

Jack picked

up the

The mother laughed

creatures,

a while longer,

laughing, she cried as if her heart 1

60

everything stood

still.

but when she stopped

would

break.

MOUSE AND BUM CLOCK

BEE, "You

silly

boy," she

a thing to eat

said,

now and

"we

haven't

our cows are

all

gone. There's nothing left to sell/'

Well now Jack did

Yes,

feel foolish.

he had been a simpleton. All the cows

gone and no money!

He

went out

to

and scold himself on the

take a walk

way. But suddenly on the road he met a "Jack," said the castle

little

"why

old woman,

of the King of Ireland?

He

little

old

don't you go to the

has a beautiful daughter

who has not laughed in seven years. Hark now, he ised to give

who

will

both the

make

"I'm off

this

the sad

and

girl

his

kingdom

little princess

moment,"

woman.

said Jack

has

all

the king and his sad

the court people

little

on gold and

the castle. All at once there

and his harp, the

little

laugh three times."

and he ran back to

daughter were sitting with

silver chairs

out in front of

came Jack with the

mouse and

the king and his people saw

that sight, they started in to laugh

The

princess opened her

and laughed

fit

mouth

to split her sides. 161

his

castle.

little

the bum-clock,

all

together by a string, hopping and skipping behind him.

when

man

to any

mother, kissed her merrily, and started off for the

Now

prom-

bee tied

And

MY STORYTIME TREASURY my

"Ah. " that's

lady," said Jack,

once I've made you

9

laugh!'

Then

Jack drew the

creatures up in a little circle and

The

whistled.

bee began to

mouse and

play the harp, the

the bum-clock stood started in to dance.

king and

all

up and

And

the

his people, the pots

and pans, the wheels and

reels,

the very castle itself all hopped

and jigged and jumped. The

opened her mouth and laughed

princess

my

"Ah,

fit

lady," said Jack, "that's twice I've

laugh/' But what was Jack to do next to third time.

She now looked

mouse came it

in the

as

as

make an

made you

her laugh a

owL The

little tail

little

and swept

bum-clock's mouth, and the bum-clock started to like a balk

opened her mouth and laughed

laugh!"

solemn

to his aid. She swished her

cough and bounce around

"Ah,

to split her sides*

my

fit

Then

the princess

to split her sides.

lady," said Jack, "that's thrice I've

Then

made you

the king was very glad and he gave Jack the

princess and his

kingdom. And Jack sent for

his

mother and

she lived in the castle and they never were poor any more* 162

The Song of BUZZ-ZZ, This

is

His legs are

This A.

the Bee

Buzz-zz, Buzz-zz!

the song of the bee. all

jolly

yellow,

good

very hard worker

is

fellow, he!

—Oli

Jingle

f The

Purple

NEVER Saw

J But

never I

Hope

a

*The Bee by Francois Schubert delightfully depicts

**From The

in

Burgess Nsmscnsc Book,

Purple

Cow;

to See one;

can Tell you,

I'd rather See than

in a blossom.

Cow

Anyhow, Be one.

—

Gclctt Burgess

music the bee buzzing, darting from flower to flower, and disappearing By arrangement with the publishers, Frederick A. Stokes Company.

163

Hansworst

Little

A STORY OF THE DUTCH PUPPET SHOW

HANSWORST Come,

low.

Once

story.

merry a

little

merry

I

a

shall

little fel-

tell

bird laid a merry

little

you

out of the egg crawled what?

his

Holland, a little

egg in

nest in a merry little bush. a tipping, a tapping

pecking from inside the merry

egg. All at

No

funny

in old days in

By and by there came and

a

is

once the

Out

shell

crawled

went

little

little

crack!

And

Hansworst.

sooner did he see the light, than he cut a crazy caper,

stood on his head and said, "I will be merry as long as live/'

Then he

"People

my

heart

is

shall

I

painted on his breast a very large red heart.

know,"

said he, "that I

in the right place!'

'

Down

am

a brave boy,

the dike ran

and

Hans and

over the green meadows! Sometimes he stood on his head;

sometimes

bounced

he

turned

handsprings

like a rubber ball.

little

rabbit.

A

or

Out dashed

a

brave boy was

Hansworst.Well anyhow, he

said

when he saw

that

he was! But rabbit,

164

still,

Hans turned and ran away.

HANSWORST

LITTLE

So very

did

fast

legs scarcely

that his

touched the ground, the

of his yellow jacket floated out

tails

in the

wind like a pair of yellow wings,

and he seemed to Just then along this

Hans run

fly

over the earth.

came

a

man, and what should he

to himself,

"that's a nice kind

of birdie!"

reached out his great long arm, caught

of his breeches, and put him in his pocket.

Then he took

him on along home. little

cottage

it

|f|

A pretty

was to which

man took Hansworst,

a neat, little,

tage with

red-brick cot-

pretty green-and-

white shutters. Hans peeped

from the man's pocket and saw

but

yellow thing flying over the meadows? "Ha," said the

man

the

see

it

as

they drew

near. i6 5

Hans by

And

he

the seat

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

He

didn't

No, not

mind being taken

at all!

Why

into such a place as

He

should he?

thought

it

that!

would

be great fun to climb on the shining brass teakettle over the charcoal teastove, and

make out

all

the pictures that were

painted on the blue-and-white plates in the rack on the wall above. But alack! If Master Hansworst thought the

man-of-the-house was going to pranks as that, he was very

set

much

him

free to play such

mistaken.

The man took

Hansworst to the window, and there above the geraniums

hung

a nice,

little,

wicker bird-cage.

worst inside; then bang,

Well,

how was

The man put Hans-

he closed the door!

that for Hansworst!

