Correlated Hegjionsi m language anb (I^ccupation Woxk i^utj) 0, ©per Cbucational ^utilfefjms Co. Class Book. l3jS¥J ms_ GopightN". COFl-RICHT DEPOSIT. CORRELATED LESSONS IN LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK BY RUTH O. DYER Primary Critic Teacher, Georgia Normal and Industrial College r&f^ EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO Copyright, 1914 BY EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANT APR 23 1914 0'CI.A36 97 9ti TO ROBERT JUUUS SCHNEIDER WHO ALWAYS PROVED A HELPFUL LISTENER TO THESE STORIES THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED INTRODUCTION This little book is a product of the school-room. The stories selected are the ones children love. They are the ones that have been told for years and years, but they have been changed and adapted to the child's needs, so the further work of reproduction, dramatization and demonstration on the sand-table can be carried out with much more ease. A great deal of conversation is put into the stories so as to render them better suited to the child's needs. When the children in the school-room have listened intently to a story in which the conversation is well suited to dramatization, reproduction and dramatization are easy matters. In playing a story, children should be encouraged to be as natural as possible. If small mistakes are made, they should be overlooked until they can be corrected with tact, for quite frequently a child's face expression is ruined by untactful correction in the midst of the dramatization. Sand-table demonstration is given for the purpose of training in industrial work. The child becomes interested in the story and is more than glad to work out with his hands the sand-table picture of the story. The paper cuttings are simple and can easily be used as models for the children's cut- tings, or they may serve merely as suggestions. It is with the hope that some teacher may be helped to solve the problem of the corre- lation of language with handwork that this little book is brought out. RUTH O. DYER CONTENTS The Gingerbread Man 9 Little Half Chick 27 Little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water 39 The Goats in the Turnip Field 57 The Little Red Hen 67 Sweet Rice Porridge 79 Billy Bob-Tail 93 The Pied Piper of Hamelin 109 The Ugly Duckling 123 The Cat and the Parrot 145 Appendix — Sand-Table Illustrations 161 7 PAPER CUTTING THK LmXE OLD WOMAN AND THE LITTLE OLD MAN WERE SITTLNOJ ALL ALONE THF. LITTLK OLD WOMAN AND THE LITTLE OLD MAN RAN AFTER HIM COEEELATED LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WOEK THE GINGERBREAD MAN THE STORY Once upon a time there was a little old woman and a little old man and they lived all alone in a little old house. Now it was very lonely in the little old house, for the little old woman and the little old man were all alone. So one day, as the little old man was busy with his paper and the little old woman was sitting near by knitting, she sighed a great big sigh. It was such a big sigh that the little old man laid aside his paper, and said: "Why, what's the matter, little old woman?" and she answered: "Oh, I do wish we had a little boy here in the house! It is so lonesome!" Then the little old man said: "Well, why don't you make one out of gingerbread dough? No one can make better gingerbread than you." "Just the thing," said the little old woman rising and bringing out her dough board. "Now listen anid I will tell you how I will make it. I will mix my dough and mold it into a well- shaped boy. Then I will give him a chocolate jacket with cinnamon seeds down each side of the front for buttons. I will use two fine fat currants for his eyes and some red peppermint candy for his lips, while on his head I will put a gay cap of bright red candy, and on his feet these little shoes made of licorice. Now, little old man, did you ever see a finer looking boy?" "No indeed, said the little old man, "and we will keep him forever." Then they put him in the oven and the little old woman and the little old man talked as he baked, and this is what they said: "Do you think," said the little old woman, "he will like living with us here?" "Why not?" said the little old man. 9 PAPER CUTTING THK COW RAX AITKR THK OlNGEKlSREAD BOY LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 11 "He can go with me to feed the cows and he will like to run on errands for you, but I think he must be brown by this time. You had better look and see," Then the little old woman pulled the pan from the oven and took the little Gingerbread Boy by the hand and helped him out, exclaiming, "What a fine boy!" But before they could believe their eyes, away he ran, out the door and down the street. The little old woman and the little old man ran after him, but the Ginger- bread Boy just tossed his head and shouted as he ran: "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" When they found they couldn't catch him they turned back towards the little old house and the little old woman wept bitterly, but the little old man took her hand, and said: "Don't cry! He is still our little Gingerbread Boy if he is out in the world." Then the little old woman wiped her eyes and said: "I hadn't thought of that. I shall go home and try and be happy, for no doubt we shall hear of him again some day." The little Gingerbread Boy ran on and on, and at last he passed a field where a red and white cow was eating clover. The cow looked up and, stretch- ing her long neck, said to herself: "Who is that coming down the road? I do believe it is a little Gingerbread Boy." Then she called: "Stop, little Ginger- bread Boy. I want to eat you." But the little Gingerbread Boy halted only a second to hear what the cow said, and then laughed and ran on, calling back loudly: "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man, and I can run away from you — I can." Then the cow began to run and the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster than ever, calling out over his shoulder: "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" And when the cow found she could not catch him she turned and walked back to her clover field, and began eating clover as if nothing had hap-- pened. The little Gingerbread Boy ran on and on and on, till he came to a large pasture in which a beautiful bay horse was feeding. The horse looked up just as the Gingerbread Boy came near and said: "Why, if there isn't a little Gingerbread Boy! I haven't tasted one 12 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK for a long, long time." Then he called to him: "Please stop, little Ginger- bread Boy, you look very good to eat." But the Gingerbread Boy laughed until he had to hold his sides. "Oho! Oho!" he said. "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man and a cow, and I can run away from you — I can." So the horse jumped the fence and chased him down the road, but the little Gingerbread Boy looked over his shoul- der, and cried : "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" And the horse soon found that he couldn't catch him, so he turned and went back to the pasture and jumped the fence and found a patch of nice tender grass which satisfied him more than the little Gingerbread Boy could. When the horse turned back the little Gingerbread Boy did not stop running, but kept on and on, and by and by he came to a large barn. He heard such a queer noise inside the barn, so he thought he would stop and see what it was. He looked all around the outside of the barn, but could see nothing, so he said to himself: "What a queer noise! I'll g' inside and see what it is." When he opened the door he found that the bam was filled with threshers and they were threshing wheat. Now these threshers were very hungry, and when the little Gingerbread Boy opened the door one of the threshers said: "I'm just as hungry as I can be and I do believe I smell a Gingerbread Boy." Then another one turned his face to the door and said: "Why, there .s one now, looking in at the door." But the little Gingerbread Boy started off as fast as he could and the thresher called: "Don't run so fast, Httle Gingerbread Boy, you look very good to eat." Then they all ran after him. But the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster than ever, and as he ran he shouted : "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man, a cow and a horse, and I can run away from you — I can." And when he found that he was ahead of the threshers he turned to them: "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" And the threshers couldn't catch him, so they went back to the barn and had to work harder than ever to make up for lost time. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 13. By this time the Uttle Gingerbread Boy was getting very, very tired and he walked on more slowly, but as he was walking on very slowly down the road he came to a large field where a number of mowers were mowing hay. When they heard the soft tread of the licorice shoes in the dust they looked up from their work, and when they saw the nice brown Gingerbread Boy their mouths began to water, for it had been a long time since breakfast, so they called out: " Wait a bit ! Wait a bit ! We would hke to eat you, little Gingerbread Boy ! " But the little Gingerbread Boy laughed, even though he was very tired, and then he ran like the wind, and the mowers, as they ran, heard him call back: "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man, a cow, a horse, and a bam full of threshers, and I can run away from you — I can." And when he found he was ahead of the mowers he turned and shouted back to them: "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" And the mowers couldn't catch him, so they shook their fists at him and went on back to their work. By this time the little Gingerbread Boy was so proud that he didn't think anybody could catch him. But he was very tired, for he had been running ever since he left the little old woman and the little old man, so he sat down on a large stone by the roadside and said: "I'm so tired that I don't know what to do. My poor little licorice shoes are quite worn out. What would the little old woman say if she could see me now?" Just then he saw a fox coming across the field and he said to himself : " There comes a fox, but he can't catch me." Then he shouted a little louder: "You can't catch me, old fox." But the old fox was coming so near that the Gingerbread Boy decided it would be safer to run than it would be to sit still, so he got up and ran away very fast and as he ran he called to the fox who was close behind: "I've run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, a barn full of threshers and a field full of mowers, and I can run away from you — I can. "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" Now the fox saw that he would never I catch the Gingerbread Boy by running,. PAPER CUTTING so THE HORSE JUJIPKD THK FENCE AND RAN AiTER HIM LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 15 SO he said : " Why, my dear Uttle Ginger- bread Boy, I would not catch you if I could. I wouldn't think of hurting you, but I would like to walk with you if you are going my way." The little Gingerbread Boy was so pleased with the fox's soft voice that he said: "I shall be glad to walk with you. I have been running very fast and I am quite tired." Just then they came to a river and the fox said: ."Can you swim, little Gingerbread Boy?" "No," said the Gingerbread Boy, "and I don't know how I shall get across." "I can swim," said the fox. "Jump on my back and I will take you across." So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on the fox's back, and he swam into the river. When he was a little way out from the shore he turned his head and said: "You will get wet on my back, little Gingerbread Boy. Jump on my shoulder." The little Gingerbread Boy said : " All right," and jumped on his shoulder. A Uttle farther out the fox said: "I am afraid the water will cover you there. Jump on my head. " "Very well," said the little Ginger- bread Boy, and he jumped on his head. Just as they neared the shore the fox said: "I am sorry to disturb you, but you are too heavy on my head. Jump on my nose, and I can keep you out of the water." The little Gingerbread Boy said : " In- deed, it's no trouble," and he slipped down on his nose. Then the fox threw back his head and gave a snap. "Dear me!" said the Gingerbread Boy, " I am a quarter gone! " Then the fox gave another snap and the Gingerbread Boy said: "Oh me! I am half gone!" The next minute he said: "Why, I am three quarters gone." And after the next snap he didn't say anything, but the fox said: "Well! That was the best Ginger- bread Boy I ever tasted." Suggestions for the Dramatization All the children in the room can take part in the dramatization of the Ginger- bread Man, for any number can be included in those who represent the threshers and the mowers. The play opens with a home scene. The Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man are seated in their kitchen. The Little Old Man is reading, while the Little Old Woman is knitting. The Gingerbread Boy all this time is hidden under the table, but when the Little Old Woman says, "I will mold it into a well-shaped boy/' he comes out very 16 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK quietly, and as she talks she puts on his chocolate jacket, also the cinnamon buttons, makes his eyes of two fine fat currants, puts on the red peppermint candy around his lips, gives him a gay cap of red candy and presses the licorice shoes into shape. Then when he is ready for baking she places him in a small chair, which serves as a pan, and pushes him under the table, which serves as an oven. When he is brown it is an easy matter to pull out the chair. Then the Gingerbread Boy jumps from the pan and runs away. The field in which the cow is eating clover is a short distance from the Little Old Woman's house and the cow is busy eating when the Gingerbread Boy passes by. The child who represents the cow should be on his hands and knees as if he were grazing, but when he runs after the Gingerbread Boy it will be necessary for him to take his usual running posture. The same may be said of the horse, who is feeding some little distance from the cow. In each case, when the Ginger- bread Boy runs away he goes all around the room and comes back from where he started, while the cow and the horse turn back after chasing him a short distance. The threshers are a little way from the horse and can be enclosed in a circle of chairs which will represent the bam. The Gingerbread Boy pulls out one chair when he opens the door. As the Gingerbread Boy comes near the barn, the threshers make a queer buzzing noise which attracts his attention. The mowers are busy mowing grass and follow the same directions as given for the others. When the fox and the Gingerbread Boy reach the river, the fox gets on his hands and knees and the Gingerbread Boy stands over him as if he were sitting on his back. He holds himself up from his back and rests his weight on his own feet, moving as the fox moves. When the fox gives his last snap the Gingerbread Boy lets him crawl out from under him and drops to the floor. The fox then rises and rubbing his sides with a look of satisfaction, says: " Well, that was the best Gingerbread Boy I ever tasted!" LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 17 THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Little Old Woman Little Old Man Gingerbread Boy Fox Minor Characters Cow Horse Threshers (any number desired) Mowers (any number desired) {The Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man are sitting by the fire. The Little Old Man is reading the paper and the Little Old Woman is knitting. The Little Old Woman heaves a loud sigh.) Little Old Man (laying aside his paper) Why, what's the matter, Little Old Woman? Little Old Woman (wiping her eyes with her handkerchief) Oh, I do wish we had a little boy here in the house! It is so lonesome! Little Old Man Well, why don't you make one out of gingerbread dough? No one can make better gingerbread than you. Little Old Woman Just the thing! (Rises and- brings out dough board and other things) Now hsten, and I will tell you how I will make it. (Moulds the dough as she talks.) I will mix my dough well and then I will mold it into a well-shaped boy. I will give him a chocolate jacket with cinnamon seeds down each side of the front for buttons. I will use these two fine, fat currants for his eyes and some red peppermint candy for his lips, while on his head I will put a gay cap of red candy and on his feet these little shoes made of licorice. (Holds the Gingerbread Boy off and looks at him.) Now, Little Old Man, did you ever see a finer looking boy? Little Old Man No indeed, and we will keep him forever. (Little Old Woman puts Gingerbread Boy in the oven and sits down to wait for him to brown.) Little Old Woman Do you think he will like living with us here? Little Old Man Why not? He can go with me to feed the cows and he will like to run on errands. But I think he must be brown by this time. You had better look and see. (Little Old Woman opens the door and pulls out the Gingerbread Boy.) Little Old Womxin What a fine boy! [Gingerbread Boy jumps from the pan and runs out the door. The Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man start after him.) PAPER CUTTING TBKM THE THBE8HEKS RAM AFTER HIM LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 19 Gingerbread Boy {tossing his head and looking back) "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man! (Ldttle Old Woman and Little Old Man turn back. Little Old Woman weeps bitterly.) Little Old Man (taking Little Old Womxin's hand) Don't cry. He is still our little Gingerbread Boy if he is out in the world. Little Old Woman (drying her eyes) I hadn't thought of that. I shall go home and try to be happy, for no doubt we shall hear of him some day again. (Gingerbread Boy runs on and on till he comes to a field where a cow is eating clover.) Cow (looking up and stretching her neck) Who is that coming down the road? I do believe it is a little Ginger- bread Boy! (Calls loudly) Stop, little Gingerbread Boy! I want to eat you. Little Gingerbread Boy (stops and looks, then laughs) I have run away from a httle old woman and a little old man, and I can run away from you — I can. (Cow begins to run and Gingerbread Boy quickens his pace.) Gingerbread Boy (calls over his shoul- der) "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man! (Cow returns to the pasture and begins eating grass. Gingerbread Boy runs on until he comes to a field where a horse is grazing.) Horse (looking up) Why, if there isn't a little Gingerbread Boy. I haven't tasted one for a long, long time. (Calls out loudly) Please stop, little Ginger- bread Boy! You look very good to eat. Gingerbread Boy (laughing and holding his sides) Oho! Oho! I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man and a cow, and I can run away from you — I can. (Gingerbread Boy runs. Horse jumps the fence and chases after him.) Gingerbread Boy (looking over his shoul- der) "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" (Horse turns back towards the field, jumps the fence and begins eating grass. Gingerbread Boy runs on and reaches a large barn, where he hears a queer noise. Looks all around the barn.) PAPER CUTTING THEN TBS MOWEKS RAN AFTER HIM LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 21 Gingerbread Boy (with a puzzled look) What a queer noise! I'll go inside and see what it is. {Opens door and finds that the barn is full of threshers.) Thresher No. I {looking around) I'm so hungry, and I do believe I smell a Gingerbread Boy. Thresher No. II {in surprised manner) Why, there he is now, looking in the door! {Gingerbread Boy runs away rapidly.) Threshers {running after the Ginger- bread Boy) Don't run so fast, little Gingerbread Boy. You look very good to eat. Gingerbread Boy {looking over his shoul- der) I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow and a horse, and I can run away from you — I can. {Runs on faster,' then turns and shakes his fist at the threshers.) "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" (Threshers turn back and resume their work. The Gingerbread Boy walks on more slowly until he reaches a field where some mowers are at work.) Mowers (looking up from their work) Wait a bit! Wait a bit, little Ginger- bread Boy! We would like to eat you! Wait, I say! Gingerbread Boy (laughing loudly) Oho! Oho! I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse and a barn full of threshers, and I can run away from you — I can. {Runs on farther and shouts over his shoulder.) "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man!" (Mowers shake their fists in anger and return to the field.) Gingerbread Boy {sitting down on a stone by the roadside) I'm so tired that I don't know what to do. (Examines shoes carefully.) My poor little licorice shoes are quite worn out. What would the little old woman say if she could see me now? (Shades his eyes with his hands, and looks down the road.) There comes a fox, but he can't catch me. (Shouts loudly) You can't catch me, old fox! (Fox comes on closer and closer and Gingerbread Boy gets up and runs down the road.) Gingerbread Boy I've run away from 22 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, a barn full of threshers and a field full of mowers, and I can run away from you* — I can. "Run! run! as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Ginger- bread Man." Fox {slowing down to a walk) Why, my dear little Gingerbread Boy, I would not catch you if I could. I would not think of hurting you, but I would like to walk with you if you are going my way. Gingerbread Boy {turns around and walks back to meet the Fox) I will be glad to walk with you. I have been running so fast and I am very, very tired. {Fox and Gingerbread Boy walk on to- gether until they reach a river.) Fox {stopping on the bank of the river) Can you swim, little Gingerbread Boy? Gingerbread Boy {tearfully) No, and I don't know how I shall get over, but I want to get on the other side. Fox I can swim, so jump on my back and I will take you across. {Gingerbread Boy jumps on the Fox's back and the Fox swims out into the river.) Fox {turning his head) You will get wet on my back, little Gingerbread Boy. Jump on my shoulder. Gingerbread Boy (jumping forward) All right! Fox I am afraid the water will cover you there. Jump on my head. Gingerbread Boy (jumping forward) Very well! Fox I am very sorry to disturb you, but you are too heavy on my head. Jump on my nose and I can keep you out of the water. Gingerbread Boy (slipping down) In- deed, it's no trouble! (Fox throws back his head and snaps off a piece of the Gingerbread Boy.) Gingerbread Boy Oh me, I'm half gone! (Fox throws back his head and snaps again.) Gingerbread Boy Why, I'm three quarters gone! (Fox throws back his head and snaps again, and the Gingerbread Boy disap- pears by dropping down behind the Fox. Fox (rubbing his side) Well, that was the best Gingerbread Boy I ever tasted) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 23 SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) This is one of the few stories which can be given a complete demonstration on the sand-table. On the left-hand side of the table can be placed the home of the Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man. It should be made of rolled clay logs. The log should be placed while they are still soft and the doors and windows should be cut as soon as the logs are laid in place. The log portion of the house should be 10" long, 8" wide and 4^" high. A roof 5" high, made from gray con- struction paper, should be placed on top of this, and we will have a typical log house. The yard which surrounds this house is enclosed by a rude woven fence, three rails high, made from 5" sticks, such as the children use in their number work. In the road outside the fence we see the Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man looking wistfully after the Gingerbread Boy. The Little Old Woman and the Little Old Man should be cut from paper. The Gingerbread Boy, who is seen trudging down the road, should be molded from clay. When the clay is very dry the boy can be given a choco- late jacket by marking off a jacket on the upper part of his body and coloring it with dark brown water color. Black spots to represent cinnamon seed buttons can be put down either side, and while the clay is soft, black beads can be stuck in to represent eyes. Red water color will answer for the peppermint candy of which his lips were made, and also for the red candy cap. Black water color can be used for the licorice shoes. To the left of the log house we see an open pasture, thickly covered with green waxola. Here we find a cow feeding. The pasture in which the horse is grazing is situated a little distance from this. This pasture should be enclosed by a fence. One cut from bristol board will answer the purpose. Next we see the barn, which can be made of light construction paper. Out- side this barn are three threshers ready to begin their chase. The field in which the mowers are busy is not far from the barn. They are watching the progress of the Ginger- bread Boy. On the right hand side of the table we find the river over which the fox helped the Gingerbread Boy. This is represented by a piece of tin, PAPER CUTTING 'well! that was the BK8T GINGER BREAD BOY I EVER TASTED" LANGFAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 25 the edges of which are buried in the sand. On the bank of* this river is the large stone on which the Gingerbread Boy rested. On the river we see the fox: first, with the whole Gingerbread Boy on his nose. Then we see the Gingerbread Boy one quarter gone; then one half gone; then three quarters gone, and on the other side of the river we find the fox with a very satisfied expression as he says: "Well, that was the best Gingerbread Boy I ever tasted." A road of white sand runs from the log house on past the river. We find boxwood sprigs, which repre- sent trees, scattered over the sand-table so as to make the scene more effective. The cow and the horse, as well as the mowers, the reapers, and the fox, in his many positions, should be cut from stiff construction paper and mounted so as to stand alone. PAPER CUTTING THEN THE FOX SAID : "JUMP ON MY 8H0ULDKR" "I'M QUARTER GONE !" "I'M HALF GONE ! " "IM THBIE QUABTEB8 GONE ! " I— I H LITTLE HALF CHICK THE STORY A long, long time ago, there lived in a poultry yard a large, handsome white hen. She had a brood of twelve chickens. Eleven of these were fluffy, fat little fowls, but the twelfth was made all wrong. Where the others had two legs, he had only one. Where the others had two wings, he had only one. He had one eye, one ear and half of a bill and half of a tail. When his mother heard the egg click and looked down in her nest and saw this queer-looking chicken, she jumped up in amazement, crying : "Why, you're not a chicken at all! You're just a half chick." So ever after he went by the name of Little Half Chick. Now, strange to say, the mother hen loved Little Half Chick more than she did her other children, but he was a wayward little fowl and was sometimes just a little saucy to his mother. He would often run away and stay until she was half frantic with fear that he was lost, and when she called he pre- tended not to hear, for you see he had only one ear and was not supposed to hear quite so well as the other chickens. One day he was playing in the corn- field when his mother called him. He did so love to play in this field, for he could jump from furrow to furrow with his one little leg, and it made him feel so good when he was successful and made a big jump without stumbling. He was having such a good time when his mother called that he did not answer. He said to himself: "She may have a nice fat worm for me, but if I run ever so fast some of the others will get there before I do and seize the prize. So I will stay here and play." Now Little Half Chick had often heard how great and wonderful were the lives of the chickens who fed in the king's poultry yard and he felt that if he could only go there he would never have another trouble. So he deter- mined that he would go, and he started off, hoppity-skip, hoppity-skip. But when he had gone a short distance he remembered his mother at home and thought how she would worry when he did not come to his supper at the usual time. So he turned around, hoppity- skip, hoppity-skip, and went back to the poultry yard and said: "Mother, I'm 27 28 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK sick and tired of this old poultry yard. I'm going off to Madrid to see the king." "To Madrid to see the king!" said his mother. "Why, you foolish chick! Madrid is many, many miles away from here and a whole chick couldn't get there for many, many days, and you are only a half chick. Stay at home like a good little fowl, and when you get larger and have more feathers, I'll take you to Madrid to see the king." "No," said Little Half Chick, tossing his head, "I've made up my mind and I'm going to Madrid." So off he went, hoppity-skip, and did not heed his mother's voice as she called and called for him to return. And of course she couldn't catch him, for she was in the poultry yard and couldn't get out, while he was so small that he could crawl under the fence. So Little Half Chick went on, hoppity skip, hoppity-skip, down the road, but he soon decided that it would take a life-time to get to Madrid if he kept to the road. So he took a path which led through a field. It was a beautiful green field and a little brook ran through it. Little Half Chick heard the gurgle of the water and said to himself : " That must be quite a river. It is making such a noise." But when he came near he found that it wasn't the size of the brook that caused it to make so much noise. It was choked with weeds and could not flow. Long before Little Half Chick reached it he could hear its gurgle, gurgle, gurgle. And when he came near, it cried: "Oh, Little Half Chick, help me! Pull out these weeds and let my water flow on! Please, Little Half Chick, don't leave me like this!" "Help you, indeed!" cried Little Half Chick, shaking his head and pointing his half bill high in the air. " I haven't time to help you. I'm off to Madrid to see the king." Then hoppity-skip, hoppity-skip, went Little Half Chick and left the little brook all alone. He had not gone very fai before he came to a fire in the woods. The fire had started in some dry leaves, but it was going out because it needed some sticks to keep it alive. As Little Half Chick came near, the fire called out in a weak little voice: "Oh, Little Half Chick, bring me some sticks! Help me, or I shall die!" "I'd like to see myself helping you," said Little Half Chick. "I'm going to Madrid to see the king and haven't time to trouble with you." And he flapped his little wing in the most insolent manner and went hoppity-skip, hoppity-skip, down the path. