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diff --git a/43336-8.txt b/43336-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4e7c5d6..0000000 --- a/43336-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3356 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pig Brother and Other Fables and Stories, by -Laura E. Richards - -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: The Pig Brother and Other Fables and Stories - -Author: Laura E. Richards - -Release Date: July 28, 2013 [EBook #43336] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PIG BROTHER *** - - - - -Produced by eagkw, David Edwards and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - [Illustration: THE PIG BROTHER. - [_Frontispiece._] - - - - - THE PIG BROTHER - AND - OTHER FABLES AND STORIES - - A SUPPLEMENTARY READER - FOR THE - FOURTH SCHOOL YEAR - - BY - LAURA E. RICHARDS - AUTHOR OF "THE GOLDEN WINDOWS," "THE SILVER CROWN," - "IN MY NURSERY," "THE JOYOUS STORY - OF TOTO," ETC., ETC. - - ILLUSTRATED - - BOSTON - LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY - 1932 - - - - -_Copyright, 1881, 1885, 1890, by Roberts Brothers._ - -_Copyright, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, by The Century Co._ - -_Copyright, 1895, by Estes and Lauriat._ - -_Copyright, 1903, 1906, 1908, by Little, Brown, and Company_ - - -_All rights reserved_ - - -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - THE PIG BROTHER 1 - THE GOLDEN WINDOWS 5 - THE COMING OF THE KING 11 - SWING SONG 15 - THE GREAT FEAST 17 - THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING-PAN 20 - THE WHEAT FIELD 21 - ABOUT ANGELS 24 - THE APRON STRING 29 - THE SHADOW 32 - THE SAILOR MAN 34 - "GO" AND "COME" 37 - CHILD'S PLAY 39 - LITTLE JOHN BOTTLEJOHN 42 - A FORTUNE 44 - THE STARS 46 - BUTTERCUP GOLD 48 - THE PATIENT CAT 57 - ALICE'S SUPPER 60 - THE QUACKY DUCK 62 - AT THE LITTLE BOY'S HOME 65 - NEW YEAR 67 - JACKY FROST 71 - THE CAKE 72 - "OH, DEAR!" 75 - THE USEFUL COAL 84 - SONG OF THE LITTLE WINDS 92 - THE THREE REMARKS 93 - HOKEY POKEY 106 - THE TANGLED SKEIN 119 - A SONG FOR HAL 122 - FOR YOU AND ME 125 - THE BURNING HOUSE 127 - THE NAUGHTY COMET 129 - DAY DREAMS 141 - - - - -THE PIG BROTHER - - -There was once a child who was untidy. He left his books on the floor, -and his muddy shoes on the table; he put his fingers in the jam-pots, -and spilled ink on his best pinafore; there was really no end to his -untidiness. - -One day the Tidy Angel came into his nursery. - -"This will never do!" said the Angel. "This is really shocking. You -must go out and stay with your brother while I set things to rights -here." - -"I have no brother!" said the child. - -"Yes, you have!" said the Angel. "You may not know him, but he will -know you. Go out in the garden and watch for him, and he will soon -come." - -"I don't know what you mean!" said the child; but he went out into the -garden and waited. - -Presently a squirrel came along, whisking his tail. - -"Are you my brother?" asked the child. - -The squirrel looked him over carefully. - -"Well, I should hope not!" he said. "My fur is neat and smooth, my -nest is handsomely made, and in perfect order, and my young ones are -properly brought up. Why do you insult me by asking such a question?" - -He whisked off, and the child waited. - -Presently a wren came hopping by. - -"Are you my brother?" asked the child. - -"No indeed!" said the wren. "What impertinence! You will find no tidier -person than I in the whole garden. Not a feather is out of place, and -my eggs are the wonder of all for smoothness and beauty. Brother, -indeed!" He hopped off, ruffling his feathers, and the child waited. - -By and by a large Tommy Cat came along. - -"Are you my brother?" asked the child. - -"Go and look at yourself in the glass," said the Tommy Cat haughtily, -"and you will have your answer. I have been washing myself in the sun -all the morning, while it is clear that no water has come near you for -a long time. There are no such creatures as you in my family, I am -humbly thankful to say." - -He walked on, waving his tail, and the child waited. - -Presently a pig came trotting along. - -The child did not wish to ask the pig if he were his brother, but the -pig did not wait to be asked. - -"Hallo, brother!" he grunted. - -"I am not your brother!" said the child. - -"Oh, yes, you are!" said the pig. "I confess I am not proud of you, but -there is no mistaking the members of our family. Come along, and have a -good roll in the barnyard! There is some lovely black mud there." - -"I don't like to roll in mud!" said the child. - -"Tell that to the hens!" said the pig brother. "Look at your hands, -and your shoes, and your pinafore! Come along, I say! You may have -some of the pig-wash for supper, if there is more than I want." - -"I don't want pig-wash!" said the child; and he began to cry. - -Just then the Tidy Angel came out. - -"I have set everything to rights," she said, "and so it must stay. -Now, will you go with the Pig Brother, or will you come back with me, -and be a tidy child?" - -"With you, with you!" cried the child; and he clung to the Angel's -dress. - -The Pig Brother grunted. - -"Small loss!" he said. "There will be all the more wash for me!" and -he trotted on. - - - - -THE GOLDEN WINDOWS - - -All day long the little boy worked hard, in field and barn and shed, -for his people were poor farmers, and could not pay a workman; but at -sunset there came an hour that was all his own, for his father had -given it to him. Then the boy would go up to the top of a hill and -look across at another hill that rose some miles away. On this far -hill stood a house with windows of clear gold and diamonds. They shone -and blazed so that it made the boy wink to look at them: but after a -while the people in the house put up shutters, as it seemed, and then -it looked like any common farmhouse. The boy supposed they did this -because it was supper-time; and then he would go into the house and -have his supper of bread and milk, and so to bed. - -One day the boy's father called him and said: "You have been a good -boy, and have earned a holiday. Take this day for your own; but -remember that God gave it, and try to learn some good thing." - -The boy thanked his father and kissed his mother; then he put a piece -of bread in his pocket, and started off to find the house with the -golden windows. - -It was pleasant walking. His bare feet made marks in the white dust, -and when he looked back, the footprints seemed to be following him, -and making company for him. His shadow, too, kept beside him, and -would dance or run with him as he pleased; so it was very cheerful. - -By and by he felt hungry; and he sat down by a brown brook that ran -through the alder hedge by the roadside, and ate his bread, and drank -the clear water. Then he scattered the crumbs for the birds, as his -mother had taught him to do, and went on his way. - -After a long time he came to a high green hill; and when he had -climbed the hill, there was the house on the top; but it seemed that -the shutters were up, for he could not see the golden windows. He came -up to the house, and then he could well have wept, for the windows -were of clear glass, like any others, and there was no gold anywhere -about them. - -A woman came to the door, and looked kindly at the boy, and asked him -what he wanted. - -"I saw the golden windows from our hilltop," he said, "and I came to -see them, but now they are only glass." - -The woman shook her head and laughed. - -"We are poor farming people," she said, "and are not likely to have -gold about our windows; but glass is better to see through." - -She bade the boy sit down on the broad stone step at the door, and -brought him a cup of milk and a cake, and bade him rest; then she -called her daughter, a child of his own age, and nodded kindly at the -two, and went back to her work. - -The little girl was barefooted like himself, and wore a brown cotton -gown, but her hair was golden like the windows he had seen, and her -eyes were blue like the sky at noon. She led the boy about the farm, -and showed him her black calf with the white star on its forehead, -and he told her about his own at home, which was red like a chestnut, -with four white feet. Then when they had eaten an apple together, and -so had become friends, the boy asked her about the golden windows. -The little girl nodded, and said she knew all about them, only he had -mistaken the house. - -"You have come quite the wrong way!" she said. "Come with me, and I -will show you the house with the golden windows, and then you will see -for yourself." - -They went to a knoll that rose behind the farmhouse, and as they went -the little girl told him that the golden windows could only be seen at -a certain hour, about sunset. - -"Yes, I know that!" said the boy. - -When they reached the top of the knoll, the girl turned and pointed; -and there on a hill far away stood a house with windows of clear gold -and diamond, just as he had seen them. And when they looked again, the -boy saw that it was his own home. - -Then he told the little girl that he must go; and he gave her his best -pebble, the white one with the red band, that he had carried for a -year in his pocket; and she gave him three horse-chestnuts, one red -like satin, one spotted, and one white like milk. He kissed her, and -promised to come again, but he did not tell her what he had learned; -and so he went back down the hill, and the little girl stood in the -sunset light and watched him. - -The way home was long, and it was dark before the boy reached his -father's house; but the lamplight and firelight shone through the -windows, making them almost as bright as he had seen them from the -hilltop; and when he opened the door, his mother came to kiss him, and -his little sister ran to throw her arms about his neck, and his father -looked up and smiled from his seat by the fire. - -"Have you had a good day?" asked his mother. - -Yes, the boy had had a very good day. - -"And have you learned anything?" asked his father. - -"Yes!" said the boy. "I have learned that our house has windows of -gold and diamond." - - - - -THE COMING OF THE KING - - -Some children were at play in their play-ground one day, when a herald -rode through the town, blowing a trumpet, and crying aloud, "The King! -the King passes by this road to-day. Make ready for the King!" - -The children stopped their play, and looked at one another. - -"Did you hear that?" they said. "The King is coming. He may look over -the wall and see our playground; who knows? We must put it in order." - -The playground was sadly dirty, and in the corners were scraps of -paper and broken toys, for these were careless children. But now, -one brought a hoe, and another a rake, and a third ran to fetch the -wheelbarrow from behind the garden gate. They labored hard, till at -length all was clean and tidy. - -"Now it is clean!" they said; "but we must make it pretty, too, -for kings are used to fine things; maybe he would not notice mere -cleanness, for he may have it all the time." - -Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed them on the ground; and -others made garlands of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on -the walls; and the littlest one pulled marigold buds and threw them -all about the playground, "to look like gold," he said. - -When all was done the playground was so beautiful that the children -stood and looked at it, and clapped their hands with pleasure. - -"Let us keep it always like this!" said the littlest one; and the -others cried, "Yes! yes! that is what we will do." - -They waited all day for the coming of the King, but he never came; -only, towards sunset, a man with travel-worn clothes, and a kind, -tired face passed along the road, and stopped to look over the wall. - -"What a pleasant place!" said the man. "May I come in and rest, dear -children?" - -The children brought him in gladly, and set him on the seat that they -had made out of an old cask. They had covered it with the old red -cloak to make it look like a throne, and it made a very good one. - -"It is our playground!" they said. "We made it pretty for the King, -but he did not come, and now we mean to keep it so for ourselves." - -"That is good!" said the man. - -"Because we think pretty and clean is nicer than ugly and dirty!" said -another. - -"That is better!" said the man. - -"And for tired people to rest in!" said the littlest one. - -"That is best of all!" said the man. - -He sat and rested, and looked at the children with such kind eyes -that they came about him, and told him all they knew; about the five -puppies in the barn, and the thrush's nest with four blue eggs, -and the shore where the gold shells grew; and the man nodded and -understood all about it. - -By and by he asked for a cup of water, and they brought it to him -in the best cup, with the gold sprigs on it: then he thanked the -children, and rose and went on his way; but before he went he laid his -hand on their heads for a moment, and the touch went warm to their -hearts. - -The children stood by the wall and watched the man as he went slowly -along. The sun was setting, and the light fell in long slanting rays -across the road. - -"He looks so tired!" said one of the children. - -"But he was so kind!" said another. - -"See!" said the littlest one. "How the sun shines on his hair! it -looks like a crown of gold." - - - - -SWING SONG - - - As I swing, as I swing, - Here beneath my mother's wing, - Here beneath my mother's arm, - Never earthly thing can harm. - Up and down, to and fro, - With a steady sweep I go, - Like a swallow on the wing, - As I swing, as I swing. - - As I swing, as I swing, - Honey-bee comes murmuring, - Humming softly in my ear, - "Come away with me, my dear! - In the tiger-lily's cup - Sweetest honey we will sup." - Go away, you velvet thing! - I must swing! I must swing! - - As I swing, as I swing, - Butterfly comes fluttering, - "Little child, now come away - 'Mid the clover-blooms to play; - Clover-blooms are red and white, - Sky is blue and sun is bright. - Why then thus, with folded wing, - Sit and swing, sit and swing?" - - As I swing, as I swing, - Oriole comes hovering. - "See my nest in yonder tree! - Little child, come work with me. - Learn to make a perfect nest, - That of all things is the best. - Come! nor longer loitering - Sit and swing, sit and swing!" - - As I swing, as I swing, - Though I have not any wing, - Still I would not change with you, - Happiest bird that ever flew. - Butterfly and honey-bee, - Sure 't is you must envy me, - Safe beneath my mother's wing - As I swing, as I swing. - - - - -THE GREAT FEAST - - -Once the Play Angel came into a nursery where four little children sat -on the floor with sad and troubled faces. - -"What is the matter, dears?" asked the Play Angel. - -"We wanted to have a grand feast!" said the child whose nursery it was. - -"Yes, that would be delightful!" said the Play Angel. - -"But there is only one cooky!" said the child whose nursery