The

birds crowded

round the newcomer, cheeping and chirping and But, in

no time

at all,

fluttering.

Hansworst was whistling and

ing and he and the birds were fast friends. 1

66

sing-

LITTLE This was

HANSWORST

very well,

all

and Hans proved to be merry

as

the

inside

cage as out, but

still,

there was certainly one

thing he did not like at alL

not

He simply could birdseed.

eat

had no

It

taste whatever.

And, when the bird-

box was newly

seed

filled in

the cage and

the birds ate the seeds with delight, Hansworst was very miserable.

One

for dinner, in the sat

down

sausage,

a

at

the

nice

table

fat

chanced that,

sausage,

of the house laid the table

window below on

just

Then

man woman brought him a

the cage.

and the

sausage

sausage smelled good! it

woman

day the

a

plate.

but

Urn,

the grandfather's clock in the corner

clock's

the

man-in-the-moon,

face,

rise

that

And Hans was very hungry! Now as the man was about to eat the struck

hour of twelve; and the man paused—with fork watch

the

that

from behind

a

was

in air— to

painted

on

the

church steeple and go

rolling across the sky to sink behind a townhall,

167

the

MY STORYTIME TREASURY There

lay the fat little sausage, unnoticed,

smiling, as

it

reached his

and seized

When

were, at Hans, and smelling,

little

it.

on the

plate,

oh so good! Hans

hand down through the wire of the cage

Oh, but

it

was good!

He ate

every single crumb.

the man-of-the-house looked around, he found that

his sausage

had vanished. Good

'lack,

but he was astonished!

Well, the same thing happened the next day and the next day and the next. Always his sausage vanished just

dock struck twelve. wondering so

on the

Finally,

fifth day, the

as

man

much about what had happened sausages, that as

soon

as

he

it

left

struck

168

last

fell

to

to his

off watching the clock

two

strokes,

turned around just in time to see

worst eating the

the

crumbs of

and he

little

Hans-

his sausage.

HANSWORST

LITTLE "Whoever heard eating sausage!'

'

he

cried.

scratching his head

him, "If this bird

A

the like!

till

And

he

bird

fell

,

to

a bright idea struck

eats meat,

he can't be

up and looked

bird!" he cried and he stood

enough, he saw that Hansworst was not

had been, and never would

be!

in the cage. Sure

a bird at all,

So he wasted not

a leap as

Out

through the

and he never came

in the

air,

window of

What

of the

down

leapt,

hobby

horses,

and

dolls,

in

all

all

zipping along

to earth

Noah's Ark! That was what Hansworst

He

"Out you go!"

till

Hansworst was in now! Tin

about, and dolls and

merry crowd!

moment,

he sailed

toyshop some distance up the

a

a place that

a

never

he had never taken in

window he

his life before.

Q£

a

but opened the door of the cage and shouted,

Hansworst took such

-

street!

soldiers all

the animals of

liked!

That was

a

rode the hobby horses, he danced with the

he marched with the

soldiers,

he ordered the animals

and out of Noah's Ark, he climbed the wooden

There was no end to

his fun.

trees*

MY STORYTIME TREASURY But the next day there came to the toyshop little doll's theatre.

fair to fair,

up

set

all his

when

It

was

this

man's business to go from

market square, where he made

dolls play antics for the crowd.

"But," said the man, looking are

very bad dolls

— Mr,

sad,

"my two

bring tears to the eyes. They're

me

a little joy, I

chief actors

and Mrs. John Klaasen. Day

and day out they quarrel and hit each other.

bring

a

the country people came into town, and to

his little theatre in the

wooden

man with

a

all

It's

you show me the merriest fellow you have

Now, of

enough to

banged up already.

must buy some merry

your shop."

the

knew Hansworst was fellow to be found in

So he took Hans off

To

fellow. Pray

in all

course,

in

toy-seller

the all

merriest

the world.

a toy elephant

on which he had been riding and sold 3

him

to the

man. Then the man took

Hansworst away from

all

his fun in

Perhaps you'd think

the

toyshop.

this

was enough to make even Hans-

worst sad. John Klaasen and his wife

were a sorry pair to

travel

with,

always hitting and banging each other till

they broke their 170

wooden

heads.

HANSWORST

LITTLE

But the very stage

time Hansworst bounced out on the

of that theatre and saw

him

for

first

to

make them

all

the

good folk waiting

laugh, he quite forgot everything

He knew that at last he had found his right place the world. He skipped, he hopped, he cracked jokes till

else.

in

the people held their sides for laughter.

"Hansworst! Hansworst!'

they shouted.

'

And

the next

time these good folk heard that Hansworst had come to

town, they crowded from

So

it

all

ways to

see

him.

was that Hansworst became the most famous clown

in Holland.

Year

in

and year out, he played with John

Klaasen and his wife in the

little

puppet show, and to

this

'

very day one has but to say, all

jolly

Dutchmen

will

'Hansworst/' and the faces of

blossom 171

like

magic with smiles.

How

the Brazilian Beetles Got Their

Gorgeous Coats

"

1

Elsie Spicer Eells Brazil the INshelled coats

upon a

Once

have beautiful, coloured, hardupon their backs like precious stones.

beetles

years

time,

and

ordinary plain, brown coats.

years

This

is

how

had happened

they

ago, it

that the Brazilian beetle earned a new coat.

One day a little brown beetle was crawling along a wall when a big grey rat ran out of a hole in the wall and looked down scornfully at the little beetle. "Oh, ho!"

he

said

You'll

along.

look at

to

the

"how

beetle,

never get anywhere in

me and

see

how

fast

I

you

slowly

crawl

the world.

