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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15241-h.zip b/15241-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d664582 --- /dev/null +++ b/15241-h.zip diff --git a/15241-h/15241-h.htm b/15241-h/15241-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..184d22b --- /dev/null +++ b/15241-h/15241-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3994 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" + content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" /> +<meta content="pg2html (binary v0.18b)" name="generator" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of + All About Johnnie Jones, + by Carolyn Verhoeff +</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[*/ + <!-- + body { margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; } + p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } + hr { width: 50%; } + hr.full { width: 100%; } + .foot { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 85%; } + .poem { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left; } + .poem .stanza { margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; } + .poem p { margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em; } + .poem p.i2 { margin-left: 1.5em; } + .poem p.i4 { margin-left: 2.5em; } + .quote { margin-left: 6%; margin-right: 6%; text-indent: 0em; font-size: 90%; } + .toc { margin-bottom: 0em;} + .figure {text-align: center; font-size: 0.8em; width: 75%; margin-left: 12.5%; font-variant: small-caps;} + .figure img {border: none;} + center { padding: 0.8em;} +/*]]>*/ + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of All About Johnnie Jones, by Carolyn Verhoeff + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: All About Johnnie Jones + +Author: Carolyn Verhoeff + +Release Date: March 3, 2005 [EBook #15241] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALL ABOUT JOHNNIE JONES *** + + + + +Produced by Kentuckiana Digital Library, David Garcia and the PG +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h1> + All About Johnnie Jones +</h1> +<a name="image-0001"><!--IMG--></a> + +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-002.jpg" width="100%" +alt="Johnnie Jones" /> +</div> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h1> + <i>All About</i><br /> JOHNNIE JONES +</h1> +<hr /> +<h2> +BY +<br /> +Carolyn Verhoeff +</h2> + +<h3> +ILLUSTRATED BY +<br /> +Diantha W. Horne +</h3> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h4> +SEVENTH EDITION +</h4> + +<hr /> +<p style="text-indent: 0em; text-align: center; font-size: 75%;"> + <i>Published by</i><br /> + Milton Bradley Company<br /> + SPRINGFIELD :: MASSACHUSETTS +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p style="text-indent: 0em; text-align: center; font-size: 75%;"> +Copyright, 1907, by <br /> +MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY <br /> +SPRINGFIELD, MASS. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p style="text-indent: 0em; text-align: center;"> + In Loving Memory <br /> + <i>of</i> <br /> + <i>The</i> Beautiful Life <i>of One</i> Little Child <br /> + <b>Meldrum Adams Hartwell</b> <br /> + (1891-1896) <br /> + These Stories are Dedicated <br /> + <i>to</i> <br /> + All Little Children +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="quote"> + These stories have been written with but one object, to give + pleasure to little children, while helping them to realize, + in so far as they are able, the highest ideals of childhood. +</p> +<p class="quote"> + CAROLYN VERHOEFF +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + INTRODUCTION +</h2> +<p> +It gives me sincere pleasure to introduce to mothers and kindergartners +a pioneer writer in the unexplored field of simple, realistic stories +for little children. +</p> +<p> +Miss Verhoeff is a trained kindergartner who has brought to her +profession a college training as well as a true devotion to children. +</p> +<p> +It was in one of the free kindergartens situated in the less fortunate +localities of Louisville that the stories of Johnnie Jones came into +being, and grew in response to the demand of the little ones for +stories about real children. +</p> +<p> +In the beautiful world of fairy-lore we have a rich and splendidly +exploited field of immortal literature. The old, old stories of +fairies and elves, of giants and dwarfs, of genii, princes, and knights +with their wonder-working wands, rings and swords, will never grow +threadbare; while the spiritual, artistic and literary value of these +stories in the life of child-imagination can never be overestimated. +Enchanting and valuable as they are, however, they should not blind us +to the need for standard realistic stories of equal literary and poetic +merit. +</p> +<p> +A child needs not only the touch of the wonder-working wand which +transports him to a land of fascinating unrealities, but also the +artistic story which reflects the every-day experiences of real life; +artistic in that it touches these daily experiences with an idealism +revealing the significance and beauty of that which the jaded taste of +the adult designates as "commonplace." That all children crave the story +which is, or might be, true is evidenced by the expression of their +faces when their inevitable question, "is it really true?" or "did it +really happen?" is answered in the affirmative. +</p> +<p> +Perhaps some of us can recall the pleasure derived from old-fashioned +school readers of an earlier day. With all their faults they at least +did not overlook the value of standard realistic stories. In these +readers was found the very moral story of the boy who won the day +because of his forethought in providing an extra piece of whipcord. +There was also "Meddlesome Matty," and the honest office-boy, the heroic +lad of Holland, and the story of the newly liberated prisoner who bought +a cage full of captive birds and set them free. These and many others +still persist in memory, and point with unerring aim to standards of +human behavior under conditions which are both possible and probable. +In spite of their imperfections and stern morality these stories were +valuable because they recited the fundamental events of human and animal +existence, in relations which revealed the inevitable law of cause and +effect, and the ethical and poetic significance of man's relation to +all life. +</p> +<p> +As soon as children begin to realize the distinction between the +world of make-believe and the world of actuality, or, as one small boy +expressed it, "what I can see with my eyes shut, and what I can see when +I open them," they are fascinated with stories of real life, of "when +Father was a little boy," or "when Mother was a little girl," or "when +you were a tiny baby." This demand of the child for realistic stories +is the expression of a real want which should be satisfied with good +literature. +</p> +<p> +Before children are enabled by their experience to discriminate between +the imaginary and the actual world, they make no distinction between the +story of real life and the fairy tale. During this early period a story +relating the most ordinary events of every-day life is accepted in the +same spirit, and may provoke as much or as little wonder, as the story +dealing with the most marvelous happenings of the supernatural world. +For to the child at this stage of development it is no more wonderful +that trees and animals should converse in the language of men than that +a little boy should do so. Until children learn that, as a matter of +fact, plants and animals do not participate in all of the human +activities, they regard as perfectly natural stories in which such +participation is taken for granted. On the other hand a realistic story +representing some of the most universal aspects of human existence may +provoke surprise as the child discovers that his own experiences are +common to many other lives and homes. This was evidenced by the remark +of a small boy who, at the end of a story relating the necessary +sequence of activities common to the countless thousands of heroic +mothers, washing and ironing the family linen, waggishly shook his +finger at the narrator, and with a beaming smile, said: "Now you know +that it is <i>my</i> Ma and Tootsie you are telling about!" John had not +discovered the fact that the story which reflected the daily service of +his beloved mother reflected equally well the service of thousands of +other mothers. He saw only the personal experience in the common reality +and recognized it with joy. When through similar stories of daily life a +child learns to know that his experiences constitute the common lot, his +first feeling of surprise gives place to a greater joy, and sympathy is +born. +</p> +<p> +The stories of Johnnie Jones were not premeditated but grew in response +to daily requests for "more about Johnnie Jones." They are the record of +a most ordinary little boy, good as can be to-day, forgetting to obey +to-morrow; a life history in which many other little lives are reflected +in the old, old process of helping the child to adapt himself to the +standards of society. +</p> +<p> +The ideal has been to deal with the ordinary events of daily life in a +manner which will reveal their normal values to the child. There is the +friendly policeman who finds the lost boy; the heroic fireman who comes +to the rescue of the burning home; the little neighbor who would not +play "fair;" the little boy who had to learn to roll his hoop, and to +care for the typical baby brother who pulled his hair; there are the +animals who entered into the joys and sorrows of the Jones +family,—altogether, very real animals, children, and "grown-ups," +learning in common the lessons of social life. +</p> +<p> +The moral throughout is very pointed, and may be considered too obvious +by many kindergartners, who do not feel the need of such insistence in +their work. Mothers, however, with normal four-year-old boys who are +likely to follow the music down the street and get lost, or who are +equally liable to fall in the pond because they forget to obey Father, +will find a strange necessity for pointing the moral in no uncertain +tone. +</p> +<p> +The stories are so arranged that they may be read singly or as a serial. +</p> +<p> +I am sure the author will feel more than repaid if this little +collection paves the way for more and better standard stories of +reality, that our little children may not only revel in the events of a +delightfully impossible world, but may also feel the thrill of heroism +and poetry bound up in the common service of mother and father, of +servants and neighbors, and find the threads of gold which may be woven +into the warp and woof of daily intercourse with other little children +who possess a common stock of privileges and duties, joys and sorrows. +</p> +<p style="text-indent: 0em;"> +PATTY SMITH HILL. +<br /> +Louisville, Kentucky. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + CONTENTS +</h2> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0004"> +Johnnie Jones and the Cookie +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0005"> +When Johnnie Jones Was Lost +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0006"> +Mother's Story of the Princess and Her Pigeon +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0007"> +Johnnie Jones and the Squirrel +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0008"> +Johnnie Jones and the Peach Preserves +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0009"> +How the Children Helped Tom and Sarah +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0010"> +Johnnie Jones's Story of the Stars +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0011"> +Johnnie Jones and Jack +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0012"> +Stiggins +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0013"> +When Johnnie Jones was a Santa Claus +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0014"> +An Original Valentine +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0015"> +When Johnnie Jones was a Cry-Baby +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0016"> +Johnnie Jones and the Man Who Cried "Wolf" too Often +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0017"> +Johnnie Jones's Birthday Party +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0018"> +The Sleeping Beauty +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0019"> +Johnnie Jones and the Butterfly +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0020"> +Mr. and Mrs. Bird and the Baby Birds +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0021"> +The Coming of Little Brother +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0022"> +Little Brother and Johnnie Jones +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0023"> +Elizabeth with the Children +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0024"> +Johnnie Jones and the Hoop-Rolling Club +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0025"> +The Fire at Johnnie Jones's House +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0026"> +Johnnie Jones and Fanny +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0027"> +Fanny and Little Brother +</a></p> +<p class="toc"><a href="#h2H_4_0028"> +When Johnnie Jones Learned to Swim +</a></p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr /> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS +</h2> + +<p><a href="#image-0001"> +Johnnie Jones +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0002"> +Max wagged his tail and began to trot home— +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0003"> +Such a merry time as the children had! +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0004"> +Each child came up and shook Jack's paw— +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0005"> +When he spread his wings and flew away— +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0006"> +Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy— +</a></p> +<p><a href="#image-0007"> +The little brown pony would eat out of their hands +</a></p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr class="full" /> + + +<a name="h2H_4_0004" id="h2H_4_0004"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Cookie +</h2> +<p> +One day, when Johnnie Jones was a wee little boy, only three years old, +Mother came home from down town. Johnnie Jones ran to meet her. "Mother +dear, didn't you bring me something?" he asked. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, indeed," answered Mother, and she gave him something tied up in a +paper bag. "Be careful," she told him, "or it will break." +</p> +<p> +So Johnnie Jones was careful as he untied the string and opened the bag. +When he saw what was inside he was glad he had not broken it, for it was +a round yellow cookie with a hole in the centre. +</p> +<p> +"Thank you, Mother," said Johnnie Jones, and he rolled on his back and +kicked up his heels, which meant that he was happy. Then he sat up and +began to eat his cookie. It was very good, and tasted as if it had +molasses in it, Johnnie Jones said. But by and by, after he had been +taking a great many bites, there wasn't any of the cookie left in his +hand, because he had eaten it, every bit. Johnnie Jones looked at his +hand where the cookie had been, and then he began to cry. +</p> +<p> +"Oh, dear me," exclaimed Mother, "what is troubling my little boy?" +</p> +<p> +"I want my cookie," cried Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"Where is your cookie?" asked Mother. +</p> +<p> +"I ate it," said Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"If you have eaten it, then it is all gone," Mother told him. +</p> +<p> +"But I want it! I want my cookie!" wailed Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"To-morrow I'll buy you another just like it," Mother promised. +</p> +<p> +"I don't want another just like it, I want my own cookie with a hole in +the middle," and the tears came faster and faster. +</p> +<p> +"But, little boy," Mother said, "nobody in all the world, nor Father nor +Mother nor Johnnie Jones, can eat a cookie and yet have it." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones continued to cry, so Mother brought him some brown paper, +a pair of scissors, and a pencil. +</p> +<p> +"See here, dear," she said, "I can't give you the cookie you ate, but +you may make a picture that will look very much like it." +</p> +<p> +Then Johnnie Jones ceased crying, and Mother showed him how to fold and +cut the paper until it was like the cookie, with a hole in the centre. +They pasted it on cardboard and placed it upon the mantel. +</p> +<p> +"Thank you, Mother," said Johnnie Jones, "but I don't like it so well as +my real cookie because I can't eat it." +</p> +<p> +"If you could eat it," Mother answered, "it would soon be gone, so the +picture is better unless you are hungry." +</p> +<p> +And Johnnie Jones thought so too. +</p> +<p> +After that day he never again cried for a cookie when he had eaten it, +nor for a toy when he had destroyed it, because he had discovered that +crying could never bring back what was gone. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0005" id="h2H_4_0005"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + When Johnnie Jones Was Lost +</h2> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was lost, completely lost. He looked up the street, he +looked down the street, and then he looked across the street, but not +one of the houses was his home. Johnnie Jones did not like being lost. +He had not seen his mother for a very long time, not since she had left +him in the yard at play after they had returned from market. He had been +swinging on the front gate, when, suddenly, he heard the sound of music, +and saw several people running down the street. +</p> +<p> +"Everyone must have forgotten to tell me that there was a circus," he +said to himself. "I think I had better go see." +</p> +<p> +Now Johnnie Jones was never allowed to leave the yard unless an older +person was with him, but he did not think of that, as he opened the gate +and ran out on the street to follow the gathering crowd. +</p> +<p> +When he reached the first corner everyone was hurrying on to the next, +and Johnnie Jones hurried on, too. Of course, however, he could not run +as fast as older people, and very soon he was passed by the crowd. Then, +when he could no longer hear the music, he looked about him and knew +that he was lost. +</p> +<p> +He was sorry that he had gone away from home. He thought it must be +about lunch time and he was very hungry. Then he remembered that this +was the day Mother had promised to take him to the park. He would have +cried, had he not been a brave little lad, and had he not known that a +boy almost four is too old to cry, unless he is actually hurt. +</p> +<p> +He sat down on the curbstone, and wished and wished that some one would +come to find him. +</p> +<p> +After a while he saw a policeman coming towards him from across the +street. He was a very tall policeman, but Johnnie Jones decided to speak +to him. His mother had often told him that policemen always take care of +people, and help them whenever they can. So he tipped his hat politely, +and said, "Please, Mr. Policeman, will you find me? Because I'm lost." +</p> +<p> +The policeman smiled down at Johnnie Jones until Johnnie Jones smiled up +at the policeman and forgot what a little boy he was. Then the officer +lifted him up in his strong arms, and asked him his name. Johnnie Jones +could tell him his name, but he could not tell him which way he had come +from home, so they decided to go to the nearest drug-store and find the +number of the house. +</p> +<p> +The policeman began to tell him stories about his own little boy whose +name was Johnnie Green, and Johnnie Jones was so interested that he +forgot to be tired. Just before they reached the drug-store Johnnie +Jones heard a dog barking. He looked around, and there was the very +dog that lived next door to him and played with him every day. +</p> +<p> +"Oh!" he said, "I know that dog! He is Max, and he can find the way +home." "You'll take me home, won't you, Max?" he asked the dog, who was +so glad to see his little neighbor that he was trying his best to kiss +him on the face. +</p> +<p> +"All right," the big policeman said, "but I'll come too, so I shall know +where you live if you are ever lost again." +</p> +<a name="image-0002"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-027.jpg" width="100%" +alt="Max wagged his tail and began to trot home--" /><br /> + Max wagged his tail and began to trot home— +</div> + +<p> +Max wagged his tail and began to trot home. Johnnie Jones trotted after +Max, and the policeman after Johnnie Jones. It was not very long before +they could see the house, and there was Mother standing at the gate, +looking up the street, and down the street, and across the street, for +her little boy. When she saw him she ran to meet him and clasped him in +her arms. +</p> +<p> +"Mother dear," said Johnnie Jones, "I was lost, and the policeman found +me, and then Max found us both, and I shall never again go to see a +circus by myself." +</p> +<p> +Mother told him that the band of music he had heard did not belong to +a circus, but was the Citizen's Band on its way to the park, and that, +since so much time had passed while Johnnie Jones was lost, it was too +late for him to go to the park that day. Of course the little boy was +sorry to miss the treat, but he was very glad to be at home once more. +</p> +<p> +Mother shook hands with the policeman, and thanked him for being kind +to her boy. As soon as he had gone, she and Johnnie Jones went into the +house for their lunch, and, afterwards, the little fellow was so tired +that he fell asleep in Mother's lap and dreamed that he was a tall +policeman finding lost boys. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0006" id="h2H_4_0006"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Mother's Story of the Princess and Her Pigeon +</h2> +<p> +"Mother," asked Johnnie Jones, "what is a carrier pigeon?" +</p> +<p> +"A pigeon which is trained to carry messages from one place to another," +Mother answered. "In the olden times, as there were no trains, or +steamboats, or postmen, or telegraph offices, people would very often +take pigeons with them when they started off on a long journey. As soon +as they reached their journey's end they would write a letter to the +family so far away, tie it to a pigeon, and release him. Then the pigeon +would fly away home with the message." +</p> +<p> +"Once, in that olden time, there lived a beautiful princess whom her +father and mother, the king and queen, decided to send away on a visit +to her grandmother. They gave her a milk-white pony to ride, and sent +many servants to take care of her. Now this princess had a pet pigeon +which she loved very dearly, and which she insisted upon taking with +her, though the queen was afraid it might prove troublesome on so long a +journey. The princess knew it would be a comfort to her, however, so she +was allowed to tie it to her saddle before she bade her parents good-by, +and started off. +</p> +<p> +"The princess had never been away from home before, and was very much +interested in everything she saw. She and her companions had to travel +through a great forest, and only the guides knew the way. One night +everyone was lying fast asleep on the ground in the thick woods, except +the princess, who was wide awake in her tent. At last she wearied of +lying there alone, so she rose, dressed herself, and went out into the +woods, carrying the pigeon in her arms. +</p> +<p> +"The moon was shining as bright as day, and the little girl went for +a walk. She was thinking of the father and mother at home, and did not +notice very carefully the direction in which she was wandering. After a +while she grew tired and turned back. Then she became frightened because +she could not see her tent, and could not remember which way she had +come. She called for her servants, but could make no one hear her. She +ran this way and that in the forest, but seemed only to go further and +further away from the camp. At last, very tired, she lay down on the +ground and cried herself to sleep. +</p> +<p> +"Next morning when the servants awoke they were very much alarmed to +discover that the princess had left her tent. They spent several days +seeking her in the forest, but not a trace of her could they find. Then +they went back to inform the king and queen, who were sad indeed to hear +such news. The king himself rode off to search in the forest, but even +he could not find the little maid. +</p> +<p> +"Meanwhile the princess had been wandering further and further away into +the great forest, with the pigeon tied to her arm. Fortunately, she had +brought with her a small basket full of lunch, which had been left by +her bed in case she should be hungry during the night. That was soon +gone, however, and then she had a hard time finding enough to eat. But +here and there she discovered wild berries, she drank water from the +clear, cold springs, and at night she found a comfortable, fragrant bed +under the pine trees, or in places where the grass was long and soft. +Sometimes wild animals came out, and looked at the little girl, but they +did not harm her. +</p> +<p> +"At last, the third day, she came to a large palace in the woods. Oh! +how happy she was. A prince met her at the door, invited her in, and +gave her delicious food and beautiful clothes. When she was rested after +her long journey, she told the prince who she was, and the reason for +her being alone in the forest, and begged him to send her home. The +prince was sorry for the little princess, but he was lonely in such a +large palace, so he asked her to live there with him. He was very kind +to her, but the princess wanted only to go home to be with her father +and mother. +</p> +<p> +"'Your palace is larger and more beautiful than my father's house,' she +told him, 'but I love my own home best, and I want to go back this very +day.' +</p> +<p> +"The prince was sorrowful when he heard what the little girl said; but, +hoping she might learn to care for his palace after a while, he gave her +a beautiful room filled with lovely things, and did everything he could +think of to make her happy. +</p> +<p> +"The little princess did try to be happy, but it was not possible. Every +evening she watched the birds fly back to their nests and she wished +that she, too, had wings and could fly away home. The pigeon was as +homesick as she. He would not eat, and pulled at the cord all the time, +trying to free himself. Finally the little princess decided to let him +fly away. 'Perhaps he can find his way home,' she thought; 'anyway I +shall let him try.' +</p> +<p> +"She wrote a letter to her father and mother, telling them where she +was, tied it under the pigeon's wing, and set him free. He flapped his +wings joyfully and flew out of the window high up in the air. Round and +round he circled, until in his own way he learned that the west was to +the right of him, the east to the left, the north was back of him, and +the south straight ahead. Then he started off like an arrow shot from a +bow, for home was there in the south. +</p> +<p> +"The little princess was more homesick than ever, left all alone. +</p> +<p> +"Meantime the pigeon flew very swiftly, sometimes as fast as a train can +go. No one can tell you how he knew the way, but he flew straight back +through the woods, and after a while reached the pigeon house just +outside the palace gate. Some of the servants who saw him fly in with +the note, caught him and carried him to the king. The king and queen +read the letter with great joy when they saw it had been written by +their little daughter, and all the people in the palace were happy to +know that the princess was safe and well. +</p> +<p> +"The pigeon flew back to the pigeon house. 'Coo, coo, coo,' he said to +all the other pigeons, 'home is the best place in the world.' +</p> +<p> +"The king ordered the fastest horses in the land, and he and the queen +rode off at once to find their little daughter. One day she saw them +coming. She clapped her hands with joy and ran to meet them. The king +and queen were as happy as she, and after they had greeted her, and bade +the prince good-by, they all three rode away home. The princess sat in +front of her father on his horse, because he could not bear to have her +out of his arms. After travelling back through the forest they reached +the palace at last. +</p> +<p> +"'Home is the best place in the world,' said the happy little princess. +</p> +<p> +"'Home is the best place in the world,' cooed the happy little pigeon." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones lay back in Mother's arms. "I think so too," he said, +"I like Grandma's house and Auntie's house, but home is best of all." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0007" id="h2H_4_0007"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Squirrel +</h2> +<p> +"Come," said Mother, "leave your toys now, and bathe your face and +hands, for it is time to go down town to buy your winter coat." +</p> +<p> +"Oh! Mother, I don't want to go down town," answered Johnnie Jones, +"because I think Sammy Smith is coming over to play with my new engine +this afternoon." +</p> +<p> +"But what will you do when the weather grows cold and you have no warm +coat to wear? I shall be too busy to go with you to-morrow." +</p> +<p> +"It's so warm to-day, Mother, I don't think it will grow cold very soon, +and anyway, I don't want to go down town." +</p> +<p> +Mother answered: "I know it will be cold soon, perhaps to-morrow, for +the wind is beginning to blow from the north. Come as soon as you can, +I have much to do and can't wait for you very long." +</p> +<p> +Then Johnnie Jones behaved like a silly little boy, although he was four +years old, quite old enough to know better. He fussed and fumed until +Mother said: "I am sorry, but I can't wait any longer." She went on down +town and left Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +Sammy Smith did not come over to play after all, because he had gone +shopping with his mother. Johnnie Jones soon grew tired of playing alone +and wished he had not been so foolish. +</p> +<p> +That night the north wind blew and blew, so that, next morning, it +was very cold when Johnnie Jones awoke. Of course he could not go to +kindergarten nor out to play, because he had no heavy coat to wear. He +begged his mother to wrap him in a shawl, and take him down town in the +carriage, but she was too busy. So poor little Johnnie Jones had to stay +in the house all day. +</p> +<p> +That evening when it was time for his story, Mother said: "I shall have +to tell you the story of the foolish squirrel, because you reminded me +of him to-day." +</p> +<p> +This is the story. +</p> +<p> +Once upon a time, there lived in the woods a little squirrel whose name +was Silver. All summer long he played about with the other squirrels and +had a very good time indeed. Then, by and by, the days began to grow +shorter and cooler. The trees began to drop their brightly colored +leaves and their nuts, and the soft green grass turned brown. The wise +old mother squirrels knew what these things meant, and they said to all +the young ones: +</p> +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "Winter is coming, so hurry away, </p> +<p class="i2"> You have no longer time to play. </p> +<p class="i2"> Gather the nuts with all your might </p> +<p class="i2"> Before the ground with snow is white. </p> +<p class="i2"> When winter comes there's naught to eat </p> +<p class="i2"> Except the roots and nuts so sweet, </p> +<p class="i2"> Which you must gather in the fall. </p> +<p class="i2"> So frisk away and store them all." </p> +</div> +</div> + +<p> +The squirrels, large and small, went to work. They found holes in the +trees and old logs in which to hide their winter provisions, and they +scampered away to find their favorite food. +</p> +<p> +All except little Silver. He said to himself: "Humph! I don't believe +winter is coming so very soon, and besides, I'd rather just play, and +eat the nuts, than work as these other squirrels are doing." +</p> +<p> +So he played as he had all summer long, and he kept so warm frisking +about in the sunshine that he did not realize how short and cold the +days were growing. +</p> +<p> +At last winter really came. Oh! how cold it was then. Silver said: +"Perhaps I had better begin gathering some nuts for winter." But very +few nuts could he find, not nearly enough to store away. The other +squirrels, and the people who lived near the woods, had been working +while he was playing, and had gathered in the harvest. +</p> +<p> +Poor little Silver did not know what to do. Winter was here and he had +no provisions. He went to all the other squirrels and begged for some of +their nuts. They only said: "You were playing while we were working, now +you must work while we rest and eat." +</p> +<p> +Then Silver was sorry he had not obeyed the wise old squirrels and he +told himself that, next year, he would surely begin early to prepare for +winter. But there might not have been a "next year" for Silver, if a +little boy had not found him in the woods and taken him home to keep and +feed until the spring-time. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0008" id="h2H_4_0008"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Peach Preserves +</h2> +<p> +Everyone knows that people prepare for winter during the summer and +fall. (Bees and squirrels and caterpillars do, too.) Almost everybody +lays in the coal and kindling wood for the winter fires while the +weather is still warm, and buys warm clothing before it is time to +wear it. +</p> +<p> +In the summer, farmers cut the long grass, and after it has been dried +by the sun, store it in the barns for the cows and horses to eat in the +winter. In the summer and the autumn, people do not eat all the berries, +and grapes, and pears and peaches; some they make into preserves and +jelly for the winter. +</p> +<p> +Mrs. Jones could make delicious preserves. She enjoyed making it and +Johnnie Jones liked to help her. He could really help a great deal +because he was a careful little boy. Every member of the Jones family +liked peach preserves better than any other kind, therefore Mother +usually made enough of it to fill many jars. This year, however, she had +been so busy that she did not start her preserving very early, and when +she was ready to begin, she found it was too late to buy many good +peaches. She bought a few, though, and preserved them with Johnnie +Jones's help. +</p> +<p> +When the preserves was made. Mother had enough to fill four glass jars. +"Not very much," she told Johnnie Jones, "but there is one jar for +Father, one for you and one for me, and then one more for company." She +left the jars on the kitchen table while she went upstairs to change her +dress. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones ran out into the yard to play. He saw Sammy Smith, +Elizabeth, and Ned across the street, and called them. "I want to show +you something," he said. +</p> +<p> +When they came, he led them to the kitchen and showed them the +preserves. +</p> +<p> +"I should like to have some of it," said Ned,—"may I?" +</p> +<p> +"We made it to use in the winter," Johnnie Jones explained, "when there +isn't any fresh fruit." +</p> +<p> +"I'd like some now on a piece of bread." Ned insisted. +</p> +<p> +"You said one jar of preserves was yours; give us each a taste," begged +Sammy Smith. +</p> +<p> +"I don't think Mother meant that I might eat it whenever I wanted it," +Johnnie Jones answered. "But perhaps she wouldn't care if we should each +take a taste," he added. +</p> +<p> +Now Johnnie Jones knew he was not allowed to eat between meals, but the +preserves did have an attractive appearance, and he thought that just +one taste would not matter. +</p> +<p> +The top of the jar had not yet been sealed, so it came off very easily. +Johnnie Jones gave a piece of bread, with a very little of the +preserves, to each child, and took some for himself. +</p> +<p> +"It is good!" Ned exclaimed. "Give us some more, Johnnie Jones, your +mother won't care." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was afraid Mother would care, but he liked the preserves +very much, and besides, he enjoyed giving it to the children, so he gave +them each a little more and again took some for himself. It was curious +that the more they had the more they wanted, and after each one had been +given "just a little more," several times, the large jar was nearly +empty. +</p> +<p> +"We may as well finish it," said Ned, So they did. Then the children +went home and left Johnnie Jones alone in the kitchen with the empty +jar. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was unable to eat his supper that evening. Mother asked +him what was the matter, and he told her. She was very sorry. +</p> +<p> +"Oh! little son," she said, "all your life I have been able to trust +you, and I did not think you would touch the preserves, when I left the +jars on the table. Say you are sorry, dear, and that such a thing shall +never happen again. For wouldn't it be dreadful if I should be obliged +to lock up everything I can't let you have?" +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was very sorry indeed, but he answered: "You said that one +jar was mine." +</p> +<p> +"So I did," Mother answered; "but I had no idea that you would want to +use it all at one time, or between meals, or before the winter-time. +Since you have had all your share to-day, you will, of course, expect no +more next winter, when Father and I have ours." +</p> +<p> +Just then, Johnnie Jones thought he would never wish for peach preserves +again, for he had eaten too much and felt uncomfortable; but probably he +changed his mind in the winter, and regretted that his share was all +gone. +</p> +<p> +Sammy Smith, Elizabeth and Ned came to see Mrs. Jones next day, told her +they were sorry they had begged for the preserves, and asked her to +excuse them, which of course she did. +</p> +<p> +Mother was glad to find that it would be unnecessary to lock up +forbidden things after all, for Johnnie Jones liked to have her trust +him, and showed her that she could. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0009" id="h2H_4_0009"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + How the Children Helped Tom and Sarah +</h2> +<p> +Most of the houses on Park street, where the Jones family lived, were +large and pretty, but there was one house that was very small and ugly. +It had been unoccupied for a long time, when one day, Sarah and Tom +Watson, with their father and mother, moved in. The little brother and +sister were such agreeable children, that they were soon known and loved +by all their small neighbors. +</p> +<p> +One morning, when Johnnie Jones was passing the ugly little house, he +saw Sarah and Tom standing at the gate with an unhappy expression on +their faces, usually so bright. Johnnie Jones stopped and asked them +what was the trouble. +</p> +<p> +"We don't know what to do," answered Tom. "A friend of Father's promised +to send him a load of coal to-day. It may come any minute and Father +is too busy to put it into the coal-house. Mother can't attend to it +because she must finish some sewing for a lady, so there is no one but +Sarah and me. We are afraid we can't put it all away before night, and +if it isn't locked up in the coal-house this evening, something may +happen to it while we are asleep, and then we shouldn't have any coal +to keep us warm in the winter." +</p> +<p> +"Why don't you hire a man to put it away for you?" asked Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"We haven't money enough," Tom answered. +</p> +<p> +"I'd better go home and ask my mother what to do. She'll know," said +Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"Well," Mother said, when she had heard of the children's difficulty, +"Sarah and Tom need friends to help them, so why don't you, in your +overalls, and Ned, Susie, and the other children in theirs, take your +wagons and wheelbarrows, and spend the afternoon helping with the coal? +A dozen pairs of hands, even if they are small, can accomplish a great +deal of work." +</p> +<p> +Mother sent her hired man to see that the coal-house was ready for the +coal, while Johnnie Jones hurried off to collect the children. +</p> +<p> +The boys and girls dressed in their overalls hastened to the small brown +house. There they found Sarah and Tom as busy as bees, and very happy to +welcome the children gathered to help them. Such a merry time as they +had! Some of the children played that they were strong horses, and drew +the wagons, which the others loaded at the gate and unloaded at the +coal-house door. Very soon the play drivers looked like real drivers +of coal-carts for they were covered with coal-soot from their heads to +their feet. All of the children, too, worked quite as hard as any real +horses, or any real men, and after a while, before dark, the load of +coal was safe in the coal-house. Then the children ran home for a +much-needed bath. +</p> +<p> +Meantime Mrs. Watson had been sewing all the day long, and in the +evening, when it was time to go home, she felt very tired. All day she +had worried about the coal, wondering how she could attend to it that +night. She knew that her children would try to help, but she did not +expect very much from them because their hands were so small. As she +walked home she thought, and thought, trying to decide what was best +to do. +</p> +<p> +At last she came near the ugly little house, and then she was greatly +surprised, for Sarah and Tom, neat and clean, were swinging on the gate, +the pavement was nicely swept, and there was no sign of any coal. +</p> +<a name="image-0003"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-059.jpg" width="100%" +alt="Such a merry time as the children had!" /><br /> +Such a merry time as the children had! +</div> + +<p> +"Didn't the coal come?" she asked the children. +</p> +<p> +"Yes," they answered joyfully, "and it is in the coal-house." +</p> +<p> +She could scarcely believe them, but they said: "Come and see." +</p> +<p> +When she saw that the coal was really there, locked away for the winter +in the shed, she was almost too surprised and pleased to speak. +</p> +<p> +At last she asked the delighted children whether the fairies had come to +their aid. "No," they answered, "but all the children in the +neighborhood did, and we had such a good time that it was almost the +same as giving a party." +</p> +<p> +"The children were very kind," Mrs. Watson said, when she had heard all +about the happy afternoon. "We could not have managed the coal without +their assistance, and some day we must try to help them." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0010" id="h2H_4_0010"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones's Story of the Stars +</h2> +<p> +The stars were just beginning to show themselves in the dark blue sky, +when Mother and Johnnie Jones sat down by the window to watch for +Father. Mother and Johnnie Jones loved the stars. Almost every evening +they sat and looked up at them. Sometimes they tried to count them, but +they never could, because there were so very many. Often, too, they +could see the bright, round moon. Johnnie Jones said that a queer, fat +little man lived in the moon, who winked and bowed whenever little boys +looked at him. To be polite, Johnnie Jones always returned the winks and +bows. But this night there was no moon, just the little stars were +appearing, and twinkling as fast as they could. +</p> +<p> +"Mother," said Johnnie Jones, "I'll tell you a story all my own, about +the shining stars." +</p> +<p> +"I'd like very much to hear it," Mother answered. +</p> +<p> +"Once upon a time, oh! such a very long time ago that it must have been +before you were born, Mother dear, all the stars fell down from the sky. +I think it was the wind that blew and blew until they became loose. They +fell down whirling and twirling just like the snow flakes, except that +they weren't cold and white, but all bright and shining. They were so +beautiful that the people looked out of their windows and wished the +stars would never stop raining down from the sky." +</p> +<p> +"Is that all the story?" asked Mother, much interested. +</p> +<p> +"No, there is another part," said Johnnie Jones. "When all the stars had +fallen down to the ground, what do you suppose they really were?" +</p> +<p> +"I can't imagine," Mother answered. +</p> +<p> +"Why, Mother, they were beautiful little flowers all different colors. +Some were red, some were yellow, and some were purple violets. They +began to grow, and nobody gathered any, for they were so pretty there on +the ground." +</p> +<p> +"But," asked Mother, "when it was night time again, what did the poor +people do without any stars to shine in the sky?" +</p> +<p> +"Don't you see," Johnnie Jones explained, "when the stars fell down they +left little holes in the sky, and the light behind shone through and +seemed just like the stars." +</p> +<p> +"I think that is a beautiful story," and Mother thanked him with a kiss, +before they ran down-stairs to meet Father coming home. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0011" id="h2H_4_0011"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and Jack +</h2> +<p> +One day, when Johnnie Jones was playing in his front yard, he heard the +yelping of a dog. He ran to the gate, and saw, lying in the street, a +poor little puppy which had been hurt by a wagon, or perhaps, an +automobile. +</p> +<p> +"You may come home with me, you poor little thing," Johnnie Jones told +the dog. "My mother will rub salve on you and make you well. Come on." +</p> +<p> +But the poor little puppy couldn't walk. Johnnie Jones picked him up, +and attempted to carry him to the house. The puppy was so heavy, +however, that Johnnie Jones was obliged to put him down and take him up +again, three times, before he reached the side door. He called to Mother +to come down. +</p> +<p> +"But, little son," she said, "we can't keep a strange dog. We shall have +to let him run away." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, Mother, he's hurt, and I am sure he's hungry, so don't you think we +shall have to keep him?" +</p> +<p> +Of course, as soon as Mother understood that the puppy was hurt, she +knew that it would be necessary to keep him, at least until he was well +again. She examined the little fellow and found that he was not badly +injured, but was merely bruised and frightened. She and Johnnie Jones +bathed and bandaged the poor little body, and when the puppy seemed to +feel more comfortable, gave him a bowl of milk. He could not say "Thank +you," but he wagged his tail, and kissed their hands, which meant "Thank +you," so they agreed that he was a polite little dog, +</p> +<p> +"But where shall we keep him?" asked Mother. "I can't allow him in the +house, he would gnaw the legs of the chairs and tables; all puppies do +when they are cutting their teeth." +</p> +<p> +"Perhaps Father and I can build a doghouse," Johnnie Jones answered, and +when Father came home they talked it over. +</p> +<p> +"Well," Father decided, "If the grocery man will give us a large box, we +can line it, fill it with straw, and I'll cut a door in one end. That +should make an excellent house for Mr. Doggie." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones ran to the grocery-store as fast as he could run, and +asked the grocery man to send down a large box. As soon as it came, +Father cut the door, Johnnie Jones arranged the straw, and there was the +house all ready for the dog. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones named him Jack. Jack soon became well and strong, and +because he was such a good dog, and because his owner could not be +found, he was allowed to remain at Johnnie Jones's house. He wasn't a +puppy very long. He grew and grew, until he was too large for his box, +and had to sleep in the front hall of the Jones's house. He and Johnnie +Jones loved each other dearly, and were almost always together. Mother +used to say that they reminded her of Mary and her lamb, except that +Jack was as black as coal. +</p> +<p> +You remember how Mary's lamb followed her to school one day, which was +against the rule? Well, it was necessary to keep Jack in the closet +every morning, until after Johnnie Jones had gone to kindergarten, +because he always wanted to go with him. One morning the door was not +fastened securely, and Jack was able to push it open. Then, before any +one saw him, he ran out the gate, and followed Johnnie Jones. The little +boy did not see him and did not know that Jack was just behind him as he +entered the kindergarten room, until the children began to laugh and he +turned around to see what was the matter. There stood Jack, wagging his +tail with all his might. +</p> +<p> +The children begged Miss Page, the teacher, to let Jack spend the +morning in kindergarten, and she said that she would try him. She was +afraid, however, that he would not know how to behave. Johnnie Jones was +a trifle late that morning, and the children were all ready to march to +the circle. Jack followed his master as he marched to his place, and +then sat down on the floor beside the little boy's chair. +</p> +<p> +Miss Page asked the children which one of them would like to stand in +the centre of the circle and shake hands with the others, in turn, as +they sang the good-morning song. +</p> +<p> +"Let Jack," said Johnnie Jones, "he can shake hands as well as anybody, +and he is a visitor to-day." +</p> +<p> +Miss Page consented, and Johnnie Jones called Jack to the circle and +offered him his hand. Jack at once gave him his paw. One by one the +children came and shook Jack's paw. Everyone considered it great fun, +and Jack enjoyed it also, though he could not laugh as the children did. +</p> +<a name="image-0004"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-075.jpg" width="100%" +alt="Each child came up and shook Kack's paw--" /><br /> +Each child came up and shook Jack's paw— +</div> + +<p> +As soon as all the good-mornings had been sung, Miss Page started a +game of ball. Now there was nothing that Jack liked better than playing +with a ball, so he ran out on the circle barking, and jumped up on +the boy who had the ball in his hand. The boy became frightened, not +understanding what Jack wanted, and let the ball fall and roll away. +Jack rushed after it, knocking down chairs and tables, spilling the +blocks out of their boxes, and tearing paper chains to bits. At last he +caught the ball in his mouth, brought it to Johnnie Jones, and began to +jump and bark, begging the little boy to throw it. +</p> +<p> +Miss Page said that she was sorry, but Jack would have to go home. +"He is a very good dog," she said, "but he does not behave well in +kindergarten." +</p> +<p> +At that moment Sam, the hired man, came into the room. Mrs. Jones had +missed Jack and sent Sam to find him. Jack was having a pleasant time +and did not want to go home, but he knew how to obey, and, when Johnnie +Jones commanded him to "go home," he turned slowly and walked out of +the room. +</p> +<p> +So you see, Jack was turned out by the teacher, just as was Mary's lamb. +</p> +<p> +One bright day, when the ground was covered with snow, Father took +Johnnie Jones for a ride on his sled. They had been around the block +only twice when the clock struck two, and then it was time for Father +to go to his office. +</p> +<p> +"Oh! dear," said Johnnie Jones, "now I'll have no one to pull my sled. +I wish Jack could." +</p> +<p> +"Perhaps he can," Father answered. "When I come home to-night I'll make +some sort of a harness for him, and then to-morrow we shall see what he +can do." +</p> +<p> +That evening, with rope, straps, and Johnnie Jones's reins Father made +a very good harness, and the next day he hitched Jack to the sled. At +first Jack could not imagine what Father and Johnnie Jones wished him to +do. He allowed himself to be hitched to the sled, but every time Johnnie +Jones sat upon it, and said "Get up," Jack would jump about, and off +would roll Johnnie Jones into the snow. Then Jack would bark as much +as to say, "What are you trying to do, anyway?" +</p> +<p> +At last, after many trials, Father managed to hold Jack quiet until +Johnnie Jones was seated firmly on the sled, clasping a side with each +hand. Then Father, still keeping a tight hold of Jack, ran with him to +the corner and back several times. At last Jack began to understand what +was expected of him. The next day they tried again, and it was not long +before Johnnie Jones could drive the big dog without Father's help. +After a while Jack would even pull Johnnie Jones's sled to kindergarten +each morning, and then draw the empty sled home, after Johnnie Jones had +gone into the house. He certainly was a clever dog. It was no wonder +Johnnie Jones loved him. +</p> +<p> +In the winter-time there was an excellent place for coasting in the park +very near Johnnie Jones's house. There was a long, straight hill, and +at the foot of it a long, straight pond, so that, with a good start, a +child could coast from the top of the hill to the end of the pond. That +is, of course, when there was snow and the pond was frozen over at the +same time. +</p> +<p> +One afternoon Johnnie Jones started out with his sled and Jack ran along +beside him. +</p> +<p> +"Don't try to coast across the pond to-day," called Father. "When I was +passing I noticed that the ice was broken in several places." +</p> +<p> +"Then I'll coast on the other side of the hill," Johnnie Jones answered. +</p> +<p> +When he reached the park, however, he found two of the children coasting +across the pond as usual. One of them, whose name was Ned, asked Johnnie +Jones: "What's the matter with everybody to-day? Where are the other +children?" +</p> +<p> +"I suppose their fathers wouldn't let them come," answered Johnnie +Jones; "and you shouldn't coast across the pond. My father just told me +that it isn't safe, because the ice is beginning to break." +</p> +<p> +"Oh! it is perfectly safe," Ned replied, "because we have been over it +several times. The coasting is better fun to-day than ever before, and +there are no children to block the way. Come and try it." +</p> +<p> +"I wish I might," Johnnie Jones answered. He sat on his sled and watched +the older boys coast safely across, and run gaily back, waving their +hands to him. +</p> +<p> +"Perhaps my father was mistaken." he said after a while. "I think I'll +try it just once." +</p> +<p> +"There is one tolerably large hole," Ned warned him, "but it is on one +side, and if you are careful you won't fall in." +</p> +<p> +"I'll be careful," answered Johnnie Jones; "you sit here and watch me." +</p> +<p> +He placed himself flat on his sled, and Ned gave him a push. Johnnie +Jones was not quite five years old then, two years younger than Ned, and +he could not guide his sled very well. When it went near the big hole, +he could not turn it away. Then splash! Both Johnnie Jones and the sled +plunged into the icy cold water. +</p> +<p> +The water was not very deep, but as Johnnie Jones struck it head +foremost, and as the sled was on top of him, he might have found some +trouble in forcing his way out, had it not been for Jack. That faithful +friend was close beside his little master, and in just a few seconds had +drawn him out of the water. +</p> +<p> +As soon as Ned and Sammy Smith saw what had happened, they hurried to +the house and told Mr. Jones. He ran all the way to the pond, picked up +the little wet, cold boy, and carried him home as quickly as possible. +</p> +<p> +Jack was wet and cold too, but he ran around so fast that he soon grew +warm, then he crawled under the kitchen stove, where he stopped until he +was dry. But Johnnie Jones had to go to bed, for several days, with a +very bad cold. +</p> +<p> +He was sorry he had been disobedient, and asked Father please to excuse +him that time. Father said he would not punish him, but that he was +sorry to think his little boy did not trust his father. +</p> +<p> +"I do, Father," Johnnie Jones answered, "and after this I'll obey you, +instead of minding little boys." +</p> +<p> +"Grown people generally know best," Father said. +</p> +<p> +After that, of course, Mother, Father and Johnnie Jones loved good old +Jack more than ever, and were glad they had kept him when he first came +to them a puppy, hurt and hungry. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0012" id="h2H_4_0012"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Stiggins +</h2> +<p> +Johnnie Jones's Aunt Jean owned a dog. His name was Stiggins, just +Stiggins, for dogs need only one name, instead of the two or three that +people have. Aunt Jean was accustomed to go to Lake Chautauqua every +summer, far away from home. Stiggins liked to go with her, and was +always afraid that he might be left behind, as had happened, once or +twice. So, as soon as he saw Aunt Jean begin to make her preparations, +he would spend all his time either following her about, or lying on her +trunk. +</p> +<p> +Each time she started to pack she would first have to drive Stiggins +into the yard. If she turned away, just for a few minutes, there he +would be again, lying in a tray upon her best dresses, or her prettiest +hats. Aunt Jean would scold and scold, but scolding was of no use. +</p> +<p> +At last, when the day came on which they were to begin their journey, +and the trunks had been locked and sent away, Stiggins would run to the +stable, jump into the carriage, and there he would stay until he and the +family had reached the station. +</p> +<p> +But when it was time to board the train, Stiggins was most unhappy. He +was forced to ride in the baggage car, all alone, and Stiggins liked +company. He wished to ride in the sleeping car with Aunt Jean. Of course +he could not, because he was only a dog, which was something that +Stiggins had never quite understood. He would whimper, and run away, +when the coachman attempted to lead him to his proper place, so usually, +Aunt Jean had to take him, and to tie him, herself. +</p> +<p> +Stiggins disliked the long ride on the train and boat, but he was just +the happiest dog in the world when at last he reached Chautauqua. When +once he was there he had many fine times, bathing in the Lake, going off +on long walks and drives with the family, and playing with the dogs. +</p> +<p> +The house in which Aunt Jean lived was very near the lake, and Stiggins +liked to lie on the front porch and watch the children at play by the +water's edge. One day, Harry and Sally were there with a small sail-boat +attached to a string, which Harry held, as the boat sailed out on the +water. Suddenly the string broke, and then there was nothing with which +to draw the boat to land. +</p> +<p> +The children were quite small and did not know what to do. They asked a +big boy to wade out and return the boat to them, but he was a lazy boy +and told them to throw stones beyond the boat to make it come back of +itself. They tried his plan, but were not strong enough to throw the +stones very far, and the boat only floated further away. +</p> +<p> +All this time Stiggins had been lying on the porch watching the +children. I am not sure whether he thought they were throwing stones +for him to swim after, or whether he saw they were in trouble and wished +to help them, but this is what he did. Without a word from anyone, he +jumped up, trotted down to the water and waded in. The children and the +big boy wondered what he meant to do. Stiggins himself seemed to know +very well. He swam straight to the boat, caught it in his mouth, brought +it to land, and dropped it at the children's feet. Then he trotted back +to the porch. +</p> +<p> +Harry and Sally thought that Stiggins was the kindest and most polite +dog they had ever seen, and the big boy was ashamed, because he thought +that a dog had been kinder and more polite than he. +</p> +<p> +This story is as true as true can be. I know, because Aunt Jean saw the +whole affair and she told me about it herself. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0013" id="h2H_4_0013"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + When Johnnie Jones was a Santa Claus +</h2> +<p> +"I should think it would be exciting to be Santa Claus," said Johnnie +Jones, "and fill children's stockings when they are asleep in bed. I +should like very well to be his helper some time." +</p> +<p> +"You may be," Mother answered; "anyone who really wishes to be Santa's +assistant, may be." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was surprised. "Well, I didn't know that," he said. +"Please tell me how." +</p> +<p> +"Whenever people give Christmas presents to those they love, they are a +sort of Santa Claus," Mother told him. "But this year you may be a real +Santa Claus, if you like, with a real pack of toys, and you may fill +some real stockings belonging to some real children, this coming +Christmas Eve." +</p> +<p> +"Oh! Mother dear, tell me all about it, quick as a wink," begged Johnnie +Jones, clapping his hands with delight. +</p> +<p> +"I thought you would be pleased," Mother answered. "Father knows of a +large house in which ever so many children live who have never hung up +their stockings. I suppose no one has thought to tell Santa Claus about +them, and their fathers and mothers are very poor. Father and I want +to make them have a bright, happy Christmas this year, and he has told +them, each one, to be sure to hang up stockings on Christmas Eve for a +Santa Claus to fill. If you like, you may be that Santa, and Father and +I will be your assistants, and we'll go, all three of us, to the house +at night when the children are fast asleep." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones skipped joyfully about the room. "Shall we go in a sleigh +with bells and reindeer?" he asked. +</p> +<p> +"We'll go in a sleigh if there is snow," Mother promised, "but I am +afraid we shall have to use horses, and pretend they are reindeer." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was greatly excited. He asked Mother every question he +could think of, and wished it were Christmas Eve that very minute. +Mother told him be should be glad they still had several days before +Christmas in which to make their preparations. +</p> +<p> +That same afternoon they went shopping. Johnnie Jones was allowed to +select the toys for the children, and he chose enough drums and horses, +wagons and cars, dolls and play-houses, dishes and tables, to fill four +very large boxes. Next, they ordered the candy, pounds and pounds of it, +and a big tree with ever so many candles for it. Last of all, they +bought warm coats and shoes. +</p> +<p> +The next three days was a busy time for Johnnie Jones. After he had +finished his gifts for the family, he went to work on the decorations +for the tree. He made yards and yards of brightly colored paper chains, +and many cornucopias. Every evening before his bed-time Mother and +Father helped him. +</p> +<p> +At last the day before Christmas came. When Johnnie Jones awoke in the +morning he was very much pleased to find the ground covered with snow. +It was hard to wait until night, but he was busy all day, and the time +passes quickly when one is busy. +</p> +<p> +After a very early supper Father, Mother and Johnnie Jones dressed +themselves in their warmest clothing and heaviest wraps. By the time +they were ready, there was the sleigh, drawn by two strong horses +wearing many bells, standing before the house. It was quite a while +before the toys, and candy, and ornaments, were safely packed in the +sleigh, but at last all was in readiness, and away they went. +</p> +<p> +After a long, beautiful ride over the hard snow, with the moon and stars +shining up in the sky, they reached the big house. +</p> +<p> +"Are all the children asleep?" Father asked two men who were waiting for +them at the door. +</p> +<p> +The men answered yes, and Father whispered to Johnnie Jones: "We must be +very quiet, Santa Claus, that we may not waken anybody." +</p> +<p> +They tiptoed carefully into the first room where several children were +asleep in their beds. +</p> +<p> +"I see the stockings," whispered Johnnie Jones eagerly. "Give me my +sack." +</p> +<p> +Father placed the heavy sack on the floor, and the little Santa and +Mother filled the stockings with candy and nuts, oranges and tiny toys. +As soon as Father had set up the tree in an empty room, he came back to +help. It was the best kind of fun, but they had to be very quiet in +order not to waken the children. Once Johnnie Jones couldn't help +laughing aloud when a ridiculous old Jack popped out of the box in his +hand. The laugh awoke a little boy, who sat up in bed and called out, +"Hello! Is that you, Santa Claus?" They had to leave the room until he +fell asleep again. +</p> +<p> +When all the stockings had been filled, the tree decorated, and the +presents arranged under it, Father locked the door of that room so that +no one should peep in before it was time. Little Santa Claus was so +tired that he went to sleep in Father's arms on the way home, and when +he was being carried to bed awoke only long enough to hang his own +stocking by the fire-place. +</p> +<p> +The next morning he opened his eyes very early, as is the custom of +children on Christmas Day. He looked for his stocking, first of all, +wondering if Santa had filled it. Of course he had, with all the things +that little boys like best. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was so happy over his presents, that he could scarcely +take time to dress. At last Mother reminded him of those other children +waiting so anxiously for their first Christmas tree. Johnnie Jones +laid down his new toys immediately, and dressed himself as quickly as +possible. Directly after breakfast they returned to the big house, this +time on the street car. +</p> +<p> +Before they turned the corner on their way to the house, they heard the +voices of the children, who were full of joy over the presents found in +their stockings. Father went at once to the room he had locked up the +night before, and lighted the candles on the tree. When all was ready he +opened the door, and Johnnie Jones invited the children to enter. +</p> +<p> +They stood very quietly about the tree, not saying a word at first. It +was so beautiful, and so different from anything they had ever seen, +that it made them feel shy. But when Father called the children in turn, +and Johnnie Jones gave to every one a warm coat, a new pair of shoes, +and a splendid toy, they found their tongues, and made such a noise as +you never heard. +</p> +<p> +They had to dress themselves in the coats and shoes, and they had to +show each other their toys. Some of them had to turn somersaults, and +all of them had to make a great noise just to express their joy. +</p> +<p> +But happiest of all those happy children was little Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +All too soon, Father, Mother and Johnnie Jones had to leave, so that +they might reach Grandmother's house in time for dinner. When they were +again on the car, the little boy began to talk of the good time they had +had. +</p> +<p> +"I'd like to be a Santa Claus every year," he said. +</p> +<p> +"Then save your pennies," Mother answered, "until next Christmas comes." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0014" id="h2H_4_0014"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + An Original Valentine +</h2> +<p> +Tom and Sarah were the little boy and girl who lived in the small brown +house near the home of Johnnie Jones. It was the evening before St. +Valentine's day and the brother and sister were sitting by the fire, +talking together. +</p> +<p> +"I do wish we had some valentines to send," said Tom. "If we only had +some gilt or colored paper and some pictures, we could make them, but we +haven't anything at all." +</p> +<p> +"I am sorry," their mother told them. "The children have been so kind to +you this winter. You remember how they helped you with the coal? I wish +we could send them each a very beautiful valentine to thank them, but I +am afraid I can't spare the money to buy even one." +</p> +<p> +Sarah had been as quiet as a little mouse while Tom and Mother were +speaking. Then suddenly she said: "I know what we can do!" +</p> +<p> +"What?" asked Tom. +</p> +<p> +Sarah began to dance about the room. "It will be such fun!" she said. +</p> +<p> +"Please tell me," begged Tom. +</p> +<p> +"Don't you see," Sarah explained; "we can't buy valentines, and we can't +make valentines, so we shall just have to be valentines!" +</p> +<p> +"Now how in the world can we be valentines?" Tom asked her. +</p> +<p> +"We'll dress in our Sunday clothes," she answered. "We'll cut hearts out +of paper and pin them all over us. Then we'll ask Mother to pin a paper +envelope on each of us, and address it to one of the children. When we +are ready we'll ring the door bell of that child's house, and when he +opens the door, we'll speak mottoes, and all sorts of rhymes. Won't the +children laugh?" +</p> +<p> +"All right!" said Tom. "Only, I would rather not be a valentine myself. +You be one and I will send you. We'll pretend you are the doll valentine +we saw down town the other day, the one that danced when the man wound +her up, and spoke the verse." +</p> +<p> +"Well!" Sarah assented, "and you must wind me up and I'll dance little +Sally Waters." +</p> +<p> +They spent the rest of the evening thinking of rhymes. Their mother +taught them all she could remember, and Sarah repeated them over and +over again so that she should not forget. +</p> +<p> +The next morning they went to school, but as soon as they had reached +home and eaten their lunch they began their preparations. No one in the +whole world ever saw a sweeter valentine than Sarah, when she was ready +in her bright red dress and short snow-white coat, decorated with paper +hearts. Then her mother cut and folded some wrapping paper into a big +envelope, and placed it about Sarah's little body. Of course her feet +had to be left free so that she could walk, and her head, so that she +could breathe. +</p> +<p> +"Let's go to Johnnie Jones's house first," Tom said. +</p> +<p> +So his mother addressed the envelope to Master Johnnie Jones, and the +children started off. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was at home that afternoon, feeling very sad. He had +fallen into the pond several days before, and the icy bath had given him +such a cold that he had to stay indoors. He could see the other children +running about from house to house sending their valentines, and he +wanted to run about and send some too. To be sure he had received ever +so many, but he was tired of looking at them and hearing the mottoes +read, and he wished very much that some one would come in to play with +him. +</p> +<p> +Mother had just said: "I am afraid no one will come to-day, dear, +because all the children are busy with their valentines," when the door +bell rang. +</p> +<p> +As soon as Maggie had opened the door she called up to Johnnie Jones: +"There's a beautiful valentine down here for you. I'll bring it up. Tom +sent it. I caught him at the door, so I'll bring him up, too." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones ran to the head of the staircase as fast as he could run. +How he did laugh when Maggie placed Sarah before him, and showed him the +address on the envelope. +</p> +<p> +"It's a doll valentine," Tom explained, "and it has a phonograph in it. +I'll wind it up." +</p> +<p> +He knelt down and pretended to turn a crank. Then Sarah, who had not +smiled or spoken a word before, said: +</p> +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p> "If you love me as I love you,</p> +<p> No knife can cut our love in two."</p> +</div> +</div> +<p> +Tom turned the crank again, and this time she danced. +</p> +<p> +"Let me wind it," begged Johnnie Jones, who was very much pleased. He +did, and the valentine said: +</p> +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p> "Roses red and violets blue,</p> +<p> Sugar is sweet and so are you."</p> +</div> +</div> + +<p> +Mother joined the children in the hall, and was delighted with the +valentine, which each one wound up until it had said all the rhymes that +Sarah knew, and had danced until she was tired. Then the doll changed +into a little girl for a while, and she had some milk and cookies with +the other children. +</p> +<p> +"We shall have to go now," Tom said at last, looking out of the window. +"The other children have gone into their houses and I must send them +each a valentine." +</p> +<p> +So Mother made a new envelope and addressed it to Miss Elizabeth Elkins. +</p> +<p> +"Thank you for my valentine," said Johnnie Jones. "It's the loveliest +one I have had all day, only I wish I could keep it as I can the +others." +</p> +<p> +All the children who received the little Valentine in turn, made exactly +the same remark, so Tom and Sarah were very happy over the success of +their plan. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0015" id="h2H_4_0015"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + When Johnnie Jones was a Cry-Baby +</h2> +<p> +All his life Johnnie Jones had been a bright, happy little fellow who +seldom cried even when he was hurt. Therefore, everyone who knew him was +surprised when suddenly, just before he was five years old, he became a +cry-baby. +</p> +<p> +The trouble began with some of the older boys in the neighborhood. +There were three of them who were several years older than Johnnie +Jones, and a year older than the other children. Lately these big boys +had commenced to tease the smaller ones, and especially Johnnie Jones. +They did not intend to be unkind, but would often make him cry by +rolling him off his sled, pelting him with snowballs, or calling him +nicknames. +</p> +<p> +Of course, there was no reason for crying, since, although the boys were +rather rough, they never really hurt Johnnie Jones. Indeed, they loved +him, and were only in fun when they teased him. If Johnnie Jones had +been brave enough to laugh at them he would soon have been left in +peace; but as he always cried instead, the boys began to call him +"crybaby." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones soon formed the bad habit of crying about every little +thing that did not please him, until at last it was difficult to live +with him. His father and mother were greatly distressed, and tried in +every way to help Johnnie Jones. They told him that they were ashamed to +have a cry-baby for a son, but that only made him cry more than ever. +</p> +<p> +Finally Mother said that something must be done, for Johnnie Jones had +reached the point where he was almost always crying. He would come home +crying from kindergarten, he would come in from play with tears in his +eyes, and worst of all, every few minutes, he would find some excuse for +crying at home. +</p> +<p> +"I think he must be ill," Mother said to Father, one day, "and I am so +worried that I shall take him to the doctor." +</p> +<p> +Father agreed, so in the afternoon, Mother and Johnnie Jones paid Dr. +Smith a visit in his office. +</p> +<p> +Dr. Smith was a great friend of Johnnie Jones's and was sorry to hear of +the crying spells. He examined the little boy very carefully, but could +find nothing wrong with him. Then he said that he was sure Johnnie Jones +was not ill, and that he cried so often just because he had formed a bad +habit. +</p> +<p> +"It is a very disagreeable habit," he continued, "and I know you want to +overcome it, so I'll write you a prescription for some medicine. Doctors +usually do not prescribe for people unless they are ill, but I think if +you take a spoonful of this medicine every time you cry, you will soon +be cured of the habit. You try it, anyway." +</p> +<p> +He gave the prescription to Mother, who, after thanking him, left the +office with Johnnie Jones. On the way home they stopped at the +drug-store and bought the medicine, which mother took into the house +with her, while Johnnie Jones ran out to play. +</p> +<p> +There wasn't a child in that neighborhood who was not fond of Johnnie +Jones, but since he had become a cry-baby none of them cared to play +with him, because he would often spoil the best game by stopping to cry. +No one enjoys playing with a tearful boy or girl. +</p> +<p> +All the children were playing in the snow when Johnnie Jones joined +them. They had built a snow fort, which half of the children were trying +to destroy with snowballs, and which half were defending. They were +having the merriest sort of a time. Occasionally some one would be +struck by a ball, but he would just laugh and send back another, for it +was all in fun. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones began to play, too, and was enjoying himself very much, +when unfortunately a stray ball struck his cheek. It did hurt, but not +nearly enough to cry about, for all the balls were soft. Johnnie Jones, +however, began to cry, called the children "unkind," which was foolish, +and ran away home. +</p> +<p> +As soon as he entered the house, Mother gave him some of the medicine. +Never was anyone more surprised than Johnnie Jones, when he tasted it! +The only other medicine he had ever taken had been sweet, but this was +dreadfully bitter. He had no sooner swallowed it than he began to cry +again. Mother immediately poured more of it from the bottle. +</p> +<p> +"I won't take any more," Johnnie Jones, said between his sobs, "it is +bad medicine." +</p> +<p> +"Yes, indeed," Mother told him, "you must take it every time you cry, +just as the doctor said, because we can't continue to have a cry-baby in +the house. You must take another dose now unless you can stop crying +without it." +</p> +<p> +"I'll stop," said Johnnie Jones, and he did. +</p> +<p> +Mother poured some of the medicine into another bottle to send to Miss +Page at kindergarten, and then placed the rest on the mantel where +Johnnie Jones could see it. +</p> +<p> +It was remarkable how quickly the little boy was cured of his bad habit. +After he had taken but three doses of the bitter medicine he learned +to stop and think when anything failed to please him. Then, instead of +allowing himself to cry, he would often manage to laugh, which was much +more sensible, and much pleasanter for the people near him. Soon he +began to realize what a foolish little boy he had been, and at last he +made up his mind to be, instead of a cry-baby, a big, brave boy. And +that is what he was, all the rest of his life, bright and sweet and +brave, so that everyone loved to be with him, grown folks as well as +the children. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0016" id="h2H_4_0016"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Man Who Cried "Wolf" too Often +</h2> +<p> +Some time passed by before people began to realize that Johnnie Jones +was no longer a cry-baby. On that account he had a very unpleasant +experience one day. +</p> +<p> +The children were playing horse on the sidewalk, and Johnnie Jones as +one of the horses, was being driven by Sammy Smith. All went well until +they reached a rough place in the pavement. Here Johnnie Jones tripped +and fell, scraping his leg against a sharp stone, and straining and +bruising his arm quite badly. It happened so quickly that none of the +children saw that he was hurt, and so did not pity him when he began to +cry. They were so accustomed to hear him cry over every little trouble, +that they thought nothing of his crying then. If they had known he was +really hurt, they would have been kind and helped him up. As it was, +they merely told him not to be such a cry-baby and ran off and left him. +</p> +<p> +Just then Father came by on his way home, and when he saw Johnnie Jones +leaning against the fence, crying, he thought, too, that the little boy +had become a cry-baby again. If he had seen Johnnie Jones fall, he would +have picked him up and carried him home in his arms; but not knowing +that the little boy was really hurt, he took hold of his hand, and +walked home with him. Johnnie Jones was trying his best not to cry, but +I think the bravest boy in the world might not have been able to keep +back the tears, with such a sore leg and arm. +</p> +<p> +As they entered the house, Mother said: "Oh little son! crying again?" +</p> +<p> +When she had heard of the accident, she told Johnnie Jones that she +was sorry, and would try to help him after lunch. But as soon as she +saw that he could eat nothing at all, she asked Father to carry him +upstairs, where she examined the injured leg and arm. When she found +them so badly scraped and bruised, she was greatly distressed. +</p> +<p> +"You poor little boy!" she exclaimed, "No one realized that you were +really in pain." +</p> +<p> +After she had bathed and bandaged the leg and arm, and made Johnnie +Jones comfortable, she brought his lunch up to him, and while he was +eating, told him this story: +</p> +<p> +Once, a long, long time ago, there lived a man whose name has been +forgotten. He lived with other men and their families out in the pasture +lands, and there he tended the sheep. Now a great many wolves lived near +by, which often tried to steal into the fold and carry off the sheep. +Everyone kept a close watch for these wolves, and when any person saw +one he would cry out, "wolf! wolf!" so that all the others might come +to help him destroy it, and save the sheep. But this first man of whom +I told you, liked to call "wolf!" when there was no wolf there, just +to frighten or disturb the others. Sometimes he would waken the men at +night by his foolish cry, and they would come running out only to find +he had given a false alarm. At last these men grew weary of answering +his calls. Besides, as there had been no wolves about for some little +time, they were feeling quite safe. +</p> +<p> +One night, when the foolish man was keeping watch over his sheep, he saw +in the distance an entire pack of wolves coming steadily toward the +fold. Instantly he raised a loud cry, "WOLF! WOLF!" and waited for help. +</p> +<p> +But no help came. +</p> +<p> +The men heard his cry. but as they did not believe the wolves were +really there, they remained in their beds. One man alone could not +defend himself and his sheep against a pack of hungry wolves. So, next +morning, he was found badly injured, and the sheep were gone. Everyone +was sorry for the man, but all knew he could blame only himself. He had +cried "wolf!" too often, when there was no wolf there, and so he was not +believed when the wolf came at last. +</p> +<p> +"Johnnie Jones," said Mother, when she had finished the story, "you have +cried so often when there was no reason for crying, that this one time +when you cried because you were really hurt, no one believed you. I am +very sorry for you, little son, but don't you see that it was no one's +fault but your own?" +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0017" id="h2H_4_0017"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones's Birthday Party +</h2> +<p> +A few days before Johnnie Jones's fifth birthday, Mother asked him what +he would like to have for a birthday present. +</p> +<p> +"A party," he answered immediately, "and I want to invite all the +children who live on this street." +</p> +<p> +"Very well," Mother said, "we'll write the invitations now, on your own +note paper." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones gave her a joyful hug, and ran to his desk for the paper. +Mother wrote upon every sheet: "Johnnie Jones will be very glad to have +you come to his birthday party, Saturday afternoon, from three until +five o'clock." She addressed an envelope to each one of his playmates, +and Johnnie Jones stamped, sealed and mailed the invitations as soon as +they were written. +</p> +<p> +Next day the postman brought the answers. The children accepted with a +great deal of pleasure. +</p> +<p> +Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday seemed very long days to impatient +Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"I sometimes think," he said to Mother, "that Saturday isn't coming this +week." +</p> +<p> +But, when he awoke one morning, Saturday had come at last, and the party +was to be that very day. +</p> +<p> +While Mother was helping him to dress in his party clothes, she said: +"Remember to make everyone glad that he came to your party, and to play +whatever the children wish, even if they do not choose your favorite +games." +</p> +<p> +He promised to remember, and as soon as he was dressed, ran to the +window to watch for his guests. He did not have long to wait before they +began to arrive. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the children had removed their hats and coats, Johnnie Jones +led them to a long kindergarten table, which Mother had borrowed. Each +child sat down in a small red chair, and made a necklace of colored +beads, which was soon finished and tied about his neck. +</p> +<p> +When all the children had arrived and all the necklaces were finished, +the boys and girls gathered in the long hall, where Johnnie Jones's +roller coaster was ready for them. Each child had three rides, and +enjoyed them all, for the hall was unusually long, and with a good +start, one could go to the end of it, almost as fast as the lightning +flashes. +</p> +<p> +Of course, Johnnie Jones had his three rides after the others, because +he was the host, and the children his guests. +</p> +<p> +"Now we may go to the parlor for our games," he said as he led the +children down the front stairway. +</p> +<p> +The parlor was large, so there was room enough for the children to run +freely about. They played "Drop the Handkerchief," and "Blind-Man's +Buff," and "Going to Jerusalem," until they were tired and ready for a +more quiet game. Johnnie Jones let the others choose the games, and he +watched that every child had a chance to play. +</p> +<p> +After the children had rested a moment, Mother invited them to march +up-stairs again, for the "real" party. Johnnie Jones's auntie played the +piano for them, and the children formed in line and marched to the room +in which they had made the necklaces. +</p> +<p> +The same kindergarten table was there, and in the same place, but no one +would ever have known it, for it had been covered with a white table +cloth, and on it were vases of lovely pink roses, and dishes full of +pink and white peppermint candy. Exactly in the centre was a large +birthday cake with five pink candles, and every one of them lighted. +At each place was a dish of ice cream in the form of a pink and white +flower, though no flower ever had so sweet a taste. +</p> +<p> +At each place there was something else. There was a tiny automobile +delivery wagon, with a queer little doll chauffeur, and inside it were +bundles of candy. These were to be taken home, Mother said, and no one +was to open the bundles at the party. Of course no one did. Besides all +of these things, there were two paper bon-bons for each child, one to +open at the party, and one to take home. +</p> +<p> +The children were hungry after their games, and for a while they were +very quiet. When they had finished their ice cream, however, and had +eaten a piece of the birthday cake, with good wishes for Johnnie Jones, +they began to pull the bon-bons apart. Then there was noise enough, for +the bon-bons cracked and popped, and that made the children laugh. +</p> +<p> +All, that is, except one small girl who was afraid. She was sitting next +to Johnnie Jones, and she asked him to open his bon-bon without pulling +it apart. Johnnie Jones liked to hear the popping sound, and he could +not help thinking that Susie was foolish to object to it, but he +remembered that he must make everyone happy at his party, so he did as +his little neighbor asked. +</p> +<p> +Five o'clock came all too soon, and then it was time for the children +to return to their homes. When they were ready in their coats and hats, +they bade Mother and Johnnie Jones good-by. "Thank you for the good time +we have had," they said, as they turned their happy faces homeward, +wearing the necklaces and carrying the bon-bons and automobiles. +</p> +<p> +When everyone had gone, Mother held tired, happy little Johnnie Jones on +her lap. +</p> +<p> +"Did you enjoy your party?" she asked him. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, Mother dear," he answered. "I had a good time, and all the +children had a good time, and it was a beautiful party." +</p> +<p> +"It was a beautiful party," Mother agreed, "and I'll tell you why. It +was because both you and I did all in our power to make our company +happy. I am very glad," she added, "that Johnnie Jones is my little boy +and that he has enjoyed his birthday." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0018" id="h2H_4_0018"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + The Sleeping Beauty +</h2> +<p> +In the early spring Mother would always tell this story to Johnnie +Jones. +</p> +<p> +Once upon a time there lived the most beautiful princess in the whole +world. She was so sweet that everyone loved her,—all the grown people, +all the children, and even all the animals. She wore such lovely dresses +that everyone who was permitted to see their beauty was filled with joy, +and she had a new one every day. +</p> +<p> +She lived in the most beautiful home in the whole world. The ceiling was +made of blue sky, the carpet of soft green grass, and the walls were +formed by lofty trees with their branches interlaced. Everywhere were +flowers of different colors, red and yellow and purple. I can't tell you +how lovely it was, or how happy the king, the queen and the beautiful +princess were who lived there. +</p> +<p> +One day the princess decided to make for herself a dress as white as +snow, trimmed with shining pearls and sparkling diamonds. If the queen +had known her intention, she would have forbidden the princess to touch +a needle. I will tell you why. +</p> +<p> +When the princess was a tiny baby, the king and queen had forgotten to +ask one old fairy lady to the christening. As it happened, she wasn't a +good old fairy lady. Perhaps that is why she was forgotten. She came to +the christening without an invitation, which was very rude, and made +herself most disagreeable while she was there. She told the king and +queen that because they had forgotten her, the princess should one day +prick herself with a needle and immediately go to sleep, and that she +should never awake unless the splendid prince should chance to find her. +</p> +<p> +Now the princess did not know of this, and she forgot to tell her mother +that she intended to make the dress. That was the cause of all the +trouble. +</p> +<p> +The princess cut and sewed, and sewed and cut, until the dress was +finished. Then she laid aside her old gown, of red and brown, and +dressed herself in the new one. She was just about to replace the needle +in the workbasket, before showing herself to her mother, when, suddenly, +she pricked her finger. +</p> +<p> +Immediately she sank back on her bed fast asleep. At that very instant +the king and queen fell asleep, too. So did the animals, but the birds +flew away. Even the little flies, who had been buzzing on the walls, +went fast asleep. Then it was very still everywhere, because no one was +stirring to make a noise. Even the trees were quiet, for their leaves +had all dropped off, and they seemed to be sleeping too. +</p> +<p> +They slept a long, long time. +</p> +<p> +Then, the most splendid prince in all the world approached the palace +gate. This prince had wonderful golden hair, and he was clothed entirely +in shining gold. He rode in a chariot so bright that it could be seen +for many miles. His horses were swift and he travelled fast, on his +journey throughout the world. +</p> +<p> +When at last he reached the princess's house, he regarded it with +wonder. +</p> +<p> +"How very quiet," he murmured. "Can it be that anyone lives in this +gloomy place?" +</p> +<p> +He stepped out of his chariot and tiptoed in, through the open door. He +stepped so softly that no one could have heard him, but he shone so +brightly that he made the whole house light. +</p> +<p> +The splendid prince saw that everybody and everything was fast asleep. +</p> +<p> +In their rooms he found the king and queen. +</p> +<p> +At last he came to the room where lying upon her bed was the princess. +</p> +<p> +Very lovely she was, in her dress as white as snow trimmed with pearls +and diamonds. The prince leaned over to see her better, and he made the +diamonds sparkle so brilliantly that if you had been there you would +have needed to close your eyes. +</p> +<p> +"This is the most beautiful princess in all the world," said the prince. +"I wish she would waken." +</p> +<p> +Then he kissed her. +</p> +<p> +Immediately the beautiful princess opened her eyes and looked at the +prince. At that same moment the king and queen awoke from their sleep. +So did the animals, and all the flowers, and the little buds on the +trees. The flies began to buzz about on the walls, and the birds came +flying back, singing their sweetest songs. +</p> +<p> +The princess was very happy to be awake again. She attired herself in a +lovely dress, indeed the loveliest one that she possessed. It was bright +green, with jewels as clear as the rain drops. Then the king and queen +ordered a marriage feast, and the beautiful princess married the +splendid prince. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0019" id="h2H_4_0019"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Butterfly +</h2> +<p> +"Be careful! Don't step on that caterpillar," said Mother. +</p> +<p> +"Why not?" asked Johnnie Jones. "It's such an ugly caterpillar." +</p> +<p> +"It can't help being ugly," Mother answered, "and besides some day it +will be a beautiful butterfly." +</p> +<p> +"Really?" Johnnie Jones asked, much surprised. Then Mother told him a +story about a caterpillar and a butterfly. +</p> +<p> +Once upon a time, a little caterpillar was crawling slowly up a tree. +"Oh! dear," he said to himself, "I wish I had wings like the birds, and +could fly away to the top of a tree, instead of having to crawl slowly +about." +</p> +<p> +A beautiful butterfly was resting a moment near by and heard what the +little caterpillar said, "How would you like to be a beautiful butterfly +such as I am," she asked him, "and go flying about all day, sipping +honey from the flowers?" +</p> +<p> +"I should like it very much indeed," he answered, "but you see I am only +an ugly little caterpillar who can do nothing but crawl, and I have to +be very careful to avoid being stepped upon." +</p> +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "I'll tell you a lovely secret," </p> +<p class="i4"> Whispered the butterfly. </p> +<p class="i2"> "Next summer you will surely be </p> +<p class="i4"> As beautiful as I, </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "Because my gauzy wings you see, </p> +<p class="i4"> Are very, very new. </p> +<p class="i2"> A caterpillar once was I </p> +<p class="i4"> And crawled about like you." </p> +</div> +</div> + +<p> +The ugly little caterpillar did not believe the beautiful butterfly. He +just laughed. +</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "Oh!" said the lovely butterfly, </p> +<p class="i4"> "All that I say is true. </p> +<p class="i2"> But you can't stay there very long, </p> +<p class="i4"> There's work for you to do. </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "To the very top of this big tree </p> +<p class="i4"> You must begin to go, </p> +<p class="i2"> Because all little crawling things, </p> +<p class="i4"> They are so very slow. </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "There you must even change your skin </p> +<p class="i4"> Till it becomes dark brown. </p> +<p class="i2"> And you must spin a rope of silk </p> +<p class="i4"> To tie you tightly down. </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "You will sleep through the long cold winter, </p> +<p class="i4"> When the icy winds do blow. </p> +<p class="i2"> You will sleep through the long cold winter, </p> +<p class="i4"> When everywhere there's snow. </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "But by and by, in the spring-time, </p> +<p class="i4"> How happy you will be! </p> +<p class="i2"> For you will wake and find yourself </p> +<p class="i4"> A butterfly like me! </p> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<p class="i2"> "Then work on, crawling little thing," </p> +<p class="i4"> Whispered the butterfly, </p> +<p class="i2"> "For winter's coming very fast, </p> +<p class="i4"> And so good-by, good-by." </p> +</div> +</div> + +<p> +The little caterpillar thought: "How could I possibly turn into a +butterfly? I have seen other caterpillars tie themselves to twigs, but +they always seemed very foolish to me." +</p> +<p> +However, that little caterpillar wanted more than anything else in the +world to become a butterfly, so he decided to try. He crawled slowly +up the tree until he found a branch that suited him exactly. Then he +selected a twig and spun about it a soft resting place of silk. He spun +a soft silken loop, too, with which he tied himself to the twig. +</p> +<p> +Very soon he lost all his bright color, and became as brown as the twig +itself. If you had seen him, you would probably have thought he was +nothing but a small brown leaf. When the cold, snowy days came, the +little caterpillar knew nothing whatever about them, for he was fast +asleep. +</p> +<p> +At last, after a long, long winter, there began to be signs of spring. +Soon, soft warm little rain drops began to fall on the chrysalis (for +that is what we call the sleeping caterpillar), whispering: "Spring is +coming and it's time to awake!" Soon, soft warm little sunbeams began to +dance on the chrysalis, whispering: "Spring is almost here, it is time +to awake!" Soon soft, warm little breezes began to blow the chrysalis +about, whispering: "Spring is here, and it is time to awake!" +</p> +<p> +Then, at last, the little caterpillar did awake. He slowly broke away +his old dried skin and the silk fastenings which he had spun so many +months before, and he crawled out in the sunshine, wet and still drowsy +after his long sleep. After a while he became warm and dry, and wide +awake in the bright sunlight, and then, suddenly, he felt that he had +wings! He looked in a rain-drop mirror, and there he saw himself a +beautiful butterfly. +</p> +<p> +Don't you think he must have been very proud and happy, as he spread his +wings and flew away to sip the honey from the flowers, and to play with +all the other butterflies, knowing that he would never again have to +crawl about on the ground? +</p> +<p> +"Oh! Mother dear," said Johnnie Jones, "let's take this caterpillar +home, so I can watch it turn into a butterfly." +</p> +<p> +Mother considered his idea a good one, so they carried the caterpillar +home on a twig, with many leaves from the tree towards which it had been +crawling. When they reached the house they placed twigs, leaves and +caterpillar in a glass jar, with netting over the top. +</p> +<p> +"We shall have to give it fresh leaves every day," Mother said, "until +it has eaten enough and goes to sleep. We can watch it carefully through +this glass jar." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones knelt down beside the jar and whispered: "Ugly little +caterpillar, if you will tie yourself to that branch, and change your +skin, and go to sleep, next spring you will wake a beautiful butterfly." +</p> +<a name="image-0005"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-143.jpg" width="100%" +alt="When he spread his wings and flew away--" /><br /> +When he spread his wings and flew away— +</div> + +<p> +Johnnie Jones was sure the caterpillar heard what he said, because +it went to sleep just as it was told. All winter long the little boy +watched it, and one day, in the early spring, really saw it come out +a gorgeous butterfly. When it spread its bright wings and flew away, +I wonder which was happier, the butterfly or Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0020" id="h2H_4_0020"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Mr. and Mrs. Bird and the Baby Birds +</h2> +<p> +"Listen to that bird!" exclaimed Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +"That is Mr. Bird," Mother answered. "I shall have to tell you a story +about him and Mrs. Bird and their children." +</p> +<p> +Once upon a time Mr. Bird felt so happy and gay that he could scarcely +be quiet a single moment. It was spring-time again and he sang beautiful +songs to Mrs. Bird, about the sunshine and soft, sweet air, and about +the little home they would make in the old elm tree. Mrs. Bird would +listen for a while to his song and then they would both fly away to find +the twigs and straws with which to build the nest. Very hard indeed the +little birds worked, for each straw had to be carefully woven, in and +out and out and in, so that the nest should be quite firm and round. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the nest was ready, pretty little Mrs. Bird laid four lovely +blue eggs in it. She knew, and Mr. Bird knew, that there were four baby +birds asleep in the eggs, and so they were happier than ever before. +</p> +<p> +But now Mrs. Bird had to sit on the nest all the day long, to keep the +eggs warm. Of course, Mr. Bird had to feed her. He would fly all over +the park, finding good things to eat, and carry them back to drop into +Mrs. Bird's mouth. When she was no longer hungry, Mr. Bird would hop to +a branch near by, and sing to her. +</p> +<p> +You may think that Mrs. Bird grew tired of sitting there on the nest day +after day. You may think Mr. Bird became tired of feeding Mrs. Bird, and +of singing to her, day after day. But neither one seemed to grow tired +at all. They just watched and waited, as the days went by. +</p> +<p> +After a while the little baby birds began to wake up, and one day Mrs. +Bird heard a queer scratching sound that made her very glad. The babies +were beginning to break open the shell! Peck! Peck! Peck! Soon a little +head came out of the shell. Crack! Crack! Crack! and there was a little +bird in the nest for Mr. and Mrs. Bird to love and take care of. +</p> +<p> +By the time the first pieces of shell had been thrown from the nest, +another little bird had broken through. Then came another, and still one +more, until there were four baby birds in the nest, all crying as loud +as they could, "Peep! Peep! Peep! please give us something to eat." +</p> +<p> +Then both Mr. and Mrs. Bird had to fly away to seek their own breakfast, +and to bring some to the children. You never saw such hungry babies! +They kept their parents busy all the day long, bringing them food. They +weren't very polite to each other, either, those baby birds. They would +crowd and push, and almost send each other out of the nest, trying to +get every morsel, instead of each waiting his own turn to be fed. But +then, they were only birds and did not know any better. +</p> +<p> +Day after day, they were fed by their parents. Night after night, they +were kept warm under Mrs. Bird's wings. No wonder those baby birds soon +grew big and strong. They were ever so much prettier when they grew big +enough to wear feathers. +</p> +<p> +Soon, one little bird felt so strong, that he said he wanted to fly +away, too, and see what the ground and other trees were like. +</p> +<p> +"Not to-day," Mrs. Bird told him. "Wait until your wings are a wee bit +stronger, and then I'll teach you to fly." +</p> +<p> +When both Mr. and Mrs. Bird had flown away, this same little bird said +to his brothers: "It seems quite easy to fly; all you need to do is to +flap your wings. I think I'll try it alone." +</p> +<p> +"You had better not!" the others told him. +</p> +<p> +"Yes, I will," the little bird said. +</p> +<p> +He hopped to the edge of the nest, and began to flap his wings. He did +not quite dare to raise his feet, though, for he felt rather timid when +he looked down and saw how far away the ground seemed to be. But he +flapped his wings so vigorously, pretending to fly, that he lost his +balance and fell. He was not hurt, for the grass was tall and soft, but +he was greatly frightened, and cried out for his mother. +</p> +<p> +Mrs. Bird was too far away to hear him, but a little girl did. She +picked him up very gently, and ran to show him to her father. +</p> +<p> +"Look at this cunning little bird which I have found! May I keep it for +mine?" she asked him. +</p> +<p> +"No," said her father. "See, it is only a baby bird, which has fallen +from its nest, and is crying for its mother. Show me where you found it; +perhaps I can reach the nest if we can discover it among the leaves." +</p> +<p> +The little girl pointed out the tree to her father. He placed a ladder +against it, and, climbing up, was able to drop the little bird into its +home. +</p> +<p> +In a few days Mr. and Mrs. Bird were ready to teach all their babies +to fly. +</p> +<p> +"Come on," they said, "spread your wings, jump into the air, and fly +just a little way, to that other limb of the tree." +</p> +<p> +Three of the little birds obeyed at once, and reached the resting place +in safety. But the fourth little bird was afraid to try, because he had +fallen before. +</p> +<p> +"Don't be a coward," urged his father and mother. "You fell before +because your wings were not strong enough to bear you up, but now you +will have no trouble." +</p> +<p> +The little bird wouldn't budge. +</p> +<p> +The parent birds knew it was time for him to learn, so they pushed the +foolish little fellow out of the nest, and watched him spread his wings, +and flutter to the ground. There he found more courage, and after a +while he flew up to join his brothers on the tree. +</p> +<p> +"I was sitting at my window," Mother told Johnnie Jones, "and saw it all +happen. Of course I can't understand the language of birds, and I am not +sure I have repeated exactly what the parent birds said to the babies, +or what the babies said to each other, but only what they seemed to say. +Anyway, everything happened as I have told you." +</p> +<p> +"Soon the babies could fly nearly as well and as far as the old birds, +and after that the little nest was left quite empty, rocked by the wind +in the old tree top." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0021" id="h2H_4_0021"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + The Coming of Little Brother +</h2> +<p> +Almost all of the children who attended the kindergarten where Johnnie +Jones spent his mornings, had a baby brother or sister at home. They +spoke of "their babies" so often and enjoyed so much making presents to +take them, that Johnnie Jones wished for a baby at his house, and talked +to Mother about it. +</p> +<p> +One night, Mother said she had a secret to tell him. He was glad, for he +liked to have secrets with Mother, who told him a great many, because he +could keep them so well. +</p> +<p> +"It is the most beautiful secret in all the world," Mother said. +"Spring-time is coming very fast, and next month, when the trees and the +flowers wake up because winter is over and gone, a dear little baby is +coming to live with us." +</p> +<p> +"Oh! Mother dear, I am so glad!" said Johnnie Jones. "But why does the +baby wait so long? I want him this very day." +</p> +<p> +"Dear," Mother answered, "the baby is still fast asleep, just as the +little flower buds are, and we must watch and wait until he comes. It +will not be very long, little son, and then how happy we'll be, you and +Father and I!" +</p> +<p> +"At first the baby will be too small and helpless to play, and will need +his big brother to take care of him so that he may grow tall and strong. +Then, by and by, he will be able to run about and talk, and play with +you. But always, always, he will need you to help him, and teach him, +and care for him." +</p> +<p> +After that evening, when Mother had whispered the beautiful secret to +him, Johnnie Jones would ask her each day: "Will our baby wake up and +come tomorrow?" But Mother could not tell him, so they just waited, and +made ready, day after day. +</p> +<p> +At last one bright, warm morning when Johnnie Jones awoke, he saw Father +bending down over his bed with such a happy face that he asked at once: +"Has our baby waked up and come?" +</p> +<p> +"Yes," Father answered, "there is a Little Brother in Mother's room, and +she says she can't wait any longer to show him to you." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was very much excited and, as soon as possible, he tiptoed +into Mother's room. Father had asked him to be very quiet. +</p> +<p> +"Come here, dear," Mother said, "I have been waiting such a long time +for you." She drew him down beside her, and showed him a tiny baby boy +no larger than a doll. +</p> +<p> +As Johnnie Jones leaned down to see, the Little Brother opened his eyes +wide, and looked at him. Johnnie Jones was too happy to say a word. He +sat down close to the bed, and Father placed the baby in his arms. +Johnnie Jones held him very carefully, so that he might not hurt him or +let him fall. +</p> +<p> +"He is your Little Brother," Mother said softly, "your Little Brother to +love and take care of all your life. You will always remember that, +won't you?" +</p> +<p> +And Johnnie Jones always did. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0022" id="h2H_4_0022"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Little Brother and Johnnie Jones +</h2> +<p> +Little brother was a merry baby with a smile for everyone. Soon he was +old enough to be on the floor with Johnnie Jones, and to build houses of +blocks, and play with the toys. He learned to walk very early, when he +was less than a year old. Then indeed, he kept the family busy, guarding +him from harm. +</p> +<p> +One day he found the sharp scissors, which Johnnie Jones had to take +away very quickly before he could cut himself. Another day he tried to +eat a paper of pins, and Johnnie Jones had to run very fast to reach him +in time. That one baby kept Father and Mother, Johnnie Jones and Maggie, +all busy, because he was too young to know that some things are +dangerous for babies to have. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes, because he was too little to know any better, he objected to +having the scissors, or knives, or cookies, taken away. Then what do you +suppose he would do? He would run straight to Johnnie Jones and pull his +hair! He always seemed to feel happier after that. +</p> +<p> +It hurts to have one's hair pulled, but Johnnie Jones seldom cried or +was cross with the baby. He would just laugh and run away when he saw +him coming for his hair. Besides, that bad habit did not last long, and +you may be sure that Johnnie Jones was glad when it was broken! +</p> +<p> +The first word the baby learned to say after "Mama" was "Buddy," and he +meant Johnnie Jones. He knew when it was time for the big boy to come +home from kindergarten, and he would stand at the window watching for +him. As soon as he saw him coming he would wave his hand, and run to the +steps to meet him. Then they would have a romp. Their favorite game was +"I Spy." +</p> +<p> +One day they were playing "I Spy," and Little Brother was hiding. +Usually it was very easy to find him, because his favorite hiding place +was the nearest corner. But this time he wasn't there when Johnnie Jones +looked, nor anywhere in the room or hall. +</p> +<p> +"Where can he be?" Johnnie Jones asked Mother. +</p> +<p> +She came to help him. They called the baby but heard no answer. Then +they began to be worried and looked in every room. Suddenly they heard a +great splash in the bath-tub. They ran into the bathroom, and there they +found the baby. +</p> +<p> +Little Brother had forgotten he was playing "I Spy." He had wandered +into the bath-room, and climbing on a chair dropped the soap into the +tub which was full of water. Then, very soon, he dropped himself in, +too! That was the splash the others had heard. +</p> +<p> +Mother and Johnnie Jones lifted him out, wet as he could be, and very +much frightened. +</p> +<p> +"You dear little rascal!" exclaimed Johnnie Jones. "Didn't you know you +couldn't swim?" +</p> +<p> +"It certainly is a good thing," Mother said, "that he has a big brother +to take care of him." +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0023" id="h2H_4_0023"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Elizabeth with the Children +</h2> +<p> +One day Elizabeth came over to spend the afternoon with Johnnie Jones, +who was very glad to see her. +</p> +<p> +"Let's play horse," suggested Johnnie Jones. "I have a new pair of reins +with bells on them." +</p> +<p> +"No, I don't want to play horse," Elizabeth said. "I want to play "I +Spy," and I want to hide. You must find me." +</p> +<p> +"All right!" answered Johnnie Jones. +</p> +<p> +But as soon as it was Johnnie Jones's turn to hide, and Elizabeth's to +find him, she decided that she would rather play fire-engine. "I'll be +the fireman and put out the fire with your real little hose, and you be +the horse and engine," she said. +</p> +<p> +"All right," Johnnie Jones answered again. +</p> +<p> +After they had extinguished several fires, Elizabeth said: "Now we'll +play grocery-store, and I'll be the man who keeps it. We'll borrow some +apples and potatoes from the cook, and you come to buy them." +</p> +<p> +"No," said Johnnie Jones this time, "I'll be the grocery man, and you +the lady who comes to buy." +</p> +<p> +"I won't play if I mayn't be the storekeeper," threatened Elizabeth. +</p> +<p> +"But that's not fair," said Johnnie Jones. "You have chosen every game, +and have taken the best part in each one for yourself. Now it is my turn +to choose." +</p> +<p> +"I'll go home if you won't let me be the grocery man," Elizabeth told +him. +</p> +<p> +"No," he answered, "because that's not a fair way to play." +</p> +<p> +Then Elizabeth left him. She did not go home, however, but just next +door to Katherine's house. She found Katherine and Mary at home, playing +with their dolls. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the little girls saw Elizabeth, they said: "You can't play +with us unless you play the right way. You can't be Mother all the +time." +</p> +<p> +"Well, if you won't let me play my way, I won't play at all," said +Elizabeth, and ran on until she came to Sarah's house. +</p> +<p> +Sarah, Tom and Ned were jumping rope, and they called out to Elizabeth: +"You can't play with us unless you will turn the rope part of the time." +</p> +<p> +"I don't like to turn, I like to jump," Elizabeth complained. But when +she realized that she would not be allowed to jump until she first +turned the rope for the others, she left these children too, and went +next door to visit Sammy Smith. +</p> +<p> +That little boy and Susie were playing with a big wagon. They asked +Elizabeth to play with them, and because they were courteous little +children, and she was their visitor, they permitted her to take the +first ride, and pretended that they were two strong horses hitched to +her carriage. When they were tired, they told Elizabeth that it was +time for her to become a horse and let one of them ride. +</p> +<p> +"No," said Elizabeth, "I like to ride better than to pull the wagon." +</p> +<p> +"We won't let you ride any longer," they answered, "because it's your +turn to play that you are a horse." +</p> +<p> +"Then I'll go home," she said, and this time she did. +</p> +<p> +"What is the matter?" asked her mother. +</p> +<p> +"The children won't play the way I want them to, and I don't like them +any more because I think they are unkind," she answered. "I wish I could +go to fairy-land and be a princess, or else that I were a grown-up +lady." +</p> +<p> +"Even grown-up ladies and princesses cannot always have their own way," +her mother said. +</p> +<p> +Elizabeth stood at the window and looked out across the street. Most of +the children had gathered there in front of Johnnie Jones's house, and +were jumping rope. Elizabeth could hear them counting, and laughing, and +talking. She began to feel very lonely. At last she put on her hat again +and ran back to join the children. +</p> +<p> +"If you will let me play with you," she said, "I'll play anything you +like." +</p> +<p> +"All right!" they answered, "and sometimes we'll play what you like." +</p> +<p> +"And I won't always ask for the best part any more," she said. +</p> +<p> +"You may have the part you like when it is your turn to choose," they +told her. +</p> +<p> +"I'll turn the rope now," Elizabeth added. +</p> +<p> +"You turn until some one trips," the others answered. +</p> +<p> +Elizabeth spent the remainder of the afternoon with the children, who +were glad to have her because she played fair. Elizabeth herself was +very happy. She was even glad that she wasn't a princess or a grown-up +lady; glad that she was just a little girl who had learned to play with +other children. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0024" id="h2H_4_0024"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and the Hoop-Rolling Club +</h2> +<p> +One day, all the children of the neighborhood decided to form a +hoop-rolling club. Each child was to buy a hoop and decorate it with +bells and ribbons. Then, every Saturday morning, all of them were to go +to the park and have a procession. They were to try their best to turn +square corners, to roll their hoops in a straight line, and to keep them +from falling down. No matter where they rolled them, up hill or down +hill, over smooth ground or rough, they were not to let the hoops fall. +</p> +<p> +The one who could do all these things the best was to be the captain and +lead the procession wherever he wished. He could go swiftly or slowly, +just as he liked, and all the rest were to follow in the same manner. +The captain was to remain captain only so long as he could roll his hoop +better than anyone else in the club. +</p> +<p> +The children were delighted with their plan, and ran to the shop to buy +the hoops. +</p> +<p> +All except poor little Johnnie Jones! He was not quite as old as the +others, and he could not manage a hoop. He had tried to roll one +belonging to Sammy Smith, one day, but he had been unable to prevent its +falling down every time he struck it. Of course he wanted to join the +club, and he asked Mother what she thought he had better do. +</p> +<p> +Mother went with him to the grocery-store, and bought a small hoop, much +smaller than Sammy Smith's. Then she told Johnnie Jones that no one +could teach him to roll it. "You must just try and try until you +succeed, little boy," she said. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones tried, all the way home, but he was as unsuccessful with +the new hoop as he had been with Sammy Smith's old one. The other +children watched him, but they did not know how to help him, much as +they wished to do so. One big boy was rude enough to laugh at him, +which hurt his feelings so much that he went out into his back yard to +practise. There he tried, and tried again, until he was very tired. +</p> +<p> +Every day while the other children were decorating their hoops or were +playing together, Johnnie Jones would practise all alone in the back +yard, where no one could see him. He tried so hard that at last he +succeeded in rolling his hoop from the porch to the gate without letting +it fall a single time. He was greatly encouraged then, but he had to +continue practising, because he could not even yet guide the hoop very +well, and he could not turn corners at all. +</p> +<p> +When Saturday came, he went to the park to watch the first procession. +It was a very pretty sight, for the hoops had been decorated with bright +ribbons, and with bells which made a merry tinkling sound. Ned was the +captain, as he was the oldest and could manage his hoop most skilfully. +He led the children through the park, stopping now and then for breath. +Whenever anyone dropped his hoop, he had to go to the end of the line, +for that was the rule of the club. +</p> +<p> +All the next week Johnnie Jones worked very hard, learning to guide his +hoop in a straight line, and to turn corners. He went to the park to +practise now, so that he might have more room. +</p> +<p> +Mother watched him every day, and after a while she told him that he had +become quite skilful enough to join the club. Then he was very happy, +and began to decorate his hoop with the bright pink ribbon and shining +brass bells which Mother had bought for him. +</p> +<p> +The next Saturday morning, Johnnie Jones took his hoop with him when he +went to the park with the other children, all of whom were glad to hear +that he had learned to roll it. +</p> +<p> +"But you had better be last in the procession," they told him, "because, +most likely, you can't manage it very well yet." +</p> +<p> +They did not know how hard he had worked. +</p> +<p> +When the procession started off, Johnnie Jones kept up with the other +children. Not once did he let his hoop fall, and he made it go so +straight, and turned such square corners, that, presently, the children +noticed how well he was doing. +</p> +<p> +"Well, look at little Johnnie Jones!" they said. "He can roll his hoop +better than anyone here, even better than Ned!" +</p> +<p> +After they had watched him for a while, they decided he must be their +captain, until Ned, or one of the other children had learned to do +better than he. +</p> +<p> +Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy in the whole +world, as he led the procession through the park. +</p> +<a name="image-0006"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-177.jpg" width="100%" +alt="Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy--" /><br /> +Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy— +</div> + +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0025" id="h2H_4_0025"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + The Fire at Johnnie Jones's House +</h2> +<p> +One night, while Father was away from home on a business trip, Mother +and Johnnie Jones and Little Brother were fast asleep in their beds. +Jack had been asleep too, down-stairs in the front hall, but now he was +wide awake. He stood up, put back his ears, and sniffed the air. Then he +ran quickly up the stairs to Johnnie Jones's room, stood outside his +door, and whined, That did not waken anyone, so he barked. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones woke up and heard him. So did mother, who was in the next +room. "Please lie still, Mother," said Johnnie Jones. "I'll see what is +the matter." He was trying to help Mother all he could while Father was +away. +</p> +<p> +He opened the door, and cried out: "Oh, Mother, the hall is full of +smoke!" +</p> +<p> +Mother came to the door. She saw that smoke was pouring out from the +hall below. "I am afraid the house is on fire," she said. "You must be +very brave and help me. Put on your wrapper and slippers and run up to +Maggie's room, and tell her and Kathie to come down here." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was a bit frightened, but without another word he ran up +those long, dark steps, and aroused the two girls. It was brave of the +little boy. +</p> +<p> +Meanwhile Mother had given the fire alarm through the telephone, slipped +on her wrapper, and bundled the baby in a blanket. When the others had +come down to her room, she closed the door into the hall. +</p> +<p> +"It would be dangerous to go downstairs," she said; "we must just wait +here at the window until the firemen bring us a ladder." +</p> +<p> +"Oh, Mother!" Johnnie Jones said, "do you think they'll come soon?" +</p> +<p> +"Listen!" Mother answered. +</p> +<p> +Then Johnnie Jones heard a sound that made him clap his hands with joy. +CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Galloping down the street came the splendid big +fire-horses drawing the hook-and-ladder. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Down the +street came the fire-engine, the hose carriage, and the salvage corps +wagon. +</p> +<p> +Quick as a flash the firemen saw Mother and the children at the window! +Quicker than you can think, they had two long ladders placed against the +two window sills. Then two strong firemen climbed up. One of them helped +Mother and the baby to reach the ground, the other looked after Johnnie +Jones. +</p> +<p> +Maggie and Kathie did not wait to be helped, they stepped down the +ladder faster than one would have thought possible, and reached the +ground first of all. +</p> +<p> +Jack did not know how to use a ladder, so he was thrown out of the +window by one fireman, and caught in a blanket by two others. He wasn't +hurt in the least, though Johnnie Jones had been worried for fear he +might be, but ran straight to his little master. +</p> +<p> +"If it had not been for Jack's telling us there was a fire, we might +not have been able to leave the house so quickly," said Mother, as she +caressed the dog. +</p> +<p> +Elizabeth's mother, who lived across the street, asked Mrs. Jones and +the children to come into her house. They went, and stood at the window +watching the fire until it was out. +</p> +<p> +It was a beautiful sight, for the flames flashed out of the thick smoke +and made the whole neighborhood bright. Poor Mother felt too sad at +seeing her home burn to enjoy the beauty of the fire, but as it was the +very first fire he had ever seen, Johnnie Jones did enjoy it, although +he was sorry, too. +</p> +<p> +"Never mind, Mother dear," he said, trying to comfort her. "Father will +build us a new house if this one burns down." +</p> +<p> +All this time the brave firemen were working to extinguish the fire. +They had unhitched the horses, and tied them, at a safe distance from +the house. Some of them had fixed the hose to the engine and were +pumping great streams of water onto the flames. Others were inside the +house fighting the fire; and the salvage men were trying to save the +furniture and pictures and curtains. +</p> +<p> +Soon the flames became lower, and lower, until at last they died away, +and the fire was out. Then the horses were hitched again to the engine, +and hose carriage, and the other wagons. The whistle in the engine was +blown, and all went back to the engine houses where they belonged. Not +as they had come, in a swift gallop, but slowly, for now men and horses +were tired. +</p> +<p> +Soon the neighborhood was quiet again, and everyone returned to bed. The +Jones's passed the rest of the night in Elizabeth's house. +</p> +<p> +Next morning, they drove to Grandmother's home to visit her until they +could go into the country to spend the summer. +</p> +<p> +When Father came home he was very much grieved to find his home so badly +burned, but he felt very grateful to Jack for arousing the family, and +he was very thankful to the brave firemen and good horses, for coming so +quickly and doing their work so well. He was distressed that he had not +been at home, to save Mother from worry and care, but he was glad to +hear that Johnnie Jones had been a help and comfort to her, and had +behaved as a manly boy should. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0026" id="h2H_4_0026"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Johnnie Jones and Fanny +</h2> +<p> +Johnnie Jones enjoyed the country because he could be out of doors all +the day long, and because there were so many interesting things to do. +This summer he liked it even better than ever before, for Little Brother +was old enough to run about and play with him, in the soft grass under +the trees. +</p> +<p> +Then there was Fanny. +</p> +<p> +Fanny was a small brown pony which lived in the country all the year +round, and which had belonged to Johnnie Jones ever since he was a tiny +boy only two years old. The little pony and the little boy loved each +other, and spent a great deal of their time together. Each morning, +directly after breakfast, Johnnie Jones and Little Brother would go down +to the field where Fanny and the horses lived, taking with them an apple +or some sugar. +</p> +<p> +"Here, Fanny! Here, Fanny!" they would call. +</p> +<p> +As soon as she heard their voices, the little brown pony would come +running to them and eat out of their hands, always being very careful +not to nip their fingers. Then she would poke her nose into Johnnie +Jones's pockets to see if there were anything hidden away, that was good +to eat. She was so sweet tempered and gentle that she would let the +children do anything with her that pleased them, and often romped with +Johnnie Jones like a big dog. +</p> +<p> +About nine o'clock, Sam, the hired man, would hitch Fanny to a small +cart, and Johnnie Jones would take Mother, or Maggie, and Little +Brother, for a drive. Johnnie Jones could both drive and ride so very +well that he was often allowed to go out with Fanny quite alone. +</p> +<p> +One morning, after he had taken the others home, he started to the +village shop to buy some butter. On the road he met a boy named Charley, +who asked to go with him. +</p> +<p> +"All right! Jump in," Johnnie Jones told him, glad to have company. +</p> +<p> +"Let me drive?" Charley asked. So Johnnie Jones changed places with him, +and gave him the reins. +</p> +<a name="image-0007"><!--IMG--></a> +<div class="figure"> +<img src="images/ill-191.jpg" width="100%" +alt="The little brown pony would eat out of their hands" /><br /> +The little brown pony would eat out of their hands +</div> + +<p> +Charley was older than Johnnie Jones and considered himself a much +better driver, but he did not know and love horses in the same way that +Johnnie Jones did, though he had always lived in the country. +</p> +<p> +"Watch me!" he said. "I'll show you how to make a pony run." +</p> +<p> +Before Johnnie Jones could stop him, he seized the whip and with it gave +Fanny a sharp cut. The little pony had never before been whipped, and +was so surprised and hurt, that she began to run as fast as ever she +could. Bump! Bump! She dragged the cart over rocks and stones so fast +that the little boys were almost thrown out on the road. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was just as surprised as Fanny. +</p> +<p> +"Give me that whip," he said to Charley. "I don't allow anyone to use it +on my pony. You've hurt her and made her run away. Give me the reins. I +will never again let you drive." +</p> +<p> +"Leave me alone," Charley answered. "I'll teach her a good lesson." +</p> +<p> +He struck Fanny once more, and then began pulling on the reins with all +his might, hurting the pony's tender mouth, and making her toss her head +and even kick. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was very angry and commanded Charley to give him the +reins. Charley was beginning to be frightened, so he obeyed. +</p> +<p> +"Whoa! Fanny, don't be afraid," Johnnie Jones said to the little pony, +as he took the reins and held them loosely in his hands. +</p> +<p> +As soon as Fanny heard the voice of her little master, she stopped +running, and soon stood still. Then Johnnie Jones jumped out of the cart +and began to pat her. Fanny was very much ashamed of herself, and rubbed +her nose against his sleeve, as if to say: "I am sorry, Johnnie Jones, +but that boy surprised me. I'll never act so again." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones drove on to the shop and then back home, but he was so +angry with Charley that he would not let him ride any further. +</p> +<p> +"I don't like you any more," he told him. +</p> +<p> +And I do not blame Johnnie Jones, do you? For I could not like a boy who +would be so cowardly and unkind as to hurt an animal. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0027" id="h2H_4_0027"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + Fanny and Little Brother +</h2> +<p> +One day, Elizabeth came with her mother to spend the day in the country +with Mrs. Jones and the little boys. The children had enjoyed themselves +very much, playing all the morning. Just before lunch they ran down to +the field where Fanny and Tim, the carriage horse, were, to pick some +wild flowers for the table. Little Brother was with them, and while the +others were gathering the flowers, he toddled away, and lay down in the +tall grass. +</p> +<p> +The two mothers were sitting under the trees near the house. From where +they sat they could see the children in the field. +</p> +<p> +"Aren't you afraid to let the children play there where the horses are?" +Elizabeth's mother asked Mrs. Jones. +</p> +<p> +"No indeed," she answered. "Tim and Fanny love them too well to hurt +them." +</p> +<p> +But just then Tim and Fanny began to play "Tag," as they often did, for +they were great friends. Fanny pretended to bite Tim, and came galloping +up the field as fast as ever she could. She did not see Little Brother, +lying directly in front of her, hidden by the tall grass. On she came, +galloping rapidly towards him. +</p> +<p> +Mother saw her, and was so frightened she could hardly stand, for she +thought the baby would be trampled down by the pony. She started to run, +but of course she could not run as fast as Fanny, and besides, she was +much further away. +</p> +<p> +Fanny rushed on until she was within a few feet of the baby. Then she +saw him! She tried to stop, but was moving too rapidly. Being a wise +little pony, she saw there was but one thing to do, and she did it. She +jumped and landed on the other side of the baby without touching him, +though her foot just did miss his head. +</p> +<p> +Mother caught Little Brother up in her arms, and examined him carefully. +She could scarcely believe he had escaped without any injury, and was +very happy indeed, when she found that such was the case. +</p> +<p> +"I don't believe any other pony would have had so much sense," she said. +</p> +<p> +That evening, when Father had heard of Little Brother's narrow escape, +he told Mother and Johnnie Jones about an experience he had had when a +baby. +</p> +<p> +His father had owned a wise old horse whose name was Charley. One day +Charley was eating the grass in the yard, and Johnnie Jones's father, +who was then only a baby three years old, was lying on the ground, +playing with the leaves After a while old Charley had eaten all the +grass near by, except the very long delicious blades underneath the +baby. He couldn't ask the little boy to move away, because he couldn't +talk. So, very carefully, he took hold of the baby's dress with his +teeth, lifted him up, and set him down on the other side of the yard. +He did not even frighten him, but the mother, who was looking out of the +window, was very much frightened, until she saw that the baby had not +been harmed. +</p> +<p> +Mother and Johnnie Jones agreed that Charley had shown almost as much +sense as Fanny, but that it wasn't very safe to leave little children +alone when there were horses and ponies about. +</p> +<hr /> +<a name="h2H_4_0028" id="h2H_4_0028"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + +<h2> + When Johnnie Jones Learned to Swim +</h2> +<p> +One summer, when Johnnie Jones was six, he and the other members of the +family spent a month in the woods. They lived in a small log house which +was close to a beautiful lake, and almost completely surrounded by +trees. Johnnie Jones enjoyed the life there immensely. He learned to +row a light boat on the water, and every day he went for a long walk +through the woods, meeting many birds and small wild animals on the +way. Sometimes, in the distance, he caught a glimpse of the beautiful, +graceful deer, which were too timid to permit him to come very near +them. +</p> +<p> +Just in front of the house was a wooden dock where Johnnie Jones liked +to play, but where he was never allowed to go alone as the water about +it was very deep. "Teach me to swim," he said to his father. "Then I +shall be able to play wherever I please." +</p> +<p> +Father had been intending to give Johnnie Jones lessons in swimming and +was only waiting for a warm, sunshiny day. Such a day came very soon, +and, about twelve o'clock, he and Johnnie Jones, dressed in their +bathing suits, went in the water. The little boy considered bathing +great fun as long as he remained close to shore where the water was +shallow but he did not like it so well when Father carried him out to +the raft, where the water was so deep that it reached the shoulders of +the grown people standing in it. +</p> +<p> +"Now, son," Mr. Jones said, "I want you to stand on the raft, and jump +when I count three. I will catch you in my arms, let you go down under +the water, and bring you up again. Remember to hold your breath, so that +you will not take any of the water into your nose or mouth. Perhaps you +had better keep one hand over your face for fear you might forget and +try to breathe before you reach the surface. Now jump, I am quite ready +to catch you." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones stood on the raft and looked down at the water. He did not +want to jump into it, but neither did he want to disappoint his father. +Besides he wished very much to learn to swim. +</p> +<p> +"Will you be certain to catch me?" he asked Father. +</p> +<p> +"I promise you I will," he answered. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones knew that Father always kept his promise, so, after a +moment or two, he said he was ready. +</p> +<p> +"One, two, three, jump!" said Father. And Johnnie Jones obeyed. +</p> +<p> +As soon as he touched the water he felt Father's strong arms about +him, and then he did not mind going down, down, into it. In a second +he came to the surface again, of course dripping wet, but without +having swallowed any water, as he had remembered to hold his breath. +</p> +<p> +After the first plunge, he enjoyed taking others, and jumped into the +water as many times as Father would catch him. Next day they went in +bathing again, and Father carried Johnnie Jones out to the raft as +before. But when the little boy was ready to jump, Father said: "To-day, +I shall not catch you when you first touch the water; I shall wait until +you come to the surface by yourself, and then I shall hold you up." +</p> +<p> +After he had jumped into the water, Johnnie Jones was surprised to find +that he came up again just as quickly as when Father's arms had been +under him. Then while Father held him he lay flat on the water and +paddled himself about with his hands and feet. +</p> +<p> +In a few days the little boy learned to swim a short distance, quite +alone, although he was not allowed to go into the water unless an older +person were with him. +</p> +<p> +One day, before Johnnie Jones had learned to swim very well, he had an +exciting experience. He was on the dock with his uncle, and a very high +wind was blowing the water into waves, which dashed against the dock +with a roaring sound. Indeed the waves were so noisy, that when Johnnie +Jones suddenly slipped and fell off the dock, his uncle, whose back was +turned, did not hear the splash. +</p> +<p> +However, a boatman at the boat-house saw Johnnie Jones fall, and he ran +as fast as possible, towards the dock. +</p> +<p> +Meantime Johnnie Jones sank down into the water, and came up to the +surface again. The brave little fellow remembered what to do. He closed +his mouth, and holding one hand over his nose, he paddled with the +other, until he was able to grasp the dock, against which the wind was +blowing him. He held on bravely, never opening his mouth to cry, nor +taking his hand from his face. +</p> +<p> +In less than a minute, though it seemed much longer to Johnnie Jones, +his uncle and the boatman had drawn him from the water. He was not in +the least harmed by his unexpected bath because he had remembered, even +while he was falling, the proper thing to do. +</p> +<p> +Mother stripped off his wet clothing, and after she had rubbed him until +he was all in a glow, she wrapped him in blankets so that he should not +take cold. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones went to sleep. When he awoke he felt very well, and was +glad when he heard Father say: "You were a brave boy and I am proud of +you." +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones's uncle was sorry he had been so careless as to turn his +back when the wind was blowing such a gale, and promised that it should +never happen again. +</p> +<p> +Johnnie Jones was more careful, too, and had no further trouble in the +water. Every day, Father gave him a swimming lesson, and before the time +came to return to the city, Johnnie Jones felt very much at home in the +water. He could swim very well, and could float, lying flat on his back, +but another summer passed before he had quite learned to dive. +</p> + + +<div style="height: 6em;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's All About Johnnie Jones, by Carolyn Verhoeff + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALL ABOUT JOHNNIE JONES *** + +***** This file should be named 15241-h.htm or 15241-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/2/4/15241/ + +Produced by Kentuckiana Digital Library, David Garcia and the PG +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: All About Johnnie Jones + +Author: Carolyn Verhoeff + +Release Date: March 3, 2005 [EBook #15241] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALL ABOUT JOHNNIE JONES *** + + + + +Produced by Kentuckiana Digital Library, David Garcia and the PG +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ + + + + + + + + + + + +All About Johnnie Jones + + + + +[Illustration: Johnnie Jones] + + + + + +_All About_ JOHNNIE JONES + +BY + +Carolyn Verhoeff + + +ILLUSTRATED BY + +Diantha W. Horne + + +SEVENTH EDITION + + + * * * * * + + _Published by_ + Milton Bradley Company + SPRINGFIELD :: MASSACHUSETTS + + + Copyright, 1907, by + MILTON BRADLEY COMPANY + SPRINGFIELD, MASS. + + + + In Loving Memory + _of_ + _The_ Beautiful Life _of One_ Little Child + =Meldrum Adams Hartwell= + (1891-1896) + These Stories are Dedicated + _to_ + All Little Children + + * * * * * + + + These stories have been written with but one object, to give + pleasure to little children, while helping them to realize, + in so far as they are able, the highest ideals of childhood. + + CAROLYN VERHOEFF + + * * * * * + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +It gives me sincere pleasure to introduce to mothers and kindergartners +a pioneer writer in the unexplored field of simple, realistic stories +for little children. + +Miss Verhoeff is a trained kindergartner who has brought to her +profession a college training as well as a true devotion to children. + +It was in one of the free kindergartens situated in the less fortunate +localities of Louisville that the stories of Johnnie Jones came into +being, and grew in response to the demand of the little ones for +stories about real children. + +In the beautiful world of fairy-lore we have a rich and splendidly +exploited field of immortal literature. The old, old stories of +fairies and elves, of giants and dwarfs, of genii, princes, and knights +with their wonder-working wands, rings and swords, will never grow +threadbare; while the spiritual, artistic and literary value of these +stories in the life of child-imagination can never be overestimated. +Enchanting and valuable as they are, however, they should not blind us +to the need for standard realistic stories of equal literary and poetic +merit. + +A child needs not only the touch of the wonder-working wand which +transports him to a land of fascinating unrealities, but also the +artistic story which reflects the every-day experiences of real life; +artistic in that it touches these daily experiences with an idealism +revealing the significance and beauty of that which the jaded taste of +the adult designates as "commonplace." That all children crave the story +which is, or might be, true is evidenced by the expression of their +faces when their inevitable question, "is it really true?" or "did it +really happen?" is answered in the affirmative. + +Perhaps some of us can recall the pleasure derived from old-fashioned +school readers of an earlier day. With all their faults they at least +did not overlook the value of standard realistic stories. In these +readers was found the very moral story of the boy who won the day +because of his forethought in providing an extra piece of whipcord. +There was also "Meddlesome Matty," and the honest office-boy, the heroic +lad of Holland, and the story of the newly liberated prisoner who bought +a cage full of captive birds and set them free. These and many others +still persist in memory, and point with unerring aim to standards of +human behavior under conditions which are both possible and probable. +In spite of their imperfections and stern morality these stories were +valuable because they recited the fundamental events of human and animal +existence, in relations which revealed the inevitable law of cause and +effect, and the ethical and poetic significance of man's relation to +all life. + +As soon as children begin to realize the distinction between the +world of make-believe and the world of actuality, or, as one small boy +expressed it, "what I can see with my eyes shut, and what I can see when +I open them," they are fascinated with stories of real life, of "when +Father was a little boy," or "when Mother was a little girl," or "when +you were a tiny baby." This demand of the child for realistic stories +is the expression of a real want which should be satisfied with good +literature. + +Before children are enabled by their experience to discriminate between +the imaginary and the actual world, they make no distinction between the +story of real life and the fairy tale. During this early period a story +relating the most ordinary events of every-day life is accepted in the +same spirit, and may provoke as much or as little wonder, as the story +dealing with the most marvelous happenings of the supernatural world. +For to the child at this stage of development it is no more wonderful +that trees and animals should converse in the language of men than that +a little boy should do so. Until children learn that, as a matter of +fact, plants and animals do not participate in all of the human +activities, they regard as perfectly natural stories in which such +participation is taken for granted. On the other hand a realistic story +representing some of the most universal aspects of human existence may +provoke surprise as the child discovers that his own experiences are +common to many other lives and homes. This was evidenced by the remark +of a small boy who, at the end of a story relating the necessary +sequence of activities common to the countless thousands of heroic +mothers, washing and ironing the family linen, waggishly shook his +finger at the narrator, and with a beaming smile, said: "Now you know +that it is _my_ Ma and Tootsie you are telling about!" John had not +discovered the fact that the story which reflected the daily service of +his beloved mother reflected equally well the service of thousands of +other mothers. He saw only the personal experience in the common reality +and recognized it with joy. When through similar stories of daily life a +child learns to know that his experiences constitute the common lot, his +first feeling of surprise gives place to a greater joy, and sympathy is +born. + +The stories of Johnnie Jones were not premeditated but grew in response +to daily requests for "more about Johnnie Jones." They are the record of +a most ordinary little boy, good as can be to-day, forgetting to obey +to-morrow; a life history in which many other little lives are reflected +in the old, old process of helping the child to adapt himself to the +standards of society. + +The ideal has been to deal with the ordinary events of daily life in a +manner which will reveal their normal values to the child. There is the +friendly policeman who finds the lost boy; the heroic fireman who comes +to the rescue of the burning home; the little neighbor who would not +play "fair;" the little boy who had to learn to roll his hoop, and to +care for the typical baby brother who pulled his hair; there are the +animals who entered into the joys and sorrows of the Jones +family,--altogether, very real animals, children, and "grown-ups," +learning in common the lessons of social life. + +The moral throughout is very pointed, and may be considered too obvious +by many kindergartners, who do not feel the need of such insistence in +their work. Mothers, however, with normal four-year-old boys who are +likely to follow the music down the street and get lost, or who are +equally liable to fall in the pond because they forget to obey Father, +will find a strange necessity for pointing the moral in no uncertain +tone. + +The stories are so arranged that they may be read singly or as a serial. + +I am sure the author will feel more than repaid if this little +collection paves the way for more and better standard stories of +reality, that our little children may not only revel in the events of a +delightfully impossible world, but may also feel the thrill of heroism +and poetry bound up in the common service of mother and father, of +servants and neighbors, and find the threads of gold which may be woven +into the warp and woof of daily intercourse with other little children +who possess a common stock of privileges and duties, joys and sorrows. + +PATTY SMITH HILL. + +Louisville, Kentucky. + + * * * * * + + + + +CONTENTS + + Page + + Johnnie Jones and the Cookie 21 + + When Johnnie Jones Was Lost 26 + + Mother's Story of the Princess and Her Pigeon 33 + + Johnnie Jones and the Squirrel 43 + + Johnnie Jones and the Peach Preserves 49 + + How the Children Helped Tom and Sarah 56 + + Johnnie Jones's Story of the Stars 63 + + Johnnie Jones and Jack 67 + + Stiggins 82 + + When Johnnie Jones Was a Santa Claus 87 + + An Original Valentine 97 + + When Johnnie Jones Was a Cry-Baby 105 + + Johnnie Jones and the Man Who Cried "Wolf" Too Often 113 + + Johnnie Jones's Birthday Party 119 + + Mother's Story of the Spring: The Sleeping Beauty 127 + + Johnnie Jones and the Butterfly 134 + + Mr. and Mrs. Bird and the Baby Birds 142 + + The Coming of Little Brother 151 + + Little Brother and Johnnie Jones 156 + + Elizabeth With the Children 161 + + Johnnie Jones and the Hoop-Rolling Club 168 + + The Fire at Johnnie Jones's House 175 + + Johnnie Jones and Fanny 182 + + Fanny and Little Brother 188 + + When Johnnie Jones Learned to Swim 193 + + * * * * * + + + + +INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + Johnnie Jones + + Max wagged his tail and began to trot home-- + + Such a merry time as the children had! + + Each child came up and shook Jack's paw-- + + When he spread his wings and flew away-- + + Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy-- + + The little brown pony would eat out of their hands + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Cookie + + +One day, when Johnnie Jones was a wee little boy, only three years old, +Mother came home from down town. Johnnie Jones ran to meet her. "Mother +dear, didn't you bring me something?" he asked. + +"Yes, indeed," answered Mother, and she gave him something tied up in a +paper bag. "Be careful," she told him, "or it will break." + +So Johnnie Jones was careful as he untied the string and opened the bag. +When he saw what was inside he was glad he had not broken it, for it was +a round yellow cookie with a hole in the centre. + +"Thank you, Mother," said Johnnie Jones, and he rolled on his back and +kicked up his heels, which meant that he was happy. Then he sat up and +began to eat his cookie. It was very good, and tasted as if it had +molasses in it, Johnnie Jones said. But by and by, after he had been +taking a great many bites, there wasn't any of the cookie left in his +hand, because he had eaten it, every bit. Johnnie Jones looked at his +hand where the cookie had been, and then he began to cry. + +"Oh, dear me," exclaimed Mother, "what is troubling my little boy?" + +"I want my cookie," cried Johnnie Jones. + +"Where is your cookie?" asked Mother. + +"I ate it," said Johnnie Jones. + +"If you have eaten it, then it is all gone," Mother told him. + +"But I want it! I want my cookie!" wailed Johnnie Jones. + +"To-morrow I'll buy you another just like it," Mother promised. + +"I don't want another just like it, I want my own cookie with a hole in +the middle," and the tears came faster and faster. + +"But, little boy," Mother said, "nobody in all the world, nor Father nor +Mother nor Johnnie Jones, can eat a cookie and yet have it." + +Johnnie Jones continued to cry, so Mother brought him some brown paper, +a pair of scissors, and a pencil. + +"See here, dear," she said, "I can't give you the cookie you ate, but +you may make a picture that will look very much like it." + +Then Johnnie Jones ceased crying, and Mother showed him how to fold and +cut the paper until it was like the cookie, with a hole in the centre. +They pasted it on cardboard and placed it upon the mantel. + +"Thank you, Mother," said Johnnie Jones, "but I don't like it so well as +my real cookie because I can't eat it." + +"If you could eat it," Mother answered, "it would soon be gone, so the +picture is better unless you are hungry." + +And Johnnie Jones thought so too. + +After that day he never again cried for a cookie when he had eaten it, +nor for a toy when he had destroyed it, because he had discovered that +crying could never bring back what was gone. + + * * * * * + + + + +When Johnnie Jones Was Lost + + +Johnnie Jones was lost, completely lost. He looked up the street, he +looked down the street, and then he looked across the street, but not +one of the houses was his home. Johnnie Jones did not like being lost. +He had not seen his mother for a very long time, not since she had left +him in the yard at play after they had returned from market. He had been +swinging on the front gate, when, suddenly, he heard the sound of music, +and saw several people running down the street. + +"Everyone must have forgotten to tell me that there was a circus," he +said to himself. "I think I had better go see." + +Now Johnnie Jones was never allowed to leave the yard unless an older +person was with him, but he did not think of that, as he opened the gate +and ran out on the street to follow the gathering crowd. + +When he reached the first corner everyone was hurrying on to the next, +and Johnnie Jones hurried on, too. Of course, however, he could not run +as fast as older people, and very soon he was passed by the crowd. Then, +when he could no longer hear the music, he looked about him and knew +that he was lost. + +He was sorry that he had gone away from home. He thought it must be +about lunch time and he was very hungry. Then he remembered that this +was the day Mother had promised to take him to the park. He would have +cried, had he not been a brave little lad, and had he not known that a +boy almost four is too old to cry, unless he is actually hurt. + +He sat down on the curbstone, and wished and wished that some one would +come to find him. + +After a while he saw a policeman coming towards him from across the +street. He was a very tall policeman, but Johnnie Jones decided to speak +to him. His mother had often told him that policemen always take care of +people, and help them whenever they can. So he tipped his hat politely, +and said, "Please, Mr. Policeman, will you find me? Because I'm lost." + +The policeman smiled down at Johnnie Jones until Johnnie Jones smiled up +at the policeman and forgot what a little boy he was. Then the officer +lifted him up in his strong arms, and asked him his name. Johnnie Jones +could tell him his name, but he could not tell him which way he had come +from home, so they decided to go to the nearest drug-store and find the +number of the house. + +The policeman began to tell him stories about his own little boy whose +name was Johnnie Green, and Johnnie Jones was so interested that he +forgot to be tired. Just before they reached the drug-store Johnnie +Jones heard a dog barking. He looked around, and there was the very +dog that lived next door to him and played with him every day. + +"Oh!" he said, "I know that dog! He is Max, and he can find the way +home." "You'll take me home, won't you, Max?" he asked the dog, who was +so glad to see his little neighbor that he was trying his best to kiss +him on the face. + +"All right," the big policeman said, "but I'll come too, so I shall know +where you live if you are ever lost again." + +[Illustration: Max wagged his tail and began to trot home--] + +Max wagged his tail and began to trot home. Johnnie Jones trotted after +Max, and the policeman after Johnnie Jones. It was not very long before +they could see the house, and there was Mother standing at the gate, +looking up the street, and down the street, and across the street, for +her little boy. When she saw him she ran to meet him and clasped him in +her arms. + +"Mother dear," said Johnnie Jones, "I was lost, and the policeman found +me, and then Max found us both, and I shall never again go to see a +circus by myself." + +Mother told him that the band of music he had heard did not belong to +a circus, but was the Citizen's Band on its way to the park, and that, +since so much time had passed while Johnnie Jones was lost, it was too +late for him to go to the park that day. Of course the little boy was +sorry to miss the treat, but he was very glad to be at home once more. + +Mother shook hands with the policeman, and thanked him for being kind +to her boy. As soon as he had gone, she and Johnnie Jones went into +the house for their lunch, and, afterwards, the little fellow was so +tired that he fell asleep in Mother's lap and dreamed that he was a +tall policeman finding lost boys. + + * * * * * + + + + +Mother's Story of the Princess and Her Pigeon + + +"Mother," asked Johnnie Jones, "what is a carrier pigeon?" + +"A pigeon which is trained to carry messages from one place to another," +Mother answered. "In the olden times, as there were no trains, or +steamboats, or postmen, or telegraph offices, people would very often +take pigeons with them when they started off on a long journey. As soon +as they reached their journey's end they would write a letter to the +family so far away, tie it to a pigeon, and release him. Then the pigeon +would fly away home with the message." + +"Once, in that olden time, there lived a beautiful princess whom her +father and mother, the king and queen, decided to send away on a visit +to her grandmother. They gave her a milk-white pony to ride, and sent +many servants to take care of her. Now this princess had a pet pigeon +which she loved very dearly, and which she insisted upon taking with +her, though the queen was afraid it might prove troublesome on so long +a journey. The princess knew it would be a comfort to her, however, so +she was allowed to tie it to her saddle before she bade her parents +good-by, and started off. + +"The princess had never been away from home before, and was very much +interested in everything she saw. She and her companions had to travel +through a great forest, and only the guides knew the way. One night +everyone was lying fast asleep on the ground in the thick woods, except +the princess, who was wide awake in her tent. At last she wearied of +lying there alone, so she rose, dressed herself, and went out into the +woods, carrying the pigeon in her arms. + +"The moon was shining as bright as day, and the little girl went for +a walk. She was thinking of the father and mother at home, and did not +notice very carefully the direction in which she was wandering. After +a while she grew tired and turned back. Then she became frightened +because she could not see her tent, and could not remember which way +she had come. She called for her servants, but could make no one hear +her. She ran this way and that in the forest, but seemed only to go +further and further away from the camp. At last, very tired, she lay +down on the ground and cried herself to sleep. + +"Next morning when the servants awoke they were very much alarmed to +discover that the princess had left her tent. They spent several days +seeking her in the forest, but not a trace of her could they find. Then +they went back to inform the king and queen, who were sad indeed to +hear such news. The king himself rode off to search in the forest, but +even he could not find the little maid. + +"Meanwhile the princess had been wandering further and further away into +the great forest, with the pigeon tied to her arm. Fortunately, she had +brought with her a small basket full of lunch, which had been left by +her bed in case she should be hungry during the night. That was soon +gone, however, and then she had a hard time finding enough to eat. But +here and there she discovered wild berries, she drank water from the +clear, cold springs, and at night she found a comfortable, fragrant bed +under the pine trees, or in places where the grass was long and soft. +Sometimes wild animals came out, and looked at the little girl, but they +did not harm her. + +"At last, the third day, she came to a large palace in the woods. Oh! +how happy she was. A prince met her at the door, invited her in, and +gave her delicious food and beautiful clothes. When she was rested after +her long journey, she told the prince who she was, and the reason for +her being alone in the forest, and begged him to send her home. The +prince was sorry for the little princess, but he was lonely in such a +large palace, so he asked her to live there with him. He was very kind +to her, but the princess wanted only to go home to be with her father +and mother. + +"'Your palace is larger and more beautiful than my father's house,' she +told him, 'but I love my own home best, and I want to go back this very +day.' + +"The prince was sorrowful when he heard what the little girl said; but, +hoping she might learn to care for his palace after a while, he gave her +a beautiful room filled with lovely things, and did everything he could +think of to make her happy. + +"The little princess did try to be happy, but it was not possible. Every +evening she watched the birds fly back to their nests and she wished +that she, too, had wings and could fly away home. The pigeon was as +homesick as she. He would not eat, and pulled at the cord all the time, +trying to free himself. Finally the little princess decided to let him +fly away. 'Perhaps he can find his way home,' she thought; 'anyway I +shall let him try.' + +"She wrote a letter to her father and mother, telling them where she +was, tied it under the pigeon's wing, and set him free. He flapped his +wings joyfully and flew out of the window high up in the air. Round and +round he circled, until in his own way he learned that the west was to +the right of him, the east to the left, the north was back of him, and +the south straight ahead. Then he started off like an arrow shot from a +bow, for home was there in the south. + +"The little princess was more homesick than ever, left all alone. + +"Meantime the pigeon flew very swiftly, sometimes as fast as a train can +go. No one can tell you how he knew the way, but he flew straight back +through the woods, and after a while reached the pigeon house just +outside the palace gate. Some of the servants who saw him fly in with +the note, caught him and carried him to the king. The king and queen +read the letter with great joy when they saw it had been written by +their little daughter, and all the people in the palace were happy to +know that the princess was safe and well. + +"The pigeon flew back to the pigeon house. 'Coo, coo, coo,' he said to +all the other pigeons, 'home is the best place in the world.' + +"The king ordered the fastest horses in the land, and he and the queen +rode off at once to find their little daughter. One day she saw them +coming. She clapped her hands with joy and ran to meet them. The king +and queen were as happy as she, and after they had greeted her, and bade +the prince good-by, they all three rode away home. The princess sat in +front of her father on his horse, because he could not bear to have her +out of his arms. After travelling back through the forest they reached +the palace at last. + +"'Home is the best place in the world,' said the happy little princess. + +"'Home is the best place in the world,' cooed the happy little pigeon." + +Johnnie Jones lay back in Mother's arms. "I think so too," he said, +"I like Grandma's house and Auntie's house, but home is best of all." + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Squirrel + + +"Come," said Mother, "leave your toys now, and bathe your face and +hands, for it is time to go down town to buy your winter coat." + +"Oh! Mother, I don't want to go down town," answered Johnnie Jones, +"because I think Sammy Smith is coming over to play with my new engine +this afternoon." + +"But what will you do when the weather grows cold and you have no warm +coat to wear? I shall be too busy to go with you to-morrow." + +"It's so warm to-day, Mother, I don't think it will grow cold very soon, +and anyway, I don't want to go down town." + +Mother answered: "I know it will be cold soon, perhaps to-morrow, for +the wind is beginning to blow from the north. Come as soon as you can, +I have much to do and can't wait for you very long." + +Then Johnnie Jones behaved like a silly little boy, although he was four +years old, quite old enough to know better. He fussed and fumed until +Mother said: "I am sorry, but I can't wait any longer." She went on down +town and left Johnnie Jones. + +Sammy Smith did not come over to play after all, because he had gone +shopping with his mother. Johnnie Jones soon grew tired of playing alone +and wished he had not been so foolish. + +That night the north wind blew and blew, so that, next morning, it +was very cold when Johnnie Jones awoke. Of course he could not go to +kindergarten nor out to play, because he had no heavy coat to wear. He +begged his mother to wrap him in a shawl, and take him down town in the +carriage, but she was too busy. So poor little Johnnie Jones had to stay +in the house all day. + +That evening when it was time for his story, Mother said: "I shall have +to tell you the story of the foolish squirrel, because you reminded me +of him to-day." + +This is the story. + +Once upon a time, there lived in the woods a little squirrel whose name +was Silver. All summer long he played about with the other squirrels and +had a very good time indeed. Then, by and by, the days began to grow +shorter and cooler. The trees began to drop their brightly colored +leaves and their nuts, and the soft green grass turned brown. The wise +old mother squirrels knew what these things meant, and they said to all +the young ones: + + "Winter is coming, so hurry away, + You have no longer time to play. + Gather the nuts with all your might + Before the ground with snow is white. + When winter comes there's naught to eat + Except the roots and nuts so sweet, + Which you must gather in the fall. + So frisk away and store them all." + + +The squirrels, large and small, went to work. They found holes in the +trees and old logs in which to hide their winter provisions, and they +scampered away to find their favorite food. + +All except little Silver. He said to himself: "Humph! I don't believe +winter is coming so very soon, and besides, I'd rather just play, and +eat the nuts, than work as these other squirrels are doing." + +So he played as he had all summer long, and he kept so warm frisking +about in the sunshine that he did not realize how short and cold the +days were growing. + +At last winter really came. Oh! how cold it was then. Silver said: +"Perhaps I had better begin gathering some nuts for winter." But very +few nuts could he find, not nearly enough to store away. The other +squirrels, and the people who lived near the woods, had been working +while he was playing, and had gathered in the harvest. + +Poor little Silver did not know what to do. Winter was here and he had +no provisions. He went to all the other squirrels and begged for some of +their nuts. They only said: "You were playing while we were working, now +you must work while we rest and eat." + +Then Silver was sorry he had not obeyed the wise old squirrels and he +told himself that, next year, he would surely begin early to prepare for +winter. But there might not have been a "next year" for Silver, if a +little boy had not found him in the woods and taken him home to keep and +feed until the spring-time. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Peach Preserves + + +Everyone knows that people prepare for winter during the summer and +fall. (Bees and squirrels and caterpillars do, too.) Almost everybody +lays in the coal and kindling wood for the winter fires while the +weather is still warm, and buys warm clothing before it is time to +wear it. + +In the summer, farmers cut the long grass, and after it has been dried +by the sun, store it in the barns for the cows and horses to eat in the +winter. In the summer and the autumn, people do not eat all the berries, +and grapes, and pears and peaches; some they make into preserves and +jelly for the winter. + +Mrs. Jones could make delicious preserves. She enjoyed making it and +Johnnie Jones liked to help her. He could really help a great deal +because he was a careful little boy. Every member of the Jones family +liked peach preserves better than any other kind, therefore Mother +usually made enough of it to fill many jars. This year, however, she had +been so busy that she did not start her preserving very early, and when +she was ready to begin, she found it was too late to buy many good +peaches. She bought a few, though, and preserved them with Johnnie +Jones's help. + +When the preserves was made. Mother had enough to fill four glass jars. +"Not very much," she told Johnnie Jones, "but there is one jar for +Father, one for you and one for me, and then one more for company." She +left the jars on the kitchen table while she went upstairs to change her +dress. + +Johnnie Jones ran out into the yard to play. He saw Sammy Smith, +Elizabeth, and Ned across the street, and called them. "I want to show +you something," he said. + +When they came, he led them to the kitchen and showed them the +preserves. + +"I should like to have some of it," said Ned,--"may I?" + +"We made it to use in the winter," Johnnie Jones explained, "when there +isn't any fresh fruit." + +"I'd like some now on a piece of bread." Ned insisted. + +"You said one jar of preserves was yours; give us each a taste," begged +Sammy Smith. + +"I don't think Mother meant that I might eat it whenever I wanted it," +Johnnie Jones answered. "But perhaps she wouldn't care if we should each +take a taste," he added. + +Now Johnnie Jones knew he was not allowed to eat between meals, but the +preserves did have an attractive appearance, and he thought that just +one taste would not matter. + +The top of the jar had not yet been sealed, so it came off very easily. +Johnnie Jones gave a piece of bread, with a very little of the +preserves, to each child, and took some for himself. + +"It is good!" Ned exclaimed. "Give us some more, Johnnie Jones, your +mother won't care." + +Johnnie Jones was afraid Mother would care, but he liked the preserves +very much, and besides, he enjoyed giving it to the children, so he gave +them each a little more and again took some for himself. It was curious +that the more they had the more they wanted, and after each one had been +given "just a little more," several times, the large jar was nearly +empty. + +"We may as well finish it," said Ned, So they did. Then the children +went home and left Johnnie Jones alone in the kitchen with the empty +jar. + +Johnnie Jones was unable to eat his supper that evening. Mother asked +him what was the matter, and he told her. She was very sorry. + +"Oh! little son," she said, "all your life I have been able to trust +you, and I did not think you would touch the preserves, when I left the +jars on the table. Say you are sorry, dear, and that such a thing shall +never happen again. For wouldn't it be dreadful if I should be obliged +to lock up everything I can't let you have?" + +Johnnie Jones was very sorry indeed, but he answered: "You said that one +jar was mine." + +"So I did," Mother answered; "but I had no idea that you would want to +use it all at one time, or between meals, or before the winter-time. +Since you have had all your share to-day, you will, of course, expect no +more next winter, when Father and I have ours." + +Just then, Johnnie Jones thought he would never wish for peach preserves +again, for he had eaten too much and felt uncomfortable; but probably he +changed his mind in the winter, and regretted that his share was all +gone. + +Sammy Smith, Elizabeth and Ned came to see Mrs. Jones next day, told her +they were sorry they had begged for the preserves, and asked her to +excuse them, which of course she did. + +Mother was glad to find that it would be unnecessary to lock up +forbidden things after all, for Johnnie Jones liked to have her trust +him, and showed her that she could. + + * * * * * + + + + +How the Children Helped Tom and Sarah + + +Most of the houses on Park street, where the Jones family lived, were +large and pretty, but there was one house that was very small and ugly. +It had been unoccupied for a long time, when one day, Sarah and Tom +Watson, with their father and mother, moved in. The little brother and +sister were such agreeable children, that they were soon known and loved +by all their small neighbors. + +One morning, when Johnnie Jones was passing the ugly little house, he +saw Sarah and Tom standing at the gate with an unhappy expression on +their faces, usually so bright. Johnnie Jones stopped and asked them +what was the trouble. + +"We don't know what to do," answered Tom. "A friend of Father's promised +to send him a load of coal to-day. It may come any minute and Father +is too busy to put it into the coal-house. Mother can't attend to it +because she must finish some sewing for a lady, so there is no one but +Sarah and me. We are afraid we can't put it all away before night, and +if it isn't locked up in the coal-house this evening, something may +happen to it while we are asleep, and then we shouldn't have any coal +to keep us warm in the winter." + +"Why don't you hire a man to put it away for you?" asked Johnnie Jones. + +"We haven't money enough," Tom answered. + +"I'd better go home and ask my mother what to do. She'll know," said +Johnnie Jones. + +"Well," Mother said, when she had heard of the children's difficulty, +"Sarah and Tom need friends to help them, so why don't you, in your +overalls, and Ned, Susie, and the other children in theirs, take your +wagons and wheelbarrows, and spend the afternoon helping with the coal? +A dozen pairs of hands, even if they are small, can accomplish a great +deal of work." + +Mother sent her hired man to see that the coal-house was ready for the +coal, while Johnnie Jones hurried off to collect the children. + +The boys and girls dressed in their overalls hastened to the small brown +house. There they found Sarah and Tom as busy as bees, and very happy to +welcome the children gathered to help them. Such a merry time as they +had! Some of the children played that they were strong horses, and drew +the wagons, which the others loaded at the gate and unloaded at the +coal-house door. Very soon the play drivers looked like real drivers +of coal-carts for they were covered with coal-soot from their heads to +their feet. All of the children, too, worked quite as hard as any real +horses, or any real men, and after a while, before dark, the load of +coal was safe in the coal-house. Then the children ran home for a +much-needed bath. + +Meantime Mrs. Watson had been sewing all the day long, and in the +evening, when it was time to go home, she felt very tired. All day she +had worried about the coal, wondering how she could attend to it that +night. She knew that her children would try to help, but she did not +expect very much from them because their hands were so small. As she +walked home she thought, and thought, trying to decide what was best +to do. + +At last she came near the ugly little house, and then she was greatly +surprised, for Sarah and Tom, neat and clean, were swinging on the gate, +the pavement was nicely swept, and there was no sign of any coal. + +[Illustration: Such a merry time as the children had!] + +"Didn't the coal come?" she asked the children. + +"Yes," they answered joyfully, "and it is in the coal-house." + +She could scarcely believe them, but they said: "Come and see." + +When she saw that the coal was really there, locked away for the winter +in the shed, she was almost too surprised and pleased to speak. + +At last she asked the delighted children whether the fairies had come to +their aid. "No," they answered, "but all the children in the +neighborhood did, and we had such a good time that it was almost the +same as giving a party." + +"The children were very kind," Mrs. Watson said, when she had heard all +about the happy afternoon. "We could not have managed the coal without +their assistance, and some day we must try to help them." + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones's Story of the Stars + + +The stars were just beginning to show themselves in the dark blue sky, +when Mother and Johnnie Jones sat down by the window to watch for +Father. Mother and Johnnie Jones loved the stars. Almost every evening +they sat and looked up at them. Sometimes they tried to count them, but +they never could, because there were so very many. Often, too, they +could see the bright, round moon. Johnnie Jones said that a queer, fat +little man lived in the moon, who winked and bowed whenever little boys +looked at him. To be polite, Johnnie Jones always returned the winks and +bows. But this night there was no moon, just the little stars were +appearing, and twinkling as fast as they could. + +"Mother," said Johnnie Jones, "I'll tell you a story all my own, about +the shining stars." + +"I'd like very much to hear it," Mother answered. + +"Once upon a time, oh! such a very long time ago that it must have been +before you were born, Mother dear, all the stars fell down from the sky. +I think it was the wind that blew and blew until they became loose. They +fell down whirling and twirling just like the snow flakes, except that +they weren't cold and white, but all bright and shining. They were so +beautiful that the people looked out of their windows and wished the +stars would never stop raining down from the sky." + +"Is that all the story?" asked Mother, much interested. + +"No, there is another part," said Johnnie Jones. "When all the stars had +fallen down to the ground, what do you suppose they really were?" + +"I can't imagine," Mother answered. + +"Why, Mother, they were beautiful little flowers all different colors. +Some were red, some were yellow, and some were purple violets. They +began to grow, and nobody gathered any, for they were so pretty there on +the ground." + +"But," asked Mother, "when it was night time again, what did the poor +people do without any stars to shine in the sky?" + +"Don't you see," Johnnie Jones explained, "when the stars fell down they +left little holes in the sky, and the light behind shone through and +seemed just like the stars." + +"I think that is a beautiful story," and Mother thanked him with a kiss, +before they ran down-stairs to meet Father coming home. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and Jack + + +One day, when Johnnie Jones was playing in his front yard, he heard the +yelping of a dog. He ran to the gate, and saw, lying in the street, a +poor little puppy which had been hurt by a wagon, or perhaps, an +automobile. + +"You may come home with me, you poor little thing," Johnnie Jones told +the dog. "My mother will rub salve on you and make you well. Come on." + +But the poor little puppy couldn't walk. Johnnie Jones picked him up, +and attempted to carry him to the house. The puppy was so heavy, +however, that Johnnie Jones was obliged to put him down and take him up +again, three times, before he reached the side door. He called to Mother +to come down. + +"But, little son," she said, "we can't keep a strange dog. We shall have +to let him run away." + +"Oh, Mother, he's hurt, and I am sure he's hungry, so don't you think we +shall have to keep him?" + +Of course, as soon as Mother understood that the puppy was hurt, she +knew that it would be necessary to keep him, at least until he was well +again. She examined the little fellow and found that he was not badly +injured, but was merely bruised and frightened. She and Johnnie Jones +bathed and bandaged the poor little body, and when the puppy seemed to +feel more comfortable, gave him a bowl of milk. He could not say "Thank +you," but he wagged his tail, and kissed their hands, which meant "Thank +you," so they agreed that he was a polite little dog, + +"But where shall we keep him?" asked Mother. "I can't allow him in the +house, he would gnaw the legs of the chairs and tables; all puppies do +when they are cutting their teeth." + +"Perhaps Father and I can build a doghouse," Johnnie Jones answered, and +when Father came home they talked it over. + +"Well," Father decided, "If the grocery man will give us a large box, we +can line it, fill it with straw, and I'll cut a door in one end. That +should make an excellent house for Mr. Doggie." + +Johnnie Jones ran to the grocery-store as fast as he could run, and +asked the grocery man to send down a large box. As soon as it came, +Father cut the door, Johnnie Jones arranged the straw, and there was the +house all ready for the dog. + +Johnnie Jones named him Jack. Jack soon became well and strong, and +because he was such a good dog, and because his owner could not be +found, he was allowed to remain at Johnnie Jones's house. He wasn't a +puppy very long. He grew and grew, until he was too large for his box, +and had to sleep in the front hall of the Jones's house. He and Johnnie +Jones loved each other dearly, and were almost always together. Mother +used to say that they reminded her of Mary and her lamb, except that +Jack was as black as coal. + +You remember how Mary's lamb followed her to school one day, which was +against the rule? Well, it was necessary to keep Jack in the closet +every morning, until after Johnnie Jones had gone to kindergarten, +because he always wanted to go with him. One morning the door was not +fastened securely, and Jack was able to push it open. Then, before any +one saw him, he ran out the gate, and followed Johnnie Jones. The little +boy did not see him and did not know that Jack was just behind him as he +entered the kindergarten room, until the children began to laugh and he +turned around to see what was the matter. There stood Jack, wagging his +tail with all his might. + +The children begged Miss Page, the teacher, to let Jack spend the +morning in kindergarten, and she said that she would try him. She was +afraid, however, that he would not know how to behave. Johnnie Jones was +a trifle late that morning, and the children were all ready to march to +the circle. Jack followed his master as he marched to his place, and +then sat down on the floor beside the little boy's chair. + +Miss Page asked the children which one of them would like to stand in +the centre of the circle and shake hands with the others, in turn, as +they sang the good-morning song. + +"Let Jack," said Johnnie Jones, "he can shake hands as well as anybody, +and he is a visitor to-day." + +Miss Page consented, and Johnnie Jones called Jack to the circle and +offered him his hand. Jack at once gave him his paw. One by one the +children came and shook Jack's paw. Everyone considered it great fun, +and Jack enjoyed it also, though he could not laugh as the children did. + +[Illustration: Each child came up and shook Jack's paw--] + +As soon as all the good-mornings had been sung, Miss Page started a +game of ball. Now there was nothing that Jack liked better than playing +with a ball, so he ran out on the circle barking, and jumped up on +the boy who had the ball in his hand. The boy became frightened, not +understanding what Jack wanted, and let the ball fall and roll away. +Jack rushed after it, knocking down chairs and tables, spilling the +blocks out of their boxes, and tearing paper chains to bits. At last he +caught the ball in his mouth, brought it to Johnnie Jones, and began to +jump and bark, begging the little boy to throw it. + +Miss Page said that she was sorry, but Jack would have to go home. +"He is a very good dog," she said, "but he does not behave well in +kindergarten." + +At that moment Sam, the hired man, came into the room. Mrs. Jones had +missed Jack and sent Sam to find him. Jack was having a pleasant time +and did not want to go home, but he knew how to obey, and, when Johnnie +Jones commanded him to "go home," he turned slowly and walked out of +the room. + +So you see, Jack was turned out by the teacher, just as was Mary's lamb. + +One bright day, when the ground was covered with snow, Father took +Johnnie Jones for a ride on his sled. They had been around the block +only twice when the clock struck two, and then it was time for Father +to go to his office. + +"Oh! dear," said Johnnie Jones, "now I'll have no one to pull my sled. +I wish Jack could." + +"Perhaps he can," Father answered. "When I come home to-night I'll make +some sort of a harness for him, and then to-morrow we shall see what he +can do." + +That evening, with rope, straps, and Johnnie Jones's reins Father made +a very good harness, and the next day he hitched Jack to the sled. At +first Jack could not imagine what Father and Johnnie Jones wished him to +do. He allowed himself to be hitched to the sled, but every time Johnnie +Jones sat upon it, and said "Get up," Jack would jump about, and off +would roll Johnnie Jones into the snow. Then Jack would bark as much +as to say, "What are you trying to do, anyway?" + +At last, after many trials, Father managed to hold Jack quiet until +Johnnie Jones was seated firmly on the sled, clasping a side with each +hand. Then Father, still keeping a tight hold of Jack, ran with him to +the corner and back several times. At last Jack began to understand what +was expected of him. The next day they tried again, and it was not long +before Johnnie Jones could drive the big dog without Father's help. +After a while Jack would even pull Johnnie Jones's sled to kindergarten +each morning, and then draw the empty sled home, after Johnnie Jones had +gone into the house. He certainly was a clever dog. It was no wonder +Johnnie Jones loved him. + +In the winter-time there was an excellent place for coasting in the park +very near Johnnie Jones's house. There was a long, straight hill, and +at the foot of it a long, straight pond, so that, with a good start, a +child could coast from the top of the hill to the end of the pond. That +is, of course, when there was snow and the pond was frozen over at the +same time. + +One afternoon Johnnie Jones started out with his sled and Jack ran along +beside him. + +"Don't try to coast across the pond to-day," called Father. "When I was +passing I noticed that the ice was broken in several places." + +"Then I'll coast on the other side of the hill," Johnnie Jones answered. + +When he reached the park, however, he found two of the children coasting +across the pond as usual. One of them, whose name was Ned, asked Johnnie +Jones: "What's the matter with everybody to-day? Where are the other +children?" + +"I suppose their fathers wouldn't let them come," answered Johnnie +Jones; "and you shouldn't coast across the pond. My father just told me +that it isn't safe, because the ice is beginning to break." + +"Oh! it is perfectly safe," Ned replied, "because we have been over it +several times. The coasting is better fun to-day than ever before, and +there are no children to block the way. Come and try it." + +"I wish I might," Johnnie Jones answered. He sat on his sled and watched +the older boys coast safely across, and run gaily back, waving their +hands to him. + +"Perhaps my father was mistaken." he said after a while. "I think I'll +try it just once." + +"There is one tolerably large hole," Ned warned him, "but it is on one +side, and if you are careful you won't fall in." + +"I'll be careful," answered Johnnie Jones; "you sit here and watch me." + +He placed himself flat on his sled, and Ned gave him a push. Johnnie +Jones was not quite five years old then, two years younger than Ned, and +he could not guide his sled very well. When it went near the big hole, +he could not turn it away. Then splash! Both Johnnie Jones and the sled +plunged into the icy cold water. + +The water was not very deep, but as Johnnie Jones struck it head +foremost, and as the sled was on top of him, he might have found some +trouble in forcing his way out, had it not been for Jack. That faithful +friend was close beside his little master, and in just a few seconds had +drawn him out of the water. + +As soon as Ned and Sammy Smith saw what had happened, they hurried to +the house and told Mr. Jones. He ran all the way to the pond, picked up +the little wet, cold boy, and carried him home as quickly as possible. + +Jack was wet and cold too, but he ran around so fast that he soon grew +warm, then he crawled under the kitchen stove, where he stopped until he +was dry. But Johnnie Jones had to go to bed, for several days, with a +very bad cold. + +He was sorry he had been disobedient, and asked Father please to excuse +him that time. Father said he would not punish him, but that he was +sorry to think his little boy did not trust his father. + +"I do, Father," Johnnie Jones answered, "and after this I'll obey you, +instead of minding little boys." + +"Grown people generally know best," Father said. + +After that, of course, Mother, Father and Johnnie Jones loved good old +Jack more than ever, and were glad they had kept him when he first came +to them a puppy, hurt and hungry. + + * * * * * + + + + +Stiggins + + +Johnnie Jones's Aunt Jean owned a dog. His name was Stiggins, just +Stiggins, for dogs need only one name, instead of the two or three that +people have. Aunt Jean was accustomed to go to Lake Chautauqua every +summer, far away from home. Stiggins liked to go with her, and was +always afraid that he might be left behind, as had happened, once or +twice. So, as soon as he saw Aunt Jean begin to make her preparations, +he would spend all his time either following her about, or lying on her +trunk. + +Each time she started to pack she would first have to drive Stiggins +into the yard. If she turned away, just for a few minutes, there he +would be again, lying in a tray upon her best dresses, or her prettiest +hats. Aunt Jean would scold and scold, but scolding was of no use. + +At last, when the day came on which they were to begin their journey, +and the trunks had been locked and sent away, Stiggins would run to the +stable, jump into the carriage, and there he would stay until he and the +family had reached the station. + +But when it was time to board the train, Stiggins was most unhappy. He +was forced to ride in the baggage car, all alone, and Stiggins liked +company. He wished to ride in the sleeping car with Aunt Jean. Of course +he could not, because he was only a dog, which was something that +Stiggins had never quite understood. He would whimper, and run away, +when the coachman attempted to lead him to his proper place, so usually, +Aunt Jean had to take him, and to tie him, herself. + +Stiggins disliked the long ride on the train and boat, but he was just +the happiest dog in the world when at last he reached Chautauqua. When +once he was there he had many fine times, bathing in the Lake, going off +on long walks and drives with the family, and playing with the dogs. + +The house in which Aunt Jean lived was very near the lake, and Stiggins +liked to lie on the front porch and watch the children at play by the +water's edge. One day, Harry and Sally were there with a small sail-boat +attached to a string, which Harry held, as the boat sailed out on the +water. Suddenly the string broke, and then there was nothing with which +to draw the boat to land. + +The children were quite small and did not know what to do. They asked a +big boy to wade out and return the boat to them, but he was a lazy boy +and told them to throw stones beyond the boat to make it come back of +itself. They tried his plan, but were not strong enough to throw the +stones very far, and the boat only floated further away. + +All this time Stiggins had been lying on the porch watching the +children. I am not sure whether he thought they were throwing stones +for him to swim after, or whether he saw they were in trouble and wished +to help them, but this is what he did. Without a word from anyone, he +jumped up, trotted down to the water and waded in. The children and the +big boy wondered what he meant to do. Stiggins himself seemed to know +very well. He swam straight to the boat, caught it in his mouth, brought +it to land, and dropped it at the children's feet. Then he trotted back +to the porch. + +Harry and Sally thought that Stiggins was the kindest and most polite +dog they had ever seen, and the big boy was ashamed, because he thought +that a dog had been kinder and more polite than he. + +This story is as true as true can be. I know, because Aunt Jean saw the +whole affair and she told me about it herself. + + * * * * * + + + + +When Johnnie Jones was a Santa Claus + + +"I should think it would be exciting to be Santa Claus," said Johnnie +Jones, "and fill children's stockings when they are asleep in bed. I +should like very well to be his helper some time." + +"You may be," Mother answered; "anyone who really wishes to be Santa's +assistant, may be." + +Johnnie Jones was surprised. "Well, I didn't know that," he said. +"Please tell me how." + +"Whenever people give Christmas presents to those they love, they are a +sort of Santa Claus," Mother told him. "But this year you may be a real +Santa Claus, if you like, with a real pack of toys, and you may fill +some real stockings belonging to some real children, this coming +Christmas Eve." + +"Oh! Mother dear, tell me all about it, quick as a wink," begged Johnnie +Jones, clapping his hands with delight. + +"I thought you would be pleased," Mother answered. "Father knows of a +large house in which ever so many children live who have never hung up +their stockings. I suppose no one has thought to tell Santa Claus about +them, and their fathers and mothers are very poor. Father and I want +to make them have a bright, happy Christmas this year, and he has told +them, each one, to be sure to hang up stockings on Christmas Eve for a +Santa Claus to fill. If you like, you may be that Santa, and Father and +I will be your assistants, and we'll go, all three of us, to the house +at night when the children are fast asleep." + +Johnnie Jones skipped joyfully about the room. "Shall we go in a sleigh +with bells and reindeer?" he asked. + +"We'll go in a sleigh if there is snow," Mother promised, "but I am +afraid we shall have to use horses, and pretend they are reindeer." + +Johnnie Jones was greatly excited. He asked Mother every question he +could think of, and wished it were Christmas Eve that very minute. +Mother told him be should be glad they still had several days before +Christmas in which to make their preparations. + +That same afternoon they went shopping. Johnnie Jones was allowed to +select the toys for the children, and he chose enough drums and horses, +wagons and cars, dolls and play-houses, dishes and tables, to fill four +very large boxes. Next, they ordered the candy, pounds and pounds of it, +and a big tree with ever so many candles for it. Last of all, they +bought warm coats and shoes. + +The next three days was a busy time for Johnnie Jones. After he had +finished his gifts for the family, he went to work on the decorations +for the tree. He made yards and yards of brightly colored paper chains, +and many cornucopias. Every evening before his bed-time Mother and +Father helped him. + +At last the day before Christmas came. When Johnnie Jones awoke in the +morning he was very much pleased to find the ground covered with snow. +It was hard to wait until night, but he was busy all day, and the time +passes quickly when one is busy. + +After a very early supper Father, Mother and Johnnie Jones dressed +themselves in their warmest clothing and heaviest wraps. By the time +they were ready, there was the sleigh, drawn by two strong horses +wearing many bells, standing before the house. It was quite a while +before the toys, and candy, and ornaments, were safely packed in the +sleigh, but at last all was in readiness, and away they went. + +After a long, beautiful ride over the hard snow, with the moon and stars +shining up in the sky, they reached the big house. + +"Are all the children asleep?" Father asked two men who were waiting for +them at the door. + +The men answered yes, and Father whispered to Johnnie Jones: "We must be +very quiet, Santa Claus, that we may not waken anybody." + +They tiptoed carefully into the first room where several children were +asleep in their beds. + +"I see the stockings," whispered Johnnie Jones eagerly. "Give me my +sack." + +Father placed the heavy sack on the floor, and the little Santa and +Mother filled the stockings with candy and nuts, oranges and tiny toys. +As soon as Father had set up the tree in an empty room, he came back to +help. It was the best kind of fun, but they had to be very quiet in +order not to waken the children. Once Johnnie Jones couldn't help +laughing aloud when a ridiculous old Jack popped out of the box in his +hand. The laugh awoke a little boy, who sat up in bed and called out, +"Hello! Is that you, Santa Claus?" They had to leave the room until he +fell asleep again. + +When all the stockings had been filled, the tree decorated, and the +presents arranged under it, Father locked the door of that room so that +no one should peep in before it was time. Little Santa Claus was so +tired that he went to sleep in Father's arms on the way home, and when +he was being carried to bed awoke only long enough to hang his own +stocking by the fire-place. + +The next morning he opened his eyes very early, as is the custom of +children on Christmas Day. He looked for his stocking, first of all, +wondering if Santa had filled it. Of course he had, with all the things +that little boys like best. + +Johnnie Jones was so happy over his presents, that he could scarcely +take time to dress. At last Mother reminded him of those other children +waiting so anxiously for their first Christmas tree. Johnnie Jones +laid down his new toys immediately, and dressed himself as quickly as +possible. Directly after breakfast they returned to the big house, this +time on the street car. + +Before they turned the corner on their way to the house, they heard the +voices of the children, who were full of joy over the presents found in +their stockings. Father went at once to the room he had locked up the +night before, and lighted the candles on the tree. When all was ready he +opened the door, and Johnnie Jones invited the children to enter. + +They stood very quietly about the tree, not saying a word at first. It +was so beautiful, and so different from anything they had ever seen, +that it made them feel shy. But when Father called the children in turn, +and Johnnie Jones gave to every one a warm coat, a new pair of shoes, +and a splendid toy, they found their tongues, and made such a noise as +you never heard. + +They had to dress themselves in the coats and shoes, and they had to +show each other their toys. Some of them had to turn somersaults, and +all of them had to make a great noise just to express their joy. + +But happiest of all those happy children was little Johnnie Jones. + +All too soon, Father, Mother and Johnnie Jones had to leave, so that +they might reach Grandmother's house in time for dinner. When they were +again on the car, the little boy began to talk of the good time they had +had. + +"I'd like to be a Santa Claus every year," he said. + +"Then save your pennies," Mother answered, "until next Christmas comes." + + * * * * * + + + + +An Original Valentine + + +Tom and Sarah were the little boy and girl who lived in the small brown +house near the home of Johnnie Jones. It was the evening before St. +Valentine's day and the brother and sister were sitting by the fire, +talking together. + +"I do wish we had some valentines to send," said Tom. "If we only had +some gilt or colored paper and some pictures, we could make them, but we +haven't anything at all." + +"I am sorry," their mother told them. "The children have been so kind to +you this winter. You remember how they helped