it was. - -"And it is a very small cooky!" said the child who was a cousin, and -therefore felt a right to speak. - -"Not big enough for myself!" said the child whose nursery it was. - -The other two children said nothing, because they were not relations; -but they looked at the cooky with large eyes, and their mouths went -up in the middle and down at the sides. - -"Well," said the Play Angel, "suppose we have the feast just the same! -I think we can manage it." - -She broke the cooky into four pieces, and gave one piece to the -littlest child. - -"See!" she said. "This is a roast chicken, a Brown Bantam. It is just -as brown and crispy as it can be, and there is cranberry sauce on one -side, and on the other a little mountain of mashed potato; it must be -a volcano, it smokes so. Do you see?" - -"Yes!" said the littlest one; and his mouth went down in the middle -and up at the corners. - -The Play Angel gave a piece to the next child. - -"Here," she said, "is a little pie! Outside, as you see, it is brown -and crusty, with a wreath of pastry leaves round the edge and 'For -You' in the middle; but inside it is all chicken and ham and jelly and -hard-boiled eggs. Did ever you see such a pie?" - -"Never I did!" said the child. - -"Now here," said the Angel to the third child, "is a round cake. -_Look_ at it! the frosting is half an inch thick, with candied -rose-leaves and angelica laid on in true-lovers' knots; and inside -there are chopped-up almonds, and raisins, and great slices of citron. -It is the prettiest cake I ever saw, and the best." - -"So it is I did!" said the third child. - -Then the Angel gave the last piece to the child whose nursery it was. - -"My dear!" she said. "Just look! Here is an ice-cream rabbit. He is -snow-white outside, with eyes of red barley sugar; see his ears, and -his little snubby tail! but inside, I _think_ you will find him pink. -Now, when I clap my hands and count one, two, three, you must eat the -feast all up. One--two--three!" - -So the children ate the feast all up. - -"There!" said the Angel. "Did ever you see such a grand feast?" - -"No, never we did!" said all the four children together. - -"And there are some crumbs left over," said the Angel. "Come, and we -will give them to the brother birds!" - -"But you didn't have any!" said the child whose nursery it was. - -"Oh, yes!" said the Angel. "I had it all!" - - - - -THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING-PAN - - - The owl and the eel and the warming-pan, - They went to call on the soap-fat man. - The soap-fat man he was not within: - He'd gone for a ride on his rolling-pin. - So they all came back by the way of the town, - And turned the meeting-house upside down. - - - - -THE WHEAT-FIELD - - -Some children were set to reap in a wheat-field. The wheat was yellow -as gold, the sun shone gloriously, and the butterflies flew hither and -thither. Some of the children worked better, and some worse; but there -was one who ran here and there after the butterflies that fluttered -about his head, and sang as he ran. - -By and by evening came, and the Angel of the wheat-field called to the -children and said, "Come now to the gate, and bring your sheaves with -you." - -So the children came, bringing their sheaves. Some had great piles, -laid close and even, so that they might carry more; some had theirs -laid large and loose, so that they looked more than they were; but -one, the child that had run to and fro after the butterflies, came -empty-handed. - -The Angel said to this child, "Where are your sheaves?" - -The child hung his head. "I do not know!" he said. "I had some, but I -have lost them, I know not how." - -"None enter here without sheaves," said the Angel. - -"I know that," said the child. "But I thought I would like to see the -place where the others were going; besides, they would not let me -leave them." - -Then all the other children cried out together. One said, "Dear Angel, -let him in! In the morning I was sick, and this child came and played -with me, and showed me the butterflies, and I forgot my pain. Also, he -gave me one of his sheaves, and I would give it to him again, but I -cannot tell it now from my own." - - [Illustration: THE WHEAT FIELD. - [_Page 22._] - -Another said, "Dear Angel, let him in! At noon the sun beat on my head -so fiercely that I fainted and fell down like one dead; and this child -came running by, and when he saw me he brought water to revive me, -and then he showed me the butterflies, and was so glad and merry that -my strength returned; to me also he gave one of his sheaves, and -I would give it to him again, but it is so like my own that I cannot -tell it." - -And a third said, "Just now, as evening was coming, I was weary and -sad, and had so few sheaves that it seemed hardly worth my while -to go on working; but this child comforted me, and showed me the -butterflies, and gave me of his sheaves. Look! it may be that this was -his; and yet I cannot tell, it is so like my own." - -And all the children said, "We also had sheaves of him, dear Angel; -let him in, we pray you!" - -The Angel smiled, and reached his hand inside the gate and brought out -a pile of sheaves; it was not large, but the glory of the sun was on -it, so that it seemed to lighten the whole field. - -"Here are his sheaves!" said the Angel. "They are known and counted, -every one." And he said to the child, "Lead the way in!" - - - - -ABOUT ANGELS - - -"Mother," said the child; "are there really angels?" - -"The Good Book says so," said the mother. - -"Yes," said the child; "I have seen the picture. But did you ever see -one, mother?" - -"I think I have," said the mother; "but she was not dressed like the -picture." - -"I am going to find one!" said the child. "I am going to run along the -road, miles, and miles, and miles, until I find an angel." - -"That will be a good plan!" said the mother. "And I will go with you, -for you are too little to run far alone." - -"I am not little any more!" said the child. "I have trousers; I am big." - -"So you are!" said the mother. "I forgot. But it is a fine day, and I -should like the walk." - -"But you walk so slowly, with your lame foot." - -"I can walk faster than you think!" said the mother. - -So they started, the child leaping and running, and the mother -stepping out so bravely with her lame foot that the child soon forgot -about it. - -The child danced on ahead, and presently he saw a chariot coming -towards him, drawn by prancing white horses. In the chariot sat a -splendid lady in velvet and furs, with white plumes waving above her -dark hair. As she moved in her seat, she flashed with jewels and gold, -but her eyes were brighter than her diamonds. - -"Are you an angel?" asked the child, running up beside the chariot. - -The lady made no reply, but stared coldly at the child: then she spoke -a word to her coachman, and he flicked his whip, and the chariot -rolled away swiftly in a cloud of dust, and disappeared. - -The dust filled the child's eyes and mouth, and made him choke and -sneeze. He gasped for breath, and rubbed his eyes; but presently his -mother came up, and wiped away the dust with her blue gingham apron. - -"That was not an angel!" said the child. - -"No, indeed!" said the mother. "Nothing like one!" - -The child danced on again, leaping and running from side to side of -the road, and the mother followed as best she might. - -By and by the child met a most beautiful maiden, clad in a white -dress. Her eyes were like blue stars, and the blushes came and went in -her face like roses looking through snow. - -"I am sure you must be an angel!" cried the child. - -The maiden blushed more sweetly than before. "You dear little child!" -she cried. "Some one else said that, only last evening. Do I really -look like an angel?" - -"You _are_ an angel!" said the child. - -The maiden took him up in her arms and kissed him, and held him -tenderly. - -"You are the dearest little thing I ever saw!" she said. "Tell me what -makes you think so!" But suddenly her face changed. - -"Oh!" she cried. "There he is, coming to meet me! And you have soiled -my white dress with your dusty shoes, and pulled my hair all awry. Run -away, child, and go home to your mother!" - -She set the child down, not unkindly, but so hastily that he stumbled -and fell; but she did not see that, for she was hastening forward to -meet her lover, who was coming along the road. (Now if the maiden had -only known, he thought her twice as lovely with the child in her arms; -but she did not know.) - -The child lay in the dusty road and sobbed, till his mother came along -and picked him up, and wiped away the tears with her blue gingham apron. - -"I don't believe that was an angel, after all," he said. - -"No!" said the mother. "But she may be one some day. She is young yet." - -"I am tired!" said the child. "Will you carry me home, mother?" - -"Why, yes!" said the mother. "That is what I came for." - -The child put his arms round his mother's neck, and she held him tight -and trudged along the road, singing the song he liked best. - -Suddenly he looked up in her face. - -"Mother," he said; "I don't suppose _you_ could be an angel, could you?" - -"Oh, what a foolish child!" said the mother. "Who ever heard of an -angel in a blue gingham apron?" and she went on singing, and stepped -out so bravely on her lame foot that no one would ever have known she -was lame. - - - - -THE APRON-STRING - - -Once upon a time a boy played about the house, running by his mother's -side; and as he was very little, his mother tied him to the string of -her apron. - -"Now," she said, "when you stumble, you can pull yourself up by the -apron-string, and so you will not fall." - -The boy did that, and all went well, and the mother sang at her work. - -By and by the boy grew so tall that his head came above the -window-sill; and looking through the window, he saw far away green -trees waving, and a flowing river that flashed in the sun, and rising -above all, blue peaks of mountains. - -"Oh, mother," he said; "untie the apron-string and let me go!" - -But the mother said, "Not yet, my child! only yesterday you stumbled, -and would have fallen but for the apron-string. Wait yet a little, -till you are stronger." - -So the boy waited, and all went as before; and the mother sang at her -work. - -But one day the boy found the door of the house standing open, for it -was spring weather; and he stood on the threshold and looked across -the valley, and saw the green trees waving, and the swift-flowing -river with the sun flashing on it, and the blue mountains rising -beyond; and this time he heard the voice of the river calling, and it -said "Come!" - -Then the boy started forward, and as he started, the string of the -apron broke. - -"Oh! how weak my mother's apron-string is!" cried the boy; and he ran -out into the world, with the broken string hanging beside him. - -The mother gathered up the other end of the string and put it in her -bosom, and went about her work again; but she sang no more. - -The boy ran on and on, rejoicing in his freedom, and in the fresh -air and the morning sun. He crossed the valley, and began to climb -the foothills among which the river flowed swiftly, among rocks and -cliffs. Now it was easy climbing, and again it was steep and craggy, -but always he looked upward at the blue peaks beyond, and always the -voice of the river was in his ears, saying "Come!" - -By and by he came to the brink of a precipice, over which the river -dashed in a cataract, foaming and flashing, and sending up clouds of -silver spray. The spray filled his eyes, so that he did not see his -footing clearly; he grew dizzy, stumbled, and fell. But as he fell, -something about him caught on a point of rock at the precipice-edge, -and held him, so that he hung dangling over the abyss; and when he -put up his hand to see what held him, he found that it was the broken -string of the apron, which still hung by his side. - -"Oh! how strong my mother's apron-string is!" said the boy: and -he drew himself up by it, and stood firm on his feet, and went on -climbing toward the blue peaks of the mountains. - - - - -THE SHADOW - - -An Angel heard a child crying one day, and came to see what ailed it. -He found the little one sitting on the ground, with the sun at its -back (for the day was young), looking at its own shadow, which lay on -the ground before it, and weeping bitterly. - -"What ails you, little one?" asked the Angel. - -"The world is so dark!" said the child. "See, it is all dusky gray, -and there is no beauty in it. Why must I stay in this sad, gray world?" - -"Do you not hear the birds singing, and the other children calling at -their play?" asked the Angel. - -"Yes," said the child; "I hear them, but I do not know where they are. -I cannot see them, I see only the shadow. Moreover, if they saw it, -they would not sing and call, but would weep as I do." - -The Angel lifted the child, and set it on its feet, with its face to -the early sun. - -"Look!" said the Angel. - -The child brushed away the tears from its eyes and looked. Before them -lay the fields all green and gold, shining with dewdrops, and the -other children were running to and fro, laughing and shouting, and -crowning one another with blossoms. - -"Why, there are the children!" said the little one. - -"Yes," said the Angel; "there they are." - -"And the sun is shining!" cried the child. - -"Yes," said the Angel; "it was shining all the time." - -"And the shadow is gone!" - -"Oh, no!" said the Angel; "the shadow is behind you, where it belongs. -Run, now, and gather flowers for the littlest one, who sits in the -grass there!" - - - - -THE SAILOR MAN - - -Once upon a time two children came to the house of a sailor man, who -lived beside the salt sea; and they found the sailor man sitting in -his doorway knotting ropes. - -"How do you do?" asked the sailor man. - -"We are very well, thank you," said the children, who had learned -manners, "and we hope you are the same. We heard that you had a boat, -and we thought that perhaps you would take us out in her, and teach us -how to sail, for that is what we wish most to know." - - [Illustration: THE SAILOR MAN. - [_Page 34._] - -"All in good time," said the sailor man. "I am busy now, but by and -by, when my work is done, I may perhaps take one of you if you are -ready to learn. Meantime here are some ropes that need knotting; you -might be doing that, since it has to be done." And he showed them -how the knots should be tied, and went away and left them. - -When he was gone the first child ran to the window and looked out. - -"There is the sea," he said. "The waves come up on the beach, almost -to the door of the house. They run up all white, like prancing horses, -and then they go dragging back. Come and look!" - -"I cannot," said the second child. "I am tying a knot." - -"Oh!" cried the first child, "I see the boat. She is dancing like a -lady at a ball; I never saw such a beauty. Come and look!" - -"I cannot," said the second child. "I am tying a