Just

can run."

The big grey rat ran to the end of the wall, wheeled around, and came back to the place where the little beetle was slowly crawling along at only a tiny distance from where the rat had left her. "Don't you wish that you could run like that?" said the big grey rat to the little brown beetle.

"You brown that

are beetle,

a

really

surely

a

politely.

fast

runner,"

replied

Her mother had

the

taught

polite

'Taken from Fairy Tales from Brazil. Copyright, 1917, by Dodd, Mead

172

& Company,

Inc.

little

her

THE BRAZILIAN BEETLES boasts

never

beetle

about her own complishments.

A

ac-

bright green-and-

gold parrot

mango

in the

I

tree

over the wall had heard the con versa

"How would

tion.

you

like to race

asked the big grey

beetle?'' he

with the "I

rat.

live

\

next door to the tailor bird," he added,

"and

make

just to

the race exciting, Til

a bright-coloured coat as a prize to the

offer

who wins

You may choose and Til have it made to

the race.

colour you like

'Td

like

stripes

like

the

his

shoulder

he

were

tiger's/'

at

his

order.'

said

gaunt

^t^^"

vHr

grey

admiring

as

sides,

i]

new coat a beautiful, bright-coloured, new said the little brown beetle.

already

coat, too,"

it

a yellow coat with

the big grey rat, looking over

"I'd like

for

The big grey

his

rat laughed long

and loud

gaunt grey sides were shaking. "Why, you talk just as if you thought you had chance to win the race," he said, when he could speak. until

his

The bright green-and-gold parrot tree

at

He gave

the

top

of

the

as

cliff

the signal to start

set

the

the royal

goal

and then he

i73

of

flew

the

a

palm race.

away

to

MY STORYTIME TREASURY the royal

palm

watch

tree to

the end of the race.

grey rat ran

as

fast

as

for

The big

he could.

Then he thought how very tired he was getting. "What's the use of hurrying?" he said to himself. "The little brown beetle cannot possibly win." Then he started to run more slowly, but every time his heart beat, it said, "Hurry up! Hurry up!" The big grey rat decided that it was best to obey the little voice in his heart, so he hurried just as fast as he could.

When he the

reached the royal palm tree at the top of

cliff,

he could hardly believe his eyes. There

was the

brown

little

beetle

sitting quietly

beside the bright green-and-gold parrot.

The

big grey rat had never been so surprised in

manage

all his life.

"How did

you ever

enough to get here so soon?" he asked the little brown beetle to run fast

as soon as he could catch his breath.

"I flew here," said the

174

little beetle.

THE BRAZILIAN BEETLES know you

"I did not

could fly," said the

big grey rat in a subdued

"After "

this,"

said

the

little voice.

parrot,

anyone by his looks alone. You never can tell where you may find concealed wings. You have lost the prize and the beetle has won it." Then the parrot said to the little brown beetle, "What colour do you want your new coat to be?" The little brown beetle looked up at the bright green-and-gold parrot, at the green-and-gold palm trees above their heads, at the golden sunshine upon never judge

green

distant

the

and-gold,"

she

Brazilian

the

beetle

V

it.

"I

choose

And from

said.

golden lights upon

7

hills.

has worn

[Mg£fBgf3*€\

THE BOASTER Adapted from Aesop

A

BOASTER He

a

boasted boastfully

could do this and that;

His friends then said: "Sir Boaster, Pray stop your silly chat!

you can do these marvels all, No need to talk, my man; Just do for us these wondrous things That now you say you can!"

"If

175

a

that coat

coat

day of

of

green-

to

this,

green,

with

WHERE 'Tm

are

you little pig?" mother, I'm growing so big!"

you going

leaving

my

to,

"So big, young pig, So young, so big! What! Leaving your mother, you

foolish

young pig!"

"Where are you going to, you little pig?" "I've got a new spade, and I'm going to dig/* "To dig, little pig?

A little pig dig! Well,

I

never saw a pig with a spade that could dig!"

"Where are you going 'Why, I'm going "In

to,

you

little

pig?"

to have a nice ride in a gig!

a gig, little pig?

A pig in a gig!

What! Well,

I

never saw a pig ride in a gig!"

"Where

are

you going

"Well, I'm going to the

"A

A

pig dance a I

are

you going

Well,

I

fair to

you

run a

little

pig?"

fine rig/'

'Tm

rig!

never before saw a pig run a rig!"

"Where

A

to,

rig, little pig?

pig run a

"A

fine jig!"

jig!

"I'm going to the

A

dance a

never before saw a pig dance a jig!"

"Where

"A

ball to

little pig?'*

pig?

jig, little

Well,

you

to,

you little pig?" going to the barber's to buy me a wig!" are

you going

to,

wig, little pig?

pig in a wig!

Why, whoever

before saw a pig in a wig!"

—Thomas Hood

177

(1799-1845)

The

Who

Turtle

Could Not

Stop Talking H AN EAST

ONCE

INDIAN FABLE

a Turtle lived in a

muddy

little

pond, and he

loved to crawl out in the sun and talk to everyone passed.

He

who

talked to the beasts, he talked to the birds, and

he talked to the

fishes.

In

he never stopped talking.

fact,

Well, one day there came flying by two beautiful wild geese. "Friend Turtle," cried the Geese, fly

shining blue pool that

The

Turtle's

clear as glass

"Oh, we

you

We

like to

live

on

a

just as clear as glass,"

shining blue pool

—he would certainly like to see that! I

go with you?

