5

10

15

of corn.

This is a boy with a nest full of eggs in his hand. He

is a bad boy to take a poor bird's nest.

Here is the maid come, to take me to bed. Pray, put my slate by for me, that I may have it safe when I next want to draw.

36. Dialogue.

We will drink tea out of doors. Come, fetch your hat.

It is very pleasant. But here is no table. What must we do? O here is a large round stump of a tree, it will do very well for a table.

But we have no chairs.

Here is a seat of turf, and a bank almost covered with violets; we shall sit here, and you and Billy may lie on the carpet.

The carpet is in the parlour, but there is one, here, too. What is it? The grass is the carpet out of doors. Pretty green soft carpet! and it is very large, for it spreads every where, over all the fields and meadows.

Come, let us go home, it is evening. See, how tall my shadow is. It is like a great black giant stalking after me. Your shadow is tall, because the sun is low in the sky; it is 20 near sunset. Look at your shadow to-morrow, at noon, and you will find it a great deal shorter.

You must not go out into the fields by yourself, nor without leave.

37. The Cat and the Bird.

I want to make my cat jump. How can I make her jump? 25 You must take her, and hold your hands and arms round her thus, and when she wants to get from you, she will jump. Now try. Hold your hands thus high from the floor. Now she jumps. She will soon do it well; but you must take care not to hurt her. Do not let her go near the bird, she will tear it with her 30 claws, and eat it up. She may go and get the mice, for they do us harm, and eat our food; but she must not get our poor bird, who sings to us, and lets us know when it is light. He sings as soon as it is day, at the first peep of light. He has no seed in his box. Give him some hemp-seed; it is in the bag on the high 35 shelf. Do not spill it on the floor. May I put this bit of sweet cake in the wires of the cage? He is like me, he is fond of sweet cake. See, how he pecks at it. Now he goes to drink at the glass, and to wash the dirt off his beak. He is a neat bird. Yes, you see you may learn from a poor bird, that it is right to be 40 neat and clean.

38. The Sheep and the Lamb.

One day, an old sheep with her young lamb was in a field with the rest of the flock. The sun was warm, and the lamb was quite gay, and full of play. It ran here and there, up and down, round and round; but it ran most by the hedge, as it was a warm spot, and the high hedge kept off the wind. At last the lamb in 5 its glee ran quite into a bush full of thorns, and the thorns took hold of its coat, and held it fast, so that it could not get free. The old sheep, who was not far off, heard it bleat, and ran to it to help it; but in vain did the old sheep pull the bush: she could not set her lamb free. At last the sheep left the bush, and ran 10 as fast as she could to the next field, where there was a ram with horns. She told the ram (that is, she told him in her way) the sad case of her lamb. The ram ran with her to the bush, and with the help of his horns, he and the old sheep set the poor lamb free with the loss of some of its wool. I dare say the lamb did not 15 go near that bush for a long time.

39. Top and Kite.

Tom Payne met Dick Scott; Tom had a pegtop in his hand, and Dick had a ball of string for a kite. "You have got a nice pegtop," said Dick, "where did you buy it? and what did it cost?" "I bought it at the toy-shop in Highstreet," said Tom, "and it cost 20 a groat." "How much is a groat?" said Dick. "Why, four-pence, to be sure," said Tom. "Do not you know that four-pence is a groat? But now I have told you what you want to know, pray tell me, Dick, what you mean to do with all that string." "It is for my kite,' said Dick, “and if you will let me spin your top, you shall go with 25 me and fly it." "With all my heart," said Tom. So when Dick Scott had spun Tom Payne's top, they both went to fetch the kite, and they went to a large field to fly it. It was a nice kite. It had a long tail, I do no know how long, and its wings were large too.

The wind blew high, and the two boys, to their great joy, 30 saw their kite take a high flight in the air; but in a short time, down it fell, and a great hole was torn in it. This they knew how to mend, and soon put it to rights, and the next day flew it once more, but with still worse luck, for the string caught in the boughs of a tree, where it broke, and the wind drove the kite 35 I don't know where, for the poor boys did not find it. Yet they did not sit down and cry for it; no, they went to play with such things as they had left, which was the best way.

40. How to add Sums.

I wish I could do a sum as John does. May I get my slate, and try? No, you cannot use a slate yet; but I will teach you to 40

add with these beans. Reach me that bag. See, it is full of beans, turn some of them out. Now take pains, and mind what I am saying to you.

Here is one bean, and here are two more. How much does 5 one and two make? Put them all into your left hand and count them, one, two, three; then one and two are three. Now take three more beans, and add them to the three you have in your left hand; now count them all; one, two, three, four, five, six: then three and three make six. Now take four beans and add two more 10 to them. I have six: then four and two are six. Now take five beans, and add one to them; count them. I have six; then five and one are six.

This is the way to add, and when you can write you shall have a slate; but till then, you must use these beans to count with. 15 So put them by in the bag, that they may not be lost, and hang the bag up on that nail; you will then know where to find it when you want it.