knot." - -"I shall have a delightful sail in that boat," said the first child. -"I expect that the sailor man will take me, because I am the eldest -and I know more about it. There was no need of my watching when he -showed you the knots, because I knew how already." - -Just then the sailor man came in. - -"Well," he said, "my work is over. What have you been doing in the -meantime?" - -"I have been looking at the boat," said the first child. "What a beauty -she is! I shall have the best time in her that ever I had in my life." - -"I have been tying knots," said the second child. - -"Come, then," said the sailor man, and he held out his hand to the -second child. "I will take you out in the boat, and teach you to sail -her." - -"But I am the eldest," cried the first child, "and I know a great deal -more than she does." - -"That may be," said the sailor man; "but a person must learn to tie a -knot before he can learn to sail a boat." - -"But I have learned to tie a knot," cried the child. "I know all about -it!" - -"How can I tell that?" asked the sailor man. - - - - -"GO" AND "COME" - - -"Little boy," said the nurse one day, "you would be far better at work. -Your garden needs weeding sadly; go now and weed it, like a good child!" - -But the little boy did not feel like weeding that day. - -"I can't do it," he said. - -"Oh! yes, you can," said the nurse. - -"Well, I don't want to," said the little boy. - -"But you must!" said the nurse. "Don't be naughty, but go at once and -do your work as I bid you!" - -She went away about her own work, for she was very industrious; but -the little boy sat still, and thought himself ill-used. - -By and by his mother came into the room and saw him. - -"What is the matter, little boy?" she asked; for he looked like a -three-days' rain. - -"Nurse told me to weed my garden," said the little boy. - -"Oh," said his mother, "what fun that will be! I love to weed, and it -is such a fine day! Mayn't I come and help?" - -"Why, yes," said the little boy. "You may." And they weeded the garden -beautifully, and had a glorious time. - - - - -CHILD'S PLAY - - -Once a child was sitting on a great log that lay by the roadside, -playing; and another child came along, and stopped to speak to him. - -"What are you doing?" asked the second child. - -"I am sailing to the Southern Seas," replied the first, "to get a -cargo of monkeys, and elephant tusks, and crystal balls as large as -oranges. Come up here, and you may sail with me if you like." - -So the second child climbed upon the log. - -"Look!" said the first child. "See how the foam bubbles up before the -ship, and trails and floats away behind! Look! the water is so clear -that we can see the fishes swimming about, blue and red and green. -There goes a parrot-fish; my father told me about them. I should not -wonder if we saw a whale in about a minute." - -"What are you talking about?" asked the second child, peevishly. -"There is no water here, only grass; and anyhow this is nothing but a -log. You cannot get to islands in this way." - -"But we _have_ got to them," cried the first child. "We are at them -now. I see the palm-trees waving, and the white sand glittering. Look! -there are the natives gathering to welcome us on the beach. They have -feather cloaks, and necklaces, and anklets of copper as red as gold. -Oh! and there is an elephant coming straight toward us." - -"I should think you would be ashamed," said the second child. "That is -Widow Slocum." - -"It's all the same," said the first child. - -Presently the second child got down from the log. - -"I am going to play stick-knife," he said. "I don't see any sense in -this. I think you are pretty dull to play things that aren't really -there." And he walked slowly away. - -The first child looked after him a moment. - -"I think _you_ are pretty dull," he said to himself, "to see nothing -but what is under your nose." - -But he was too well-mannered to say this aloud; and having taken in -his cargo, he sailed for another port. - - - - -LITTLE JOHN BOTTLEJOHN - - - Little John Bottlejohn lived on the hill, - And a blithe little man was he. - And he won the heart of a pretty mermaid - Who lived in the deep blue sea. - And every evening she used to sit - And sing on the rocks by the sea, - "Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, - Won't you come out to me?" - - Little John Bottlejohn heard her song, - And he opened his little door. - And he hopped and he skipped, and he skipped and he hopped, - Until he came down to the shore. - And there on the rocks sat the little mermaid, - And still she was singing so free, - "Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, - Won't you come out to me?" - - Little John Bottlejohn made a bow, - And the mermaid, she made one too, - And she said, "Oh! I never saw any one half - So perfectly sweet as you! - In my lovely home 'neath the ocean foam, - How happy we both might be! - Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, - Won't you come down with me?" - - Little John Bottlejohn said, "Oh yes! - I'll willingly go with you. - And I never shall quail at the sight of your tail, - For perhaps I may grow one too." - So he took her hand, and he left the land, - And plunged in the foaming main. - And little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, - Never was seen again. - - - - -A FORTUNE - - -One day a man was walking along the street, and he was sad at heart. -Business was dull; he had set his desire upon a horse that cost a -thousand dollars, and he had only eight hundred to buy it with. There -were other things, to be sure, that might be bought with eight hundred -dollars, but he did not want those; so he was sorrowful, and thought -the world a bad place. - -As he walked, he saw a child running toward him; it was a strange -child, but when he looked at it, its face lightened like sunshine, and -broke into smiles. The child held out its closed hand. - -"Guess what I have!" it cried gleefully. - -"Something fine, I am sure!" said the man. - -The child nodded and drew nearer; then opened its hand. - -"Look!" it said; and the street rang with its happy laughter. The man -looked, and in the child's hand lay a penny. - -"Hurrah!" said the child. - -"Hurrah!" said the man. - -Then they parted, and the child went and bought a stick of candy, and -saw all the world red and white in stripes. - -The man went and put his eight hundred dollars in the savings-bank, -all but fifty cents, and with the fifty cents he bought a hobby-horse -for his own little boy, and the little boy saw all the world brown, -with white spots. - -"Is this the horse you wanted so to buy, father?" asked the little boy. - -"It is the horse I have bought!" said the man. - -"Hurrah!" said the little boy. - -"Hurrah!" said the man. And he saw that the world was a good place -after all. - - - - -THE STARS - - -A little dear child lay in its crib and sobbed, because it was afraid -of the dark. And its father, in the room below, heard the sobs, and -came up, and said, - -"What ails you, my dearie, and why do you cry?" - -And the child said, "Oh, father, I am afraid of the dark. Nurse says I -am too big to have a taper; but all the corners are full of dreadful -blackness, and I think there are Things in them with eyes, that would -look at me if I looked at them; and if they looked at me I should die. -Oh, father, why is it dark? why is there such a terrible thing as -darkness? why cannot it be always day?" - -The father took the child in his arms and carried it downstairs and -out into the summer night. - -"Look up, dearie!" he said, in his strong, kind voice. "Look up, and -see God's little lights!" - -The little one looked up, and saw the stars, spangling the blue veil -of the sky; bright as candles they burned, and yellow as gold. - -"Oh, father," cried the child; "what are those lovely things?" - -"Those are stars," said the father. "Those are God's little lights." - -"But why have I never seen them before?" - -"Because you are a very little child, and have never been out in the -night before." - -"Can I see the stars only at night, father?" - -"Only at night, my child!" - -"Do they only come then, father?" - -"No; they are always there, but we cannot see them when the sun is -shining." - -"But, father, the darkness is not terrible here, it is beautiful!" - -"Yes, dearie; the darkness is always beautiful, if we will only look -up at the stars, instead of into the corners." - - - - -BUTTERCUP GOLD - - -Oh! the cupperty-buts! and oh! the cupperty-buts! out in the meadow, -shining under the trees, and sparkling over the lawn, millions and -millions of them, each one a bit of purest gold from Mother Nature's -mint. Jessy stood at the window, looking out at them, and thinking, as -she often had thought before, that there were no flowers so beautiful. -"Cupperty-buts," she had been used to call them, when she was a wee -baby-girl and could not speak without tumbling over her words and -mixing them up in the queerest fashion; and now that she was a very -great girl, actually six years old, they were still cupperty-buts to -her, and would never be anything else, she said. There was nothing -she liked better than to watch the lovely golden things, and nod to -them as they nodded to her; but this morning her little face looked -anxious and troubled, and she gazed at the flowers with an intent and -inquiring look, as if she had expected them to reply to her unspoken -thoughts. What these thoughts were I am going to tell you. - -Half an hour before, she had called to her mother, who was just going -out, and begged her to come and look at the cupperty-buts. - -"They are brighter than ever, Mamma! Do just come and look at them! -golden, golden, golden! There must be fifteen thousand million -dollars' worth of gold just on the lawn, I should think." - -And her mother, pausing to look out, said, very sadly,-- - -"Ah, my darling! if I only had this day a little of that gold, what a -happy woman I should be!" - -And then the good mother went out, and there little Jessy stood, -gazing at the flowers, and repeating the words to herself, over and -over again,-- - -"If I only had a little of that gold!" - -She knew that her mother was very, very poor, and had to go out to -work every day to earn food and clothes for herself and her little -daughter; and the child's tender heart ached to think of the sadness -in the dear mother's look and tone. Suddenly Jessy started, and the -sunshine flashed into her face. - -"Why!" she exclaimed, "why shouldn't I get some of the gold from -the cupperty-buts? I believe I could get some, perfectly well. When -Mamma wants to get the juice out of anything, meat, or fruit, or -anything of that sort, she just boils it. And so, if I should boil the -cupperty-buts, wouldn't all the gold come out? Of course it would! Oh, -joy! how pleased Mamma will be!" - -Jessy's actions always followed her thoughts with great rapidity. In -five minutes she was out on the lawn, with a huge basket beside her, -pulling away at the buttercups with might and main. Oh! how small they -were, and how long it took even to cover the bottom of the basket. But -Jessy worked with a will, and at the end of an hour she had picked -enough to make at least a thousand dollars, as she calculated. That -would do for one day, she thought; and now for the grand experiment! -Before going out she had with much labor filled the great kettle with -water, so now the water was boiling, and she had only to put the -buttercups in and put the cover on. When this was done, she sat as -patiently as she could, trying to pay attention to her knitting, and -not to look at the clock oftener than every two minutes. - -"They must boil for an hour," she said; "and by that time all the gold -will have come out." - -Well, the hour did pass, somehow or other, though it was a very long -one; and at eleven o'clock, Jessy, with a mighty effort, lifted the -kettle from the stove and carried it to the open door, that the fresh -air might cool the boiling water. At first, when she lifted the cover, -such a cloud of steam came out that she could see nothing; but in a -moment the wind blew the steam aside, and then she saw,--oh, poor -little Jessy!--she saw a mass of weeds floating about in a quantity -of dirty, greenish water, and that was all. Not the smallest trace of -gold, even in the buttercups themselves, was to be seen. Poor little -Jessy! she tried hard not to cry, but it was a bitter disappointment; -the tears came rolling down her cheeks faster and faster, till at -length she sat down by the kettle, and, burying her face in her apron, -sobbed as if her heart would break. - -Presently, through her sobs, she heard a kind voice saying, "What -is the matter, little one? Why do you cry so bitterly?" She looked -up and saw an old gentleman with white hair and a bright, cheery -face, standing by her. At first, Jessy could say nothing but "Oh! -the cupperty-buts! oh! the cupperty-buts!" but, of course, the old -gentleman didn't know what she meant by that, so, as he urged her -to tell him about her trouble, she dried her eyes, and told him the -melancholy little story: how her mother was very poor, and said she -wished she had some gold; and how she herself had tried to get the gold -out of the buttercups by boiling them. "I was so sure I could get it -out," she said, "and I thought Mamma would be so pleased! And now--" - -Here she was very near breaking down again; but the gentleman patted -her head and said, cheerfully, "Wait a bit, little woman! Don't give -up the ship yet. You know that gold is heavy, very heavy indeed, and -if there were any it would be at the very bottom of the kettle, all -covered with the weeds, so that you could not see it. I should not be -at all surprised if you found some, after all. Run into the house and -bring me a spoon with a long handle, and we will fish in the kettle, -and see what we can find." - -Jessy's face brightened, and she ran into the house. If any one had -been standing near just at that moment, I think it is possible that -he might have seen the old gentleman's hand go into his pocket and -out again very quickly, and might have heard a little splash in the -kettle; but nobody was near, so, of course, I cannot say anything -about it. At any rate, when Jessy came out with the spoon, he was -standing with both hands in his pockets, looking in the opposite -direction. He took the great iron spoon and fished about in the kettle -for some time. At last there was a little clinking noise, and the old -gentleman lifted the spoon. Oh, wonder and delight! In it lay three -great, broad, shining pieces of gold! Jessy could hardly believe her -eyes. She stared and stared; and when the old gentleman put the gold -into her hand, she still stood as if in a happy dream, gazing at it. -Suddenly she started, and remembered that she had not thanked her -kindly helper. She looked up, and began, "Thank you, sir;" but the old -gentleman was gone. - -Well, the next question was, How could Jessy possibly wait till twelve -o'clock for her mother