I

have no wings," he

will take you," said the Geese, "if

to keep your

"Why

is

away?

far

own pool was muddy. A

"But how can

as

home

with us to our beautiful

"Would you

mouth

and speak not

closed,

my mouth

of course Til keep

said.

you promise

a single

closed.

Til

word."

do

just

say," said the Turtle.

So the next day the Geese came back carrying with feet a stick

which they held between them.

"Take hold of

this stick

the Turtle. "But don't say a will lose

their

your hold and

fall

with your mouth," they said to

word

as

we

fly; for, if

down kerplunk 178

you do, you

to the ground."

THE TALKING TURTLE 'Til do just as you say," said the Turtle, eager to depart.

So the Turtle took hold of the

up

in the air, carrying

stick,

and the Geese soared

him between them. Over

the treetops

they flew and up in the bright blue sky. But as they passed

over a village, the children

saw

down below

their old friend, the Turtle.

"Oh, look

at the Turtle!" they cried.

'Tm taking a

long, long journey,"

the Turtle wanted to boast, but he

remembered

just in

time and

did not open his mouth.

"How

silly

he looks!" cried the children.

wanted

"Silly yourself!" the Turtle

to answer crossly; but he just in

remembered

time and did not open his mouth.

"How does he ever keep his mouth jeered. "Do you suppose he can really This was too much for the Turtle,

"Of coursel can stop talking! and, as he opened his

mouth to

' '

down,

he cried,

speak,

"Poor dren.

crash, at their feet.

little

"He

-

Turtle," said the

really

chil-

could not stop talking. 179

stop talking?"

^j^-

he lost his hold on the stick and fell

closed?" the children

The Owl and

the Pussy-Cat .

EDWARD LEAR

THE Owl and

the Pussy-Cat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat:

They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped up in a five-pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And

"O

sang to a small guitar:

lovely Pussy,

What

a beautiful

1

80

O Pussy, my love, Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the Owl,

How Oh!

charmingly sweet you

let

To

elegant fowl,

sing!

us be married! too long

But what

They

"You

shall

we do

we have

tarried;

for a ring?"

sailed away, for a year

and

a day,

the land where the bong- tree grows:

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, With a ring in the end of his nose.

"Dear

Pig, are

i

*H

you willing to

sell

for

one

shilling

Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will." So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the Kill. They dined on mince and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by

the light of the

181

moon.

The

Strange Adventure of

Baron Munchausen

O

NCE

there lived a very

queer

man by

the

name

of Baron Munchausen.

He was day in Russia where

all

the world

By-and-by the sun went down. the stars came out in the sky. to see if he could find

that night

and get

a

riding one

was covered with snow.

It

began to get dark and

So the Baron looked around

some house where he could to eat.

bite

sleep

But he couldn't see

a

house or any living thing. All he could see was snow,

snow, snow. So he

And

said, "111

have to sleep on the snow."

he jumped off his horse. But his horse was a frisky

horse and the Baron

was

afraid

he might run away

if

he

wasn't tied up. So the Baron looked around again, trying to find something to there

which he might

was only snow everywhere. Not

tie

a single thing

he see that stuck up above that snow. Then spied

what looked

like the

But

his horse.

pointed stump of a

at

could

last

little

he

tree.

Baron Munchausen's Narrative of His Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia, by the German writer Raspe (1785), is famous in literary history for its amusingly impossible adventures; and, even to this day,

anyone telling an exaggerated story

182

is

called a Baron Munchausen.

BARON MUNCHAUSEN

So he sleep

tied the horse to the tree

woke

up.

on the

It

was

But no sooner had he opened

in a hurry.

to

when

he

than he

sat

pile of

For what was

this

daylight

his eyes

he saw?

snow on which he had gone

lying in the middle of a village! All around

houses!

And

was

there

"This can't be!

It

were no houses here But village.

after a time

And

"Where stump

in the

to

a

wasn't lying

to sleep.

He was

him were houses,

church towering up above him!

just can't be!" the last

He

Baron

cried.

"There

night!"

he saw

it

was

true that he

was

in a

he started to think about his horse.

world can

But he couldn't see tree

down

lay

on the snow.

All night long the Baron slept.

up

stump and

my

horse be?" he wondered.

a sign of the horse

which he had

tied him.

Then

—"Neigh! Neigh, neigh, neigh!" He heard 183

nor a sign of the all

of a sudden

his horse neighing

MY STORYTIME TREASURY somewhere up above the

tall

horse hanging

in the air

church to the cross on top of

way up

dangling in the the truth

above him. Looking up, up, up,

was

air.

there,

still

That was

that the

a surprise,

on the ground.

and the houses

it

him

It

to the cross

the poor horse

before.

snow, he had

pistol.

now He

a tree

really tied

hung.

pointed

was

his horse

shot off his pistol.

two and down

The fell

the Baron

on

And when

on top of the church. So there

Well, the Baron jumped up

in

you! But

what he thought was

sticking out of the

by which

tell

and

had melted away from the church

had covered the night

out his

can

his bridle

his

the night, letting the Baron

the Baron had tied his horse to

stump

I

by

he saw

weather had grown much warmer.

The snow had melted during

down

tied fast

it,

his

it

once and took

at the leather strap

dangling, and bang! he

shot cut the leather strap the horse

mounted

way

at

m safety. Then

his horse

and went

again!

I J

184

Did Shellover ^OME!" jLs

said

Old

Shellover.

"What?'' says Creep.

The horny

old Gardener's fast

asleep; 'he fat

cock Thrush

o his nest has gone, jnd the i

dew

the rising

)ld Sallie

shines bright

Moon;

"

'*£ftCjJ

Worm from her hole doth

peep;

lome!" said

Old

Shellover.