you with the coal? I wish +we could send them each a very beautiful valentine to thank them, but I +am afraid I can't spare the money to buy even one." + +Sarah had been as quiet as a little mouse while Tom and Mother were +speaking. Then suddenly she said: "I know what we can do!" + +"What?" asked Tom. + +Sarah began to dance about the room. "It will be such fun!" she said. + +"Please tell me," begged Tom. + +"Don't you see," Sarah explained; "we can't buy valentines, and we can't +make valentines, so we shall just have to be valentines!" + +"Now how in the world can we be valentines?" Tom asked her. + +"We'll dress in our Sunday clothes," she answered. "We'll cut hearts out +of paper and pin them all over us. Then we'll ask Mother to pin a paper +envelope on each of us, and address it to one of the children. When we +are ready we'll ring the door bell of that child's house, and when he +opens the door, we'll speak mottoes, and all sorts of rhymes. Won't the +children laugh?" + +"All right!" said Tom. "Only, I would rather not be a valentine myself. +You be one and I will send you. We'll pretend you are the doll valentine +we saw down town the other day, the one that danced when the man wound +her up, and spoke the verse." + +"Well!" Sarah assented, "and you must wind me up and I'll dance little +Sally Waters." + +They spent the rest of the evening thinking of rhymes. Their mother +taught them all she could remember, and Sarah repeated them over and +over again so that she should not forget. + +The next morning they went to school, but as soon as they had reached +home and eaten their lunch they began their preparations. No one in the +whole world ever saw a sweeter valentine than Sarah, when she was ready +in her bright red dress and short snow-white coat, decorated with paper +hearts. Then her mother cut and folded some wrapping paper into a big +envelope, and placed it about Sarah's little body. Of course her feet +had to be left free so that she could walk, and her head, so that she +could breathe. + +"Let's go to Johnnie Jones's house first," Tom said. + +So his mother addressed the envelope to Master Johnnie Jones, and the +children started off. + +Johnnie Jones was at home that afternoon, feeling very sad. He had +fallen into the pond several days before, and the icy bath had given him +such a cold that he had to stay indoors. He could see the other children +running about from house to house sending their valentines, and he +wanted to run about and send some too. To be sure he had received ever +so many, but he was tired of looking at them and hearing the mottoes +read, and he wished very much that some one would come in to play with +him. + +Mother had just said: "I am afraid no one will come to-day, dear, +because all the children are busy with their valentines," when the door +bell rang. + +As soon as Maggie had opened the door she called up to Johnnie Jones: +"There's a beautiful valentine down here for you. I'll bring it up. Tom +sent it. I caught him at the door, so I'll bring him up, too." + +Johnnie Jones ran to the head of the staircase as fast as he could run. +How he did laugh when Maggie placed Sarah before him, and showed him the +address on the envelope. + +"It's a doll valentine," Tom explained, "and it has a phonograph in it. +I'll wind it up." + +He knelt down and pretended to turn a crank. Then Sarah, who had not +smiled or spoken a word before, said: + + "If you love me as I love you, + No knife can cut our love in two." + + +Tom turned the crank again, and this time she danced. + +"Let me wind it," begged Johnnie Jones, who was very much pleased. He +did, and the valentine said: + + "Roses red and violets blue, + Sugar is sweet and so are you." + + +Mother joined the children in the hall, and was delighted with the +valentine, which each one wound up until it had said all the rhymes that +Sarah knew, and had danced until she was tired. Then the doll changed +into a little girl for a while, and she had some milk and cookies with +the other children. + +"We shall have to go now," Tom said at last, looking out of the window. +"The other children have gone into their houses and I must send them +each a valentine." + +So Mother made a new envelope and addressed it to Miss Elizabeth Elkins. + +"Thank you for my valentine," said Johnnie Jones. "It's the loveliest +one I have had all day, only I wish I could keep it as I can the +others." + +All the children who received the little Valentine in turn, made exactly +the same remark, so Tom and Sarah were very happy over the success of +their plan. + + * * * * * + + + + +When Johnnie Jones was a Cry-Baby + + +All his life Johnnie Jones had been a bright, happy little fellow who +seldom cried even when he was hurt. Therefore, everyone who knew him was +surprised when suddenly, just before he was five years old, he became a +cry-baby. + +The trouble began with some of the older boys in the neighborhood. +There were three of them who were several years older than Johnnie +Jones, and a year older than the other children. Lately these big boys +had commenced to tease the smaller ones, and especially Johnnie Jones. +They did not intend to be unkind, but would often make him cry by +rolling him off his sled, pelting him with snowballs, or calling him +nicknames. + +Of course, there was no reason for crying, since, although the boys were +rather rough, they never really hurt Johnnie Jones. Indeed, they loved +him, and were only in fun when they teased him. If Johnnie Jones had +been brave enough to laugh at them he would soon have been left in +peace; but as he always cried instead, the boys began to call him +"crybaby." + +Johnnie Jones soon formed the bad habit of crying about every little +thing that did not please him, until at last it was difficult to live +with him. His father and mother were greatly distressed, and tried in +every way to help Johnnie Jones. They told him that they were ashamed to +have a cry-baby for a son, but that only made him cry more than ever. + +Finally Mother said that something must be done, for Johnnie Jones had +reached the point where he was almost always crying. He would come home +crying from kindergarten, he would come in from play with tears in his +eyes, and worst of all, every few minutes, he would find some excuse for +crying at home. + +"I think he must be ill," Mother said to Father, one day, "and I am so +worried that I shall take him to the doctor." + +Father agreed, so in the afternoon, Mother and Johnnie Jones paid Dr. +Smith a visit in his office. + +Dr. Smith was a great friend of Johnnie Jones's and was sorry to hear of +the crying spells. He examined the little boy very carefully, but could +find nothing wrong with him. Then he said that he was sure Johnnie Jones +was not ill, and that he cried so often just because he had formed a bad +habit. + +"It is a very disagreeable habit," he continued, "and I know you want to +overcome it, so I'll write you a prescription for some medicine. Doctors +usually do not prescribe for people unless they are ill, but I think if +you take a spoonful of this medicine every time you cry, you will soon +be cured of the habit. You try it, anyway." + +He gave the prescription to Mother, who, after thanking him, left the +office with Johnnie Jones. On the way home they stopped at the +drug-store and bought the medicine, which mother took into the house +with her, while Johnnie Jones ran out to play. + +There wasn't a child in that neighborhood who was not fond of Johnnie +Jones, but since he had become a cry-baby none of them cared to play +with him, because he would often spoil the best game by stopping to cry. +No one enjoys playing with a tearful boy or girl. + +All the children were playing in the snow when Johnnie Jones joined +them. They had built a snow fort, which half of the children were trying +to destroy with snowballs, and which half were defending. They were +having the merriest sort of a time. Occasionally some one would be +struck by a ball, but he would just laugh and send back another, for it +was all in fun. + +Johnnie Jones began to play, too, and was enjoying himself very much, +when unfortunately a stray ball struck his cheek. It did hurt, but not +nearly enough to cry about, for all the balls were soft. Johnnie Jones, +however, began to cry, called the children "unkind," which was foolish, +and ran away home. + +As soon as he entered the house, Mother gave him some of the medicine. +Never was anyone more surprised than Johnnie Jones, when he tasted it! +The only other medicine he had ever taken had been sweet, but this was +dreadfully bitter. He had no sooner swallowed it than he began to cry +again. Mother immediately poured more of it from the bottle. + +"I won't take any more," Johnnie Jones, said between his sobs, "it is +bad medicine." + +"Yes, indeed," Mother told him, "you must take it every time you cry, +just as the doctor said, because we can't continue to have a cry-baby in +the house. You must take another dose now unless you can stop crying +without it." + +"I'll stop," said Johnnie Jones, and he did. + +Mother poured some of the medicine into another bottle to send to Miss +Page at kindergarten, and then placed the rest on the mantel where +Johnnie Jones could see it. + +It was remarkable how quickly the little boy was cured of his bad habit. +After he had taken but three doses of the bitter medicine he learned +to stop and think when anything failed to please him. Then, instead of +allowing himself to cry, he would often manage to laugh, which was much +more sensible, and much pleasanter for the people near him. Soon he +began to realize what a foolish little boy he had been, and at last he +made up his mind to be, instead of a cry-baby, a big, brave boy. And +that is what he was, all the rest of his life, bright and sweet and +brave, so that everyone loved to be with him, grown folks as well as +the children. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Man Who Cried "Wolf" too Often + + +Some time passed by before people began to realize that Johnnie Jones +was no longer a cry-baby. On that account he had a very unpleasant +experience one day. + +The children were playing horse on the sidewalk, and Johnnie Jones as +one of the horses, was being driven by Sammy Smith. All went well until +they reached a rough place in the pavement. Here Johnnie Jones tripped +and fell, scraping his leg against a sharp stone, and straining and +bruising his arm quite badly. It happened so quickly that none of the +children saw that he was hurt, and so did not pity him when he began to +cry. They were so accustomed to hear him cry over every little trouble, +that they thought nothing of his crying then. If they had known he was +really hurt, they would have been kind and helped him up. As it was, +they merely told him not to be such a cry-baby and ran off and left him. + +Just then Father came by on his way home, and when he saw Johnnie Jones +leaning against the fence, crying, he thought, too, that the little boy +had become a cry-baby again. If he had seen Johnnie Jones fall, he would +have picked him up and carried him home in his arms; but not knowing +that the little boy was really hurt, he took hold of his hand, and +walked home with him. Johnnie Jones was trying his best not to cry, but +I think the bravest boy in the world might not have been able to keep +back the tears, with such a sore leg and arm. + +As they entered the house, Mother said: "Oh little son! crying again?" + +When she had heard of the accident, she told Johnnie Jones that she +was sorry, and would try to help him after lunch. But as soon as she +saw that he could eat nothing at all, she asked Father to carry him +upstairs, where she examined the injured leg and arm. When she found +them so badly scraped and bruised, she was greatly distressed. + +"You poor little boy!" she exclaimed, "No one realized that you were +really in pain." + +After she had bathed and bandaged the leg and arm, and made Johnnie +Jones comfortable, she brought his lunch up to him, and while he was +eating, told him this story: + +Once, a long, long time ago, there lived a man whose name has been +forgotten. He lived with other men and their families out in the pasture +lands, and there he tended the sheep. Now a great many wolves lived near +by, which often tried to steal into the fold and carry off the sheep. +Everyone kept a close watch for these wolves, and when any person saw +one he would cry out, "wolf! wolf!" so that all the others might come +to help him destroy it, and save the sheep. But this first man of whom +I told you, liked to call "wolf!" when there was no wolf there, just +to frighten or disturb the others. Sometimes he would waken the men at +night by his foolish cry, and they would come running out only to find +he had given a false alarm. At last these men grew weary of answering +his calls. Besides, as there had been no wolves about for some little +time, they were feeling quite safe. + +One night, when the foolish man was keeping watch over his sheep, he saw +in the distance an entire pack of wolves coming steadily toward the +fold. Instantly he raised a loud cry, "WOLF! WOLF!" and waited for help. + +But no help came. + +The men heard his cry. but as they did not believe the wolves were +really there, they remained in their beds. One man alone could not +defend himself and his sheep against a pack of hungry wolves. So, next +morning, he was found badly injured, and the sheep were gone. Everyone +was sorry for the man, but all knew he could blame only himself. He had +cried "wolf!" too often, when there was no wolf there, and so he was not +believed when the wolf came at last. + +"Johnnie Jones," said Mother, when she had finished the story, "you have +cried so often when there was no reason for crying, that this one time +when you cried because you were really hurt, no one believed you. I am +very sorry for you, little son, but don't you see that it was no one's +fault but your own?" + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones's Birthday Party + + +A few days before Johnnie Jones's fifth birthday, Mother asked him what +he would like to have for a birthday present. + +"A party," he answered immediately, "and I want to invite all the +children who live on this street." + +"Very well," Mother said, "we'll write the invitations now, on your own +note paper." + +Johnnie Jones gave her a joyful hug, and ran to his desk for the paper. +Mother wrote upon every sheet: "Johnnie Jones will be very glad to have +you come to his birthday party, Saturday afternoon, from three until +five o'clock." She addressed an envelope to each one of his playmates, +and Johnnie Jones stamped, sealed and mailed the invitations as soon as +they were written. + +Next day the postman brought the answers. The children accepted with a +great deal of pleasure. + +Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday seemed very long days to impatient +Johnnie Jones. + +"I sometimes think," he said to Mother, "that Saturday isn't coming this +week." + +But, when he awoke one morning, Saturday had come at last, and the party +was to be that very day. + +While Mother was helping him to dress in his party clothes, she said: +"Remember to make everyone glad that he came to your party, and to play +whatever the children wish, even if they do not choose your favorite +games." + +He promised to remember, and as soon as he was dressed, ran to the +window to watch for his guests. He did not have long to wait before they +began to arrive. + +As soon as the children had removed their hats and coats, Johnnie Jones +led them to a long kindergarten table, which Mother had borrowed. Each +child sat down in a small red chair, and made a necklace of colored +beads, which was soon finished and tied about his neck. + +When all the children had arrived and all the necklaces were finished, +the boys and girls gathered in the long hall, where Johnnie Jones's +roller coaster was ready for them. Each child had three rides, and +enjoyed them all, for the hall was unusually long, and with a good +start, one could go to the end of it, almost as fast as the lightning +flashes. + +Of course, Johnnie Jones had his three rides after the others, because +he was the host, and the children his guests. + +"Now we may go to the parlor for our games," he said as he led the +children down the front stairway. + +The parlor was large, so there was room enough for the children to run +freely about. They played "Drop the Handkerchief," and "Blind-Man's +Buff," and "Going to Jerusalem," until they were tired and ready for a +more quiet game. Johnnie Jones let the others choose the games, and he +watched that every child had a chance to play. + +After the children had rested a moment, Mother invited them to march +up-stairs again, for the "real" party. Johnnie Jones's auntie played the +piano for them, and the children formed in line and marched to the room +in which they had made the necklaces. + +The same kindergarten table was there, and in the same place, but no one +would ever have known it, for it had been covered with a white table +cloth, and on it were vases of lovely pink roses, and dishes full of +pink and white peppermint candy. Exactly in the centre was a large +birthday cake with five pink candles, and every one of them lighted. +At each place was a dish of ice cream in the form of a pink and white +flower, though no flower ever had so sweet a taste. + +At each place there was something else. There was a tiny automobile +delivery wagon, with a queer little doll chauffeur, and inside it were +bundles of candy. These were to be taken home, Mother said, and no one +was to open the bundles at the party. Of course no one did. Besides all +of these things, there were two paper bon-bons for each child, one to +open at the party, and one to take home. + +The children were hungry after their games, and for a while they were +very quiet. When they had finished their ice cream, however, and had +eaten a piece of the birthday cake, with good wishes for Johnnie Jones, +they began to pull the bon-bons apart. Then there was noise enough, for +the bon-bons cracked and popped, and that made the children laugh. + +All, that is, except one small girl who was afraid. She was sitting next +to Johnnie Jones, and she asked him to open his bon-bon without pulling +it apart. Johnnie Jones liked to hear the popping sound, and he could +not help thinking that Susie was foolish to object to it, but he +remembered that he must make everyone happy at his party, so he did as +his little neighbor asked. + +Five o'clock came all too soon, and then it was time for the children +to return to their homes. When they were ready in their coats and hats, +they bade Mother and Johnnie Jones good-by. "Thank you for the good time +we have had," they said, as they turned their happy faces homeward, +wearing the necklaces and carrying the bon-bons and automobiles. + +When everyone had gone, Mother held tired, happy little Johnnie Jones on +her lap. + +"Did you enjoy your party?" she asked him. + +"Yes, Mother dear," he answered. "I had a good time, and all the +children had a good time, and it was a beautiful party." + +"It was a beautiful party," Mother agreed, "and I'll tell you why. It +was because both you and I did all in our power to make our company +happy. I am very glad," she added, "that Johnnie Jones is my little boy +and that he has enjoyed his birthday." + + * * * * * + + + + +The Sleeping Beauty + + +In the early spring Mother would always tell this story to Johnnie +Jones. + +Once upon a time there lived the most beautiful princess in the whole +world. She was so sweet that everyone loved her,--all the grown people, +all the children, and even all the animals. She wore such lovely dresses +that everyone who was permitted to see their beauty was filled with joy, +and she had a new one every day. + +She lived in the most beautiful home in the whole world. The ceiling was +made of blue sky, the carpet of soft green grass, and the walls were +formed by lofty trees with their branches interlaced. Everywhere were +flowers of different colors, red and yellow and purple. I can't tell you +how lovely it was, or how happy the king, the queen and the beautiful +princess were who lived there. + +One day the princess decided to make for herself a dress as white as +snow, trimmed with shining pearls and sparkling diamonds. If the queen +had known her intention, she would have forbidden the princess to touch +a needle. I will tell you why. + +When the princess was a tiny baby, the king and queen had forgotten to +ask one old fairy lady to the christening. As it happened, she wasn't a +good old fairy lady. Perhaps that is why she was forgotten. She came to +the christening without an invitation, which was very rude, and made +herself most disagreeable while she was there. She told the king and +queen that because they had forgotten her, the princess should one day +prick herself with a needle and immediately go to sleep, and that she +should never awake unless the splendid prince should chance to find her. + +Now the princess did not know of this, and she forgot to tell her mother +that she intended to make the dress. That was the cause of all the +trouble. + +The princess cut and sewed, and sewed and cut, until the dress was +finished. Then she laid aside her old gown, of red and brown, and +dressed herself in the new one. She was just about to replace the needle +in the workbasket, before showing herself to her mother, when, suddenly, +she pricked her finger. + +Immediately she sank back on her bed fast asleep. At that very instant +the king and queen fell asleep, too. So did the animals, but the birds +flew away. Even the little flies, who had been buzzing on the walls, +went fast asleep. Then it was very still everywhere, because no one was +stirring to make a noise. Even the trees were quiet, for their leaves +had all dropped off, and they seemed to be sleeping too. + +They slept a long, long time. + +Then, the most splendid prince in all the world approached the palace +gate. This prince had wonderful golden hair, and he was clothed entirely +in shining gold. He rode in a chariot so bright that it could be seen +for many miles. His horses were swift and he travelled fast, on his +journey throughout the world. + +When at last he reached the princess's house, he regarded it with +wonder. + +"How very quiet," he murmured. "Can it be that anyone lives in this +gloomy place?" + +He stepped out of his chariot and tiptoed in, through the open door. He +stepped so softly that no one could have heard him, but he shone so +brightly that he made the whole house light. + +The splendid prince saw that everybody and everything was fast asleep. + +In their rooms he found the king and queen. + +At last he came to the room where lying upon her bed was the princess. + +Very lovely she was, in her dress as white as snow trimmed with pearls +and diamonds. The prince leaned over to see her better, and he made the +diamonds sparkle so brilliantly that if you had been there you would +have needed to close your eyes. + +"This is the most beautiful princess in all the world," said the prince. +"I wish she would waken." + +Then he kissed her. + +Immediately the beautiful princess opened her eyes and looked at the +prince. At that same moment the king and queen awoke from their sleep. +So did the animals, and all the flowers, and the little buds on the +trees. The flies began to buzz about on the walls, and the birds came +flying back, singing their sweetest songs. + +The princess was very happy to be awake again. She attired herself in a +lovely dress, indeed the loveliest one that she possessed. It was bright +green, with jewels as clear as the rain drops. Then the king and queen +ordered a marriage feast, and the beautiful princess married the +splendid prince. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Butterfly + + +"Be careful! Don't step on that caterpillar," said Mother. + +"Why not?" asked Johnnie Jones. "It's such an ugly caterpillar." + +"It can't help being ugly," Mother answered, "and besides some day it +will be a beautiful butterfly." + +"Really?" Johnnie Jones asked, much surprised. Then Mother told him a +story about a caterpillar and a butterfly. + +Once upon a time, a little caterpillar was crawling slowly up a tree. +"Oh! dear," he said to himself, "I wish I had wings like the birds, and +could fly away to the top of a tree, instead of having to crawl slowly +about." + +A beautiful butterfly was resting a moment near by and heard what the +little caterpillar said, "How would you like to be a beautiful butterfly +such as I am," she asked him, "and go flying about all day, sipping +honey from the flowers?" + +"I should like it very much indeed," he answered, "but you see I am only +an ugly little caterpillar who can do nothing but crawl, and I have to +be very careful to avoid being stepped upon." + + "I'll tell you a lovely secret," + Whispered the butterfly. + "Next summer you will surely be + As beautiful as I, + + "Because my gauzy wings you see, + Are very, very new. + A caterpillar once was I + And crawled about like you." + + +The ugly little caterpillar did not believe the beautiful butterfly. He +just laughed. + + "Oh!" said the lovely butterfly, + "All that I say is true. + But you can't stay there very long, + There's work for you to do. + + "To the very top of this big tree + You must begin to go, + Because all little crawling things, + They are so very slow. + + "There you must even change your skin + Till it becomes dark brown. + And you must spin a rope of silk + To tie you tightly down. + + "You will sleep through the long cold winter, + When the icy winds do blow. + You will sleep through the long cold winter, + When everywhere there's snow. + + "But by and by, in the spring-time, + How happy you will be! + For you will wake and find yourself + A butterfly like me! + + "Then work on, crawling little thing," + Whispered the butterfly, + "For winter's coming very fast, + And so good-by, good-by." + + +The little caterpillar thought: "How could I possibly turn into a +butterfly? I have seen other caterpillars tie themselves to twigs, but +they always seemed very foolish to me." + +However, that little caterpillar wanted more than anything else in the +world to become a butterfly, so he decided to try. He crawled slowly +up the tree until he found a branch that suited him exactly. Then he +selected a twig and spun about it a soft resting place of silk. He spun +a soft silken loop, too, with which he tied himself to the twig. + +Very soon he lost all his bright color, and became as brown as the twig +itself. If you had seen him, you would probably have thought he was +nothing but a small brown leaf. When the cold, snowy days came, the +little caterpillar knew nothing whatever about them, for he was fast +asleep. + +At last, after a long, long winter, there began to be signs of spring. +Soon, soft warm little rain drops began to fall on the chrysalis (for +that is what we call the sleeping caterpillar), whispering: "Spring is +coming and it's time to awake!" Soon, soft warm little sunbeams began to +dance on the chrysalis, whispering: "Spring is almost here, it is time +to awake!" Soon soft, warm little breezes began to blow the chrysalis +about, whispering: "Spring is here, and it is time to awake!" + +Then, at last, the little caterpillar did awake. He slowly broke away +his old dried skin and the silk fastenings which he had spun so many +months before, and he crawled out in the sunshine, wet and still drowsy +after his long sleep. After a while he became warm and dry, and wide +awake in the bright sunlight, and then, suddenly, he felt that he had +wings! He looked in a rain-drop mirror, and there he saw himself a +beautiful butterfly. + +Don't you think he must have been very proud and happy, as he spread his +wings and flew away to sip the honey from the flowers, and to play with +all the other butterflies, knowing that he would never again have to +crawl about on the ground? + +"Oh! Mother dear," said Johnnie Jones, "let's take this caterpillar +home, so I can watch it turn into a butterfly." + +Mother considered his idea a good one, so they carried the caterpillar +home on a twig, with many leaves from the tree towards which it had been +crawling. When they reached the house they placed twigs, leaves and +caterpillar in a glass jar, with netting over the top. + +"We shall have to give it fresh leaves every day," Mother said, "until +it has eaten enough and goes to sleep. We can watch it carefully through +this glass jar." + +Johnnie Jones knelt down beside the jar and whispered: "Ugly little +caterpillar, if you will tie yourself to that branch, and change your +skin, and go to sleep, next spring you will wake a beautiful butterfly." + +[Illustration: When he spread his wings and flew away--] + +Johnnie Jones was sure the caterpillar heard what he said, because +it went to sleep just as it was told. All winter long the little boy +watched it, and one day, in the early spring, really saw it come out +a gorgeous butterfly. When it spread its bright wings and flew away, +I wonder which was happier, the butterfly or Johnnie Jones. + + * * * * * + + + + +Mr. and Mrs. Bird and the Baby Birds + + +"Listen to that bird!" exclaimed Johnnie Jones. + +"That is Mr. Bird," Mother answered. "I shall have to tell you a story +about him and Mrs. Bird and their children." + +Once upon a time Mr. Bird felt so happy and gay that he could scarcely +be quiet a single moment. It was spring-time again and he sang beautiful +songs to Mrs. Bird, about the sunshine and soft, sweet air, and about +the little home they would make in the old elm tree. Mrs. Bird would +listen for a while to his song and then they would both fly away to find +the twigs and straws with which to build the nest. Very hard indeed the +little birds worked, for each straw had to be carefully woven, in and +out and out and in, so that the nest should be quite firm and round. + +As soon as the nest was ready, pretty little Mrs. Bird laid four lovely +blue eggs in it. She knew, and Mr. Bird knew, that there were four baby +birds asleep in the eggs, and so they were happier than ever before. + +But now Mrs. Bird had to sit on the nest all the day long, to keep the +eggs warm. Of course, Mr. Bird had to feed her. He would fly all over +the park, finding good things to eat, and carry them back to drop into +Mrs. Bird's mouth. When she was no longer hungry, Mr. Bird would hop to +a branch near by, and sing to her. + +You may think that Mrs. Bird grew tired of sitting there on the nest day +after day. You may think Mr. Bird became tired of feeding Mrs. Bird, and +of singing to her, day after day. But neither one seemed to grow tired +at all. They just watched and waited, as the days went by. + +After a while the little baby birds began to wake up, and one day Mrs. +Bird heard a queer scratching sound that made her very glad. The babies +were beginning to break open the shell! Peck! Peck! Peck! Soon a little +head came out of the shell. Crack! Crack! Crack! and there was a little +bird in the nest for Mr. and Mrs. Bird to love and take care of. + +By the time the first pieces of shell had been thrown from the nest, +another little bird had broken through. Then came another, and still one +more, until there were four baby birds in the nest, all crying as loud +as they could, "Peep! Peep! Peep! please give us something to eat." + +Then both Mr. and Mrs. Bird had to fly away to seek their own breakfast, +and to bring some to the children. You never saw such hungry babies! +They kept their parents busy all the day long, bringing them food. They +weren't very polite to each other, either, those baby birds. They would +crowd and push, and almost send each other out of the nest, trying to +get every morsel, instead of each waiting his own turn to be fed. But +then, they were only birds and did not know any better. + +Day after day, they were fed by their parents. Night after night, they +were kept warm under Mrs. Bird's wings. No wonder those baby birds soon +grew big and strong. They were ever so much prettier when they grew big +enough to wear feathers. + +Soon, one little bird felt so strong, that he said he wanted to fly +away, too, and see what the ground and other trees were like. + +"Not to-day," Mrs. Bird told him. "Wait until your wings are a wee bit +stronger, and then I'll teach you to fly." + +When both Mr. and Mrs. Bird had flown away, this same little bird said +to his brothers: "It seems quite easy to fly; all you need to do is to +flap your wings. I think I'll try it alone." + +"You had better not!" the others told him. + +"Yes, I will," the little bird said. + +He hopped to the edge of the nest, and began to flap his wings. He did +not quite dare to raise his feet, though, for he felt rather timid when +he looked down and saw how far away the ground seemed to be. But he +flapped his wings so vigorously, pretending to fly, that he lost his +balance and fell. He was not hurt, for the grass was tall and soft, but +he was greatly frightened, and cried out for his mother. + +Mrs. Bird was too far away to hear him, but a little girl did. She +picked him up very gently, and ran to show him to her father. + +"Look at this cunning little bird which I have found! May I keep it for +mine?" she asked him. + +"No," said her father. "See, it is only a baby bird, which has fallen +from its nest, and is crying for its mother. Show me where you found it; +perhaps I can reach the nest if we can discover it among the leaves." + +The little girl pointed