to come home? Knitting was out of the question. -She could do nothing but dance and look out of window, and look out -of window and dance, holding the precious coins tight in her hand. At -last, a well-known footstep was heard outside the door, and Mrs. Gray -came in, looking very tired and worn. She smiled, however, when she -saw Jessy, and said,-- - -"Well, my darling, I am glad to see you looking so bright. How has -the morning gone with my little housekeeper?" - -"Oh, mother!" cried Jessy, hopping about on one foot, "it has gone -very well! oh, very, _very, very_ well! Oh, my mother dear, what do -you think I have got in my hand? _What_ do you think? oh, what _do_ -you think?" and she went dancing round and round, till poor Mrs. Gray -was quite dizzy with watching her. At last she stopped, and holding -out her hand, opened it and showed her mother what was in it. Mrs. -Gray was really frightened. - -"Jessy, my child!" she cried, "where did you get all that money?" - -"Out of the cupperty-buts, Mamma!" said Jessy, "out of the -cupperty-buts! and it's all for you, every bit of it! Dear Mamma, now -you will be happy, will you not?" - -"Jessy," said Mrs. Gray, "have you lost your senses, or are you -playing some trick on me? Tell me all about this at once, dear child, -and don't talk nonsense." - -"But it isn't nonsense, Mamma!" cried Jessy, "and it did come out of -the cupperty-buts!" - -And then she told her mother the whole story. The tears came into Mrs. -Gray's eyes, but they were tears of joy and gratitude. - -"Jessy dear," she said, "when we say our prayers at night, let us -never forget to pray for that good gentleman. May Heaven bless him and -reward him! for if it had not been for him, Jessy dear, I fear you -would never have found the 'Buttercup Gold.'" - - - - -THE PATIENT CAT - - -When the spotted cat first found the nest, there was nothing in it, -for it was only just finished. So she said, "I will wait!" for she was -a patient cat, and the summer was before her. She waited a week, and -then she climbed up again to the top of the tree, and peeped into the -nest. There lay two lovely blue eggs, smooth and shining. - -The spotted cat said, "Eggs may be good, but young birds are better. I -will wait." So she waited; and while she was waiting, she caught mice -and rats, and washed herself and slept, and did all that a spotted cat -should do to pass the time away. - -When another week had passed, she climbed the tree again and peeped -into the nest. This time there were five eggs. But the spotted cat -said again, "Eggs may be good, but young birds are better. I will wait -a little longer!" - -So she waited a little longer and then went up again to look. Ah! -there were five tiny birds, with big eyes and long necks, and yellow -beaks wide open. Then the spotted cat sat down on the branch, and -licked her nose and purred, for she was very happy. "It is worth while -to be patient!" she said. - -But when she looked again at the young birds, to see which one she -should take first, she saw that they were very thin,--oh, very, very -thin they were! The spotted cat had never seen anything so thin in her -life. - -"Now," she said to herself, "if I were to wait only a few days longer, -they would grow fat. Thin birds may be good, but fat birds are much -better. I will wait!" - -So she waited; and she watched the father-bird bringing worms all day -long to the nest, and said, "Aha! they must be fattening fast! they -will soon be as fat as I wish them to be. Aha! what a good thing it -is to be patient." - -At last, one day she thought, "Surely, now they must be fat enough! I -will not wait another day. Aha! how good they will be!" - -So she climbed up the tree, licking her chops all the way and thinking -of the fat young birds. And when she reached the top and looked into -the nest, it was empty!! - -Then the spotted cat sat down on the branch and spoke thus, "Well, -of all the horrid, mean, ungrateful creatures I ever saw, those -birds are the horridest, and the meanest, and the most ungrateful! -Mi-a-u-ow!!!!" - - - - -ALICE'S SUPPER - - - Far down in the meadow the wheat grows green, - And the reapers are whetting their sickles so keen; - And this is the song that I hear them sing, - While cheery and loud their voices ring: - "'Tis the finest wheat that ever did grow! - And it is for Alice's supper, ho! ho!" - - Far down in the valley the old mill stands, - And the miller is rubbing his dusty white hands; - And these are the words of the miller's lay, - As he watches the millstones a-grinding away: - "'Tis the finest flour that money can buy, - And it is for Alice's supper, hi! hi!" - - Downstairs in the kitchen the fire doth glow, - And Maggie is kneading the soft white dough, - And this is the song that she's singing to-day, - While merry and busy she's working away: - "'Tis the finest dough, by near or by far, - And it is for Alice's supper, ha! ha!" - - And now to the nursery comes Nannie at last, - And what in her hand is she bringing so fast? - 'Tis a plate full of something all yellow and white, - And she sings as she comes with her smile so bright: - "'Tis the best bread-and-butter I ever did see! - And it is for Alice's supper, he! he!" - - - - -THE QUACKY DUCK - - -The Quacky Duck stood on the bank of the stream. And the frogs came -and sat on stones and insulted him. Now the words which the frogs used -were these,-- - - "Ya! ha! he hasn't any hind-legs! - Ya! ha! he hasn't any fore-legs! - Oh! what horrid luck - To be a Quacky Duck!" - -These were not pleasant words. And when the Quacky Duck heard them, he -considered within himself whether it would not be best for him to eat -the frogs. - -"Two good things would come of it," he said. "I should have a savoury -meal, and their remarks would no longer be audible." - -So he fell upon the frogs, and they fled before him. And one jumped -into the water, and one jumped on the land, and another jumped into the -reeds; for such is their manner. But one of them, being in fear, saw -not clearly the way he should go, and jumped even upon the back of the -Quacky Duck. Now, this displeased the Quacky Duck, and he said, "If you -will remove yourself from my person, we will speak further of this." - -So the frog, being also willing, strove to remove himself, and the -result was that they two, being on the edge of the bank, fell into the -water. Then the frog departed swiftly, saying, "Solitude is best for -meditation." - -But the Quacky Duck, having hit his head against a stone, sank to the -bottom of the pond, where he found himself in the frogs' kitchen. And -there he spied a fish, which the frogs had caught for their dinner, -intending to share it in a brotherly manner, for it was a savoury -fish. When the Quacky Duck saw it, he was glad; and he said, "Fish is -better than frog" (for he was an English duck)! And, taking the fish, -he swam with speed to the shore. - -Now the frogs lamented when they saw him go, for they said, "He has -our savoury fish!" And they wept, and reviled the Quacky Duck. - -But he said, "Be comforted! for if I had not found the fish, I should -assuredly have eaten you. Therefore, say now, which is the better for -you?" And he ate the fish, and departed joyful. - - - - -AT THE LITTLE BOY'S HOME - - -It was a very hot day, and the little boy was lying on his stomach -under the big linden tree, reading the "Scottish Chiefs." - -"Little Boy," said his mother, "will you please go out in the garden -and bring me a head of lettuce?" - -"Oh, I--can't!" said the little boy. "I'm--too--_hot_!" - -The little boy's father happened to be close by, weeding the geranium -bed; and when he heard this, he lifted the little boy gently by his -waistband, and dipped him in the great tub of water that stood ready -for watering the plants. - -"There, my son!" said the father. "Now you are cool enough to go and -get the lettuce; but remember next time that it will be easier to go -at once when you are told, as then you will not have to change your -clothes." - -The little boy went drip, drip, dripping out into the garden and -brought the lettuce; then he went drip, drip, dripping into the house -and changed his clothes; but he said never a word, for he knew there -was nothing to say. - -That is the way they do things where the little boy lives. Would you -like to live there? Perhaps not; yet he is a happy little boy, and he -is learning the truth of the old saying,-- - - "Come when you're called, do as you're bid, - Shut the door after you, and you'll never be chid." - - - - -NEW YEAR - - -The little sweet Child tied on her hood, and put on her warm cloak and -mittens. "I am going to the wood," she said, "to tell the creatures -all about it. They cannot understand about Christmas, mamma says, and -of course she knows, but I do think they ought to know about New Year!" - -Out in the wood the snow lay light and powdery on the branches, but -under foot it made a firm, smooth floor, over which the Child could -walk lightly without sinking in. She saw other footprints beside -her own, tiny bird-tracks, little hopping marks, which showed where -a rabbit had taken his way, traces of mice and squirrels and other -little wild-wood beasts. - -The child stood under a great hemlock-tree, and looked up toward the -clear blue sky, which shone far away beyond the dark tree-tops. She -spread her hands abroad and called, "Happy New Year! Happy New Year to -everybody in the wood, and all over the world!" - -A rustling was heard in the hemlock branches, and a striped squirrel -peeped down at her. "What do you mean by that, little Child?" he -asked. And then from all around came other squirrels, came little -field-mice, and hares swiftly leaping, and all the winter birds, -titmouse and snow-bird, and many another; and they all wanted to know -what the Child meant by her greeting, for they had never heard the -words before. - -"It means that God is giving us another year!" said the Child. "Four -more seasons, each lovelier than the last, just as it was last year. -Flowers will bud, and then they will blossom, and then the fruit will -hang all red and golden on the branches, for birds and men and little -children to eat." "And squirrels, too!" cried the chipmunk, eagerly. - -"Of course!" said the Child. "Squirrels, too, and every creature that -lives in the good green wood. And this is not all! We can do over -again the things that we tried to do last year, and perhaps failed in -doing. We have another chance to be good and kind, to do little loving -things that help, and to cure ourselves of doing naughty things. Our -hearts can have lovely new seasons, like the flowers and trees and -all the sweet things that grow and bear leaves and fruit. I thought I -would come and tell you all this, because sometimes one does not think -of things till one hears them from another's lips. Are you glad I -came? If you are glad, say Happy New Year! each in his own way! I say -it to you all now in my way. Happy New Year! Happy New Year!" - -Such a noise as broke out then had never been heard in the wood since -the oldest hemlock was a baby, and that was a long time ago. Chirping, -twittering, squeaking, chattering! The wood-doves lit on the Child's -shoulder and cooed in her ear, and she knew just what they said. The -squirrels made a long speech, and meant every word of it, which is -more than people always do; the field-mouse said that she was going to -turn over a new leaf, the very biggest cabbage-leaf she could find; -while the titmouse invited the whole company to dine with him, a thing -he had never done in his life before. - -When the Child turned to leave the wood, the joyful chorus followed -her, and she went, smiling, home and told her mother all about it. -"And, mother," she said, "I should not be surprised if they had got a -little bit of Christmas, after all, along with their New Year!" - - - - -JACKY FROST - - - Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost, - Came in the night; - Left the meadows that he crossed - All gleaming white. - Painted with his silver brush - Every window-pane; - Kissed the leaves and made them blush, - Blush and blush again. - - Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost, - Crept around the house, - Sly as a silver fox, - Still as a mouse. - Out little Jenny came, - Blushing like a rose; - Up jumped Jacky Frost, - And pinched her little nose. - - - - -THE CAKE - - -Once a Cake would go seek his fortune in the world, and he took his -leave of the Pan he was baked in. - -"I know my destiny," said the Cake. "I must be eaten, since to that -end I was made; but I am a good cake, if I say it who should not, and -I would fain choose the persons I am to benefit." - -"I don't see what difference it makes to you!" said the Pan. - -"But imagination is hardly your strong point!" said the Cake. - -"Huh!" said the Pan. - -The Cake went on his way, and soon he passed by a cottage door where -sat a woman spinning, and her ten children playing about her. - -"Oh!" said the woman, "what a beautiful cake!" and she put out her -hand to take him. - -"Be so good as to wait a moment!" said the Cake. "Will you kindly tell -me what you would do with me if I should yield myself up to you?" - -"I shall break you into ten pieces," said the woman, "and give one to -each of my ten children. So you will give ten pleasures, and that is a -good thing." - -"Oh, that would be very nice, I am sure," said the Cake; "but if you -will excuse me for mentioning it, your children seem rather dirty, -especially their hands, and I confess I should like to keep my -frosting unsullied, so I think I will go a little further." - -"As you will!" said the woman. "After all, the brown loaf is better -for the children." - -So the Cake went further, and met a fair child, richly dressed, with -coral lips and eyes like sunlit water. When the child saw the Cake, he -said like the woman, "Oh, what a beautiful Cake!" and put out his hand -to take it. - -"I am sure I should be most happy!" said the Cake. "And you will not -take it amiss, I am confident, if I ask with whom you will share me." - -"I shall not share you with any one!" said the child. "I shall eat you -myself, every crumb. What do you take me for?" - -"Good gracious!" cried the Cake. "This will never do. Consider my -size,--and yours! You would be very ill!" - -"I don't care!" said the child. "I'd rather be ill than give any -away." And he fixed greedy eyes on the Cake, and stretched forth his -hand again. - -"This is really terrible!" cried the Cake. "What is one's frosting to -this? I will go back to the woman with the ten children." - -He turned and ran back, leaving the child screaming with rage and -disappointed greed. But as he ran, a hungry Puppy met him, and swallowed -him at a gulp, and went on licking his chops and wagging his tail. - -"Huh!" said the Pan. - - - - -"OH, DEAR!" - - -Chimborazo was a very unhappy boy. He pouted, and he sulked, and -he said, "Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear!" He said it till -everybody was tired of hearing it. - -"Chimborazo," his mother would say, "please don't say, 'Oh, dear!' any -more. It is very annoying. Say something else." - -"Oh, dear!" the boy would answer, "I can't! I don't know anything else -to say. Oh, dear! Oh, _dear_!! oh, DEAR!!!" - -One day his mother could not bear it any longer, and she sent for his -fairy godmother, and told her all about it. - -"Humph!" said the fairy godmother. "I will see to it. Send the boy to -me!" - -So Chimborazo was sent for, and came, hanging his head as usual. When -he saw his fairy godmother, he said, "Oh, dear!" for he was rather -afraid of her. - -"'Oh, dear!' it is!" said the godmother sharply; and she put on her -spectacles and looked at him. "Do you know what a bell-punch is?" - -"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo. "No, ma'am, I don't!" - -"Well," said the godmother, "I am going to give you one." - -"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "I don't want one." - -"Probably not," replied she, "but that doesn't make much difference. -You have it now, in your jacket pocket." - -Chimborazo felt in his pocket, and took out a queer-looking instrument -of shining metal. "Oh, dear!" he said. - -"'Oh, dear!' it is!" said the fairy godmother. "Now," she continued, -"listen to me, Chimborazo! I am going to put you on an allowance -of 'Oh, dears.' This is a self-acting bell-punch, and it will ring -whenever you say 'Oh, dear!' How many times do you generally say it in -the course of the day?" - -"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "I don't know. Oh, _dear_!" - -"_Ting! ting!