Ay!" said Creep.*

—Walter De La Marc

The Song of

O

NCE a King,

be

it

noted

a fine

and lusty

this flea

he doted,

had

And on

the Flea flea,

he cherished him tenderly;

So he

sent off for his tailor

and to the tailor spake, 'Please to measure this youngster and coat and breeches make!" In velvet and in satin

He now was duly dressed, He had rare jewels in his hat And medals decked

his breast!

-from the Opera on Faust by Hector Berlioz

From

Peacock Pie.

Used by courteous permission of Henry Holt

185

& Company.

Jack Frost GABRIEL SETOUN

THE dooryouwaswent

shut, as doors should be,

Before

to

bed

last night;

Yet Jack Frost has got

in,

And

silver white.

left

your window

you

see,

He

must have waited till you slept; And not a single word he spoke, But penciled o'er the panes and crept Away again before you woke.

And now you cannot see the trees Nor fields that stretch beyond the But there

His

From

Child's World; used

are fairer things than these

fingers traced

on every pane.

by the courteous permission of John Lane Company. 1

86

lane;

Rocks and

castles

towering high;

Hills and dales and streams and

fields;

And knights in armour riding by, With nodding plumes and shining shields* And

here are

little

Big ships with

And

On

boats, and there

sails

spread to the breeze;

yonder, palm-trees waving

fair

islands set in silver seas.

And butterflies with gauzy wings; And herds of cows and flocks of sheep; And fruit and flowers and all the things You see when you are sound asleep. For, creeping softly underneath

The door when

all

the lights are out,

Jack Frost takes every breath you breathe

And knows

He

the things you think about.

paints

them on the window-pane

In fairy lines with frozen steam;

And when you wake, you see The lovely things you saw in

again

dream.

i8 7

n

D ame w MARY

E.

f

L ec

SHARPE AND JOHN RUSKIN

Wiggins of Lee DAME Was worthy a

As

e'er

old soul,

threaded a nee-

washed in a bowl; She held mice and rats dle, or

In such antipathee,

That seven fine cats Kept Dame Wiggins of Lee

The

rats

By

and mice scared

this fierce

The poor

whiskered crew,

seven cats

Soon had nothing

to do;

So, as any one idle

She ne'er loved to

see,

She sent them to school, Did Dame Wiggins of Lee, * The original verses of this famous old ballad are supposed to have been written by Mary E. Sharpe, an old lady of ninety and a friend of John Ruskin. Ruskin added many more verses and the ballad was first published, in 1823.

188

'

y

The

u

y

y

if

master soon wrote

of them knew, to read the word "milk"

That they

How

all

And to spell the word "mew. And they all washed their faces Before they took tea:

"Were Said

Da< en spring-time came back,

They had \nd were

breakfast of curds;

greatly afraid

Of disturbing If you

sit,

like

the birds.

good

cats,

All seven in a tree,

They will teacf you to sing!" Said

Dame Wiggins

of Lee.

189

there ever such dears!'

Dame Wiggins

of Lee.

"

So they

sat in a tree,

And said, "Beautiful! Hark! And they listened and looked In the clouds for the lark.

They

sang,

by the

fireside,

Symphoniouslee,

A

song without words,

To Dame Wiggins

of Lee.

They

On

called the next day

the tomtit and sparrow,

And wheeled

Home "You

a

poor

sick

lamb

in a barrow.

shall all

have some

sprats

For your humanitee,

My

good cats," Said Dame Wiggins of Lee.

While

To

she ran to the field

look for

its

dam,

They were warming

its

bed

For the poor sick lamb.

They turned up

the clothes

All as neat as could be.

"I shall ne'er want a nurse,

Said

Dame Wiggins

of Lee.

190

seven

.

She wished them good-night And went up to bed:

A

When, lo! in the morning, The cats were all fled. The Dame's heart was nigh So she sat down to weep,

When

she saw

Each riding

0

broke,

them come back a sheep.

"

The Dame was unable Her pleasure to smother,

To

see the sick

lamb

Jump up to its mother. The farmer soon heard Where his sheep went astray, And arrived at Dame's door, With his faithful dog Tray.

For the care of his lamb,

And

He

their comical pranks,

gave

them

a

ham

And abundance of thanks. "I wish you good-day,

My fine fellows/' said he; My compliments, pray, To Dame Wiggins

191

of Lee!"

The Cock,

Red Hen

Little

Jpx

ONCE

the Mouse, and the

upon

a

time there was a

hill,

there was a pretty little house. It

door, and four there lived a hill

cock

had

windows, and

had one

windows with green

and

a mouse

and

a

little

a

little

shutters,

It

hill

green

and

On

red hen.

there was another little house.

close by,

ugly. It

little

and on the

in

it

another

was very

door that wouldn't shut, and two broken

all

house there lived

And

the paint was off the shutters. a hold had

This story, slightly abridged,

is

fox and four had

used by permission of George

192

W.

little

Jacobs

in this

foxes.

&

Company.

THE LITTLE RED HEN One morning bad Fox and

"We

these four bad little foxes

said:

"Oh,

had nothing to

last

I see a

eat yesterday/

"And "And "And

a

And

in that

"On

was thinking.

the hill over there,

house there

Red Hen," screamed

the

lives a

Cock."

little foxes.

the other two.

they are nice and fat," went on the big bad Fox.

"This very day, Til take and

his head, for he

Mouse!" screamed two of

a little

said one.

'

the day before," said another.

he said in a big gruff voice: house.

to the big

Father, we're so hungry!"