out the tree to her father. He placed a ladder +against it, and, climbing up, was able to drop the little bird into its +home. + +In a few days Mr. and Mrs. Bird were ready to teach all their babies +to fly. + +"Come on," they said, "spread your wings, jump into the air, and fly +just a little way, to that other limb of the tree." + +Three of the little birds obeyed at once, and reached the resting place +in safety. But the fourth little bird was afraid to try, because he had +fallen before. + +"Don't be a coward," urged his father and mother. "You fell before +because your wings were not strong enough to bear you up, but now you +will have no trouble." + +The little bird wouldn't budge. + +The parent birds knew it was time for him to learn, so they pushed the +foolish little fellow out of the nest, and watched him spread his wings, +and flutter to the ground. There he found more courage, and after a +while he flew up to join his brothers on the tree. + +"I was sitting at my window," Mother told Johnnie Jones, "and saw it all +happen. Of course I can't understand the language of birds, and I am not +sure I have repeated exactly what the parent birds said to the babies, +or what the babies said to each other, but only what they seemed to say. +Anyway, everything happened as I have told you." + +"Soon the babies could fly nearly as well and as far as the old birds, +and after that the little nest was left quite empty, rocked by the wind +in the old tree top." + + * * * * * + + + + +The Coming of Little Brother + + +Almost all of the children who attended the kindergarten where Johnnie +Jones spent his mornings, had a baby brother or sister at home. They +spoke of "their babies" so often and enjoyed so much making presents to +take them, that Johnnie Jones wished for a baby at his house, and talked +to Mother about it. + +One night, Mother said she had a secret to tell him. He was glad, for he +liked to have secrets with Mother, who told him a great many, because he +could keep them so well. + +"It is the most beautiful secret in all the world," Mother said. +"Spring-time is coming very fast, and next month, when the trees and the +flowers wake up because winter is over and gone, a dear little baby is +coming to live with us." + +"Oh! Mother dear, I am so glad!" said Johnnie Jones. "But why does the +baby wait so long? I want him this very day." + +"Dear," Mother answered, "the baby is still fast asleep, just as the +little flower buds are, and we must watch and wait until he comes. It +will not be very long, little son, and then how happy we'll be, you and +Father and I!" + +"At first the baby will be too small and helpless to play, and will need +his big brother to take care of him so that he may grow tall and strong. +Then, by and by, he will be able to run about and talk, and play with +you. But always, always, he will need you to help him, and teach him, +and care for him." + +After that evening, when Mother had whispered the beautiful secret to +him, Johnnie Jones would ask her each day: "Will our baby wake up and +come tomorrow?" But Mother could not tell him, so they just waited, and +made ready, day after day. + +At last one bright, warm morning when Johnnie Jones awoke, he saw Father +bending down over his bed with such a happy face that he asked at once: +"Has our baby waked up and come?" + +"Yes," Father answered, "there is a Little Brother in Mother's room, and +she says she can't wait any longer to show him to you." + +Johnnie Jones was very much excited and, as soon as possible, he tiptoed +into Mother's room. Father had asked him to be very quiet. + +"Come here, dear," Mother said, "I have been waiting such a long time +for you." She drew him down beside her, and showed him a tiny baby boy +no larger than a doll. + +As Johnnie Jones leaned down to see, the Little Brother opened his eyes +wide, and looked at him. Johnnie Jones was too happy to say a word. He +sat down close to the bed, and Father placed the baby in his arms. +Johnnie Jones held him very carefully, so that he might not hurt him or +let him fall. + +"He is your Little Brother," Mother said softly, "your Little Brother to +love and take care of all your life. You will always remember that, +won't you?" + +And Johnnie Jones always did. + + * * * * * + + + + +Little Brother and Johnnie Jones + + +Little brother was a merry baby with a smile for everyone. Soon he was +old enough to be on the floor with Johnnie Jones, and to build houses of +blocks, and play with the toys. He learned to walk very early, when he +was less than a year old. Then indeed, he kept the family busy, guarding +him from harm. + +One day he found the sharp scissors, which Johnnie Jones had to take +away very quickly before he could cut himself. Another day he tried to +eat a paper of pins, and Johnnie Jones had to run very fast to reach him +in time. That one baby kept Father and Mother, Johnnie Jones and Maggie, +all busy, because he was too young to know that some things are +dangerous for babies to have. + +Sometimes, because he was too little to know any better, he objected to +having the scissors, or knives, or cookies, taken away. Then what do you +suppose he would do? He would run straight to Johnnie Jones and pull his +hair! He always seemed to feel happier after that. + +It hurts to have one's hair pulled, but Johnnie Jones seldom cried or +was cross with the baby. He would just laugh and run away when he saw +him coming for his hair. Besides, that bad habit did not last long, and +you may be sure that Johnnie Jones was glad when it was broken! + +The first word the baby learned to say after "Mama" was "Buddy," and he +meant Johnnie Jones. He knew when it was time for the big boy to come +home from kindergarten, and he would stand at the window watching for +him. As soon as he saw him coming he would wave his hand, and run to the +steps to meet him. Then they would have a romp. Their favorite game was +"I Spy." + +One day they were playing "I Spy," and Little Brother was hiding. +Usually it was very easy to find him, because his favorite hiding place +was the nearest corner. But this time he wasn't there when Johnnie Jones +looked, nor anywhere in the room or hall. + +"Where can he be?" Johnnie Jones asked Mother. + +She came to help him. They called the baby but heard no answer. Then +they began to be worried and looked in every room. Suddenly they heard a +great splash in the bath-tub. They ran into the bathroom, and there they +found the baby. + +Little Brother had forgotten he was playing "I Spy." He had wandered +into the bath-room, and climbing on a chair dropped the soap into the +tub which was full of water. Then, very soon, he dropped himself in, +too! That was the splash the others had heard. + +Mother and Johnnie Jones lifted him out, wet as he could be, and very +much frightened. + +"You dear little rascal!" exclaimed Johnnie Jones. "Didn't you know you +couldn't swim?" + +"It certainly is a good thing," Mother said, "that he has a big brother +to take care of him." + + * * * * * + + + + +Elizabeth with the Children + + +One day Elizabeth came over to spend the afternoon with Johnnie Jones, +who was very glad to see her. + +"Let's play horse," suggested Johnnie Jones. "I have a new pair of reins +with bells on them." + +"No, I don't want to play horse," Elizabeth said. "I want to play "I +Spy," and I want to hide. You must find me." + +"All right!" answered Johnnie Jones. + +But as soon as it was Johnnie Jones's turn to hide, and Elizabeth's to +find him, she decided that she would rather play fire-engine. "I'll be +the fireman and put out the fire with your real little hose, and you be +the horse and engine," she said. + +"All right," Johnnie Jones answered again. + +After they had extinguished several fires, Elizabeth said: "Now we'll +play grocery-store, and I'll be the man who keeps it. We'll borrow some +apples and potatoes from the cook, and you come to buy them." + +"No," said Johnnie Jones this time, "I'll be the grocery man, and you +the lady who comes to buy." + +"I won't play if I mayn't be the storekeeper," threatened Elizabeth. + +"But that's not fair," said Johnnie Jones. "You have chosen every game, +and have taken the best part in each one for yourself. Now it is my turn +to choose." + +"I'll go home if you won't let me be the grocery man," Elizabeth told +him. + +"No," he answered, "because that's not a fair way to play." + +Then Elizabeth left him. She did not go home, however, but just next +door to Katherine's house. She found Katherine and Mary at home, playing +with their dolls. + +As soon as the little girls saw Elizabeth, they said: "You can't play +with us unless you play the right way. You can't be Mother all the +time." + +"Well, if you won't let me play my way, I won't play at all," said +Elizabeth, and ran on until she came to Sarah's house. + +Sarah, Tom and Ned were jumping rope, and they called out to Elizabeth: +"You can't play with us unless you will turn the rope part of the time." + +"I don't like to turn, I like to jump," Elizabeth complained. But when +she realized that she would not be allowed to jump until she first +turned the rope for the others, she left these children too, and went +next door to visit Sammy Smith. + +That little boy and Susie were playing with a big wagon. They asked +Elizabeth to play with them, and because they were courteous little +children, and she was their visitor, they permitted her to take the +first ride, and pretended that they were two strong horses hitched to +her carriage. When they were tired, they told Elizabeth that it was +time for her to become a horse and let one of them ride. + +"No," said Elizabeth, "I like to ride better than to pull the wagon." + +"We won't let you ride any longer," they answered, "because it's your +turn to play that you are a horse." + +"Then I'll go home," she said, and this time she did. + +"What is the matter?" asked her mother. + +"The children won't play the way I want them to, and I don't like them +any more because I think they are unkind," she answered. "I wish I could +go to fairy-land and be a princess, or else that I were a grown-up +lady." + +"Even grown-up ladies and princesses cannot always have their own way," +her mother said. + +Elizabeth stood at the window and looked out across the street. Most of +the children had gathered there in front of Johnnie Jones's house, and +were jumping rope. Elizabeth could hear them counting, and laughing, and +talking. She began to feel very lonely. At last she put on her hat again +and ran back to join the children. + +"If you will let me play with you," she said, "I'll play anything you +like." + +"All right!" they answered, "and sometimes we'll play what you like." + +"And I won't always ask for the best part any more," she said. + +"You may have the part you like when it is your turn to choose," they +told her. + +"I'll turn the rope now," Elizabeth added. + +"You turn until some one trips," the others answered. + +Elizabeth spent the remainder of the afternoon with the children, who +were glad to have her because she played fair. Elizabeth herself was +very happy. She was even glad that she wasn't a princess or a grown-up +lady; glad that she was just a little girl who had learned to play with +other children. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and the Hoop-Rolling Club + + +One day, all the children of the neighborhood decided to form a +hoop-rolling club. Each child was to buy a hoop and decorate it with +bells and ribbons. Then, every Saturday morning, all of them were to go +to the park and have a procession. They were to try their best to turn +square corners, to roll their hoops in a straight line, and to keep them +from falling down. No matter where they rolled them, up hill or down +hill, over smooth ground or rough, they were not to let the hoops fall. + +The one who could do all these things the best was to be the captain and +lead the procession wherever he wished. He could go swiftly or slowly, +just as he liked, and all the rest were to follow in the same manner. +The captain was to remain captain only so long as he could roll his hoop +better than anyone else in the club. + +The children were delighted with their plan, and ran to the shop to buy +the hoops. + +All except poor little Johnnie Jones! He was not quite as old as the +others, and he could not manage a hoop. He had tried to roll one +belonging to Sammy Smith, one day, but he had been unable to prevent its +falling down every time he struck it. Of course he wanted to join the +club, and he asked Mother what she thought he had better do. + +Mother went with him to the grocery-store, and bought a small hoop, much +smaller than Sammy Smith's. Then she told Johnnie Jones that no one +could teach him to roll it. "You must just try and try until you +succeed, little boy," she said. + +Johnnie Jones tried, all the way home, but he was as unsuccessful with +the new hoop as he had been with Sammy Smith's old one. The other +children watched him, but they did not know how to help him, much as +they wished to do so. One big boy was rude enough to laugh at him, +which hurt his feelings so much that he went out into his back yard to +practise. There he tried, and tried again, until he was very tired. + +Every day while the other children were decorating their hoops or were +playing together, Johnnie Jones would practise all alone in the back +yard, where no one could see him. He tried so hard that at last he +succeeded in rolling his hoop from the porch to the gate without letting +it fall a single time. He was greatly encouraged then, but he had to +continue practising, because he could not even yet guide the hoop very +well, and he could not turn corners at all. + +When Saturday came, he went to the park to watch the first procession. +It was a very pretty sight, for the hoops had been decorated with bright +ribbons, and with bells which made a merry tinkling sound. Ned was the +captain, as he was the oldest and could manage his hoop most skilfully. +He led the children through the park, stopping now and then for breath. +Whenever anyone dropped his hoop, he had to go to the end of the line, +for that was the rule of the club. + +All the next week Johnnie Jones worked very hard, learning to guide his +hoop in a straight line, and to turn corners. He went to the park to +practise now, so that he might have more room. + +Mother watched him every day, and after a while she told him that he had +become quite skilful enough to join the club. Then he was very happy, +and began to decorate his hoop with the bright pink ribbon and shining +brass bells which Mother had bought for him. + +The next Saturday morning, Johnnie Jones took his hoop with him when he +went to the park with the other children, all of whom were glad to hear +that he had learned to roll it. + +"But you had better be last in the procession," they told him, "because, +most likely, you can't manage it very well yet." + +They did not know how hard he had worked. + +When the procession started off, Johnnie Jones kept up with the other +children. Not once did he let his hoop fall, and he made it go so +straight, and turned such square corners, that, presently, the children +noticed how well he was doing. + +"Well, look at little Johnnie Jones!" they said. "He can roll his hoop +better than anyone here, even better than Ned!" + +After they had watched him for a while, they decided he must be their +captain, until Ned, or one of the other children had learned to do +better than he. + +Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little boy in the whole +world, as he led the procession through the park. + +[Illustration: Then Johnnie Jones was the proudest, happiest little +boy--] + + * * * * * + + + + +The Fire at Johnnie Jones's House + + +One night, while Father was away from home on a business trip, Mother +and Johnnie Jones and Little Brother were fast asleep in their beds. +Jack had been asleep too, down-stairs in the front hall, but now he was +wide awake. He stood up, put back his ears, and sniffed the air. Then he +ran quickly up the stairs to Johnnie Jones's room, stood outside his +door, and whined, That did not waken anyone, so he barked. + +Johnnie Jones woke up and heard him. So did mother, who was in the next +room. "Please lie still, Mother," said Johnnie Jones. "I'll see what is +the matter." He was trying to help Mother all he could while Father was +away. + +He opened the door, and cried out: "Oh, Mother, the hall is full of +smoke!" + +Mother came to the door. She saw that smoke was pouring out from the +hall below. "I am afraid the house is on fire," she said. "You must be +very brave and help me. Put on your wrapper and slippers and run up to +Maggie's room, and tell her and Kathie to come down here." + +Johnnie Jones was a bit frightened, but without another word he ran up +those long, dark steps, and aroused the two girls. It was brave of the +little boy. + +Meanwhile Mother had given the fire alarm through the telephone, slipped +on her wrapper, and bundled the baby in a blanket. When the others had +come down to her room, she closed the door into the hall. + +"It would be dangerous to go downstairs," she said; "we must just wait +here at the window until the firemen bring us a ladder." + +"Oh, Mother!" Johnnie Jones said, "do you think they'll come soon?" + +"Listen!" Mother answered. + +Then Johnnie Jones heard a sound that made him clap his hands with joy. +CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Galloping down the street came the splendid big +fire-horses drawing the hook-and-ladder. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Down the +street came the fire-engine, the hose carriage, and the salvage corps +wagon. + +Quick as a flash the firemen saw Mother and the children at the window! +Quicker than you can think, they had two long ladders placed against the +two window sills. Then two strong firemen climbed up. One of them helped +Mother and the baby to reach the ground, the other looked after Johnnie +Jones. + +Maggie and Kathie did not wait to be helped, they stepped down the +ladder faster than one would have thought possible, and reached the +ground first of all. + +Jack did not know how to use a ladder, so he was thrown out of the +window by one fireman, and caught in a blanket by two others. He wasn't +hurt in the least, though Johnnie Jones had been worried for fear he +might be, but ran straight to his little master. + +"If it had not been for Jack's telling us there was a fire, we might +not have been able to leave the house so quickly," said Mother, as she +caressed the dog. + +Elizabeth's mother, who lived across the street, asked Mrs. Jones and +the children to come into her house. They went, and stood at the window +watching the fire until it was out. + +It was a beautiful sight, for the flames flashed out of the thick smoke +and made the whole neighborhood bright. Poor Mother felt too sad at +seeing her home burn to enjoy the beauty of the fire, but as it was the +very first fire he had ever seen, Johnnie Jones did enjoy it, although +he was sorry, too. + +"Never mind, Mother dear," he said, trying to comfort her. "Father will +build us a new house if this one burns down." + +All this time the brave firemen were working to extinguish the fire. +They had unhitched the horses, and tied them, at a safe distance from +the house. Some of them had fixed the hose to the engine and were +pumping great streams of water onto the flames. Others were inside the +house fighting the fire; and the salvage men were trying to save the +furniture and pictures and curtains. + +Soon the flames became lower, and lower, until at last they died away, +and the fire was out. Then the horses were hitched again to the engine, +and hose carriage, and the other wagons. The whistle in the engine was +blown, and all went back to the engine houses where they belonged. Not +as they had come, in a swift gallop, but slowly, for now men and horses +were tired. + +Soon the neighborhood was quiet again, and everyone returned to bed. The +Jones's passed the rest of the night in Elizabeth's house. + +Next morning, they drove to Grandmother's home to visit her until they +could go into the country to spend the summer. + +When Father came home he was very much grieved to find his home so badly +burned, but he felt very grateful to Jack for arousing the family, and +he was very thankful to the brave firemen and good horses, for coming so +quickly and doing their work so well. He was distressed that he had not +been at home, to save Mother from worry and care, but he was glad to +hear that Johnnie Jones had been a help and comfort to her, and had +behaved as a manly boy should. + + * * * * * + + + + +Johnnie Jones and Fanny + + +Johnnie Jones enjoyed the country because he could be out of doors all +the day long, and because there were so many interesting things to do. +This summer he liked it even better than ever before, for Little Brother +was old enough to run about and play with him, in the soft grass under +the trees. + +Then there was Fanny. + +Fanny was a small brown pony which lived in the country all the year +round, and which had belonged to Johnnie Jones ever since he was a tiny +boy only two years old. The little pony and the little boy loved each +other, and spent a great deal of their time together. Each morning, +directly after breakfast, Johnnie Jones and Little Brother would go down +to the field where Fanny and the horses lived, taking with them an apple +or some sugar. + +"Here, Fanny! Here, Fanny!" they would call. + +As soon as she heard their voices, the little brown pony would come +running to them and eat out of their hands, always being very careful +not to nip their fingers. Then she would poke her nose into Johnnie +Jones's pockets to see if there were anything hidden away, that was good +to eat. She was so sweet tempered and gentle that she would let the +children do anything with her that pleased them, and often romped with +Johnnie Jones like a big dog. + +About nine o'clock, Sam, the hired man, would hitch Fanny to a small +cart, and Johnnie Jones would take Mother, or Maggie, and Little +Brother, for a drive. Johnnie Jones could both drive and ride so very +well that he was often allowed to go out with Fanny quite alone. + +One morning, after he had taken the others home, he started to the +village shop to buy some butter. On the road he met a boy named Charley, +who asked to go with him. + +"All right! Jump in," Johnnie Jones told him, glad to have company. + +"Let me drive?" Charley asked. So Johnnie Jones changed places with him, +and gave him the reins. + +[Illustration: The little brown pony would eat out of their hands] + +Charley was older than Johnnie Jones and considered himself a much +better driver, but he did not know and love horses in the same way that +Johnnie Jones did, though he had always lived in the country. + +"Watch me!" he said. "I'll show you how to make a pony run." + +Before Johnnie Jones could stop him, he seized the whip and with it gave +Fanny a sharp cut. The little pony had never before been whipped, and +was so surprised and hurt, that she began to run as fast as ever she +could. Bump! Bump! She dragged the cart over rocks and stones so fast +that the little boys were almost thrown out on the road. + +Johnnie Jones was just as surprised as Fanny. + +"Give me that whip," he said to Charley. "I don't allow anyone to use it +on my pony. You've hurt her and made her run away. Give me the reins. I +will never again let you drive." + +"Leave me alone," Charley answered. "I'll teach her a good lesson." + +He struck Fanny once more, and then began pulling on the reins with all +his might, hurting the pony's tender mouth, and making her toss her head +and even kick. + +Johnnie Jones was very angry and commanded Charley to give him the +reins. Charley was beginning to be frightened, so he obeyed. + +"Whoa! Fanny, don't be afraid," Johnnie Jones said to the little pony, +as he took the reins and held them loosely in his hands. + +As soon as Fanny heard the voice of her little master, she stopped +running, and soon stood still. Then Johnnie Jones jumped out of the cart +and began to pat her. Fanny was very much ashamed of herself, and rubbed +her nose against his sleeve, as if to say: "I am sorry, Johnnie Jones, +but that boy surprised me. I'll never act so again." + +Johnnie Jones drove on to the shop and then back home, but he was so +angry with Charley that he would not let him ride any further. + +"I don't like you any more," he told him. + +And I do not blame Johnnie Jones, do you? For I could not like a boy who +would be so cowardly and unkind as to hurt an animal. + + * * * * * + + + + +Fanny and Little Brother + + +One day, Elizabeth came with her mother to spend the day in the country +with Mrs. Jones and the little boys. The children had enjoyed themselves +very much, playing all the morning. Just before lunch they ran down to +the field where Fanny and Tim, the carriage horse, were, to pick some +wild flowers for the table. Little Brother was with them, and while the +others were gathering the flowers, he toddled away, and lay down in the +tall grass. + +The two mothers were sitting under the trees near the house. From where +they sat they could see the children in the field. + +"Aren't you afraid to let the children play there where the horses are?" +Elizabeth's mother asked Mrs. Jones. + +"No indeed," she answered. "Tim and Fanny love them too well to hurt +them." + +But just then Tim and Fanny began to play "Tag," as they often did, for +they were great friends. Fanny pretended to bite Tim, and came galloping +up the field as fast as ever she could. She did not see Little Brother, +lying directly in front of her, hidden by the tall grass. On she came, +galloping rapidly towards him. + +Mother saw her, and was so frightened she could hardly stand, for she +thought the baby would be trampled down by the pony. She started to run, +but of course she could not run as fast as Fanny, and besides, she was +much further away. + +Fanny rushed on until she was within a few feet of the baby. Then she +saw him! She tried to stop, but was moving too rapidly. Being a wise +little pony, she saw there was but one thing to do, and she did it. She +jumped and landed on the other side of the baby without touching him, +though her foot just did miss his head. + +Mother caught Little Brother up in her arms, and examined him carefully. +She could scarcely believe he had escaped without any injury, and was +very happy indeed, when she found that such was the case. + +"I don't believe any other pony would have had so much sense," she said. + +That evening, when Father had heard of Little Brother's narrow escape, +he told Mother and Johnnie Jones about an experience he had had when a +baby. + +His father had owned a wise old horse whose name was Charley. One day +Charley was eating the grass in the yard, and Johnnie Jones's father, +who was then only a baby three years old, was lying on the ground, +playing with the leaves After a while old Charley had eaten all the +grass near by, except the very long delicious blades underneath the +baby. He couldn't ask the little boy to move away, because he couldn't +talk. So, very carefully, he took hold of the baby's dress with his +teeth, lifted him up, and set him down on the other side of the yard. +He did not even frighten him, but the mother, who was looking out of the +window, was very much frightened, until she saw that the baby had not +been harmed. + +Mother and Johnnie Jones agreed that Charley had shown almost as much +sense as Fanny, but that it wasn't very safe to leave little children +alone when there were horses and ponies about. + + * * * * * + + + + +When Johnnie Jones Learned to Swim + + +One summer, when Johnnie Jones was six, he and the other members of the +family spent a month in the woods. They lived in a small log house which +was close to a beautiful lake, and almost completely surrounded by +trees. Johnnie Jones enjoyed the life there immensely. He learned to +row a light boat on the water, and every day he went for a long walk +through the woods, meeting many birds and small wild animals on the +way. Sometimes, in the distance, he caught a glimpse of the beautiful, +graceful deer, which were too timid to permit him to come very near +them. + +Just in front of the house was a wooden dock where Johnnie Jones liked +to play, but where he was never allowed to go alone as the water about +it was very deep. "Teach me to swim," he said to his father. "Then I +shall be able to play wherever I please." + +Father had been intending to give Johnnie Jones lessons in swimming and +was only waiting for a warm, sunshiny day. Such a day came very soon, +and, about twelve o'clock, he and Johnnie Jones, dressed in their +bathing suits, went in the water. The little boy considered bathing +great fun as long as he remained close to shore where the water was +shallow but he did not like it so well when Father carried him out to +the raft, where the water was so deep that it reached the shoulders of +the grown people standing in it. + +"Now, son," Mr. Jones said, "I want you to stand on the raft, and jump +when I count three. I will catch you in my arms, let you go down under +the water, and bring you up again. Remember to hold your breath, so that +you will not take any of the water into your nose or mouth. Perhaps you +had better keep one hand over your face for fear you might forget and +try to breathe before you reach the surface. Now jump, I am quite ready +to catch you." + +Johnnie Jones stood on the raft and looked down at the water. He did not +want to jump into it, but neither did he want to disappoint his father. +Besides he wished very much to learn to swim. + +"Will you be certain to catch me?" he asked Father. + +"I promise you I will," he answered. + +Johnnie Jones knew that Father always kept his promise, so, after a +moment or two, he said he was ready. + +"One, two, three, jump!" said Father. And Johnnie Jones obeyed. + +As soon as he touched the water he felt Father's strong arms about +him, and then he did not mind going down, down, into it. In a second +he came to the surface again, of course dripping wet, but without +having swallowed any water, as he had remembered to hold his breath. + +After the first plunge, he enjoyed taking others, and jumped into the +water as many times as Father would catch him. Next day they went in +bathing again, and Father carried Johnnie Jones out to the raft as +before. But when the little boy was ready to jump, Father said: "To-day, +I shall not catch you when you first touch the water; I shall wait until +you come to the surface by yourself, and then I shall hold you up." + +After he had jumped into the water, Johnnie Jones was surprised to find +that he came up again just as quickly as when Father's arms had been +under him. Then while Father held him he lay flat on the water and +paddled himself about with his hands and feet. + +In a few days the little boy learned to swim a short distance, quite +alone, although he was not allowed to go into the water unless an older +person were with him. + +One day, before Johnnie Jones had learned to swim very well, he had an +exciting experience. He was on the dock with his uncle, and a very high +wind was blowing the water into waves, which dashed against the dock +with a roaring sound. Indeed the waves were so noisy, that when Johnnie +Jones suddenly slipped and fell off the dock, his uncle, whose back was +turned, did not hear the splash. + +However, a boatman at the boat-house saw Johnnie Jones fall, and he ran +as fast as possible, towards the dock. + +Meantime Johnnie Jones sank down into the water, and came up to the +surface again. The brave little fellow remembered what to do. He closed +his mouth, and holding one hand over his nose, he paddled with the +other, until he was able to grasp the dock, against which the wind was +blowing him. He held on bravely, never opening his mouth to cry, nor +taking his hand from his face. + +In less than a minute, though it seemed much longer to Johnnie Jones, +his uncle and the boatman had drawn him from the water. He was not in +the least harmed by his unexpected bath because he had remembered, even +while he was falling, the proper thing to do. + +Mother stripped off his wet clothing, and after she had rubbed him until +he was all in a glow, she wrapped him in blankets so that he should not +take cold. + +Johnnie Jones went to sleep. When he awoke he felt very well, and was +glad when he heard Father say: "You were a brave boy and I am proud of +you." + +Johnnie Jones's uncle was sorry he had been so careless as to turn his +back when the wind was blowing such a gale, and promised that it should +never happen again. + +Johnnie Jones was more careful, too, and had no further trouble in the +water. Every day, Father gave him a swimming lesson, and before the time +came to return to the city, Johnnie Jones felt very much at home in the +water. He could swim very well, and could float, lying flat on his back, +but another summer passed before he had quite learned to dive. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's All About Johnnie Jones, by Carolyn Verhoeff + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALL ABOUT JOHNNIE JONES *** + +***** This file should be named 15241.txt or 15241.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/2/4/15241/ + +Produced by Kentuckiana Digital Library, David Garcia and the PG +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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