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diff --git a/41288-8.txt b/41288-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 932b22b..0000000 --- a/41288-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6399 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beginner's Book in Language, by H. Jeschke - -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/license - - -Title: Beginner's Book in Language - A Book for the Third Grade - -Author: H. Jeschke - -Release Date: November 4, 2012 [EBook #41288] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEGINNER'S BOOK IN LANGUAGE *** - - - - -Produced by Mark C. Orton, Sue Fleming and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -[Illustration: A PICTURE STORY--PARTS 1 AND 2] - -[Illustration: A PICTURE STORY--PARTS 3 AND 4] - - - - - BEGINNERS' BOOK IN LANGUAGE - - - A BOOK FOR THE THIRD GRADE - - - BY - - H. JESCHKE - - JOINT AUTHOR OF "ORAL AND WRITTEN ENGLISH" - BOOK ONE AND BOOK TWO - - - - - GINN AND COMPANY - - BOSTON - NEW YORK - CHICAGO - LONDON - ATLANTA - DALLAS - COLUMBUS - SAN FRANCISCO - - - * * * * * - - COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY GINN AND COMPANY - - ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - 622.1 - - - - - The Athenæum Press - - GINN AND COMPANY - PROPRIETORS - BOSTON - U.S.A. - - * * * * * - - - PREFACE - - -How shall we bring it about that children of the third grade speak as -spontaneously in the schoolroom as they do on the playground when the -game is in full swing? - -How shall we banish their schoolroom timidity and self-consciousness? - -How shall we obtain from them a ready flow of thought expressed in -fitting words? - -How shall we interest them in the improvement of their speech? - -How shall we inoculate them against common errors in English? - -How shall we displace with natural, correct, and pointed written -expression the lifeless school composition of the past, the laborious -production of which was of exceedingly doubtful educational value and -gave pleasure neither to child nor to teacher? - -These are some of the questions to which this new textbook for the third -grade aims to give constructive answers. Needless to say, much more is -required in the way of answer than a supply of raw material for language -work or a graded sequence of formal lessons in primary English. - -It is the purpose of the present book to provide a series of schoolroom -situations, so built up as to give pupils delightful experiences in -speaking and writing good English. Since one can no more teach without -the interest of the pupil than see without light, these situations have -for their content the natural interests of children. They therefore -include child life and the heroic aspects of mature life, fairies and -fairyland, and the outer world, particularly animal life. Then, each -situation is considerably extended, not only that interest may be -conserved but also that it may be cumulative. Instead of the rope of -sand that one finds in the textbook of unrelated assignments, there is -offered here an interwoven unity of nearly a dozen inclusive groups of -interrelated lessons, exercises, drills, and games. Among these groups -are the fairy group, the Indian group, the fable group, the valentine -group, and the circus group. - -These groups or situations call for much physical activity, pantomime, -dramatization. They provide for story-telling of great variety; for -instruction and practice in punctuation, capitalization, and other -points of form; for habit-creating drills in good English; for -correct-usage games; for simple letter writing; for novel exercises in -book making; and, second in importance to none of these, for the -improvement by the pupils themselves of their oral and written -composition,--all the work being socialized and otherwise variously -motivated from beginning to end. - -Careful experiments made with children of the third grade while these -lessons were still in manuscript insure that the book will produce the -desired results under ordinary school conditions. Very exceptional work -may be expected where teachers conscientiously read the entire book at -the beginning of the school year and enter into the spirit of it. That -they may do this with the least expenditure of time and energy, the -lessons have been provided with cross references and numerous notes. - - THE AUTHOR - - - - -CONTENTS - -SECTION PAGE - - 1. Study of a Picture Story 1 - - 2. Story-Telling 3 - - 3. Making Stories Better 4 - - 4. Study of a Poem. "Queen Mab" _Thomas Hood_ 6 - - 5. Story-Telling 9 - - 6. Correct Usage--_Saw_ 11 - - 7. Study of a Fable. "The Ants and the Grasshoppers" _Æsop_ 13 - - 8. Telling a Fable 18 - - 9. Making up Fables 19 - - 10. Correct Usage--_Saw_, _Seen_ 21 - - 11. Words sometimes Mispronounced 23 - - 12. More Making up of Fables 24 - - 13. Story-Telling 26 - - 14. Telling about Indians. "An Indian Boy's Training" - _Charles A. Eastman_ 28 - - 15. Studying Words 33 - - 16. More Telling about Indians 35 - - 17. Still More Telling about Indians 38 - - 18. Correct Usage--_Have_ 40 - - 19. The Names of the Months 41 - - 20. Making Riddles 44 - - 21. Correct Usage--_Did_, _Done_ 45 - - 22. Telling Fairy Stories. "Peter and the Strange Little Old Man" 47 - - 23. Study of a Poem. "The Fairy Folk" _Robert M. Bird_ - "A Child's Song" _William Allingham_ 52 - - 24. More Telling of Fairy Stories. "Peter Visits the Strange - Little Old Man's Workshop" 56 - - 25. Making Riddles 65 - - 26. Making Riddles Better 65 - - 27. Study of a Poem. "The Light-Hearted Fairy" _Unknown_ 68 - - 28. Correct Usage--_Rang_, _Sang_, _Drank_ 70 - - 29. Making up Fairy Stories 72 - - 30. Writing Dates 74 - - 31. Telling Interesting Things 75 - - 32. Story-Telling. "Jack and Jill" _Louisa M. Alcott_ 76 - - 33. Explaining Things 80 - - 34. Words sometimes Mispronounced 81 - - 35. Telling Interesting Things. "How the Eskimo builds his - House" 82 - - 36. Study of a Poem. "Jack Frost" _Gabriel Setoun_ 87 - - 37. Game 90 - - 38. Correct Usage--_May_, _Can_ 92 - - 39. Talking over Plans 94 - - 40. Letter Writing 95 - - 41. More Letter Writing 97 - - 42. Still More Letter Writing 102 - - 43. Improving Letters 103 - - 44. Study of a Poem. "Mr. Nobody" _Unknown_ 104 - - 45. Making a Little Book 107 - - 46. Correct Usage--_No_, _Not_, _Never_ 109 - - 47. Telling Interesting Things 111 - - 48. Study of a Picture Story 114 - - 49. Correct Usage--_Went_, _Saw_, _Came_, _Did_ 119 - - 50. Two Punctuation Marks 120 - - 51. Another Study of a Picture Story 121 - - 52. Letter Writing 123 - - 53. Words sometimes Mispronounced 124 - - 54. Story-Telling. "The Daughter of Ceres" 125 - - 55. Telling Interesting Things. "The Return of Spring" 131 - - 56. Story-Telling. "Ceres and Apollo" 133 - - 57. Correct Usage--_I am not_ 141 - - 58. Riddles 141 - - 59. Story-Telling. "Ceres and Pluto" 144 - - 60. Talking over Plans 150 - - 61. Letter Writing 152 - - 62. Addressing Letters 153 - - 63. Telling Interesting Things 155 - - 64. Making Riddles 158 - - 65. Telling about Wild Animals 159 - - 66. Making a Little Book 162 - - 67. Correct Usage--_Good_, _Well_ 163 - - 68. Talking over the Telephone 165 - - 69. Words sometimes Mispronounced 166 - - 70. Talking over Vacation Plans 166 - - NOTES TO THE TEACHER i - - INDEX xiii - - - - -BEGINNERS' BOOK IN LANGUAGE[A] - - - - -=1. Study of a Picture Story[1]= - - -The four pictures at the beginning of this book tell a story. It is -about a boy of your age. His name is Tom. Let us try to read that -picture story. Perhaps you have already done so. Perhaps you have -already found out what happened to Tom. - -=Oral Exercise.=[2] 1. Look at the first of the four pictures. What is -happening? - -Perhaps the owl thinks that the little man is a little animal. Perhaps -the owl wants to eat him for supper. What might the owl say if it could -talk? Say it as if you were the owl. - -You know, of course, that the little man is an elf. And of course he -does not want to be eaten. What is he doing? Call for help as if you -were an elf. Remember that the owl is after you. Call with all your -might. Call as if you were frightened. - - [A] NOTE TO TEACHER. Immediately preceding the Index are the - Notes to the Teacher. Cross references to these are given in the - text, as on the present page. Note 1 may be found on the page - that follows page 168. - -See the surprised look on Tom's face. Play that you are picking flowers -in a meadow. Suddenly you hear a call for help. Show the class how you -look up and about you to see what is the matter. What might you say when -you notice the owl and the elf? - -2. Look at the brave boy in the second picture. He has dropped his -flowers and run over to the elf. What is he doing? What is he shouting? -Do these things as if you were Tom in this picture. - -Play this part of the story with two classmates. - -3. The good elf has taken Tom to a wonderful tree in the woods. What do -you think he is saying to Tom? Should you be a little afraid to open the -door if you were Tom? Why? What questions might Tom ask before he opens -it? - -Play that you and a classmate are Tom and the elf in the third picture, -standing in front of the door in the tree. Talk together as they -probably talked together. Some of your classmates may be other elves, -peeking out from behind large trees. - -4. Just as Tom reached out his hand to open the door in the tree, what -do you think happened? Look at the sleepy but surprised boy in the -fourth picture. Why is he surprised? - -Play that you are Tom. Show the class how you would look as you awoke -from the exciting dream.[3] What should you probably say? - -Play this part of the story with a classmate. The classmate plays that -she is the mother. What do you think the mother is saying to Tom? What -might Tom answer? - -5. Now you and several classmates will wish to play the entire story.[4] - -Then it will be fun to see others[5] play it in their way. Perhaps these -will play it better. Each group of pupils playing the story tries to -show exactly what happened, by what the players say and do and by the -way they look. - - - - -=2. Story-Telling= - - -Tom awoke just as he was opening the door in the tree. We do not know -what would have happened next. Perhaps there was a stairway behind the -door. Perhaps this led to a beautiful garden in which were flowers of -many colors and singing birds. We do not know whom Tom might have met in -that garden. We do not know what might have happened there. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Play that you are Tom. Tell the class your dream. But -make believe that you did not wake up just as you were opening the door. -Tell your classmates what happened to you after you opened it. - -Perhaps you found yourself in a room that was full of elves. Perhaps the -king of the elves was there. How did he show that he was glad that you -had saved the life of one of his elves? What did he say? Did the elves -clap their hands? Did they play games with you in the woods? - -Or perhaps the room was full of playthings, like a large toystore. -Perhaps the elf told you to choose and take home what you wanted most. - -As you and your classmates tell the dream, it will be fun to see how -different the endings are. - -2. It may be that the teacher will ask you and some classmates to play -the best dream story that is told. The first part of it you have already -played. Play it over with the new ending. The pupil who added this may -tell his classmates how to play it. Should he not be one of the players? -He will know, better than any one else, exactly what should be said and -done.[6] - - - - -=3. Making Stories Better[7]= - - -On the morning when Tom awoke from his dream he found his mother at his -bedside. The first thing he did was to tell her his strange dream. This -is what he said: - - Mother, I dreamed about a door. It was in the trunk of a tree. A - kind elf showed it to me. I drove away a wicked owl that was trying - to carry the elf away. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Do you think that Tom told his dream very well? Did -he begin at the beginning or at the end of it? Did he leave anything -out? - -2. Does Tom's story tell what he was doing when he first saw the elf? -Does it tell how the elf looked?[8] How might Tom have begun his story? - -3. Does Tom's story tell how he drove the owl away? What might Tom have -said about this? Look at the second picture of the story and see what it -tells. - -4. Tom's story says nothing about going into the woods. It does not tell -what was written on the strange door. Look again at the third picture. -What does it tell you that Tom left out? - - * * * * * - -The questions you have been answering are much like the questions that -Tom's mother asked him. When he answered them, Tom saw that he had not -told his dream very well. - -"I left out some of the most interesting things," Tom said, as he -thought it over on his way to school. - -A few days after this, Tom's teacher asked the pupils whether they -remembered any of their dreams. Tom raised his hand. The teacher asked -him to tell his dream. This is what he told his classmates: - - I dreamed that I was picking flowers. The sun was shining, and the - meadow was beautiful. Suddenly I heard a cry. Some one was calling - for help. I turned and saw a big owl. Its claws were spread out. It - was trying to get hold of a little elf and carry him away. - - I ran to help the elf. The owl flew up in the air. I waved my arms - and shouted and frightened it away. - - The good elf said that I had saved his life. He led me into the - woods where there were very large trees. In the side of one of the - largest I saw a little door. OPEN ME AND STEP IN was written on it. - - At first I was afraid to go near the door. But the good little elf - told me to fear nothing. Just as I reached out my hand to open the - door, I awoke. - -=Oral Exercise.= Did Tom tell the class the same dream he told his -mother? Read again what he told her. Now point out where he made it -better. What did he add? Which additions do you like most? - - - - -=4. Study of a Poem= - - -Some say that one of the fairies brings the dreams. They say that it is -Queen Mab, a queen of the fairies, who brings them. The following poem -tells about this good fairy, who flutters down from the moon. It tells -how she waves her silver wand above the heads of boys and girls when -they are asleep. Then, at once, they begin to dream. They dream of the -pleasantest things. They dream of delicious fruit trees and bubbling -fountains. Sometimes, like Tom, they dream of an elf or a dwarf who -leads them over fairy hills to fairyland itself.[9] - - QUEEN MAB - - A little fairy comes at night, - Her eyes are blue, her hair is brown, - With silver spots upon her wings, - And from the moon she flutters down. - - She has a little silver wand, - And when a good child goes to bed, - She waves her wand from right to left - And makes a circle round its head. - - And then it dreams of pleasant things, - Of fountains filled with fairy fish, - Of trees that bear delicious fruit - And bow their branches at a wish, - Of pretty dwarfs to show the ways - Through fairy hills and fairy dales. - - THOMAS HOOD (Abridged)[10] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Let us make sure that we understand this poem. Find -the following words in it and tell what you think each one means:[11] - - flutters - wand - circle - fountains - delicious - branches - dwarfs - dales - -2. Have you ever read about fairies? Tell the class how you think a -fairy looks. If you tell it well, you may draw on the board with colored -chalk your picture of a fairy. Explain your picture to the class. - -[Illustration] - -3. Play that you are holding a wand in your hand. Wave it as you think -the fairy waved it round the head of a sleeping child. - -=Written Exercise.= Copy that part of the poem which you like best. Copy -all the little marks that you find. Write capital letters where you find -them. Every line of the poem begins with a capital letter. Perhaps you -can do this copying without making a mistake.[12] - -=Memory Exercise.=[13] Read the poem aloud over and over until you can -say it without looking at the book. Then stand before the class and -recite it. If you make a mistake, you must take your seat. The pupil who -saw your mistake may then recite the poem. - - - - -=5. Story-Telling= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Think of some dreams you have had. Choose the one that -the class would probably like to hear most, but not one that will take -long to tell. Explain to the class how the dream began, what came next, -what after that, and how it ended. - -If you cannot remember any dream, make up one. It may be that you can -make up one that will be more wonderful than any real dream of your -classmates.[14] But do not make it too long. - -=Group Exercise.=[15] After you have told your dream, your classmates -will point out what they liked in the story itself and in your way of -telling it. Then they will explain to you how you might have told it -better. Perhaps, like Tom, you left out many interesting little points. - -=Oral Exercise.= Make believe you dreamed that, as you were on your way -to school one morning, you came upon a big elephant standing on the -sidewalk. Tell the class what you did in your dream and how you got to -school. - -Or play you dreamed that a smiling elf met you on your way to -school. He gave you a pretty box. He told you to open it when you -reached the schoolroom. Tell your classmates what you found in it. - -Or make believe you dreamed that a lion came into the school. Tell the -class what you did. Were you and the teacher the only brave ones in the -room? Tell what some of your classmates did in your dream. - -Or play you dreamed that you found a gold coin in the schoolyard. When -you could not learn who the owner was, you made a plan for spending the -money for the school. Tell the class about this plan. - -Perhaps the teacher will ask you and the other pupils to play some of -these dream stories, if they are very interesting. - -=Written Exercise.= 1. The teacher will write on the board one or more -of the stories told by you and the other pupils.[16] The class will read -them carefully and point out where each could be made better.[17] Copy -one that the teacher has rewritten. The next exercise, which you may -read at once, will tell you why you should do this copying without -making mistakes. - -2. Now the teacher will cover with a map the story on the board that you -have copied, and will read it to you, while you write it again.[18] This -exercise will show whether you can write a story without making any -mistakes. You will need to know where to put capital letters and the -little marks that are placed at the ends of sentences. Besides, you will -need to know the spelling of words. - -3. Compare what you have written with what is on the board. Look for -three things: - - (1) Capital letters - - (2) The mark at the end of each sentence - - (3) The spelling of words - -Did you have everything right? If not, correct the mistakes you made. - - - - -=6. Correct Usage--_Saw_= - - -Some pupils use the word _seen_ when they should use _saw_. Mistakes of -this kind spoil stories, just as a song is spoiled when some one sings -wrong notes. Let us begin to get rid of these unpleasant mistakes by -learning how to use the word _saw_ correctly.[19] - -=Oral Exercise.= The word _saw_ is used correctly in the three sentences -that follow. Read these sentences aloud several times. - - 1. Tom said he saw an owl in his dream. - - 2. I saw a pretty dollhouse in my dream last night. - - 3. I dreamed that I saw a beautiful yellow bird sitting on a fruit - tree and singing. - -=Game.= Let all the pupils, except one, play that they have fallen -asleep. When they have closed their eyes and rested their heads on their -folded arms, the one pupil who plays that she is Queen Mab tiptoes up -and down between the rows of seats. With a fairy wand she makes a circle -round several heads. Then the fairy disappears, the class wakes up, and -each pupil who has had a dream tells his classmates the most interesting -one thing that he saw in it. Thus, one pupil might say: - - I saw an elf. He was sitting in front of the door of his - tree-house. He was making a toy for a little boy. - -Another pupil might say: - - I saw a dwarf. He was riding over the fruit-tree tops. He was on - the back of a beautiful eagle. - -Another might say: - - I saw an owl. It had big, round, shiny eyes. It looked at me, but I - was not afraid. - -Still another might say: - - I saw a fine white horse. It had a golden harness. A brave soldier - sat on its back. - -Each pupil begins with the words _I saw_ and tries to say something -that is very different from what his classmates say they dreamed, and -much more wonderful.[20] - - - - -=7. Study of a Fable= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Did you ever read the story or fable of the ants and -the grasshoppers? Read it carefully as it is told on this and the next -pages. See whether you can tell your classmates the lesson that it -teaches. - -[Illustration] - - THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPERS - - In a field one summer day some ants were busily at work. They were - carrying grain into their storehouses. As they plodded steadily to - and fro under their loads, they were watched by a number of - grasshoppers. The grasshoppers were not working. Instead, they were - sunning themselves by the roadside. Now and then these idle - fellows droned out a lazy song, or joined in a dance, or amused - themselves by making fun of the ants. But the ants were tireless - workers. They kept steadily on. Nothing could take their minds off - their business. - - "Why don't you come with us and have some fun?" at last called one - of the grasshoppers to the ants. - - "Oh, stop that work," another cried. "Come and have a good time, as - we are doing!" - - But the ants kept right on with their work. - - "Winter is coming," said an ant. He was busily pushing a rich grain - of wheat before him. "We need to get ready for the days when we can - gather no food. You had better do the same." - - "Ah, let winter take care of itself," the grasshoppers shouted, all - together. "We have enough to eat to-day. We are not going to worry - about to-morrow." - - But the ants kept on with their work. The grasshoppers kept on with - their play. - - When winter came, the grasshoppers had no food. One after another - they died. At last only one was left. Sick with hunger, he went to - the house of an ant and knocked at the door. - - "Dear ant," he began, "will you not help a poor fellow who has - nothing to eat?" - - The ant looked him over a few seconds. "So it is you, is it? As I - remember, you are the lazy fellow who did not believe in work. I do - not care to have anything to do with you." And he turned his back - on the lazy fellow. - - Sadly the grasshopper made his way to another door and knocked - again. - - "You have nothing to eat?" cried the ant that lived here, in great - surprise. "Tell me, what were you doing while the weather was warm? - Did you lay nothing by?" - - "No," replied the grasshopper. "I felt so happy and gay that I did - nothing but dance and sing." - - "Well, then," answered the ant, "you will have to dance and sing - now, as best you can. We ants never borrow. We ants never lend." - And he showed the lazy fellow out of the place. - - The hungry grasshopper dragged himself to a third house. - - "I am sorry," said the ant that opened the door. "I can spare you - nothing. All that I have I need for my own family. If you spent the - summer without working, you will have to spend the winter without - eating." And he shut the door in the grasshopper's face.--ÆSOP - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Show the class how you would carry a heavy load. -Play that a bag of wheat stood before you. Lift it from the ground, -balance it on one of your shoulders, walk with it across the room, and -set it carefully down in the corner. Then go back for another, and -another. Let several classmates do the same. - -2. Play that you and several classmates are the ants in the fable, -busily carrying loads from the field to the storehouses. What might you -ants be saying to each other while you work? Should you speak of the -sunny day, of the pleasant field, of the fun of working together? Should -you probably speak of the pleasure of seeing the grain pile up in the -storehouses? Should you be thinking, now and then, of the long, cold -winter ahead? What might you say about it? What might you say to each -other as you pass the grasshoppers loafing by the roadside? - -3. Show the class how you would walk about if you had nothing to do all -day long. Would your walk be brisk? Should you look wide-awake? Play -that you and several classmates are the grasshoppers in the fable. What -will you do? Will you walk lazily to and fro before the class, one of -you twanging a guitar, another singing, and the third dancing about? -What might you grasshoppers be saying to each other about the weather? -What might you say about the busy ants you see passing by with loads on -their backs? What might you say about the coming winter? - -4. Play the part of the fable that tells what happened in the summer. -First the ants will be seen at their work. They talk with each other as -they work. They say what they think about the lazy grasshoppers they see -in the distance. Now the grasshoppers slowly come along, humming tunes. -They talk about the beautiful summer. They laugh at the hard-working -ants. At last they call to the ants and invite these to join them in a -dance or in a song. Read the fable to see what each thinks and says and -does in this part of the story. - -5. Now play that winter has come. You and several classmates may be the -grasshoppers. You are shivering in the cold and have no food to eat. -Remember, you grasshoppers are not singing and dancing now. What might -you say to each other about the summer that is gone? One grasshopper -dies of hunger. What might the others say? Another dies. What does the -last one say to himself and decide to do? - -6. Can you see the last grasshopper going from house to house, begging -for food? How does he look? Show the class how he walks and how he -talks. What does he say at each door? - -7. With three classmates, that will be the three ants, play the last -part of the fable,--the part in which the last grasshopper goes from -door to door. The fable tells what each ant says and does. - -8. Another group of pupils may now play the whole story. Let them do it -in their own way.[5] If the story is played well, the class will see -everything as it happened. - - - - -=8. Telling a Fable= - - -The fable of the ants and the grasshoppers may be told in different -ways.[21] You could tell it as if you were one of the ants. In that case -the story might begin in this way: - - I am a busy ant. I really have no time to stop to talk with you. - But perhaps a few minutes' rest will do me good. Yes, I will tell - you about the grasshoppers. - - One day last summer I noticed some of these good-for-nothing - fellows near the field where I was working. They were sunning - themselves by the roadside. They were too lazy to work. - -Or you could tell the fable as if you were one of the grasshoppers. Then -it would perhaps begin as follows: - - I am a grasshopper. I had a hard time last winter. All my - companions died then. I think it is wonderful that I am still - alive. But my health has been ruined. - - You see, last summer we grasshoppers did not feel like doing any - work. We thought it was more fun to dance and sing and to laugh at - the ants. We thought they were foolish to work so hard. - -=Oral Exercise.= Tell the fable of the ants and the grasshoppers in your -own way. As you speak to your classmates, shall you play that you are an -ant or a grasshopper? - -=Group Exercise.= As each pupil tells the fable, the class will listen -to see whether any important parts have been left out. The class should -tell each speaker where he did well and where the fable might have been -told better. There is a good way and a poor way of telling a story. Do -you not remember the two ways in which Tom told his dream? - - - - -=9. Making up Fables= - - -As you know, the fable of the ants and the grasshoppers teaches the -lesson that during worktime one should work. The same lesson could be -taught by other stories. Let us try to make up a fable of our own. Our -fable should show what happens to those who will not work. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What animals shall we have in our story to take the -place of the ants? They must be very busy animals. They must be good -workers. They must not waste their time in idleness. They must not play -when they should be going about their business. Would bees do? Now, what -animals shall take the place of the grasshoppers? What do you think of -butterflies for this part? - -2. Make up a fable about bees and butterflies and tell it to your -classmates. Will you tell it as if you were one of the bees? Or will you -be a butterfly? Or will you tell the fable as if you were a bird or a -field mouse that saw all that happened and heard all that was said? - -=Group Exercise.= After each telling of the fable you and the other -pupils should tell the story-teller, first, what things in his story you -liked, and, second, what could be made better. - -Sometimes pupils do not speak loud enough for the class to hear. -Sometimes they do not seem strong enough to stand squarely on their two -feet while they are speaking. They seem to need to hold on to a chair or -table, so as not to fall. Those who stand well and speak with a clear, -ringing voice should be praised for it by their classmates.