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 29 The next morning, as he came in sight of Madrid, he saw a large oak tree and he heard such a moaning and sighing in its branches that he stopped to see what was the cause of the queer noise. He found that the wind was caught and entangled in the limbs. Now when the wind found that Little Half Chick was so near he cried out: "Oh, Little Half Chick, you are just in time! Come up this tree and pull me out of these thick branches! Help me. Little Half Chick, please!" "You're talking to the wrong person," said Little Half Chick. "Call on some one who has more time than L I'm on my way to Madrid to see the king." And hoppity-skip, hoppity-skip, he went on down the road. He was now quite close to Madrid. So near, in fact, that he could see the king's castle just ahead. "This must be the king's house," he said. "It's hard to tell which is the front and which is the back of this house. It all looks alike." Then as he saw a man coming down the steps, he said: "That must be the king. I must stand up straight and look my very best, for I am to rule his poultry yard." Then Little Half Chick cleared his throat and was just ready to say good- morning, but the sharp sound made the man, who was the king's cook, look his way. When he saw Little Half Chick he ran towards him, saying: "This is just what I want for the king's dinner. I'll take it in and make some broth." Little HaK Chick started to run, hoppity-skip, hoppity-skip, but the cook was too fast for him, and he caught him and put him in the pot. Little Half Chick didn't like it in the pot at all, for it was wet and very un- comfortable. The water came up over his head, and, try as he would, he could not keep from going under. So he called: "Water! Water! do not wet me so!" "Ah!" cried the water, "when I was in trouble you would not help me!" And it bubbled and boiled all around Little HaK Chick. "Now," thought Little Half Chick, "if the water will not help me I will call on the fire." So he cried: "Fire! P^e! do not cook me!" "Ah!" said the fire, "when I was in trouble you would not help me!" And he went on burning brighter and brighter. Just then the wind came rushing by to see what all this noise in the king's kitchen was about, and when Little Half Chick heard it he said to himself: "Now's my chance. The wind cer- tainly will help me." So he called: "Wind! Wind! come and help me!" Pi < P4 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 31 "Ah!" cried the wind, "when I was in trouble you would not help me! But come with me; I will do something for you." Then the wind lifted Little Half Chick out of the pot and blew him around the room and out of the window. Up and down the street, over the houses, the wind whirled him until Little Half Chick cried out: "Stop! Don't go so fast! I'm out of breath!" Then the wind set him down on the highest steeple in Madrid and it left him sticking to the tiptop of the steeple, standing on one leg with his little half bill pointed high. And there you will see him to-day. Little Half Chick always turns whichever way the wind blows. He can never leave the steeple, but must stay up there in the rain as well as in the sunshine, for this is how the first weathercock came to be. Suggestions for the Dramatization Some chalk-marks drawn on the floor may be used to represent the furrows in the cornfield over which Little Half Chick is jumping. The poultry yard in which the mother hen is fastened should be enclosed by chairs, leaving a small opening through which Little Half Chick and the other chickens pass. As Little Half Chick has but one leg he hops about, hoppity-skip, all the time and he also makes use of only one wing (arm). The child who represents the brook sits quietly until Little Half Chick approaches her, then she begins to " gurgle, gurgle, gurgle." The fire, which is represented by a small child in a crouching position, is almost out. The child raises one hand and waves it gently to and fro with a flickering mo- tion to represent a slowly dying fire. The child who represents the wind should be on a chair or table. He should move from side to side with a swaying motion and at the same time imitate the noise of the wind in the branches of a tree. When the cook captures Little Half Chick he takes him in the kitchen and places him under a table or between two chairs, which represent the pot, and the children who represent the brook and the fire come under the table also, while the wind waits at one side, ready to rush in when needed. When Little Half Chick asks the water not to wet him, the child hovers over him and flings her arms over his head several times. The fire, too, when re- quested not to cook him, leaps up and down, as if burning very brightly. Then the wind comes tripping in PAPER CUTTING HOW THE FIRST WEATHER VANK CAME TO BE LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 33 lightly and asks the reason for all this confusion. He takes Little Half Chick by the wing (arm) and lifts him out of the pot. Then he trips lightly around the room with him, and, at last, leaves him on a chair, where Little Half Chick turns roimd and round mechanically, while the wind goes on his journey, waving a last good-by to the weather- cock. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Little Half Chick Mother Hen Brook Fire Wind Minor Characters Cook Chickens (two) (Mother Hen is scratching in the yard. Little Half Chick is playing in the field near by, jumping from furrow to furrow. The other eleven chickens are scattered around, searching and picking, here and there.) Mother (finding a worm) Chuck! chuck! chuck! (The eleven chickens hasten to share worm.) Mother Little Half Chick! Little Half Chick! Little Half Chick (pausing in his play and listening) She may have a nice fat worm for me. But if I run ever so fast some of the others will get there before I do and seize the prize, so I will stay here and play. (Resumes his play, continues for a while, and then stops abruptly.) It certainly is dull here. Everything is always the same and we never find very many worms. I'm just as tired as I can be of this old place . I' ve heard that the fowls in the king's poultry yard live high. I believe I was made to rule a poultry yard such as the king would have, so I think I'll go off to Madrid and see the king (hops off on one foot a short distance, then stops abruptly). I ought not to go off like this without telling Mother good-by. When supper-time comes and she can't find me, she will be worried. I guess I'd better go back and see her first. (Little Half Chick turns and hops back to the poultry yard, where he finds his mother.) Mother Where have you been. Little Half Chick? I have been looking every- where for you. Little Half Chick I've been playing in the cornfield. You know I have only one ear and can't always hear you when you call. Mother You're very naughty, Little Half Chick, and I shall have to fasten you up if you do not mind me better. 34 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Little Half Chick {tossing his head) Fasten me up, indeed! I'm sick and tired of this old poultry yard. I'm going off to Madrid to see the king. Mother To Madrid to see the king! Why, you foolish little chick! Madrid is many, many miles away from here, and a whole chick couldn't get there for a great many days and you are only a half chick. {Strokes Little Half Chick's feathers gently.) Stay at home like a good little fowl and when you get larger and have more feathers, I'll take you to Madrid to see the king. Little Half Chick {stamping his foot impatiently) No, I've made up my mind and I'm going to Madrid. {Little Half Chick turns and hops off.) Mother Little Half Chick, come back! . Come back, and I'll find you a nice fat worm! {Mother runs to the fence and tries to get out, hut finally gives up in despair.) Little Half Chick {stopping in the middle of the road) I believe it would take me a life-time to get to Madrid if I kept on this road. There's a path that leads through a field — I think I'll try that. {Turns and goes through the field. After hopping a short distance he hears the gurgle of water, stops and listens.) It must be quite a river, it's making such a noise. {Walks on until he comes to a brook and then stops.) It's nothing but a little brook, after all. But it's all stopped up with weeds. That's why it's making such a noise. Brook Oh, Little Half Chick, help me! Pull out these weeds and let my water flow on! Please, Little Half Chick! Don't leave me like this! Little Half Chick {holding his head high) Help you, indeed ! I haven't time to help you. I'm off to Madrid to see the king. {Little Half Chick hops on. After going a short distance, he smells smoke.) Little Half Chick {sniffing the air) I do believe I smell smoke. I wonder what is burning. {Hops on and coTnes to a fire, where he stops.) Why, here is the fire; but it seems to be all smoke. It is almost out. Fire Oh, Little Half Chick, bring me some sticks! Help me or I shall die! Little Half Chick I'd like to see my- self helping you. I'm going to Madrid to see the king and haven't time to trouble with you. {Flaps his wings in an insolent manner and hops on down the path until he conies to a large oak tree, where he hears a queer noise in the branches.) I wonder what that queer noise is {stops and examines tree). Oh, I see! The wind seems to be caught in LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 35 the limbs. They certainly are very thick. Wind Oh, Little Half Chick, you are just in time! Come up this tree and pull me out of these thick branches! Help me. Little Half Chick, please! Ldttle Half Chick You're talking to the wrong person. Call on some one who has more time than L I'm on my way to Madrid to see the king. (Little Half Chick hops on down the road.) Little Half Chick {coming In sight of Madrid) I'm getting very near the city now. I'll soon be at the king's house. {Sees the castle close by.) This must be the king's house. It's hard to tell which is the front and which is the back of this house. It all looks alike. {The cook comes down the steps and walks towards Ldttle Half Chick.) Little Half Chick That must be the king {straightens up). I must stand up straight and look my very best, for I am to rule the king's poultry yard. {Little Half Chick clears his throat. The noise attracts the cook's attention and he discovers the fowl.) Cook {running towards Ldttle Half Chick) This is just what I want for the king's dinner. I'll take it in and make some broth. {Ldttle Half Chick starts to run away, but the cook catches him and takes him into the kitchen, where he puts him in a pot.) Little Half Chick {struggling in the pot) I don't like it in here at all. It's so wet and uncomfortable. When I think I'm on top I go right under. I will call to the water and perhaps it will help me. {Calls loudly.) Water! Water! Do not wet me so! Water {bubbling and boiling harder and harder than ever) Ah! when I was in trouble you would not help me! Little Half Chick Well, if the water will not help me, I will call on the fire. {Calls loudly) Fire! Fire! Do not cook me! Fire (leaping up> higher than ever) Ah! when I was in trouble you would not help me! (Wind rushes in by the pot where Little Half Chick is boiling.) Wind What is all this noise about in here? Little Half Chick {to himself) Now's my chance. The wind certainly will help me. (Calls loudly) Wind! Wind I Come and help me ! Wind Ah! when I was in trouble 36 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK you would not help me! But come with me. I will do something for you. {The Wind lifts Little Half Chick from the pot and blows him around the room and out of the windows; then up and down the street and over the houses.) Little Half Chick Stop! Don't go so fast! I'm out of breath! Wind {placing him on a high steeple) I will place you on this high steeple and you will stand on one leg forever. You will always keep your little bill pointed high and whichever way the wind blows you will turn. You have to stay here in the rain as well as in the sunshine and people will call you a weathercock. (Wind waves his hands and leaves Little Half Chick. Little Half Chick turns round and round mechanically.) SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) This is another story the whole of which can be demonstrated on the sand-table. There are three distinct scenes. The first centers around the barnyard, the second around the castle, and the third shows the ultimate end of Little Half Chick. This first is a very simple scene and the right side of the sand-table can be devoted to it. It will be necessary to construct a barn from paper for the barnyard scene. The land surround- ing this should be fenced in. A woven fence made from 5" sticks, such as the children use in their nimiber work, will be very effective. There should be numerous fowls in the barnyard ; ducks, chickens, turkeys and even chattering guineas. Here also is seen the mother hen and her eleven fluffy, fat little fowls. These can be cut from paper so as to stand alone. There should be several trees in the barnyard — small twigs from boxwoo'd trees will answer for these. The cornfield in which Little Half Chick is playing is to the left of the barn- yard and should be laid off in fiurows. Tiny ends of boxwood twigs will repre- sent the growing corn. Here we find Little Half Chick with his one leg, one wing, and half bill, jumping from furrow to furrow. Little Half Chick is also cut from paper so as to' stand alone. The second scene should be placed on a line with the barn at the center of the back of the sand-table. The castle should be built of clay bricks, which the children can easily mold. Convenient dimensions for the bricks are 2}/^" long by 1}4" wide by %" thick. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 37 The tower should be built first. It should be built while the bricks are still soft, so they can be pressed into shape and made to come nearer the center of the tower as it nears the top. The tower should be 7" in diameter at the base and 4" at the top and the clay structure should be 12" high. The top of the tower should be covered by a flat piece of cardboard, which fits the opening, and this should be surmounted by a paper cone cut from gray construction paper to repre- sent slate. To the left side of the tower can be built the other part of the castle. This also should be built of the moist bricks, and should be rectangular in shape, 9" X 7". This should keep the same dimensions all the way up for 8". The roof of this should be a slanting roof 5" high. This should also be made of gray construction paper to represent slate. The steps of the castle, which extend all across the rectangular portion, should be built of dried clay bricks laid in rows, the first row being three bricks thick, the second, two, and the third, one. A paper cutting of a cook dressed in his long white apron and his white cap should be placed on the steps of the castle. His coat and trousers should be colored with black ink, for he is the king's cook and should be perfectly attired. Little Half Chick is in the road in front of the castle, standing on one leg, with his little half bill pointed high. From the barnyard to the town hall, which makes the last scene, is a winding road which leads by the castle. This can be marked on the sand-table by dry white sand. The last scene is a very simple one. On a line with the castle and built in the left-hand corner of the table is a tall building made of clay bricks. This building should not be as impos- ing as the castle and can be very effectively built in a rectangular shape 7" long, 5" wide and 7" high. This should be surmounted by a very high steeple, cut from gray construction paper. The steeple should be 12" high. On top of this steeple is placed a weather vane cut from stiff card- board. Here, too, we find Little Half Chick, for he stands upon the tiptop of the weather vane and tells us at all hours the direction of the wind, for he is the first weathercock. Two rows of dry clay bricks laid so as to form a rectangle 7" x 5" will form a floor to the porch of this building, and four rolled paper columns 6" high will make excellent pillars. Plain white drawing paper can be used for this. o o Pi w Oh LITTLE FOOTSTEPS-UPON-THE-WATER THE STORY Once upon a time there was a little Indian boy. His skin was very brown, his eyes were large and black, and his hair was long and straight. When he was a tiny little boy, he was called Little Papoose, but the time came when he was to have another name, and his father and mother watched him for days to see what this name should be. One day his father said: "I know what we will name our boy. We will call him Foot- steps-Upon-the- Water, because he can run so fast and so quietly." One day the Indian mother was sitting just inside the wigwam weaving a basket and the Indian father had gone away to hunt. Little Footsteps-Upon the- Water was shooting arrows in the woods near by. By and by he saw a little gray creature come near. Then he saw two bright eyes and he knew it was a squirrel. Now Footsteps-Upon-the- Water was a good little boy and he disliked very much to hurt anything. He wouldn't shoot the squirrel with his arrow. Oh, no — but he did want to play with it, for he had no little brothers and sisters, and he was often very lonely. So when he saw the squirrel he said to himself: "Oh, what a pretty squir- rel! How I should like to play with him! Come, little squirrel, I want you for my brother." But the squirrel didn't care to be his brother and he turned and ran as fast as he could. Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water ran, too. Oh, how he did run! He ran on and on, past the big oak trees, on and on, past the big rock where the bears feed, and on and on, still farther. The squirrel fairly flew and Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water fairly flew. But at last the squirrel came to a hollow log and he ran inside as quick as a flash. Footsteps-Upon-the-Water went inside, too, but he was not as small as the squir- rel. When the squirrel saw that the little boy was close behind him he darted out the other end of the log, but little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water got in the middle and couldn't get out. He tried and tried, but he was stuck fast and could go neither backwards nor forwards. His mother finished weaving her bas- 39 40 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK ket, then she cooked some good buffalo meat for the father's supper, for she knew he would be hungry when he re- turned from the hunt. She was just taking the steaming meat from the fire when the father came. "Where is little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water?"hesaid. "Right out in the woods," said the mother. "Shout for him, and he will come." Then the father put his big hands to his mouth and called: "Little Foot- steps-Upon-the-Water!" "Little Foot- steps-Upon-the-Water!" but the little boy did not answer. Then the mother became alarmed and said: "Now, since I remember, I don't believe I have seen him for some time. What if the poor child is lost and a bear should get him!" And she wept bitterly. The father looked troubled, but he said: "I will go into the woods and search for him. I feel that I cannot eat or sleep until our boy is found." So he left the meat untasted, and throwing his gun over his shoulder he went out into the woods. He searched and searched many moons and the mother sat at home in the wigwam crying, but no trace of Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water was found. The boy in the log pounded and pounded and shouted and shouted. He thought no one was ever coming to let him out. But one morning as he shouted and pounded, he heard on the outside of the log a queer rap, tap; rap, tap; and a shrill voice called, "Footsteps-Upon- the-Water, are you there? Are you there?" At first he did not answer, for he thought the voice so queer and he felt that life in the log was better than death outside. But soon he saw a wrinkled brown face with a fringe of arrows all around it and two kind, gentle eyes, and he recognized Grandmother Porcupine, and knew that she had come to help him out. Then he called loudly: "Yes, I am here. Help me out! I am stuck fast in the log." Then Grandmother Porcupine said: "I heard you cry and I traveled three days and three nights to help you." So she scratched and scratched at the end of the log, but she couldn't get the little boy out. "I'm afraid I'm not quite strong enough," said Grandmother Porcupine. Now when Little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water heard this he began to cry, for he did want to get out of the log so badly. "Never mind," said Grandmother LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 4i Porcupine, blinking her eyes to keep back the tears. "I will run and get my three grandsons. They live up in the old hemlock tree just a little distance from here." So away she bounded over the dead leaves, and when she reached the hem- lock tree she found her three grandsons sleeping soundly. She called and called and thumped and thumped, and at last they called out, "Who's there?" "It is your grandmother. There is a little boy caught in a log up there. I want you to come and help me get him out." "All right," said the young porcu- pines, and they jumped up in a hurry and scampered away to the hollow log. Then they scratched and scratched at the end of the log and made so much noise that the Bear who lived near came over to see what the trouble was. The Wolf thought the scratching meant something to eat, and over he came too. And while they were scratch- ing, up came the Deer and he had to be told the story also. So they scratched and scratched, and at last the little boy was able to crawl out. How he clapped his hands and danced, but he could scarcely see, for he had been in the log many days. So he hid his face in Grandmother Porcupine's breast and peeped just a little at a time till everything seemed quite natural. And when he opened his eyes, there sat Grandmother Porcupine, her Three Grandsons, the old Bear, the Wolf, and the Deer. "Now," said Grandmother Porcupine, "this little boy needs a mother. I am too old to take care of him. Who will be his mother?" " I will be his mother," said the Deer, "The idea!" said Grandmother Por- cupine. " That would never do. Why, you are always going from place to place and the little boy would have no home in winter. No, no, you couldn't be his mother." "What kind of a mother do you think I would make?" said the Wolf, "A bad enough one," said Grand- mother Porcupine. "Your teeth are too sharp. You would never do." "I will be his mother," said the good old Bear. " I have a warm house in the rocks, and I always have plenty to eat. Why, this very night I have berries and nuts enough to feed a dozen boys." "Well," said Grandmother Porcupine, "you shall have Little Footsteps-Upon- the- Water, but you must not let your cubs teach him any rough tricks," So the Bear took little Footsteps- Upon-the- Water by the hand and he told Grandmother Porcupine, the Three o Q Pi Ph LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 4a Grandsons, the Wolf and the Deer good-by, and they went on towards the Bear's house, which was a cave in the rocks, with little rooms just like a real house. Little Footsteps -Upon -the -Water asked a great many questions as he trudged along, and Mother Bear an- swered them all, and when they came to the house she introduced him to her three little cubs. ' ' Now, Little Footsteps - Upon - the Water," she said, "this is Baby Bear. He is very dear and sweet. You will like him, I am sure. This is Girlie Bear, and this is Boy Bear. They will all love you and you must never quarrel with each other. Do you under- stand?" Little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water said he understood, and ^all the little cubs bowed very low. Then Mother Bear tucked them all in bed and the little boy slept better than he had ever slept in his life, al- though his bed was of straw spread on a hard rock. The next morning Mother Bear called all the children together and told them if they saw a man coming with a bow and arrow they must run away. And that very day, while they were playing out in the yard, a man came very close to the house. All the children screamed for Mother Bear, and she came and chased him away with a forked stick. They thought the man had gone for good and Mother Bear suggested that they all go and look for chestnuts, but just as they were ready to start, up came the man again. Mother Bear picked up a bag of feathers she had set aside for pillows and threw them with all her strength at the man. Then such a sputtering time as he did have. They went in his mouth and in his eyes, and he ran so far and so fast that they felt sure he was gone for good. They went on into the woods for chestnuts, and found so many that even little Baby Bear filled his sack. Mother Bear had two sacks. One she carried on her shoulder and the smaller one she took in her hand. Just as the sun was sinking behind the rocks they reached their house. Everything seemed very quiet about the yard, and Mother Bear was thinking how good the beds would feel. But just as they turned the corner of a big rock, out jumped the man with the bow and arrow. Mother Bear threw the small bag of chestnuts at him, but it did no 'good. He shot an arrow at her and she fell to the ground. Little Footsteps - Upon - the - Water came running to help her and all the little cubs flocked around crying. 44 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK "Oh, my good Mother Bear!" cried little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water. Then he turned to the man and said: "You are such a cruel man to hurt my good Mother Bear!" The man rushed to him and cried: "My little lost boy! My little lost boy!" For it was Footsteps-Upon-the- Water's own father. He took him in his arms, but the child wept bitterly for his good Mother Bear. " Why," said the father, "good Mother Bear is not hurt. See the arrow has stuck fast in the bag of chestnuts, and Mother Bear is just as she has always been." So Mother Bear jumped up and said: "No, little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water, the chestnuts have saved my life. I am not hurt at all." "0 father," said the little boy, "I chased a squirrel with big black eyes, and when he ran in a hollow log, I ran in too, and I could not get out. I stayed there for days and at last Grandmother Porcupine and her three grandsons scratched me out, and Mother Bear took me home with her to live, and she has been so good to me." "Good Mother Bear," said the grate- ful father, " I cannot tell you how thank- ful I am my boy fell into such good hands. I want you and all your chil- dren to come to the wigwam for a visit." Then they all kissed little Footsteps- Upon-the- Water good-by and he went home with his father, but he never for- got how good old Mother Bear had been to him. Suggestions for the Dramatization Fourteen children are required for the dramatization of this story. A sheet or a long coat thrown over three chairs will serve as a wigwam. The chairs should be placed rather close together, with a large space between the first and third to serve as the door of the wigwam. The Indian mother is seated at the door weaving a basket, and little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water is shooting his arrows in the edge of the wood close by. The boys will be glad to make a bow and also some arrows for use in the dramatization of this story. A small child who can run quietly as well as rapidly should be selected for the squirrel. Little Footsteps-Upon- the- Water should also be fleet of foot. The squirrel scampers around in the bushes, which are represented by chairs, quite a while before the little Indian boy sees him. When he does, he be- comes interested immediately, and when the squirrel starts to run he begins a lively chase. The squirrel runs in the opposite direction from the wigwam, in and out. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 45 among the desks, which represent trees, until at last he discovers a hollow log. Several chairs turned seat downward can represent this. He runs in the hollow log and out again at the other end. But little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water is less fortunate and is caught in the log. He screams for help and pounds as hard as he can, but soon gives up in despair and sobs himself to sleep. While he sleeps in the hollow log our attention is called to the Indian mother in the wigwam. During the time these events have been taking place in the woods she has finished her basket. She inspects it and decides that it will please the boy when he sees it, with its red and blue figures. She places it on the table (a chair seat) inside the wigwam and busies herself with the supper, singing as she works. She is just ready to take the steaming meat from the stove (another chair seat) when the father arrives. He car- ries a number of bags over his shoulder, for he has had a successful hunt. The book satchels belonging to the pupils in the room can be used here. When the father decides to go and search for his son, he shoulders his gun (a pointer) and starts out. He does not enter the story again until he ap- pears at the bear's house, so it is well for him to enter the woods by the cloak-room door and remain out of sight until he is again needed. The mother enters the wigwam and weeps bitterly, and does not enter the story again. All the time this is going on at the wigwam little Footsteps - Upon - the - Water is sleeping quietly in the log. But now he wakes up and realizes with added force that he is in a helpless condition. He begins to pound and scream again. After awhile he hears a queer rap, tap, rap, tap, outside. At first he is afraid and lies down quietly in the log. But when he hears the second call he recognizes Grand- mother Porcupine and answers. The child who represents Grand- mother Porcupine should wear quills around her forehead. These can be made by taking a broad band of pliant cardboard and fastening some quills in it with the points out. If quills cannot be obtained, the band can be pricked with a darning needle and toothpicks can be placed in the holes. The grandsons should wear the same headdress. The hemlock tree, in which the three grandsons live, can be represented by a table under which the three grandsons are hidden and from which they jump LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 47 when summoned by Grandmother Porcupine. The bear's house should be some distance from the hollow log and the children can imagine the rocks which form a hill before it. There should be a table and some chairs in the bear's house, also several coats thrown upon the floor, which represents the straw upon which the bears sleep at night. One boy in the room should be authorized to bring a forked stick from the woods for Mother Bear's use in chasing away the man. A book satchel filled with other satchels can serve for the bag of feathers, and these same satchels may be used for bags in which the chestnuts are kept. The chestnut wood is not far from the bear's house and it will be necessary to make the nuts imaginary ones. When the man shoots an arrow at Mother Bear she falls to the ground with fright, but is not injured. The departure of little Footsteps- Upon-the- Water from the bear's house makes a happy ending to our story, for while the bears are sorry to lose him they rejoice in his good fortune in finding his father and show it by waving their many good-bys to him until he is out of sight. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Footsteps-Upon-the- Water Grandmother Porcupine Mother Bear Minor Characters Indian Mother Indian Father Squirrel Grandmother Porcupine's Three Grandsons Wolf Deer Baby Bear Girlie Bear Boy Bear Scene I (Indian Mother is sitting inside the door of wigwam weaving a basket. Foot- steps-Upon-the-Water is shooting arrows near by.) Indian Mother {looking out the door towards little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water) Well, we certainly did give him the right name, for he can run like the wind. I will hurry and finish this basket, for he will be pleased when he sees it with its red and blue figures. (Turns her back to the door and works very rapidly.) Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (see- ing a squirrel in the bushes) What is that gray thing there? (Comes nearer- to squirrel) Look at its bright eyes! It must be a squirrel. I must lay down my bow and arrow for they will frighten 48 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK it. (Lays down the bow and arrows and creeps quietly towards the squirrel, talk- ing in a coaxing voice all the time.) Poor little squirrel! I wouldn't hvt you for anything, but I should like to play with you, for I have no little brother at home. Come, little squirrel, I want you for my brother. (Squirrel ruw away and Footsteps- Upon-the-Water starts in pursuit.) Squirrel (stopping at a hollow log) This is a good place to hide. I don't believe the little boy can get in — I'll try it anyway. (Squirrel runs in log.) Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (stop- ping at log) I believe he must be in here (stoops down and peeps in) Yes, indeed, there he is. I'll catch you now, little squirrel! (Boy crawls in log — squirrel runs out the other end. Boy, finding that he is stuck fast in the middle of the log, pounds and shouts for help until he is exhausted. Then he lies down and sobs himself to sleep.) Indian Mother (holding the finished basket up to view) That certainly is a good basket. I will put it here (rises, and places basket on the table). Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water will see it when he comes in. (Goes to the door and looks towards the west.) My, my! the sun is low and the father will soon be coming from his hunt. I must cook him some supper. (Indian Mother takes down the meat and prepares it for supper, singing as she works. When the supper is ready to be taken from the stove the father comes in.) Indian Father (entering the wigwam and looking around in an inquiring way) Where is little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water? Indian Mother Right out in the woods. Shout for him and he will come. Indian Father (putting his hands to his mouth) Little Footsteps - Upon - the - Water! Mother That's strange that he doesn't answer. Father (going out in front of wigwam and calling as before) Little Footsteps- Upon - the - Water! Little Footsteps - Upon-the- Water ! Mother (rushing out of wigwam) Now, since I remember, I don't believe I have seen him for some time. What if the poor child is lost and a bear should get him. Oh, what shall I do? (Weeps bitterly.) Father I will go into the woods and search for him. I feel that I cannot eat or sleep until our boy is found. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 49 (Father goes inside and gets gun and comes-out and searches the woods. Mother goes back to wigwam and weeps bitterly.) Scene II Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (wak- ing from sleep and rubbing eyes) Where am I? Oh, yes, I remember! That little squirrel led me in here (tries to get out and fails). What shall I do? I shall die here. (Screams and pounds until a queer "rap, tap, rap, tap," is heard outside.) Grandmother Porcupine (stopping and looking in the end of the log) Footsteps- Upon-the-Water, are you there? Are you there? Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (lying down quietly in the log) That's a queer noise. I guess I won't answer, for life in this old black log is better than being torn to pieces outside. Grandmother Porcupine Little Foot- steps-Upon-the-Water, are you there? Are you there? Ldttle Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (look- ing and seeing Grandmother Porcupine) Yes, I'm here. Help me out. I am stuck fast in this log. Grandmother Porcupine I heard you call and traveled three days and three nights to help you. (Grandmother Porcupine scratches and scratches, but does not succeed in making the hole large enough. Grandmother Porcupine I'm afraid I'm not quite strong enough to scratch you out. Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water (be- ginning to cry) Oh, Grandmother Por- cupine, please help me out! I can't stay here. Grandmother Porcupine Never mind. I will run and get my three grandsons. They live up in the old hemlock tree just a little distance from here. (Grandmother Porcupine runs rapidly towards the hemlock tree. When she reaches it she knocks loudly.) Grandmother Porcupine They must all be asleep. (Calls loudly) Wake up, you sleepy heads! Wake up! Grandsons Who's there? Grandmother Porcupine It's your grandmother. There is a little boy caught in a log up here. I want you to come and help me get him out. Grandsons (jumping from hole in tree) All right! (Grandmother Porcupine and the three grandsons bound away over the dry leaves.) Grandmother Porcupine (stopping at log) This is the log. Grandsons (beginning work) Oh, we'll have him out in a few minutes. 60 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Bear {coming up to the log) What's the matter? Why all this scratching? Grandmother Porcupine There's a little boy stuck fast in this log and we want to get him out. Wolf {coming up to log) What have you found good to eat? Grandmother Porcupine {angrily) You greedy thing! It isn't anjrthing to eat. It's a little boy stuck fast in the log. Deer {coming up to log) What's the trouble? Grandmother Porcupine There's a little boy stuck fast in the log and we're trying to scratch him out. {The Bear, Wolf and Deer all take a seat near the log. The grandsons continue to scratch until the hole is made large enough for Footsteps-Upon-the-Water to crawl out.) Little Footsteps - Upon - the - Water {scrambling to his feet and clapping his hands) Oh, how good to be out again! {Hides his face on Grandmother Porcu- pine's shoulder) I can hardly see. The sun is so bright. {Peeps out just a little at a time until he becomes accus- tomed to the light.) It was so good of you to work so hard to get me out. Grandmother Porcupine {turning to the Bear, the Wolf, and the Deer) Now this little boy needs a mother. I am too old to take care of him. Who will be his mother? Deer I will be his mother. Grandmother Porcupine The idea! That would never do! Why, you are always going from place to place and the little boy would have no home in winter. No, no, you couldn't be his mother. Wolf What kind of a mother do you think I would make? Grandmother Porcupine A bad enough one. Your teeth are too sharp. You would never do. Bear I will be his mother. I have a warm home in the rocks and I always have plenty to eat. Why, this very night I have berries and nuts enough to feed a dozen boys. Grandmother Porcupine Well, you shall have little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water, but you must not let your cubs teach him any rough tricks. {Bear takes the little boy by the hand.) Grandmother Porcupine {patting Foot- steps-Upon-the-Water on his head) Now go home with good Mother Bear and I will come to see you some day. Footsteps - Upon - the - Water {kissing Grandmother Porcupine) Good-by, Grandmother Porcupine. {Mother Bear and Footsteps-Upon-the- Water go on down the road. Little Foot- steps Upon-the-Water waves his hand and LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATIUN WORK 51 shouts "good-by" until they are out of sight.) Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water Where do you live, Mother Bear? Mother Bear Over in the rocks on that high hill. Ldttle Footsteps-Upon-the-Water I'm so hungry! Mother Bear, will you give me something good to eat? Mother Bear Yes, you shall have some honey and nice ripe berries. Ldttle Footsteps-Upon-the-Water {clap- ping his hands) Oh, that will be good ! Mother Bear This is my house. Do not fall over the rocks. (Three cubs come out and rush towards Mother Bear.) Mother Bear (putting her hand on Baby's head) Little Footsteps-Upon- the-Water, this is Baby Bear. He is very dear and sweet. You will like him, I am sure. {Draws Girlie Bear near.) This is Girlie Bear (points out Boy Bear), and this is Boy Bear. They will all love you and you must never quarrel with each other. Do you understand? Little-Footsteps- Upon-the-Water Yes, I understand. Mother Bear (leading the way into the house) Now come in and we will have supper. (All the children take their places around the table and Mother Bear gives them their supper.) Baby Bear I want some honey. Girlie Bear I want some milk on my berries. Boy Bear I want some bread. Footsteps - Upon - the - Water I'm so hungry I want some of everything. Mother Bear No, children, you have had enough for to-night. We will go to bed and in the morning you may have all you want. {Mother Bear puts children to bed and then lies down and sleeps all night.) Scene III Mother Bear (getting out of bed) Boy Bear! Girlie Bear! Baby Bear! Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water! Get up! It is such a nice bright morning we must go out for some chestnuts. (Children all scramble out of bed.) Girlie Bear Oh, I do love to hunt chestnuts! Boy Bear I'm going to shake the trees. Baby Bear I'll carry my little bag. Footsteps -Upon -the- Water (hugging Baby Bear) When it's full I'll carry it for you. Mother Bear Come, children, break- fast is ready. (Children sit down to the table and eat rapidly.) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Mother Bear Now go out and play until I get the house straight; but be careful, and if you see a man with a bow and arrow you must run to me. Children All right, Mother. {Children run outdoors and start a game of tag.) Boy Bear Who is that coming over the rocks? Girlie Bear It's a man with a bow and arrow. Footsteps-Upon-the-Water Let's run to Mother Bear. {Children all run into house.) Children Mother, there's a man with a bow and arrow out there! Mother Bear {picking up a forked stick) I'll chase him away. {Mother Bear runs out and chases the man away.) Mother Bear {returning to house) Now, children, we are ready to go for chestnuts. {Gives each child a bag.) Here is your bag. Baby Bear. And here are yours. Girlie Bear and Boy Bear. Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water, you may take this one. {They start down the rocky hill and see the man coming again.) Mother Bear Children, there's that man coming back again. You hide behind these big rocks until I go back to the house and get that bag of feathers. That will settle him. {Mother Bear hides children behind the rocks and returns to the house for feathers. Picks up feathers and creeps toivard man hiding behind the rocks all the time. When she reaches the man she throws the feathers at his head. The bag bursts and man fights desperately for his breath, then turns and runs.) Mother Bear {coming up to rocks ivhere children are hidden) Nov;, children, come on. I am sure the man has gone for good. He will never return again, for he doesn't want another dose of feathers. {Children come out from behind the rocks and dance gleefully after the mother until they reach the chestnut woods.) Boy Bear Here's a fine tree. I'll climb it and shake them down. {Boy Bear climbs tree.) Girlie Bear {picking up nuts) I be- lieve I can fill my bag right here. Mother Bear You need not trouble to pick them out of the burrs. We'll pick them out when we get home. Baby Bear Then we can make bas- kets from the burrs. {All work very rapidly and JiU their bags.) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 53 Mother Bear Now come down, Boy Bear, I have filled your bag. It is get- ting late, so we must go home. {Boy Bear climbs down tree. All shoulder their hags amd trudge home.) Mother Bear Little Footsteps-Upon- the- Water, take hold of Baby Bear's hand. He is so tired! Footsteps - Upon - the - Water {taking Baby Bear's hand) Never mind, Baby Bear, we shall soon be home. Baby Bear (beginning to cry) I'm so tired! I can't walk any farther! Footsteps - Upon - the - Water {stooping down) Get on my back, and I will play I am a big horse. Mother Bear I think the bed will feel good to all of us. {Man jumps out from behind the rocks. Mother Bear throws her small bag of chest- nuts at him, hut she misses him. He shoots an arrow, which hits the bag of chestnuts on Mother Bear's back — Mother Bear falls to the ground.) Footsteps - Upon - the - Water {putting Baby Bear on the ground and running to Mother Bear) Oh, my good Mother Bear! {Turning to Man) You are such a cruel man to hurt my good Mother Bear! Man {throwing down how and taking the boy in his arms) My little lost boy! My little lost boy! {Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water weeps bitterly.) Man Why, good Mother Bear is not dead. See, the arrow has stuck fast in the bag of chestnuts {picks arrow out of bag) and Mother Bear is just as she has always been. Mother Bear {jumping up) No, little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water, I am not dead. The chestnuts have saved my life. I am not hurt at all. Footsteps-Upon-the-Water {clinging to father's neck) father, I chased a squirrel with big black eyes and when he ran in a hollow log I ran in, too, and I couldn't get out. I stayed there for days, and at last. Grandmother Porcupine and her three grandsons scratched me out and Mother Bear took me home with her and she has been so good to me. Man {taking Mother Bear's hand) Oh, I cannot tell you how thankful T am that my boy fell into such good hands! I want you and all your chil- dren to come to the wigwam for a visit, for I must take my boy home with me. Mother Bear {kissing Footsteps-Upon- the-Water) 1 hate to have him go, but I know his mother must want him. 54 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Come, Baby Bear, Girlie Bear, and Boy Bear, kiss little Footsteps-Upon-the- Water good-by. {Cubs come and kiss Footsteps-Upon- the-Water and tell him good-by — Father and hoy leave bears' house.) Little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water {look- ing back and waving his hand) I shall never forget how good Mother Bear has been to me. SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) Children enjoy demonstrating the whole of a story on the sand-table, and when the table is large enough and the story such that it can be demonstrated in sections, it is well to encourage them to do this. There are three distinct scenes in this story: the Indian wigwam and surroundings; the scene in the woods which centers around the hollow log, and the scene at the bears' home. The right side of the table can be used for the Indian home. Here we have a wigwam, which can be cut from gray bogus paper and laced with raffia. At the door of the wigwam we find the Indian mother seated. She is working on a basket. To the side of the wig- wam are some trees (sprigs of evergreen bushes). In these woods we find little Footsteps-Upon-the-Water enjoying his bow and arrow. He can be cut from paper in a kneeling position as if ready to shoot his arrows. A little lake made of a new piece of tin, the edges of which are embedded in the sand, completes the first scene. A small canoe made from bogus paper and laced with raffia will add to this picture of Indian life if placed on the lake. The second scene should be placed in the center of the table. The hollow log should be made from dark gray paper, the ends of which are cut in un- even wave lines to represent an irregu- larly decayed opening. This log should be about twelve inches long. Sprigs of boxwood should also be placed around this to represent a forest, but a cleared space should be left in front of the log for the wolf, the bear, the deer. Grandmother Porcupine and her grandsons. We find little Footsteps- Upon-the-Water in a crawling position just coming out of the log. The Indian boy and all the animals should be cut from paper. The bears' house should occupy the left-hand side of the table. Use as a form for this a sheet of heavy cardboard 16" wide and 10" long. Form in shape LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 55 as given in the pattern and when this is set on the sand-table in tent fashion cover the sides and the top with soft clay. In this clay place small stones so they will give the appearance of a stone cave. Over these some green waxola should be sprinkled to give the appearance of a moss-grown surface. The opening at the back of the cave can be covered by a piece of cardboard which, if cut by the pattern given, will fit into the opening. Just entering the cave we find the old Mother Bear, while to one side, playing on the sandy ground, are Boy Bear, Girlie Bear, and Baby Bear. If green waxola is plentifully sprinkled over the sand near the wigwam and the hollow log, a good substitute for grass will be obtained. I— I Eh oi W < THK LITTLE RED HFN IHE GOATS IN THE TUItNir KIKI.l SWEKT KICE Plil;im>GE THE GOATS IN THE TURNIP FIELD THE STORY There was once a little boy who lived with an old farmer. He was all alone in the world. His father and mother were dead and the farmer with whom he made his home was not always kind to him. Every morning the little boy had to take the goats to pasture and watch them all day, for next to the pasture was a large turnip field and the farmer was very fond of turnips. So every morn- ing when he drove the goats away the farmer would say : " Now see that those goats don't get in my turnip field, for if they do, you'll have to suffer for it." One day some one gave the little boy a beautiful picture book. It was filled with large colored pictures and he did not have time to see all of them before he left for the pasture. So he tucked the book in his blouse and said to him- self: " When I am all alone in the field I will take it out and see all the beautiful pictures." It took him such a long while to reach the pasture that morning. It seemed that he would never get there. When he did, he led the goats to a nice green spot and sat down under a large oak tree to read his book. There were wonderful pictures in it; horses, cows, sheep and every animal you could name. He was so interested that he forgot all about the goats, and when he looked up he was much surprised to find that they were in the turnip field, nibbling away at the green tops. He threw down his book and ran into the field as fast as he could. Round and round he went, but every time the goats would dodge him, and he could not make them come through the gate. "Oh dear! Oh dear!" he cried; "what shall I do? When I go home to- night, the farmer will be so angry!" And he cried and cried as if his little heart would break. A tiny rabbit came near, and when she saw how the little boy was crying, she said: "Why are you crying, little boy?" "Oh," said he, "I'm crying because my goats are in the turnip field and I can't get them out!" "Why," said the rabbit, "that's a little thing to cry over. I'll get them out for you." So round and round the 57 58 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK turnip field he went. Round and round the goats went, too, but they always passed the gate. At last the rabbit came back, very tired and very warm. "I've chased your goats," he said, "until I am nearly dead, but I can't get them out. I'm just so tired that I'll cry, too." So the little boy and the rabbit sat under the tree and cried. By and by a fox came up to them. "Why are you crying, little rabbit?" said the fox. "Oh," sobbed the rabbit, "I'm crying because the little boy is crying, and he is crying, because his goats are in the turnip field and he can't get them out!" "Well, well, what babies you are! I'll get them out for you." So the fox ran into the turnip field and chased the goats from side to side, up and down the field, but they would not go through the gate. So at last he came back mopping his head with his handkerchief, and saying: "Those are the worst goats I have ever seen. I've chased them up and down, back and forth, but they won't leave the field. I know that old farmer, and I know just what he'll do when you go home. Oh, I feel so bad ! I can't help but cry, too ! " So the little boy and the rabbit and the fox sat under the tree and cried. Soon a wolf came by and when he heard them weeping he came nearer. "Why,, my good friends," said he, "don't cry so! You will drown every- one with your tears. Indeed, Mr. Fox, this is very silly. Why are you crying? " "Oh," said the fox, raising his head and wiping his eyes, " I'm crying because the rabbit is crying, the rabbit is crying because the little boy is crying, and the little boy is crjdng because his goats are in the turnip field and he can't get them out." "Ha! Ha! laughed the wolf. "What a little thing to cry about! In two minutes I'll have every goat out of that turnip field. Watch me!" So they all stopped crying and watched the wolf. He went into the turnip field with his head held high, but the goats wouldn't let him come near them. They ran and ran and the wolf ran and ran, but as soon as they came near the gate they turned and ran back again. At last the wolf gave up in despair for he had hurt his foot on a stone and could scarcely walk. He came limping back and sat down without saying a single word, but just put his head in his hands and began to cry. So the little boy, the rabbit, the fox and the wolf sat under the tree and cried. Soon they heard such a queer sound. It went "Buzz, buzz, buzz!" At first LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 59 it sounded as if it were over their heads. Then it sounded as if it were under their feet. They all looked up, but they could not see anything. Then a little bee flew down before them and said: "Why are you crying, Mr. Wolf?" And the wolf said: "I'm crying be- cause the fox is crying, and the fox is crying because the rabbit is crying, and the rabbit is crying because the little boy is crying, and the little boy is crying because his goats are in the turnip field and he can't get them out." " Let me try to get them out for you," said the bee. The little boy looked at the bee, then at the rabbit, then at the fox, and then at the wolf. "Why, we've all tried and we can't get them out, and now you mean to say you can do it. Ha! Ha!" Then the rabbit, the fox and the wolf laughed until they forgot to cry. But the little bee said, "I know I am Httle, but I can try." "Well," said the little boy, "trying can't do any harm. Go on and try." So the bee flew over the fence into the turnip field. She flew to the largest goat first and lighting quietly on his back began to sting him. The goat lifted his head and ran as fast as he could towards the gate. She kept on without one bit of noise until the turnip field was empty. Then she flew quietly to the little boy, the rabbit, the fox, and the wolf, who were waiting outside. " Oh," said the little boy, " I can never thank you enough!" " I never saw anything done so well," said the rabbit. "No," said the fox, "nor so quickly neither." "I'm sorry I laughed," said the wolf, "but you looked so Httle." "Now here is something for you to remember," said the bee, as she flew away. "Sometimes little people can do more than large ones. Remember, too, that all the crying in the world will not make goats come out of a turnip field." So the little boy, the rabbit, the fox and the wolf sat under the tree and laughed, while the goats fed peacefully on the green grass near by. Suggestions for the Dramatization It is always well in dramatizing a story to select one in which all the pupils in the room can take part. Those best suited for the major characters should be selected first, the farmer should be next considered, and all the pupils not otherwise provided for can be included in the number who represent the goats. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 61-. Reserve a small portion of the room for the farm. The barn in which the goats are housed can be behind the teacher's desk. The farmer comes up to the little boy in a blustering manner and demands that the goats be taken immediately to the pasture. As much as three-fourths of the room should be devoted to the pasture and to the turnip field. A row of desks or a row of chairs can represent the fence which divides the two, and the space between two desks or between two chairs, as the case may be, may be used for the gate through which the goats refuse to pass. The children who take the parts of the boy, the rabbit, the fox, and the wolf should make believe that they are crying aloud. When the bee comes on the scene he hides behind a bush (a chair) and buzzes for a while, which attracts the aittention of the others. One thinks the sound comes from above, another thinks it comes from the ground, but the bee soon decides the question by flying down and asking the wolf the question: "Why are you crying, Mr. WoK?" The children will natiu^ally think of their own original words of ridicule when the bee suggests the possibility of being of service. Let them use these ex- pressions; it will add originality and spice to the play. The bee goes into the turnip field without the last noise, and without being observed by the goats, creeps up behind them. Then the child who is impersonating the bee pinches the first goat very gently and with much kicking the goat runs through the gate. Each goat receives the same treatment and at last all are on the other side of the fence. Then the bee delivers his little sermon to the boy, the rabbit, the fox, and the wolf, and flies away (raises his hands to represent wings and trips lightly away). Those who remain laugh heartily at their mistake and the boy admits that . the bee is very clever. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters, Little Boy Rabbit Fox Wolf Bee Minor Characters Farmer Goats (any number desired) {The little boy is sitting on the ground' looking at a book. Goats fastened in the barn near by.) Farmer (coming near) It!s,time these:- ii2 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK goats were in the pasture. Get up, you lazy boy, and take them! And be sure and see that they don't get in my turnip field; for if they do, you'll have to suffer for it! {Boy puts book in his hhuse and quietly drives the goats from the barn towards the pasture.) Boy {feeling to see if his book is safe) When I am all alone in the field I will take it out and see all the beautiful pictures. {Runs after a goat which has strayed to one side; drives it back to the rest of the flock.) It seems to me that I am a long time getting to the pasture this morning, but we're coming in sight now. Here we are now. And here is some nice green grass for the goats {sits down under an oak tree). I will look at my book now while the goats eat. {The goats scatter about and begin to eat the grass.) Boy {engrossed in book and talking to himself) These certainly are wonder- ful pictures in this book. Here's a horse! {Turns leaf.) And here are some sheep! I do believe there is every animal I could name. {Boy looks up and discovers that the goats are in the turnip field.) Boy {throwing down book and running towards the goats) Those goats are in the turnip field. I must get them out or I'll suffer when I get home. {Boy runs round and round after the goats. Goats run wildly from side to side of the field, but pass the gate each time.) Boy {leaving the turnip field and wring- ing his hands) Oh, dear! Oh, dear! What shall I do? When I go home to-night the farmer will be so angry ! {Boy sits down under a tree and cries. A little rabbit comes quietly up to him.) Rabbit Why are you crying, little boy? Boy Oh, I am crying because my goats are in the turnip field and I can't get them out! Rabbit Why, that is a little thing to cry over. I'll get them out for you. {Rabbit goes into turnip field and chases the goats around and round, but finally gives up in despair and comes back to the little boy.) Rabbit {wiping his face with a handker- chief) I've chased your goats until I am nearly dead, but I can't get them out. I am just so tired that I'll cry, too. {Rabbit sits down by the boy and cries.) Fox {coyning close to little boy and LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 63 rabbit) Why are you crying, little rabbit? Rabbit I'm crying because the boy is crying, and the boy is crying because his goats are in the turnip field, and he can't get them out. Fox Well, well, what babies you are! I'll get them out for you. {Fox runs into turnip field, chases the goats from side to side, up and down the field, but finally gives up and comes back to the little boy and the rabbit.) Fox (panting for breath) Those are the worst goats I have ever seen. I've chased them up and down, back and forth, but they won't leave the field. I know that old farmer and I know just what he'll do when you get home. Oh, I feel so sorry, I can't help crying, too! {Fox sits down beside the little boy and the rabbit and begins to cry.) Wolf {coming close to the little boy, the rabbit and the fox.) Why, my good friends, don't cry so! You will drown everybody with your tears. {Turns to fox.) Indeed, Mr. Fox, this is very silly! Why are you crying? Fox {raising his head and wiping eyes) Oh, I'm crying because the rabbit is crying, and the rabbit is crying because the little boy is crying, and the little boy is crying because his goats are in the turnip field and he can't get them out. Wolf {laughing heartily) What a little thing to cry about! In two minutes I'll have every goat out of that turnip field. Watch me! {Wolf runs into the turnip field and chases goats. The little boy, the rabbit, and the fox all stop crying and watch the wolf, who soon stumps his toe on a rock and gives up the chase. He returns and takes his place beside the fox. All begin to cry.) Bee {hiding in bush) Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Boy {looking up) What is that noise? It sounds as if it were over our heads. Rabbit {looking on ground) It sounds as if it were on the ground. {All look eagerly around.) Bee {flying down in front of wolf) Why are you crying, Mr. Wolf? Wolf I'm crying because the fox is crying, and the fox is crying because the rabbit is crying, and the rabbit is crying because the little boy is crying, and the little boy is crying because his goats are in the turnip field and he can't get them out. Bee Let me try to get them out for you. Boy {looking first at the rabbit, then at the fox, then at the wolf and then at the o Pi LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 65 hee) Why, we've all tried and we can't get them out, and now you mean to say you can do it? {All laugh heartily at the bee.) Bee I know I am little, but I can try. Boy Well, trying can't do any harm. Go on and try. {Bee flies over the fence and stings each goat in turn. Goats run wildly towards the gate and out of the turnip field into the pasture where they begin to eat grass. Bee follows them and takes his place in front of the little boy.) Boy Oh, I can never thank you enough! Rabbit I never saw anything done so well. Fox No, or so quickly, either. Wolf I'm sorry I laughed, but you looked so little. Bee Now here is something for you to remember. Sometimes little people can do more than large ones. Remem- ber, too, that all the crying in the world will not make goats come out of a turnip field. {Bees flies away and little boy, rabbit, fox, and wolf laugh heartily.) Boy That was a clever little bee. SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) This story can be very easily and simply told on the sand-table. There are two scenes which lend themselves readily to demonstration. The first centers about the barnyard. It will be necessary to construct a small bam from paper; also a pig-pen, a well, and a pigeon-house near the bam. There should be a pig in the pen and horses and cows should be walking about the yard. Trees, which are represented by sprigs of evergi-een shrubs, should be scattered around, and a woven fence made of the five-inch sticks which the children use in their number work can enclose this. A road should lead from this barn- yard to the pasture beyond. This can be marked off by white sand. In this road we find the small boy with his three goats on his way to the pasture. The goats and the boy should all be cut from paper. The next scene centers around the tumip field. This field is situated in the extreme left-hand comer of the table. It should be studded with tiny evergreen sprigs to represent turnips and should be enclosed by a fence made of five-inch sticks, driven into the sand in an upright position; across the top 66 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK of these sticks are laid others in a hori- zontal position. An opening should be left for the gate. Outside this fence is the pasture. We find the boy sitting under a tree (an evergreen spray) crying. Beside the boy sits a rabbit, a fox and a wolf. All of these should be cut from paper so as to represent their part in the story. Just outside the gate which leads into the turnip field we find two goats with their heads held as if they had been suffering and inside the gate we see the third goat with the bee on his ear. This goat is making his way to the gate in the hope of escaping from the bee's sting. THE LITTLE RED HEN THE STORY There was once a little red hen. She was not like other hens. Oh, no! she was a little different. In the first place, she was a little red hen, and in the second place, she lived in a little house in the woods — a dear little, queer little house. It had a little porch on which the red hen sat on summer afternoons, and a little room in which the little red hen cooked her dinner, for she was not a common red hen — oh, no! She would never think of eating com and meal thrown upon the ground. She knew how to cook and she lived on the daintiest fare, cooked by her own hands, and that was why the fox who lived over the hill with his mother wanted to get the little red hen for his dinner. He had watched her for many days and every time he saw her she looked plumper and sweeter than before. But the little red hen never went far from her own door because she^ knew the fox was always hungry. So the fox selected a spot not far from the little red hen's house where he could see her whenever she came outside her door, and when she came out and sat on her porch he would peep around the tree behind which he was hiding and say: "Oh, she's getting nice and fat! When I catch her out, I'll have a meal, yes, I'll have a meal!" Then he would smack his lips and jump behind the tree so the little red hen could not see him. One day she went out to get some wood to make a fire. She forgot to lock the door and the fox was watching behind the tree. When he saw her come out he said: "There comes that little red hen. I never saw her look better in my life." Then he smacked his lips and thought how good she would taste. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw that she had forgotten to lock her door, for the little red hen was always so careful. So he kept very still until she turned with her back towards the house. Then he crept in just as quietly and hid under the bed. > The little red hen was so busy himi-{ ming a tune as she picked up her sticks' that she did not hear the fox moving behind her, and when she had her apron full, she came in and locked the door. I— I H O PL, 2 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 69 She opened her stove and built her fire, and just as she struck a match to light it, out jumped the fox. The little red hen was so frightened that all she could say was, "Oh, me! Oh, me!" Then she flew up on a beam. The fox was very much disappointed, but he sat beneath the beam and said very low to himself: "I can't let that little red hen go. She is so plump and sweet. I must have her. I will run round and roimd in a ring and perhaps she will get dizzy and fall off." So he ran round and round and round and the little red hen began to sway from side to side, and at last — down she came — right at the feet of the fox. The fox grabbed her and said: "Now, my little red hen, you are mine at last and I will have what I have long wanted — a fine, fat hen for my dinner." So he put her into a bag and opened the door and ran off as fast as he could. But the little red hen was heavy and the day was very warm. The fox soon grew very tired and he still had one more hill to climb. It seemed more than he could do, so he said: "I cannot climb that high hill with this heavy load, so I will rest awhile in the shade of this large tree." He put the bag on the ground and lay down to rest, but before he knew it, he was asleep and dreaming of the steaming dish the little red hen would make. The little red hen lay very quietly in the bag until she heard the fox breathing very hard; then she said: "He must be asleep. I will try and peck a hole in this bag." So she pecked and pecked, but a hole wouldn't come. Then she said: "What shall I do? I can't stay here and be eaten by the fox. I must get out. I do wish I had a knife to cut this bag." Then she felt in her pocket and said: "Why, here are my little scissors. I left them in my pocket when I was sewing on the porch. I will cut a small hole and crawl out." Then she took the scissors from her pocket and cut a hole large enough to get her body through, and crept out very quietly. She looked carefully at the fox and found that he was fast asleep; then she laughed heartily to her- self, as she thought how angry he would be when he found that she was gone. Now this little red hen was very wise indeed, and she said to herself: "What if the fox should wake up soon and overtake me! That would never do. I must get a large stone and put it in the bag and sew up the hole. Then he will never know that I have run away." So she found a stone and, hastily putting it in the bag, sewed up the hole with a needle and thread she had left "5C^ o I— I H H O Oh Ph LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 71 in the cushion which she always carried on her apron. Then she ran home as fast as her feet could carry her. By and by the fox woke up and rubbed his eyes, for he was still very sleepy. "Have I been asleep?" he said. "I didn't mean to sleep, I only thought I'd rest awhile. Why, I'll be late to dinner!" So he put his bag on his shoulder and started off. Now the stone was much heavier than the little red hen, and he hadn't gone far before it began to hurt his back. "How heavy this little red hen is!" he said to himself. ' ' She is fine and fat and I shall have a good dinner." As he came near his home he saw his mother standing at the door looking for him. She was shading her eyes with her hand, for the sun was very bright. "What have you in your bag, my son?" she said. "It's the little red hen, mother," said the fox, "and she's very plump and sweet. She is so heavy, I could hardly get over the hill with her. Have you the kettle on? I've had a hard time getting her and I want to cook her right away." "Yes, my son," said the mother; "the kettle is on." "Lift the lid and I will put her in," said the fox. So the mother lifted the lid and the fox held the bag over the kettle. At first the rock would not drop and he thought the little red hen was clinging to the bag with her feet, so he shook it very hard. Splash went the heavy stone into the hot water, and burned them both so badly that they cried out with the pain. After that, they were afraid to have anything to do with the little red hen, so she lived happily in her little house forever after. Suggestions for the Dramatization This is one of the few good stories for dramatization which requires only a few characters. The space in front of the teacher's desk can be selected for the porch in front of the little red hen's house, while the interior of the house will be behind the desk. The little red hen passes through an imaginary door when she enters the house. The tree behind which the fox hides should be at the other side of the room. A chair can be selected for the tree. The fox is a very sly fellow, so it is well to select a child to play his part who possesses this characteristic in some degree, while a very small child should represent the little red hen. 72 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Two chairs can be placed behind the desk to represent the bed and another chair can serve as a stove. When the fox jumps at the little red hen she jumps first on the bed, then on the beam, which is represented by the desk . The fox runs round and round and the little red hen sways from side to side and at last falls (jumps) from the beam to the floor. The fox grabs her and places her in a long coat which he brought with him, rolled under his arm as a bag, when he entered the room. This coat serves as a bag. He holds the top of the coat as he would the top of a bag and lets the lower part completely cover the little red hen, who walks close behind him under the coat. The fox walks all around the room, in and out among the desks, and then decides that he must rest, so he puts the little red hen down on the ground and falls asleep. The child who represents the little red hen sits on the floor completely covered by the coat. She listens and decides that the fox is asleep; then she tries to peck a hole in the bag, but gives up in despair. At last she finds her scissors and cuts the bag. (She works the scissors backwards and for- wards, as if she is cutting, and opens a fold of the coat — first a little way and then farther, until the opening is large enough for her to get out.) After she gets out, she finds a large stone, which she puts in the bag. Then she sews up the bag. She places the stone in the coat in such a way that the fox can easily gather it up as he would a bag. When the fox wakes up, he takes up his bag and walks on towards his home, which is situated at the other end of the room. There we find his mother shading her eyes with her hand and watching for her son. A wooden meas- ure can represent the kettle and any convenient article can serve as a lid. It is necessary to imagine the water and the splash caused by the falling rock. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Fox Little Red Hen Minor Characters Mother Fox Fox {sitting down behind a tree) This is a good place for me to sit, for I can see the little red hen every time she leaves the house. {Shades his eyes with his hands and looks steadily towards the house.) Why, there she is now! {Ldttle Red Hen comes out and sits on the porch to sew.) Ah! she is getting nice and fat. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 73 ring and perhaps she will get dizzy and fall off. (Fox runs round and round. The Little Red Hen sways from side to side and at last falls down at the feet of the Fox.) Fox {grabbing Little Red Hen and put- ting her in the bag) Now, my Little Red Hen, you are mine at last, and I will have what I have long wanted — a fine fat hen for my dinner. (Fox throws the bag over his shoulder and opens the door arid goes down the road. He walks rapidly at first, but soon grows tired and walks more slowly and finally stops at the foot of the hill.) Fox I cannot climb that hill with this heavy load, so I will rest awhile in the shade of this tree. (Fox puts the bag on the ground and lies down under the tree. After awhile he falls asleep.) Little Red Hen I wonder if he can be asleep now. Yes, I think he is, for he is breathing very hard. I will try to peck a hole in this bag (pecks at bag and after repeated attempts gives up in despair.) I can't peck a hole in it. It is too tough. What shall I do? I can't When I catch her out I'll have a nice meal. (Smacks his lips.) Yes, I'll have a nice meal. Little Red Hen (rising from her seat) I must go out and get some chips to build a fire. The heat makes me feel quite weak. I think I shall have some tea for supper. (Puts thimble and scis- sors in her pocket and needle and thread in the cushion which is pinned to her skirt, and goes to the chip pile, humming a tune) . (Fox peeps from behind the tree when the little Red Hen's back is turned. Then he creeps out very quietly, runs into the house and crawls under the bed. The Little Red Hen fills her apron with chips, returns to the house and makes the fire. Just as she is ready to light it, out jumps the Fox.) Fox I've wanted you for a long time and now I've got you. (Grabs at Little Red Hen.) Little Red Hen (dodging the Fox) Oh, me! Oh, me! (Little Red Hen flies up on a beam. The Fox sits down below and looks up wistfully.) Fox (to himself) I can't let that Little Red Hen go. She is so plump and sweet. I must have her. (Smacks his lips.) I will run round and round in a o H H O PLI I LANGUAGI] AND OCCUPATION WORK 75 stay here and be eaten by the Fox. I must get out. I do wish I had a knife to cut this bag. (Feels in her pocket and finds scissors.) Why, here are my little scissors. I left them in my pocket when I was sewing on the porch. I will cut a small hole and crawl out. (Takes scissors from her pocket and cuts a small hole in the bag and crawls out. Then she goes up to the Fox and looks at him closely.) Yes, he is fast asleep. (Laughs heartily.) How angry he will be when he wakes up and finds that I am gone. (Looks frightened.) What if he should wake up soon and overtake me! That would never do! I must get a large stone and put it in the bag and sew up the hole. Then he will never know. (Finds a stone behind the tree, puts it in the bag, and taking a needle and thread from the cushion at her side, sews up the hole.) Now he will never know. (Runs on towards home.) Fox (waking up and rubbing his eyes) Have I been asleep? I didn't mean to sleep. I only thought I'd rest awhile. (Jumps up.) Why, I'll be late to dinner. (Picks up bag, flings it over his shoulder and starts off, walks rapidly at first, and then more slowly.) How heavy this Little Red Hen is! She is fine and fat and I know I shall have a good dinner. (Walks on slowly. Changes the bag from shoulder to shoulder to relieve strain. Looks eagerly forward.) Why, there is mother waiting at the door! Mother Fox (shading her eyes with her hand) What have you in your bag, my son? Fox It's that Little Red Hen, mother, and she is very plump and sweet. She was so heavy I could hardly get over the hill with her. Have you the kettle on? I've had a hard time getting her and I want to cook her right away. Mother Yes, my son, the kettle is on. Fox Lift the lid and I will put her in. (Mother Fox lifts the lid. Fox unties the bag and holding it over the kettle, shakes vigorously.) Fox She doesn't want to come out. (Shakes harder and stone falls from the bag into the water. It throws the water over the floor and scalds the Mother Fox and the Fox.) Mother Fox (rubbing hands together) Oh, my hands! Oh, my hands! Fox (rubbing his face) I'm scalded! I'm scalded! Mother Fox That was a mean trick. Fox I'll never trouble that Little Red Hen again, she always gets ahead of me. 76 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) In demonstrating a story on the sand-table, the children should be al- lowed to select their own scene, but a skillful teacher can lead them to select the best scene for their demonstration, and when possible several scenes should be worked in to make the complete story. When this story is placed on the sand- table, the left-hand side should be given to the little red hen's house. This should be a delightful little structure, with a porch running across the front and down either side. The house can be built of clay bricks. The bricks should be used while very moist, so they can be readily pressed into shape. A rectangular structure 8" long, 6} 2" wide, 6" high, can be built. On top of this should be placed a roof of green paper to represent a shingled covering. Across the front of the house should be laid two rows of dry brick and meeting these and running down either side of the house should be one row of dry brick. These will serve as a floor to the porch. The roof of the porch can be made of a flat piece of stiff cardboard cut in the shape given and covered with green paper. The porch roof is supported by white columns made of pieces of white drawing apper, 514" long, and rolled so as to represent columns. These are stuck into a base of moist clay and set upright on the porch floor. In the front of this house, doors and windows should be cut. A fence can be made of 5" sticks in the sand. Across the top of these should be laid similar sticks to represent a railing. The little red hen is seen in the yard by a pile of pegs. She is supposed to be picking up chips for her fire. The little red hen should be cut from white paper and colored a reddish brown. From the door of the house to the gate runs a white path made by sprinkling white sand over the surface of the table. On either side of the path the yard is well sprinkled with green waxola to represent grass. The fox is seen behind a tree which is just outside of the fence. He seems to be watching every movement of the little red hen. To the right of the house the sand should be sloped to represent a hill and on this hill is a grove of trees. This marks the second stage of our story, for under one tree we see the sack in which the little red hen has placed a large stone. The sack can be made LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 77 of any kind of material and sewed in straight seams. Under another tree we see the fox just waking up from his nap. He is cut from paper and mounted on a standard, so he will stand alone. The hill slopes to the right hand side of the table where we see the modest little house of the fox. At the door is old Mother Fox looking for her son. The house can be constructed from paper and the mother fox can be cut from paper and mounted. From the little red hen's house, on over the hill and out past the fox's house, runs a road made of white sand, and the green waxola, which is lightly sprinkled over the hill and the ground near the fox's house, shows us that nature has done her work here also. o ►—I I SWEET RICE PORRIDGE THE STORY There was once a little girl. She was a beautiful child, with long golden curls and large brown eyes, but she was very, very poor. She was so poor that she did not have enough to eat and she had no little bed in which to sleep at night. She had to sleep on a pile of straw which was thrown in one corner of the room. Now things went very well in the little house under the hill, where the little girl lived, until one day the mother was taken sick and then, of course, she could not work any more. There was nothing in the cupboard to eat, except one slice of stale bread, and there was no tea in the the cannister. But the little girl did not fret and cry — oh, no ^because she knew if she did it would worry her mother and she would get worse. When her mother would cry because they were so poor, she would say: "Never mind, mother dear. Some day I shall be a rich lady and you shall have all you want. ' ' Then she thought of the. slice of bread in the cupboard and she brought it out and soaked it in water and gave it to her mother. "Now, mother dear, eat this," she said, "and you will get stronger." So the mother ate it and told her that she was a good little girl and a great comfort to her mother. Then she sat down by her mother and sang to her, and when she had finished singing, a happy thought came to her, and she said: "Mother, I can work if I am small. The fields are full of nice ripe berries. I will go out and pick some and sell them to the man who keeps the store at the comer and with the money I can buy fresh bread and milk for you and we need not be hungry any more." Then the mother patted her on the head, and said: "You are a dear little comfort, but, my child, be very care- ful when you go out in the field, for there are often snakes among the bushes." So the little girl picked up an empty pail and went out into the woods- There she found plenty of ripe berries.! She picked and picked until her bucket was almost full. How good they looked!' They were so nice and ripe and juicy, but as hungry as she was she did not 79 80 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK taste a single one. "For," she said, "if I eat them I shall not have enough to sell to the old man at the corner." Now there lived in the woods back of the field an old fairy mother. She was a good friend of little children. It was her work to look after all little children who were poor and needed things and it was also her work to see that they got just what they needed. But she never tried to find little chil- dren who were selfish, and she always helped them so that it seemed they were helping themselves, for she always gave them a task to perform before they could have what they needed. Now when this old fairy mother saw the little thin face and the wistful look in the large brown eyes, she knew that she had found a child who needed help. So she watched her closely and saw that she did not jump about and laugh and sing as other children did when they came to the woods. She saw, too, that this child did not eat the smallest berry. As fast as she picked them she dropped them into her small bucket. So when she had seen all this she walked up to the little girl and said: "My child, what are you doing?" And the child answered: " I am picking some berries to sell to the old man who keeps store on the comer." "But," said the old woman, "didn't you know that this was my field and that these were my berries?" "No, I did not," said the child sadly, "but here are all the berries. You may have them all. Believe me, I did not intend to take what belonged to some one else." Then the old woman knew she was both honest and unselfish. So she drew from under her cloak a little earthen pot and said: "My child, I will take the berries, but I will give you some- thing far better in their place. Here is a little earthen pot; you may have itfor your own." Tears came in the little girl's eyes, for she knew she could neither eat nor sell the earthen pot, and she did so want to have something to take back to her poor sick mother. Now when the old woman saw the tears in the big, brown eyes, she said: "If I could give you whatever you wanted to eat right now, what would you choose?" Then the child brushed away her tears and said: "Sweet rice porridge. I would rather have some sweet rice porridge than anything else in the world!" "Well, then, go home and this little pot will cook sweet rice porridge for you," said the old woman. "But," said the child, "mother hasn't had any rice or any sugar for days." LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 81 "All you have to say," said the old woman, as she disappeared into the woods, "is, 'Cook little pot,' and it will begin to cook the sweet rice porridge, and when you have had enough, say, 'Little pot, stop,' and it will stop." "Thank you, dear old woman," cried the little maid. Then she ran home as fast as she could and rushed into the room crying: "See, mother, what a good old woman gave me! It is a wonderful little pot. All we need to say is, 'Little pot, cook,' and it will cook sweet rice porridge for us. When we have all we want we must say, 'Little pot, stop,' and it will stop cooking. Now, mother, we will have some right away. I will put the little pot on the hearth stone and see what it will do." Then she set the pot on the hearth- stone and the mother called out, " Little pot, cook," and, although her voice was very weak, the little pot heard and began to cook. Then just as the sweet rice porridge, reached the top the mother called out, "Little pot, stop," and that wonderful little pot stopped. Then the little girl ran to the cup- board and brought out saucers and spoons and she and her mother ate until they had eaten all the porridge. Now all the mother needed was some- thing good to eat, for she felt quite well and strong after she had eaten the sweet rice porridge, and she was able to go back to work again the next day. When the morning came she and her little daughter had rice porridge for breakfast, and the mother put the pot up on a high shelf and said: "Now, my child, be a good little girl. Take care of the house and do not touch the little pot while I am gone. When I come home you shall have some more of the porridge you like so much." The little girl kissed her mother and said: "I will be a good little girl and mind everything you have told me, mother dear." After the mother had gone the little girl swept the floor, washed the dishes, and put fresh flowers on the table. Then she sat down to sew. But by and by she began to get very hungry and she said to herself: "Dear me! I am so very hungry. How good some of that rice porridge would taste. I am sure I wouldn't break the little pot. I would be so very careful. Mother told me not to touch it, because she thought I would break it, but I am sure I would not. If mother knew how hungry I was she would be glad for me to have some sweet rice porridge. Yes, I am sure she would say: 'Yes, little daughter, eat all you wish.' I am going to get it down any way." So she stood upon a chair and reached LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 83 up on the high shelf where her mother had put the little pot. She took it down and set it on the hearthstone; then she said : " Little pot, cook. ' ' The little pot heard and began to cook. Then the little girl took a plate and spoon and sat down to eat. Oh, how good it tasted! She ate and she ate until she was quite satisfied. Then she remembered the little pot, which was still cooking away on the hearthstone, and when she turned to look she found that the rice porridge was all running over. She called loudly: "That's enough! Here! Halt! I have enough!" But the little pot kept on cooking and the rice porridge ran over the sides and all over the hearthstone. The poor child was frightened. She called out as loudly as she could: " That's enough, little pot! Please, please don't cook any more!" But still it cooked on. She had forgotten the right ^ords to say and the pot would not stop. The rice porridge poured out all over the room. The chairs and tables swam about in it. The little girl climbed upon a chair and wept bitterly, but it did no good. Still the little pot cooked on. Then she decided she had better run to the big house on the hill, where her mother was at work, and tell her about the little pot. She opened the door and ran out, but the rice porridge came running out after her. How the little boys and girls on the street laughed when they saw the great river of rice porridge! They came run- ning with spoons and began to eat it. But the little girl did not stop. She ran on up the hill and as soon as she saw her mother, she called out: "Oh, mother! I took down the little pot. I was so hungry and I didn't think you would mind! I told it to cook, but when I wanted it to stop, I forgot what to say. It won't stop cooking and the whole street is full of rice porridge." Then the mother called softly, "Little pot, stop." The little pot heard her and stopped, but the whole valley be- low was full of rice porridge. It came up to the very windows of the houses. When the milkmen came driving into town they couldn't tell what had hap- pened. They called out: "What is this, anyway? ' ' And the people shouted from their doors: "It's rice porridge. Get some shovels and dig us a path." So the people came out with bowls, which they filled, and the milkmen dug wide paths through the valley. And the little girl who had caused all this trouble felt very, very sorry and very much ashamed, and she told her mother she would never be disobedient again. And I don't think she ever will. 84 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Suggestions for the Dramatization All the children in the room can have a part in the dramatization of Sweet Rice Porridge, as any number desired can be included in the children who en- joy the porridge as it runs from the door of the house. Those not used in this way can be assigned parts as people of the village, who stand at their doors and notify the milkmen of the necessity of digging their way in. When the play begins the mother is seen lying on the bed (two chairs) and the little child is sitting beside her. A child who does not mind singing by herself should be selected for the little girl, as she makes the story more natural by singing as she sits by her mother. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Chakacters Mother Little Girl Old Woman Minor Characters Children (any number above 5 desired) Milkmen's Horses (4) Milkmen (2) People of Village (any number desired) (Mother is lying on the bed, Little Girl is sitting near.) Mother My child, we are very, very poor and I am so weak that I cannot work. I do not know what will become of us. (Puts her hands over her face and cries.) Little Girl (running over and comfort- ing her mother) Never mind, mother dear! Some day I shall be a rich lady and you shall have all you want. Now don't cry, mother. There is still some bread in the cupboard. I will get it and bring it to you. (Little girl goes to the cupboard and gets the piece of bread. She soaks it in water and brings it to her mother.) Little Girl Now, mother dear, eat this and you will get stronger. Mother (sitting up in bed to eat bread) . You are a good child and I don't know what I should do without you. (Mother eats the bread, then gives the plate to the child. The Little Girl sings a song as she sits by her mother's bed.) Little Girl (leaning eagerly towards her mother) Mother, I can work if I am small. The fields are full of nice ripe berries. I will go out and pick some and sell them to the man who keeps the store at the corner, and with the money I can buy fresh bread and milk for you and we need not be hungry any more. Mother (patting child on the head) You are a dear little comfort, but, my child, be very careful when you go out in LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 85 the field, for there are often snakes among the bushes. Little Girl Yes, mother, I will be very careful. {lAttle Girl finds an empty pail and waves a good-by to her mother. She walks some distance until she reaches the field where the berries grow.) Little Girl (stopping in the middle of the berry -patch) Oh, what beautiful berries! They are so nice and ripe! How I should like to eat and eat until I just couldn't eat any more! (She begins to pick the berries and puts them into her pail.) But I cannot eat them, for if I do I shall not have enough to sell to the old man at the corner. (Ldttle Girl continues to pick the berries until her pail is half full. Then the old fairy mother creeps up noiselessly and watches her from behind a tree.) Old Woman (to herself) Poor little thing! See how thin her face is and how large and wistful her brown eyes look. She does not get enough to eat, I am sure. I will watch her and see if she deserves help. {Old Woman watches the child closely and nods her head approvingly. When quite satisfied she conies oui from behind the tree.) Old Woman (coming near the little girl) My child, what are you doing? Little Girl (looking up in a startled manner) I am picking some berries to sell to the old man who keeps the store on the corner. Old Woman But didn't you know that this was my field and that these were my berries? Little Girl (sadly) No, I did not. (Hands her pail to the Old Woman.) But here are all the berries. You may have them all. Believe me, I did not intend to take what belonged to some one else. Old Woman (drawing out the little earthen pot from her cloak and handing it to the Little Girl) My child, I will take the berries, but I will give you something far better in their place. Here is a little earthen pot. You may have it for your own. Little Girl (looking first at her berries and then at the pot, while tears of dis- appointment come in her eyes) But we have so many empty pots and pans at home, and I did so want to sell the berries, so I could buy some bread for mother! Old Woman If I could give you what- ever you wanted to eat right now, what would you choose? Little Girl (brushing away her tears) Sweet rice porridge; I would rather have o I— I H O w pL, < LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 87 some sweet rice porridge than anything else in the world. Old Woman Well, then, go home, and this little pot I have given you will cook sweet rice porridge for you. Little Girl (looking doubtful) But mother hasn't any rice and we have been out of sugar for days. Old Woman All you have to say is, "Cook, little pot," and it will begin to cook the sweet rice porridge, and when you have had enough, say, "Little pot, stop," and it will stop. (Old Woman disappears into the woods.) Little Girl {calls out loudly to Old Woman) Thank you, dear Old Woman ! {Little Girl runs home holding the earthen pot very close. When she reaches the house she throws open the door and rushes in to her mother.) Little Girl See, mother, what a good old woman gave me ! It is a wonderful little pot. All we need to say is, " Cook, little pot," and it will cook sweet rice porridge for us. When we have all we want, we must say, "Little pot, stop," and it will stop cooking. Now, mother, we will have some porridge right away. I will put the little pot on the hearth stone and see what it will do. {Little Girl sets the pot on the hearthstone and the mother sits up in bed to watch the result.) Mother Cook, little pot! {Pot cooks sweet rice porridge. The mother looks surprised and the little girl claps her hands and dances around with delight.) Mother Little pot, stop! {Little girl runs to cupboard and gets out saucers and spoons, fills the saucers with sweet rice porridge, gives one to her mother and takes the other and sits on a chair and eats it.) Little Girl {smacking her lips) My, but isn't this good! It's the best rice porridge I ever tasted. I'm certainly glad I met that old woman. Mother I am glad too, daughter, for I really believe I shall be able to work to-morrow. I feel so much stronger now, and after a good night's rest, I shall be quite well. {Little Girl takes saucers and puts them on the table; also takes pot from the hearthstone and puts it on the table.) Mother Suppose we go to bed now so we can have a good night's rest. You may fasten the doors and windows and come to bed. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK (Mother lies back on her pillow and goes to sleep. Little Girl fastens the doors and windows and then undresses and lies down beside her mother. They sleep until morning.) Little Girl {yawning and stretching) Oh, dear me! It is morning already. I must get up before mother wakes. Mother I am awake ab-eady, daugh- ter, and I feel so well that I think I will go up to the big white house on the hill and finish the work I started the day I was taken sick. We will get up and have some sweet rice porridge for our breakfast. {Mother and child get up and dress.) Mother {placing pot on the hearthstone) Cook, little pot! Get the spoons and saucers, my child, for the little pot has begun to cook. {Little girl brings spoons and saucers and they eat their breakfast.) Little Girl It is just as good as it was last night, mother. Mother Yes, and we can always have it just as good, for unless we break the little pot it will always cook sweet rice porridge for us. But I think we have enough now. Little pot, stop! {Mother places her saucer on the table, takes the pot and puis U on a high shelf in the cupboard.) Mother {tying on her bonnet) Now I must go. Be a good little girl. Take care of the house and do not touch the little pot while I am gone. When I come home you shall have some more of the porridge you like so much. Little Girl {kissing her mother) I will be a good little girl and mind everything you have told me, mother dear. Good-by. Mother Good-by. {Mother goes out to the house on the hill, Little Girl sweeps the floor, washes the dishes and puts fresh flowers on the table, singing all the time. Then she sits down to sew.) Little Girl {talking to herself) Dear me, I am so hungry! How good some of that rice porridge would taste! lam sure I wouldn't break the little pot. I would be so careful. {Goes to the cup- board door, opens it, and looks at pot.) Mother told me not to touch it because she thought I would break it, but I am sure I would not. If mother knew how hungry I was she would be glad for me to have some sweet rice porridge. Yes, I am sure she would say: "Yes, little daughter, eat all you want." {Gets LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 89 chair and stands on it.) I am going to get it down anyway. (Liittle Girl takes the little pot and sets it carefully on the hearthstone. Then gets her saucer and spoon and stands ready to eai.) Little Girl Cook, little pot! {The little pot begins to cook and the child fills her saucer and, turning her back on the pot, eats her porridge greedily.) Little Girl Oh, how good this tastes! It gets better every time. {Ldttle Girl turns and finds that pot is overflowing.) Ldttle Girl (excitedly) That's enough! Here! Halt! I have had enough! {But the little pot keeps on cooking. The child wrings her hands and cries.) Little Girl {climbing on chair to avoid porridge) That's enough, little pot! Please, please don't cook any more! {Pot continues to cook and child weeps bitterly.) Little Girl {drying her eyes and looking around) I cannot stay here, for this porridge will soon be over my head. I will go and find mother. I have for- gotten what I must say when I want the little pot to stop. I will run up on the hill and perhaps she can tell me. (Little Girl wades through porridge, opens the door and runs up on the hill to her mother. The children who are playing in the street come rushing to the door with spoons.) Child No. I Look at that porridge running out of that house! Child No. II (peeping in the door) Why, the house is full! Child No. Ill (tasting the porridge) Whew! but it is the best porridge! (All the children begin to eat greedily.) Child No. IV I never tasted any- thing half so good. Child No. V I wonder where it came from. Little Girl (calling to mother) Oh, mother, I took down the little pot, I was so hungry, and I didn't think you would mind! I told it to cook, but when I wanted it to stop I forgot what to say. It won't stop cooking and the whole street is full of rice porridge. Mother Little pot, stop! (Their attention is attracted to some milkmen who come driving into town. They stop in surprise when they see the streets filled with porridge.) 90 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Milkmen What is this, anyway? People {standing at their doors) It's sweet rice porridge. Get some shovels and make us some paths. {Milkmen begin to shovel paths. People come out with bowls and spoons and take up a supply of rice porridge.) Little Girl {clinging to her mother) Oh, mother, see all the trouble I have made! I'll never be disobedient again. SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) The principal scenes in "Sweet Rice Porridge" take place in the interior, and for this reason they are difficult to demonstrate on the sand-table. There are two scenes, however, which can be combined with the general plan of the village in which the story takes place so as to make a very pleasing demonstration. This is the scene in the berry patch where the old fairy mother gives the little girl the wonderful pot in exchange for the berries, and the scene where the milkman comes in town and is aston- ished to find the streets covered with sweet rice porridge. On the right-hand side of the table should be placed the modest little home of the little girl. It can be very simply constructed of light construction paper. Around it should be built a four-rail woven fence. The 5" sticks which the children use in their number work can be used for this. An opening should be left for a gate, and a path, made by sprinkling white sand, can run from the door to the gate. In the yard we see a sparse growth of gi'ass (green waxola). We also see some trees which are represented by sprigs of boxwood. To the left of the house is the berry patch where the little girl met with such good fortune. This field is thickly studded with berr>^ bushes (small box- wood sprigs.) Here we find the little girl and the old fairy mother. Both of these can be cut from stiff construction paper. The sand on the table should be sloped from the left down so as to form a hill on the left-hand side of the table. On this hill we find a large house, very beautiful both as to structure and surroundings, for this is the "big house on the hill" where the mother went to work on that unfortunate day when the little pot refused to stop. This house should be built of clay bricks. It should have a tower at either end five inches in diameter. The diameters of these towers should gradually decrease as they ascend until LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 91 they reach a diameter of two and a half inches at a height of eight inches. These towers are connected by a rectangular portion 8" long, 8" high and 2K" wide. Doors and windows should be cut in this structure as desired while the clay is soft. On top of the rectangular portion is placed an ornamental finish made of gray cardboard and on top of the towers are placed cone-shaped roofs made of gray construction paper to represent slate. A cardboard floor is laid for the porch floor, 8x6", and on the four corners of this are set square blocks of moist clay in which rolled paper pillars 6" high are placed. On top of these pillars is laid a piece of cardboard 8x6" covered with gray paper. This serves as a roof for the porch. We see a large lawn sloping down from this house. On this is a luxuriant growth of grass (green waxola), and we also see some large trees scattered around. (Evergreen sprigs are used for trees.) In the yard on either side of the white sand walk which leads from the door to the gate are two jardinieres, cut from paper and pushed down in the sand, so they will hold some boxwood sprigs. This lawn is enclosed by a fence made of clay pillars, IJ^" high and 1" square on top. On these pillars are laid 4" sticks to represent railings. A road of white sand runs from the modest little home on the left hand side of the sand-table, out past "the big house on the hill," and in this road, which is covered with sweet rice porridge (a thick mixture of flour, water and salt), we find a surprised milkman, with his milk cart, which is filled with milk cans. The cart, horse, milk cans and man are all constructed from construction paper by the aid of patterns. PAPER CUTTING A LITTLE CAT TROTTED UP CLOSE BESIDE HIM BILLY BOB-TAIL THE STORY There was once a dear little, queer little boy named Billy Bob-Tail. He had no father nor mother and sometimes Billy thought he had no friends, for he was often hungry and cold. But he was a very happy little boy even though he had so many things to make him unhappy. One day Billy Bob-Tail was sitting on the curbstone thinking about all his troubles. When he got up he had come to a conclusion, for he put his hands in his pockets and said to himself: "I am a poor boy. I have no home and no friends. I will go out into the world and seek my for- tune." So he started out to seek his fortune. He wasn't quite sure what this fortune would be, but he felt certain he would find something if he only went far enough. He didn't quite know which road he would take, but something seemed to lead him out towards the river where the beautiful houses and lawns were. Now, as Billy walked on whistling a merry tune, for he had to whistle to keep up his courage, a little yellow cat trotted up close beside him. Billy didn't notice the cat at first, but Pussy was determined to be noticed, and so decided to speak for himself. "Mew! mew!" said the cat. "Where are you going, Billy Bob-tail?" "Why," said Billy Bob-tail," I am going out to seek my fortune." Then that cat stood up on her hind legs and walked just like Billy and said : "May I go too?" "No," said Billy. "Who wants to be followed by a cat?" "Oh, please," said the cat. "You see I have no home. I had a good home, but the people have moved away and I am left alone." Then Billy Bob-Tail felt so sorry, for he was without a home, too, and he reached down and stroked the soft fur, saying: "Well, come on then, poor little pussy," and they trudged down the street together, Billy and the cat. They hadn't walked far before Billy heard some one saying: "Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail?" and, turn- ing, he saw an old white dog. He might have been a pretty dog at one time, but 93 o < LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 95 now his hair was all dirty and knotted with burs. So Billy Bob-Tail didn't waste much time in saying : "I'm going out to seek my fortune." Then the dog came very close and said: "May I go with you?" Billy Bob-Tail was just a little an- noyed, so he answered, " No ; who wants to be followed by a dog, and an old white dog, at that?" Then the dog stopped and looked over the bank of the river in such a queer way that Billy grew frightened and said to himself: "Now how sorry I would feel if he should jump in and drown." So he called the dog, and told him he could go on with him and he would find some way to care for him. So Billy, the cat and the dog went on. By this time they were out in the country and were passing large farms, which were well stocked, and Billy was wondering if his fortune would not end in his turning a farmer, when he heard a queer "Moo, moo!" behind him and something said in a very low, gruff voice, "Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail?" Billy turned with a start and saw be- hind him an old cow with crooked horns. He was a polite little boy, so he said: "Why, I'm going out to seek my fortime." Then the cow came very close and rubbed her nose on Billy Bob- Tail's shoulder and said in such a coax- ing voice: "Please, Billy Bob-Tail, let me go with you!" Billy looked at the cat, then at the dog, and then at the cow, and said: "I can't take you. Why, I haven't anything for myself and here's the cat and the dog, and besides, whoever heard of anyone going out to seek his* fortune with a cow at his heels? " Then the cow came up even closer and said: "Please take me, Billy Bob- Tail; my master has sold my little calf and I am all alone on the world." "Well, then," said Billy, "come on. One more can't make much difference. So on he trudged with the cat, the dog and the cow. They made a strange sight, but they were all in an unusually good humor. Billy was whistling a merry tune. The cat and dog were trotting peacefully side by side. The cow would stop whenever she saw a good patch of grass and then she would run to catch the others. But something made Billy stop his merry whistle. It was a weak "Baa! baa!" from the ditch on the roadside. When Billy walked over he found a goat harnessed to a wagon which was stuck in the mud. Billy unharnessed the poor creature and was just turning around to go when the goat asked: " Where are you going, Billy Bob-tail? " o U < LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATIuN WORK 97 "Why," said Billy, "I'm going out to seek my fortune, but it seems I am having a hard time finding it." Then the goat stood up on his hind legs, as if he wanted to beg, and said, "May I go too?" Billy Bob-tail laughed until his sides hurt and said: "No; whoever heard of a goat going out to seek his fortune?" Then the goat looked so sad and begged, "Oh, please take me, Billy! The little boy who owns me is so cruel." "Well, come on," said Billy, tossing his head. "If I get very tired I'll ride you, but it will be a hard old ride." So the goat trotted on behind. And Billy, the cat, the dog, the cow and the goat went down the road. But they had scarcely started again when Billy heard a tiny "Wee! wee!" and a little piping voice said: "Where are you going, Billy Bob-tail?" and a tiny little pig ran right between his legs. "My!" said Billy; "how you fright- ened me! "I'm going out to seek my fortune." "May I go?" asked the pig. "Ha! ha! ha!" said Billy; "how everybody would laugh to see me seek- ing my fortune with a dirty pig like you." " Oh, please, Billy ! " said the pig. " I must go! The butcher is coming to kill me to-morrow." Poor Billy couldn't bear the thought of the butcher with his cruel knife, so he said: "I can't leave you for the butcher, little pig, so come on with me. We'll manage some way." And so on they went, Billy, the cat, the dog, the cow, the goat and the pig, until they came to a dark forest. Then Billy told them all to sit around in a circle, for he felt sure they needed rest, and then too he wanted to talk to them. "My friends," he said, when they were all seated, "do you see that deep, dark forest just ahead of us?" They all bowed their heads, which was their easiest way of saying "Yes," and Billy went on: "We must go through it. But don't be afraid. If anything tries to hurt us I can whistle and throw stones." Then the cat said, " I can mew and scratch." And the dog said: "I can bark and bite." "I can moo and hook said the cow." "I can bleat and butt," said the goat. And I can squeal and bite," said the pig. "We are all right," said Billy Bob- Tail. "Hurrah!" and he tossed up his cap three times. So they went on into the forest. But the farther they went the darker it got, and at last they could scarcely see their hands before them. Then a terrible thing happened. Billy heard a queer 98 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK rustling in the bushes and a great, big black thing, with two enormous horns, came up from a ditch and ran towards them with a deep growl. It came nearer and nearer, and Billy, the cat, the dog, the cow, the goat and the pig shook with fear. "Make all the noise you can," said Billy, "while I whistle." So Billy whistled, the cat mewed, the dog barked, the cow lowed, the goat bleated and the pig squealed. The ugly black thing stopped just where he was and then ran as fast as he could over the dead trees and out of sight. Now the cat can see quite well in the dark, so before Billy, the dog, the cow, the goat or the pig had noticed it, she spied a little white house just ahead of them. "Oh, see that little house!" said the cat. "Let us go in and spend the night." But the dog had not yet stopped trembling from his fright, so he said: "No, no, don't think of such a thing! It must be the home of that horrid ani- mal we saw awhile ago." "That is so," said Billy Bob-Tail; "but then there is a chance that it isn't his home. How can we find out?" "I can soon settle that," said the cat; "my paws are very soft. I can creep up without any noise and my eyes can see, even though it is dark. I will creep up and peep through the window." So the cat climbed up on the window- sill and she saw a beautiful little room all furnished in white. There were white curtains at the windows, a white table and white chairs and ever\i;hing was so neat and clean. The cat looked so long that Billy began to get impatient, and so he called to her: "What do you see? Is there anyone there?" "Not a soul," said the cat, as she climbed down. "And it looks as if it were made for us. Let's go in." So Billy, the cat, the dog, the cow, the goat and the pig all went in. And when Billy saw how nice and neat it was he sank down on the little white bed and said: "We will live here always; this is my fortune." Suggestions for Dramatization Before this story is dramatized the five children who represent the cat, the dog, the cow, the goat and the pig are placed at convenient intervals around the room, and the child who represents the unknown animal hides a short distance from the pig at the place where the forest is supposed to be. At the beginning of the play Billy is seen sitting in a dejected attitude on LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 99 the curbstone. He is homeless and friendless and he feels that some move must be made at once. When he comes to the decision that he will go out and seek his fortune he jumps up, and, boy like, shows his determination by putting his hands in his pockets and starting off. He meets the animals and talks with them one by one. When they approach him they walk on all fours, but when they beg to go with him they stand in an upright position, with their hands held in a drooping manner, as if begging. When they walk on as companions of Billy, however, they walk as children usually do. A chair can serve as the cart to which the goat is hitched and cord will answer the purpose of harness. After they enter the forest the un- known animal rises from its place and comes toward them. Billy, in terror, begins to whistle and the animals each make their own peculiar noise. The unknown animal stops, stands still for a few seconds and then runs away very rapidly. When Billy sees that they have been successful in frightening him away he becomes ver>' powerful in his own estimation and makes the boast that he, with the aid of the animals, could frighten an army. The cat's bright eyes discover a house in the distance. She stands upon a chair and peeps over the teacher's desk, which represents the window-sill, and views the interior. Billy leads the way in behind the desk, and sinking down on two chairs which represent a bed, declares that they will live there always and that he has, at last, found his fortune. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Billy Bob-Tail Minor Characters Cat Dog Cow Goat Pig Unknown animal (Billy Bob-Tail is sitting on the curb- stone in deep thought.) Billy Bob-Tail (jumping up suddenly and taking a resolute stand with his hands in his pockets) I am a poor boy. I have no home and no friends. I will go out into the world and seek my fortune. (Turns in an undecided way, looks first at one road and then at the other.) I wonder which road I had better take. I guess I will just say, "My mother told me," and find out. (Points first to one road and then to the- o I— I Eh o PL. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 101 other while saying these words.) My mother told me to take this one. Ha! Ha! The very one I wanted to take. This leads me out by the beautiful houses and green lawns. {Billy walks on down the road whistling. After he has gone several squares a Cat runs up close beside him.) Cat Mew! Mew! Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail? Billy Bob-Tail {turning with a start) Why, I am going out to seek my fortune. Cat {standing up on hind legs and walking up close to Billy) May I go, too? Billy Bob-Tail No, who wants to be followed by a cat? Cat Oh, please! You see I have no home. I had a good home, but the people have moved away and I am left alone. Billy Bob-Tail {reaching down and stroking the Cat) Well, come on, then, poor little pussy. {Billy and the Cat trudge on down the street. A Dog walks up close behind them.) Dog Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail? Billy Bob-Tail {turning and facing the Dog) I am going out to seek my fortune. Dog {coming close to Billy) May I go with you? Billy Bob-Tail (in disgusted tone) No; who wants to be followed by a dog and an old white dog at that? {Dog goes to bank of river and looks over as if he meditated a plunge.) Billy Bob-Tail {aside) Now how sorry I would feel if he should jump in and drown. {Aloud.) Here, Dog! Come here! {Dog comes close to Billy.) I guess you can go. I'll try to find some way to care for you. (Billy, the Cat and the Dog go down the street.) Billy Bob-Tail (meditatively, as they pass a well-kept farm) I wonder if my fortune won't end in my being a farmer. It's hard to tell. (A Cow comes up behind Billy.) Cow Moo! Moo! Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail? Billy Bob-Tail {turning and facing Cow) Why, I am going out to seek my fortune. Cow {coming close to Billy Bob-Tail and rubbing his nose on his shoulder) Please, Billy Bob-Tail, let me go with you. Billy Bob-Tail (looking first at the Cat, then at the Dog, and then at the Cow) I can't take you. Why, I haven't o 1—4 O pL, LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 103 anything for myself, and here's the Cat and Dog. Besides, whoever heard of anyone going out to seek his fortune with a cow at his heels! Cow {coming close and talking in a coaxing voice) Please take me, Billy Bob-Tail. My master has sold my little calf and I am all alone in the world. Billy Bob-Tail {turning and walking on) Well, then, come on. One more can't make much more difference. {Billy Bob-Tail, the Cat, the Dog and the Cow walk on down the street. Billy whistles a ynerry tune, the Cat and Dog run on, side by side. The Cow stops occasionally to eat grass and then runs on to catch up with the others.) Goat {pulling hard to get the wagon to which he is hitched out of the ditch) Baa! baa! {Billy Bob-Tail walks over and finds Goat. He is followed by the Cat, the Dog, and the Cow, who look inquiringly at the unfortunate Goat.) Billy Bob-Tail Poor httle Goat, you are in a bad fix, but I will soon set you free. {Stoops down and unfastens the harness.) Now you can go. {Billy Bob-Tail turns to leave the Goat.) Goat Where are you going, Billy Bob-Tail? Billy Bob-Tail {stopping and looking around) Why, I am going out to seek my fortune, but it seems I am having a hard time finding it. Goat {standing up on hind legs and begging) May I go too? Billy Bob-Tail {laughing heartily) No; whoever heard of a goat going out to seek his fortune? Goat {coming nearer) Oh, please take me, Billy! The little boy who owns me is so cruel. Billy Bob-Tail Well, come on. If I get very tired, I'll ride you, but it will be a hard old ride. {Billy, the Cat, the Dog, the Cow, and the Goat go on down the road until they are overtaken by a Pig.) Pig {running between Billy Bob-Tail's legs) Wee! wee! Where are you go- ing, Billy Bob-Tail? Billy Bob-Tail My, how you frighten me ! I am going out to seek my fortune. Pig {standing up on hind legs) May I go? Billy Bob-Tail (laughing heartily) Ha » ha! ha! how everybody would laugh to see me seeking my fortune with a dirty pig like you. Pig {eagerly) Oh, please, Billy! I must go. The butcher is coming to kill me to-morrow. Billy Bob-Tail I can't leave you for LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 105 the butcher, Uttle Pig, so come on with me. We will manage some way. (Billy, the Cat, the Dog, the Cow, the Goat and the Pig go on down the road until they come to a large forest.) Billy Bob-Tail (stopping suddenly) My, what a dark forest! (Turning to his companions) I am sure you must all be tired, so let us all sit down on this green grass and rest. (The Cat, the Dog, the Cow, the Goat, and the Pig all sit down in a circle. Billy Bob-Tail stands in the middle.) Billy Bob-Tail My friends, do you see that deep dark forest just ahead of us? (All the animals bow their heads to give assent.) We must go through it. But don't be afraid; if anything tries to hurt us I can whistle and throw stones. Cat I can mew and scratch. Dog I can bark and bite. Cow I can moo and hook. Goat I can bleat and butt. Pig I can squeal and bite. Billy Bob-Tail We are all right (tosses up his cap three times). Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah! Let us go on into the forest. (All the animals rise and follow Billy into the forest.) Billy Bob-Tail How dark it is! I can scarcely see my hand before me. What is that queer rustling? (An unknown animal rises from the ditch and comes towards them.) Cat Look at that big, black thing with two horns coming toward us. Billy Bob-Tail Make all the noise you can while I whistle. (Billy begins to whistle.) (All together.) Cat Mew, mew, mew! Dog Bow, wow, wow! Cow Moo, moo, moo! Goat Baa, baa, baa! Pig Wee, wee, wee! (Unknown animal stops, stands still for a few minutes and then runs away very rapidly.) Billy Bob-Tail See him run! I tell you we could frighten an army. Cat (looking intently before her) Oh, see that little house! Let us go in and spend the night. Dog No, no, don't think of such a thing. It might be the home of that horrid animal we saw awhile ago. Billy Bob-Tail That is so, but there is a chance that it isn't his home. How can we find out? Cat I can soon settle that. My 106 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK paws are very soft. I can creep up without any noise and my eyes can see even though it is dark. I will creep up and peep through the window. {Cat climbs up to the mndow-siU and looks in, remains there several minutes.) Billy Bob-Tail (impatiently) What do you see? Is there anyone there? Cat (climbing down) Not a soul. And it looks as if it were made for us. Let's go in. Billy Dog Cow Goat Pig > All right. (Billy, the Cat, the Dog, the Cow, the Goat, and the Pig all go in. Animals look around curiously. BiUy examines things carefully.) Billy Bob-Tail (sinking down on the bed) We will live here always. This is my fortune. SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) We first get acquainted with Billy Bob-Tail when he sits on the curbstone of the city street lamenting his sad fate. So our sand-table shows us first a long row of well-kept houses. The houses can be constructed of gray card- board and should differ somewhat in structure. At the windows we see green shades and lace curtains. Small pieces of green paper pasted over one-half of the win- dow on the inside before the house is pasted together can be used to represent the shades, and the lace paper from candy boxes is seen below the green shades to represent lace ciulains. The houses are enclosed by a fence made from the 5" sticks which the children use in their number work. These are put into the sand 2" apart and similar sticks are laid on top of these to represent a railing. In front of these houses we see a pavement made of dry bricks laid close together. Along the edge of this side- walk is a border of green grass (waxola plentifully sprinkled). The yards, too, are well kept and have a heavy growth of grass. Even walks of white sand run from the doors to the gates. We find Billy here sitting in a medi- tative attitude on the curb. He is cut from paper with a fiat standard, so he will sit alone. A road of white sand leads on past these houses, until it loses itself in a deep, dark forest a little farther on. This forest is made of evergreen sprigs I stuck in the sand. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 107 To one side of the forest we meet Billy Bob-Tail again. He is standing here addressing his friends who are going with him to seek their fortune. Here we find the cat, the dog, the cow, the goat, and the pig all sitting and listening very attentively to Billy as he pictures the dangers which lie in the forest. All these animals, as well as Billy, should be cut from paper and mounted so as to stand alone. On the other side of the forest we see a neat little house and at the window of this house we find the cat. Billy, the dog, the cow, the goat, and the pig are all waiting the cat's decision. I— I THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN THE STORY Once upon a time, in a little town called Hamelin, which lies a great way from here, a very strange thing hap- pened. Hamelin was a queer little town. It was very hilly, and if you stood in the middle of the town you could see far off in the distance a high mountain, then to the other side you could see a big river flowing between its broad banks. This town was much annoyed by rats. They were everywhere. In the houses, in the stores, on the streets, everjrwhere. If you had gone into any of the houses of Hamelin this is what you would have heard and seen. You would have seen the mother bending over the cradle where her baby was tossing because the rats had bitten it. The mother would wring her hands and say: "My poor baby! My poor baby! See where that rat bit its little nose! It cannot rest for the horrid rats. I will take my chair and sit beside it and keep them away." You would see the little boys and girls in school trying to study their lessons, and when they took a book from the desk a horrid rat would jump out. Then they would drop the book to the floor and put their feet on the seat and say: "There's a rat, a horrid rat! He was in my desk and when I took out my book he ran away." Then if you looked in the kitchen you would see the cook stirring the soup with a big ladle, and when she raised the ladle to see if the soup needed more thickening a rat would jump into it. Then the cook would throw the ladle aside and run from the kitchen, crying in a loud voice: "These rats, these rats! They even eat the cheese from the vats and lick the soup from my ladle." Then when you went into the parlor, where a number of ladies were having an afternoon tea, you would hear them chattering and talking about a number of things. One would say: "Did you go to the concert last night, Mrs. Brown?" And Mrs, Brown would an- swer: "Yes, the music was very fine." Then just as Mrs. Brown tried to tell about the concert there would come such a shrieking and a squeaking that 109 110 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK they could not hear each other's voices and everyone would cry out, "Oh, those horrid rats! What shall we do, what shall we do?" At last it was so bad that the people simply couldn't stand it any longer. So a great many got together and went to see the mayor. He was sitting in the town hall reading a newspaper. They knocked at the door and the mayor put down his paper and called, "Come in." Then when they came inside and saw how comfortable the mayor looked and how little he was doing to rid the town of rats, they grew angry and one man came forward and said: "We should like to know what you are good for. You just sit here all day and do not worry, while we are troubled every minute with rats." An- other said: "You must do something to get rid of them." And still another one spoke: "If you don't rid this town of rats we will send you away. Do something and do it quickly." The poor mayor sat with his head in his hands and thought and thought, but all he could say was: "My dear man, if I knew what to do I would do it gladly. Suppose we set traps." Then one of the men answered: "Traps indeed! You could set a hun- dred traps and then not catch one single family." "Well," said the mayor, "suppose we get some cats." This made the men very angry in- deed, and they shouted: "Haven't we all the cats we can get at work now?" Then they all shouted together: "Do something and do it quickly. Let us take him away if he doesn't help us." So they started to take the mayor away, but just as they were ready to take him out they heard a rap-a-tap on the door and the mayor said: "Oh, there is a rat, and anything like the sound of a rat makes my poor old heart go pit-a-pat!" Then one of the men said: "Why, that isn't a rat; it is only a scraping of shoes on the mat. We will not trouble the mayor just now, but we will wait until we see who it is." Then the rap-a-tap was heard again and the mayor settled himself in the chair, and said : " Come in," and in came the queerest looking man. He was very tall and very thin, with a sharp chin and a mouth where the smiles went out and in, and two blue eyes, each like a pin, and he was dressed half in red and half in yellow. He really was the strangest fellow! Round his neck he had a long red and yellow ribbon, and on it was hung a thing somewhat like a flute and his fingers went straying up and down it as if he would be playing. All the people looked much surprised I to see so strange a figure, but he came LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK HI up to the mayor and said: "I hear you are troubled with rats in this town." "I should say we are," groaned the mayor. "Would you like to get rid of them? I can do it for you." " You can? ' ' cried the mayor. " Who are you, anyway?" "Men call me the Pied Piper," said the man, "and I know a way to draw after me anything that walks or flies or swims. What will you give me if I rid your town of rats?" "Anything, anything! " the mayor said. " I don't believe you can do it, but if you can I'll give you five thousand dollars." "All right," said the Piper, "it is a bargain." And then he went to the door and stepped out into the street and put the long flute to his lips and began to play a little tune, a strange high little tune, and when he had played three shrill notes: You heard as if an army muttered; And the muttering grew to a grumbling; And the grumbUng grew to a mighty rumbling; And out of the house the rats came tumbling. Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats, Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats. Grave old plodders, gay young friskers. Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins. Cocking tails and pricking whiskers, Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives — Followed the Piper for their lives. As the rats followed the Piper they were heard to squeak: "Oh, I hear the moving aside of pickle tubs." "I hear the leaving ajar of preserve cupboards." "I smell the most delicious old cheese." "I see a sugar barrel ahead of me." "I can hear a great yellow cheese say- ing: 'Come eat me.'" The Piper passed on from street to street, up one and down another, play- ing all the while, and at last they came to the edge of a big river, and then he turned sharply about and stepped aside, and all those rats tumbled hurry skurry, head over heels down the bank into the river, and were drowned — every single rat except one big fat old rat. He was so fat he didn't sink, and he swam across and ran down south to live. Then the Piper came back to the Town Hall. And all the people threw up their hats and waved their handkerchiefs and shouted for joy: "Hurrah for the Pied Piper of Hamelin." The mayor said: "Let us have a big celebration. Poke out all the old rat nests and let us build a great bonfire in the middle of the town." Then he turned to the Piper and shook hands in a friendly way and said: "Won't you stay and see our bonfire? We shall be so glad to have you." "Yes," said the Piper, that will be o t— ( LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 113 very nice, but first, if you please, I should like my five thousand dollars." "H'm-er-ahem!" said the mayor. " You mean that little joke of mine — of course it was a joke." "I do not joke," said the Piper. "Give me my five thousand dollars, please, quickly." "Oh, come now," said the mayor slapping him on the shoulder. "You know very well it wasn't worth five cents to play a little tune like that; call it five dollars and let it go at that. Here is a brand new five-dollar bill." "A bargain is a bargain," said the Piper; "for the last time I ask you: Will you give me my five thousand dollars?" Then the mayor grew angry and said : "I'll give you a pipe of tobacco and something good to eat and call you lucky at that." Then the Piper looked so strange and, turning to the mayor, he said very softly: "I know another tune that I play to those who play false with me." "Play what you please, you can't frighten me. Do your worst. Play as you choose," said the mayor, looking big and powerful. Then the Piper put his pipe to his lips and began to play a soft, sweet, strange tune, and before he had played three notes you heard : A rustling that seemed like a bustling Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling; Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering. Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering, And like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering. Out came the children running. All the little boys and girls. With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls. And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls. Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after The wonderful music with shouting and laughter. . When the people saw that the Piper was taking their children away they shouted: "Stop! Stop! Our children! He is taking our children away. Stop him, mayor, stop him!" Then the mayor cried: "I will give you your money, I will! Only don't take our children." Then they all started to run after the Piper, but they soon gave up in despair saying: "We cannot catch him. Let us return to our homes and there mourn for our chil- dren." The children followed after the Piper, singing and talking as they went. They were heard to say : "I can see a wonder- ful country just ahead. In this country the bees have no stings. The trees have wonderful fruit. No one is ever tired in this country. Come, come away! Come, come away!" Then they all 114 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK ran dancing and singing, " Come, come away." The Piper went on and on up the hill towards the mountain, and just as they got to it the mountain opened like two great doors and the Piper went in through the opening, playing all the time, and the children danced after him and the great doors slid together again and shut them in. Suggestions for Dramatization In order to dramatize this story and gain the best results the teacher must observe a few points. It is quite neces- sary that the children visualize the scenes which show the general conditions of life in the town of Hamelin. Noth- ing can accomplish this quite so well as the few short scenes with which the story opens. The whole school-room is supposed to be the village when the time comes for the dramatization. The mountain should be in a comer of the room where there is a door. On the other side of the room is the river. The residential part of the town is near the river. Here is found the house in which the mother lives whose baby is troubled by the rats. Two small chairs will serve for a cradle. Near by is the school-house where some boys and girls are studying. The school desks prove useful here. The cook is given a place in this section also. When this was played in our school- room one of the children brought a little toy mouse which was made of gray cotton flannel and attached to an elastic string. It was the work of one of the little fellows to see that this was on the table, in the desk, and on the ladle at the proper time. The elastic cord made this an easy task. The ladies who are enjoying an after- noon tea are grouped near those who take part in the other scenes. The rats are hidden in every conceivable corner before the play begins and they begin scratching and squeaking loudly while Lady No. II is talking. The town hall is situated in the centre of the room. If the center is not cleared it will be wise to use one side, so a number of chairs can be placed around for the men who come to confer with the mayor. It makes the dramatization much more effective and gives infinitely more pleasure to the children if the Piper can be dressed in his yellow and red garments and can carry a toy horn. When he plays to charm the rats the music should be high and shrill. Three shrill notes summon the rats from their hiding places and they follow the Pied Piper. When they reach the river they LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 115 struggle for some moments in the water. Only the fat rat reaches the other side, however. When the Piper charms the children the tune should be one of unusual sweetness. The baby jumps from its cradle, the children come from school and from the numerous houses near by. The desks can be used to represent the houses. They follow the Piper to the cloak- room door and when it opens they pass through singing: Come away, oh come, come away! Come away, oh come, come away! Come away, oh come, come away! THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters The Mayor The Pied Piper Minor Characters Mother Baby Boy (in school) Girl (in school) Cook Lady No. I Lady No. II Lady No. Ill Man No. I Man No. II Man No. Ill Rats (any niunber desired.) Five are necessary. Children (any number desired.) Four are necessary. Mother {bending over a cradle in which a baby is sleeping) My poor baby! My poor baby! See where that rat bit its little nose. It cannot rest for those horrid rats. {Takes a chair and sits by the cradle.) I will take my chair and sit beside it and keep them away. {The scene changes to a school-room scene where two children are sitting study- ing.) Boy {takes a book from the desk and suddenly drops it) There's a rat, a horrid rat! He was in my desk and when I took my book out he ran away. {Girl who occupies the next seat sits on her feet and shows great fear.) {The scene changes to a kitchen scene. A cook is busy stirring soup with a long ladle.) Cook I wonder if this soup is thick enough. {Raises ladle on which a rat jumps, Cook throws ladle aside and runs from the room screaming) These rats! These rats! They even eat the cheese from the vats and lick the soup from my ladle. {The scene changes to a parlor scene where three ladies are seated around a tea-table.) Lady No. I Did you go to the concert last night, Mrs. Brown? o I— I < PL, LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 117 Lady No. II Yes, and the music was fine. I don't think I ever — (a very loud noise of squeaking and scratching is heard which drowns Lady No. II's voice.) Lady No. I, Lady No. II, Lady No. Ill {all together) Oh those horrid rats! What shall we do? What shall we do? Lady No. I Suppose we go immedi- ately and send our husbands to the Mayor to see what can be done. Lady No. II and Lady No. Ill (to- gether) Good, good! We will. (They rush out and find husbands in their office.) Lady No. I, Lady No. II, and Lady No. Ill {together) {rushing in all out of breath) Something must be done immediately. We cannot live for those rats. {Cry hysterically.) Man No. I, Man No. II and Man No. Ill {together) We will go to the Mayor and see what he can do. {The three men rush out and start for the town hall. On reaching it they knock loudly at the door of the Mayor's office.) Mayor {sitting in office reading paper) Come in! Men {entering in great confusion) We should like to know what you are good for. Man No. I You just sit here all day and do not worry, while we are troubled every minute with these rats. Man No. II You must do something to get rid of them. Man No. Ill If you don't rid this town of rats we will send you away. Do something and do it quickly. Mayor {rising and walking up and down the floor) My dear men, if I knew what to do, I would do it gladly. Suppose we set traps? Man No. I {indignantly) Traps, in- deed! You could set a hundred traps and then not catch one single family. Mayor Suppose we get some cats? Man No. II Haven't we all the cats we can get at work now? Man No. I, Man No. II and Man No. Ill (together) Do something and do it quickly! Man No. Ill Let us take him away if he doesn't help us. (Men start to take Mayor away, two at his feet and one at his head, when a loud knocking is heard.) Mayor Oh, there is a rat, and any- thing like the sound of a rat makes my poor heart go pit-a-pat. (All the men stop and listen while the Mayor regains his footing.) Man No. I Why, that isn't a rat. It 118 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK is only the scraping of shoes on the mat. We will wait and see who it is. (Knocking heard again, louder than before.) Mayor {in a calm voice) Take a chair, gentlemen. (Loudly.) Come in! (Enter Pied Piper.) Pied Piper (approaching mayor) I hear you are troubled with rats in this town. Mayor I should say we are. Pied Piper Would you like to get rid of them? I can do it for you. Mayor You can? Who are you, anyway? Pied Piper Men call me the Pied Piper and I know a way to draw after me everything that walks or flies or swims. What will you give me if I rid your town of rats? Mayor (jumping from chair) Any- thing, anything! I don't believe you can do it, but if you can, I'll give you five thousand dollars. Pied Piper All right, it is a bargain. (Piper goes to the door and placing the pipe to his lips, plays a strange high tune. The people follow. A great noise is heard and rats run out from every corner and follow the Piper.) Rat No. I Oh, I hear the moving aside of pickle tubs! Rat No. II I hear the leaving ajar of doors of preserve cupboards. Rat No. Ill I smell the most de- licious old cheese. Rat No. IV I see a sugar barrel ahead of me. Rat No. V I can hear a great yellow cheese saying, "Come and eat me." (The Piper leads the rats to the river and stands aside. All perish except Rat No. V, who swims across and runs away on the other side.) The Piper returns to town. As he approaches shouts are heard.) Man No. I {throwing up his hat) Hur- rah for the Pied Piper of Hamelin ! Man No. II {waving his handkerchief) Hurrah ! Hurrah ! Mayor Let us have a big celebration. Poke out all the old rats' nests and let us build a great bonfire in the middle of the town (turns to Piper, and slaps him on the shoulder). Won't you stay and see our bonfire? We shall be so glad to have you. Pied Piper Yes, that will be very nice, but first, if you please, I should like my five thousand dollars. Mayor H'm-er-a-hem! You mean that little joke of mine [laughs heartily). Of course that was a joke. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 119 Pied Piper I do not joke. Give me my five thousand dollars, please, quickly. Mayor Oh, come now, you know very well it wasn't worth five cents to play a little tune like that (putting his hand in pocket and pulling out a five-dollar bill). Here is a brand new five-dollar bill. Pied Piper A bargain is a bargain. For the last time I ask you: Will you give me my five thousand dollars? Mayor (turning aside angrily) I'll give you a pipe of tobacco and some- thing good to eat and call you lucky at that. Piper {coming close to Mayor and speak- ing softbj) I know another tune that I play to those who play false with me. Mayor (walking off and looking very big a nd powerful) Play what you please, you can't frighten me. Do your worst. Play as you please. (Piper puts pipe to his lips and plays a soft, sweet, strange tune, advances down the street. Children rush from the houses and from every corner.) Men (rushing after Piper) Oh, stop! Stop! Our children! He is taking our children awiy. Stop him, Mayor — stop him! Mayor (running after Piper) Stop! Stop! I'll give you your money. I will. Only don't take our children. (All the people rush into the street wringing their hands and crying.) Mayor We cannot catch him. Let us return to our houses and there mourn for our children. (All the people follow the Mayor back to the town hall.) Child No. I I can see a wonder- ful country just ahead. Child No. II In that country the bees have no sting. Child No. Ill I see a tree with wonderful fruit. Child No. IV No one can ever be tired there. All children (sing) Come away, oh, come, come away. Come away, oh, come, come away. Come away, oh, come, come away. (Piper leads children on and on up to the mountains, where a door opens and lets them enter.) SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) The story of the Pied Piper is one that the children enjoy reproducing in the sand-table especially. In the middle of the table they will delight to build the town hall. It can be built of clay bricks, and doors and SEWING CARD /J -R-iiL <% ST '''"^'-' ^yy- ^^/ LANGUAGE AND OCCUFaTION WORK 121 windows should be cut while the clay is still soft. A rectangular structure 8 x 6^4" and 7" high will serve as the body of this building. This should be covered by a roof made from light gray card- board. A porch should be added to this to give a finish to the building. The floor of the porch can be made of dried bricks such as are used for the building, and convenient dimensions for the porch floor are 5 x 6^". The roof of this porch, which is made of a flat piece of cardboard, is supported by four rolled paper columns 7" high. The green surrounding this town hall is inclosed by a coping made of dry clay bricks laid horizontally with two in a vertical position to mark the gate- way. A white sand path leads from the gate to the porch and green waxola sprinkled over the enclosed space gives the appearance of a well-kept green. A white sand road runs in front of the town hall. It is bordered on either side by a strip of green made by sprinkling green waxola on the sand. On the right of the sand-table the road ends at the bank of a long river which is made by burying the edges of a long piece of tin in the sand. Here we find the Pied Piper with his army of rats following him. Both the Pied Piper and the rats should be cut from stiff construction paper and mounted so as to stand alone. On the left of the sand-table the road ends at the foot of a high mountain, the top of which is covered with trees (boxwood sprigs). At the foot of this mountain we find the Pied Piper with his crowd of merry children just ready to disappear through the door which our imagination pictures is about to open in the side of the mountain. o I— I H H O < pL. THE UGLY DUCKLING THE STORY It was a beautiful summer morning in the country. Everything was green and the sun was bright. In a sunny spot stood an old farm- house and out to one side was a beauti- ful pond. On the other side of the house were large burdocks and their leaves were so high that the children could stand upright among them without being seen. The spot was as wild as the thickest part of the wood. An old duck walked down the broad path that led by the pond where all the other ducks were swimming, and, twisting her long white neck, she stopped just a few minutes and seemed unde- cided whether to swim on the lake or go on, but, with a decided twist of her head, she said to herself: "No, I can- not swim on the lake, I must find a good place for my nest." So she walked on past the big house and over to the wild spot where the burdocks grew. "This is just the place," she said, pushing aside the outer leaves with her bill. "These green leaves will be so good for my little ducklings' eyes. Just the place. But I will go far back under the leaves so the children who pass will not see my nest." So she pushed down the green leaves with her bill and scratched out the dead leaves with her feet, and soon she had a soft nest. Then she settled herself with a sigh of satis- faction and said: "I must try and be happy these days, for I shall need to sit here a long time before all my eggs are hatched. They will be beautiful little ducks, for everyone in the farmyard says their mother is all that could be desired." So she stroked her soft feath- ers with her bill and sat contented among the burdock leaves. At last she heard a soft "Tchick! Tchick!" and arching her neck she said: "These eggs are beginning to break, now I shall soon be able to leave my nest." Then you could hear a soft "Peep," "peep," "peep, " and one little head after another peeped forth. Then the little fluffy yellow bodies came out from under the mother's wing, and one little duckling said: "How large the world is!" and another one answered, "Peep," "peep." Then the other one said: "How green the world is!" and still another: "How cool the world is!" 124 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK But the mother duck answered : "Do not imagine this is all the world. It extends far beyond the other side of the garden to the pastor's field, but I have never been there." Then the mother shook her wings and said: "Are you all out? No, there lies the largest egg. How long will this last? I am so tired sitting here," and she settled herself on the nest again, while the little ducks ran back and forth among the burdock leaves. By and by the mother duck heard the soft thud, thud, of a duck's feet, and she saw, looking between the broad green leaves. Old Mrs. White Duck. Now Old Mrs. White Duck was noted among the barnyard fowls for thinking she knew more than anyone else, but the mother duck was glad to see her, nevertheless, for she was so tired sitting day after day alone. So Old Mrs. White Duck parted the leaves with her bill and came in with a great deal of noise, saying as she entered, "Well, how are you getting along?" "Bad enough," replied the mother. "All the eggs have broken except this one, and this will not break; but you should see the others. They are the prettiest little ducklings I have seen in all my days. There they are, out among the green leaves; now who do you think they are like?" "They look much like you," said the old duck, shaking her head sadly, "but no good can ever come of pretty feathers. I hope they will be sensible ducks and keep neat and clean and not spend too much time on the lake. Let me see the egg that will not break. I dare say it is a turkey's egg. I had the same trouble once myself and I waited for days, and when it did hatch, out came a ugly turkey. It was afraid of the water and I could not get it there. I called and called and scolded and scolded, but it was of no use. But let me see the egg. Why yes, yes, it's a turkey's egg. Don't wait to hatch it. The young one will be afraid of the water. Come and teach the other children to swim and let the large egg lie. Harvest will soon be over and there is so much good grain you are missing. And see, you are getting quite thin, too." "Oh, I will sit a little longer," said the mother. " I have been here so long, I shall not mind a few more days." "Very well, please yourself," said the old duck. "It's none of my busi- ness. You never would take good ad- vice from me," and she waddled away, saying to herself, "Silly thing! stupid thing! I want to be there when she tries to teach it to swim." But the mother sat on her nest and LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 125 waited. At last a loud "Tchick" was heard in the nest, and the mother said, "Hark! the egg is breaking. The child will soon be out," Then when she heard a loud "Peep" she jumped from the nest and there among the broken egg shells was a creature twice the size of the others and very coarse and ugly. "What a great strong creature!" said she. "It is not at all like the others. I wonder if it can be a turkey." Then she called, "Quack, quack," and all the little ducks came running. But when they saw the queer creature among the egg shells they ran close to their mother and one said, " Who is he? " "Who is he?" and the mother answered, "This is your brother and we are all going down to the pond to swim. I will go first and you come close behind me. Hold your heads high and remember that your father is king of the barnyard and you must not make him ashamed." They walked on past the big house and down to the pond, but all the while the mother kept saying to herself: "I wonder if he will swim? I cannot stand Old Mrs. White Duck's sneers if he does not. Oh, the trials of being a mother duck with six little ducklings to watch!" Then they reached the pond and the mother made the children stand along the edge, while she told them where they could swim with safety. "Over there," she said, "is a deep hole and you must not go near it until you learn to swim. Keep along the edges and follow me, and you will soon be able to take care of yourself." Then she called, " Quack, quack! " and jumped into the water, and all the little ones jumped in too, even the ugly one. "No, it is not a turkey," said the mother duck. "Only see how prettily it moves its legs, how upright it holds itself. It is my own child. It really isn't so ugly, either, when one looks closely." Then after they had circled around the pond several times, the mother jumped from the water and all the little ones followed, shaking the water from their tiny wings. "Now come with me," said the mother, "and I will take you into the world and introduce you in the duck yard, but keep close to me and if you see the cat, beware, for he is fond of young ducks. Now to get into the duck yard the mother had to squeeze through a tiny hole in the fence. She found this hard work, but after several attempts she succeeded, and all the little ducklings hurried after her. Then what a sight met their eyes! Two ducks were quar- relling over an eel which was at last se- dure^ by the cat. Seeing the confusion o o W < Ph LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 127 in the yard, the mother took her brood behind a tree and said: "See, my chil- dren, sucfi is the way of the world. Now when you see Mrs. White Duck you must speak to her very politely, for she can give you much trouble if she gets a dislike for you. "Use your legs and keep together. Look! Look! Children, do you see the old duck over there — she is of Spanish blood and wears a red rag on her leg, which shows how great she is." Then turning to a little duck she said, "Don't turn your feet inward. A well- educated duckling always keeps his legs wide apart. Look at me! Now bow your necks and say quack!" All the little ducks did as they were told and the mother came out from be- hind the tree and brought her brood into full view. All the ducks stared at them and Mrs. Brown Wing said, "Here is another brood. I think we had enough already. How ugly that little one is! We will not endure it," and she flew at the ugly duckling and bit him in the neck. "Let him alone," said the mother. "He is doing you no harm." "He is big and ugly," said the duck; "a little biting will do him good." By this time all the ducks had gathered around the brood and the old duck with the red rag on her leg was looking at the Ugly Duckling with her head turned to one side. "All pretty except one. I wish it could be hatched over again." "That cannot be," said the mother. "Certainly, he is not handsome, but he is a very good child and swims as well as the others. Indeed, I think he swims even better. The only trouble is he stayed too long in the egg-shell," and she scratched the duckling's neck and stroked his body. "He is a drake and is very strong. I feel sure he will fight his way through." "He is hopelessly ugly," said the old duck, "but make yourselves at home, and if you find an eel's head, be sure to bring it to me." Then the ducklings made themselves at home and the mother went over to talk with her old friends. But the poor little duckling, who had come last out of the egg-shell, had a hard time. The turkeys strutted around him calling out, "Ugly thing! See his big wings!" and they would give him a sharp rap with their bills. Even his brothers and sisters were ashamed of him and said, "You ugly creature. I hope the cat will catch you." Then the girl who fed the fowls came, and when the Ugly Duckling heard her low call, "Chick, Chick," he felt sure he had found a friend. But everyone 128 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK had reached the food when he came up. The ducks bit him, the hens pecked him and the girl kicked him aside, saying, "You are too ugly to eat. Get out!" This was more than the little duckling could stand, so he flew over the hedge and all the little birds in the bushes were terrified. "See, all the little birds fly because I am so ugly," said he. "I will run on and on until I get far away." At last he came to a wild moor where some wild ducks lived. He could see them here and there scattered over the moor. So he crept about very quietly that he might not waken them. He slept peacefully during the night and swhen he woke in the morning he found his new companions standing over him. "Pray who are you?" they asked, and our Ugly Duckling jumped to his feet, and turning awkwardly, greeted them as politely as possible. "You are really very ugly," said the wild ducks. "However, that does not matter to us provided you do not marry into our family." "I do not care to marry," said he. "Only let me lie among the reeds and drink the water of the moor." " Oh, you may stay. You are so ugly that we really like you," but just then, bang! bang! went a gun, and the wild ducks lay dead. How frightened the poor little duck was! He turned his head, thinking to hide it under his wing, and in a moment a most terrible looking dog stood close to him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his eyes sparkling fearfully. The duckling was so startled at the sight of him that he called out timidly, "Please do not eat me," but the dog only showed his sharp teeth and said, "Really you are so ugly I would not think of harming you." "Well, let me be thankful," sighed the Ugly Duckling. "I am so ugly that even the dog will not eat me. Why doesn't that shooting stop? I am afraid to stir, so I will nestle down here among the leaves until it is safe to move." After a while, the shooting stopped and he decided to move. Towards evening he reached a wretched little hut. The wind had been blowing very hard and the poor duckling was so tired trying to run against it. So when he saw the little hut he said, " I will go in and see if I can find shelter." Now in this house lived an old woman with her cat and her hen, but they were all asleep, so the duckling said, " I will rest under the bed and perhaps when morning comes, I may find something LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 129 to eat." So all night long he rested and when morning came the cat and the hen were the first ones up, and when they discovered the duckling under the bed, the cat said: "Who is this new guest?" and the hen cried: "Let me see! Let me see!" "What is the matter?" asked the old woman, looking around. Her eyes were not very good and she took the young duckling to be a fat duck who had lost her way. "This is a capital catch," she said. "What a fine fat duck! I shall now have duck eggs. I will stir up a cake and when she lays an egg I can bake it." So she went out of the room to get some wood to build her fire. Now the cat was master of the house and the hen was mistress, and they did not like the idea of having the Ugly Duckling with them all the time, so they started at once to fuss with the poor duckling. " Can you lay eggs? " asked the hen. "No," said the duckling. "Well, then, hold your tongue." " Can you set up your back and purr? " asked the cat. "No," answered the duckling, sadly. "Well, then, you should have no opinion when sensible persons are speak- mg. "I wish I could find a good pond," said the Ugly Duckling; "I would teach you how to swim." "What is the matter with you?" said the hen. "You have nothing to do and that is what makes you have such queer fancies; either lay eggs or purr, then you will forget them." " But it is such sport to swim," said the duckling. "Such sport when the water closes over your head and you plunge to the bottom." "Well, that is queer," said the hen. "Ask the cat, he is the most sensible animal I know. Ask him if he would like to plunge to the bottom of the water. Ask the old woman. There is no one in the world wiser than she. Do you think she would like to swim?" "You do not understand me," said the Ugly Duckling. "Do not understand you!" said the hen, "So you think you are wiser than I? You are certainly very un- thankful and when the old woman comes in and finds you cannot lay eggs she will twist your neck and throw you in the kettle." "I think I will go out into the wide world," said the duckling. " You had better," answered the hen, "before the old woman comes." So the duckling left the house and flew to a large lake. o Pi pL. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 131 "Here," he said, "I will live. The winter is coming and perhaps the cold will kill me. I shall wait and see." The days grew colder and colder and the duckling was obliged to swim round and round in the water to keep it from freezing. "How cold it is!" he said over and over to himself. "Little by little the water is freezing. See, the ice is getting nearer and nearer. I cannot stand this much longer. I am so tired, so tired!" And wearied out, he lay stiff and cold on the ice. Early in the morning a man passed by, and as he approached the pond he saw the Ugly Duckling. "What is this? " he said. " Why, I do believe it is a little duck. And see it is not dead, only half frozen. I will break the ice and take it home to my wife." So he broke the ice with his wooden shoe and took the little duckling in his arms. It was nice and warm in the good man's arms and our little duckling wished he could stay there always. But when he entered the house the man said: "Here, wife, is a duck I found half frozen in the pond." The children came crowding around crying out, "Let me see!" "Let me touch him!" The poor duckling thought they wished to tease him and jumped into the milk pail, then he flew into the pan where butter was kept and then into the meal barrel. The woman screamed loudly: "Catch him! Catch him!" The children ran races with each other trying to catch him, but the door was open and he jumped out among the bushes. He wandered aimlessly about until the warm days of spring came, then he shook his wings and said: "How beauti- ful everything is! I will go to the pond and swim again." When he neared the pond, he saw three white swans swimming gracefully on the water. " I will fly to them," he said. " They will kill me because I am so ugly, but what does that matter? I had rather be killed than bitten by the ducks, pecked by the hens, kicked by the girl who feeds the poultry, and have so much to suffer from the cold and hunger." So he flew into the water and swam towards the beautiful creatures. They saw him and ran forward to meet him. "Only kill me," said the poor duckling, and he bowed his head low, expecting death, but what did he see in the water but a beautiful swan. "We do not wish to kill you," said the swans. "You are a beautiful crea- ture, and we can be so happy." Then the beautiful swan, who had 132 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK been the ugly duckling, raised his head thankfully and said: " It does not matter if I was bom in a duck yard, for I was hatched from a swan's egg after all." Suggestions for the Dramatization This story is well suited for dramati- zation because every child in the room can have a part. Before beginning the dramatization, designate the different places of inter- est. The first pond is over to one side of the room and should be in a place that is free from chairs and desks, so the ducks can swim with ease. The burdock patch is on the opposite side of the room, while the farmhouse is midway between. The duck yard is situated behind the house and one side should be enclosed by chairs, be- tween which the mother squeezes with a great effort. A chair can represent the tree behind which the mother takes her brood on entering the duck yard. A red ribbon should be tied aroimd the leg of one child to mark her as the Spanish duck. When the Ugly Duckling flies from the duck yard he should leave from the side opposite to the one he entered, and the children who represent the birds in the hedge fly as he approaches. The birds can be perched on chairs enclosing the duck yard. The Ugly Duckling runs in a fright- ened way around the room and at last reaches the moor on the opposite side. There he finds the wild ducks sleeping. He creeps noiselessly about, and at last settles himself on the moor, where he sleeps until morning, when he is discovered by the wild ducks. Then the shooting begins, and it will add greatly to the children's delight in the play if a toy popgun can be obtained and used here. After the shooting ceases the Ugly Duckling decides to go on farther, and after wandering aimlessly he comes to the hut where the hen, the cat and the old woman are sleeping. Two chairs can be used for the bed, while a table serves for a stove. The hen can be perched on a seat instead of a beam. The Ugly Duckling crawls behind the bed and sleeps until morning. Then the hen flies down with a loud cackle, the cat stretches herself and finds the stranger under the bed. Then ensues the long conversation which results in the Ugly Duckling leaving the house and flying away to pond number two, where he is rescued by the man and taken to the house. Here the Ugly Duckling meets with new experi- ences. In the end he comes back to pond LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 133 number one and discovers that he is a swan after all. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Characters Mother Duck Mrs. White Duck Ugly Duckling Minor Characters Duckling No. I Duckling No. II Duckling No. Ill Quarrelsome Ducks I and II Mrs. Spanish Duck Mrs. Brown Wing Turkey Girl (who feeds fowls) Birds (any number desired) Wild Duck No. I Wild Duck No. II Dog Old Woman Cat Hen Man Wife Three Children Swan No. I Swan No. II Mother Duck {walking quietly down the path, looks very wistful as she nears the pond) No, I cannot swim in the lake; I must find a good place for my nest. (Walks on past the house and over to the burdocks.) This is just the place (pushes aside the burdock leaves). These green leaves will be so good for my little duckling's eyes — just the place, but I will go far back under the leaves so the children who pass will not see my nest. (Makes the nest and settles herself with a sigh of satisfaction.) I must try and be happy these days, for I shall need to sit here a long time before all my eggs are hatched. They will be beautiful little ducks, for everyone in the duck yard says their mother is all that could be desired. (Strokes her feathers and assumes a contented look, sits quietly for awhile until the sound of a breaking egg is heard, then arches her neck.) These eggs are beginning to break. Now I shall soon be able to leave my nest. Duckling No. I (peeping from behind mother) Peep ! Duckling No. II (peeping from behind mother) Peep! Duckling No. Ill (peeping from be- hind mother) Peep! Duckling No. I (coming out and staring about in surprise) How large the world is! Duckling No. II (coming out and pecking at the green leaves) How green the world is! Duckling No. Ill (coming out and flapping its wings) How cool the world is! Mother Duck Do not imagine that this is all the world. It extends far beyond the other side of the garden to the pastor's fields, but I have never been there (shakes her wings and stands). 134 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Are you all out? No, there lies the largest egg. How long will this last? I am so tired sitting here (settles her- self on the nest again). Mrs. White Duck {entering with a great deal of noise) Well, how are you getting along? Mother Duck Bad enough. All the eggs are hatched except this one and this just will not break. But you should see the others. They are the prettiest little ducklings I have seen in all my days. There they are, out among the green leaves. Now, who do you think they look like? Mrs. White Duck (looking steadily at ducklings) They look much like you (shakes her head sadly), but no good can ever come of pretty feathers. I hope they will be sensible ducks and keep neat and clean and not spend too much time on the lake. Let me see the egg that will not break. I dare say it is a turkey's egg. I had the same trouble once myself, and I watched for days. When it did hatch, out came an ugly turkey. It was afraid of the water and I could not get it there. I called and scolded, and scolded and called, but it was no use. (Rises and comes over to the Mother Duck.) Let me see the egg! (Examines it closely.) Why, yes, yes, it's a turkey's egg. Don't wait to hatch it. The young thing will be afraid of the water. Come and teach the other children to swim and let this large egg lie. (Replaces the egg under Mother Duck.) Harvest will soon be over and there is so much good grain you are missing. And see! you are getting quite thin, too. Mother Duck Oh, I will sit a little longer. I have been so long, I shall not mind waiting a few days more. Mrs. White Duck (tossing her head indignantly) Very well, please your- self. It's none of my business. You never would take good advice from me. (Waddles away and talks to herself as she goes.) Silly thing! Stupid thing! I want to be there when she tries to teach it to swim. Mother Duck (after waiting a long time, hears a loud "tchick.") Hark, the egg is breaking. The child will soon be out. Ugly Duckling (peeping out from be- hind the mother) Peep! (Mother Duck jumps from nest and looks eagerly at duckling.) Mother Duck What a queer, strong creature ! It is not at all like the others. I wonder if it can be a turkey. (Turns to the other ducklings.) Quack! Quack! (Ducklings No. I, II, III come run- ning, but stop when they come near, and look eagerly at the strange sight.) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 135 Duckling No. I Dtickling No .II Duckling No. Ill Who is he? Mother Duck This is your brother and we are all going down to the pond to swim. I will go first and you come close behind me. {Holds her head high and walks on, leading the line. All the little ducks follow.) Hold your heads high and remember that your father is king of the barnyard and you must not make him ashamed. (To herself in a lower tone) I wonder if he will swim. I cannot stand Old Mrs. White Duck's sneers if he does not. Oh, the trials of being a mother duck with four little ducklings to watch! {The ducks reach the lake. Mother Duck arranges them in line on the hank.) Mother Duck Now, children, over there is a deep hole and you must not go near it until you learn to swim. Keep along the edges and follow me, and you will soon be able to take care of yourselves. {Mother Duck jumps in the water call- ing, "Quack! Quack!" and all the little ducklings follow.) Mother Duck {turning to observe the Ugly Duckling) No, it is not a turkey. See how prettily it moves its legs. How upright it holds itself! It is my own child. It really isn't so ugly, either, when one looks closely." {The ducks circle around the lake several times, then jump from the water and shake the drops from their feathers.) Mother Duck {leading ducks towards the duck yard) Now come with me, and I will take you into the world and in- troduce you in the duck yard, but keep close to me, and if you see the cat, be- ware, for he is fond of young ducks. {The mother duck reaches the duck yard and makes several attempts to get through the small opening, hut succeeds at last. Ducklings follow, and, seeing the confusion in the duck yard, Mother Duck retreats behind a tree with her brood.) Mother Duck {pointing to two ducks who are fighting over an eel's head) See, my children, such is the way of the world. Now when you see Mrs. White Duck you must speak to her very politely, for she can give you much trouble if she takes a dislike to you. Use your legs and keep together. {Moves out a little from behind tree and sees Mrs. Spanish Duck) Look, look, children ! Do you see that old duck over there? She is the most noted of all the fowls. She is of Spanish blood and wears a red rag on her leg, which shows how great she is. {Turning to Ugly o Eh o LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 137 Duckling) Don't turn your feet in- ward. A well-educated duckling al- ways keeps his legs wide apart. Look at me. (Walks up and down before them.) Now bow your heads and say "Quack." Duckling No. I Duckling No. II Duckling No. Ill Ugly Duckling Quack! Quack! Quack! (Mother Duck leads brood out from behind the tree and in full view of the ducks in the duck yard. Fowls all stare at the brood.) Mrs. Brown Wing (coming near) Here is another brood. I think we had enough already. How ugly that little one is. We will not endure it. (Jumps at Ugly Duckling and bites him on the neck.) Mother Duck Let him alone, he is doing you no harm. Mrs. Brown Wing. He is big and ugly; a little biting will do him good. Mrs. Spanish Duck (turning her head on one side and viewing ducks) All pretty except one. I wish it could be hatched again. Mother Duck That cannot be. (Scratches the Ugly Duckling's head and strokes his feathers.) Certainly he is not handsome, but he is a very good child and swims as well as the others. Indeed, I think he swims even better. The only trouble is he stayed too long in the shell. He is a drake and very strong. I feel sure he will fight his way through. Mrs. Spanish Duck (turning aside) He is hopelessly ugly, but make your- selves at home and if you find an eel's head be sure and bring it to me. (Mother Duck goes over to the other side of duck yard to talk with other ducks. The little ducklings begin picking around in the yard, while all the fowls strut around and look at the Ugly Duckling.) Mrs. Turkey (picking at the Ugly Duckling) Ugly thing! See his wings! Duckling No. I (coming close to Ugly Duckling) Ugly thing! Duckling No. II I hope the cat will catch you. (Girl enters with a pan of corn.) Girl Chick, chick, chick, chickee! Chick, chick, chick, chickee! (All the fowls rush for food. The Ugly Duckling comes in last. Fowls all peck him and eat the corn themselves.) Girl (kicking the Ugly Duckling away) Get out! You are too ugly to eat! Get out! (The Ugly Duckling runs away from the others and flies over the hedge. All o I— I u Oh LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 139 the little birds resting on the hedge fly up startled.) Ugly Duckling {turning and looking at flying birds) See, all the little birds fly because I am so ugly. I will run on and on until I get far away. (The Ugly Duckling runs on and on until he reaches a moor where some wild ducks are crouching asleep.) Ugly Duckling (creeping quietly about) This is the home of the wild ducks. It is night and they cannot see me. I will creep quietly in so I shall not wake them and I will sleep here until morning. Wild Duck No. I Wild Duck No. II Pray, who are you? Ugly Duckling {jumping to his feet and bowing awkwardly) Good-morning! Wild Duck No. I You are really very ugly. However that does not matter to us provided you do not marry into our family. Ugly Duckling I don't care to marry, only let me lie among the reeds and drink the water of the moor. Wild Duck Oh, you may stay! You are really so ugly that we like you. {The sound of a gun is heard and the two wild ducks fall dead. The Ugly Duckling drops down on the ground and crouches close. A dog comes near, smells the Ugly Duckling.) Ugly Duckling {trembling with fear) Please do not eat me. Dog {running on and calling back) Really, you are so ugly I would not think of harming you. Ugly Duckling (breathing a sigh of re- lief) Well, let me be thankful. I am so ugly that even the dog will not eat me. {Looking about nervously.) Why doesn't that shooting stop? I am afraid to stir, so I will nestle down here among these leaves and wait until it is safe to move. {The Ugly Duckling nestles down and waits. During this time the guns are heard. After several shots are fired all becomes quiet.) Ugly Duckling {standing up and look- ing around) I believe it will be safe to move now. ( Turning restlessly about.) Where shall I go? What shall I do? I will go this way and see what I can find. {Starts to run and runs on and on, until he reaches a hut.) Ugly Duckling {standing before the door of the hut) I will go in this hut and see if I can find shelter. {Enters the hut and looks around.) I will rest under this bed and perhaps when moming^ comes I may find something to eat. {Ugly Duckling creeps under the bed and sleeps soundly. When morning comes 140 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK the cat wakes and comes out from under the stove and the hen jumps down from a beam. Cat finds the Ugly Duckling under the bed.) Cat {peering under the bed) Who is this new guest? Hen {running up) Let me see! Let me see! Old Woman {rising from her bed and taking her cane) What is the matter? {Sees Ugly Duckling coming from under the bed, looks at him carefully.) This is a capital catch. What a fine fat duck! I shall now have duck's eggs. I will stir up a cake and when she lays an egg I can bake it. {Old Woman leaves the room.) Hen {coming close to the Ugly Duckling) Can you lay eggs? Ugly Duckling No. Hen Well, then, hold your tongue. {Pecks duck on the head.) Cat Can you set up your back and purr? Ugly Duckling No. Cat {slapping her with his paw) Well, then, you should have no opinion where sensible people are speaking. Ugly Duckling I wish I could find a good pond; I would teach you how to swim. Hen {turning aside in disgust) What is the matter with you? You have nothing to do and that is what makes you have such queer fancies. Either lay eggs or purr, then you will forget them. Ugly Duckling But it is such sport to swim. Such sport when the water closes over your head and you plunge to the bottom. Hen Well, that is queer! Ask the cat; he is the most sensible animal I know. Ask him if he would like to plunge to the bottom of the water. Ask the old woman. There is no one in the world wiser than she. Do you think she would like to swim? Ugly Duckling {looking troubled) You do not understand me. Hen {pecking the Ugly Duckling on the head) Do not understand you? In- deed, so you think you are wiser than we? You are certainly very unthankful and when the old woman comes in and finds you cannot lay eggs she will twist your neck and throw you into the kettle. Ugly Duckling {looking timidly about and sighing) I think I will go out into the wide world again. Hen You had better go before