THE ENGLISH READER. FIRST BOOK. SECTION FIRST. 1. NO ONE SHOULD BE IDLE. School, the place where chil- A-stray', out of the right way. dren are taught. Wool, hair of sheep. Sil'-ly, foolish. I'-dle, lazy, doing nothing. Fly'-ing, moving in the air with wings. Flock, a number of sheep. Hay'-rick, heap of hay. Les'-sons, tasks. Hon'-ey, sweet juice made by [bees. THERE was a little boy, whose Papa and Mama gave him a little book like this, and sent him to school. It was a very fine morning; the sun shone, and the birds. sang on the trees. Now this little boy did not much love his book, for he was but a silly little boy; and he had a wish to play, and not go to school. And he saw a bee flying about 8 NO ONE SHOULD BE IDLE. from flower to flower; so he said, "Pretty bee, will you come and play with me?" But the bee said, "No, I must not be idle; I must go and gather honey." Then the little boy met a dog, and he said, "Dog, will you play with me?" But the dog said, "No, I must not be idle; I am going to watch my master's flock, and I must make haste, lest any of them go astray." Then the little boy went to a hay-rick, and he saw a bird pulling some hay out of the hay-rick, and he said, "Bird, will you come and play with me?" But the bird said, "No, I must not be idle; I must get some hay to make my nest with, and then I must get some moss and some wool." So the bird flew away. Then the little boy said to himself, "What is neither beast nor bird idle? then little boys must not be idle." So he went to school, and sat down to his lessons; and the master said he was a good boy. QUESTIONS. What did the boy in the lesson | get? From whom? Where was he sent? What kind of day was it? What did the boy dislike? Why? What did he see? What did he say to the bee? To the! dog? To the bird? What did each answer him? What did the boy at last do? What does being idle often produce? What is the reward of being busy? WRITE.-I must get some moss and wool for my nest. And gather honey all the day, How skil-ful-ly she builds her cell! In works of labour, or of skill, For Satan finds some mis-chief still In books, or work, or health-ful play WRITE. The little bee flies about all day, and gathers honey from every opening flower, |