[22] - -=Oral Exercise.= Read the following ideas for stories. Perhaps you can -make up a story from one of them that the class would like to hear. -Perhaps you can make up a very interesting story that the class would -like to play. - -1. There are two dogs living in neighboring houses. One is too lazy to -watch his master's house. The other is faithful. When a burglar comes, -the faithful dog drives him away. Then the burglar enters the neighbor's -house. There he finds the lazy watchdog fast asleep. What happens next -morning when the master of each dog learns what took place during the -night? - -2. The billboards say that a circus is coming. In a month it will be in -a certain city where two boys live. These two boys plan to go. They need -to earn the money for the tickets. One of them begins at once and works -steadily. The other is unwilling to give up his play. - - - - -=10. Correct Usage--_Saw_, _Seen_= - - -Some time ago we began to learn about the correct use of the word _saw_. -Some pupils use _saw_ when only _seen_ is correct, and _seen_ when only -_saw_ is correct. The following sentences show the correct use of these -two troublesome words: - - 1. I _saw_ some ants busily at work. - - 2. _Have_ you _seen_ them? - - 3. Have you ever _seen_ a grasshopper at work? - - 4. I never _saw_ one. - - 5. But I _have_ often _seen_ ants at work. - - 6. _Has_ your brother _seen_ the ant hill in the field? - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. In any of the sentences above do you find _saw_ used -with _have_ or _has_? Do you find _seen_ used in any sentence without -_have_ or _has_? Can you make a rule for the use of _saw_ and _seen_? - -2. Using what you have just learned about _saw_ and _seen_, fill the -blanks below with the correct one of the two words: - - 1. The grasshoppers ---- the ants, and the ants ---- them. - - 2. I have ---- many ants and many grasshoppers. - - 3. Has any one ever ---- this grasshopper doing any work? - - 4. I once ---- two ants carrying a heavy grain of wheat together. - - 5. I ---- them at work. - - 6. Have you ---- the ants carrying grain this summer? - - 7. My brother once ---- a beehive. - - 8. He ---- hundreds of bees. - - 9. I have never ---- butterflies gathering food for the winter. - -=Game.= 1. The teacher sends one of the class from the room. The -remaining pupils close their eyes. The teacher tiptoes to one of them -and shows him a pencil (or a book or a cap) belonging to the pupil in -the hall. When that one returns to the room, he asks each of his -classmates in turn, "George (or Fred or Mary), have you seen my pencil?" - -The answer is, "No, Tom (or Lucy or John), I have not seen your pencil," -until at last the pupil is reached who has seen it. He answers, "Yes, -Tom, I have seen it." - -Then he in turn leaves the room, and another round of the game begins. - -2. The teacher points to one pupil after another and asks each, "What -did you see on your way to school?" The answers come: - - 1. I saw many children all going in the same direction. - - 2. I saw a poster of the circus that is coming to town next week. - - 3. I saw a farmer driving a cow. - - 4. I saw a policeman. - -Each answer begins with the words _I saw_. After half a dozen pupils -have spoken, the one who gave the most interesting reply[23] takes the -teacher's place. He asks his classmates a question beginning with the -words _What did you see?_ He might say: - - 1. What did you see at church last Sunday? - - 2. What did you see when you visited your grandfather? - - 3. What did you see when you went to the woods? - -After half a dozen answers, another pupil becomes the questioner. Each -pupil tries to ask interesting questions and to give interesting -answers.[20] - - - - -=11. Words sometimes Mispronounced= - - -It often happens that a story is spoiled because the person who tells -it makes mistakes in English. It is as unpleasant to hear a mistake in a -speaker's language as it is to see a spot on a picture. You have already -learned the proper use of _saw_ and _seen_. In this lesson we shall take -up another matter. Sometimes pupils do not pronounce all their words -correctly. We must get rid of mistakes of this kind, too. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Pronounce each word in the following list as your -teacher pronounces it to you: - - can - catch - just - when - where - why - what - which - while - often - three - because - -2. Read the entire list rapidly, but speak each word distinctly and -correctly. - -3. Use in sentences the words in the list above. - - - - -=12. More Making up of Fables= - - -Of course you have heard the fable of the foolish little chick. That -chick paid no attention to its mother's warning to stay near her. You -probably remember that it boldly wandered away from her and was caught -by a hawk. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. If there are any pupils in the class who do not know -the fable of the foolish chick, some pupil who remembers it clearly -should tell it to them, so that all may know it. What is the lesson of -that fable? - -2. Make up a short fable like the one of the careless chick and the -hawk. Read the following list of ideas for such a fable. Perhaps it will -help you to make up an interesting story to tell the class. Perhaps the -class will wish to play your story. - - The Foolish Lamb and the Wolf - - The Bear Cub and the Bear Trap - - The Heedless Puppy and the Automobile - - The Reckless Mouse and the Cat - -[Illustration] - -=Group Exercise.= The teacher will write on the board the best of the -fables that you and your classmates make. Then you and they may try to -improve these fables, as Tom improved the story of his dream. Make each -one as interesting as you can.[24] Think of bright things to add to each -one. - -=Written Exercise.= Copy from the board one of the fables that the class -has improved. Write capital letters and punctuation marks where you find -them in the fable. What you write should be an exact copy of what is on -the board.[25] Do you think that there is any one in the class who can -make such an exact copy? Are you that one? - - - - -=13. Story-Telling= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Did you ever see a sign with the words SAFETY FIRST? -Explain to your classmates what you think it meant. - -The three pictures on the opposite page tell three stories. Each story -teaches the lesson, "Safety First." - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make up a story that you and your classmates may -play. Let it fit one of the three pictures. Tell it to the class. - -2. Together with two or three classmates, whom you may choose yourself, -play your story. Perhaps you and the other players will meet before or -after school, and then you can tell them how each one must look, what he -must do, and what he must say, in playing his part. Try to do it all -without the teacher, but if you need the teacher's help, ask for it. -Play the story once or twice before playing it in the presence of the -class. - -=Group Exercise.= Other pupils will play their stories. The class will -tell what it likes and what it does not like in the playing of each -story. These questions will help to show whether a story was well -played: - - 1. Did the players say enough? - - 2. Did the players speak clearly, distinctly, and loud enough? - - 3. Did the players look and act like the persons in the story? - - 4. How might the story have been played better? - -[Illustration: SAFETY FIRST] - - - - -=14. Telling about Indians[26]= - -[Illustration] - - -Long ago there were no cities and no railroads in our country. The white -men had not yet come. Only Indians lived here. As you probably know, -their houses were tents made of skins. They had no guns, but hunted with -bows and arrows. Their clothes were very different from those we wear. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. You have probably read or heard interesting things -about the Indians. What can you tell your classmates about them? - -2. Of course you know that Indian children were not sent to school as -you are. They did not learn to read books. Do you know what they did -learn? Tell the class what you know about it. - -3. Read what an Indian says in the following true story. When this -Indian boy grew to be a young man, he learned English. He has written a -number of books about his boyhood. As you read what follows, notice how -many things you are told which you never heard of before. Perhaps you -had thought that little Indian boys were never afraid of the dark. This -story tells how they get over it. What else does it tell that is -interesting to you? - - AN INDIAN BOY'S TRAINING[B] - - My uncle was my teacher until I reached the age of fifteen years. - He was strict and good. When I left the tepee in the morning, he - would say: "Boy, look closely at everything you see." At evening, - on my return, he used to question me for an hour or so. - - He asked me to name all the new birds that I had seen during the - day. I would name them according to the color, or the shape of the - bill, or their song, or their nest, or anything about the bird that - I had noticed. Then he would tell me the correct name. - - One day he told me what to do if a bear or a wild-cat should attack - me. "You must make the animal fully understand that you have seen - him and know what he is planning to do. If you are not ready for a - battle, that is, if you are not armed, the only way to make him - turn away from you is to take a long, sharp-pointed pole for a - spear and rush toward him. No wild beast will face this unless he - is cornered and already wounded." - - [B] Copyright, 1913, by Little, Brown and Company. - -[Illustration: KNIFE IN ITS BEADED CASE] - - When I was still a very small boy, my stern teacher began to give - sudden war whoops over my head in the morning while I was sound - asleep. He expected me to leap up without fear, grasp my bow and - arrows or my knife, and give a shrill whoop in reply. If I was - sleepy or startled and hardly knew what I was about, he would laugh - at me and say that I would never become a warrior. Often he would - shoot off his gun just outside the tepee while I was yet asleep, at - the same time giving bloodcurdling yells. After a time I became - used to this. - - My uncle used to send me off after water when we camped after dark - in a strange place. Perhaps the country was full of wild beasts. - There might be scouts from warlike bands of Indians hiding in that - very neighborhood. - - Yet I never objected, for that would have shown cowardice. I picked - my way through the woods, dipped my pail in the water, and hurried - back. I was always careful to make as little noise as a cat. Being - only a boy, I could feel my heart leap at every crackling of a dry - twig or distant hooting of an owl. At last I reached the tepee. - Then my uncle would perhaps say, "Ah, my boy, you are a thorough - warrior." Then he would empty the pail, and order me to go a second - time. - - Imagine how I felt! But I wished to be a brave man as much as a - white boy desires to be a great lawyer or even President of the - United States. Silently I would take the pail and again make the - dangerous journey through the dark.--CHARLES A. EASTMAN (OHIYESA), - "Indian Child Life" (Adapted) - -[Illustration: INDIAN ARROWS] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Play that you are an Indian boy or girl. Make -believe that you are walking through the dark woods. Remember, there may -be wild beasts in the woods, or the scouts of warlike Indian bands. Show -the class how you would walk and how you would look about you as you -picked your way to a spring to fetch water for the camp. Tell the class -what you might see and hear on this dangerous trip. - -[Illustration: A TEPEE] - -2. Now let three or four of your classmates be white boys and girls. -They are passing carefully through the same woods. Let these white -children show the class exactly how they would make their way through -the woods. What might they be whispering to each other? - -3. Play that suddenly you and the white hunters meet in these dangerous -woods. At first you see them a little distance away. What do you try to -do? But they have also seen you. What do they try to do? At length you -find that they are friendly, and they see that they need not fear you. -When you meet them, what might you say to them? What questions might you -ask them? What might they ask you? - -4. Make believe that the white boys and girls know very little about -Indian boys, and that they wonder why you are not in school studying -your lessons. What will you tell them? When they ask you whether you -never learn anything, tell them what you have learned in the woods. - -5. Now tell them that you know nothing about the schools to which white -children go. Ask them to tell you why they go to school and what they do -there. Ask them more questions until they have told you all about their -school. - - - - -=15. Studying Words= - - -When the first white men who came to this country met the Indians, they -learned from them some new words. The white men used these Indian words -more and more. To-day we think of the words as English words, and we -have almost forgotten where we got them. In talking about Indians we -shall need these words. Let us learn them at once. Then we shall make -no mistakes when we use them. - -[Illustration: STONE HATCHET] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Listen carefully as the teacher pronounces each word -in this list of Indian words. Then pronounce it the same way. Then read -the entire list distinctly and rapidly without making a single mistake. - - tepee - squaw - wampum - hominy - toboggan - wigwam - papoose - moccasin - tomahawk - tobacco - -2. Which of these words do you already know? Make sentences using each -of these to show that you know what they mean. Learn the meaning of the -others and then use them in sentences. - -=Group Exercise.= With each of the Indian words in the list make one -interesting sentence. This the teacher will write on the board. Then the -entire class will make it as much better as possible. The teacher will -write the improved sentence on the board under the other one. Thus, with -the first word in the list, you might give this sentence: - - The hunter saw a tepee. - -The class tries to make the sentence more interesting. At last the -following sentence is seen on the board: - - The brave Indian hunter saw a large new tepee in the woods. - - - - -=16. More Telling about Indians= - - - One way of starting fire was for several of the boys to sit in a - circle and, one after another, to rub two pieces of dry, spongy - wood together until the wood caught fire.--CHARLES A. EASTMAN - (Ohiyesa), "Indian Child Life" - -[Illustration: FLINT KNIVES] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Do you know in what kind of houses the Indians -lived? Explain to the class how large you think an Indian house was, how -it was made, and what kind of door it had. If you can, draw on the board -a picture of the tepee about which you are talking. - -2. In which of the following questions are you interested most? You -probably know something about it already. Learn as much more as you can. -Ask your teacher and your father and mother, and try to find something -about it in books. Then tell your classmates what you know. If you can -draw on the board[26] a picture of the thing about which you are -talking, it may help your classmates to understand you better. Or you -may make a drawing on paper with colored crayons. - - 1. What sort of boat did Indians use and how did they make it? - - 2. What did the Indians wear? - - 3. How were the Indian babies taken care of? - - 4. What did the Indians use for money? - - 5. How are the Indians of to-day different from the Indians whom - the first white men saw? - -=Group Exercise.= 1. After each pupil's talk the class should explain to -the speaker, first, what they liked in the talk, and, second, how the -talk might have been better. - -2. One of these talks the teacher will write on the board.[16] Then the -whole class should study it together, improving it as much as possible. -The following questions may help in this work: - - 1. Is anything important left out? - - 2. What could be added to make the talk more interesting? - -=Written Exercise.= 1. When the talk that you have just been studying -has been rewritten on the board in its improved form, copy it. Before -doing so, read the exercise that follows. It will show you why it is -very important that you try to copy the talk without making a single -mistake. Look out for the spelling of words, for the capital letters, -and for the punctuation marks. In this way you will be preparing for the -battle in the next exercise. - -2. The entire class may now be divided into two Indian tribes. The -tribes are to have a battle in the schoolroom. The battle will be a -writing battle. It will show which tribe can write from dictation[18] -with the fewer mistakes. What you have just copied from the board is to -be used for this dictation. Before the exercise begins, each tribe may -give its war whoop. - -[Illustration: WALKING STICKS USED BY THE OLD MEN OF A TRIBE] - -3. Compare what you have written with what is on the board.[12] How many -mistakes in spelling have you made? How many times have you written -small letters where there should be capitals? How many punctuation -marks have you forgotten? How many mistakes have all the Indians in your -tribe made? Did your tribe make fewer mistakes than the other tribe? -Then your tribe may give its war whoop as a sign of victory. The losing -tribe must remain silent. - - - - -=17. Still More Telling about Indians= - - - What boy would not be an Indian for a while when he thinks of the - freest life in the world? This life was mine. Every day there was a - real hunt.--CHARLES A. EASTMAN (OHIYESA), "Indian Child Life" - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What did Indian boys and girls enjoy that you do not -have? What pleasant things do you enjoy that the Indian children had -never heard of before the white men came to this country? - -2. Make believe that you are an Indian boy or girl. Play that you have -been asked by the teacher to visit the school. The teacher asks you to -tell about your pleasant life in a tepee in the woods, and why you are -glad you are an Indian. The teacher will meet you at the door, lead you -before the class, and say something like this: - - Boys and girls, I want to introduce you to our visitor. As you see, - he is an Indian boy, who has come to us from his home in the - woods. He will tell us why he likes the Indian life and why he - would not exchange places with us. - -What will you say to the class? - -[Illustration: BARK WIGWAM WITH CURVED ROOF] - -3. Now play that the class is a tribe of Indians. You have been -captured by them as you were wandering through the woods.[27] They want -you to live with them and to grow up with the Indian boys and girls. -Stand before this Indian tribe. Tell them bravely why you would rather -stay with the white men. Ask them to let you return to your home. Give -good reasons why they should do so. Which of the following ideas will -you use in your talk? - - 1. You would rather spend your life in the city than in the woods. - - 2. You like the white men's houses and ways of living better than - those of the Indians. - - 3. You want to learn to read better so that you may enjoy many - storybooks of which you have heard. - - - - -=18. Correct Usage--_Have_[28]= - - -A game that Indians often played was called "Finding the Moccasin." The -players formed a circle around one who stood in the center and was "it." -They passed a small toy moccasin quickly from hand to hand. The one in -the center tried to guess who had it. If he guessed right, then the -player who had the moccasin became "it" for the next game. - -[Illustration: MOCCASINS] - -=Game.= Make believe that you and your classmates are a band of Indians -playing "Finding the Moccasin." Make a small moccasin of paper or cloth. -Pass it quickly from hand to hand as you stand in a circle. Be careful -that the player in the center does not see you passing it. He will ask -one after another in the circle, "Have you the moccasin?" The answer -will always be, "No, I haven't (or have not) the moccasin," until the -one who does have it answers, "Yes, I have the moccasin." Then this -player is "it" for the next game. - - - - -=19. The Names of the Months= - - -Here are two lists of names. The second gives the Indian names for the -months. As you see, the Indians use the word _moon_ instead of the word -_month_. - - January Snow Moon - February Hunger Moon - March Crow Moon - April Wild-Goose Moon - May Planting Moon - June Strawberry Moon - July Thunder Moon - August Green-Corn Moon - September Hunting Moon - October Falling-Leaf Moon - November Ice-Forming Moon - December Long-Night Moon - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. As you read the two lists above, do you see the -reason for each Indian name? Do you like the Indian names as well as the -names we use? Which Indian name do you like best of all? Which do you -think could be improved? Can you make up other names for the twelve -months?[29] - -2. Can you name the twelve months in order? Remember to pronounce all -the _r's_ in _February_. - -3. Let twelve pupils be the twelve months. Let the pupil who is January -speak first. He should tell who he is and what he brings. He might speak -as follows: - - I am January. The Indians call me Snow Moon. I bring cold weather, - ice, and snow. Healthy boys and girls like me. When I am here, they - can go coasting and skating. When I bring too much cold, they stay - indoors by the fire and read books about Indians. - -[Illustration: INDIAN SLED, OR TOBOGGAN] - -In this way each of the twelve pupils may tell the class what kind of -month he is. - -=Group Exercise.= After each month has spoken, the class should tell -him, first, what was specially good in his talk, and then, what might -have been better. These questions will help the class to see how good -each talk was: - - 1. What was the best thing in the talk? - - 2. Did the speaker leave out anything interesting? - - 3. Did he use too many _and's_?[30] - -=Written Exercise.= You and eleven classmates may go to the board. The -teacher will name a month for each pupil. Each is to write a sentence -that tells what he likes to do in one of the months. If you are to write -what you like to do in November, you might write a sentence like the -following: - - In November I like to read books and play games by the warm fire. - -While the twelve pupils are writing on the board, the pupils in their -seats will write on paper. - -[Illustration: STONE AX] - -Do not forget that the name of every month begins with a capital letter. -Do not forget that the word _I_ is always written as a capital letter. - -=Group Exercise.= 1. The class may now point out any mistakes there are -in each of the twelve sentences on the board. These questions will help -pupils to find mistakes: - - 1. Is the name of the month spelled correctly? Does it begin with a - capital letter? - - 2. Does the sentence begin with a capital letter? - - 3. Does the sentence end with a period? - - 4. If the word _I_ is used, is it written as a capital letter? - -2. Now the sentences that pupils wrote at their desks may be read. Those -that are very good may be written on the board under the ones about the -same months. Then the class will point out mistakes in them, if there -are any. - - - - -=20. Making Riddles= - - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Can you guess either one of the following riddles? - - I come once in a year. I always bring Santa Claus with me. When I - leave, a new year begins at once. What am I? - - I come once a year. Turkeys do not like me, but everybody else - gives thanks after I have been here several weeks. What am I? - -2. Make riddles about the months, for your classmates to guess. Begin -your riddles like the two above. - -[Illustration: WOODEN BOWL] - -=Game.= Twelve pupils stand in a row in front of the class. The teacher -whispers to each the name of one of the months. The game is for the -class to arrange these pupils in the order of the months of the year. Of -course January will be placed at the beginning of the row. December -will be placed at the end. Each pupil in the row makes a riddle about -the month he is. The class must guess who is January, who is February, -and so on to December. - -Those who guess the riddles may be the months in the second game. - -=Group Exercise.= Pupils who make very good riddles may write them on -the board. Then the class will try to make them still better. - -[Illustration: BUFFALO-HORN SPOONS] - -=Written Exercise.= When the riddles on the board have been corrected, -copy the one or two you like best. Take these copies home to show to -your parents. Write the name of the month under each riddle you copy. -Begin that name with a capital letter. How will you make sure that you -have spelled it right? - - - - -=21. Correct Usage--_Did, Done_= - - -Some pupils spoil their talks and stories because they make mistakes in -using _did_ and _done_. They say _did_ when they should say _done_, and -_done_ when they should say _did_. The sentences at the top of the next -page show these words used correctly: - - 1. The Indian boy _did_ a brave deed. - - 2. He _has done_ deeds of bravery before. - - 3. I never _did_ anything so daring. - - 4. _Have_ you _done_ your work? - - 5. I _had done_ my work long before you spoke. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. As you read the sentences above, try to find out -when it is right to use _did_ and when _done_. - -2. Read the sentences again. Now notice that nowhere is the word _done_ -used unless _has_ or _have_ or _had_ is used in the same sentence. Is -this true of the word _did_ also? - -Let us remember, then, never to use _done_ alone, and never to use _did_ -with _have_ or _has_ or _had_. - -[Illustration: EARTHEN COOKING POT] - -=Game=.[31] 1. One of the pupils plays that he or she is an old Indian -squaw. All the other pupils are her children. She stands before them and -says: "Children, I must go to the river. I must see whether the warriors -are catching many fish for supper. I want you all to stay here in the -tepee and finish your work." In a little while the squaw returns from -the river. She walks up and down the aisles and asks each of her -children this question: "Have you done your work?" Each one answers: -"No, I have not done my work, but I think that John (pointing to the -next pupil) has done his." The questions and answers go on until every -pupil in the class has spoken. Then those who made no mistake in their -answers join in an Indian dance. They march up and down the aisles, -clapping their hands and chanting, "All good Indians have done their -work." - -2. The old Indian squaw again leaves and again returns to her children. -This time she asks each one, "What were you doing while I was gone?" -Each one answers, "I did the work you gave me to do." All those who -answer correctly join in an Indian dance, singing, "I did my work -yesterday, and I have done my work to-day."