'■ ^*~«w CrrZ ^e^rv^tTN^TN^T^^ /$: m.0%6¥^ "3 ® <> 1 P. 1 BTgs^cK^XeK^ 3 E£3E3S3F5v- I UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00022228180 FIRST BOOK. SUPPLEMENTARY READING FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS. i BY FRANCIS W. PARLER, SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOLS, BOSTON : LOUIS H. MARVEL, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, GLOUCESTER, MASS. LEACH, SHEWELL, AND SANBORN, BOSTON AND NEW YORK. Copyright, 1SS0, 1881, Francis W. Parker. .Louis H. Marvel. Presswork by Berwick & Smith, IIS Purchase Street, Boston. PREFACE. The imperative necessity of more reading for schools than one series of reading-books affords is acknowledged by all school authorities, teachers, and parents who have given the subject a thought. Of the many plans, com- paratively new, to improve education, that of supple- mentary reading has met with little or no opposition. The immense waste of time, toil, and money in keeping the long-suffering little ones for months, and even years, upon books which they learn by heart in a few weeks, is too apparent to need further argument. These lessons are not published to take the place of a series of regular reading text-books. They lack the presentation of methods and scientific arrangement, which many excellent reading-books now published contain. They are recom- mended for use, either while reading the regular text-book, or after it has been read. The lessons have been prepared in response to repeated demands of teachers under our supervision, for more read- ing for the children in primary grades. Primary teachers seem to be of one accord in the statement that the great want is, plenty of very easy reading for pupils during the first years ivorJc. One, two, three, and even four ordinary first iv PREFACE. readers do not furnish the necessary conditions for the learning of words thoroughly. These conditions are simply: sufficient repetitions of words in many different relations (sentences) to fix them firmly in the mind; and that the subject-matter shall be as interesting to children as the repeated combinations of a very few words will permit. Learning thoroughly, in this way, three or four hundred words is a sure foundation for excellent reading. As has been already intimated, the constant repetition of a very few words requires extreme simplicity in the thought expressed. Critics of the First Book of Sup- plementary Reading will say: " How simple!" "Row silly ! " " How stupid ! " and so on to the end of the well- known chapter. When some genius in story-telling suc- ceeds in making interesting stories with the few words that can be well learned during the first year, our humble efforts in this direction shall immediately cease. But we are painfully aware that, owing partially if not wholly to the following reasons, not more than two-thirds of the children, in most classes which have fallen under our notice, learn to read well : — 1. Learning to read is learning a vocabulary. A word is learned when it instantly recalls the idea of which it is a sign, in whatever relation it may be. 2. A word is learned jy repeated acts of association of the word with the idea it represents, and with other words recalling other ideas. PREFACE. It can be taken for granted then, that a certain number of repetitions, varying according to the intensity of the associative act, is necessary to the learning of a word. If these conditions are not fulfilled, words will be half learned, — they will be vague and dim mental objects which must be constantly struggled with, in order to be used. Hence the great amount of stumbling, blundering, mechanical word-pronouncing, falsely called reading, in our schools. As we have said, one or more first or second readers do not present opportunities enough for repetitions essential to learning a vocabulary. Before a few words which form the nucleus of a vocabulary are learned, new words are constantly added, and the struggle to learn on the part of most children is a painful operation. Learning a few words thoroughly should be the aim of the teacher. "But some children do learn to read well," urges the critic. We admit the fact thankfully. They learn to read well simply because the conditions above indicated are complied with. The children who learn to read well have 'plenty of good reading at home. Give all school-children the same advantages, and all of them will learn to read well. Our common schools are for the masses, not the few. Supply schools ivith plenty of supplementary reading and the value of school-work tvill be enhanced a thousand-fold These lessons are presentee^ to teachers as an attempt to help them to the necessary conditions for learning to read. They are advised not to confine by any means the vi PREFACE. reading of their pupils to this and the regular reading- book. " Get all the good reading you possibly can." To the teachers under our supervision, we are greatly indebted for their active aid in composing and criticising lessons. Mrs. L. L. Follett, teacher of the lowest grade in the Coddington School, has written many of the lessons in the first book. THE AUTHORS. Boston, Mass., Sept. 1, 1880. SUGGESTIONS. 