_" the bell-punch rang twice sharply; and looking at it -in dismay, he saw two little round holes punched in a long slip of -pasteboard which was fastened to the instrument. - -"Exactly!" said the fairy. "That is the way it works, and a very -pretty way, too. Now, my boy, I am going to make you a very liberal -allowance. You may say 'Oh, dear!' forty-five times a day. There's -liberality for you!" - -"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, "I----" - -"_Ting!_" said the bell-punch. - -"You see!" observed the fairy. "Nothing could be prettier. You have -now had three of this day's allowance. It is still some hours before -noon, so I advise you to be careful. If you exceed the allowance----" -Here she paused, and glowered through her spectacles in a very -dreadful manner. - -"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo. "What will happen then?" - -"You will see!" said the fairy godmother, with a nod. "_Something_ -will happen, you may be very sure of that. Good-by. Remember, only -forty-five!" And away she flew out of the window. - -"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, bursting into tears. "I don't want it! I -won't have it! Oh, _dear_! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, DEAR!!!" - -"Ting! ting! ting-ting-ting-_ting_!" said the bell-punch; and now -there were ten round holes in the strip of pasteboard. Chimborazo -was now really frightened. He was silent for some time; and when -his mother called him to his lessons he tried very hard not to say -the dangerous words. But the habit was so strong that he said them -unconsciously. By dinnertime there were twenty-five holes in the -cardboard strip; by tea-time there were forty! Poor Chimborazo! he was -afraid to open his lips, for whenever he did the words would slip out -in spite of him. - -"Well, Chimbo," said his father after tea, "I hear you have had a -visit from your fairy godmother. What did she say to you, eh?" - -"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "she said--oh, dear! I've said it again!" - -"She said, 'Oh, dear! I've said it again!'" repeated his father. "What -do you mean by that?" - -"Oh, dear! I didn't mean that," cried Chimborazo hastily; and again -the inexorable bell rang, and he knew that another hole was punched -in the fatal cardboard. He pressed his lips firmly together, and did -not open them again except to say "Good-night," until he was safe -in his own room. Then he hastily drew the hated bell-punch from his -pocket, and counted the holes in the strip of cardboard; there were -forty-three! "Oh, _dear_!" cried the boy, forgetting himself again in -his alarm, "only two more! Oh, _dear_! oh, DEAR! I've done it again! -oh----" "Ting! ting!" went the bell-punch; and the cardboard was -punched to the end. "Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, now beside himself -with terror. "Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, _dear_!! what will -become of me?" - -A strange whirring noise was heard, then a loud clang; and the next -moment the bell-punch, as if it were alive, flew out of his hand, out -of the window, and was gone! - -Chimborazo stood breathless with terror for a few minutes, momentarily -expecting that the roof would fall in on his head, or the floor blow -up under his feet, or some appalling catastrophe of some kind follow; -but nothing followed. Everything was quiet, and there seemed to be -nothing to do but go to bed; and so to bed he went, and slept, only to -dream that he was shot through the head with a bell-punch, and died -saying, "Oh, dear!" - -The next morning, when Chimborazo came downstairs, his father said, -"My boy, I am going to drive over to your grandfather's farm this -morning; would you like to go with me?" - -A drive to the farm was one of the greatest pleasures Chimborazo had, -so he answered promptly, "Oh, _dear_!" - -"Oh, very well!" said his father, looking much surprised. "You need -not go, my son, if you do not want to. I will take Robert instead." - -Poor Chimborazo! He had opened his lips to say, "Thank you, papa. I -should like to go _very_ much!" and, instead of these words, out had -popped, in his most doleful tone, the now hated "Oh, dear!" He sat -amazed; but was roused by his mother's calling him to breakfast. - -"Come, Chimbo," she said. "Here are sausages and scrambled eggs: and -you are very fond of both of them. Which will you have?" - -Chimborazo hastened to say, "Sausages, please, mamma,"--that is, he -hastened to _try_ to say it; but all his mother heard was, "Oh, _dear_!" - -His father looked much displeased. "Give the boy some bread and water, -wife," he said sternly. "If he cannot answer properly, he must be -taught. I have had enough of this 'oh, dear!' business." - -Poor Chimborazo! He saw plainly enough now what his punishment was -to be; and the thought of it made him tremble. He tried to ask for -some more bread, but only brought out his "Oh, _dear_!" in such a -lamentable tone that his father ordered him to leave the room. He went -out into the garden, and there he met John the gardener, carrying a -basket of rosy apples. Oh! how good they looked! - -"I am bringing some of the finest apples up to the house, little -master," said John. "Will you have one to put in your pocket?" - -"Oh, _dear_!" was all the poor boy could say, though he wanted an -apple, oh, so much! And when John heard that he put the apple back in -his basket, muttering something about ungrateful monkeys. - -Poor Chimborazo! I will not give the whole history of that miserable -day,--a miserable day it was from beginning to end. He fared no better -at dinner than at breakfast; for at the second "Oh, dear!" his father -sent him up to his room, "to stay there until he knew how to take what -was given him, and be thankful for it." He knew well enough by this -time; but he could not tell his father so. He went to his room, and -sat looking out of the window, a hungry and miserable boy. - -In the afternoon his cousin Will came up to see him. "Why, Chimbo!" he -cried. "Why do you sit moping here in the house, when all the boys are -out? Come and play marbles with me on the piazza. Ned and Harry are -out there waiting for you. Come on!" - -"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo. - -"What's the matter?" asked Will. "Haven't you any marbles? Never mind. -I'll give you half of mine, if you like. Come!" - -"Oh, DEAR!" said Chimborazo. - -"Well," said Will, "if that's all you have to say when I offer you -marbles, I'll keep them myself. I suppose you expected me to give you -all of them, did you? I never saw such a fellow!" and off he went in a -huff. - - * * * * * - -"Well, Chimborazo," said the fairy godmother, "what do you think of -'Oh, dear!' now?" - -Chimborazo looked at her beseechingly, but said nothing. - -"Finding that forty-five times was not enough for you yesterday, I -thought I would let you have all you wanted to-day, you see," said the -fairy wickedly. - -The boy still looked imploringly at her, but did not open his lips. - -"Well, well," she said at last, touching his lips with her wand, "I -think that is enough in the way of punishment, though I am sorry you -broke the bell-punch. Good-by! I don't believe you will say 'Oh, -dear!' any more." - -And he didn't. - - - - -THE USEFUL COAL - - -There was once a king whose name was Sligo. He was noted both for his -riches and his kind heart. One evening, as he sat by his fireside, a -coal fell out on the hearth. The king took up the tongs, intending to -put it back on the fire, but the coal said:-- - -"If you will spare my life, and do as I tell you, I will save your -treasure three times, and tell you the name of the thief who steals it." - -These words gave the king great joy, for much treasure had been stolen -from him of late, and none of his officers could discover the culprit. -So he set the coal on the table, and said:-- - -"Pretty little black and red bird, tell me, what shall I do?" - -"Put me in your waistcoat-pocket," said the coal, "and take no more -thought for to-night." - -Accordingly the king put the coal in his pocket, and then, as he sat -before the warm fire, he grew drowsy, and presently fell fast asleep. - -When he had been asleep some time, the door opened, very softly, -and the High Cellarer peeped cautiously in. This was the one of the -king's officers who had been most eager in searching for the thief. -He now crept softly, softly, toward the king, and seeing that he was -fast asleep, put his hand into his waistcoat-pocket; for in that -waistcoat-pocket King Sligo kept the key of his treasure-chamber, -and the High Cellarer was the thief. He put his hand into the -waistcoat-pocket. S-s-s-s-s! the coal burned it so frightfully that he -gave a loud shriek, and fell on his knees on the hearth. - -"What is the matter?" cried the king, waking with a start. - -"Alas! your Majesty," said the High Cellarer, thrusting his burnt -fingers into his bosom, that the king might not see them. "You were -just on the point of falling forward into the fire, and I cried out, -partly from fright and partly to waken you." - -The king thanked the High Cellarer, and gave him a ruby ring as a -reward. But when he was in his chamber, and making ready for bed, the -coal said to him:-- - -"Once already have I saved your treasure, and to-night I shall save -it again. Only put me on the table beside your bed, and you may sleep -with a quiet heart." - -So the king put the coal on the table, and himself into the bed, and -was soon sound asleep. At midnight the door of the chamber opened very -softly, and the High Cellarer peeped in again. He knew that at night -King Sligo kept the key under his pillow, and he was coming to get it. -He crept softly, softly, toward the bed, but as he drew near it, the -coal cried out:-- - -"One eye sleeps, but the other eye wakes! one eye sleeps, but the -other eye wakes! Who is this comes creeping, while honest men are -sleeping?" - -The High Cellarer looked about him in affright, and saw the coal -burning fiery red in the darkness, and looking for all the world like -a great flaming eye. In an agony of fear he fled from the chamber, -crying,-- - - "Black and red! black and red! - The king has a devil to guard his bed." - -And he spent the rest of the night shivering in the farthest garret he -could find. - -The next morning the coal said to the king:-- - -"Again this night have I saved your treasure, and mayhap your life as -well. Yet a third time I shall do it, and this time you shall learn -the name of the thief. But if I do this, you must promise me one -thing, and that is that you will place me in your royal crown and wear -me as a jewel. Will you do this?" - -"That will I, right gladly!" replied King Sligo, "for a jewel indeed -you are." - -"That is well!" said the coal. "It is true that I am dying; but no -matter. It is a fine thing to be a jewel in a king's crown, even if -one is dead. Now listen, and follow my directions closely. As soon -as I am quite black and dead,--which will be in about ten minutes -from now,--you must take me in your hand and rub me all over and -around the handle of the door of the treasure-chamber. A good part -of me will be rubbed off, but there will be enough left to put in -your crown. When you have thoroughly rubbed the door, lay the key of -the treasure-chamber on your table, as if you had left it there by -mistake. You may then go hunting or riding, but not for more than an -hour; and when you return, you must instantly call all your court -together, as if on business of the greatest importance. Invent some -excuse for asking them to raise their hands, and then arrest the man -whose hands are black. Do you understand?" - -"I do!" replied King Sligo, fervently, "I do, and my warmest thanks, -good Coal, are due to you for this--" - -But here he stopped, for already the coal was quite black, and in -less than ten minutes it was dead and cold. Then the king took it -and rubbed it carefully over the door of the treasure-chamber, and -laying the key of the door in plain sight on his dressing-table, he -called his huntsmen together, and mounting his horse, rode away to the -forest. As soon as he was gone, the High Cellarer, who had pleaded -a headache when asked to join the hunt, crept softly to the king's -room, and to his surprise found the key on the table. Full of joy, he -sought the treasure-chamber at once, and began filling his pockets -with gold and jewels, which he carried to his own apartment, returning -greedily for more. In this way he opened and closed the door many -times. Suddenly, as he was stooping over a silver barrel containing -sapphires, he heard the sound of a trumpet, blown once, twice, thrice. -The wicked thief started, for it was the signal for the entire court -to appear instantly before the king, and the penalty of disobedience -was death. Hastily cramming a handful of sapphires into his pocket, -he stumbled to the door, which he closed and locked, putting the -key also in his pocket, as there was no time to return it. He flew -to the presence-chamber, where the lords of the kingdom were hastily -assembling. - -The king was seated on his throne, still in his hunting-dress, though -he had put on his crown over his hat, which presented a peculiar -appearance. It was with a majestic air, however, that he rose and -said:-- - -"Nobles, and gentlemen of my court! I have called you together to -pray for the soul of my lamented grandmother, who died, as you may -remember, several