[32] - - - - -=22. Telling Fairy Stories[33]= - - - PETER AND THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN[9] - - On the edge of a great forest there once lived a toymaker and his - little family. Although he worked hard, he was very poor. His wife - had to help him whittle and paint the toys, which he sent to the - nearest village to be sold. - - "Times are hard," the toymaker said one night to his wife, "I - cannot save any money. Christmas is near at hand, and I am afraid - we shall have no presents for the boys." - - They had two boys. These looked as like as two peas from the same - pod, but they were very unlike at heart. Peter, the younger one, - made his father and mother very happy. Joseph, the elder, caused - them much worry. - - The toymaker would say: "Put wood on the fire, boys. We cannot work - if we are not warm." Peter would go to the shed at once, bring in - an armful of wood, put some of it in the stove and the rest in the - woodbox. All the while Joseph would stay in the warm room and would - not lift a finger to help him. - - So it was with everything. Peter worked steadily at his father's - side most of the day, whittling and gluing and painting toys, while - Joseph slipped away and spent his time in idleness and play. In the - evening it was Peter who helped his mother dry the dishes. - - One day as the three workers were busily bent over the bench, a - knock was heard at the door. They were surprised to see standing - outside a strange little old man, no higher than the tabletop. - - "Excuse me," he said, lifting his red cap very politely. "I have - lost my way. Would one of the boys kindly be my guide through the - woods?" - - "Yes, of course," answered the toymaker. He looked from one of his - sons to the other, wondering which one to send. He hoped that - Joseph would offer to go, because he was the elder. But Joseph was - already shaking his head very hard and turning away. Peter caught - his father's look and put on his hat and coat. - - "I know all the paths," he said to the stranger, "and will help you - find your way." - - They started off at once. When they had gone a short distance, it - began to snow. They trudged along just the same until the ground - was covered with a thick white blanket as far as they could see. - They talked very little, but kept their eyes open for the way, and - hurried along. At last they reached a place where four great oak - trees stood in a row, as if some one had planted them so. - - "This is the place," said the little old man. He took a golden - whistle from his pocket and blew it. A low sweet tone came from it, - that sounded like pleasant music in the silent woods. In a moment a - large sleigh, drawn by eight prancing reindeer, appeared before - them. The little old man motioned Peter to follow him and jumped - in. As soon as Peter had jumped in too, they drove away as fast as - they could go, bells ringing, and sparks flying as the reindeer's - hoofs struck the ground. Now and then the strange little old man - spoke to the reindeer. They seemed to know his voice. He called - each by name, "Now, Dasher," and "Now, Dancer," and "Get up, - Prancer." Then they dashed and danced and pranced faster than ever. - - They had been moving over the ground in this way for more than an - hour. Then Peter saw in the distance a building that was longer and - wider and higher than any building he had ever seen or heard about. - As they got nearer, a steady buzzing sound was heard. Peter thought - it was the sound of machinery. He thought a thousand wheels must be - turning and humming within. As he looked and listened, the sleigh - suddenly came to a stop. They stood at the entrance to the mighty - building. - - "What is this building?" asked Peter. - - "This is my workshop," said the strange little old man, as he - jumped out of the sleigh. "Some day I shall take you inside. You - are the kind of boy I like. I know how you help your father and - mother. To-day you have helped me. Here is a little present to take - home with you." - - He placed something in Peter's hand. Then he hurried up the broad - stairs and into the workshop. The big door slammed shut behind him, - and at that very moment the sleigh, the reindeer, and the workshop - itself suddenly disappeared. Much to his surprise Peter found - himself alone in the woods and not far from his father's hut. - - He wondered whether he had only dreamed all that had happened. No, - that could not be, for he still held in his hand a small leather - bag, the present from the little man. Holding this tightly, he - hurried to his home. - - You may imagine the surprise of his parents and his brother when he - told his story. They asked him to tell it again and again. Each one - examined the small leather bag. There were two beautiful gold coins - in it. Peter gave these to his father and mother. - - His father patted him on his curly head. - - "We shall spend these for Christmas," he said. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which part of this story do you like best? Tell your -classmates what sort of picture you would make with colored crayons for -this part of the story. Explain exactly what will be in the picture. -Then make the picture. - -2. Why did the strange little old man help Peter? Do you know any story -in which a fairy helps good people? - -3. Think of the fairy stories that you have heard or read. What is the -name of the one you like best? Would it not be fun for each pupil to -tell the class his favorite fairy story? When you tell yours, do not let -it be too long. Tell only the important parts of it.[22] - -=Group Exercise.= After each story, you and your classmates should tell -the speaker what you liked in his story and in his telling of it. Then -tell what you did not like. - - - - -=23. Study of a Poem= - - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Tell your classmates how you think fairies look. How -tall do you think they are? What kind of clothes do they wear? After you -have answered these questions, draw on the board or on paper, with -colored chalks or crayons, a picture of a fairy. - -2. Do fairies always walk or run, or can they fly, or have they tiny -horses and wagons? - -3. Can you see the picture of the fairies in the following lines? What -do those lines tell you about fairies that you did not know before? - - Their caps of red, their cloaks of green, - Are hung with silver bells, - And when they're shaken with the wind - Their merry ringing swells. - And riding on the crimson moths - With black spots on their wings, - They guide them down the purple sky - With golden bridle rings. - - ROBERT M. BIRD, "The Fairy Folk" - -4. Where do you think the fairies live? What do they eat? The following -poem gives one answer to these questions, and tells us still more about -fairies. What is the name of the poem? The child that sings it is afraid -of fairies. Do you know any other children that are afraid of them? - -[Illustration: "AND RIDING ON THE CRIMSON MOTHS"] - - A CHILD'S SONG - - Up the airy mountain, - Down the rushy glen, - We daren't go a-hunting - For fear of little men; - Wee folk, good folk, - Trooping all together; - Green jacket, red cap, - And white owl's feather! - - Down along the rocky shore - Some make their home, - They live on crispy pancakes - Of yellow tide-foam; - Some in the reeds - Of the black mountain-lake, - With frogs for their watchdogs, - All night awake. - - Up the airy mountain, - Down the rushy glen, - We daren't go a-hunting - For fear of little men; - Wee folk, good folk, - Trooping all together; - Green jacket, red cap, - And white owl's feather! - - WILLIAM ALLINGHAM (Abridged) - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Let us make sure that we understand every line of -this pretty poem or song. In the first line, why is the mountain called -_airy_? A _rushy glen_ is a narrow valley in which many rushes or swamp -reeds grow. Have you ever seen such a place? Draw a picture of a rushy -glen. - -2. Which lines in the first part of the poem tell about fairies? These -fairies go in a troop or band or company. Which line tells us that? With -colored crayons draw a picture of a fairy wearing a green jacket, a red -cap, and a white owl's feather. - -3. The second part, or stanza, of the poem tells where some of these -fairies live. What do some of them do all the night? As they watch, who -keeps them company? - -4. When you read this poem, does it seem to be a song? Do you like the -way it reads? Which part do you like best? Draw with colored crayons a -picture for this part. Before you draw, explain how the picture looks in -your mind. Perhaps you will draw a picture of a troop of fairies, or of -a fairy in the reeds with fairy watchdogs near by. - -=Memory Exercise.= Which do you like better, this poem you have just -studied or the part of another poem about fairies that is printed before -this? Read aloud, several times, the one you like better, until you can -say it without once looking at the book. - - - - -=24. More Telling of Fairy Stories= - - - PETER VISITS THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN'S WORKSHOP - - Over a week had passed since Peter's ride in the strange little old - man's sleigh, but the little man had not come again. Peter was - beginning to fear that he might never return. One afternoon, - however, just as the early winter twilight began to darken the - great forest, the jingling of sleighbells was heard in front of the - toymaker's hut. - - "Whoa, Dasher! Steady, Dancer! Whoa, Prancer!" was what Peter heard - as he pressed his face against the windowpane. Yes, there were the - reindeer, and there, bundled up to his chin in furs, was the - strange little old man. He saw Peter at once and made signs to the - boy to come along with him. Peter could not put on his cap and coat - fast enough. In less than a minute he had climbed into the sleigh, - tucked himself in snugly, and was flying over the frozen, - snow-covered ground by the side of his strange companion. Soon they - had left the lighted hut far behind them and were making their way - through the woods on an old logging road that Peter knew. After a - while, however, they reached parts of the forest that Peter had - never seen. Here grew trees whose names he had never heard. Now - and then he caught glimpses of animals that were unlike any of - those with which he was familiar. Peter was so much interested in - these that he hardly noticed the great building, the little man's - workshop, until the sleigh had stopped before the main door of it. - But then he forgot everything else. The big shop was brightly - lighted in every story, and the steady hum of machinery filled the - evening air. - - "We're working overtime now," explained the little man. "You see, - Christmas is near." - - The humming grew louder and the lights seemed a great deal - brighter, as they entered the building. Peter was much excited. - When the inner doors were opened, and Peter stood in the great - roaring workshop itself, he could hardly believe his eyes. Before - him, in long rows, he saw a thousand pounding and buzzing machines, - all running at full speed. Ten thousand workbenches stood in - orderly rows beyond the machines. The unending room fairly swarmed - with busy workmen, like a hive over-flowing with bees. And such - workmen! Each wore a green coat and a red cap, decorated with a - white owl's feather. Each was no higher than Peter's knee. They - were fairies. - - As he stood there, trying to understand it all, troop after troop - of the fairies passed him. They were pushing long, high baskets, - that stood on wheels. Down the long room they rolled these and - through a great double swinging door at the other end. These - baskets were filled to the top with playthings. Some held dolls, - some sleds, some drums. Others were full of various kinds of - musical instruments. Still others gave forth the pleasantest - smells. They contained cookies and ginger snaps and all sorts of - Christmas goodies. - - [Illustration] - - "Why, they are all Christmas things!" cried Peter in great - surprise, turning to the strange little old man at his side. But - the strange little old man was gone, and Peter stood alone in the - doorway of this wonderful Christmas workshop. - - Before he could decide what to do, a group of little workmen called - him by name, as pleasantly as if they had known him all his life. - - "Peter, come and help us with this basket!" - - "I will," answered Peter. - - He was glad to join in the work. Hanging coat and cap on a near-by - hook, he put his shoulder against one of the heavy baskets. Soon he - had it rolling merrily down the long aisle. Past machines that - sawed boards he pushed it, past planing wheels, past long rows of - benches where the workers were hammering or gluing or painting, - past wide ovens where the little bakers were busy over hundreds of - pans of frosted gingerbread--on and on, down the great room he - pushed it so fast that his wee comrades were almost left behind. As - he passed machines and benches and ovens, the workmen looked up - from their work an instant. They smiled at the newcomer. - - "When you get through with that," shouted the workmen at the saws, - "come and help us with these boards." - - "All right, I will," said Peter as he moved along with his basket. - - "When you get through with the sawing," cried the planers, "come - and help us." - - Peter smiled at them. "I will," he shouted back as loud as he - could, so as to be heard above the noise of the machinery. - - "When you finish planing," the painters called to him next, "come - and help us." - - "I will," Peter replied. "I like to paint, anyway." - - Now he passed the bakers. They tossed him a cooky. "When you finish - painting," they said, "perhaps you will come and help us." - - "That I gladly will," answered Peter in his pleasantest tone. It - was quieter here, and he did not need to shout. - - At last he reached the double swinging door. Through this he had - seen basket after basket disappear before him. Here was the - storeroom. It was even larger than the workroom. The walls were - lined with shelves, on which were placed the Christmas things. This - was an interesting place, but Peter had no time to stay. He was - eager to help at the machine saws, at the planing machines, at the - workbenches, and in the bakeshop. So he hurried back to these. He - did first one thing, then another, as he was needed. He was used to - work and liked to help. - - The fairies were careful workers and jolly comrades. Now and then - they sang as they worked. Then the machines themselves, like the - fingers and arms and legs of the workmen, seemed to move faster and - the work to be easier. - - Suddenly a loud but very pleasant whistle sounded through the - mighty workshop. It was the signal for a recess. The machines - stopped. The fairies laid down their tools and brushes. All was - quiet for a time. Now another kind of fun began. The fairies - started various games. They formed rings and danced round and round - as they sang: - - "Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho! - As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho, - Heigh ho!" - - They played at guessing riddles. These were about toys. - - "You see," whispered a fairy who explained everything to Peter, - "when the snow comes, and Christmas is near, we leave our homes in - the woods and spend our winters making toys for all the good - children in the world. Sometimes we cannot make all the toys we - need, but we do not wish a single child anywhere to be without a - Christmas." - - Peter soon learned that the fairies took pride in speaking - correctly. Those who sometimes made mistakes played special games - to help themselves get over bad speaking habits. At one place they - stood like soldiers in a row and pronounced words that were printed - on the board. - - "Don't you sometimes wish for the woods and moonlight nights?" - asked Peter. - - He could not hear the answer. At a signal the machinery had started - again. The fairies were hurrying back to their places. Peter took - his place with the rest. He worked steadily at one job and another. - The time flew by. Another whistle blew, and it was time to stop for - the day. Then the strange little old man appeared. - - "It's time for you to go back home," he said. "Should you like to - be here always?" - - "Oh, yes," answered Peter. "But I have pleasant work to do at home - too." - - The strange little old man took a ring from his pocket and held it - up before the boy's eager face. - - "You are the kind of boy I like," he said. "You are willing to help - and work. Take this ring home with you. I give it to you. It is a - magic ring. Wear it on Christmas Day. On that day wish any one - thing you please. The ring will get it for you." - - While he was talking they had walked to the main door of the - building. Peter had put on his cap and coat. Now the door stood - open, and they said good-bye. Peter walked slowly down the steps, - staring at the magic ring on his finger. When he reached the last - step, he turned and looked back. In the doorway stood the strange - little old man, watching him. Peter thought he looked different. - Yes, he seemed taller and stouter than before. He seemed jollier. - Peter glanced at the red cap, red coat, and leather leggings he - wore. He noticed the laughing face, the twinkling eyes, rosy - cheeks, and white beard. - -[Illustration] - - "Can this be Santa Claus?" he thought. - - Instantly the great workshop disappeared. Peter found himself, as - before, not far from his father's house. His parents and brother - caught sight of him as he came out of the forest, and they ran out - to meet him. They listened in astonishment to what he told them he - had seen. They could not admire enough the magic ring on his - finger. - -=Oral Exercise.=[34] 1. What interested you most as you read the story -about Peter? What kind of picture should you make with colored crayons -for the part of the story you liked best? Draw the picture after you -have told your classmates about it. - -2. Do you remember what kind of boy Peter's brother, Joseph, was? What -do you think he would have done if he, instead of Peter, had been in -that workshop? What might have happened to him? - -3. Play the part of the story about Peter that tells of Peter and the -fairies as they worked together in the great toyshop. Who shall be -Peter? Who shall be the fairies at the saws? Who shall be the bakers? -Who shall be the painters? What toys and things will you make? - -4. Play the same part of the story but as it would have happened if -Joseph had been there instead of Peter. - -5. Make believe that, as you awoke one Saturday morning, you found a -letter on your pillow. When you read it, you learned that it was from a -fairy. This fairy invited you to meet him at the old tree near the -school-house. When you met him there, you and he went off into the -woods. Tell your classmates what happened. It may be that your story -will be somewhat like that of Peter. Still, you may have seen and heard -and done things that were very different. - - - - -=25. Making Riddles= - - -You remember that during the recess in Santa Claus's workshop some of -the fairies made riddles. Peter said that these were about toys. Here -are two they might have made: - - It has two arms, two legs, and a head, like a human being, but it - cannot walk or work or talk. What is it? - - I spend most of my life in a little wooden box. I press against its - cover day and night. I want to get out. Oh, how I leap when some - one opens the box! Oh, how frightened little girls and boys look - when they first see me! What am I? - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Of course you have guessed the first of these two -riddles. But can you guess the second one? - -2. Make riddles for your classmates to guess, about toys and other -things that are suitable for Christmas presents. - - - - -=26. Making Riddles Better= - - -A schoolgirl once made this riddle: - - It makes beautiful colors. Children like it. What is it? - -The answer is, a box of crayons. - -=Oral Exercise.= Do you think this riddle can be made better? Is -anything important left out? Is it bright enough? Try to make a better -riddle about the box of crayons. - -A schoolmate changed the riddle of the box of crayons. He thought this -was better: - - We are twelve little men in a little tight box. Each one of us - writes his name in a different color. What are we? - -=Oral Exercise.= Which of the two riddles do you like better? Can you -tell why? Does the first riddle say anything about the box? Does it tell -that anything is in a box? - -Three other schoolmates made up other riddles about the box of crayons. -Here they are: - - We are a band of fairies living in our cozy little home. Each of us - wears in his cap a feather of a different color. What are we? - - I am a piece of the rainbow caught and put in a little tight jail. - A little schoolgirl uses parts of me when she draws pictures. What - am I? - - We are a company of soldiers. Each of us wears a cap of a - different color. We spend most of our time in a small pasteboard - fort. When we go out, we are sure to make our mark. What are we? - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Of all the riddles of the box of crayons, which do -you think is the best? Which is the second best? Which is the poorest? - -2. Now again make riddles about toys and Christmas presents. But you -should now be able to make better ones than you did before. - -=Group Exercise.= 1. The class, after a riddle has been guessed, should -point out what is good in it and then should tell how it might be made -better. Should it be made shorter? Should it be made longer? How could -it be made brighter? - -2. The best riddles should be repeated slowly, so that the teacher may -write them on the board. Now these may be read over, and the class may -try to make each one better.[20] The teacher will rewrite each in its -improved form.[35] - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Copy the riddle that the class likes best. As you -copy, notice the spelling of the words, the capital letter at the -beginning of each sentence, and the mark at the end of each sentence. -This careful copying will prepare you for the next exercise. - -2. Write from dictation the riddle that you have copied. Then correct -any mistakes.[36] These questions will help you to find out whether you -have made any: - - 1. Is every word spelled correctly? - - 2. Does every sentence begin with a capital letter? - - 3. Is every sentence followed by the right kind of punctuation - mark? - - - - -=27. Study of a Poem= - - -You read in the story of Peter's visit to Santa Claus's workshop that -the fairy workers sometimes sang while they worked. At recess too they -had songs. One of these you will probably enjoy very much. As you read -it you can see the fairies dancing in a ring in the moonlight. - - THE LIGHT-HEARTED FAIRY - - Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho! - As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho, - Heigh ho! - He dances and sings - To the sound of his wings - With a hey and a heigh and a ho. - - Oh, who is so merry, so airy, heigh ho! - As the light-headed fairy? heigh ho, - Heigh ho! - His nectar he sips - From the primroses' lips - With a hey and a heigh and a ho. - - Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho! - As the light-footed fairy? heigh ho, - Heigh ho! - The night is his noon - And the sun is his moon, - With a hey and a heigh and a ho. - - UNKNOWN - -Would it not be pleasant to dance in a ring with your classmates? You -might play that you are all fairies, and you might say this poem while -you dance. Each pupil could make a red cap of paper. He might stick a -white owl's or a white chicken's feather in it as fairies do. He could -wear it while reciting the poem. But, first of all, you must make sure -that you understand every line of the song, else you cannot say it well. - -=Oral Exercise.=[37] 1. What do you like about this poem? Have you -noticed that the fairy is called _light-hearted_ in the first stanza of -the poem, but light-headed in the second and _light-footed_ in the -third? - -2. What do fairies drink? The second stanza tells. They find this -delicious sweet drink in the cups of flowers. - -3. As you know, fairies are rarely, if ever, seen in the daytime. The -night is their day, when they dance and sing and do good deeds. What is -meant in the poem by the line, _The night is his noon_? What is the -fairies' sunlight? - -=Memory Exercise.= 1. Read this poem aloud a number of times. You will -not have to read it often before you will be able to say it without the -book. When you know it, recite it to the class as well as you can. Wear -your red cap and think of the merry, airy, light-hearted fairy as you -recite it. That will help you to say it in a lively way. - -2. Perhaps the teacher will permit the five or six pupils who have -recited best to form a ring in front of the class and dance round and -round as they recite the poem. Then the class may point out what might -have been done better. Perhaps other bands of fairies will recite, each -trying to recite best. - - - - -=28. Correct Usage--_Rang_, _Sang_, _Drank_= - - -The story about Peter does not tell us the words with which some of the -fairies had trouble. If some fairies are like some pupils, then they -need to learn how to use the words _rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ -correctly. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. As you read the following sentences, notice that -_rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ are not used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_. -Are _rung_, _sung_, and _drunk_ used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_? - - 1. I _rang_ the bell for the teacher. - - 2. Have you ever _rung_ it? - - 3. I _sang_ the Christmas song. - - 4. Have you ever _sung_ it? - - 5. I _drank_ the grape juice. - - 6. Have you ever _drunk_ apple juice? - - 7. The fairies danced and _sang_, and _drank_ nectar. - - 8. They had _rung_ the bell. - - 9. They had _sung_ that song before. - - 10. He has never _drunk_ nectar. - -2. Which of the six words that you have been studying in this lesson are -used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_? Which are not used with them? Make -these two lists. Would it be right to make the following rule? - -Never use _rang_ or _sang_ or _drank_ with _have_ or _has_ or _had_. - -3. Using what you have just learned, fill the blanks in the following -sentences with the right words, _rang_ or _rung_, _sang_ or _sung_, -_drank_ or _drunk_: - - 1. The strange little old man had already ---- his morning coffee. - - 2. He ---- an old song that he had ---- many times before. - - 3. When he had ---- a silver bell, a troop of fairies appeared. - - 4. Peter is not a fairy. He has never ---- nectar. - - 5. But he has often ---- the song he heard the fairies sing. - - 6. He has never ---- a silver bell. - - 7. Have you ever ---- the school bell? - - 8. Have you ever ---- spring water? - -=Game.= Let the girls of the class, working together in a group, write -on the board six sentences in which _rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ are used -correctly. Let the boys in the same way write six sentences in which -_rung_, _sung_, and _drunk_ are used correctly. The boys will correct -the girls' sentences, and the girls the boys'. The teacher will decide -whether the boys or the girls made fewer mistakes, and which group wrote -the more interesting sentences. Then all the sentences may be read aloud -by several groups of pupils in turn, each trying to read the most -clearly. - - - - -=29. Making up Fairy Stories= - - -The magic ring that Santa Claus gave Peter would bring him any one thing -that he might wish. When Christmas morning came, he had only to say his -wish, and it would be fulfilled.[38] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Suppose that you had such a magic ring. What would -be your one big wish? It will be fun to see whether you and your -classmates have the same wish. - -2. What do you think Peter himself wished when Christmas morning came? -What happened then? Tell your classmates the story of Peter's wish on -Christmas Day, exactly as you think everything happened. - -=Group Exercise.= One or two of the best stories about Peter's wish -should be told a second time. This time the teacher will write them on -the board. Now you and the other pupils should read them carefully to -see where they can be made better.[20] These questions may help in this -work: - - 1. Can better words be used for some of those in the story? - - 2. Should some of the _and's_ be left out? - - 3. Can anything be added to make the story interesting? - -=Written Exercise.= Silently read one of the improved stories, perhaps -more than once, noticing the spelling of the words, the capital letter -at the beginning of each sentence, and the mark at the end of each -sentence. Write it from dictation. Then compare your paper with what is -written on the board, and correct any mistakes you may have made. - -=Oral Exercise.= Suppose that Peter lost the magic ring before Christmas -came. Who might have found it? What might have happened then? Make up a -story to tell this. You might call it "The Lost Magic Ring." Try to make -up a fairy story that your classmates will be very glad to hear. Try to -think of some wonderful happenings for it. Perhaps the following ideas -will help you to begin your story: - -1. When Peter learned that he had lost the magic ring, and could find it -nowhere, he started off at once into the woods. He wanted to find the -strange little old man and tell him what had happened. Peter had not -gone very far when he met a giant. On the giant's finger Peter saw his -magic ring. What did he do? - -2. Peter's careless and lazy brother, Joseph, saw the magic ring on the -window sill. Peter always laid it there when he washed his hands. Joseph -took the ring in order to tease his brother. Then the thought came to -him that he would wish himself something on Christmas Day. On Christmas -morning he placed the fairy ring on his finger and spoke his wish. What -was that wish? Was the wish fulfilled, or did a fairy appear to punish -the boy? What happened then? - -3. The strange little old man himself took the ring from Peter's finger -while Peter was asleep. Why did he do this? Did he want to see what -Peter would do? Did he plan to give him another ring instead,--a ring -that held three wishes instead of one? How did Peter find the strange -little old man? When and where did he receive the more wonderful ring? -What were his three wishes on Christmas morning?[39] - - - - -=30. Writing Dates= - - -If you were asked to write on a slip of paper your name and the date of -your birth, could you do it? Of course you know how to write your name. -Some time ago you learned to write the names of the months. Now you are -to learn how to write dates. You will need to know this when you begin -letter writing, which will be soon. - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Here are two dates: - - January 1, 1918 - - December 25, 1917 - -The first date is that of a New Year's Day some time ago. The second -date is that of Christmas more than a year ago. See the little mark (,), -called a comma, between the year and the day of the month. Write the -date of the last New Year's Day; of the next New Year's Day. Write the -date of last Christmas; of next Christmas. - -2. Write the date of your birth; the date of the birth of your mother; -of a friend. - -3. Write from dictation the list of dates that your teacher will give -you.