BOOK FOUR

THE DONKEY EATING THISTLES

Do you like to eat thistles?

Do you think children like to eat them?

Do animals like to eat them?

Not many animals like to eat them, but donkeys do.

One day a donkey was carrying food and drink to his master and the men who were working in the fields with him.

On the way, he came upon a fine large thistle, and as he was very hungry, he stopped and ate it.

"How good it tastes!" he said to himself. "My master likes the food

and drink which I am carrying on my back. He does not know what is good. He has never tasted a fine large thistle like this. But perhaps he would not like it. Everybody does not know what is good, as I do, and every one does not like the same things."

One man's food is another man's poison.

THE MAN IN THE WILDERNESS

The man in the wilderness asked me How many strawberries grew in the

sea;

I answered him as I thought good, As many herrings as grow in the wood."

LITTLE SUNBEAMS

The sun had been away for a long time. But now he was coming back. He knew how dark the earth must be without him. Even the little birds could not see to fly about.

So he called the little sunbeams and said, “My little children, all the people and all the animals on the earth must be asleep. Not even a bird is stirring. Go then, each one of you, and find the birds, the animals, and then the people. Wake them up and tell them I have come back, and with my light and warmth will help them to do their work."

The little sunbeams ran smiling and

dancing in all directions to say that the sun was coming back.

One went to a tree where a family of robins was sound asleep in the nest.

"Wake up, little robins! The sun has come back," cried the little sunbeam. Mother Robin raised her head sleepily.

In her sweet, happy voice, the little sunbeam called again, "Wake

up, little robins! You are snug and warm in your nest, but the sun is here to keep you warm now and he has lighted up the garden so you can see to find the big, fat worms.

At that, all the little robins flew out of the nest for the first time and down into the garden to find their breakfast.

So the little sunbeams hurried from one nest to another, waking up the little birds, until soon they were all up and singing merrily while they worked getting their breakfast.

One little sunbeam crept into a big hole in the ground. She was not sure who lived here, but she knew it must be some animal, so she called, "Wake up! Wake up! The sun has come back." She heard a sound like a hippity-hop, and sure enough, a big rabbit