years ago. In token of respect, I desire you all to -raise your hands to Heaven." - -The astonished courtiers, one and all, lifted their hands high in air. -The king looked, and, behold! the hands of the High Cellarer were as -black as soot! The king caused him to be arrested and searched, and -the sapphires in his pocket, besides the key of the treasure-chamber, -gave ample proof of his guilt. His head was removed at once, and -the king had the useful coal, set in sapphires, placed in the very -front of his crown, where it was much admired and praised as a BLACK -DIAMOND. - - - - -SONG OF THE LITTLE WINDS - - - The birdies may sleep, but the winds must wake - Early and late, for the birdies' sake. - Kissing them, fanning them, soft and sweet, - E'en till the dark and the dawning meet. - - The flowers may sleep, but the winds must wake - Early and late, for the flowers' sake. - Rocking the buds on the rose-mother's breast, - Swinging the hyacinth-bells to rest. - - The children may sleep, but the winds must wake - Early and late, for the children's sake. - Singing so sweet in each little one's ear, - He thinks his mother's own song to hear. - - - - -THE THREE REMARKS - - -There was once a princess, the most beautiful princess that ever was -seen. Her hair was black and soft as the raven's wing; her eyes were -like stars dropped in a pool of clear water, and her speech like the -first tinkling cascade of the baby Nile. She was also wise, graceful, -and gentle, so that one would have thought she must be the happiest -princess in the world. - -But, alas! there was one terrible drawback to her happiness. She could -make only three remarks. No one knew whether it was the fault of her -nurse, or a peculiarity born with her; but the sad fact remained, that -no matter what was said to her, she could only reply in one of three -phrases. The first was,-- - -"What is the price of butter?" - -The second, "Has your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" - -And the third, "With all my heart!" - -You may well imagine what a great misfortune this was to a young and -lively princess. How could she join in the sports and dances of the -noble youths and maidens of the court? She could not always be silent, -neither could she always say, "With all my heart!" though this was her -favorite phrase, and she used it whenever she possibly could; and it -was not at all pleasant, when some gallant knight asked her whether -she would rather play croquet or Aunt Sally, to be obliged to reply, -"What is the price of butter?" - -On certain occasions, however, the princess actually found her -infirmity of service to her. She could always put an end suddenly to -any conversation that did not please her, by interposing with her -first or second remark; and they were also a very great assistance -to her when, as happened nearly every day, she received an offer -of marriage. Emperors, kings, princes, dukes, earls, marquises, -viscounts, baronets, and many other lofty personages knelt at her -feet, and offered her their hands, hearts, and other possessions of -greater or less value. But for all her suitors the princess had but -one answer. Fixing her deep radiant eyes on them, she would reply with -thrilling earnestness, "_Has_ your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" -and this always impressed the suitors so deeply that they retired, -weeping, to a neighboring monastery, where they hung up their armor in -the chapel, and taking the vows, passed the remainder of their lives -mostly in flogging themselves, wearing hair shirts, and putting dry -toast-crumbs in their beds. - -Now, when the king found that all his best nobles were turning into -monks, he was greatly displeased, and said to the princess:-- - -"My daughter, it is high time that all this nonsense came to an end. -The next time a respectable person asks you to marry him, you will -say, 'With all my heart!' or I will know the reason why." - -But this the princess could not endure, for she had never yet seen -a man whom she was willing to marry. Nevertheless, she feared her -father's anger, for she knew that he always kept his word; so that -very night she slipped down the back stairs of the palace, opened the -back door, and ran away out into the wide world. - -She wandered for many days, over mountain and moor, through fen and -through forest, until she came to a fair city. Here all the bells -were ringing, and the people shouting and flinging caps into the air; -for their old king was dead, and they were just about to crown a new -one. The new king was a stranger, who had come to the town only the -day before; but as soon as he heard of the old monarch's death, he -told the people that he was a king himself, and as he happened to be -without a kingdom at that moment, he would be quite willing to rule -over them. The people joyfully assented, for the late king had left no -heir; and now all the preparations had been completed. The crown had -been polished up, and a new tip put on the sceptre, as the old king had -quite spoiled it by poking the fire with it for upwards of forty years. - -When the people saw the beautiful princess, they welcomed her with -many bows, and insisted on leading her before the new king. - -"Who knows but that they may be related?" said everybody. "They both -came from the same direction, and both are strangers." - -Accordingly the princess was led to the market-place, where the king -was sitting in royal state. He had a fat, red, shining face, and did -not look like the kings whom she had been in the habit of seeing; but -nevertheless the princess made a graceful courtesy, and then waited to -hear what he would say. - -The new king seemed rather embarrassed when he saw that it was a -princess who appeared before him; but he smiled graciously, and said, -in a smooth oily voice,-- - -"I trust your 'Ighness is quite well. And 'ow did yer 'Ighness leave -yer pa and ma?" - -At these words the princess raised her head and looked fixedly at the -red-faced king; then she replied, with scornful distinctness,-- - -"What is the price of butter?" - -At these words an alarming change came over the king's face. The red -faded from it, and left it a livid green; his teeth chattered; his -eyes stared, and rolled in their sockets; while the sceptre dropped -from his trembling hand and fell at the princess's feet. For the truth -was, this was no king at all, but a retired butterman, who had laid by -a little money at his trade, and had thought of setting up a public -house; but chancing to pass through this city at the very time when -they were looking for a king, it struck him that he might just as -well fill the vacant place as any one else. No one had thought of his -being an impostor; but when the princess fixed her clear eyes on him -and asked him that familiar question, which he had been in the habit -of hearing many times a day for a great part of his life, the guilty -butterman thought himself detected, and shook in his guilty shoes. -Hastily descending from his throne, he beckoned the princess into a -side-chamber, and closing the door, besought her in moving terms not -to betray him. - -"Here," he said, "is a bag of rubies as big as pigeon's eggs. There -are six thousand of them, and I 'umbly beg your 'Ighness to haccept -them as a slight token hof my hesteem, if your 'Ighness will kindly -consent to spare a respeckable tradesman the disgrace of being -hexposed." - -The princess reflected, and came to the conclusion that, after all, a -butterman might make as good a king as any one else; so she took the -rubies with a gracious little nod, and departed, while all the people -shouted, "Hooray!" and followed her, waving their hats and kerchiefs, -to the gates of the city. - -With her bag of rubies over her shoulder, the fair princess now -pursued her journey, and fared forward over heath and hill, through -brake and through brier. After several days she came to a deep -forest, which she entered without hesitation, for she knew no fear. -She had not gone a hundred paces under the arching limes, when she -was met by a band of robbers, who stopped her and asked what she did -in their forest, and what she carried in her bag. They were fierce, -black-bearded men, armed to the teeth with daggers, cutlasses, -pistols, dirks, hangers, blunderbusses, and other defensive weapons; -but the princess gazed calmly on them, and said haughtily,-- - -"Has your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" - -The effect was magical. The robbers started back in dismay, crying, -"The countersign!" Then they hastily lowered their weapons, and -assuming attitudes of abject humility, besought the princess -graciously to accompany them to their master's presence. With a lofty -gesture she signified assent, and the cringing, trembling bandits led -her on through the forest till they reached an open glade, into which -the sunbeams glanced right merrily. Here, under a broad oak-tree which -stood in the centre of the glade, reclined a man of gigantic stature -and commanding mien, with a whole armory of weapons displayed upon -his person. Hastening to their chief, the robbers conveyed to him, in -agitated whispers, the circumstance of their meeting the princess, -and of her unexpected reply to their questions. Hardly seeming to -credit their statement, the gigantic chieftain sprang to his feet, and -advancing toward the princess with a respectful reverence, begged her -to repeat the remark which had so disturbed his men. With a royal air, -and in clear and ringing tones, the princess repeated,-- - -"_Has_ your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" and gazed steadfastly at -the robber chief. - -He turned deadly pale, and staggered against a tree, which alone -prevented him from falling. - -"It is true!" he gasped. "We are undone! The enemy is without doubt -close at hand, and all is over. Yet," he added with more firmness, and -with an appealing glance at the princess, "yet there may be one chance -left for us. If this gracious lady will consent to go forward, instead -of returning through the wood, we may yet escape with our lives. -Noble princess!" and here he and the whole band assumed attitudes of -supplication, "consider, I pray you, whether it would really add to -your happiness to betray to the advancing army a few poor foresters, -who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow. Here," he continued, -hastily drawing something from a hole in the oak-tree, "is a bag -containing ten thousand sapphires, each as large as a pullet's egg. If -you will graciously deign to accept them, and to pursue your journey -in the direction I shall indicate, the Red Chief of the Rustywhanger -will be your slave forever." - -The princess, who of course knew that there was no army in the -neighborhood, and who moreover did not in the least care which way she -went, assented to the Red Chief's proposition, and taking the bag of -sapphires, bowed her farewell to the grateful robbers, and followed -their leader down a ferny path which led to the farther end of the -forest. When they came to the open country, the robber chieftain took -his leave of the princess, with profound bows and many protestations -of devotion, and returned to his band, who were already preparing to -plunge into the impenetrable thickets of the midforest. - -The princess, meantime, with her two bags of gems on her shoulders, -fared forward with a light heart, by dale and by down, through moss -and through meadow. By-and-by she came to a fair high palace, built -all of marble and shining jasper, with smooth lawns about it, and -sunny gardens of roses and gillyflowers, from which the air blew so -sweet that it was a pleasure to breathe it. The princess stood still -for a moment, to taste the sweetness of this air, and to look her -fill at so fair a spot; and as she stood there, it chanced that the -palace-gates opened, and the young king rode out with his court, to go -a-catching of nighthawks. - -Now when the king saw a right fair princess standing alone at his -palace-gate, her rich garments dusty and travel-stained, and two -heavy sacks hung upon her shoulders, he was filled with amazement; -and leaping from his steed, like the gallant knight that he was, he -besought her to tell him whence she came and whither she was going, -and in what way he might be of service to her. - -But the princess looked down at her little dusty shoes, and answered -never a word; for she had seen at the first glance how fair and goodly -a king this was, and she would not ask him the price of butter, nor -whether his grandmother had sold her mangle yet. But she thought in -her heart, "Now, I have never, in all my life, seen a man to whom I -would so willingly say, 'With all my heart!' if he should ask me to -marry him." - -The king marvelled much at her silence, and presently repeated his -questions, adding, "And what do you carry so carefully in those two -sacks, which seem over-heavy for your delicate shoulders?" - -Still holding her eyes downcast, the princess took a ruby from one -bag, and a sapphire from the other, and in silence handed them to -the king, for she willed that he should know she was no beggar, even -though her shoes were dusty. Thereat all the nobles were filled with -amazement, for no such gems had ever been seen in that country. - -But the king looked steadfastly at the princess, and said, "Rubies are -fine, and sapphires are fair; but, maiden, if I could but see those -eyes of yours, I warrant that the gems would look pale and dull beside -them." - -At that the princess raised her clear dark eyes, and looked at the -king and smiled; and the glance of her eyes pierced straight to his -heart, so that he fell on his knees and cried: - -"Ah! sweet princess, now do I know that thou art the love for whom I -have waited so long, and whom I have sought through so many lands. -Give me thy white hand, and tell me, either by word or by sign, that -thou wilt be my queen and my bride!" - -And the princess, like a right royal maiden as she was, looked him -straight in the eyes, and giving him her little white hand, answered -bravely, "_With all my heart!_" - - - - -HOKEY POKEY - - -Hokey Pokey was the youngest of a large family of children. His elder -brothers, as they grew up, all became either butchers or bakers or -makers of candle-sticks, for such was the custom of the family. But -Hokey Pokey would be none of these things; so when he was grown to be -a tall youth he went to his father and said, "Give me my fortune." - -"'Will you be a butcher?' asked his father. - -"'No,' said Hokey Pokey. - -"'Will you be a baker?' - -"'No, again.' - -"'Will you make candlesticks?' - -"'Nor that either.' - -"'Then,' said his father, 'this is the only fortune I can give -you;' and with that he took up his cudgel and gave the youth a stout -beating. 'Now you cannot complain that I gave you nothing,' said he. - -"'That is true,' said Hokey Pokey. 