1. A sharp discrimination should be made between reading as a purely mental act, and reading aloud. a. Reading is getting thought by means of words arranged in sentences. b. Reading aloud is the vocal expression of the thought thus gained. The first is the valuable mental act, and to it (getting thought) the entire concentrated attention of both teacher and class should be given, during the lesson. Nothing of detail or analysis — as spelling, punctuation, pronouncing slowly, inflection, or empha- sis — should stand in the way of the clear comprehension of the thought. Reading aloud is the teacher's best means of knowing whether the thought is properly in the mind of the reader. In order to have reading aloud perform this very important function, the following rules must be observed : — I. Pupils should not be required to express a thought (read a sentence aloud) until the thought is in their minds; that is, until the sentence is mentally read. II. If the thought is in the mind, it will control expression, thus making attention to punctuation, mechanical emphasis, and inflection, not only unnecessary, but a great hindrance to the proper expression of thought. Capitals and punctuation aid the eye in taking in the thought, but have nothing whatever to do with the expression of it. viii SUGGESTIONS. III. If the thought is not properly expressed, the teacher should call attention by a question to that part of the thought, or that relation of some idea to the thought (modification of subject or predicate) not fully grasped by the pupil. IV. All words not known by pupils should be carefully taught from blackboard before the lesson in reading is given. V. Mistakes in pronunciation while reading should be re- served for special drill in pronunciation. VI. Lessons in getting thought may be given in the following way : — The black horse ran swiftly up the high hill. What ran? How did the horse run? Where did he run ? What did the horse do? What kind of a horse ? What kind of a hill? 2. Teachers should omit lessons which they find to be too difficult for their pupils, returning to them when the needed strength is acquired. 3. Members of a class should not know which one of them is to read next. 4. It is of great importance that pupils be successful in every attempt to read a sentence. The confidence thus gained will give them ease and courage. 5. During the first year, pupils should have books only while they are actively using them in reading. Very little of the so-called study, outside of recitations, should be allowed. FIRST BOOK. SUPPLEMENTARY READING FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS. READING LESSONS. Here is a cat. Do you see this cat ? It is a fat cat. See the fat cat ! Do you see the fat cat ? Can the cat see ? Can the cat see me ? READING LESSONS. The cat can see me. We can see the fat rat. The rat can see the cat. This cat can see the rat. "W here is the cat ? She is on the chair. I can see the cat on the chair. See me pat my cat. Can yon pat this cat ? This is my cat. Do see my cat ! She is in a chair. Can yon see her? She is not on the mat. She is sitting np. My cat is in the chair. She is a pretty cat. Pat the pretty cat. My cat can catch a rat. She can catch a big rat. READING LESSONS. ' ^*»V«i^ Here is Mr. Rat. Mr. Rat, I can see you. You can see me too. You are a fat rat. Where are you, Mr. Rat ? Can the cat see you ? The cat "will see you. We can see you. Can you see the cat ? Can we see the cat ? No, we can see the rat. BEADING LESSONS. Where is the cat ? We can see the fat rat. I can see the fat rat. Do yon see the fat rat ? We do see the fat rat. Does the rat see yon ? Yes, the rat sees me. The boy ran. He ran after the cat. He saw a rat. It was on the mat. The boy got the cat. The cat saw the rat. .The rat saw the cat. The rat ran. The cat ran. The looy ran, too. Did the cat get the rat? The cat did not get the rat. Did the boy get the READING LESSONS. rat? It ran from the cat. It ran from the boy. The rat ran from the cat. The cat ran from the boy. The boy did not get the cat. The cat did not get the rat. "-—"^Sm Yes, It is Can Here is a man.' He has a hat on. The man has a bat. He is not a fat man. Can you see the man's bat ? Have yon a bat ? I have a bat. a fiat bat. yon bat ? What can yon bat ? READING LESSONS. This is a fan. Can you see this ' fan? I can see the fan. Is it a pretty fan ? It is a pretty fan. Can you fan? Yes, I can fan. Have you a pretty fan ? Yes, I have a pretty fan. 3««C What do I see ? A little pan on the mat. Who put the pan on the mat ? Tom put the pan on the mat. Tom has a little kitten. READING LESSONS. The kitten "will lap the pan. The kitten "will lap Tom's hand. Tom pats his little kitten. What is in the pan ? There is milk in the pan. The kitten laps the milk. She is a white kitten. Will Tom let us have the kitten ? He will let yon pat the kitten. Here is a boy. He is a little boy. READING LESSONS. Is he a pretty boy ? Is lie a happy boy? Why is he not happy ? Is this Tom ? Tom has a little kitten. The kitten is white. This is not Tom. Tom is not a bad boy. This is a bad boy. His name is Frank. "Why is Frank a bad boy ? What is in the chair? Is it a pan ? Has Frank a cat? Is that milk for the cat ? Is it milk for Frank ? Do yon see Frank's hands ? Frank, be a good boy. Am I a good boy ? Are we good boys? 10 READING LESSONS. Little rabbit, I can see you. You are a fat rabbit. You are a pretty rabbit. Can you see me, little rabbit? Have you a little rabbit? Is it a fat rabbit? Is it a pretty rabbit? READING LESSONS. 11 I can see your rabbits. The man lias the little rabbit. O, yon pretty rabbit ! O, yon fat rabbit ! Bnn is my rabbit. Bnn is a little rabbit. See the big rabbit. She has long ears. See two little rabbits. They are pretty pets. They are my rabbits. I will not catch them in a trap. I will pnt them in a pen. I will pat them with my hand. Come, little rabbits. Come to me. I -will not hurt you. The cat shall not see you. You may run and play. I have two pretty pets. 12 READING LESSONS. Fido is my dog. He had a nap. He had a nap with the cat. The cat had a nap too. Are they hav- ing a nap now ? No, they are not having a nap. Fido loves Tab. Tab loves Fido. Tab is white, and READING LESSONS. 13 Fido is "white too. Tab likes to have a nap on the mat. Fido likes to have a nap "with Tab. See Fido and Tab. Are they not pretty? How white Tab is ! o>SKc Do yon see that little girl ? Yes, the little girl has a basket. Abbie has a rabbit in the basket. Can I see the rabbit ? No, yon cannot see the rabbit. Is it Abbie's basket ? The basket is in her hand. "What will she do with the basket ? 14 READING LESSONS. She "will set the basket on the mat. I can see Abbie and the basket. I cannot see the mat. I cannot see the rabbit. Abbie can see the rabbit. Good-morning, Ann. Here is an apple for yon. READING LESSONS. 