[40] - - - - -=31. Telling Interesting Things= - - -Now the Christmas vacation is over. Of course you had a good time. Of -course Santa Claus brought you something. It would be fun for every -pupil to tell the class about his Christmas. Probably each one's -Christmas was different in some ways from that of his classmates. - -=Oral Exercise.=[41] 1. Did Santa Claus come to your home? Did you see -him? If you did, tell the class how he looked. Show the class how he -walked into the house. How did he talk? What did he say? - -2. Tell the other pupils what Santa Claus brought you. If he brought you -a little engine, or a sand machine, or a small airplane, or a steamship -that runs by clockwork, or a baby sewing machine, or a music box, or a -doll stove on which one can really cook, or some other interesting toy, -explain to the class exactly how it works. Perhaps it would be pleasant -if each pupil brought a toy to school and held it up before the class -while he explained how it works. - -3. What was the best fun you had during the Christmas vacation? Tell -the class about it. - - - - -=32. Story-Telling= - - - JACK AND JILL[C] - -[Illustration] - - "Clear the lulla!" was the general cry on a bright December - afternoon. All the boys and girls of Harmony village were out - enjoying the first good snow of the season. Up and down three long - coasts they went as fast as legs and sleds could carry them. One - smooth path led into the meadow. One swept across the pond, where - skaters were darting about like waterbugs. The third, from the very - top of the steep hill, ended abruptly at a rail fence near the - road. There was a group of lads and lasses sitting or leaning on - this fence to rest after an exciting race. - - [C] Copyright by Little, Brown and Company. - - Down came a gay red sled. It carried a boy who seemed all smile and - sunshine, so white were his teeth, so golden was his hair, so - bright and happy his whole air. Behind him clung a little gypsy of - a girl. She had black eyes and hair, cheeks as red as her hood, and - a face full of fun and sparkle. - - "It's just splendid! Now, one more, Jack!" cried the little girl, - excited by the cheers of a sleighing party that passed them. - - "All right, Jill," answered he, and they started back up the hill. - - Proud of his skill, Jack made up his mind that this last "go" - should be the best one of the afternoon. But they started off, - talking so busily that Jill forgot to hold tight and Jack to steer - carefully. No one knows how it happened. They did not land in the - soft drift of snow or stop before they reached the fence. Instead, - there was a great crash against the bars, a dreadful plunge off the - steep bank beyond, and, before any one could see what was - happening, a sudden scattering of girl, boy, sled, fence, earth, - and snow, all about the road. There were two cries, and then - silence. Down rushed boys and girls, ready to laugh or cry, as the - case might be. They found Jack sitting up, looking about him with a - queer, dazed expression, while an ugly cut on the forehead was - bleeding. This sobered the boys and frightened the girls half out - of their wits. - - "He's killed! He's killed!" wailed one of the girls, hiding her - face and beginning to cry. - - "No, I'm not. I'll be all right when I get my breath. Where's - Jill?" asked Jack stoutly, though still too giddy to see - straight.--LOUISA M. ALCOTT, "Jack and Jill" (Adapted) - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make believe that you are the Jack or the Jill in -the story. Play that the accident has just happened. You are lying in -the snow. Your classmates are standing around you wondering whether you -are alive or dead. Slowly you sit up. What do they do and say? Let some -of your classmates do and say these things. What do you say? What -happens next? Play the story up to the time when the doctor looks you -over and says that you will have to stay in bed a long time.[42] - -2. Again make believe that you are Jack or Jill. Play that the accident -happened some time ago. Tell your classmates about that afternoon's -coasting and how it ended. Could you walk home that day? Did the other -children lay you both on sleds and slowly draw you to your homes? What -did your mother do and say when she saw you coming? Did they put you to -bed at once and run for the doctor? What did the doctor do and say? - -3. Do you own a sled? Tell the class about this sled. Tell about going -coasting on it. - -4. What can one do with a sled besides go coasting? What was the best -fun you ever had with your sled? Where were you? What did you do? After -you have told the class about the fun you had, you may make one or two -pictures about it with colored crayons. Perhaps the following list will -help you to remember some good times you have had: - - 1. The first sled ride that I remember - - 2. Hitching behind with a sled - - 3. A race down a hill on sleds - - 4. The toboggan slide - - 5. The longest hill I ever coasted down - - 6. The steepest hill I ever coasted down - - 7. Six of us on a bob - -5. Did you ever have an accident with your sled? Accidents sometimes -happen. Perhaps you are very careful and have never had any trouble. But -you have probably heard of accidents and narrow escapes. Tell the class -of one, and explain how it might have been avoided. - - - - -=33. Explaining Things= - - -Winter is here. There are many games to play and many pleasant things to -do after school and on Saturdays. You would enjoy talking with your -classmates about these. Perhaps you can plan some good times together. - -=Oral Exercise.= Make believe that your class is having a meeting to -plan some fun for after school and Saturdays. What games do you think -would be best? Think out a clear plan. Then stand before your classmates -and explain it to them. Tell exactly how it is to be carried out. Tell -where, when, and everything else they must know. The following list may -help you to make a good plan:[43] - - 1. A skating party some Saturday - - 2. A skating race to see who is the best boy skater and who is the - best girl skater in the class - - 3. Building one or two snow forts - - 4. A snowball battle between your class and another - - 5. A straw ride - - 6. A game of shinny, or hockey, between your class and another - - 7. A class tramp with the teacher through the woods or parks - - 8. A basket-ball game between your class and another - - 9. A class party at some one's house - - 10. A coasting party - -=Group Exercise.= After the plans have been told, you and your classmates -must decide which one you will carry out. You may wish to ask some of -the speakers questions. At last the class may vote. - - - - -=34. Words sometimes Mispronounced= - - -Some pupils do not know how to speak certain words correctly. If they -did, their talks would be much more pleasing.[44] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Pronounce the following words as your teacher -pronounces them to you, in a clear, strong, and pleasant voice. Then -read the whole list as rapidly as you can without speaking any word -indistinctly or incorrectly. - - looking - seeing - walking - running - jumping - smiling - laughing - crying - teasing - speaking - talking - hearing - saying - eating - paying - -2. Use in sentences each of the words in the list above. Try to make -sentences that will give pleasure to your classmates. Anybody can use -the word _looking_ to make uninteresting sentences like these: - - Some one is _looking_ for me. - - I am _looking_ for some one. - - He is _looking_ at me. - -Try to make sentences like these: - - The boys were looking at Jack's big red sled. - - The girls were looking for a story-book at the public library. - - The hunter was looking at the panther, and the panther was - looking at him. - -Perhaps the teacher will write the best sentences on the board, or let -the pupils who give them write them on the board.[20] - - - - -=35. Telling Interesting Things= - - -Far north of us lies a part of the world where it is very cold both in -summer and in winter. It is so cold there that trees cannot live. No -cities are to be seen there, and no farms. The people who make their -homes in this world of ice and snow live by hunting and fishing. They -are called Eskimos. Their clothes are warm suits made of the fur of the -polar bear, the seal, and the reindeer. Let us learn about the Eskimos. - - HOW THE ESKIMO BUILDS HIS HOUSE - - The house in which an Eskimo family lives is made of ice and snow. - First the builder makes a ring on the snow-covered ground. This he - makes as large as he wishes the house to be. On this ring he places - blocks of snow. Then he lays more blocks on top of these. Each row - or ring of blocks is a little smaller than the row or ring below - it. As more and more rows of blocks are laid, these rows at last - close the top like a roof. Then snow is shoveled over it, until not - a crack remains in the solid wall. - -[Illustration] - - Now a narrow hallway is made. This is the only way into the house. - It is long, and the opening is hung with skins. The Eskimos creep - through it on their hands and knees. - - There is only one window in the Eskimo's house. It is a small hole - in the wall, over the low hallway. There is no glass in it, but it - is covered with a thin skin that keeps out the wind and cold.[45] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Can you think of a good reason why the Eskimos have -no such houses as ours? Why have they no fine large coal or wood stoves -in that cold country? What would happen if an Eskimo placed our kind of -stove in his house and started a roaring fire in it? - -2. The Eskimo has only three things with which to build. What are they? -If you had only snow and the skins and bones of animals to work with, -what kind of house should you make? Can you think of any way in which -you could make the Eskimo house warmer or safer? - -3. Does the Eskimo way of building a house give you an idea of a good -way of building a snow fort? Tell your classmates what you think would -be the best way of building one. Shall you put a roof over it? - -4. Play that you are an Eskimo. Make believe that you are in the frozen -North and are just beginning to build yourself a new house. You have -already drawn a ring on the snow-covered ground. Draw a ring on the -floor of the schoolroom with a piece of chalk. Other pupils will play -that they have come to the Far North in a ship. They will pretend that -they know nothing about the way Eskimos live or build their houses. They -stand around while you work at your new house. They ask you many -questions about it. Stop in your work and explain it to them. Remember -that they know nothing at all about it. Perhaps some of their questions -will seem very stupid to you. But patiently explain to these strangers -everything they want to know. - -=Group Exercise.= The class will tell you and the other pupils how the -meeting between the Eskimo and the strangers might have been played -better. But first they will point out what they liked in the play. -Several other groups of pupils will each try to show the class how the -meeting should be played. - -[Illustration] - -=Oral Exercise.= Find out from a book or from your parents or your -teacher some interesting fact about the Eskimos and the country where -they live. Let it be something that you think the class does not know. -The other pupils will do the same. Then each one will stand before the -class and tell what he has learned. - -Some might tell about how cold it is in this North-Pole part of the -world. - -Some might tell about polar bears, seals, reindeer, or walruses. - -Some might tell the class what Eskimos eat and how they cook their food. - -Some might tell about the inside of the Eskimo house. - -Other pupils might tell the class about some of the men from our country -who traveled in this cold part of the world. Some of these men wished to -reach the North Pole. - -=Group Exercise.= When each pupil has spoken, some of those who spoke -best will tell again what they said. The teacher will write on the board -what they say. Now the class will try to make this better. The following -questions will help the class improve what has been written on the -board:[46] - - 1. What is the best part of the account on the board? - - 2. Is anything important left out? - - 3. Could anything be left out because it is not needed? - - 4. Are too many _and's_ used? - - 5. What could be added to make the account better? - -=Written Exercise.= When all the accounts on the board have been -rewritten, study the one the teacher selects. Notice the spelling of the -hard words. Notice the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence -and the punctuation mark at the end of each sentence. This study will -make it easier for you to write the account from dictation without -making any mistakes. Write it from dictation. - - - - -=36. Study of a Poem= - - -You remember, of course, that the house of snow in which Eskimos live -has only one window. But this is only a hole in the wall, covered with a -thin skin. There is no glass in it. So the little Eskimo boys and girls -do not know the wonderful things that Jack Frost sometimes pencils on -the windowpanes when children are asleep. The Eskimo children could not -understand the poem below. But you have seen these sights on your own -windows--castles, high and rocky places, knights with waving plumes, and -trees and fruits and flowers. You will learn from the poem how Jack -Frost paints them there.[9] - - JACK FROST - - The door was shut, as doors should be, - Before you went to bed last night; - Yet Jack Frost did get in, you see, - And left your window silver white. - - He must have waited till you slept; - And not a single word he spoke, - But pencilled on the panes, and crept - Away again before you woke. - - And now you cannot see the hills - Nor fields that stretch beyond the lane; - But there are fairer things than those - His fingers traced on every pane. - - Rocks and castles towering high; - Hills and dales and streams and fields; - And knights in armor riding by, - With nodding plumes and shining shields. - - And here are little boats, and there - Big ships with sails spread to the breeze; - And yonder, palm trees waving fair - On islands set in silver seas. - - And butterflies with gauzy wings; - And herds of cows and flocks of sheep; - And fruits and flowers and all the things - You see when you are sound asleep. - - For creeping softly underneath - The door when all the lights are out, - Jack Frost takes every breath you breathe, - And knows the things you think about. - - He paints them on the windowpane - In fairy lines with frozen steam; - And when you wake you see again - The lovely things you saw in dream. - - GABRIEL SETOUN - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. How did Jack Frost get into the house? Has he -visited your house this winter? Did he pencil, or trace, on your windows -some of the pictures of which the poem speaks? Which ones? - -2. What is a castle? What is a knight? What is a knight's armor? What is -a knight's plume? Can you draw a picture of it on the board for those -who do not know how it looks? Why did knights have shields? Draw a -picture of a shield on the board. - -3. Can you draw on the board a picture of a palm tree? Draw an oak or an -apple tree beside it, so that every one will see how a palm tree is -different. Explain your drawings. - -4. Which part, or stanza, of the poem do you like best? Read it so that -your classmates may see why you like it. - -5. Play that you are Jack Frost. Show the class how you tiptoed into the -room and out again without waking any one. Think of the following -questions, and tell the class what you did last night when all children -were sound asleep: - - 1. Did you visit more than one home? - - 2. What did you paint on the windowpanes? - - 3. Did you paint the same pictures in all houses? - -=Memory Exercise.= When you understand every stanza in this poem, read -the whole poem aloud several times. Perhaps the teacher will read with -you, so that you may be sure to read correctly. After a few readings you -will find that you can say the poem without looking at the book. It will -be fun to see which pupils will know it first. But which pupils can -recite it best?[47] - - - - -=37. Game= - - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Did you ever telephone? Make believe that you are -telephoning to a classmate. Hold the make-believe telephone in your -hands and call for the pupil with whom you wish to talk. He will take up -his make-believe telephone and answer you. Ask him some questions. -Listen to what he says. Reply to what he asks. In this way carry on a -conversation with him. - -2. The class will listen, and when you have finished talking they will -tell you what they liked and what they did not like in the telephone -conversation. The following questions[15] will help the class to decide -how the talks might have been better: - - 1. What interesting thing was said by the speakers? - - 2. Was any poor English used? - - 3. Were the voices of the speakers pleasant? - - 4. What might have been said that the speakers did not say? - -3. Other pairs of pupils may now telephone. Each pair will of course try -to make their conversation as bright as they can. The class will enjoy -listening to the bright talks. - -4. Would it not be a good plan, before going on with this game of -telephoning, for the class to make a telephone directory? All names -beginning with _A_ could be written on one page of a little notebook -that you could make. All names beginning with _B_ would go on another -page. And so it would go on, through the _C's_, the _D's_, the _E's_, to -the end of the alphabet. Then each name could be given a number, just as -in telephone books. Perhaps the teacher will bring a telephone directory -to class and explain it to you. - -[Illustration] - -5. It might be fun to place in your telephone directory such names as -Jack Frost, Santa Claus, Peter the toymaker's son, Joseph his brother, -Queen Mab, the busy ant, the lazy grasshopper, and some of the Indians -and Eskimos that you have come to know in this book. Then you could -telephone to these. One pupil would be Jack Frost and would always -answer when Jack Frost's number rang. Another would be Santa Claus, -another would be Peter the toymaker's son, another Queen Mab, and so -on. - -6. You and your classmates may now have the following conversations -over the make-believe class telephone: - - 1. A conversation between Queen Mab and Jack Frost about some pupils - in your class - - 2. A conversation between Peter and Joseph about the lost magic ring - - 3. A conversation between the ant and the grasshopper in the fable - - 4. A conversation between an Indian boy and a white boy - - 5. A conversation between two fairies, one in the woods and one in - Santa Claus's workshop - - 6. A conversation between a polar bear and a boy hunter (the bear - objects to being hunted) - - 7. A conversation between an Eskimo girl and a girl in your class - - 8. A conversation between Santa Claus and the teacher about some - pupils in your class - - 9. A conversation between two girls about a plan for a good time - next Saturday with which to surprise the class - - 10. A conversation between two girls about a new dress that one of - them will soon wear to school - - - - -=38. Correct Usage--_May_, _Can_= - - -A mistake that pupils sometimes make is to use the word _can_ when they -mean the word _may_. These two words do not have the same meaning. The -following conversation shows this: - - "Mother, can I eat another piece of pie?" once asked a boy at the - dinner table. - - "I suppose you can, Tom," replied his mother. "You have teeth to - bite and chew, and there is room in your stomach for another piece. - Yes, I suppose you _can_ eat another piece. But you _may_ not, - because I want to save it for to-morrow." - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Read the following sentences and try to tell the -difference in meaning between _may_ and _can_: - - 1. I can run faster than you. - - 2. I can write my name. - - 3. May I write my name in your notebook? Will you let me? - - 4. May I run over to George's house, mother? - - 5. I can do many things. - - 6. May I read the book Santa Claus gave you? - - 7. I can read books. - -2. Do you see that when you say, "I can do this," you mean, "I am able -to do this"? What do you mean when you say, "May I go to the -moving-picture theater, Mother?" Do you mean, "Will you permit me to -go?" - -3. Fill each blank in the sentences below with the right word, _may_ or -_can_: - - 1. John, ---- you spell _Eskimo_? - - 2. Father, ---- I go with John to the game? - - 3. Miss Brown, ---- I change my seat? - - 4. Miss Brown, ---- you see me when I stand here? - - 5. Mary, ---- you find that book for me? - - 6. ---- you touch the ceiling when you are on the chair? - - 7. ---- I go home at three o'clock, Miss Smith? - - 8. Miss Smith, ---- I borrow a pencil of Ruth? - - 9. Miss Smith, ---- you speak French? - - 10. Miss Smith, ---- I have another sheet of paper? - -=Game.= 1. Let the boys write on the board a number of sentences in -which _may_ is used correctly. Then let the girls do the same. Now let -the girls read the boys' sentences. The boys will read those written by -the girls. Who made the fewer mistakes? - -2. After all sentences have been corrected (if they need to be -corrected), let the boys read their sentences aloud, and the girls -theirs. The teacher will tell whose reading was the better. - - - - -=39. Talking over Plans= - - -Valentine Day is near at hand. Why could not your class plan a special -good time for that day? Other classes have done it. One plan would be -for pupils to send each other valentines. You could have a post office -right in the schoolroom. One of the pupils could be the postmaster. It -would be the business of the postmaster to see that each valentine went -to the right person. - -=Group Exercise.= Make plans with your classmates for Valentine Day. -Think out what should be done and how it should be done. Then stand -before the class and explain your plan. The other pupils will explain -theirs. At last the whole class will choose the one that seems best. The -following questions will help in the making of plans: - - 1. How shall the class post office be run? - - 2. Who shall be the class postmaster? What shall he do? Shall there - be letter carriers? - - 3. Would it be more fun for pupils to send short notes to each - other than valentines bought at the store? Perhaps red-paper - borders could be pasted around the edges of the letters? Some of - the letters might be from Jack Frost, Queen Mab, Peter, and other - friends you have met in this book. - - - - -=40. Letter Writing= - - -First of all, in getting ready for Valentine Day, you will need to learn -how to write letters. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Who wrote the first of the following letters? How -can you tell? Who wrote the second? To whom is it written? To whom is -the first written? - - Dear Jill: - - The doctor says that I am perfectly well again. I should like - to go coasting Saturday. Shall we go together? I want to show you - how careful I can be in steering a sled. - - Jack - - Dear Jack: - - My mother will not let me go coasting. I wish you would come - over to my house Saturday. We could write valentine letters - together, to our friends. We could pop some corn too. - - Jill - -2. Do you see the little mark (:) after the words _Dear Jack_ and _Dear -Jill_ in these two letters? That mark must always[48] be written there -in a letter. Next, do you see how the first line in each letter is -different from the other lines? The first line of a letter must always -begin a little to the right of the other lines. Notice where the name of -the writer of each letter is placed. Is there any mark after it? - -=Written Exercise.= 1. In order that you may not forget the points you -have just learned about letter writing, copy Jack's letter to Jill. Then -compare your copy with the letter as it stands in the book, and correct -mistakes. - -2. Now read carefully Jill's letter to Jack. Notice once more exactly -how the different parts of the letter are written. Write the letter from -dictation. Then correct what you have written by comparing it with the -letter in the book. - -It is well that you now know how to write a letter. There is at this -very time an important letter that needs to be written by you. As you -know, the teacher will soon choose some one in your class to be the -postmaster for Valentine Day. Whom do you want for that position? -Perhaps you would like to be postmaster yourself. Or do you want to be -one of the letter carriers? The next exercise will give you a chance to -tell the teacher. - -=Written Exercise.= It would take too much of the teacher's time to -listen to each pupil's opinion about those post-office questions.[49] -Then, too, the teacher might not remember all that each pupil said. So -there is only one thing to do. Each pupil must write his ideas and -wishes in a letter to the teacher. Write your letter, beginning it thus: - - Dear Teacher: - -Tell in your letter exactly what you would tell the teacher in a private -talk. No one but the teacher will see your letter.[50] - - - - -=41. More Letter Writing= - - -When Valentine Day comes, you will wish to write very good letters to -your classmates. You already know how to write a letter, but it is -another matter to write a bright letter. - -Do you remember that boy, Tom, who once dreamed about an owl and an elf? -One day Tom told his mother that his school was planning a special good -time for Valentine Day. "We shall have a post office in our room," he -said. "Everybody is to send everybody else letters." - -"What kind of letters are they to be?" asked his mother. - -"Well," answered Tom, "each pupil is to write at least one bright letter -about himself. Those who receive the letters have to guess who wrote -them. You see, we do not sign our names." - -Tom had already written his letter, and he showed it to his mother. It -was to his best friend, Fred. Here it is: - - Dear Fred: - - I am four feet three inches tall. I weigh seventy-five pounds. - I like to run and jump. I like to read books, too. I am your best - friend. - - Somebody - -=Oral Exercise.= What do you think of Tom's letter to Fred? Is it a -bright letter? How does every sentence in it begin? Do you like to have -all the sentences begin the same way? - -Tom's mother read the letter. Then she read it again. Then she said, -"Tom, you can do better than that." - -Tom was surprised. He thought it was a good letter. "Are there any -mistakes in it?" he asked. "No, there is not a single mistake in it," -answered his mother. "You have the right mark after the words _Dear -Fred_. You have begun every sentence with a capital letter. You have the -right mark at the end of every sentence. But, Tom, it isn't a bright -letter." - -"How shall I make it bright?" asked Tom. - -His mother smiled. "Look at the first sentence in your letter," she -said. "It tells that you are four feet three inches tall. How -uninteresting that is! Who cares to know your exact height, down to an -inch! Why not say instead, 'I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with -brown hair all over the top of my head'! Would not that be much brighter -than 'I am four feet three inches tall'? Now look at the next sentence. -It tells that you weigh seventy-five pounds. How uninteresting that is! -Is some one thinking of buying you by the pound, as if you were a little -pig or a calf? Why not say instead, 'I am as round and fat as a ball of -butter'? Look at the third sentence. It says that you like to run and -jump. That is true. You do like to run and jump. But why not tell it in -a bright way? You might have said, 'My brother says I can run like a -deer and jump like a frog.'" - -Tom took the letter back and gave a shout. "I see what you mean," he -cried. "I'll write the whole letter over." A little later he showed his -mother the following: - - Dear Fred: - - I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with brown hair all over the - top of my head. I am as round and fat as a ball of butter. My - brother says I can run like a deer and jump like a frog. My - sister says I am a bookworm. But rather than be a deer or a frog - or a bookworm, I want to be your best friend. - - Somebody - -=Oral Exercise.