'But give me also the wooden mallet -which lies on the shelf, and I will make my way through the world.' - -"His father gave him the mallet, glad to be so easily rid of him, and -Hokey Pokey went out into the world to seek his fortune. He walked -all day, and at nightfall he came to a small village. Feeling hungry, -he went into a baker's shop, intending to buy a loaf of bread for his -supper. There was a great noise and confusion in the back part of the -shop; and on going to see what was the matter, he found the baker on -his knees beside a large box or chest, which he was trying with might -and main to keep shut. But there was something inside the box which -was trying just as hard to get out, and it screamed and kicked, and -pushed the lid up as often as the baker shut it down. - -"'What have you there in the box?' asked Hokey Pokey. - -"'I have my wife,' replied the baker. 'She is so frightfully -ill-tempered that whenever I am going to bake bread I am obliged to -shut her up in this box, lest she push me into the oven and bake me -with the bread, as she has often threatened to do. But to-day she has -broken the lock of the box, and I know not how to keep her down.' - -"'That is easily managed,' said Hokey Pokey. 'Do you but tell her, -when she asks who I am, that I am a giant with three heads, and all -will be well.' So saying, he took his wooden mallet and dealt three -tremendous blows on the box, saying in a loud voice,-- - - 'Hickory Hox! - I sit by the box, - Waiting to give you a few of my knocks.' - -"'Husband, husband! whom have you there?' cried the wife in terror. - -"'Alas!' said the baker; 'it is a frightful giant with three heads. He -is sitting by the box, and if you open it so much as the width of your -little finger, he will pull you out and beat you to powder.' - -"When the wife heard that she crouched down in the box, and said never -a word, for she was afraid of her life. - -"The baker then took Hokey Pokey into the other part of the shop, -thanked him warmly, and gave him a good supper and a bed. The next -morning he gave him for a present the finest loaf of bread in his -shop, which was shaped like a large round ball; and Hokey Pokey, after -knocking once more on the lid of the box, continued his travels. - -"He had not gone far before he came to another village, and wishing -to inquire his way he entered the first shop he came to, which proved -to be that of a confectioner. The shop was full of the most beautiful -sweetmeats imaginable, and everything was bright and gay; but the -confectioner himself sat upon a bench, weeping bitterly. - -"'What ails you, friend?' asked Hokey Pokey; 'and why do you weep, -when you are surrounded by the most delightful things in the world?' - -"'Alas!' replied the confectioner. 'That is just the cause of my -trouble. The sweetmeats that I make are so good that their fame has -spread far and wide, and the Rat King, hearing of them, has taken -up his abode in my cellar. Every night he comes up and eats all the -sweetmeats I have made the day before. There is no comfort in my life, -and I am thinking of becoming a rope-maker and hanging myself with the -first rope I make.' - -"'Why don't you set a trap for him?' asked Hokey Pokey. - -"'I have set fifty-nine traps,' replied the confectioner, 'but he is -so strong that he breaks them all.' - -"'Poison him,' suggested Hokey Pokey. - -"'He dislikes poison,' said the confectioner, 'and will not take it in -any form.' - -"'In that case,' said Hokey Pokey, 'leave him to me. Go away, and hide -yourself for a few minutes, and all will be well.' - -"The confectioner retired behind a large screen, having first showed -Hokey Pokey the hole of the Rat King, which was certainly a very large -one. Hokey Pokey sat down by the hole, with his mallet in his hand, -and said in a squeaking voice,-- - - 'Ratly King! Kingly Rat! - Here your mate comes pit-a-pat. - Come and see; the way is free; - Hear my signal: one! two! three!' - -And he scratched three times on the floor. Almost immediately the head -of a rat popped up through the hole. He was a huge rat, quite as large -as a cat; but his size was no help to him, for as soon as he appeared, -Hokey Pokey dealt him such a blow with his mallet that he fell down -dead without even a squeak. Then Hokey Pokey called the confectioner, -who came out from behind the screen and thanked him warmly; he also -bade him choose anything he liked in the shop, in payment for his -services. - -"'Can you match this?' asked Hokey Pokey, showing his round ball of -bread. - -"'That can I!' said the confectioner; and he brought out a most -beautiful ball, twice as large as the loaf, composed of the finest -sweetmeats in the world, red and yellow and white. Hokey Pokey took -it with many thanks, and then went on his way. - -"The next day he came to a third village in the streets of which the -people were all running to and fro in the wildest confusion. - -"'What is the matter?' asked Hokey Pokey, as one man ran directly into -his arms. - -"'Alas!' replied the man. 'A wild bull has got into the principal -china-shop, and is breaking all the beautiful dishes.' - -"'Why do you not drive him out?' asked Hokey Pokey. - -"'We are afraid to do that,' said the man; 'but we are running up and -down to express our emotion and sympathy, and that is something.' - -"'Show me the china-shop,' said Hokey Pokey. - -"So the man showed him the china-shop; and there, sure enough, was a -furious bull, making most terrible havoc. He was dancing up and down -on a Dresden dinner set, and butting at the Chinese mandarins, and -switching down finger-bowls and teapots with his tail, bellowing -meanwhile in the most outrageous manner. The floor was covered with -broken crockery, and the whole scene was melancholy to behold. - -"Now when Hokey Pokey saw this, he said to the owner of the -china-shop, who was tearing his hair in a frenzy of despair, 'Stop -tearing your hair, which is indeed a senseless occupation, and I will -manage this matter for you. Bring me a red cotton umbrella, and all -will yet be well.' - -"So the china-shop man brought him a red cotton umbrella, and Hokey -Pokey began to open and shut it violently in front of the door. When -the bull saw that, he stopped dancing on the Dresden dinner set and -came charging out of the shop, straight towards the red umbrella. When -he came near enough, Hokey Pokey dropped the umbrella, and raising his -wooden mallet hit the bull such a blow on the muzzle that he fell down -dead, and never bellowed again. - -"The people all flung up their hats, and cheered, and ran up and down -all the more, to express their gratification. As for the china-shop -man, he threw his arms round Hokey Pokey's neck, called him his -cherished preserver, and bade him choose anything that was left in his -shop in payment for his services. - -"'Can you match these?' asked Hokey Pokey, holding up the loaf of -bread and the ball of sweetmeats. - -"'That can I,' said the shop-man; and he brought out a huge ball of -solid ivory, inlaid with gold and silver, and truly lovely to behold. -It was very heavy, being twice as large as the ball of sweetmeats; but -Hokey Pokey took it, and, after thanking the shop-man and receiving -his thanks in return, he proceeded on his way. - -"After walking for several days, he came to a fair, large castle, in -front of which sat a man on horseback. When the man saw Hokey Pokey, -he called out,-- - -"'Who are you, and what do you bring to the mighty Dragon, lord of -this castle?' - -"'Hokey Pokey is my name,' replied the youth, 'and strange things do I -bring. But what does the mighty Dragon want, for example?' - -"'He wants something new to eat,' said the man on horseback. 'He -has eaten of everything that is known in the world, and pines for -something new. He who brings him a new dish, never before tasted by -him, shall have a thousand crowns and a new jacket; but he who fails, -after three trials, shall have his jacket taken away from him, and his -head cut off besides.' - -"'I bring strange food,' said Hokey Pokey. 'Let me pass in, that I may -serve the mighty Dragon.' - -"Then the man on horseback lowered his lance, and let him pass in, and -in short space he came before the mighty Dragon. The Dragon sat on -a silver throne, with a golden knife in one hand, and a golden fork -in the other. Around him were many people, who offered him dishes of -every description; but he would none of them, for he had tasted them -all before; and he howled with hunger on his silver throne. Then came -forward Hokey Pokey, and said boldly,-- - -"'Here come I, Hokey Pokey, bringing strange food for the mighty -Dragon.' - -"The Dragon howled again, and waving his knife and fork, bade Hokey -Pokey give the food to the attendants, that they might serve him. - -"'Not so,' said Hokey Pokey. 'I must serve you myself, most mighty -Dragon, else you shall not taste of my food. Therefore put down your -knife and fork, and open your mouth, and you shall see what you shall -see.' - -"So the Dragon, after summoning the man-with-the-thousand-crowns -and the man-with-the-new-jacket to one side of his throne, and the -man-to-take-away-the old-jacket and the executioner to the other, laid -down his knife and fork and opened his mouth. Hokey Pokey stepped -lightly forward, and dropped the round loaf down the great red throat. -The Dragon shut his jaws together with a snap, and swallowed the loaf -in two gulps. - -"'That is good,' he said; 'but it is not new. I have eaten much bread, -though never before in a round loaf. Have you anything more? Or shall -the man take away your jacket?' - -"'I have this, an it please you,' said Hokey Pokey; and he dropped -the ball of sweetmeats into the Dragon's mouth. - -"When the Dragon tasted this, he rolled his eyes round and round, -and was speechless with delight for some time. At length he said, -'Worthy youth, this is very good; it is extremely good; it is better -than anything I ever tasted. Nevertheless, it is not new; for I have -tasted the same kind of thing before, only not nearly so good. And -now, unless you are positively sure that you have something new for -your third trial, you really might as well take off your jacket; and -the executioner shall take off your head at the same time, as it is -getting rather late. Executioner, do your--' - -"'Craving your pardon, most mighty Dragon,' said Hokey Pokey, 'I will -first make my third trial;' and with that he dropped the ivory ball -into the Dragon's mouth. - -"'Gug-wugg-gllll-grrr!' said the Dragon, for the ball had stuck fast, -being too big for him to swallow. - -"Then Hokey Pokey lifted his mallet and struck one tremendous blow -upon the ball, driving it far down the throat of the monster, and -killing him most fatally dead. He rolled off the throne like a scaly -log, and his crown fell off and rolled to Hokey Pokey's feet. The -youth picked it up and put it on his own head, and then called the -people about him and addressed them. - -"'People,' he said, 'I am Hokey Pokey, and I have come from a far land -to rule over you. Your Dragon have I slain, and now I am your king; -and if you will always do exactly what I tell you to do, you will have -no further trouble.' - -"So the people threw up their caps and cried, 'Long live Hokey Pokey!' -and they always did exactly as he told them, and had no further trouble. - -"And Hokey Pokey sent for his three brothers, and made them Chief -Butcher, Chief Baker, and Chief Candlestick-maker of his kingdom. But -to his father he sent a large cudgel made of pure gold, with these -words engraved on it: 'Now you cannot complain that I have given you -nothing!'" - - - - -THE TANGLED SKEIN - - -"My dear child," said the Angel-who-attends-to things, "why are you -crying so very hard?" - -"Oh dear! oh dear!" said the child. "No one ever had such a dreadful -time before, I do believe, and it all comes of trying to be good. -Oh dear! Oh dear! I wish I was bad; then I should not have all this -trouble." - -"Yes, you would," said the Angel; "a great deal worse. Now tell me -what is the matter!" - -"Look!" said the child. "Mother gave me this skein to wind, and I -promised to do it. But then father sent me on an errand, and it was -almost school-time, and I was studying my lesson and going on the -errand and winding the skein, all at the same time, and now I have got -all tangled up in the wool, and I cannot walk either forward or back, -and oh! dear me, what ever _shall_ I do?" - -"Sit down!" said the Angel. - -"But it is school-time!" said the child. - -"Sit down!" said the Angel. - -"But father sent me on an errand!" said the child. - -"SIT DOWN!" said the Angel; and he took the child by her shoulders and -set her down. - -"Now sit still!" he said, and he began patiently to wind up the skein. -It was wofully tangled, and knotted about the child's hands and feet; -it was a wonder she could move at all; but at last it was all clear, -and the Angel handed her the ball. - -"I thank you so very much!" said the child. "I was not naughty, was I?" - -"Not naughty, only foolish; but that does just as much harm sometimes." - -"But I was doing right things!" said the child. - -"But you were doing them in the wrong way!" said the Angel. "It is -good to do an errand, and it is good to go to school, but when you -have a skein to wind you must sit still." - - - - -A SONG FOR HAL - - - Once I saw a little boat, and a pretty, pretty boat, - When daybreak the hills was adorning, - And into it I jumped, and away I did float, - So very, very early in the morning. - - _Chorus_ - - And every little wave had its nightcap on, - Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. - And every little wave had its nightcap on, - So very, very early in the morning. - - All the fishes were asleep in their caves cool and deep, - When the ripple round my keel flashed a warning. - Said the minnow to the skate, "We must certainly be late, - Though I thought 't was very early in the morning." - - _Chorus_ - - For every little wave has its nightcap on, - Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. - For every little wave has its nightcap on, - So very, very early in the morning. - - The lobster darkly green soon appeared upon the scene, - And pearly drops his claws were adorning. - Quoth he, "May I be boiled, if I'll have my slumber spoiled, - So very, very early in the morning!" - - _Chorus_ - - For every little wave has its nightcap on, - Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on, - For every little wave has its nightcap on, - So very, very early in the morning. - - Said the sturgeon to the eel, "Just imagine how I feel, - Thus roused without a syllable of warning. - People ought to let us know when a-sailing they would go, - So very, very early in the morning." - - _Chorus_ - - When every little wave has its nightcap on, - Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. - When every little wave has its nightcap on, - So very, very early in the morning. - - Just then up jumped the sun, and the fishes every one - For their laziness at once fell a-mourning. - But I stayed to hear no more, for my boat had reached the shore, - So very, very early in the