15 Thank you, Ann. Please come in. Sit in this chair. I will take your basket. See my white cat. This is my dog, Fido. Do you like dogs? No, I do not like dogs. I like cats and rabbits. "What a good apple this is ! "Where did you get the apples? Abbie gave them to me. How many did she give you? She gave me four apples. I ate one apple. "Where are Rose and Mary? They are at play. Would you like to see them? Yes, if you please. Come in, Rose. Come in, Mary. 16 READING LESSONS. c^^^^^^^^kH^^^^^ READING LESSONS. 17 See Max play in the sand. See him dig the sand. The sand is damp. Max likes to dig the sand. He stands on the sand. He puts sand in his "wagon. He draws the sand in his wagon. There is Mary on the sand. Can yon see Max's wagon ? No, we cannot see it. Mary has a little plant. She will put it in the sand. You can see the plant in the sand. Max "will pat the sand. 18 READING LESSONS. Do you see Daisy ? She has her hat on. And do yon see Rose ? Has Rose a hat on ? No, Rose has no hat on. They are playing. They have sand to play with. They are playing in the sand. Daisy sits on the sand. Rose stands on the sand. Have they sand in their hands ? READING LESSONS. 19 They have no sand in their hands. Daisy digs in the sand. Daisy plays "with Rose. Daisy has a doll Rose has a cat. The cat plays with the doll. Rose likes Daisy. They play with the sand. They play on the grass. They put sand in a basket. Rose put sand in a tub. It is a little tub. See the pretty little girls. Would you like to play "with them? What do you play ? Have you playthings ? Have you a rag doll ? No, I have a very pretty doll. 20 READING LESSONS. Can you see me? I am in the grass. I ran into this grass. My dog ran after me. You cannot see my dog. He is in the grass. My dog will catch me in the grass. Is not this pretty grass ? ' Did you ever see such grass ? See the grass in my hand. READING LESSONS. 21 I stand on the grass. I sat on the grass. I had a nap on the grass. Tell me about your playthings. Rose has a dog. Ann has a doll. Robert has a wagon. Tom has a kitten. Bun is the name of my rabbit. The name of Rose's dog is Fido. Abbie has a little basket. Daisy has a tub. Let us play together. Put the doll in the wagon. The dog will draw the wagon. Put the kitten "with the doll. The rabbit is in the basket. Put sand in the tub. Oh, what fun we shall have ! 22 READING- LESSONS. Fannie and Dan sit by a tree. Fannie has a pretty little rabbit. Dan has a basket. Fannie' s hat is on the grass. The rabbit is "white. It has long ears. Dan pats the rabbit. Dan has a white hat. A band is on his hat. Fannie will put some grass in the basket. Then she will put the rabbit in the basket. READING LESSONS. 23 Dan will carry the basket. Would you like to have a little rabbit ? It is a pretty pet. I would like to have two rabbits. I can catch a rabbit. Rabbits are very pretty. Can you catch a rat? A cat can catch a rat. I can catch a rat in a trap. The trap is on the mat. The mat is by a crack. The crack is in the floor. I saw the rat's track. It was a black rat. The rat ran on the floor. The rat ran into the trap. It was a fat rat. I shall catch more than one rat. 24 READING LESSONS. Frank has a "wagon. It is a big wagon. Can Frank draw the wag- on ? Frank can draw the wagon. Frank has a dog,too. Can the dog draw the wagon? No, the dog cannot draw the wagon. There is sand in the wagon. Can Frank draw the sand? Yes, Frank can draw the sand. I can see a rag on the wagon. It is a little rag. The rag is Frank's flag. Can the dog draw a little wagon? Yes, he can draw a little wagon. Can he draw Frank ? No, he cannot draw READING LESSONS. 25 Frank. Sam is a black dog. The dog's name is Sam. Frank's little brother can ride on the dog's back. What is your name, little girl? My name is Fannie. Where do yon live ? I live in that house on the hill. It is a white house. Do you have many playthings ? Yes, I have two dolls. I have a little tub and a basket. The basket is my wagon. I put my dolls in the basket. I take my dolls to ride. Where do your dolls ride ? They ride up the hill. Who draws the wagon ? I draw the wagon. My dolls are very pretty. 26 READING LESSONS. Mary has a big bag. She has a big fan in her bag. She has candy in the bag, too. She will carry the candy to Emma. Emma will thank Mary. She will thank her READING LESSONS. . 27 for the candy. See Jip by the basket. Where is the doll? It is Emma's doll. Emma is a pretty little girl. See her fat hands. Mary is a large girl. See Jip look at Mary. Jip is a good dog. Can you see the girls, Jip? What a large basket ! What is in the bas- ket ? We can see a large bag and a large basket. What do yon see in this picture ? I see a doll and a dog. There are two little girls. One girl has a hat on. A basket is by the chair. 28 READING LESSONS. ;^^>/^^7-2^/ •/> '/T^^yT^^^jy tttZsWy/ZftrzA/, READING LESSONS. ^9 "Whose dog is this ? This is Sam's dog. It is Sam's black dog. Is he not a little dog ? The black dog ran. The black dog ran to Sam. What has he for Sam? Will he carry it to Sam? Yes, he will carry it to Sam. Sam will pat his black dog. 30 READING LESSONS. How do you do, little girl ? Pretty "well, I thank you, sir. What have you in your basket ? I have my little doll. Would you like to see it ? It is made of wax. See her pretty hat. Do you give candy to your doll ? Oh, no, sir! dolls cannot eat. Where are you going? I am going to see Emma. Emma is a good girl. She lives in a white house. Emma has a cat and a dog. She has a little play-house. Do you play together? Yes, sir, we play together. I put the doll's hat on the dog. He looks funny with the hat on. Do you go to school, little girl? READING LESSONS. 31 No, sir, I am not old enough. I would like to go to school. Good-by, sir. Good-by, little girl. An old hen had ten chickens. They lived in a pen. Three chicks were white. Three chicks were black. Three chicks were brown. The rest were yellow. How many chickens were yel- low? The chicks played in the pen. They crept through a crack in the pen. The chicks ran away from the hen. They played in the sand. One scratched in the sand. A chick can catch a bug. 32 READING LESSONS. "Why, "what is the matter with this lamb ? The lamb will not stand still. The lamb ran "with Walter. Walter has a strap in his hand. The strap is on the lamb. The lamb is happy. The lamb is glad to run on the grass. I "wish that I had a lamb. I would take good care of it. I would give it grass to eat. The lamb "would play with me. Pretty little lamb ! Come to me. READING LESSONS. 