= Which of the letters that Tom wrote do you like better? -Can you tell why? Point out bright sentences in his first letter. Point -out interesting sentences in his second letter. - -Tom was very much pleased that he had written his letter over. "The next -time I have to write a letter," he said, "I shall write two, and send -the second one." - -"That's a good plan," said his mother. "First write the best letter you -can. Then read it over and make it better." Tom began at once to write -more letters for Valentine Day. "It's fun," he said, "and the teacher -told us that we might send more than one if we cared to." He followed -the new plan of writing a first letter, rather rapidly, and then slowly -writing it over and making it better. Then he would throw away the -first. Tom worked more than an hour. At the end of that time he showed -his mother three letters. Here is one, written to a schoolmate named -Marjorie: - - Dear Marjorie: - - I have two blue eyes and a roof of brown hair. Besides, I have - a nose, a mouth, and two ears. But I must not tell you any more, - or you will guess who I am. My name is short and begins with - _T_. - - Somebody - -Tom's next letter was written to George, the biggest and strongest boy -in the room. He and Tom were good friends. Probably Tom wrote the letter -in order to have some fun with George. This is it: - - Dear George: - - I am the boy who can spank you. I think I shall do it soon, if - I feel like it. Better be good when I am near. Of course you know - who I am. My name is short and begins with _T_. Better be good, - George. - - Somebody - -Tom's mother asked whether this letter might not hurt George's feelings. - -"Oh, no," laughed Tom. "He knows that I am only joking. Why, he is so -big and strong, he could spank me, if he wanted to." - -Tom's third letter was to a friend whose name was Mary. Tom liked to -tease her. Only a few days before, he had thrown snowballs at her. Here -is the letter: - - Dear Mary: - - I am the very, _very_ good boy who _never_ teases you. I never - pull your hair. I never throw more than one snowball at you, at - a time. - - Somebody - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which one of the three letters by Tom do you like -best? Read the sentence or sentences in it that you like specially. - -2. What plan does Tom follow in writing letters? Why did he decide to -follow this plan? - - - - -=42. Still More Letter Writing= - - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Write a letter for Valentine Day. Write it to one -of your classmates. Have your letter tell about yourself, just as Tom's -told about himself. Sign it _Somebody_, and let the receiver guess who -wrote it. Better write the letter twice. Make the first one as good as -you can, but write it rather rapidly. Then read it over carefully and -make it better wherever you can. Let the second letter be the one you -send. - -2. If you would like to write more than one letter, as Tom did, do so; -but it is better to write one very carefully than two or three -carelessly. - -Now all the letters should be taken to the class post-office. Each -letter should be folded and should show on the outside the name of the -person to whom it is to go. Perhaps the class postmaster will have a -box for all this mail. In this the letters may be kept until Valentine -Day. On that day the entire mail should be sorted by the postmaster. All -the letters for each row may be placed in a separate pile. The letter -carriers, one for each row, will deliver them. - - - - -=43. Improving Letters= - - -After the Valentine letters have been read, and the writer of each has -been guessed, it will be time to copy some[51] of the letters on the -board for the following exercise. - -=Group Exercise.= 1. The first letter on the board should be read -carefully by the class. You and your classmates should tell clearly what -you like and what you do not like in it. The teacher will rewrite it on -the board as the class tells how it can be made better. The following -questions will help in this work: - - 1. Is the letter as good as it might be? - - 2. What do you like best in it? - - 3. Can you tell how it may be made better? - - 4. What bright thought might be put in the letter? - - 5. Are there any mistakes in the letter? - -2. Other Valentine letters should be studied in the same way. - - - - -=44. Study of a Poem= - - -Our friend Tom, who wrote the bright letter we read a few days ago, was -somewhat careless about putting his things in their proper places. - -"I wonder where my cap is," he shouted one morning, just as it was time -to hurry to school. - -"Where did you put it?" his mother asked quietly. - -"On the hook in the hall," answered Tom. - -"Well," said his mother with a smile, "if you are sure you put it there, -Mr. Nobody must have taken it away. Perhaps he threw it on a chair in -the kitchen or on the table in the hall." - -And there, to be sure, on a chair or table somewhere in the house, or -even on the floor, the cap was found. Mr. Nobody had put it there. - -On another day Tom was unable to find a story-book he had been reading. - -"I'm sure I put it back in the bookcase," he said. - -"Isn't it there now?" asked his mother. - -"No!" - -"Then Mr. Nobody must have been reading it," she answered. "He always -forgets to put the books back where they belong. Perhaps he left it on -the lounge, where you were reading last night." - -And there, to be sure, in a corner of the lounge, was the lost book. - -In Tom's house Mr. Nobody was always doing mischief. He was always -mislaying Tom's things. He was always tearing his books, leaving doors -ajar, and making finger marks on the doors. Now and then he spilled the -ink on Tom's desk. He usually forgot to put Tom's boots where they -belonged. He was so careless and forgetful that he got Tom into trouble -nearly every day. - -Does Mr. Nobody visit your house, too? If he does, you will understand -the following poem about him: - - MR. NOBODY - - I know a funny little man, - As quiet as a mouse, - Who does the mischief that is done - In everybody's house! - There's no one ever sees his face, - And yet we all agree - That every plate we break was cracked - By Mr. Nobody. - - 'Tis he who always tears our books, - Who leaves the door ajar; - He pulls the buttons from our shirts, - And scatters pins afar; - That squeaking door will always squeak - For, prithee, don't you see, - We leave the oiling to be done - By Mr. Nobody. - - He puts damp wood upon the fire, - That kettles cannot boil; - His are the feet that bring in mud, - And all the carpets soil. - The papers always are mislaid, - Who had them last but he? - There's no one tosses them about - But Mr. Nobody. - - The finger marks upon the door - By none of us are made; - We never leave the blinds unclosed, - To let the curtains fade. - The ink we never spill, the boots - That lying round you see - Are not our boots; they all belong - To Mr. Nobody. - - UNKNOWN - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Read the poem again in order to see which of the -four stanzas you like best. Can you tell why? Look through the poem and -tell all the things that Mr. Nobody does. Which of them has he done at -your house? - -2. Did you ever see Mr. Nobody at your house? Do you think you could -catch sight of him if you looked in the mirror? Make believe that you -did see him at your house. Tell your classmates exactly how he -looked.[52] - -=Group Exercise.= As each pupil gives the class a picture of Mr. Nobody -the class will say whether this picture looks like the pupil speaking. -Then the class will point out what they liked and what they did not like -in that pupil's way of speaking. These questions will help in this work: - - 1. Did the pupil stand squarely on both feet, or was he so weak - that he had to hold onto a chair or desk to keep from falling over? - - 2. Did he speak so clearly that every one in the class could - understand him? - - 3. Did he make a stop at the end of every sentence and drop his - voice there to show that the sentence was finished? - - 4. Did he use too many _and's_? - - - - -=45. Making a Little Book= - - -Would it not be pleasant for you and your classmates to make a class -picture book? Perhaps you do not know how to make one. This is the way. -Every pupil writes a few sentences that tell how he looks. These give -the reader a picture of each writer. Then these pictures are all put -together in a little book. - -One pupil might write this picture of herself: - - I am a short little girl with straight yellow hair, blue eyes, and - red cheeks. My mother says I am always giggling. So my picture - would show my round face covered with smiles. - -Another pupil might write as follows: - - I am a boy with black hair that is curly, brown eyes, and a long, - thin nose. You would know me by my size, for I am the tallest pupil - in the room. - -=Written Exercise.= Write a picture of yourself. Write what will help a -reader to see you as you are. You need not say that you have two eyes, -two ears, two arms, and two legs. But if you have only one leg, or only -one arm, say that. If you wear your hair in two braids, say that. -Perhaps you will write twice, using the first writing as a help for the -improved second writing, as Tom learned to do when he wrote letters. - -[Illustration] - -=Group Exercise.= 1. When every pupil has finished his picture of -himself, all these should be given to the teacher. Then the teacher will -read one after another aloud, and the class will try to tell whose -picture each one is. You see, this will be like a game. If the class -cannot guess a picture, the teacher will read the name of the writer. -Then the class will explain what should be added to the writing, or -changed in it, so that it may give a true picture of the writer. - -2. You and your classmates should now rewrite your pictures, making them -better. After that they should be neatly copied. Then[53] all these -pictures should be fastened together to form a book. A cover should be -made for the book, on which may be written words like these: - - +----------------------------------+ - | PICTURE BOOK | - | | - | OF THE | - | | - | THE PUPILS OF MISS SMITH'S ROOM | - | | - - - - -=46. Correct Usage--_No, Not, Never_= - - - _I haven't_ means _I have not_ - _you don't_ means _you do not_ - _he doesn't_ means _he does not_ - _never_ means _not ever_ - -It is a common mistake to use two _not_-words in a sentence when one is -enough. Each of the following sentences is correct. Each contains only -one _not_-word. - - 1. I have _never_ seen your father. - - 2. I _haven't_ ever seen your father. - - 3. I have _no_ money in my pocket. - - 4. I _haven't_ any money in my pocket. - - 5. I _don't_ see any mistakes in this example. - - 6. I see _no_ mistakes in this example. - - 7. I _don't_ ever go down that street at night. - - 8. I _never_ go down that street at night. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Point out the _not_-word in each of the eight -sentences above. Are there any sentences there that need another -_not_-word? Do you see that the second sentence is only another way of -saying the first? Which sentence do you like better, the first or the -second? The third or the fourth? The fifth or the sixth? The seventh or -the eighth? - -2. Say each of the following sentences in another way without changing -the meaning: - - 1. I haven't any ink. - - 2. He has no book. - - 3. She hasn't any paper, and I haven't a pencil. - - 4. I have no ticket. - - 5. My father doesn't do any work on Saturday. - - 6. My father does not play any kind of instrument. - - 7. Haven't you ever seen a circus? - - 8. I have no pocketknife. - - 9. I haven't seen a ball game this year. - - 10. He had no money to spend. - -=Game.= A pupil, who may be called _John_, is sent from the room. The -teacher gives a flower, a piece of colored paper, a thermometer, or some -other object that is not usually found in pupils' desks, to a member of -the class. Then John is told that he may return. - - TEACHER: John, some one in this room has a flower (or whatever the - object may be) in his desk. Try to guess whose desk it is. You may - ask any of your classmates whether they have it. - - JOHN (to a classmate): Have you that flower in your desk? - - THE CLASSMATE (if he does not have it): I have no flower in my desk - (or, I haven't any flower in my desk). - - THE CLASSMATE (if he has it): I have it in my desk. Here it is. - -[Illustration] - - - - -=47. Telling Interesting Things= - - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What kind of dog should you like to have for your -pet? Stand in front of the class and tell your classmates why you like -that kind of dog and what you would do with him. - -2. Dogs can do many useful things. Tell the class of a remarkable thing -you have seen a dog do. If you cannot do that, tell of some intelligent -and brave deed which you have heard that a dog did. Perhaps the -following list will help you: - - 1. Some dogs are faithful watchdogs. They may be trusted to guard a - house, a small child, an automobile, or a flock of sheep. - - 2. Some dogs are used in hunting. - - 3. Some dogs are good rat catchers. - - 4. Some dogs are taught tricks. Such dogs are sometimes seen at the - circus. - - 5. In some countries dogs are used to haul carts; in others they - draw sleds. - - 6. The St. Bernard dog and the Newfoundland dog are famous as - life-savers. - - 7. Dogs make good playmates for boys and girls. - -3. Think of a dog you like. Without telling what kind of dog he is, make -your classmates see exactly how he looks. There is no need of saying -that the dog has four legs, two ears, two eyes, and a tail. Every dog -has these. But tell what the class must know in order to see the dog as -you see him in your mind. Perhaps you will make the class see a picture -something like one of the following: - - I - - My dog has long hair but he himself is short. He looks like a white - muff. His bark and bite are sharp, but no one is afraid of him. He - might just as well be a rabbit. - -[Illustration: After a painting by Landseer] - - II - - The dog I am thinking about is nearly as tall as I am. He is so - heavy that I cannot lift him off the ground. He is so strong that - he can carry me. His beautiful brown and white hair is long and - curly. He is a good dog, and I should feel safe with him anywhere - on the darkest night. - -=Group Exercise.=[54] 1. The class will try to guess the kind of dog -each pupil tells about. Then it will tell each speaker (1) what was good -in his talk, and (2) where the talk might have been better. - -2. Some of the talks should be given a second time. This time the -teacher will write them on the board.[16] How can each of them be made -better? - -3. You and your classmates might make an interesting dog picture book. -After writing about each dog, you could draw his picture or cut it out -of a magazine and paste it beside what you have written.[55] - - - - -=48. Study of a Picture Story= - - -I - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What is happening in the first picture on the next -page? Does the dog want to go along? Why do the boys not take him? - -2. Make believe that you are the boy on the back seat in the boat. Look -at the dog as that boy looks at him. Hold up your finger as the boy -does. What does that mean? Now, as your boat slowly moves from shore, -talk to the dog. Are you sorry that he must stay? How do you show that? -Do you sternly warn him not to leave his post? - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Some of your classmates will now play that they are -talking to the dog. Each tries to show how it really happened. - -2. The class will tell what it likes in each pupil's talking and -playing, and what it does not like. The following questions will help -the class: - - 1. Did the pupil talk as he really would talk to his dog if the - class were not there to hear him? - - 2. What was the best thing he said? - - 3. What might he have said that he left out? - -[Illustration: AN UNFINISHED STORY] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. You and a classmate may now play that you are the -two boys in the first picture. Make believe that you are just arriving -at the lake on your bicycles. Jump off and lean them against trees.[56] -Talk about the lake and the beautiful day. Look the boat over and talk -about your plan to go rowing. Talk about where to leave the bicycles. -Decide to have the dog watch them. Explain this to the dog. Tell him you -are sorry that he cannot go along. Then untie the boat, jump in, and -push off. One of you is rowing. The other is sitting on the back seat -and talking to the dog. - -2. Two other pupils, and two others, may now play the same -happenings.[57] They should try to talk exactly as they would if they -were really the boys in the picture. Those two boys probably talked all -the time. - -=Group Exercise.= The class will tell what it likes in each playing of -the picture, and what it thinks could be done better. The following -questions will be useful in these talks: - - 1. Did the boys jump off their make-believe bicycles as if these - were real? Did they lean them carefully against trees? - - 2. Did they talk together as if they were really on a day's picnic? - - 3. Did they get into the boat carefully? Did one of them row the - make-believe boat as if it were a real boat? Did he look back now - and then to see where he was going? - - 4. Which two boys played the picture best? Which two talked the - best? - - -II - -In the second picture the boys are seen on the water, well out from -shore. They have just made an unpleasant discovery. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Play that you are one of the boys in the boat and -have suddenly discovered your dog in the water near by. Look as you -think this boy looked. Say what you think he said to the dog. Say what -he said to the boy rowing the boat. - -2. Now, with a classmate, play this part of the story. Begin where you -stopped in the first picture. You have left the dog on shore and are -rowing out into the middle of the lake. What can you see out there? What -do you say to each other? Think of the things that two boys out in a -boat would talk about,--birds flying by, fish, the sky, the depth of the -water, whether they could swim ashore. Say these things. Then, right in -the middle of your good time, the dog! After you have scolded him, you -and your classmate talk together about what to do. What does each say, -and what do you decide? - -=Group Exercise.= Other pupils will now play this part of the story in -their own way. Each two will try to show the others the best way. After -each playing, the class will talk about it. These questions will help -the class to see whether the playing was good or not: - - 1. Did the players talk enough? What more could each one have said? - - 2. Did they act and move as if they were sitting in a boat out on a - lake or as if they were standing on dry land? - - 3. Did they lean over the edge of the boat and look for fish? Did - they speak about how the shore looked from the middle of the lake? - Did they see other boats on the water? - -=Oral Exercise.= How did the story end? Did the boys row on and let the -dog swim after them until he got tired and returned to shore? Or did -they take the wet animal into the boat and leave the bicycles to take -care of themselves? What happened then? Were the bicycles still there -when the boys returned from their boat ride? Tell your classmates how -you think the story ended. If the ending is a good one, the teacher may -ask you and other pupils to play it. - -=Group Exercise.= The teacher will write some of the story endings on -the board. Perhaps one or two pupils who have told good endings may -write these on the board. Then the class will try to make each one -better.[58] The following questions will help in this class work: - - 1. Does every sentence begin with a capital letter? - - 2. Does every sentence end with the right kind of mark? - - 3. Are there mistakes in any sentence? - - 4. Where can better words be used than those of the writer? - - 5. Where can a sentence or two be added to make the story better? - -=Written Exercise.= Of all the story endings that have been corrected and -rewritten on the board, the best one should now be copied. As you copy, -notice the spelling of the hard words, the capitals, and the punctuation -marks. Then, together with two or three classmates, correct your work -and theirs. - - - - -=49. Correct Usage--_Went_, _Saw_, _Came_, _Did_= - - -An interesting game is sometimes played by pupils, which teaches them to -use four words, _went_, _saw_, _came_, and _did_, correctly. Besides, it -teaches them to have sharp eyes. - -=Game.= Many things are placed on the teacher's desk. At a word all the -pupils in the class march past the desk and try to see everything on it -as they pass. When they have returned to their seats, the teacher asks -questions that the pupils answer. For example: - - TEACHER (to first pupil): Tom, what did you do? - - TOM: I _went_ to your desk, I _saw_ a pencil on it, and I _came_ to - my seat. That is what I _did_. - - TEACHER (to the next pupil): Mary, what did you do? - - MARY: I _went_ to your desk, I _saw_ a knife on it, and I _came_ to - my seat. That is what I _did_. - -Each pupil must name an object on the desk that no other pupil has -spoken of. One of these objects the teacher has marked on its under -side. The pupil who names that object wins the game, if he has made no -mistake in his language, and he may go to the desk and mark another -object for the next game. In this second game only those may play who -made no mistake in the first. - - - - -=50. Two Punctuation Marks= - - -You already know that every sentence must begin with a capital letter. -Besides, you have learned that some sentences end with a little mark (.) -that is called a period, and some with a mark (?) that is called a -question mark. - -=Written Exercise.= In order to prepare for the game on the next page, -copy the following sentences on the board.[59] Put capital letters where -they belong. Place the right mark, a period or a question mark, at the -end of each sentence. - - 1. what do you see on the side of the mountain - - 2. a large dog is standing in a snowdrift and barking - - 3. does he want to call us to him - - 4. these Saint Bernard dogs are very intelligent - - 5. they are beautiful dogs - - 6. what happened to the two boys who went boating on the lake - - 7. did they take the disobedient dog back to shore - - 8. the next picture in this book shows what they did - - 9. what should you have done - -=Game.= The class is divided into two equal sides. Five pupils of one -side go to the board. Each pupil writes a question. The questions may be -about dogs or horses or Indians or anything that the class may choose. -When they are written, the whole class reads them carefully to see -whether there are any mistakes in them. Every mistake that is pointed -out counts one score for the side that finds it. When the questions have -been corrected, five pupils of the other side write the answers. These, -in turn, are read by the class for mistakes. Then five more questions -are written by five other pupils, and so on. When one of the two sides -has made a certain score, twenty-five or more or less, the game ends. -The side first reaching that score wins. - - - - -=51. Another Study of a Picture Story= - - -Of course you remember the two boys whose dog followed them out into the -lake. When they rowed back to land, they found the bicycles untouched. -Nobody seemed to have passed there. Still, the boys were afraid to leave -them, and of course they could not take them along in the rowboat. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What plan are the boys carrying out in the first -picture on the next page? Do you think it is a good plan? Could you -think out a better one? Explain it to your classmates. - -[Illustration: A STORY TO FINISH] - -2. Look at the second picture and tell what has happened since the boys -tied the dog to the bicycles. How did the boat happen to upset? Is this -dog a good swimmer? Could he probably save the drowning boy if he were -not tied? What will happen next? This exciting story might end in -several ways. Tell the class how you think it ended. Begin your story -with the tying of the dog. - - - - -=52. Letter Writing= - - -It is over a month since you mailed a letter in the class post office. -Shall we have another letter-writing day? It might be fun for all the -pupils to send short letters to each other. - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Think of a question that you would like to ask -one of your classmates.[60] It may be something you really want to know, -or it may be a question that you are asking just for fun. It does not -matter. Write a short note asking the question. - -2. Before mailing the letter, read it over several times with one of the -following questions in your mind at each reading: - - 1. Have you begun the letter correctly? If it begins with a - greeting like _Dear Tom_ or _Dear Mary_, there should be this mark - (:) after the name of the pupil to whom you are writing. - - 2. Have you written your own name in the right place at the end of - the letter? No mark should follow your name. - - 3. Does the first line of the letter begin a little more to the - right than the lines below it? - - 4. Did you place a question mark at the end of the question you are - asking? - - 5. Would it be a good plan to write your letter over so that it - will be one of the best and neatest letters in the class post - office? - -3. The class letter carrier will bring you the letter that one of your -classmates has sent you. Write a letter[61] answering the question you -have been asked. You know how to write dates. Place in the upper -right-hand corner of your letter the date of your writing. The following -letter shows the date written in the right place and in the right way: - - March 25, 1919 - Dear Tom: - - The question you sent me is the same as the one my letter asks - you. I wonder whether the answers will be the same. My answer - is, Yes, I do want to go to the woods next Saturday. - - Fred - - - - -=53. Words sometimes Mispronounced= - - -It is very pleasant to listen to speakers who make no mistakes in -pronouncing words. In the list below are some of the words that give -trouble to some pupils. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Listen carefully as the teacher pronounces the words -in the following list. Then read the whole list as rapidly as you can, -pronouncing no word incorrectly or indistinctly. - - again - Tuesday - picture - I wish - drowned - you - threw - Italian - could have - window - into - chimney - to-morrow - nothing - February - just - -2. Ask your classmates questions in which the words above are used. The -answers, too, should use words from the list. - - - - -=54. Story-Telling= - - - THE DAUGHTER OF CERES - - Long ago there lived on the earth a good goddess or fairy whose - name was Ceres.[62] It was she who made the corn and the grass and - the flowers grow. She drove over the fields in her magic chariot - and waved her wand. Then the trees put forth green leaves, the - grain sprouted, and the fruits glistened in red and gold colors. - She was the queen of all growing plants. - - Ceres had an only daughter, of whom she was very fond. Her name was - Proserpina.