"And scarcely anything The big bad Fox shook At

came

in at that door,

Fox went

little

sack and

and into

and the Mouse and the

So the four

my

little

foxes

my

will

I

sack

I

go up that

will put the

hill

Cock

Red Hen."

jumped

for joy, and the big

to get his sack ready to start

193

upon

bad

his journey.

MY STORYTIME TREASURY But what was happening to the

IJTSJ

the

Cock and little

Mouse and

the

Red Hen,

Well, sad to

all this

say,

the

time?

Cock

and the Mouse had both got out

of bed on the wrong morning.

The Cock

side that

said the day

was too hot, and the Mouse

|

grumbled because it was too to the kitchen, where the

get

"I shan't/

"I

'

some said

shan't,"

"Then

Til

sticks to light the fire

it

Mouse.

the

myself," said the

So off she ran to get the

kettle

who'll

fill

sticks.

the

from the spring?" she asked.

"I shan't," said the Cock. "I shan't," said the

"Then the

little

And

I'll

do

it

with?" she asked.

the Cock.

said

do

"And now,

They came grumbling down good little Red Hen, looking

sunbeam, was bustling about,

as bright as a

"Who'll

cold.

Mouse.

myself," said

Red Hen.

off she ran to

fill

the kettle. 194

little

Red Hen.

THE LITTLE RED HEN "And

who'll get the break-

fast ready?"

she asked, as she

put the kettle on to boiL "I shan't/* said the Cock, "I shan't," said the

"Then

I'll

said the little

do

Mouse.

myself,"

it

Red Hen. Cock

All breakfast time the

and the

Mouse

quarrelled and

grumbled. The Cock upset

"Who'll

clear

Red Hen, hoping

Mouse

crumbs upon the

floor.

away the breakfast?" asked the poor

little

the milk jug, and the

scattered

they would soon leave off being cross. "I shan't,"

^^T^

^T*^ i

"Then

I'll

said the

"I shan't," said the

do

it

So she

myself," said the

Mouse,

Red Hen.

cleared everything away, swept

the crumbs, and brushed

And now,

little

Cock.

who'll help

me

to

up the

make

up

fireplace.

the beds?"

"I shan't," said the

Cock*

"I shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then

I'll

do

it

myself," said

the little

And 195

Red Hen.

she tripped away upstairs*

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

But the lazy Cock and fortable armchair

Now

by the

Mouse

fire,

and soon

would have seen

his sharp eyes peeping in at the

"Who can that be?" "Look

for yourself, if

"It's the self,

said the

to see

who

As soon

as

Fox knocked

it

asleep, they

window. at the door.

Mouse, half-opening

you must know,"

postman, perhaps," thought the

"and he may have

a letter for

com-

and into the

hill

Cock and Mouse hadn't been

Rat-tat-tat! Rat- tat- tat !" the

in a

fell fast asleep.

the bad Fox had crept up the

garden and, if the

down

each sat

his eyes.

said the

Mouse

Cock.

to him-

me." So without waiting

was, he lifted the latch and opened the door.

he opened it, in jumped the big Fox. "Oh! Oh! Oh!"

squeaked the Mouse,

as

he

tried to run

up the chimney.

"Doodle-doodle-doo!" screamed the Cock,

on the back of the biggest armchair. 196

as

he jumped

THE LITTLE RED HEN But the Fox only laughed, and without more ado he took the

Mouse by the tail, and popped him into the sack, and seized the Cock by the neck and popped him in, too. Then the poor little Red Hen little

came running downstairs to what

see

!

the noise was about,

all

and the Fox caught her and put her into the sack with the others.

Then he took a long piece of string, wound it round and round and round the mouth of the sack, and tied

very tight indeed.

it

After that he threw the sack over his back, and off he set the

hill,

"Oh,

chuckling to himself. I

they went

"Oh,

I

wish

I

hadn't been so cross," said the Cock, as

bumping about. wish

I

hadn't been so lazy," said the Mouse,

wiping his eyes with the "It's never

"And it

of his

tip

is

tail.

too late to mend," said the

don't be too sad. See,

there

down

a pair

of

scissors

I

have

and

and thread. Very soon you will 197

my

a little

see

little

little

Red Hen.

workbag, and in

thimble and a needle

what

I

am

going to do/'

MY STORYTIME TREASURY Now

feel his sack

was heavy, and

down under

a tree

threw the sack

As soon for the

to

at last

he thought he would

lie

and go to sleep for

down with

a big

a little while.

bump and

So he

very soon

fell

Snore, snore, snore, went the Fox.

fast asleep.

scissors,

Mr, Fox began

the sun was very hot, and soon

as the little

Red Hen

and began to snip

Mouse

heard

this,

she took out her

a hole in the sack just large

enough

to creep through.

"Quick!" she whispered to the Mouse*

"Run as

you

fast as

can and bring back a stone just as large as yourself/'

Out scampered

Mouse, and soon came back, dragging

the

the stone after him.

"Push

Hen, and he pushed

it

in,

it

in here!" said the little

Red

in a twinkling.

Red Hen snipped away at the hole, till it was large enough for the Cock to get through. "Quick!" she said. "Run and get a stone as big as yourself." Out flew the Cock, and soon came back quite out of Then

the

little

which he pushed into the

breath, with a big stone, sack, too. ^ot a it

£_fi£

Then

the

little

Red Hen popped

out,

stone as big as herself, and pushed in.

Next she put on her thimble,

took

out her needle and

and

sewed

up the

thread

hole

as

quicKiy sicklv as ever she could. 198

THE LITTLE RED HEN When

it

Mouse and

was done, the Cock and the the

Red Hen

little

ran

home

very fast, shut the door after and drew

the bolts, shut the shutters, then drew

down

the blinds and felt quite safe.

