A collection of rhymes, stories, myths, legends, poetry and folk tales selected for the very young from the anthology, M
444 120 51MB
English Pages [232] Year 1991
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
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