33 See this little boy. The little boy is having a nap. Where is the boy? The boy is in a box. His name is Frank. He has had a good play. He ran after the lambs. He ran on the grass. Frank is a little lad. He likes to play. He has a stick in his hand. See Carlo with, his hat on. "What a funny dog ! Who put the hat on Carlo? Carlo has a sack on, too. Does the boy see Carlo? N~o, the boy is asleep. 34 READING LESSONS. See these girls on the grass. What has Fannie in her lap? She has leaves in her lap. Ann has leaves in her lap, too. Can you see the rabbits? I can see four rabbits. One rabbit is black. See the cat. "Will she catch the rabbit? ISTo, Tab will not catch the rabbit. READING LESSONS. 35 There "was a little boy named Willie. He had an axe. It was a little axe. The axe had a pretty handle. Willie liked to play -with his axe. He had a wagon, too. He had a black dog. The dog would draw the wagon. Willie put a flag on the wagon. He "would draw sand in the "wagon. Willie wore a black cap. He carried a basket in his hand. He had a rabbit in the basket. The rabbit "was for Bennie. Bennie set the basket on the grass. The rabbit ran on the grass. The rabbit ate an apple from Bennie' s hand. 36 READING LESSONS. Jennie has an apple in her hand. Where did she get the apple? She got it on the stand. I can see the apples on the stand. They are large apples. They are pretty apples. I cannot see a small apple. May Jennie have an apple? Yes, Jennie may have one apple. Is that a lamp on the stand? No, that is not a lamp. That is a candle. You can see the candle. Jennie can see the candle. READING LESSONS. 37 ^Z^/ ;^£t£^^V^^ 38 READING LESSONS. A chubby little sister Was rubbing at her tub; A chubby little brother Came up to help her rub. The chubby little brother Fell down in with a cry; The chubby little sister Then hung him up to dry. Jack and Jill Went up the hill To draw a pail of water; Jack fell down And broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after. READING LESSONS. 39 ^AT^m-^^y^yi^^ <>^cn^>^i^. ^^^^^^T^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ { t^z^. 40 READING LESSONS. Do you see the nest? There are eggs in the nest. The nest is on the tree. Can the cat see the nest? No, the cat cannot see the nest The birds can see the nest. The nest is pretty. It is little, and pretty, too. May I hold the nest ? May I hold it in my hand? No, the little birds would cry. READING LESSONS. 41 Did you ever see a tent ? A tent is like a shed. A shed is made of wood. A tent is made of cloth. My mother made a tent for me. She made it of white cloth. I put the tent on the grass. I "went into my tent. John came to see me. • "We played in the tent. We made a bed in the tent. John slept in the bed. I led my pet lamb into the tent. The lamb crept under the tent. Then the tent fell down. John laughed to see the tent on his head. John's mother called him, and he "went home. 42 READING LESSONS. O Emma, come and see ! Here is a little nest. It is on the branch of a tree. Is it not a little nest ? Is it not a pretty nest ? And see the little blue eggs. How many blue eggs are there in the nest? There are four bine eggs in the nest. . It is not a hen's nest. It is a bird's nest. "Will the cat get the bird? READING LESSONS. 43 Oh no, the cat will not get it. The cat will not see the nest. "Where is the bird? She sings on the tree. Can you see me? I can see you. I have a pretty dress. It is a red dress. My doll has a red dress. My doll has a little bed. My doll is in her bed. Have you a doll? 9 Have you a doll r Has your doll a red dress: Has your doll a little bed: Is your doll in her bed? Where is the red dress? May I see the red dress? May I see your doll? 44 READING LESSONS. What do I see? Are they eggs or chickens ? What funny little things ! I "will talk to them. Little chick, I can see you. One chick is in a shell. Can you see me? I can see your wings. Can you fly, little chick? ISTo, I cannot fly. Can you run, little chick? Yes, I can run. I can run at the fly. I can catch the fly. READING LESSONS. 45 Come, boys, let us play. Come, Freddie, and Frank, and Tom. May the girls come ? Yes, let Jennie and Anne come. How many boys? How many girls ? What shall we play ? Shall I get my wagon? Yes, Freddie, please get your wagon. The dog can draw it. See the dog run with the wagon. I can run as fast as the dog. Come, let us all run. What a good run! Are you tired, Freddie ? Yes, I am a little tired. I am sorry that you are tired. Let us sit down on the grass. 46 READING LESSONS. THE SICK BOY. "What is the matter with Fred- die? I wonder why he frets. Freddie is not well. He is very tired. He has played too hard. He has been to see Anne. They had a good play together. They had a little wag- on. Freddie let his dog draw the They put their dolls in the wagon. Then they ran, and the dog ran, too. They ran very fast. The dolls had a nice ride. wagon. READING LESSONS. 47 But poor little Freddie got very tired. He was glad to go to his mamma. She held him in her lap. She is telling him a story. After she tells the story, he will go to bed. He will be glad to go to bed. Sometimes Freddie tells mamma a story. Mabel is a little girl. She is a gentle little girl. She is gentle to every one. She likes to pat my lamb. My lamb is a gentle lamb. My lamb likes Mabel. She fed my lamb with grass. She led the lamb to its pen. She left the lamb in the pen. She carried grass to the pen. She left some grass in the pen. 48 READING- LESSONS. MARY AND HER CHICKENS. I went to see Mary one daj^. Mary is a very pleasant girl. She is very gen- tle. She has ten pets. Some of her pets are in the shed. Some are under the shed. What do you think they are ? She has hens and chick- ens. She let me take a basket of corn. See, she has it in her hand. I fed her hens and chickens. The hens and chicks saw the basket. READING LESSONS. 