morning. - - _Chorus_ - - And every little wave took its nightcap off, - Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap off. - And every little wave took its nightcap off, - And courtesied to the sun in the morning. - - - - -FOR YOU AND ME - - -"I have come to speak to you about your work," said the -Angel-who-attends-to-things. "It appears to be unsatisfactory." - -"Indeed!" said the man. "I hardly see how that can be. Perhaps you -will explain." - -"I will!" said the Angel. "To begin with, the work is slovenly." - -"I was born heedless," said the man. "It is a family failing which I -have always regretted." - -"It is ill put together, too;" said the Angel. "The parts do not fit." - -"I never had any eye for proportion," said the man; "I admit it is -unfortunate." - -"The whole thing is a botch," said the Angel. "You have put neither -brains nor heart into it, and the result is ridiculous failure. What -do you propose to do about it?" - -"I credited you with more comprehension," said the man. "My faults, -such as they are, were born with me. I am sorry that you do not -approve of me, but this is the way I was made; do you see?" - -"I see!" said the Angel. He put out a strong white hand, and taking -the man by the collar, tumbled him neck and crop into the ditch. - -"What is the meaning of this?" cried the man, as he scrambled out -breathless and dripping. "I never saw such behavior. Do you see what -you have done? you have ruined my clothes, and nearly drowned me -beside." - -"Oh yes!" said the Angel: "this is the way _I_ was made." - - - - -THE BURNING HOUSE - - -Some neighbours were walking together in the cool of the day, watching -the fall of the twilight, and talking of this and that; and as they -walked, they saw at a little distance a light, as it were a house on -fire. - -"From the direction, that must be our neighbour William's house," said -one. "Ought we not to warn him of the danger?" - -"I see only a little flame," said another; "perchance it may go out of -itself, and no harm done." - -"I should be loth to carry ill news," said a third; "it is always a -painful thing to do." - -"William is not a man who welcomes interference," said a fourth. "I -should not like to be the one to intrude upon his privacy; probably -he knows about the fire, and is managing it in his own way." - -While they were talking, the house burned up. - - - - -THE NAUGHTY COMET - - -The door of the Comet House was open. In the great court-yard stood -hundreds of comets, of all sizes and shapes. Some were puffing and -blowing, and arranging their tails, all ready to start; others -had just come in, and looked shabby and forlorn after their long -journeyings, their tails drooping disconsolately; while others still -were switched off on side-tracks, where the tinker and the tailor were -attending to their wants, and setting them to rights. In the midst -of all stood the Comet Master, with his hands behind him, holding a -very long stick with a very sharp point. The comets knew just how the -point of that stick felt, for they were prodded with it whenever they -misbehaved themselves; accordingly, they all remained very quiet, -while he gave his orders for the day. - -In a distant corner of the court-yard lay an old comet, with his tail -comfortably curled up around him. He was too old to go out, so he -enjoyed himself at home in a quiet way. Beside him stood a very young -comet, with a very short tail. He was quivering with excitement, and -occasionally cast sharp impatient glances at the Comet Master. - -"Will he _never_ call me?" he exclaimed, but in an undertone, so that -only his companion could hear. "He knows I am dying to go out, and -for that very reason he pays no attention to me. I dare not leave my -place, for you know what he is." - -"Ah!" said the old comet, slowly, "if you had been out as often as I -have, you would not be in such a hurry. Hot, tiresome work, _I_ call -it. And what does it all amount to?" - -"Ay, that's the point!" exclaimed the young comet. "What _does_ it -all amount to? That is what I am determined to find out. I cannot -understand your going on, travelling and travelling, and never -finding out why you do it. _I_ shall find out, you may be very sure, -before I have finished my first journey." - -"Better not! better not!" answered the old comet. "You'll only get into -trouble. Nobody knows except the Comet Master and the Sun. The Master -would cut you up into inch pieces if you asked him, and the Sun--" - -"Well, what about the Sun?" asked the young comet, eagerly. - -"Short-tailed Comet No. 73!" rang suddenly, clear and sharp, through -the court-yard. - -The young comet started as if he had been shot, and in three bounds he -stood before the Comet Master, who looked fixedly at him. - -"You have never been out before," said the Master. - -"No, sir!" replied No. 73; and he knew better than to add another word. - -"You will go out now," said the Comet Master. "You will travel for -thirteen weeks and three days, and will then return. You will avoid -the neighborhood of the Sun, the Earth, and the planet Bungo. You -will turn to the left on meeting other comets, and you are not allowed -to speak to meteors. These are your orders. Go!" - -At the word, the comet shot out of the gate and off into space, his -short tail bobbing as he went. - -Ah! here was something worth living for. No longer shut up in that -tiresome court-yard, waiting for one's tail to grow, but out in the -free, open, boundless realm of space, with leave to shoot about here -and there and everywhere--well, _nearly_ everywhere--for thirteen -whole weeks! Ah, what a glorious prospect! How swiftly he moved! How -well his tail looked, even though it was still rather short! What a -fine fellow he was, altogether! - -For two or three weeks our comet was the happiest creature in all -space; too happy to think of anything except the joy of frisking -about. But by-and-by he began to wonder about things, and that is -always dangerous for a comet. - -"I wonder, now," he said, "why I may not go near the planet Bungo. -I have always heard that he was the most interesting of all the -planets. And the Sun! how I _should_ like to know a little more -about the Sun! And, by the way, that reminds me that all this time I -have never found out _why_ I am travelling. It shows how I have been -enjoying myself, that I have forgotten it so long; but now I must -certainly make a point of finding out. Hello! there comes Long-Tail -No. 45. I mean to ask him." - -So he turned out to the left, and waited till No. 45 came along. The -latter was a middle-aged comet, very large, and with an uncommonly -long tail,--quite preposterously long, our little No. 73 thought, as -he shook his own tail and tried to make as much of it as possible. - -"Good morning, Mr. Long-Tail!" he said as soon as the other was within -speaking distance. "Would you be so very good as to tell me what you -are travelling for?" - -"For six months," answered No. 45 with a puff and a snort. "Started a -month ago; five months still to go." - -"Oh, I don't mean that!" exclaimed Short-Tail No. 73. "I mean _why_ -are you travelling at all?" - -"Comet Master sent me!" replied No. 45, briefly. - -"But what for?" persisted the little comet. "What is it all about? -What good does it do? _Why_ do we travel for weeks and months and -years? That's what I want to find out." - -"Don't know, I'm sure!" said the elder, still more shortly. "What's -more, don't care!" - -The little comet fairly shook with amazement and indignation. "You -don't care!" he cried. "Is it possible? And how long, may I ask, have -you been travelling hither and thither through space, without knowing -or caring why?" - -"Long enough to learn not to ask stupid questions!" answered Long-Tail -No. 45. "Good morning to you!" - -And without another word he was off, with his preposterously long tail -spreading itself like a luminous fan behind him. The little comet -looked after him for some time in silence. At last he said:-- - -"Well, _I_ call that simply _disgusting_! An ignorant, narrow-minded -old--" - -"Hello, cousin!" called a clear merry voice just behind him. "How -goes it with you? Shall we travel together? Our roads seem to go in -the same direction." - -The comet turned and saw a bright and sparkling meteor. "I--I--must -not speak to you!" said No. 73, confusedly. - -"Not speak to me!" exclaimed the meteor, laughing. "Why, what's the -matter? What have I done? I never saw you before in my life." - -"N-nothing that I know of," answered No. 73, still more confused. - -"Then why mustn't you speak to me?" persisted the meteor, giving a -little skip and jump. "Eh? tell me that, will you? _Why_ mustn't you?" - -"I--don't--know!" answered the little comet, slowly, for he was -ashamed to say boldly, as he ought to have done, that it was against -the orders of the Comet Master. - -"Oh, gammon!" cried the meteor, with another skip. "_I_ know! Comet -Master, eh? But a fine high-spirited young fellow like you isn't going -to be afraid of that old tyrant. Come along, I say! If there were any -_real reason_ why you should not speak to me--" - -"That's just what I say," interrupted the comet, eagerly. "What IS the -reason? Why don't they tell it to me?" - -"'Cause there isn't any!" rejoined the meteor. "Come along!" - -After a little more hesitation, the comet yielded, and the two frisked -merrily along, side by side. As they went, No. 73 confided all his -vexations to his new friend, who sympathized warmly with him, and -spoke in most disrespectful terms of the Comet Master. - -"A pretty sort of person to dictate to you, when he hasn't the -smallest sign of a tail himself! I wouldn't submit to it!" cried the -meteor. "As to the other orders, some of them are not so bad. Of -course, nobody would want to go near that stupid, poky Earth, if he -could possibly help it; and the planet Bungo is--ah--is not a very -nice planet, I believe." [The fact is, the planet Bungo contains -a large reform-school for unruly meteors, but our friend made no -mention of that.] "But as for the Sun,--the bright, jolly, delightful -Sun,--why, I am going to take a nearer look at him myself. Come on! We -will go together, in spite of the Comet Master." - -Again the little comet hesitated and demurred; but after all, he had -already broken one rule, and why not another? He would be punished -in any case, and he might as well get all the pleasure he could. -Reasoning thus, he yielded once more to the persuasions of the meteor, -and together they shot through the great space-world, taking their way -straight toward the Sun. - -When the Sun saw them coming, he smiled and seemed much pleased. He -stirred his fire, and shook his shining locks, and blazed brighter and -brighter, hotter and hotter. The heat seemed to have a strange effect -on the comet, for he began to go faster and faster. - -"Hold on!" said the meteor. "Why are you hurrying so? I cannot keep up -with you." - -"I cannot stop myself!" cried No. 73. "Something is drawing me -forward, faster and faster!" - -On he went at a terrible rate, the meteor following as best he might. -Several planets that he passed shouted to him in warning tones, but -he could not hear what they said. The Sun stirred his fire again, and -blazed brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter; and onward rushed the -wretched little comet, faster and faster, faster and faster! - -"Catch hold of my tail and stop me!" he shrieked to the meteor. "I am -shrivelling, burning up, in this fearful heat! Stop me, for pity's -sake!" - -But the meteor was already far behind, and had stopped short to watch -his companion's headlong progress. And now,--ah, me!--now the Sun -opened his huge fiery mouth. The comet made one desperate effort to -stop himself, but it was in vain. An awful, headlong plunge through -the intervening space; a hissing and crackling; a shriek,--and the -fiery jaws had closed on Short-Tail No. 73 forever! - -"Dear me!" said the meteor. "How very shocking! I quite forgot that -the Sun ate comets. I must be off, or I shall get an æon in the -Reform School for this. I am really very sorry, for he was a nice -little comet!" - -And away frisked the meteor, and soon forgot all about it. - -But in the great court-yard in front of the Comet House, the Master -took a piece of chalk, and crossed out No. 73 from the list of -short-tailed comets on the slate that hangs on the door. Then he -called out, "No. 1 Express, come forward!" and the swiftest of all the -comets stood before him, brilliant and beautiful, with a bewildering -magnificence of tail. The Comet Master spoke sharply and decidedly, as -usual, but not unkindly. - -"No. 73, Short-Tail," he said, "has disobeyed orders, and has in -consequence been devoured by the Sun." - -Here there was a great sensation among the comets. - -"No. 1," continued the Master, "you will start immediately, and travel -until you find a runaway meteor, with a red face and blue hair. You -are permitted to make inquiries of respectable bodies, such as planets -or satellites. When found, you will arrest him and take him to the -planet Bungo. My compliments to the Meteor Keeper, and I shall be -obliged if he will give this meteor two æons in the Reform School. I -trust," he continued, turning to the assembled comets, "that this will -be a lesson to all of you!" - -And I believe it was. - - - - -DAY DREAMS - - - White wings over the water, - Fluttering, fluttering over the sea, - White wings over the water, - What are you bringing to me? - A fairy prince in a golden boat, - With golden ringlets that fall and float, - A velvet cap, and a taffety cloak, - This you are bringing to me. - - Fairy, fairy princekin, - Sailing, sailing hither to me, - Silk and satin and velvet, - What are you coming to see? - A little girl in a calico gown, - With hair and eyes of dusky brown, - Who sits on the wharf of the fishing-town. - Looking away to sea. - - Golden, golden sunbeams, - Touch me now with your wands of gold; - Make me a beautiful princess, - Radiant to behold. - Blue and silver and ermine fine, - Diamond drops that flash and shine; - So shall I meet this prince of mine, - Fairer than may be told. - - White wings over the water, - Fluttering ever farther away; - Dark clouds shrouding the sunbeams, - Sullen and cold and gray. - Back I go in my calico gown, - Back to the hut in the fishing-town. - And oh, but the night shuts darkly down - After the summer day! - - - - -Transcriber's note - - -The story "Hokey Pokey", starting on page 106 has double quotes with -every paragraph except the first. Although this is probably a printer's -mistake, it has been preserved. - -Spelling and hyphenation may be inconsistent, this has not been -changed. The following corrections have been made, on page - - 12 ' changed to " (and rest, dear children?") - 106 " changed to ' (be a butcher?' asked his father). - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pig Brother and Other Fables and -Stories, by Laura E. 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