the old woman comes. {Duckling leaves the hut and walks aimlessly on until he comes to a lake.) Ugly DuA:kling {stopping on the bank of the lake) Here I will stop. The LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 141 winter is coming and perhaps the cold will kill me. I shall wait and see. (Jumps in the lake and swims round and round.) How cold it is! How cold it is! Little by little the water is freezing. See, the ice is coming nearer and nearer. I cannot stand this much longer. I am so tired! so tired! (The Ugly Duckling swims more slowly and more slowly and at last falls over on the ice.) Man (coming near the Ugly Duckling and shading his eyes with his hands) What is this? Why I do believe it is a little duck. See, it is not dead, only half frozen. I will break the ice and take it home to my wife. (Takes his shoe from his foot, breaks the ice, and taking duckling in his arms walks on towards his home.) Man (entering his home) Here, wife, is a duck I found half frozen in the pond. Children (crowding around) Let me see! Let me touch him! (The Ugly Duckling becomes alarmed and flies from the man's arms into the milk pail.) Wife Catch him! Catch him! He's in my milk pail! (Duckling flies from milk pail into the butter tub.) Wife (running with the broom) Now he's in the butter tub! (Duckling flies from the butter tub into the meal barrel.) Children Here he is, in the meal barrel! (The Ugly Duckling flies out the door and wanders aimlessly about until he comes in sight of a pond.) Duckling (stopping thoughtfully) How beautiful everything is ! I will go to this pond and swim. (Comes to bank of pond and sees two swans there.) There are two swans. I will fly to them and they will kill me because I am so ugly. I had rather be killed by them than bitten by the ducks, pecked by the hens, kicked by the girl who feeds the poultry, and have so much to suffer from cold and hunger. (Flies to swans and bows his head before them.) Only kill me! Swan No. I We do not wish to kill you. Swan No. II You are a beautiful creature and if you will come and live with us we can be so happy. Ugly Duckling (seeing his reflection in the water, raises his head) It does not matter if I was bom in a duck yard, for I was hatched from a swan's egg, after all. 142 LAXGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK SAND-TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) After the story of "The Ugly Duck- hng" has been told, reproduced and dramatized, then comes the time when the children can be made happy by demonstrating it on the sand-table. To the right of the sand-table we see the large farmhouse. This can be con- structed of clay bricks and the main body of the house can conveniently be made 9x5^2 inches and 6^ 2 inches high. This should be covered by a roof made from green construction paper, and doors and windows should be cut while the clay is still soft. The house is made to appear more homelike by a porch 7x9 inches which extends all across the front. This is covered by a flat roof made of stiff cardboard covered with g:-een construc- tion paper. This roof is supported by four white pillars 6 inches ligh, made from white drawing paper rolled into the proper size. This comfortable farmhouse and the well-kept yard is enclosed by a paling fence which is cut from bristol board. The fence is cut in sections and pasted together. A paling gate swings on its hinges, showing a path made of white sand which leads up to the door. On either side of the path green vixola is sprinkled to represent grass. Just outside of the fence, to the front of the sand-table, we see a large pond, made by burying the edges of a long piece of tin in the sand. On the edge of the pond we see the mother duck and her six little ducklings just ready to plunge in for a swim. To the left of the farmhouse we see the duck yard, which is enclosed by a high fence, cut from bristol board, at the front, and a hedge on either side. In this duck yard we find a hen house, . and, scattered around it, we see turkeys, hens, ducks and fowls of every descrip- tion, while in the center we see the girl who feeds the fowls. To the left of the duck yard is a wild moor. This is a barren space on which are several wild ducks. To the left of the moor is the little hut where the old woman lives with her cat and hen. It is a modest little hut with a very small yard enclosed by a woven fence made from the 5-inch sticks the children use in counting. To the left of this is the more pros- perous looking house where the man lives who rescued the ugly duckling fro.n the frozen pond. This house is made of light construction paper and the openings for windows are turned back- ward to represent blinds. Inside the windows we see green shades and lace curtains. The yard which surrounds LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 143 this house is sprinkled with green waxola to represent grass and a path made of white sand leads from the door to the gate. The coping, which surrounds it, is made of dried bricks laid horizon- tally, with two in a vertical position to represent the pillars at the gate. To the extreme left of the sand-table we see the pond where the ugly duckling learned, from seeing his reflection in the water, that he was no longer a despised fowl, but a beautiful white swan. This pond is made by bury- ing the edges of a piece of tin in the sand. On this pond we find four white swans cut from bristol board and mounted so as to seem to swim on the surface of the lake. PAPER CUTTING THB CAT AND THE PAKROT SIT DOWN TO DINNER THE CAT AND THE PARROT THE STORY Once upon a time there was a cat and a parrot. They lived on one of the best streets in one of the best cities, and the cat had begun to think that he was one of the best cats in all the world and the parrot had begun to think that she was one of the best parrots in all the world. The cat lived in a large attic, while the parrot lived in a large wire house which had a big yard all around it. One day the cat came over to see the parrot and he looked so sad that the parrot said : " Why, what is the matter? You look so sad! Has anything gone wrong? Aren't there any mice in your attic?" Then the cat wiped his eyes and said: "Yes, I am sad. I feel that I need some excitement. Things are very dull here. People are not very sociable." Now the parrot was a very sym- pathetic kind of a bird, so she said: "Well, suppose we both give a dinner and each of us can invite the other." "Well, suppose we do and let me have the first turn," said the cat. "All right," said the parrot, "that's a bargain." Then the cat rose to go, and bowing very low, said: "Mrs. Parrot, Mr. Cat would like to have you come to dinner with him to-morrow at one o'clock." Now the cat was very selfish. He liked nothing better than lying in the warm sunshine after a good meal. So the next morning he rose at the usual time and had a good breakfast of rats. Then he lay down in the sunshine and slept until after twelve. Now when he woke up he stretched himself and said: "Oh dear, I wish that pokey old parrot wasn't coming to dinner to- day! I'm so tired I don't know what to do ! She'll just have to take what she can catch. There's a pint of milk, a little slice of fish and a biscuit on the table. I'll let that answer for dinner." So the parrot came and she looked her very best. She had just preened her feathers and had had a good bath. When she came in she saw the cat lying down in the sunshine, and she said, just as politely as possible: "Good-morn- ing, Mr. Cat, I hope you have had a good nap." 146 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK "Yes, indeed," said the cat, "and I'm as hungry as a bear. Let's have dinner." So they sat down to the table and the cat took the bottle of milk and drank every drop. Then he ate the fish and the biscuit and sat back and said : "I'm still as hungry as a bear." Now the parrot was too polite to complain, but she had not had a very good time; however, she said as kindly as possible: "To-morrow at one o'clock I would like to have you take dinner with me, Mr. Cat." The next morning the parrot woke very early and she worked and worked to have things just right when the cat came at one o'clock. So when the cat arrived he found the parrot all ready to receive him, and on the table was a roast of meat, a pot of tea, and a basket of fruit ^ there were apples and oranges and grapes. But best of all, the parrot had made a whole basket full of little cakes — little brown crispy spice cakes, and there were just five hundred of them. The parrot had put four hun- dred and ninety-eight of them aside for the cat and kept only two for herself. When they sat down to dinner the cat did not wait for the parrot to ask him what he would have, but reached over and cut off half of the roast. He ate that in such a short time that the parrot was afraid he would choke. But he didn't choke — oh, no ! He swal- lowed that half without wincing and then ate the other half. The parrot was so surprised that she just sat and watched him. After he had eaten the roast he drank the tea and sucked the fruit. Then he began on the pile of cakes. He was delighted with them, and kept smacking his lips and saying: "These are good cakes — mighty good cakes." And in less than ten minutes he had eaten all the four hundred and ninety-eight cakes. Then he looked around and said: "I'm hungry! Haven't you anything to eat?" "Why yes," said the parrot, "here are my two cakes if you want them." And that greedy cat reached across the table and ate them. Then he smacked his lips and said: "Why, I'm just be- ginning to get an appetite. Have you anything to eat?" Now by this time the parrot was quite angry and she said: "Well really, Mr. Cat, I don't see anything on the table to eat and I don't see anything in the room that is eatable except me." She thought this would make the cat ashamed, but he just looked at the parrot and smacked his lips; then he reached across the table and swallowed the par- rot without chewing her. LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 147 When the cat had eaten the parrot he was afraid to stay in her house any longer, for he feared the people who owned her might come, and, finding that she was gone, they might accuse him of killing her, so he started off down the street. Now an old woman was passing by when the cat ate the parrot and she saw the whole thing. She was very much shocked to think that the cat would eat his friend. When she saw the cat leave the house and walk on down the street as if nothing had hap- pened, she said: "You greedy cat, how dreadful of you to eat your friend, the parrot!" "Parrot indeed!" said the cat, "What's the parrot to me? I've a great mind to eat you." And before the old woman could turn around the cat had opened his mouth and swallowed her. Then he started down the street again, walking with his head very high. Pretty soon he met a man driving a donkey . The man was urging the donkey along, for he had to be in town that afternoon and it was getting late. So when he saw the cat right in the middle of the road, he called, "Get out of my way, cat! I'm in a hurry and my don- key might tread on you." Then the cat walked right up to the donkey's nose and said: "Donkey in- deed! Much I care for a donkey! I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old woman, and I'd like to know what's to hinder me from eating a miserable man and a donkey?" And before that donkey could blink his eyes that cat had swallowed them both. Then the cat stood way up on his toes and swayed from side to side as he walked on down the street. Soon he met a procession coming that way. The king was at the head, walking proudly with his newly married bride, and behind him were his soldiers march- ing, and behind them were ever and ever so many elephants walking two by two. The king felt very happy because he had just been married, so he said as he came near the cat: "Why, here's a cat! Get out of my way, pussy, my elephants might hurt you!" "Hurt me!" said the cat. "A thou- sand elephants couldn't hurt me. I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten a man and a donkey, and I have a notion I could eat you." And before that king could raise his hand to signal the soldiers to march on, the cat opened his mouth and down went the king, down went the queen, down went the soldiers, and down went all the elephants. Then the cat walked on very slowly. PAPER CUTTING "YOU GREKDV CAT, HOW DREADFUL OF YOU TO EAT YOUR FRIEND, THE PARROT" LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 149 for really he could scarcely put one foot before the other. He had eaten more than was good for him. He hadn't gone far before he met two land crabs, crawling along the road. "Get out of our way! Get out of our way!" they squeaked. This made the cat laugh so loud that he had to hold his sides, and he said in a terrible voice: "Ho! Ho! I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old woman, a man and a donkey, a king, a queen, the king's soldiers and all his elephants, and now I'll swallow you. It can't do any harm." And before those land crabs could turn around they found themselves down inside the cat. Now it was very, very dark down there and the land crabs wanted air, so they began talking together. One said: "I want some air." And the other said: "Let's get to work and cut our way out." So snip, snap, snip, snao, they began to make a little hole in the cat's side with their sharp claws. They cut and they cut, and the hole got larger and larger, until one land crab called out: "Oh, I see the light! We are almost through!" Then the hole got larger and they both crawled out. Then out walked the king and queen, out marched the soldiers, out ran the elephants, two by two, out came the old man with his donkey, out walked the old woman, shaking her fist at the man with the donkey for treading on her toes, and last of all, out hopped the parrot with a cake in each claw. And they all ran from the cat as fast as they could. The cat sat and looked after them for awhile; then she said with a long sigh : " Well, that's a queer way to have your dinner walk off." Then she sat down and spent the whole day sewing up the hole in her side, for she couldn't eat any more until that was mended. Suggestions for the Dramatization In order to prepare for the dramatiza- tion of a story the teacher, after the story has been told and reproduced by the children, should plan the dramatiza- tion with the children. No stereotyped way can be set down, but if the inex- perienced teacher will proceed in the following manner the result will doubt- less be satisfactory. We will presume that the story, "The Cat and the Parrot," has been well told. The teacher is sure that all the points in the story have been made very clear, for the children have reproduced it in class. The desire now on the part of the PAPER CUTTING %1 PRBTTY SOON THE CAT MET A MAN DRI^aNG A DONKEY LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 151 teacher is to give the facts in the story their proper placing so all the mechani- cal part of the dramatization can be done away with and the children can give all their attention to acting and talking just as they think the cat and the parrot would under like circum- stances. It is never advisable to ask: "Who would hke to be the cat?" or "Who would like to be the parrot?" for chil- dren naturally want to be the chief characters in a play. So if the teacher will take the initiative in this and say: "John will be the cat," or "Mary will be the parrot," this probable friction will be avoided. But the location of places in the play is a point which may be discussed and the discussion will doubtless serve to point out some things in the story to the children — perhaps the very things which have been obscure in the telling and the reproduction. Where shall we have the cat's house? Yes, this corner is a very good place. What shall we need in this house? You remember he served his dinner from a table, so we need a table and some chairs, also a few dishes for the table. Do you think the cat paid much atten- tion to his table? No, he did not even put a cloth on it. So we will just put this bottle here for the milk and this plate here for the biscuit and the slice of fish, and our cat's house is com- plete." "Now where shall we have the par- rot's house?" The children decide that it will be best to have it near the cat's house, for the story tells us they were on the same street. So a short distance from the cat's house we will arrange the parrot's house. "Which was the better housekeeper, the cat or the parrot? The parrot, of course, so we must have a better house for her." The fact that the cat lies down on the floor when he sleeps, while the parrot perches on a roost, brings out the thought that the parrot will need something to serve as a roost. A chair will answer this purpose. Now the parrot served an excellent dinner for the cat, so what will she need in her house? Yes, she will need a table, also a cloth for the table and two napkins. Then she will need a vase of flowers or a growing plant for the table, a platter for the roast and one for the fruit, also a cup and saucer as well as a tea-pot. The clothes- basket of cakes should be close by on a chair. One of the children in our room sug- gested that we use the cardboard circles, used in the number work, for cakes. PAPER CUTTING M llfWfW THK KING WAS AT THE HEAD, WITH HIS BRIDK, BEHIND HIM WERE HIS SOLDIERS, AND BEHIND THEM WERE EVER 80 MANY ELEPHANTS THE CAT HADN'T GONE FAR BEFORE HE MET TWO LAND CRABS CRAWLING ALONG THE ROAD LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 153 The children decided that it must be a long distance from the parrot's house to the place where the cat meets the land crabs, for so many things happened on the way. So the outer aisle all around the room was chosen as the street where the cat journeyed. When the cat eats the old woman she disappears and walks noiselessly to the place selected for the final ending of the story. The man, the donkey, the king, the queen, the soldiers and the elephant do the same and after the land crabs are swallowed the cat takes his place in front of those who have served for his dinner. When the crabs cut the hole in his side all those who have been eaten come out one by one. The parrot is the last. They all run rapidly away and look back towards the cat in an apprehensive manner. The cat is quite optimistic through it all and sees the funny side of the situation, for here marks: "Well, that's a queer way to have your dinner walk off." Then seeing the hole in his side that the land crabs have made he realizes that he cannot eat until it is mended, and as this is his chief pleasure, he sets to work immediately and sews it up. THE DRAMATIZATION Major Chakacters Cat Parrot Minor Characters Old Woman Man Donkey King Queen Soldiers (any equal number desired) Elephants (any equal number desired) Land Crabs (two) {Parrot is sitting in her house when a knock is heard.) Parrot Come in. (Cat enters looking very sad.) Cat Good-morning, Mrs. Parrot! Parrot Why good-morning! (Looks surprised.) What is the matter? You look so sad. Has anything gone wrong? Aren't there any mice in your attic? Cat (wiping her eyes) Yes, I am sad. I feel that I need some excitement. Things are very dull here. People are not very sociable. Parrot Yes, I have felt that way, too. But we can make it a little more sociable for each other. Suppose we both give a dinner and each of us can invite the other. Cat (looking pleased) Well suppose we do, and let me have the first turn. 154 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Parrot All right — that's a bargain. {Cat rises to go, hows very low.) Mrs. Parrot Mr. Cat would like to have you come to dinner with him to-morrow at one o'clock. Good-bye. Parrot Good-bye. I will certainly come. {Cat leaves and goes on to his own house.) Cat {entering house) I'm so sleepy I shall go right to bed and have a good night's rest. {Goes to bed and sleeps soundly until morning.) Cat {stretching his limbs and yawning) "Well, it's morning and I must catch some mice for my breakfast. I heard them last night having a good time over in that wall, but I'll stop their good times. I'll catch a round dozen for my breakfast. {Cat goes out, catches the mice for his breakfast and returns.) Cat (lying down in the sunshine) My, but this sunshine does feel fine! I've had such a good breakfast. Now I'll have a good long nap. {Cat goes to sleep and does not wake up until after twelve.) Cat {waking up and stretching himself) Oh dear, I wish that poky old parrot wasn't coming to dinner! I'm so tired I don't know what to do! She'll just have to take what she can catch. There's a pint of milk, a little slice of fish and a biscuit on the table. I'll let that answer for dinner. {Hears knock at the door.) There she is now! Come in! {The parrot enters, looking clean and happy.) Parrot Good-morning, Mr. Cat. I hope you have had a good nap. Cat {rising and going towards the table) Yes, indeed, I have, and I'm as hungry as a bear. Let's have dinner. {Cat and parrot sit down to dinner. Cat reaches over and takes the bottle of milk in both hands and drinks it. Then eats the fish and the biscuit. Parrot looks on in surprised silence.) Cat {sitting back and smacking his lips) Well, I'm still as hungry as a bear. Parrot {rising and going to the door) To-morrow at one o'clock I would like to have you take dinner with me, Mr. Cat. Cat Very well, I'll be there. {Parrot goes out the door and on to her house, where she prepares to retire.) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 155 Parrot (perching ready for sleep) I can't understand why that cat acted the way he did. I have never done anything to him and yet he was very rude to me. I shall treat him so good to-morrow that he will be ashamed of himself. (Parrot goes to sleep and sleeps until morning, when she wakes up very early.) Parrot (stretching her limbs) Why, it is morning already! How short the night seemed! I must get up and get ready for my dinner; for I want everything as nice as possible. (Parrot gets up, preens her feathers, sweeps the floor, spreads a clean cloth on the table and arranges flowers.) Parrot (placing roast of m£at on the table) I am sure he will like this fine roast of meat (brings pot of tea to the table) and he is fond of tea. (Places a cup near his plate.) I will let him drink from this pretty cup with the gold band. (Arranges fruit in the center of the table.) These grapes are nice and fresh and these oranges are the best I could find. (Turns to cookies which are in a large clothes-basket.) But these are the best of all. I have baked five hundred of these little crispy cakes and shall keep only two for myself. (Puts two on a small plate and places them on the table.) Here are four hundred and ninety-eight for him. Now I must see if I can't look my very best. (Preens her feathers and views herself in the mirror. A knock is heard — Parrot rushes to the door and opens it.) Parrot Why, Mr. Cat, I am so glad to see you. Come right in! Cat (entering the room) What is that I smell? (Looks towards the table and sees the meat) Well, if it isn't beef — nice, juicy beef! Parrot Yes, I heard you say that you were very fond of beef so I cooked some for you. Come and let's have dinner. (Cat and parrot sit down to the table. Cat reaches over and cuts roast in two and eats half.) Cat (smacking his lips) Well, that's good meat (takes the other half and eats it). Pass me that pot of tea and that dish of fruit (parrot passes tea and fruit. Cat pours tea in his cup and takes a drink of tea and a bit of fruit until both tea and fruit are consumed. Then reaches over and eats cake after cake.) Cat (smacking his lips) These are mighty good cakes — mighty good cakes. (Continues to eat cakes until all in the basket are eaten.) 156 LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK Cat {wiping his mmith with a napkin) I'm hungry! Haven't you anything to eat? Parrot Why yes, here are my two cakes if you want them. (Cat reaches across the table, takes the two cakes and eats them. Cat {smacking his lips) Why, I'm just beginnmg to get an appetite. Have you anything to eat? Parrot {indignantly) Well really, Mr. Cat, I don't see anything on the table to eat and I don't see anything in the room that is eatable except me. {Cat jumps from his seat and eats parrot.) Cat {looking around the room) This won't do for me. I can't stay here. When the people come to look after the parrot and find her gone they will accuse me of killing her. Yes, I must get out. {Cat leaves the house and walks down the street where he is met by an old woman.) Old Woman {shaking her fist at the cat) You greedy cat. How dreadful of you to eat your friend the parrot! Cat {indignantly) Parrot indeed! What's a parrot to me? I've a great mind to eat you. {Jumps at old woman and swallows her.) {Cat walks on down the street with his head held very high until he meets a man driving a donkey. Man is urging the donkey on with a whip.) Man Get out of my way. Cat! I'm in a hurry and my donkey might tread on you. Cat {walking defiantly up to donkey's nose) Donkey, indeed! Much I care for a donkey! I've eaten five hundred cakes. I've eaten my friend the par- rot. I've eaten an old woman, and I'd like to know what's to hinder me from eating a miserable man and a donkey. {Jumps at man and donkey and swallows them.) {Cat walks on down the street, swaying from side to side until he meets the king and queen with a procession.) King Why here's a cat! Get out of my way, pussy; my elephants might hurt you. Cat {tossing his head) Hurt me! a thousand elephants couldn't hurt me. I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old woman, I've eaten a man and a donkey, and I've a strong notion I could eat you. {Cat jumps at king and eats him; makes three successive jumps in which he eats the queen, the soldiers and all the ele- phants.) LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK 157 {Cat walks on very slowly until he meets two land crabs.) Land Crabs Get out of our way! Get out of our way! Cat {laughing loudly) Ho! Ho! I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old woman, a man and a donkey, a king, a queen, the king's soldiers and all his elephants, and now I'll swallow you. It can't do any harm. {Jumps at land crabs and swallows them.) Land Crab No. I {fighting for air) I want some air. Land Crab No. II Let's get to work and cut our way out. {Both land crabs begin scratching; snip, snap; snip, snap.) Land Crab No. I Oh, I see the light! We are almost through. {Hole gets larger and larger and both land crabs come out, followed by the king and queen, soldiers, elephants walking two by two, old man with his donkey, old woman, shaking her fist at the man, and the parrot. All run from the cat very rapidly.) Cat {heaving a long sigh and looking after the running crowd) Well that's a queer way to have your dinner walk off. {Sees hole in his side.) 1 guess I'd better get to work and sew up this hole, for I can't eat any more until it's mended. SAND TABLE DEMONSTRATION (For illustration of sand-table, see Appendix.) Our story tells us that the cat and the parrot lived on one of the best streets in one of the best cities, so this fact alone suggests a row of well-kept houses. To demonstrate this story on the sand-table we will need to construct several houses. They can all be con- structed from light construction paper and should differ somewhat in style. A fence, running the full length of the street with sections between each house, can be successfully constructed from clay pillars two inches high, one inch wide and one inch thick. On top of these pillars should be placed a round ball of clay. The pillars can be connected by round two inch sticks such as the children use in their number work. Openings should be left for the gate- ways of each house. The house in which the parrot lived might be marked by the wire house of this very polite bird in the front yard. The cage can be made of picture wire and steel rings such as the children use in their ring laying. A ring two inches in diameter being used at the bottom and middle and another one inch in diameter at the top. The walks from the doorways to the street should be marked by white sand 15^ LANGUAGE AND OCCUPATION WORK sprinkled lightly over the surface, and if green waxola is sprinkled over the yards they will appear to have an ex- cellent growth of grass. The street which runs in front of these well-kept houses can be made of white sand. The street can be further decorated, if so desu'ed, by turning the space on the side opposite to the houses into a park. This can be enclosed by a fence con- structed like the one that surrounds the houses, but these pillars should be connected by the five inch sticks which the children use in counting. In the center of this park, a monument might be erected of clay bricks. The base should be about three inches square and five and one half inches high. The second section should be set in the middle of this and should be about two inches square and three inches high. On the top of this a round ball of clay can be placed as a finish. A walk should extend all around the park on the inside of the fence and trees and shrubbery, made from evergreen sprigs, should be artistically arranged. A mirror whose edges are buried in the sand will make a good lake and green waxola will serve for grass. There is only one stage in the story where all the characters can be portrayed, and that is where the crabs have cut a hole in the cat's side and where all those who have suffered the dreadful fate of being swallowed by the cat are escaping in one long procession down the street. All the animals and the persons who suffered a like fate can be cut from paper so as to stand alone. The cat is seen at the extreme end of the table under a large tree. The parrot is just leaving him and in front of the parrot are seen the king and queen, the soldiers, the elephants, the old man and his donkey, the old woman and the two land crabs. The characteristics of each person should be brought out in the cutting of the figures as shown in the patterns given. THE IGLY DUCKLING THE CAT AND THE PARROT THE PIED PIPER LIBRARY OF CONGRESS i 019 821 754 2