49 They all ran to me. I held the basket in my left hand. I fed the chicks from the basket. I threw corn to the hens. The hens let the chicks get the corn. One hen had a nest near the fence. Two doves are on the fence. One dove is on the tree. Four doves are on the barn. Their nests are in the barn. Six little chicks are picking up corn. Two horses are in the yard. They are near the fence. One horse is black. The other is white. The black horse sees Mary. Mary will not feed the horses. Tom will feed the horses. 50 READING LESSONS. ^Wfl I fl ft This is my dog. His name is Carlo. A big dog bit him. The dog bit him on the leg. Poor Carlo, I will pat yon. I "will carry yon in my arms. The big dog is a bad dog. His name is Snap. Snap, yon are a bad dog. I will pnt Carlo in a nice bed. I READING LESSONS. 51 will give him bread and milk. Carlo will soon get well. Then we "will run and play. I "will tell you a story. John was a good little boy. He had a pet lamb. He fed it with, bread. John kept the lamb in a shed. One day the pet lamb ran away. It ran out of the shed. ■A It "went into a pen. John ran after the lamb. He found it in the pen. He said, 'You are a bad lamb to run away." "I will not give you bread." The lamb came back. John loved his pet lamb. 52 READING LESSONS. Here are seven little girls. They are merry little girls. That is Mabel next to the doll. The one next to her is Susie. The dog ran to Mabel. Some boys tried to vex the dog. The dog left the boys. Then the boys felt sorry. The girls will not vex the dog. READING LESSONS. 53 The dog "will help the girls. How can he help them ? He will carry things for them. Jane will let him carry her doll. She will put the doll in a basket. Then the dog "will carry the basket. She will send the dog for her hat. The dog will get the hat. He "will bring it to Jane. She "will pat him on the back. Let ns have a picnic. Where shall we go? Let us go to the green woods. Take baskets and bags. Fill them "with good things to eat. Shall we carry our dolls? Yes, carry the dolls, and let the dog go with us. 54 HEADING LESSONS. Little Jack Horner Sat in the corner Eating a Christmas pie. He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, Saying, " What a big boy am I ! » Hickory, dickory dock, The mouse ran up the clock, The clock struck "One," The mouse ran down, Hickory, dickory dock. Hush-a-by, baby, on the tree-top, When the wind blows, the cradle ■will rock; When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall Down comes hush-a-by, cradle, and all. READING LESSONS. 55 GETTING A DRINK. See the girl on the tub. "Will she get wet ? No, she will not get wet. She stands on a tub. % % She is near the fence. The other I little girl will get has wet. wet She her £ hand. She has wet her pretty red dress. Do yon see the net on her head? What is the net for ? Why does the girl stand on the tub ? Can yon see a tub near the fence? What else do yon see near the fence ? 56 READING- LESSONS. See this hen. She has nine little chicks. What do the chicks say? The chicks say ' Peep, peep, peep." What does the hen say? The hen says ' Cluck, cluck, cluck." Where is the hen? The hen is in the pen. Where are the chicks? The chicks are in the pen. READING LESSONS. 57 I fed the hen and the chicks. See the chicks play in the sand. The hen scratches for the chicks. The chicks scratch in the sand, too. Little chick, little chick, come to me! When did you come out of your shell? How did you get out? Where have you left your white house ? How do you like the big world? Can't talk? I thought so. You are not old enough. Get under your mother's wings. The dog will catch you. The cat will scratch you. The pigs will eat you. 58 READING LESSON'S. THE HAPPY HEN. What do I see ? A large lien. She is on the box. She can see her eggs. She is proud of them. She says, "Cluck, cluck, cluck ! Three eggs in my nest. Three white eggs. O, how pretty they are. Three long days ! Three pretty eggs. I must go and get some corn. Then I must come back. I must lay three more eggs." Then the hen went to the pen. She saw some corn in a pan. She ate the corn. She saw some water. She said, "I must READING- LESSONS. 59 drink some water. Then I will scratch in the sand. I shall find bugs and worms in the sand. Then I will go back to my nest. It is not in the pen. It is in a box, under a tree. I must go back now." Six eggs in my nest ! Six white eggs! Six pretty eggs! Six long eggs ! Six large white eggs! Six happy days, too. See me stand on my nest. I do l ^^^^^^^S^ff not stand on my eggs. Well, I must run and scratch now. I will scratch in the sand. Here comes Fred. He has his dog. Will Fred get my 60 READING LESSONS. eggs? No, Fred "will not get my eggs. Carlo is a good dog. Carlo is a big black dog. He will not catch me. He will sit by my eggs. Now I will scratch in the sand. I will go to the pen and get some corn. I will get some "water, too. Now I must go back. O, my six pretty eggs! Can you see them? Can you see Carlo? Now I have twelve eggs. Twelve large eggs ! Twelve large white eggs! Can you see my READING LESSONS. 61 twelve eggs? Twelve happy days! Twelve pretty white eggs! They are all in my nest. I must sit on the eggs. I must not go to scratch in the sand. Fred will bring me corn. He will bring me water, too. What do I hear? Peep, peep. Where can it be? In the eggs? 'Yes, in the white eggs. Little chicks in the shells. Only think, twelve white eggs! Twelve little chicks! Chicks in the shells! My little chicks! O, I am a happy hen. I shall love my little chicks. You will love my little chicks, too. Carlo and Fred will love them. Now I am a mother hen. See my little chicks. I have twelve 62 READING LESSONS. little chicks. Twelve baby liens! See them scratch! One little chick is in the box. Can it get out ? Yes, it ^M^%W Come! Chick! chick! Come and see Ann. She has a pan. The pan is fnll of corn. See my chicks run. They run to see Ann. One little chick is black. My chicks will get on my back. They "will sit on my back. They say, "Peep, peep, peep!" Fred loves the little chicks. Carlo will not run at them. Here are my little chicks. They all ran to see Ann. Ann loves READING LESSONS. 