The bad Fox tree for

some

lay fast asleep under the

time, but at last he awoke.

Dear, dear/' he

"how I

late

it

is

said,

rubbing his

eyes,

gettin

must hurry home."

So the bad Fox went grumbling and groaning down the Splash! In

went one

hill,

till

he came to the stream.

foot. Splash! In

went the

other, but

the stones in the sack were so heavy that at the very next

down tumbled Mr. Fox into a deep pool. And then the fishes carried him off to their fairy caves and kept him a prisoner there, so he was never seen again. And the four step,

greedy

little

foxes had to go to bed without any supper.

But the Cock and the Mouse never grumbled again. They lit

the

fire, filled

the kettle, laid the breakfast, and did

work, while the good armchair.

No

know, they

are

little

Red Hen

foxes ever troubled still

all

the

sat resting in the big

them

again; and, for all I

living happily in the little house with

the green door and green shutters, which stands 199

on the

hill.

The

Engine That Could

Little As

ONCE

there

told hy

was

Olive Beauyrc Miller

a Train-of-Cars; she

was

flying across

the country with a load of Christmas toys for the children tain.

who

lived

way over on the other

Her wheels went around

the track.

very

fast,

side

of the moun-

squealing along on

Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! She was

happy because she was carrying that load of toys for the children and she had just time enough to get to the end of

her journey before the last Christmas shopping. But.

all

of

a sudden, bang!

tain the Little

The wheels still.

could

Right

at the foot

of the moun-

Engine broke down! Chug! Chug! Squeak!

slid

along the track and then stood perfectly

She couldn't go an inch

And how mountains now

farther.

she ever get across the

the children's Christmas?

200

in the

in

world

time for

1

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD Rag

dolls,

paper dolls,

and

carts, dolls'

balls

—were

children

The help.

they

Train

Then

toy wagons

to

side to

stay

there

useless,

and

the

go without them for Christmas? stood there hoping for

suddenly, toot, toot, toot! Along came a Great all

finely cleaned

plate scoured and bright.

work of pulling and

all

felt very sad as she

Strong Engine,

number

little

houses and Noah's arks, tops and bats and

on the other

little

china dolls,

up and shining with

He

had

a fine long passenger train,

a dining-car.

That was something

and blowing with pride.

20

his

just finished his

with sleeping

to do!

He

cars

was puffing

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

"O

Big, Big Engine!'

joined in the chorus.

'

cried the Train while her Cars

all

"Will you please take us over the

mountain? Our Engine has broken down, and we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other

you help

us,

side.

Will

help us, help us?"

But the Great Big Passenger Engine blew off steam with

He

shriek.

puffed himself up with pride.

look very huge. pull

such a

"It's

little

not

nobody!

my I

you!

Puff, puff!

And poor

Ding, dong!

I

the

little

with

can't be bothered

with

He had

finer

Wheu-eu-eu!" a sidetrack, passed the left

Train-of-Cars

never left off hoping that someone Pretty soon, toot, toot!

"to

trains

Train-of-Cars and soon

behind. Well,

Engine.

much

he switched himself round on

little

himself

business," he roared,

pull

sleeping cars and a dining-car.

He made

a

her helpless, felt

sad

would come

but

far

she

to help her.

Along came a Great Strong Freight

just pulled a freight train over the top

202

of the

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD mountain and was on a little rest.

her Cars will

all

his

way back

But the Train

to the roundhouse to take

called to this Engine, too, while

joined in the chorus:

"O

Big, Big Engine, please,

you take us over the mountain? Our Engine has broken

down, and we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children

on the other

side.

Will you help

us,

help us, help us?"

But the Big Freight Engine snorted. snorted and puffed.

And

He

snorted and

he sent up out of his smokestack a

shower of angry sparks. 'Tve done enough work for today! Yes-s-s S-s-sir-ee!" he hissed.

done enough, done enough!

And

little

done enough, done enough!'

9

Train-of-Cars, and soon left her helpless far

behind! Well, the

but she never

come

I've

he switched himself round on the sidetrack, passed

the poor

sad;

'Tm off for a little res-s-st! I've

little

left

Train-of-Cars

now

off hoping that

felt very,

very

some one would

to help her.

Pretty soon

dragging along there came slowly up the

track a Rusty, Dusty,

Dingy Engine,

203

just

about the size of

MY STORYTIME TREASURY

the Engine that had been pulling the Train, This Rusty,

Dusty, Dingy Engine was sighing and moaning and grunting.

He was

rumbling and grumbling and groaning. But the

Train called out while her Cars

"O

all

joined in the chorus:

Engine, please, will you take us

Engine,

little

over

the

mountain? Our Engine has broken down and we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other

you help

Then

us,

the

Rusty,

Dusty,

haven't the strength!

could! self

I

Will

help us, help us?"

Dingy Engine groaned and

grunted and grumbled: "I never could pull you! I

side.

never could,

round on the

Cars and soon Train-of-Cars

I

No, No!

I

never could!"

sidetrack, passed the

left

now

couldn't!

I

never could,

And he poor

I

dragged him-

little

Train-of-

her helpless, far behind! Well, the felt very, very,

very sad.

Yet

never

still

little

she never

stopped hoping that some one would come to help her. 204

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD So

after a long,

long time, along came a Little Small

Engine, an engine so very small for help; yet she

had one bright,

head, and she was

it

seemed

useless to ask her

lively eye shining

humming and

out in her

hurrying, whistling and

ringing her bell in the very liveliest way.