41. The Snow.

The snow falls fast, and the cold wind blows through the bare trees. Who can that poor little boy be who is out in the storm? 20 It is Dicky. He was sent to town to buy some candles for his mother, but, as soon as he was gone, the snow began to fall, and his mother was afraid for him, and ran after him to bring him back again. See, how kindly she wraps her cloak over his head, so that he may be warm and dry, just as the hen spreads her 25 wing over her little chick, when she sees the hawk coming. Snow does not often fall so thickly on the ground in his country as to cover people, but there is a country a long way off, called Switzerland, where the snow gathers in large heaps, on the high mountains, and every now and then, these heaps roll down and bury 30 houses and cattle and people too under them. But there is nothing of the kind in happy England.

42. The kind little Girl.

Dear James, will you stay and help me?

What can I do to help you, Ann?

You can help me very much, if you will stay and pick some 35 of this green plant for me.

What plant is it? And what is it for, Ann?

It is water-cress, and it is for poor old Susan to sell. She is so old, she cannot stoop down to pick it, and I like to do it for her. But I am late to-day, and if I do not make great haste, she 40 will not be in time to sell any. Do stay and help me.

Dear Ann, I would stay if I could, for it is just what I like to do to help you, as you are so kind. But I must not stay, for I was told to be very quick. I am going to the shop for some I hope you do not mind.

eggs. I am so sorry. No, dear James.

told (to do).

It is best for you to do as you have been 5

Here comes Lucy, and I dare say she will help you. Poor old Susan, it would be so sad for her if you were too late.

Oh yes, James, so poor (that) she has often no food to eat; but if she can sell all that I can pick for her, she will be able to 10 buy a loaf and a bit of meat, and some tea every day.

Well, I am glad of that; but I must not stay to talk, or else

I might just as well stay to help you, might I not?

Yes, you must run away, and buy your eggs. Good bye.

Good bye, Ann. I hope you will have time to get a great many. 15

43. The Nest.

What has John got in his hand?

A nest, mamma. Do look at it, it is so soft.

But how did you get the nest, dear John?

Papa gave it me. He said the bird that made the nest had

done with it. So I

of a hole in a tree.

did the bird put in

am to keep it for my own. Papa took it out 20
Did the bird make all the nest, mamma? How
all this wool and hair?

With her beak. She made it all. See how soft and warm and snug it is. Warm and soft as your bed, John.

What is the nest for, mamma? Does the bird live in it?
She lays her eggs in the nest.

There she sits on the eggs to keep them warm. And at last they open, and can you tell me what she sees in each?

No, mamma?

25

A tiny bird. Then the old bird is so glad, and she will fly far 30 and near to get food for them, she is so fond of them. As fond as I am of Ann and Jane, and you.

But why are they gone away out of the nest?

They are now too big to live in it. They can fly now, so they do not like to stay in the nest. You do not lie all day in the crib 35 as you did when you were a babe. It is just so with a bird. It goes away from the nest when it can fly.

Some bad boys take away the nest from the old bird when the eggs are in it. Then she is very sad. She does not like to lose the nest (which) she has made so soft and warm. My John will 40 not do so, I am sure.

Some are even so wicked as to take the nest even after the poor birds are hatched. That is very wicked. For then the poor

little birds are almost sure to die, for boys do not know how to feed them as well as their own father and mother, and so they die with hunger.

44. The high Wind.

John went out to walk with his papa: the wind was high, and 5 they had not gone far, when John's cap blew off. John, why cannot you keep your cap on your head, and why do you hold it on thus? Why, papa, said John, I have no strap to my cap. is the strap? You had one once; have you lost it came out?

10

But where

since you

No, papa, I have not lost it, I have left it at home. It came off the last time I wore my cap. I did not think to put it on, and I have come out without it.

That is wrong, John, and shews great want of care; but as it is the first time you have done so, I will go into the next house (that) 15 we pass, and ask for a piece of cord to tie your cap on with: but

the next time you come out without a strap, I shall send you back. John said, I will be sure to mind what you say, papa, and you shall find I will keep my word. His papa then went into a house (which) they saw next the road-side, where a man was so kind as to give 20 him a piece of cord, with which he made John's cap fast on his head, so that it kept firm on all the time they were out, in spite of the high wind.

The next few days were wet, so that John could not go out; but the first fine day, his papa said to him: Come, John, you may 25 walk with your mamma and me, but be quick, as I am in haste. John ran up stairs to dress in great haste, and then they went out. The wind was high on this day. He soon felt he could not long keep his cap on his head, for he had come out with no strap; so he held it on with his hand. But his hand got cold, so cold that 30 he could scarce feel the cap; for in his haste he had not had time to put on his gloves; so he took his hand from his cap to put on his glove. Just then came a great gust of wind: off blew the cap. He ran to pick it up, but still it blew on, on, on; John ran, on, on, too, to catch it; but just as he got near it, he made a trip, 35 and down he fell in the mud.

A good boy ran to stop the cap which the wind still blew on at a great rate; and he soon got it and came back with it to John, who was muddy from head to foot. His papa now said, John, go back; I told you the next time you came out with no strap 40 on your cap, I should send you back; and if I had not said so, I could not take you with me, for you are not fit to be seen. You have lost a nice walk, aud worse than that, you have not kept your word.