63 my little chicks. Ann loves me, too. She will pet my little black chick. She will ^^ffi'fa-fiA/S^W take it in her hand. She will pat its little back. Ann fed my little chicks. She has some corn in her hand. She fed them from her hand. She said, " Chick, chick, chick ! Here ! chick, chick, chick ! " Twelve little chicks ran to Ann. She fed the twelve little chicks. Do the chicks love Ann? "Yes, the chicks do love Ann. They love Fred, too. Fred fed the chicks. By and by my little chicks will be as big as I am. 64 READING LESSONS. LITTLE ROBBIE. Robbie cannot get up the steps. He is such a little fellow. Millie has to help him. Robbie does not live here. He has come to see Millie. Millie will play "with him. She will let him see her rabbits. They are in a pen back of the shed. One day Robbie went to see the rabbits. He let them get out of the pen. Millie had to catch them, and put them READING LESSONS. 65 into the pen again. Robbie was glad to see the rabbits run in the grass. He did not know that he should not let them out. How old, do you think, is Robbie? How old is Millie? What are the steps made of? How many steps are there? Sarah, the cook, gave Ida three apples. They were nice large ap- ples. They were pretty red apples. Ida calls her little brother. John comes to see what his sister wants. Ida holds one apple behind her. "Which hand will you have, John? John takes the left hand. So he gets a nice large apple. He gets a pretty red apple. John thanks his sister for the apple. 66 READING LESSONS. See Emma and her doll. It is a nice doll. Can Emma put her doll to bed? "Yes, she can put her doll to bed. Yoli cannot see the bed. Emma has her doll in her lap. The doll is not "well, so Emma will put her to bed. Em- READING LESSONS. 67 ma is happy with her doll. Can the doll stand? The doll cannot stand. Emma will pat the doll. The doll has a new dress. It is a red dress. The dress is pretty. Emma has a red dress, too. Em- ma sits on the bench. She "will make a bed on the bench. She "will make it for her doll. Did yon see the apples in the tent? Yes, and I saw a little "wagon in the tent. I saw apples in the wagon. Tom will sell the apples. Will Tom sell me an apple? Yes, but yon have no cent. O yes, I have more than one cent. I have ten cents. 68 READING LESSONS. Then Tom will sell you an apple. He will sell yon a red apple. Will lie sell me an apple in the tent ? Yes, he will sell apples in the tent. Will he sell me ten apples? He "will sell you ten apples for ten cents. James is very happy. Why is he happy? He is going to see Fred. Fred has a big tent. They will play in the tent. Then they will go in the wagon. They will go to see Ben. Ben has pet rabbits. He "will let them see the rabbits. He will get grass for the rabbits. READING LESSONS. 69 James will take apples to Ben. Ben will let him feed the rab- bits. He will let him feed them "with apples. Ben and James are very quiet boys. Where are 1ST ell and Frank? They are in the tent. They are very merry. There was a log in the tent. Frank tried to stand on the log. He fell off. Then Nell tried to stand on the log. They could not stand on the log. Then they tried to jump over the log. Then Nell tried to catch Frank. 70 READING LESSONS. Look at Emma. She has Ned's dog. The sled is Emma's. It is a little red sled. It is very pretty. She has her pet doll in the sled. Emma has seven dolls. This is her baby doll. Will the dog draw the sled? See the bells on the strap. There are five bells on the strap. What is the strap for? Emma "will pat the dog. See him jump. He does not like the bells. READING LESSONS. 71 He does not like to draw the sled. The dog's name is Jap. He is white as snow. Jap is Ned's pet. Get up, Jap ! O you bad, jj ^ bad dog! You will not draw my dollie. My dollie will not' like you. I will not let you carry the basket. You are a bad dog. Do you see dollie in the sled? Dollie can see you. I must go and get Ned. He will shut you in the shed. Please be a good dog. Please draw my dollie. I will get you some bread. I will get you some milk in a pan. See 72 READING LESSONS. your pretty bells. Why don't you stand up? But all the dog said was "Bow, wow, wow." O dear! O dear! See my dear little baby doll. Stop, Jap, stop ! -- ^~^3%j$fty sled i Jap, my doll fell from the sled. You are a bad, bad dog. O my poor dollie! She has hurt her head. You have bro- ken my sled. You have hurt my dollie. Who will mend my sled ? Who will cure my dollie ? I must get Ned. Ned will get Jap. Ned ! Ned ! go and get Jap. READING LESSONS. 73 He ran with my sled. Jap ! Jap ! come back! come back! Ned, see my sled ! Jap ran with my sled. Can yon mend it for me ? No, I cannot mend it for yon. Patrick will mend it. I will send it to him. I will send it by John. John will carry it. Patrick will mend it for ten cents. Then I shall have no sled. I will lend yon my sled. Thank you, Ned, thank you. Will Patrick send me my sled? Yes, when it is mended. He will mend it soon. I will not let Jap draw it again. Jap can catch rats, but he cannot draw a sled. I will buy a big black dog to draw my sled. 74 HEADING LESSONS. See this little bird. His name is Dick. He is in the cage. Dick has yellow feathers. He lias little twinkling eyes. Dick can sing a merry song. He loves to sing. Dick is not afraid of Fannie. READING LESSONS. 75 He picks seeds from her hand. Let him out and he will hop on her head. Minnie is sick. She wet her feet and took cold. Now she must lie in bed. Fannie heard that Minnie was sick. She said to her mother, "Mam- ma, can I not take Dick to see Minnie ? " Her mother said, " Yes, my dear." So here is Fannie with. Dick. "Look at my pretty bird," said Fannie. "Oh, how cunning!" said Min- nie. "Papa, please buy me a bird like this." 76 READING LESSONS. A little bird sits on a tree. He is singing, " Cheer up, cheer up!" He is singing to his mate on the nest. I think he is a robin. Can the little girl see the robin ? No, for she is fast asleep under the tree. READING LESSONS. 