So the the

over

little

chorus:

Train cried out, while her Cars

"Little

the mountain?

Engine,

could

please,

Our Engine

has

all

joined in

you take us

broken down, and

we're loaded with Christmas toys for the children on the other side.

Now from the

Can you help

us,

help us, help us?"

the Little Small Engine had never been far away freight yard; she

had spent

all

her days in switching.

But think of all those children without their Christmas

toys!

MY STORYTIME TREASURY She couldn't toys

for

let

the Train stand

Christmas,

still

she

so

and the children have no to

started

chug up

steam

and she answered:

^tkJnJ> toon!" Then

she

'

came

up

straight

to

the Train, caught hold and started fx

to pull! She tugged and she tug-

ged and she pulled!

And

pretty

soon, Ding, dong! Ding, dong! Puff, puff!

Chug, chug! The Train-of-Cars

began to move! Slowly, slowly, slowly the Train began to move! Little Small

And

the

Engine kept toiling and tug-

and tugging and pulling. And

as

she

tugged she kept puffing, slowly, very slowly: '

'I

— think — —can! I

I

—think — —can! I

Steadily she gained speed.

And now

she

puffed out faster: "I-think-I-can! I-thinkI-can!

I-think-I-can!

By and by she ran

steadily,

the track and then she

"I think I can!

206

I

think

smoothly up

puffed very

I can! I

think

I

fast:

can!"

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

At

last,

and

at last,

at last she

reached the top of the

mountain! She stood on top of the world! She'd climbed that big,

long slope! She'd done

And

there,

joy, just "

way down below,

whom

lived to

could!

I

The

And

as she

thought

thought

little

the children

She'd done

it!

where the children

puff!

she started sliding, faster,

puffing: '1 thought I

lay the city

it!

J? coutd!" she puffed.

Then down faster, faster.

She'd done

she was bearing the toys. She gave one puff of

one great big long

() thought

could!

it!

I

I

I

went she kept

could!

could! could!

I I

I

thought thought

thought

I I

I

,

could!"

Train-of-Cars squealed merrily behind her and

down

in the city got their toys for Christmas.

207

—

s now

.01

C7TLE white feathers, Filling the air Little white feathers!

How

came you

there?

"W e came from the cloud-birds Sailing so high;

They're shaking their white wings

Up

in the sky/'

Little white feathers,

How

swift

you

go!

Little white snowflakes,

n. )ve you

so:

—Mary Mapes Dodge

Rhymes and

Jingles.

Copyright, 1874, by Scribner, Armstrong

208

&

Company; 1904, by Charles Scnbner's Sons

'

Wee

Robin's Christmas Song FROM A SCOTCH FOLK TALE ATTRIBUTED TO ROBERT BURNS

ONE

shiny Christmas

bright,

morning, an old gray

Pussy went out to walk to see what she could

see.

As

she was walking along, pit-pat, through the snow, she saw a

wee Robin Redbreast hopping about on

"Good morning, Robin," on

this cold

said she.

answered

him

Redbreast* "I'm going to sing

Christmas morning/

"Oh, but wait

are

you going

a

I

to me, and Til

have around

she

would

h/JM B

wee Robin

song on this merry

minute before you go,"

But Robin looked down

He knew

a

the

9

hop down here

white ring that

eye.

"Where

and frosty morning?'

"I'm going to the King/'

Pussy. "Just

a bush.

like

1

my at

said the old gray

show you

a

bonny

neck."

Pussy with a twinkle in his

him

V

209

for breakfast.

j

MY STORY TIME TREASURY "Ha!

ha! gray Pussy/' said he,

"you may show your white

ring to the little gray mousie but Til not wait a minute to

you show

let

it

So he spread

to me! Til go straight his wings

on to the King!"

and flew away.

He

and he flew over the shiny white world greedy old

Hawk who

was

sitting

"Good morning, Robin," you going on

on

flew and he flew

till

he came to a

a fence.

cried the this cold

Hawk* "Where

are

and frosty morning?"

"I'm going to the King," answered the wee

Robin Redbreast. "I'm going

to sing

him

a

song on this merry Christmas morning."

"Oh, but wait

a

minute before you go,"

said the greedy old

Hawk.

bonny green

I

feather

'Til show you a

have here in

my

wing."

But the wee Robin saw the hungry look in the eye

of the greedy old Hawk.

"Ha! ha! old Hawk," said he, "I saw youpe ck at the tiny birds,

0t

V

So he spread

you peck at me. his

Til

go straight on to the King!"

And

he flew and he

a hillside

where he saw a

wings and flew away.

flew and he flew until he sly

but Til not wait a minute to let

came to

old Fox looking out of his hole.

"Good morning, Robin,"

said the Fox.

going on this cold and frosty morning?" 2IO

"Where

are

you

'

WEE ROBIN'S CHRISTMAS SONG 'Tm going

co the King/' answered the

Robin Redbreast. "I'm going

wee

him

to sing

a

song on this merry Christmas morning/

"Oh, but wait

a

minute before you go,"

me show you a spot I have on the end of my tail." "Let

said the sly old Fox,

queer black

"Ha!

ha!

Fox," said the Robin, "I

sly

saw you tease the wee lambie, and Til not wait to see the queer black spot on your

So the Robin

tail.

Til go straight

more and he

flew off once

and he flew until he saw

a

to the King."

flew and he flew

boy eating some bread and

"Good morning, Robin,"

said the boy.

going on this cold and frosty morning?'

'Tm going

on

to sing

are

you

^

'

to the King," answered the

Robin Redbreast. "I'm going

"Where

butter.

wee ^0^\

him