[62] One day Proserpina begged her mother to allow her - to go into the meadow to gather flowers. - - "You hardly ever let me wander in the fields, Mother," she said. - "Other girls go. Do let me go to-day. I shall be gone only a short - time." - - Ceres did not like to let her daughter go. She feared some harm - might come to the little girl. But Proserpina begged so piteously - that, finally, Ceres agreed. - - "But," she said, "you must not go farther than the brook that - borders the meadow. Do not cross that. I want to be able to see you - when I look out of my window." - - Proserpina promised gladly. In a minute she had put on her bonnet - and had kissed her mother good-bye. With a basket on her arm she - ran gaily toward the near-by fields. They were dotted, on this - sunny morning, with the most beautiful flowers. Ceres at her window - watched the happy girl for a time. Then she returned to her work, - for she was always very busy. - - Proserpina, like a butterfly that is glad to use its wings, - wandered delightedly from flower to flower. Never had the sunshine - seemed brighter and pleasanter. Never had the birds sung more - happily. Never had she seen such beautiful flowers. The violets - seemed larger and sweeter than ever before. The roses, the pinks, - and the lilacs seemed to be wearing holiday clothes. In a short - time she had filled not only her basket but also her apron with the - choicest blossoms. Then she sat in the tall grass and clover to - make some wreaths. She decided to make one for herself and a large, - beautiful one for her mother. - - As she sat there in the sunshine and twined the stems of flowers - into pretty wreaths, she suddenly heard a low murmuring. It seemed - to come from near by. She listened. The sound kept steadily on. She - arose to see what it was. A few steps showed her that she had heard - only the murmuring and splashing and babbling of a little brook. It - bordered the meadow in which she had been gathering flowers and was - the very brook that her mother had told her not to cross. - - And now a strange thing happened. As Proserpina stood beside the - running water, she saw, just a little distance on the other side, a - large shrub such as she had never set eyes on before. It was - completely covered with the most wonderful flowers in the world. - Before she knew what she was doing she had stepped lightly across - the brook. The nearer she came to the beautiful plant, the more - attractive it looked; and when she stood close to it, its beauty - seemed richer than anything she had ever seen. There were a hundred - flowers on it. Each had a color of its own. All together they made - one beautiful bouquet. - - Proserpina was so charmed with what she saw that she did nothing at - first but look and look at the magical sight. At length, however, - she made up her mind to pull the shrub up and carry it home. - - "I will plant it in our garden at home," she said. - - So she took hold of the thick stem at the center of the plant and - pulled. It would not come up. She tried harder and loosened it a - little. Then she grasped it firmly near the ground with both hands, - and pulled and pulled with all her might. Suddenly, up came the - shrub, roots and all, so suddenly that Proserpina nearly fell. A - deep hole had been left in the soil where the plant had grown. As - Proserpina looked at this hole, it grew wider and wider and deeper - and deeper. In a few moments it had grown so deep that the bottom - seemed to be entirely gone. - - Suddenly a tall man arose from the black depths. He wore a helmet - and carried a shield. As soon as he saw the frightened maiden, he - made a sign to her to come nearer. - - "Do not be afraid," he said. "I shall do you no harm. I have come - to take you to my palace. You may live there as long as you - please." - - Proserpina was so frightened that she wanted to run away. But she - was not able to move. - - "No, no," she cried. "I don't want to go to your palace. I want to - go to my mother." - - The stranger leaped swiftly to where she stood. He caught her in - his arms. In a moment he had jumped with her into the deep and - almost bottomless opening. There, far down, stood a golden - chariot, drawn by six coal-black horses. Into this chariot the - stranger stepped, carrying the frightened girl. He laid her gently - on the floor of the car and took the reins in his hands. They were - off at once at a furious pace. In a minute they had left the - meadows and the brook far behind them. Then the opening slowly - closed. Nowhere was there left the least mark or sign to tell what - had happened. - -[Illustration] - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. What did you like best in this story? Do you like -the ending? How do you wish it had ended? - -2. With a classmate play the first part of the story. This is the part -that tells about Ceres and Proserpina before Proserpina goes to the -meadow. What does Proserpina say? What does Ceres say? - -3. Now with another pupil play the part of the story that tells what -happened after Proserpina crossed the brook. First, she sees the -beautiful shrub. What does she say when she sees that? Next, she tries -to pull it up. How she tugs and tugs at it! This must be shown in the -playing. What does she say as she pulls away at it? How does she look -and what does she say when she sees the deep hole that grows wider and -deeper every moment? Last, the stranger is seen. He and Proserpina talk -together before he carries her away. Does Proserpina scream as the -stranger picks her up? Scream as if you were being carried away. - -4. Now that spring is here, shall you be going into the fields and woods -to gather flowers? Tell the class the best places you know, how to reach -them, and what flowers may now be found there. Do you know any place -where some rare wild flower grows every year? What is the most beautiful -wild flower you have ever found or seen? - -5. Did you ever see a brook? If you did, tell your classmates how a -brook looks. How is it different from a river or a lake? Can you tell -the class where to go to see a brook? - - - - -=55. Telling Interesting Things[63]= - - - THE RETURN OF SPRING - - Have you noticed any signs that spring is coming? The bluebirds are - usually among the first to tell us that winter is over. Soon after, - the robins tell the same glad story. Then the song sparrow puts the - good news into a beautiful song. At about this time boys and girls - begin to talk of going into the woods for flowers. - - But the air still seems a little too cold. The ground is still too - wet. The tramps into the country are put off a while. In the - meantime a pretty flower, an early dandelion perhaps, shows itself - here and there along the roadside or on a green lawn. Then, - suddenly, one fine warm day, a boy brings to school a handful of - yellow marsh marigolds. He found them in the low meadows. Now every - boy and girl starts out, and spring flowers are seen in every - schoolroom and in every home. - - Gradually the pleasant weather grows still warmer. One boy sees a - snake. Another finds a turtle. These have been enjoying their long - winter sleep deep down, a yard or more, in the ground. Now they are - glad to lie in the pleasant sunshine, as if they needed to thaw - out. In the ponds the frogs sing day and night. More and more - flowers start up, more and more birds arrive and begin to build - their nests. Boys play marbles and make willow whistles. Farmers - start their early plowing. A veil of delicate green shows clearly - on the forest trees. Spring has come. - -=Written Exercise.= Make a list of all the birds you know. Make a list -of all the flowers you know. Make a third list of all the flowers, -birds, and animals other than birds, that you have seen this spring. - -=Correction Exercise.= The teacher will now write three lists on the -board. The first will give the names of all the birds the class knows. -The second will name all the flowers the class knows, and the third all -the flowers and all the birds and other animals that have been seen this -spring. Compare your own lists with those on the board, and correct any -mistakes in spelling that you may have made. - -=Group Exercise.= Think of one of the birds or flowers or animals in -your three lists. Tell your classmates an interesting fact about it. -Tell it in two or three sentences. Thus, you might choose the bluebird -from your list and say: - - A pair of bluebirds is building a nest in a bird-box my father put - up. They lived in the same box last year. - -Your classmates will tell about some bird or flower or animal in their -lists. The teacher will write some or all these groups of sentences on -the board,[64] or ask some of the pupils to write their own on the -board. Then the class will try to improve each of these short accounts. -Thus, what was said about the bluebird might be changed to read as -follows: - - A bluebird family has rented the birdhouse that my father built in - our back yard. They seem to like it, for they lived there last - year. Perhaps they will buy it some day and decide to live there - always. - -Or: - - Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird have started housekeeping in a little flat - near my home. I saw them getting the straw mattress ready. They are - old neighbors, for they lived here last summer. - - - - -=56. Story-Telling= - - - CERES AND APOLLO[62] - - Ceres, the good queen of fruit trees, grains, vegetables, and all - growing plants, returned to her work after watching Proserpina run - gaily to the meadow to pick flowers. She was very busy. Now and - then during the afternoon she went to the window. She wanted to - make sure that her daughter was in sight and safe. She saw the girl - sit down in the long grass. - - "The child is getting a little tired, I suppose," she said. "She - will be coming home before long." - - But an hour passed, and Proserpina had not yet returned. - - "She has probably fallen asleep in the soft grass," said her - mother. "When she awakes, she will run home as fast as her legs - will carry her." - - But when another hour had slipped by, and Proserpina was still not - in sight, Ceres became greatly worried. - - "I wonder what has happened," she cried, as she hurried outdoors. - She ran into the meadow. She called. Here and there she found a - withered flower that the girl had dropped. At length Ceres reached - the place where Proserpina had sat in the grass and where, as Ceres - supposed, she had fallen asleep. There was nothing here but an - unfinished wreath beside a pile of flowers. Ceres hastened to the - brook. Yes, there in the soft ground on the edge of the water - Proserpina's footprint was plainly to be seen. A little farther on, - Ceres came upon the shrub that Proserpina had pulled out of the - soil. But no other trace of the girl could she discover anywhere. - - A farmer chanced to be passing. He was on his way home from the - fields where he had been at work all day. - - Ceres called to him. "Have you seen a little girl around here - to-day?" - - The farmer thought a moment. Then he shook his head. - - A little later Ceres met an old woman in a meadow. The old woman - was gathering herbs. She had seen no girl. - - It was not only human beings whom Ceres asked about her daughter. - She asked the animals too. A robin on a tree top was merrily - singing his evening song. Ceres asked him. A pair of squirrels were - chattering noisily in a pine tree. Ceres stopped a minute to - question them. But no one had seen the lost maiden. - - At last night fell. Ceres left the fields and entered the open - road. At the door of every house she knocked. Wondering and pitying - faces looked at her curiously as she told her story. Some asked her - to come in and rest a while. But Ceres had no thought of rest. All - night long she kept up her search, and when morning came she was - far from home. She looked about her in the early light. She found - that she had wandered to that far eastern place where the sun rises - and begins the day. - - In a few minutes, indeed, Apollo, the sun-god, appeared. He was all - ready to drive his sun-chariot across the sky. In this way he - gives light and warmth to the people of the earth. His six white - horses wore golden harness, which jingled pleasantly as they - pranced about. They were anxious to be off. Apollo held them in - check with a firm hand, when he saw Ceres approaching. - -[Illustration] - - "What brings you here before sunrise, Mother Ceres?" he called to - her gaily, for he had known her a long time. Then he saw that her - eyes were red with weeping, and he leaped from his chariot to take - her hand. - - "What has happened?" he asked in a gentle tone. - - "Oh, Apollo," cried Ceres, while the tears streamed down her - cheeks, "I have lost Proserpina. Only yesterday I allowed her to go - into the meadow near my house to gather flowers. She did not - return, and I can find no trace of her. Oh, tell me, have you seen - her? You see everything as you drive across the sky." - - Apollo thought a moment. "Let me see," he said. "Could that have - been little Proserpina I saw in Pluto's[62] chariot--" - - "In Pluto's chariot?" cried Ceres. "What would she be doing in - Pluto's chariot?" - - "It was she," said Apollo. "Now that I think of it, I am certain it - was she." - - Then Apollo told Ceres all that had happened. He told her about the - shrub of marvellous flowers. He told of the hole that its roots - left in the ground. He told of Pluto and his six black horses, and - of how Pluto had carried off Proserpina. - - "He will never bring her back," said Apollo. - - Then Ceres dried her tears. Her face grew stern and cold. She stood - straight and held her head high, like a queen. - - "He will bring her back," she said. "I shall make him bring her. - Until he does, I shall allow nothing on the earth to grow. Until he - brings Proserpina to me, no tree shall put forth leaves or fruit, - no grass shall become green, no grain shall sprout,--nothing, - nothing at all, shall grow on the earth." - - Scarcely had she said this when a change came over the earth. The - leaves on trees and shrubs everywhere grew yellow and dropped to - the ground. The green fields became brown and gray. Fruits rotted - on the stem, and vegetables dried where they grew. Even flowerbeds - lost their bloom and became patches of dry stalks. - - Mother Ceres looked upon all these changes with a hard heart. - - "Never," she said, "will the earth grow green again, until my - daughter is returned to me." - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Play that you are Ceres working in her house and -glancing out of the window now and then. Say what she said when she saw -Proserpina sit down in the long grass. Say what she said when, after -several hours, her daughter was still absent. Say it in the way you -think she said it. Now show your classmates how she hurried into the -meadow to find Proserpina; how she picked up the half-finished wreath -and crossed the brook; how she looked when she saw her daughter's -footprint in the soft ground near the brook. What do you think she was -thinking then? - -2. One of your classmates will be the farmer in the story, another the -old woman, another the robin, two others the pair of squirrels. Still -other pupils will be the people in the houses at whose doors Ceres -knocks. Now play that you are Ceres looking for her daughter, and asking -everywhere for her. Remember how Ceres must have felt. Show that feeling -in what you say and in the way you say it. The pupils playing the other -speakers in the story will answer your questions. Try not to ask your -questions always in the same words. - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Now let other groups of pupils play this part of -the story. - -2. Each time[57] the class will say what they liked and what they did -not like. The following questions should be answered by the class: - - 1. Did the pupil playing Ceres look very much worried over - Proserpina's not returning? Several pupils should try to show the - class how the player ought to have looked. - - 2. Did the pupil playing Ceres talk like a worried person? Several - pupils should show how Ceres probably did talk. - - 3. Did the pupil playing Ceres talk enough? What might she say as - she looks out of the window now and then? What might she say when - she finds the unfinished wreath? What might she say when she sees - Proserpina's footprint and, a little farther along, the beautiful - shrub pulled out of the ground? - - 4. Did the pupils playing the farmer, the old woman, the robin, - the squirrels, and the other people speak as persons really would - speak if a poor woman should ask them where her daughter was? What - might these say that none of the players said? - - 5. Did the pupil playing Ceres ask each of the other players the - same question in the same way? Would it be better if this player - asked the question differently of different persons? Should this - player grow more worried and more excited all the time? - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make believe that you are Apollo. Obtain a long rope -and harness your six horses. Choose six classmates to be the horses, but -first explain to the class how you plan to harness them. Then drive them -up and down in front of the class once or twice. As you do so, you see -Ceres coming toward you. You pull in your horses in great surprise. Show -your classmates this surprise. What might you say in a low tone to -yourself to express this surprise? - -2. Talk with Ceres. The pupil playing Ceres will answer you very sadly -at first. But at the end of the story the manner of Ceres changes. How -does Apollo look and what does he say when Ceres declares that nothing -shall grow on earth until Proserpina is returned? - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Several pairs of pupils should play the meeting -between Apollo and Ceres. Each pair should try to show the class exactly -how they think Apollo and Ceres looked and spoke and acted. - -2. Then the class will tell what they liked and what they did not like -in each playing. - -3. Now the entire story should be played several times. After each time -the class will explain to the players how the story might have been -played better. - - - - -=57. Correct Usage--_I am not_[65]= - - -=Game.= The teacher asks a pupil to stand before the class. This pupil -plays that he is a certain bird, flower, or animal other than a bird, -that is seen in the woods in the spring, but he tells no one except the -teacher what he is. The class must guess this. No pupil may guess more -than once, and only ten guesses are allowed the whole class. The pupil -before the class says nothing except that he is or is not the bird, -flower, or animal guessed. The game moves along as follows: - - FIRST GUESSER: Are you a dandelion, John? - - PUPIL BEFORE THE CLASS: No, Fred, I am not a dandelion. - - SECOND GUESSER: Are you a turtle, John? - - PUPIL BEFORE THE CLASS: No, Mary, I am not a turtle. - - THIRD GUESSER: Are you a song sparrow, John? - - PUPIL BEFORE THE CLASS: Yes, Nellie, I am a song sparrow. - -The pupil who guesses correctly is the next flower or bird. If no one of -the ten guesses is correct, the pupil before the class says, -"Classmates, I am a song sparrow." Then he names the pupil who is to -take his place in the game. - - - - -=58. Riddles= - - -One day our old friend Tom read his mother a riddle he had made. This is -it: - - I am a tiny little thing and have an orange face. What am I? - -"Can you guess it, mother?" he asked. "A dandelion," she answered. "Yes, -that's right," said Tom. "What do you think of it?" - -"It's a pretty good little riddle," his mother replied, "but I think you -can make it better. Is _orange_ the best word for a dandelion? And -should you not put in something to show that you do not mean a bird? -Your riddle, as it is, would do for a yellow bird as well as for a -dandelion." - -Tom thought this over. Then he wrote the following riddle: - - I am a tiny little thing with a bright yellow face. I have no legs - or wings, but I come and go with spring. What am I? - -Tom's mother was very much pleased with this riddle, and so was Tom. Tom -thought he could not make it the least bit better. The next day, -however, he had made the riddle over once more. "This," said Tom, "is -the very best that I can do." - -Here it is: - - My face is bright yellow. I have hundreds of brothers and sisters. - We have fine parties on the lawn. I cannot walk, but I can fly when - I am old and white-haired. What am I? - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which of Tom's three riddles do you like the best? -Which do you care for least? Why? Do you think the third riddle is too -long? What is in the third riddle that you do not find in the second? - -2. Can you make a riddle of your own about the dandelion? - -3. Make riddles for your classmates to guess, about flowers, birds, and -animals that are seen in the spring. - -=Written Exercise.= Write on paper the best riddle of a bird or a flower -that you can make. Then, as Tom did, think it over a little longer and -try to make it better. When you think it is so bright that your -classmates will be much pleased with it, read it to them.[66] - -=Group Exercise.= Some of the riddles should now be copied neatly on the -board. It will be fun for the whole class to try to make them better. -The very best ones the teacher will copy in a book to show to other -classes.[35] - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Copy the riddle or riddles that your teacher -chooses. As you copy them, notice the spelling of the words, the capital -letters, the punctuation marks, and the beginning of the first line of -each riddle. This will help you to write the riddles correctly when you -reach the next exercise. Together with another pupil, correct your copy -and his. - -2. Write from dictation the riddles you have copied. Then correct any -mistakes you may have made. You may do this work of correcting either -alone or with one or more other pupils. - - - - -=59. Story-Telling= - - - CERES AND PLUTO - - In the underground world, where Pluto was king, stood a magnificent - palace, in which he lived. The pillars that held up the roof were - of solid gold. Jewels of many colors shone and sparkled in the - walls. - - Two persons were talking together in a room in this wonderful - building. One of these, who was no other than the lost Proserpina, - was crying. Before her stood Pluto. He was trying to comfort her. - - "Why do you keep on weeping day after day?" he asked. "Look about - you and see what a beautiful place it is to which I have brought - you." - - Proserpina only shook her head and cried the harder. "I do not care - how beautiful it is," she said. "I want to go back to my mother. I - want to see the sunshine and the blue sky, and the flowers growing - in the meadows." - - Pluto pointed to the jewels that gleamed from the walls and floor - and ceiling of the palace. Some were red as roses, others blue as - violets. Still others shone yellow as dandelions or purple as - lilacs or green as the young grass that grows on the banks of - brooks. - - "There are flowers for you," said he. "See all their colors! And - these flowers are unlike those on the earth, that last only a day - or a week. These never wither and never fade." - - But Proserpina did not so much as look at the jewels that Pluto - praised so highly. - - "Please take me back to the earth," she begged. "If you will do - that, I shall always think of you as a kind king. Perhaps I should - visit you now and then." - - Pluto smiled and shook his head. "I do not dare let you go back to - the earth, Proserpina," he explained. "I am almost sure you would - never come back to me. Think how lonely I should be down here. I - should have no one to share my palace and my riches with me. But - let me tell what I will do." - - He took the golden crown from his head. It was the most splendid - crown in all the world. He held it out before her. It sparkled with - a thousand lights. The most skilful goldsmiths in Pluto's kingdom - had made it. - - "This," said Pluto, "I will give you, if you will stay with me." - - Before Proserpina could answer, the bark of a dog was heard outside - the palace wall. It was Pluto's giant mastiff. He was a huge - three-headed dog that guarded the palace gate. Some one was - coming. A minute later a loud knock sounded on the door. At once - this flew open and showed a tall young man standing there. His - face was flushed and he was breathless, as if he had run a long - distance. - - [Illustration] - - When the stranger saw the king and Proserpina, he drew himself up - to his full height and made a deep bow. - - "What is it?" asked Pluto. - - The tall stranger stepped into the room. He was still breathing - hard. "I am the bringer of sad news, King Pluto," he began. "I come - from the earth to let you know what has happened." - - "Well, what has happened?" impatiently asked the king. - - "The earth has lost its color and its beauty," answered the - stranger. "Nothing grows any more. Where once there were beautiful - fields and orchards, now there is nothing but the uncovered ground - and bare branches to be seen. And Ceres sends me to you with this - message, O Pluto. Until you return her daughter, not a blade of - grass, not a shoot of corn shall grow, not a flower shall bloom, - not a tree shall put forth leaves, on the whole earth that was once - so green and wonderful." - - Pluto smiled at these words. "What care I," he said, "whether - anything grows on the earth!" Then he saw that Proserpina was - weeping. His voice grew softer. "What does Ceres want me to do?" he - asked. - - "She wants you to return that which you have taken away," was the - solemn answer. - - "That," said Pluto, "I will never do." - - The messenger of Ceres turned to go, without another word. - Proserpina stepped forward and stopped him. - - "I have a plan," she said, "that will help us all." She turned to - Pluto. "Let me spend half of every year with Mother Ceres," she - said, "and I will gladly spend the other half with you." - - Pluto looked at her and made no answer. He did not like being alone - in his great palace six months of every year. But then he thought - of how unhappy Proserpina would be if he never allowed her to see - her mother again. He did not wish her to be unhappy. At last he - said, "I will do it." - - Proserpina clapped her hands. She laughed and danced about. "Six - months here," she said, "and six months on earth. That will make - six months of green and bloom on earth, and six months of bare - branches and empty fields. Every year when I start back to the - earth, things will begin to grow and bud and blossom. That will be - spring. Every year when I return to this underground world, the - leaves will fall from the trees, the grass will become yellow, and - flowers will wither and fade. That will be fall." - - Proserpina at once prepared for her journey back to the earth. When - she had said good-bye to Pluto, Ceres's messenger led the way. They - passed the growling three-headed dog. They passed the iron gates of - Pluto's kingdom. Far ahead they saw a bright light. It was the - sunshine of the earth. They hastened toward it. As they hurried - along, Proserpina noticed that the dry fields began to change. - Green grass sprang up in them, and flowers. A veil of green covered - all the shrubs and trees, and fruit blossoms began to unfold. The - farmers had been sad over the long winter. Now they worked merrily - in the fields, glad at the coming of spring. - - It was not long before Proserpina saw that she had reached the - meadow in which she had gathered flowers. Yes, there was the brook - she had crossed without really meaning to do it. There was the - place where she had sat in the grass to weave wreaths. And there, - at the edge of the meadow, stood her mother's house. Hurrying from - it and toward Proserpina with outstretched arms was Mother Ceres - herself. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make believe that you are Proserpina in the story -above. Think how you would feel if you were in an underground palace far -from your mother. A classmate will play that he is King Pluto. Ask him -to let you go back. Speak as Proserpina probably spoke. Pluto will -answer you. He will try to explain to you that you ought to stay with -him. - -2. Make believe that you are the messenger from Ceres. Make the deep bow -that he made when he saw the king. Tell the king what is happening on -the earth. Give him the message from Ceres. - -3. You and two classmates should now play the story. Would it be a good -plan to have some one play the dog? - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Now three other pupils[67] should play the story, -and then three others. Each group will try to show the class exactly how -everything happened in the story. Each player will try to look and act -and speak exactly as he thinks the person in the story did. - -2. The class will praise what is good in the playing and point out what -might be done better. - - - - -=60. Talking over Plans= - - -Why couldn't the class plan a spring festival? It might be held on a -Friday afternoon. Every pupil could invite his parents and friends. The -festival would be one way of showing how glad you and your classmates -are that spring has come. - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make a plan for a spring festival.[68] Then stand -before the class and tell the other pupils what your plan is. The -following questions may help you to make a plan that your classmates -will enjoy carrying out: - - 1. Shall the festival be held in the schoolroom or outdoors? - - 2. Shall you decorate the room with spring flowers? - - 3. Shall the festival begin with a march by the pupils? - - 4. Do you know a suitable story that could be played by a group of - pupils? - - 5. Could some suitable poems be recited? - - 6. Would it be a good plan to have each pupil play that he is a - spring flower or a bird and make a riddle about himself for the - visitors to guess? - - 7. How shall visitors be invited? Shall each pupil write a letter - inviting somebody and mail it in the United States Post Office? - -2. It would be fun to have you and a classmate talk the spring festival -over on the class telephone. Of course this is only a make-believe -telephone, but two pupils can talk to each other over it just as well as -if it were real. Tell your classmate at the other end of the telephone -what you think of the spring-festival plan. Ask him questions about it. -He will ask you questions. - -3. Use the class telephone to invite persons to the spring festival. -Different classmates of yours will play that they are Mr. Brown and Mrs. -Brown and others whom you wish to invite. Tell them about the spring -festival. Tell them why the class will have it, and what it is to be -like. Then invite them to come. - -=Group Exercise.= The class of course hears these telephone -conversations. After each one the class should talk about it with the -following questions[69] in mind: - - 1. Did the speakers telephone in clear, pleasant voices that could - easily be heard? - - 2. Were the speakers polite to each other? - - 3. Did the speakers make any mistakes in English? Did they - pronounce any words incorrectly? - - 4. Did the speakers say bright things that every one likes to hear? - - 5. Can you think of anything the speakers might have said to make - the telephone talk more interesting? - - - - -=61. Letter Writing= - - -A few days before the spring festival you will be inviting your parents -and friends to come to it. You could write short letters asking them to -come. You could take your letters to their houses or you could send the -invitations by mail.[70] - -Here is an invitation to the spring festival. It was written, as you -see, by a boy named George Smith to his friend Mr. Brown. - - +----------------------------------+ - | May 9, 1919 | - | | - | Dear Mr. Brown: | - | | - | Come to our spring festival. | - | | - | George Smith | - | | - -=Oral Exercise.= What do you think of George Smith's invitation? What do -you think Mr. Brown will say when he receives it? Does George Smith seem -to be a very polite boy? How could the invitation be made more polite? -What should the invitation tell about the spring festival? - -=Written Exercise.= Write one of your invitations for the spring -festival. Put in it all that you think such an invitation should say to -the one who receives it. Before you begin it, notice how the following -greetings are written. This may help you in writing yours.[71] - - Dear Mr. Brown: - Dear Mrs. Brown: - Dear Miss Brown: - Dear Friend: - Dear Uncle: - Dear Teacher: - -=Group Exercise.= A number of the invitations should now be copied -neatly on the board. Then you and your classmates may point out what is -good in each, and may try to make each one better. - - - - -=62. Addressing Letters= - - -If you send your invitations by mail, you will need to know how to write -the addresses on the envelopes. Perhaps you can learn this most quickly -by carefully copying addresses that are correctly written. Before -copying them you should read them with care. Notice every capital letter -and punctuation mark. - -=Oral Exercise.