77 The dog looks up at the robin. The dog will take good care of the little girl. No one shall harm her while he is near. Have you a pin, Nell ? I must pin my doll's dress. Yes, here is a pin. Thank you, Nell. My doll's dress is very thin. It is a thin white dress. I can trim it with red ribbon. I can pin a red ribbon on the dress. Then it "will look very pretty. We will play with our dolls. I will carry my doll to walk. We will -walk to the tent. We will sit in the tent. 78 READING LESSONS. Oh, what a big fish ! I would like to catch a big fish. It is a long fish. This big fish has fins. I can see two little fins, and two large fins. Some fishes have fins on their backs. "What are fins for? They are to swim with. Birds do not have fins. They have wings. Ducks have a thick skin be- tween their toes. READING LESSONS. 79 They swim with their feet. Fishes swim with fins. Birds fly with wings. Ducks swim with web-feet. Hens cannot swim. Yon do not have fins nor wings. Tour feet are not like a duck's. Can you swim ? No, I cannot swim now. I will learn "when I am a big boy. How shall you swim? I shall swim with my arms and legs. They are better than fins or "wings. Dogs and frogs swim with their legs. Cats do not like to swim. 80 READING LESSONS. Oh, see my white kitty. She is my little pet kitty. She will run to me if I call her. I like to see her lap milk. She can catch mice. She is fond of play. Her name is Pinky. She likes to sit in my lap. Her claws are sharp. She can scratch you with them. She lies on the mat. Sometimes she sleeps on the bed. See her play with the ball ! I think she is very pretty. Kitty likes me because I am so kind to her. READING LESSONS. 81 One day I went to see my auntie. There I saw a little baby sitting up in its crib. Such a little baby, with tiny fat hands, and pretty blue eyes! I patted its cheeks, and it clapped its hands. I saw a rattle in the crib. I shook the rattle, and baby laughed. Baby had ten fat little fingers. What do you think this baby liked to do ? It liked to play with its fingers. Baby was only six months old. I had some candy in my bag. I gave the baby a stick of candy. It took the candy in its fat hands and laughed again. 82 READING LESSONS. Now "what can we see ? We can see Rob with an apple. Rob has the apple in his hand. See how happy he looks. Anne has her doll. She stands by Jane. Jane has a basket in her lap. What has she in the basket? Do yon see Tab by Jane? Who is Tab? READING LESSONS. 83 Charlie sits on the grass. Rover sits by Charlie. Charlie pats Rover's back. Walter stands by Charlie. What has Walter in his hand? How many girls are there? How many boys are there? These are happy girls and boys. There is one little boy on a stump. What is his name? His name is Rob. Rob has an apple in his hand. He holds the apple in his left hand. The children look at Rob. Rob says, "Do you want my apple ? " 'Yes/' says little Anne, "I "want your apple." 84 READING LESSONS. Did you ever see a balloon ? This balloon is black and white. You can see two flags in the balloon. How many men do you see? The men can stand in the bal- loon. The men are standing in the balloon. They have bags in their hands. There is sand in the bags. Why do the men carry bags of sand? "Where do they go in the bal- loon ? READING LESSONS. 85 Why do they carry flags? "Why do they go in the balloon ? I have a little toy balloon. My balloon is red. It is filled "with air. I hold it with a long string. The little red balloon will fly away np in the air. It "will fly above the trees. It is a nice plaything. If I had a very long string, it would fly up to the clouds. I have a big kite. I hold the kite with a long string. Come and play with me. "You may take my kite. I will take the balloon. We will fly the kite and the balloon. 86 READING LESSONS. This little girl lias a cat. It is a gray cat. The cat has a hat on. It is a white hat. The girls name is Mary. The cat's name is Polly. Polly is a nice cat. She sleeps in a basket. Polly likes to catch rats.. She likes milk, too. She likes to lie on Mary's lap. Mary is a kind little girl. She is kind to Polly, READING LESSONS. 87 and calls her her doll. Mary can sing. She "will sing to Polly. Polly can sing, too. She sings "Purr, purr, purr." I am a very little girl. My name is Mary. I am four years old. I shall be five in May. Then I will go to school. I want to learn how to read and write. Do you know how to read and write ? I play with Polly. Polly is my cat's name. I put a hat on Polly's head. I say, "Sit up, Polly!" I put some milk in a cup. Then I feed Polly with a spoon. 88 READING LESSONS. See my clog on the mat. He saw my little white rabbit in the grass. He tried to catch my rabbit. Bun ran very fast. Bun ran into the tall grass. Brave ran after Bnn. He did not catch her. Once Brave ran at a little lamb. He bit the little lamb. The lamb ran to its mamma. Its mamma said, 'Baa, baa, baa." I said, " Brave ! Brave!" READING LESSONS. 89 Then Brave ran to me. Brave lapped my hand. He wanted me to pat him. I do not pat bad dogs. Brave is very kind to me. He likes to carry things for me. He will carry baskets and bags. He will draw my wagon for me. yon bad, bad dog! "Where did you get my doll? 1 left it on the mat. See how he bit it. He bit the pretty red dress. Rover, yon are a bad dog. You shall not lie on the mat. Take the doll from the dog. Go away, bad dog ! 90 READING LESSONS. Oh, see the baby rabbits ! There are three little rabbits. They are Ben's rabbits. Ben stands by the door. He has an apple in his hand. The apple is red. One rabbit is white. The "white rabbit smells the apple. Will Ben let the rabbit have the apple? *Yes, Ben READING LESSONS. 