= Read the name of the person to whom each of the -following envelopes is addressed. Is it placed nearer the top or the -bottom edge of the envelope? Is it nearer the right or the left edge of -the envelope? Is it placed exactly in the middle of the envelope? Is -the second line of the address exactly under the first line? Is the -third line exactly under the second line? - - +-----------------------------+ - | | - | Mr. James Smith | - | 46 Oak Street | - | Toledo, Ohio | - +-----------------------------+ - - +-----------------------------+ - | | - | Mrs. Henry Jones | - | 1616 Superior Street | - | Portland, Oregon | - +-----------------------------+ - -=Written Exercise.= 1. Draw lines to mark off an envelope on your paper. -Then copy the first of the addresses above. Mark off another envelope, -and copy the second address.[72] - -2. Cut figures of paper the size and shape of an envelope, and on each -write one of the following addresses: - - 1. The address of your father - - 2. The address of your mother - - 3. Your own address - - 4. The address of a friend not in the class - - 5. The address of a friend who is a classmate - - - - -=63. Telling Interesting Things= - - -=Oral Exercise.= 1. When did you last go to the circus?[73] Of course -you remember many interesting things about it. Think of these a minute; -then tell your classmates about them. Perhaps the following questions -will help you remember: - - 1. Did you see the circus come to town early in the morning? - - 2. Did you see the men putting up the tents? - - 3. Did you see the parade? - - 4. Where did you buy your ticket? - - 5. What did you see first when you entered the tent? - - 6. What did you like best of all you saw and heard? - -2. If you were old enough to travel with a circus, and if your parents -would allow you to go, what should you most like to be? Should you like -to be an animal trainer? Should you like to be a horseback rider? -Should you like to be a juggler, a tightrope walker, or a clown? Tell -your classmates what you would be if you could join a circus. Besides, -tell what that kind of performer needs to know and do. Tell how he does -some of his tricks. - -You and your classmates may now plan to make a book about the circus. -Each pupil should write a page for it. One could tell about the parade, -another about the tents and the seats and the rings, another about the -horses, another about the jugglers, another about the trapeze -performers, and so on. When all the pages are finished, they should be -bound and a cover put on them. On the cover might be written or printed -in large letters:[74] - - +----------------------------------+ - | THE CIRCUS BOOK | - | | - | MADE BY | - | | - | THE PUPILS OF MISS SMITH'S CLASS | - | | - -=Written Exercise.= Choose what you will write about for the circus -book. Think what you can say that your classmates will enjoy reading. -Then write the account. Better write a short and bright account than a -long and stupid one. First, write on your paper rather rapidly the best -account you can. When this is finished, read it several times and try to -make it better. If you were writing about the juggler, your first, -rapidly written account might read like this: - - THE JUGGLER AT THE CIRCUS - - There was a juggler at the circus. I cannot tell all the tricks he - did. It must take a long time to learn to do tricks. I wish I could - do some. - -Of course this first, rapid account can be made much better. It does not -tell how the juggler looked. It does not tell clearly what he did. After -you have added these and other points, the account might be like this -one: - - THE JUGGLER AT THE CIRCUS - - I saw the wonderful Japanese juggler at the circus. He was dressed - in red silk. He stood in the ring before all the people. I saw him - do one trick after another. It was like magic. He threw five shiny, - sharp knives up in the air. He kept them flying up and down without - dropping one. - -=Group Exercise.= Some of the circus stories should be copied neatly on -the board. Then the whole class may try to make them better before they -are copied on the pages of the circus book.[75] - - - - -=64. Making Riddles= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Make believe that you are one of the performers or one -of the animals in a circus. Tell your classmates two facts about -yourself: (1) what you look like and (2) what you do. But do not tell -what you are. Thus, you might say: - - I look just like you, but I spend much of my time in a cage. No, I - am not a monkey. It is my business to be in a cage. Lions are - afraid of me, and I am afraid of them, but you can see us side by - side in the same circus cage in every parade. What am I? - -Or you might say: - - My face is pale, and my clothes are white. I look like a very - foolish, sad, and solemn person. Everybody laughs at me. I don't - mind it. It is my business to look silly. If I did not look silly, - I should lose my place in the circus. What am I? - -Your classmates will try to guess what you are. - -=Group Exercise.= 1. Some of the riddles may now be written on the -board. Then the class will try to make them better. The teacher will -write each improved riddle beside the one from which it was made. 2. -When everybody in the class has made a riddle, and all the riddles have -been guessed, you and the other pupils will enjoy having a circus -parade. In this circus parade the whole class marches around the room -and up and down the aisles. Each pupil plays, as he did in making the -riddles, that he is one of the performers or one of the animals in a -circus. Each without speaking tries to show what performer or animal he -is. For example, if you are a circus horse, show it by prancing about, -but do not lose your place in the parade. If you are an elephant, show -it by your walk. You might use a piece of rope or cloth for an -elephant's trunk. If you are a horseback rider, show it by talking to -your horse in low tones and by holding him in line. If you are a clown, -show it by acting as clowns do.[76] If you are a musician, play your -instrument as you march. - -Perhaps the teacher will let the parade pass into the hall, so that the -piano may be played as the class marches. - - - - -=65. Telling about Wild Animals[77]= - - -Sometimes boys and girls play menagerie. Each makes believe that he is -the keeper or trainer of some wild animal. When his turn comes, he -stands before the class and tells about the animal that is supposed to -be in a cage at his side. - -[Illustration: AFRICAN LION] - -=Oral Exercise.= Choose the animal of which you will play that you are -the keeper. Then tell the class about this animal. Tell everything -interesting that you know or can find out about it. Perhaps the -following list of questions will help you to think of what to say: - - 1. What does the animal look like? What is its size, color, and - shape? - - 2. Where does the animal live? - - 3. How does it live? How does it obtain its food? - - 4. Is the animal very different from most wild animals in any - important ways? - - 5. Can it be easily tamed? - -=Group Exercise.= 1. The two following accounts are such as a -make-believe trainer might give of a lion. One of these is much better -than the other. Can you tell which is the better one? - -2. What do you like in the first account? Notice that all of the -sentences begin in the same way. Do you like that? - -3. Do you like the word _frames_ in the second account? What is the -difference in meaning between _dangerous_ and _cruel_? - -4. After each talk the class should tell whether that talk was more like -the first or the second of these accounts: - - I - - The lion is a large animal. It has four legs, one on each corner. - Its body is covered with yellow hair. It has a shaggy mane. It has - a long tail. It lives in the wild parts of Africa. It will eat - human beings. - - II - - Ladies and gentlemen, the big animal that you see in this cage is a - lion. See his beautiful yellow coat. See the shaggy mane that - frames his head. You probably know that the lion is a dangerous - beast. But do you know that he is the most dangerous and cruel of - all the wild animals? The father of this fine-looking specimen - before you was caught in Africa. Human bones and several copper - bangles were found in his den. - -[Illustration: BENGAL TIGER] - - - - -=66. Making a Little Book= - - -Now you and your classmates are ready to make a book about wild animals. -Every page of the book should contain a short but interesting account of -some wild animal. A cover of stiff paper might have these words written -or printed on it: - - +---------------------------------+ - | | - | A BOOK ABOUT WILD ANIMALS | - | | - | WRITTEN AND MADE BY | - | | - | THE PUPILS OF MISS SMITH'S ROOM | - | | - -=Written Exercise.= Write your page[78] for the class book about wild -animals. Better write it twice. After the first, rather rapid writing is -finished, read it over several times and try to make it better. Try to -put better words in the places of some of those you used. Try to add a -bright sentence or two. Leave out sentences and words that are not -needed. Copy what you then have. - -=Group Exercise.= Before each pupil's account is put in the book, that -account should be read by the class to make sure that there are no -mistakes in it. The class might be divided into a number of groups of -five or six pupils each. Each group could then correct its five or six -accounts. The pupils of each group would work together, correcting one -account at a time.[79] In this work of finding mistakes the following -questions[80] will be useful: - - 1. Does every sentence in the account begin with a capital letter? - - 2. Does every sentence end with a period or question mark? - - 3. Is every word correctly spelled? - - 4. Are there any mistakes in English? - - - - -=67. Correct Usage--_Good, Well_= - - -Some pupils make the mistake of using the word _good_ when they should -use _well_. - -The word _good_ is correctly used to tell what sort of person or thing -you are speaking of. Thus, you may say, "He is a _good_ writer." - -The word _well_, on the other hand, usually tells _how_ something is -done. Thus, you may say, "He writes _well_." - -=Game.= Tom plays that he is the manager of a circus. His classmates -want to work in the circus. Each one makes up his mind what kind of work -he will play that he can do. Then one after another raises his hand and -asks Tom for a position. - -For instance, Fred says: "Tom, have you a position for me in your -circus?" - -Tom answers: "What kind of work can you do well, Fred?" - -Fred says: "I am a good ticket seller. I can sell tickets well." - -Then Nellie asks: "Tom, have you a position for me in your circus?" - -Tom answers: "What kind of work can you do well, Nellie?" - -Nellie replies: "I am a good cook. I can cook well." - -Other pupils are good musicians, they can play well; or good tightrope -walkers, they can walk the tightrope well; or good singers, they can -sing well; or good drivers of horses, they can drive horses well; or -good shoemakers, they can repair shoes well. After each pupil has told -what he can do well, all those who made no mistake in speaking to the -manager of the circus may march around the room, saying or singing, "We -are good circus workers. We do our work well." - - - - -=68. Talking over the Telephone= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Talk to a classmate over the make-believe class -telephone.[81] Play that he is the ticket seller in a circus. You want -to know about the prices of seats. Ask the time at which the doors are -open. Ask him whether you and your two children may all go in on one -ticket. He will say no to the last question. Try to make him see that he -should let you in on one ticket. Then telephone to other classmates. The -following ideas[82] for telephone talks will help you think of what to -say: - - 1. Telephone to the lion trainer. Tell him that you want to become - a lion trainer. Ask him what you must do to get ready for this - work. Ask his advice about it. Perhaps he will tell you something - interesting about lions. - - 2. Telephone to the keepers and trainers of other wild animals. - - 3. Telephone to the clown, or the juggler, or the tightrope walker, - or the horseback rider. - - 4. Telephone to a pupil and try to make a plan with him for going - to the circus to-morrow. Where shall you meet him? How will you - prove to your parents and to your teacher that it will do you more - good to spend the afternoon at the circus than in school? - - 5. Telephone to a classmate and ask him where the circus is to be. - Play that you are a new pupil in the school and do not know the - roads and streets very well. Keep asking the classmate questions - about how to reach the circus grounds. He should answer so clearly - that a stranger would not miss the way. - - - - -=69. Words sometimes Mispronounced= - - -=Oral Exercise.= Pronounce each of the following words clearly and -distinctly as the teacher pronounces it to you. Then pronounce the -entire list as rapidly as you can, but still clearly, distinctly, and -correctly. - - horse - because - engine - evening - eleven - lying - lion - address - library - elm - perhaps - something - often - father - theater - bouquet - across - iron - parade - fourth - third - -=Game.= Ask a classmate a question that has in it one of the words in -the list above. The classmate will answer your question, using the same -word from the list. If he pronounces the word correctly, he will ask a -classmate a question containing another word from the list. And so it -will go on until every one in the class has both asked and answered a -question. - - - - -=70. Talking over Vacation Plans= - - -Soon the school term will come to an end. Then the long summer vacation -will begin. What good times you will have! Perhaps your parents have -already made plans for you. Perhaps they have planned a trip away. Or it -may be that they will send you to the summer school. Or, like most -pupils, perhaps you will spend the summer at home. You will play -outdoors with boys and girls who live near you. - -=Oral Exercise.= Tell your classmates what you think you will be doing -during the coming summer vacation. Perhaps the following questions will -help you: - - 1. What games do you think you will play during the summer? - - 2. Shall you go to any city parks? What can you see and do there? - - 3. Shall you go swimming or boating? Shall you go on a picnic to a - pleasant place? - - 4. Shall you go to the public library? - - 5. Shall you take a trip away from home? - -Earlier in this book you read about fairies. You know what wonderful -things they can do. They can make wishes come true. If a fairy came to -your schoolroom and spoke to you and your classmates, you might be very -much surprised. But you would be still more surprised if the fairy stood -before the class, perhaps on the top of the teacher's desk where all -could see, and made this little speech in a tiny but musical voice: - - Boys and girls, I have been very glad all the year to see you - having such good times together in this room. I think that young - folks who enjoy school as much as you do should have a very - pleasant vacation too. - - As you see, I have brought my magic wand with me. Watch me as I - wave it in the air. Yes, I am waving it more than once. I want to - make a ring in the air for every boy and girl in the class. There, - I have done it. Now each of you may have a wish, just as Peter was - given a wish by the strange little old man. Each of you may wish a - summer vacation exactly as he would like it best. All these wishes - will come true. - - Some of you boys will probably wish for a trip to the moon in a - magic airplane. The trip is yours the moment you speak your wish. - Some of you girls will probably wish to spend the two summer months - in fairyland. Your wish, too, will come true. - - Now I must say good-bye. Before I leave I shall make one more - circle in the air with my wand. For whom is this? It is for the - teacher. When the wishing begins, the teacher must have a wish, - too. - -When the fairy left the room, the planning and wishing would begin. Each -pupil would probably have a wish very different from that of his -classmates. Some of the plans and wishes would be very interesting. It -would be fun to hear them all. - -=Oral Exercise.= Tell your classmates how you would like to spend the -long summer vacation if you could spend it any way you wished.[83] - - - - -=NOTES TO THE TEACHER= - -(The page number following each note number indicates the first -appearance of the note in the text) - - -=Note 1= (page 1). Although the lessons in this book are addressed to -the pupil, it will probably be advisable for the teacher to reproduce -the procedure of the first ones orally and independently of the text, -rather than to confront the class at once with the printed page. In some -instances, however, it will be preferred from the beginning to work out -each lesson as it stands, the class reading and studying the text with -the teacher (the "study recitation"). In no case should there be haste. -If the teacher finds that the Christmas lessons cannot easily be reached -by December, or the valentine lessons by early February, much depending -on the class, judicious omissions are advised. The plan of the text -makes this both permissible and easy. The teacher is asked to read the -Preface and is strongly urged to read the entire book, including the -Notes, at the beginning of the year's work. - -=Note 2= (page 1). The spirit of play should pervade the composition -period. Pupils should feel as free and happy as on the playground. It is -suggested that they be encouraged to "let go" when they are playing -stories. Let there be much action, even exaggerated action. Let there be -unembarrassed speaking, even if it be sometimes a little louder than -necessary. Let there be energetic pantomime. When animals are imitated, -or sleepy boys, or elves, let it be done with a will, perhaps even -ludicrously. This freedom and abandon of play and fun will help lay the -foundation for natural, vigorous, and interesting self-expression. - -=Note 3= (page 2). A number of pupils may be asked to show how the -sleepy boy looked as he wakened. Let each one lie on the platform or -floor before the class, apparently fast asleep; then awaken and stretch -and yawn prodigiously; and finally awake fully and realize lazily that -mother is at the bedside. This may represent an awakening from dreamless -sleep. Next, let each player awake with a start, as Tom may have done -after his exciting dream. It may be advisable with some classes, as a -preliminary "warming up," to ask that (for example) flying a kite, -riding a horse, picking flowers, sweeping and dusting a room, rowing a -boat, be represented in pantomime. - -=Note 4= (page 3). No finished dramatic product is looked for in these -exercises. The ends are (1) the pupils' keen pleasure in the activity -and expression involved in the play; (2) the creation of a situation -that means for the pupils freedom and absence of self-consciousness; (3) -purposeful speech by the children "in the situation"; (4) development of -increasing interest in the story as a basis for further, and now -story-telling, expression work. _No_ rehearsing, _no_ memorizing of -speeches, but originality, extemporaneous expression, natural, -spontaneous speech, are desired. Later on, different pupils should be -asked to be managers of plays, selecting players, giving stage -directions, urging the actors to speak more, to act more naturally, etc. - -=Note 5= (page 3). It is desirable that all pupils take part in the -dramatizations, and not only the favored or the forward few. Besides, -each pupil should be encouraged to play the part _as he sees it_. -Originality, not thoughtless imitation, is desired. It is the -_differences_ that will be recognized as interesting and valuable in -schoolrooms where individuality is encouraged; and it is the differences -that justify repeated playing of the same story before the same -audience. See Note 57. - -=Note 6= (page 4). It is astonishing and delightful how well little -people do when they are permitted to take the initiative and to assume -responsibility. Frequently pupils should be allowed to work out a play -alone, the teacher helping only when asked or when the situation calls -loudly for her assistance. - -=Note 7= (page 4). If the purpose of language teaching is the -improvement of pupils' speaking and writing, pupils must speak and write -abundantly. But they must do more. Two garrulous housewives may gossip -over the back fence for years and at the end of that time speak no -better than at the beginning. The same grammatical errors with which -they began, the same infelicities of expression, the same lack of -organization, the same meager and overworked vocabulary, the same -mispronunciations and slovenly utterance, will still be there. Why is -this? The reason indicates clearly that it is not enough that pupils -speak and speak and write and write. This is only half the battle. In -addition there must be continual attention to the problem of improvement -in speaking and writing. This improvement is a task of years, and only -one step can be taken at a time. In these first lessons criticism should -be directed mainly to the matter of the pupil's expressing himself -fully. See Notes 20 and 64. - -=Note 8= (page 5). As pupils suggest improvements, Tom's dream should be -rewritten on the board, sentence by sentence, the point being throughout -that Tom did not tell all that he had in mind. The class will greatly -enjoy and profit by seeing Tom's original bald, fragmentary story become -a vivid narrative, full of interesting detail and realistic color. See -Note 64. Later this should be compared with Tom's improved narrative as -it stands on pages 5 and 6. Pupils should not conclude, however, that -_length_ is necessarily a virtue in compositions. What is desired is not -mere fullness but fullness of interesting detail. - -=Note 9= (page 7). After pupils have read the introduction to the poem, -or the teacher has freely developed one (see Note 1), the poem should be -read aloud by the teacher, in order that the class may be impressed at -once with its rhythm and thought. A second reading by the teacher, -immediately following the first, may be advisable, in order to deepen -the first favorable impression. With most classes every selection in the -book should be read, the first time, by the teacher to the class. Many -teachers memorize the poems, reciting instead of reading them. - -=Note 10= (page 7). Some teachers will desire to use the second half of -this poem. Judiciously employed, that half will be greatly enjoyed by -children and will, in fact, give added point to the first half. - -=Note 11= (page 7). When the force of each word has been explained, -pupils should use it in sentences of their own and thus show that they -understand its meaning. - -=Note 12= (page 8). Far better than the traditional correction of -completed papers by the teacher at home it is for the teacher to walk up -and down the aisles while pupils are busy copying, and to point out -sympathetically their mistakes, making concrete and constructive -suggestions where they are needed. - -=Note 13= (page 9). The best way for the pupil to memorize, as is well -stated in Pillsbury's "Essentials of Psychology," page 192, is "to read -through the whole selection from beginning to end, and to repeat the -reading until all is learned, rather than to learn bit by bit." The -teacher should join the class in reading the poem aloud repeatedly, in -order that pupils may have the right emphasis and expression while they -memorize. - -=Note 14= (page 9). Pupils will enjoy, in this connection, hearing some -of the wonderful tales, which might very well have been fantastic -dreams, of Baron Munchhausen. See "Tales from Munchhausen," edited by -Edward Everett Hale (D. C. Heath & Co.). The telling of dreams involving -comical situations should by no means be discouraged. The funnier they -are, other things being equal, the better. - -=Note 15= (page 9). The term _group exercise_ designates in this book -those class activities in which pupils manage the matter in hand mainly -themselves, or in which they work together on a problem as in a -laboratory. - -=Note 16= (page 10). It is suggested that the term _sentence_ be used -incidentally by the teacher while writing on the board. The beginning -capital letter and the final punctuation mark (period or question mark) -should be pointed out, as well as capital _I_, also incidentally. -Besides, the terms _punctuation mark_, _period_, and _question mark_ -should receive passing notice. The object is to give pupils a -preliminary acquaintance with these technicalities. No definition of the -sentence should be attempted in this grade, but the foundation for -sentence sense may be laid successfully. - -=Note 17= (page 10). Improvement here should take the form of adding -interesting and significant details, as was done on pages 4 and 5 in the -improvement of Tom's dream. The matter of variety in expression may be -lightly touched. By no means should the work be formal or heavy or above -the heads or interests of the pupils. So far as possible let them make -the suggestions. - -=Note 18= (page 10). Let the dictation clearly indicate, by a dropping -of the voice and by a pause, the end of each sentence. Thus the -dictation work will be a drill rather than a test in the writing of -sentences. Preparation for dictation work may include counting the -capital letters in the selection to be written, counting the periods, -etc. It is suggested that occasionally the pupils be asked to repeat -each sentence aloud as it is read by the teacher, and then write it. - -=Note 19= (page 11). See page 21 for the fuller presentation of _saw_ -and _seen_. In this connection the teacher need hardly be reminded that -good English is largely a matter of habit rather than of knowledge, and -that repetition under stimulus and in the atmosphere of interest is the -means of establishing habits. Of course the game is one of the best of -these means. - -=Note 20= (page 12). Encourage originality. Applaud unusual conceptions. -Let pupils give free rein to their imaginations. Some of the best -sentences may be written on the board, both for their content interest -and to emphasize again the capital letter at the beginning, the -punctuation mark at the end, and capital _I_. Besides, work in variety -of expression or in amplification may profitably become an incident of -the game. Thus, a sentence like "I saw an automobile" offers a real -opportunity. It should be placed on the board. By means of questions the -class should be led to amplify it, to give it definition, color, -interest. What sort of automobile was it? Was it new or old? Where was -it? Who was in it? Etc. Finally the original meager sentence becomes, "I -saw an old, unwashed automobile that stood by the roadside with the -driver asleep on the back seat," or, "I saw a shining new automobile -spin noiselessly down the street with three laughing children on the -back seat." See Notes 7 and 64. - -=Note 21= (page 18). While the fable of the ants and the grasshoppers is -occupying the attention of the pupils certain classic phrasings of its -lesson may profitably be put on the board. See Proverbs, Chapter VI, -verses 6-11, besides the quotations below. A lesson devoted to the study -of these may be given, followed by exercises in copying and memorizing. - - "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." - - "Work while it is day: for the night cometh, when no man can work." - - "There is a time for work and a time for play." - - "He that will not work shall not eat." - - "When you play, play with all your might. When you work, do not - play at all." - -=Note 22= (page 20). Pupils should stand before the class as they tell -their stories. Only when they _face_ their classmates can they speak -_to_ them effectively. There is no good in pupils' speaking unless they -speak _to_ some one. They must, like adults, have a real audience and -something to tell that audience which it does not already know. Or, if -there be repetition, this must be for a purpose that is of interest to -the audience and therefore to the speaker. - -=Note 23= (page 23). A little talk on "Sharp Eyes" is suggested. - -=Note 24= (page 25). The expansion should not go too far. There is no -virtue in mere length. Quality of work should be emphasized. Besides, -one of these fables, the shortest one, is to be used in the subsequent -exercise in copying. - -=Note 25= (page 25). The work in copying should be motivated by placing -before the pupils the problem involved, namely, making an exact -reproduction of the original. _Can it be done?_ This is the question -before the class. Copy only a part of a fable rather than make the -exercise too long. See Note 12. - -=Note 26= (page 28). It is suggested that the room be decorated -appropriately for these lessons that deal with Indian subject matter. -Possibly a small Indian tepee may be pitched in one corner of the -schoolroom. A Navajo rug may adorn the wall, and pictures of Indian -weapons, tools, utensils, and other articles of various kinds may be -drawn in color on the board. Besides the book quoted in the text, -Frederick Starr's "American Indians" (Heath) and Gilbert L. Wilson's -"Myths of the Red Children" (Ginn), from the latter of which the Indian -illustrations in the present textbook have been taken with the kind -permission of Mr. Wilson, will be found replete with authoritative -information. At the discretion of the teacher this problem of room -decoration may be solved in a series of group exercises in English (see -Note 15), each pupil expressing his views as he stands before the class. - -Pupils will enjoy drawing tepees, tomahawks, Indian chiefs, squaws, and -papooses on paper with colored crayons; dressing dolls as Indians; -dressing themselves as Indians; making tepees, canoes, etc. out of paper -and cardboard; making an Indian scene on the sand table. - -The following are war whoops or Indian calls: "Ki-yi, whoo-oo! Ki-yi, -ki-yi, ki-yi, whoo-oo!" and "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, -boom!" - -=Note 27= (page 39). It is suggested that this exercise be preceded by a -pantomime in which a pupil plays that he is wandering through the woods, -while the class pretend that they are Indians waylaying him. Some may -approach on the river in canoes. Some may follow his tracks on the -ground. The women and the papooses would remain in the safe background. -Finally the boy is captured. Then a little extemporized dramatization -takes place before the captured boy makes his speech. Sensitive children -should perhaps be informed that such captures no longer happen. - -=Note 28= (page 40). This game is designed to help stop the incorrect -use of _got_. If some chicken feathers can be obtained, each player may -wear one. - -=Note 29= (page 41). Some Indians call January "Cold Moon," April -"Green-Grass Moon," May "Song Moon," June "Rose Moon," and November "Mad -Moon." - -=Note 30= (page 42). The antidote for the _and_ habit is not a _don't_ -but a _do_. If pupils are trained to drop the voice at the ends of -sentences and to make a pause there, not only will many thoughtless -_and's_ remain unspoken, but sentence sense will be developed. Let the -class read the January selection in the text, exaggerating the pause at -the end of each sentence. - -=Note 31= (page 46). The teacher should not hesitate to modify any game -to suit the needs of the class. Games 1 and 2 on pages 46 and 47 should -be played on different days, to avoid confusion. Few mistakes will be -made in these easy games, nor are mistakes desirable. The repetition of -the correct form is desirable. It must not be a thoughtless repetition. - -=Note 32= (page 47). Parent coöperation in the work of eradicating -common errors is to be sought. Some schools send cards to the pupils' -homes, explaining the errors for the removal of which the teachers ask -the help of the parents. - -=Note 33= (page 47). Pictures of fairies should now be drawn on the -board, in order to help create the proper atmosphere for the present -lessons. Later in the month let Christmas decorations be added. Perhaps -a small Christmas tree could be brought in and ornamented with -inexpensive colored papers. See Note 26. - -The story in the text may be used for story-telling, although it is -given here merely to create an appropriate atmosphere for the pupils' -stories and as a prelude to the work of the next weeks. - -It depends very much on the class whether teachers will read or freely -retell the stories and other selections in the book or whether they will -utilize them for reading lessons or for study recitations. With many -classes it will be decidedly best for the teacher to read or reproduce -the stories and selections. See Notes 1 and 9. - -=Note 34= (page 64). A number of possible exercises suggest themselves -here. Thus, several lesson periods might profitably be devoted to each -pupil's explaining how to make a toy or other Christmas thing. If -correlation with manual training be possible, pupils may actually make -toys, Christmas cards, New Year's cards, and calendars. This may be -handled dramatically. Pupils may play that they are a band of fairies -going to Santa Claus to offer their services in the great toyshop. One -pupil is Santa Claus. He asks each pupil to _explain_ what he can do in -the way of making Christmas things. Then he puts them to work. See the -game in section 67. - -=Note 35= (page 67). Teachers who preserve the best riddles will find -them useful means of stimulating subsequent classes to their best -endeavor. A riddle book may gradually be made by a teacher's successive -classes, each class contributing its best. Only worthy pieces of work -may be included. Thus a school or a schoolroom tradition in English may -be made to grow up, whose educational value would be not inconsiderable. - -=Note 36= (page 67). An exchange of papers, or the correction of each -paper by a small group of pupils working as a team, will often prove -desirable. - -=Note 37= (page 69). Very incidentally during the study of the poem, use -the word _stanza_ to designate each of the three large sections of it, -and call attention to the interesting fact that every line of poetry -begins with a capital letter. - -=Note 38= (page 72). The teacher may read or tell the class the Spanish -fairy tale "The Three Wishes" (see Wiggin and Smith's "Tales of -Laughter," Doubleday, Page & Company). The story of Midas should be -postponed until the fourth grade. See "Oral and Written English" (Ginn), -Book One, page 100. - -=Note 39= (page 74). The last lesson period preceding Christmas may be -given to the teacher's reading aloud "A Visit from St. Nicholas," by -Clement C. Moore. - -=Note 40= (page 75). Dictate twelve dates, one in each month. Remind the -pupils of the spelling of _February_ and of the fact that the names of -the months begin with capital letters. - -=Note 41= (page 75). Let children of foreign parentage tell about their -unusual customs. Let them realize, as they tell about their home -traditions, that they are making a most interesting contribution to the -class entertainment. - -=Note 42= (page 78). Pupils will enjoy and profit by a pantomimic -presentation of the scene, as a preparation for the real dramatization. -Let one pupil show how Jack slowly and painfully rose from the ground. -Let another show the alarmed mother, another the wise doctor. Then ask -each actor what the person represented might have said. See Notes 2, 3, -4, 5, 6, and 27. - -=Note 43= (page 80). Other subjects will readily suggest themselves: as, a -toboggan party, making an ice rink, trapping for muskrats or rabbits, -fishing through the ice, ice boating, visiting the museum, visiting the -zoo, visiting the botanical gardens, visiting the aquarium, a class -dance, a class workshop for making things of wood, paper, or cloth. - -The meeting may be presided over by a member of the class. Set speeches -should be required and order maintained. The discussion should not lapse -into undirected, fragmentary conversation. It is not enough for a pupil -to say, "Let us go to the museum next Saturday afternoon." The speech -should say when and where the class is to meet, how long it is to stay, -what it is to do when it reaches the museum, who the leader is to be, -whether the teacher is to be invited, and why this plan is preferable to -the others proposed. - -For seat work the class may make a picture book of winter fun, using -colored crayons. An opportunity will here be incidentally offered to -impress pupils with the fact that _if they could only write their -thoughts_ they might now make a real book about winter fun, and not -simply a picture book. The promise may be made that as soon as they -learn to write their thoughts well, they will be given a chance to make -books. - -=Note 44= (page 81). The moment a word is mispronounced in the -story-telling or other exercises, it should be added to a list kept on -the board. Pupils will soon become alert for errors of this kind. From -such a small beginning may well grow a class language conscience, a -class pride in its English, and thus finally an individual -conscientiousness in the use of the mother tongue. - -=Note 45= (page 83). Freely rendered after Chance's "Little Folks of -Many Lands." Other books containing suitable material are Andrews's "The -Seven Little Sisters" and "Each and All," as well as Peary's "Snow Baby" -and "Children of the Arctic." Some Eskimos do have houses of wood, -mainly driftwood, but others do not. It is with these latter that the -present lessons are concerned. - -=Note 46= (page 86). It is advised that, as pupils suggest improvements, -each account be rewritten by the teacher. The improved account should be -placed on the board beside the original, so that the differences may be -apparent to all. Teachers should guide in these criticisms and -reconstructions, but very gently, leaving pupils free to suggest and -change, making them responsible for the improvement, putting nothing -down that does not appeal to the class, thus _confronting the pupils -with the problem of making each account better_ and permitting them to -feel and to enjoy the full challenge of this problem. - -=Note 47= (page 89). Parents may be invited to hear the class recite -poems. This will give an occasion and reason for reviewing the poems -learned during the year. - -=Note 48= (page 96). It seems inadvisable, in the present state of -conflicting usage, to follow the greeting of some letters with a comma -and of others with a colon. Not only may this arbitrary distinction -prove embarrassing when a writer does not wish definitely to commit -himself as to whether his letter is strictly business or merely -friendly, but it also compels the teaching of two forms where one will -do. - -=Note 49= (page 97). Since the question may arise, why the subject -should not become a matter of class discussion, it is advised that -emphasis be placed on the fact that each pupil would probably prefer to -talk the matter over with the teacher privately. Few pupils would like -to announce publicly their desire to be postmaster, but all would be -willing to tell this wish to the teacher alone. All these individual -conferences, however, would be impracticable for the reasons stated in -the text. There thus arises a real occasion and need for the personal -letter from each pupil to the teacher. - -=Note 50= (page 97). This will probably prove the strategic time for a -conference between the teacher and each pupil. The letter written by -each pupil alone should be made the occasion for this meeting. -Sympathetic, constructive suggestions by the teacher, covering letter -form (just taught) as well as the capitalization and punctuation of -sentences, will do much toward giving letter writing a promising start -with the class. - -=Note 51= (page 103). Some of the best letters, as well as some of the -poorest, should be utilized for criticism, in order that pupils may -appreciate the excellence of the best and, on the other hand, may have -ample opportunity for constructive, improving work in making over the -poorest. See Note 20. - -=Note 52= (page 106). This exercise involves, of course, the description -of each pupil by himself. It is suggested that the spirit of play and -fun be permitted to permeate the exercise, in order that wooden -descriptions, mere catalogues of qualities, may be avoided. - -=Note 53= (page 109). A committee of pupils, or several committees, may -profitably be appointed to see that each pupil rewrites and copies -neatly his sketch of himself. The committee would have charge of the -making of the book after each sketch has been finished. During this work -the need may arise of learning ways of lettering book titles. Then and -there the teacher should study titles of books and articles with the -class and inductively teach the rule that the first and every important -word in a title should begin with a capital letter. - -=Note 54= (page 113). Do not hurry in these critical exercises. Continue -each one as long as the interest of the pupils will permit. - -=Note 55= (page 114). If pupils manifest a desire at this point to talk -about ponies, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, or other -domestic animals, this desire should be utilized for a series of -exercises similar to those about dogs. - -=Note 56= (page 116). Pupils should arrive on their bicycles in animated -talk, should dismount and lean the bicycles very carefully against the -tree. Then they should step cautiously into the boat. When the boat -leaves shore, the boy in the stern is sitting half twisted around and -talking to his dog, while the other boy is seated squarely, well braced, -so that he may row with steady strokes. Two girls may play the story as -if it were about two girls. - -=Note 57= (page 116). Repetition in these dramatizations must always -have a clear and justifiable purpose that pupils understand. For -instance, having a new audience (the pupils from another room or a -visitor) would usually constitute a good reason for a second -performance. Then, repetition before the _same_ audience might be -justified by the endeavor to improve the playing by introducing more -action or more speech and thus achieving a better representation, which -the class recognizes as desirable. But every wise teacher knows that the -play must stop before it has lost its savor. See Note 5. - -=Note 58= (page 118). If this exercise is to reach the maximum of profit -for the class, it will include constructive work in word study, variety -in expression, expansion by happy additions of words and sentences, -contraction, rearrangement, combination of sentences, shortening of -sentences, the striking out of needless _and's_, as well as attention to -mistakes in grammar. Only one critical question should be considered at -each reading. - -=Note 59= (page 120). Nine pupils may work at the board at the same -time, each writing one of the nine sentences. - -=Note 60= (page 123). Teachers will arrange matters tactfully, that -every pupil may receive a letter from one of his classmates. Pupils may -write more than one letter if they wish, but the postmaster should -accept no slovenly mail. - -=Note 61= (page 124). It is recommended that this correspondence be -permitted to continue as long as pupils take pleasure in it. There -should be allowed great freedom of content. Let pupils tease each other, -poke fun at each other, even ask silly questions. See Note 2. - -=Note 62= (page 125). Pronounced s[=e]´r[=e]z, pr[=o]-sûr´p[i]-n[_.a_], -[_.a_]-p[o]l´[=o], pl[=o]o´t[=o]. - -=Note 63= (page 131). Since the next dozen lessons or more assume the -spring-time as their background, it is strongly recommended that the -room be fittingly decorated. If a class excursion could be made into the -woods or to a river or park, it should be done. Some time during this -group of lessons dramatization may take the form of playing that the -schoolroom is a meadow or a wood in which pupils wander about picking -flowers, seeing birds and animals. These they describe to the class. - -=Note 64= (page 133). By seeing written products grow in clearness, -force, interest, beauty, and language effectiveness as the class faces -the problem of improving them, by seeing the better word displace the -good and the phrase of color the colorless one, by watching the vague -thought give way to the vivid thought, pupils will be impressed as in no -other way with the fact that the first draft of any written expression, -brief or long, is merely the first draft, merely a basis, a beginning, a -preliminary sketch, for the finished written composition. See Notes 7 -and 20. - -=Note 65= (page 141). By having another pupil stand before the class and -speak for the pupil who is a bird, flower, or animal (replying, for -instance, "No, he is not a dandelion" or "Yes, he is a sparrow") the -game _I am not_ is easily transformed into the game _He is not_. -Similarly, the games _He has not_ and _He does not_ may easily be -devised. - -=Note 66= (page 143). A classroom correspondence, that is, a class -exchange of riddles through the class post office, may be desirable at -this time. - -=Note 67= (page 149). The playing of this story, the preliminary -pantomime, the discussion before and after, the playing by different -groups in friendly rivalry, may well occupy several English periods. - -=Note 68= (page 150). It is recommended that a real spring festival be -held. See Percival Chubb's "Festivals and Plays" (Harpers). A committee -of pupils may be appointed to take charge of it. - -=Note 69= (page 151). During the telephone game the teacher may now and -then take the receiver and show what clear, polite, efficient -telephoning is. In fact, the entire game may be played between the -teacher on the one side and different pupils in succession on the other. - -=Note 70= (page 152). Sending by mail may not seem advisable in some -schools; but if it is decided on, it should be preceded by an exercise -on the writing of addresses. - -=Note 71= (page 153). The writing of the titles _Mr._, _Mrs._, and -_Miss_ should not be made the object of any extended drill at this time. -Pupils should know how to write them for the purposes of the present -exercises and of a few of the succeeding exercises. - -=Note 72= (page 154). While some pupils are copying at their desks, -others may copy at the board. The latter will write copies for class -criticism. Then other addresses, supplied by the teacher, may be written -from dictation or copied, other pupils now writing at the board. - -=Note 73= (page 155). It will be delightful to decorate the schoolroom -for this lesson and the lessons immediately following. Pictures of wild -animals, of trick riders, of circus parades, should be hung on the -walls. It would be the best of good luck if a large circus poster could -be obtained and fastened on the front wall. See Note 26. - -=Note 74= (page 156). In many schools the making of the book will be -doubly enjoyed if the carrying out of the plan is put in charge of -several committees of pupils, after the work has been initiated by the -teacher. - -=Note 75= (page 157). A committee of pupils, or several such committees, -may now take upon itself the work of helping in the improvement of the -remaining circus stories, their final copying, and their arrangement in -the book. The whole class may be divided into six or eight small groups -for this coöperative work. The teacher, apparently in the far -background, is in reality in the thick of the work. See Note 79. - -=Note 76= (page 159). A march may be played while the parade is on its -way around the room. Let fun and play abound. Let pantomime be as -extravagant as these dictate. The parade may well precede as well as -follow the making of riddles. In fact, there might be an alternation of -making riddles with marching, a short march following each half-dozen -riddles. - -=Note 77= (page 159). Wood's "Animals: their Relation and Use to Man" -(Ginn) is recommended to teachers who wish interesting and reliable -information about lions, tigers, elephants, and other wild animals. - -=Note 78= (page 163). For the sake of difference from the preceding oral -work it may be desirable to let each animal tell its own story in the -written accounts for the class book. Each animal may say where it came -from, how it used to live, how it was caught, how it likes to travel -with a circus, and what it would do if it were free again. - -=Note 79= (page 163). While this correction work is apparently entirely -in the hands of the pupils, the teacher should make the most of the -situation, first, by allowing pupils to feel the weight of -responsibility (for a book with mistakes is no book at all, since it -cannot be shown to other pupils and teachers), and, second, by -imperceptibly and constructively assisting in the finding and correcting -of mistakes. The teacher should pass from group to group, ready to help -where help is needed, but very cautious about interfering or dominating -or overturning the delicate balance of enjoyment, responsibility, and -coöperative endeavor in any social group of workers. - -=Note 80= (page 163). Only one question should be considered at one -critical reading. - -=Note 81= (page 165). The more realistic this can be made, the more fun -there will be for the pupils, and the more profit for them from the -English teacher's point of view. Each child should have a telephone -number. A "Central" should answer rings and make connections. A little -bell might be used. Toy telephones might be employed. The children are -to play at telephoning, with emphasis on the _play_. Not until we have a -deep stream of pleasure running in the class consciousness can we float -the technical freight for whose sure delivery to the pupils the language -teacher is responsible. - -=Note 82= (page 165). Pupils will enjoy pretending to telephone to the -animals in the circus. These may tell how they like circus life, what -they think of their trainers, whether they would like to return to their -homes in the wilds, what they think of other animals in the menagerie -tent, and which kinds of people they like to have look at them. For -still further variation, the different circus animals, as well as the -circus people, may telephone to each other. - -=Note 83= (page 168). If written work be desired at this time, it is -suggested that this oral exercise be followed with the making of a book -of vacation wishes or vacation plans. - - - - -INDEX - - - (The numbers refer to pages. The Notes designated are the Notes to the - Teacher, printed at the end of the text) - - Address on envelope, 153, 154, 155 - - Alcott, Louisa M., _Jack and Jill_, 76, 77, 78 - - Allingham, William, _A Child's Song_, 54 - - _And_ habit, the, 42, 72, 86, 107; - Notes 30 and 58 - - - Bible, quotations from, Note 21 - - Bird, Robert M., _The Fairy Folk_, 52 - - - _Came_, 119, 120 - - _Can_, _may_, 92, 93, 94 - - Capitalization, Notes 16, 40, and 53; - drill in, 8, 11, 25, 37, 45, 67, 72, 86, 119, 143, 163; - sentences, 11, 25, 37, 67, 72, 86, 99, 118, 163; - months, 41, 42, 43, 45, Note 40; - _I_, 43; - names of persons, 90, 91; - titles, 153; - to begin every line of poetry, Note 37 - - _Ceres, The Daughter of_, 125-129; - _Ceres and Apollo_, 133-138; - _Ceres and Pluto_, 144-149 - - Christmas, Notes 33, 34, 39, and 41 - - Circus, 155-166 - - Colon, 96, 99, 123, 153 - - Comma, 74 - - Committee of pupils, Note 53 - - Completing unfinished story, 3, 4, 72, 73, 74, 114, 116, 117, 118, 119 - - Copying, 8, 10, 25, 37, 45, 67, 96, 119, 143, 154; - Notes 12 and 25 - - Correct Usage, Notes 19, 28, and 32; - _saw_, 11, 12; - _saw_, _seen_, 21, 22, 23, 119, 120; - _have_, 40, 41; - _did_, _done_, 45, 46, 47, 119, 120; - _rang_, _sang_, _drank_, 70, 71; - _may_, _can_, 92, 93, 94; - _no_, _not_, _never_, 109, 110, 111; - _went_, _came_, 119, 120; - _I am not_, 141; - _good_, _well_, 163, 164 - - Correlation, Notes 26 and 34 - - Criticism of compositions, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 26, 42, 43, 51, - 72, 73, 86, 90, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 109, 113, 114, 116, - 118, 123, 124, 132, 133, 139, 140, 142, 143, 149, 151, 153, 157, - 158, 161, 163, - Notes 7, 8, 12, 17, 36, 50, 51, 53, 64, and 79; - questions for, 26, 36, 42, 43, 67, 72, 86, 90, 98, 99, 103, 114, - 116, 118, 123, 124, 139, 140, 151, 163, - Note 80 - - - Dates, 74, 75, 124; - Note 40 - - Decoration of schoolroom, Notes 26, 33, 63, and 75 - - Description, exercises in, 8, 42, 52, 106, 112, 113, 158, 160, 161, 163; - Notes 52 and 63 - - Dictation, 10, 37, 67, 73, 86, 96, 143; - Note 18 - - _Did_, _done_, 45,46, 47, 119, 120 - - _Doesn't_, Note 65 - - Dogs, 111-123 - - Double negative, 109, 110, 111 - - Dramatization, 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 15, 16, 26, 31, 32, 33, 38, 39, 42, 64, - 69, 70, 75, 84, 89, 91, 92, 114, 116, 117, 130, 138, 139, 140, 149; - Notes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 27, 42, 56, 57, and 63 - - _Drank_, 70, 71 - - Dreams, telling, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12; - Note 14 - - - Eastman, Charles A. (Ohiyesa), _An Indian Boy's Training_, 29; - starting a fire, 35; - character of Indian life, 38 - - Eskimos, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86; - Note 45 - - Explanation, 28, 35, 36, 39, 75, 79, 80, 111, 116, 121, 123, 130, 150, - 159, 160, 166, 167, 168; - Notes 34 and 43 - - - Fables, 13-25; - _The Ants and the Grasshoppers_, 13 - - Fairies and fairy stories, 1-8, 47-74, 167, 168 - - Foreign children, Note 41 - - - Game, 12, 22, 23, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 71, 90, 94, 109, 111, 119, 121, - 164, 166; - Notes 28, 31, and 69 - - _Good_, _well_, 163, 164 - - _Got_, 40, 41 - - Greeting of a letter, 96, 97, 99, 123, 153; - Note 48 - - Group exercise, 9, 19, 20, 26, 34, 36, 42, 43, 45, 51, 67, 72, 81, 85, - 95, 103, 107, 108, 114, 117, 118, 132, 133, 139, 140, 143, 149, 151, - 153, 157, 158, 161, 163; - Notes 15, 53, 58, and 79 - - - _Hasn't_, Note 65 - - _Have_, _got_, 40, 41 - - Hood, Thomas, _Queen Mab_, 7 - - - _I_, 43 - - _I am not_, 141; - Note 65 - - Improvement in English, 4, 5, 6, 10, 19, 25, 35, 36, 42, 65, 66, 67, 72, - 81, 82, 86, 90, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 107, 109, 113, 118, 133, 142, - 143, 149, 151, 153, 157, 158, 161, 163; - Notes 7, 8, 17, 20, 24, 46, 50, 51, 53, and 64 - - Indention, 96, 124 - - _Indian Boy's Training, An_, 29 - - Indians, 28-47; - Notes 26 and 29 - - Individuality, Notes 5 and 20 - - Initiative, Note 6 - - _Isn't_, Note 65 - - - Letter writing, 95-103, 123, 124, 152-155; - Notes 49, 50, and 66 - - - Making a book: - class picture book, 107-109; - dog picture book, 114; - circus book, 156, 157; - book about wild animals, 162, 163 - - _May_, _can_, 92, 93, 94 - - Memory exercise, 9, 59, 69, 89; - Note 13 - - Months, 41-45; - Note 29 - - _Mr._, _Mrs._, _Miss_, 153; - Note 71 - - - Names, writing, 90, 91 - - Negative words, 109-111 - - - Observation, 22, 23; - Note 23 - - Optional work. _See_ the Preface - - Oral Composition. Not listed, since practically every page of the book - would be included - - - Pantomime, 2, 8, 12, 15, 16, 17, 31, 32, 33, 69, 75, 78, 84, 89, 114, - 116, 117, 138, 139, 140, 159; - Notes 2, 3, 27, 42, 56, and 76 - - Parent coöperation, Notes 32 and 47 - - Period, 8, 11, 25, 67, 72, 86, 118, 120, 121, 163 - - _Peter and the Strange Little Old Man_, 47; - _Peter Visits the Strange Little Old Man's Workshop_, 56 - - Picture, as basis for composition (_see_ Notes 26 and 33): frontispiece; - _Safely First_, 27; - _An Unfinished Story_, 115; - _A Story to Finish_, 122 - - Picture, making a, with colored chalk or crayon, 8, 35, 36, 51, 52, 55, - 64, 89; - Notes 26 and 33 - - Poem, study of: - _Queen Mab_, 6-9; - _The Fairy Folk_, 52; - _A Child's Song_, 54, 55; - _The Light-Hearted Fairy_, 68-70; - _Jack Frost_, 87-89; - _Mr. Nobody_, 104-107 - - Post office, class, 94, 95, 97, 102, 103, 124; - Notes 60 and 66 - - Posture, pupil's, while speaking, 20, 107 - - Project. _See_ Situation. _See also_ Note 46 - - Pronunciation, 23, 24, 34, 81, 82, 124, 125, 166; - Notes 44 and 62 - - Punctuation, Note 16; - sentence, 8, 11, 25, 37, 67, 72, 86, 99, 118, 119, 143, 163; - period, 8, 11, 25, 37, 67, 72, 86, 118, 120, 121, 163; - comma, 74; - letter, 95, 96, 97, 99, 124; - colon, 96, 99, 123; - question mark, 120, 121, 124, 163 - - - Question mark, 120, 121, 124, 163 - - Questions used in criticism of oral and written compositions, 26, 36, - 42, 43, 67, 72, 86, 90, 98, 99, 103, 114, 116, 118, 123, 124, 139, - 140, 151, 163; - Note 80 - - - _Rang_, 70, 71 - - Responsibility, Note 6 - - Review. _See_ Group exercise. _See also_ Notes 15 and 47 - - Rhythm in poems, 55, 68, 69, 70 - - Riddles, 44, 45, 65, 66, 67, 141, 142, 143, 158, 159; - Note 35 - - - _Safety First_, 26, 27 - - Salutation of a letter. _See_ Greeting - - _Sang_, 70, 71 - - _Saw_, _seen_, 11, 12, 21, 22, 23, 119, 120 - - Sentence study, 10, 11, 24, 25, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 67, 71, 72, 73, 86, - 94, 97, 113, 119, 120, 121, 133, 143, 157, 158, 163; - Notes 16 and 58 - - Setoun, Gabriel, _Jack Frost_, 87, 88 - - Situation, long (_see_ the Preface): - dreams, 1-12; - fables, 13-25; - Indians, 28-47; - fairies and Santa Claus, 47-74; - winter, Eskimos, Jack Frost, 80-92; - valentines, 94-109; - dogs, 111-123; - spring-time, 125-151; - circus, 155-166; - vacation plans, 166-168 - - Spelling, 11, 37, 42, 45, 67, 72, 86, 119, 132, 143; - Note 40 - - Spring festival, Note 68 - - Stanza, 55, 69, 89, 106; - Note 37 - - Story-telling, 3, 4, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 47, 51, 56, 64, 72, - 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 118, 123, 125, 133, 144; - Notes 22 and 38 - - Study recitation, the, Notes 1 and 33 - - - Telephone directory, making a, 90, 91 - - Telephoning, 90-92, 151, 165; - Notes 69, 81, and 82 - - Telling interesting things, 28, 35, 36, 38, 39, 75, 82-86, 111, 131, - 155, 160 - - Titles, 153; - Note 53 - - - Unfinished story, completing, 3, 4, 72-74, 114, 116-119 - - - Vacation plans, 166, 167, 168 - - Valentine projects, 94, 95, 97, 102, 103 - - Variety in expression, Note 58 - - Voice, 20, 107, 151; - Note 30 - - - _Well_, _good_, 163, 164 - - _Went_, 119, 120 - - Word study, 7, 33, 34, 35, 55, 69, 72, 118; - Notes 11 and 58 - - Written composition, 45, 97, 102, 108, 114, 118, 123, 124, 143, 156, - 163; - Notes 43, 49, and 64 - - * * * * * - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -Pronunciation key for Note 62: - - "=" indicates a long vowel (macron above), - [o] and [i] indicate short vowels (breve above), and - ".a" appears as the "a" with a dot above. - -Phonetics shown in note 62 are more easily read in the html version of -this book. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Beginner's Book in Language, by H. 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