91 feeds the rabbit with apples. He has fed the baby rabbits. He has fed the hens, too. Where is Ben? He is in the shed. The rabbits and hens are in the shed. Ben fed them in the shed. Have the rabbits a bed in the shed? JSTo, their bed is under the shed. Have the hens a nest in the shed ? No, their nests are in the hen-pen. These are Ben's pets. Look at the picture. How many- hens do you see ? I see five hens. Hens lay eggs. The eggs are white as milk. One hen lays one egg in one day. Ten hens lay ten eggs in one day. One hen lays ten eggs in ten days. The eggs are in a nest. Ben hunts for the 92 READING LESSONS. eggs. It is fun to hunt for eggs. He likes the fun. One day Ben found ten eggs. Ben found the eggs in the nests. He put ten eggs in his cap. Ten white eggs were in Ben's cap. Ten black hens saw Ben run away. He ran away with the eggs. He had no cap on his head. Where was his cap? In his hands. What were in the cap? Eggs; ten eggs as white as milk. Mary is a little girl. She has a red basket. She will carry the basket. She will carry it to Ann. What has she in the basket? Will she let me see? O yes, she will let you see. READING LESSONS. 93 She lias eggs in the basket. She has ten white eggs. Where did she get the eggs? She got them in the pen. There are ten hens in the pen. Ten hens laid ten eggs. John, please tell me what you can do. I can run and hop. I can jump over a fence. I can play ball. I can fly a kite. Can you read and write? Yes, I can read and write. I can write my name. "Will you write a story for me ? Yes, I will try to "write a story for you. Please give me a nice picture. 94 READING LESSONS. Jennie lias a lamb. It is all the pet she has. Aunt Jennie sent the lamb to her. Jennie was very- glad to get the lamb. She takes care of it herself. She keeps the lamb in this pen. She gets grass in the basket for it. See, she has grass in her hand now. See the lamb smell of the grass. It will READING LESSONS. 95 eat the grass from her hand. Jennie put a little bell on its neck. The bell is on a red strap. Jennie calls her lamb Floss. Floss can run very fast. Floss likes to scamper about in the pen. Jennie "will not let Floss go out of the pen. She thinks Floss will get hurt. Floss likes the pen. It is a large pen. The lamb loves Jennie. Eddie and Jane went to see their grandmother. They rode in a large "wagon. They took a bag and a basket "with them. What do you think they had in the basket? They had cherries in the basket. The cherries "were for grandma. Grandma was very 96 READING LESSONS. glad to see them. She let them feed the hens. She let them feed the lambs, too. She had twelve lambs. One little lamb had a lame leg. Eddie called this one his pet. He got a mat for it to lie on. He carried milk to it. He patted the lamb. He let the lamb lap his hand. The lamb liked to have Eddie pet it. When Eddie went home, grandma gave him the lame lamb. Eddie was very happy to have it for his own. I found a little lamb. I found it under our shed. The lamb had a lame leg. How did it get under the shed? It crept under the shed. I carried it into the shed. READING LESSONS. 97 Little Nannie has been playing ■with, her doll. She said, "Now dollie, yon are very sleepy. Yon mnst take a nap. I will lie on the bed with yon." Bnt Nannie fell asleep before her dollie did. The dollie fell on its head. It did not cry. Wake up, Nannie, 98 READING LESSONS. and look at your poor dollie. Nannie slept a long time. She thought dollie was tired. But Nannie "was more tired than dollie. The mouse said to the cat, "Don't kill me, I am a little bit of a thing. I do no harm. I make no noise." Who bit the hole in the pantry door ? Who nibbled the bread? Who ate the pie? I must kill you, little mouse. I will carry you to my kittens. "'Bow, wow!" said the dog. The cat ran away, and left the mouse. "I "wish I were a dog," said the poor little mouse. Then the mouse crept away, and nibbled some more bread. READING LESSONS. 99 Little May has been to walk. Did she go to walk alone ? Oh, no, her sister went with her. She had a little basket on her arm. 100 READING LESSONS. What did she put in it? She put some flowers in it for her mamma. She picked them herself. May likes to walk with her sis- ter. Does she like the sheep and lambs ? Yes, she likes to see them play. They know her and they love her. May is a dear little girl. See the lambs on the bank. Two lambs are on the bank. One lamb is running to them. May does not see the lambs. She is looking this way. What does she see? I do not know. Perhaps she is looking at us. READING LESSONS. 101 Kate, see those lilies. Yes, I see them. How pretty they are! I wish I had some. I "will get you some, Kate. Oh, no, James. I am afraid you will fall into the water. I am not afraid. See ! here are five lilies. Oh, thank you. What a brave boy you are ! We must take some pretty lilies to mother and Jane. I shall tell mother how brave you are. 102 READING LESSONS. Here is a baby. A baby in a basket. The baby has a doll. Can baby talk ? Nb, baby cannot talk. Baby can crow. The little chick can crow. Baby can see the little chick. Baby can see the old hen. The hen will watch baby and the chicks. Old hen, do yon see my doll? I will give yon my doll for one little chick. READING LESSONS. 103 fly I am little Fan. *I have a big rake. I love the flowers. I give the flowers nice "water. The big girl is Rose. Rose can pick the flowers. She has some flowers in the basket. See the little bird. See it fly. It is a pretty little bird. It will fly to me. It will 104 READING LESSONS. sing to me. Come to me, little bird. I love you. Please, Rose, pick me a pretty bunch of flowers for mamma. I would like a rose and a pink. Now children, tell me all the things that you see in this pic- ture. I see two little girls. Here is a basket full of flowers. There is a bird. Near the fence is a large tree. On the ground are three flower-pots. The large girl is picking flowers. The little girl is standing up. The bird is fly- ing. I see more than you do. I see bushes, leaves, twigs, branches, and grass. There is one thing more. "What is it? The bird is flying over it. Guess. READING LESSONS. 105 Oh, what a big dog ! It is a black and white dog. Do you think he is a good dog? I think he is a nice dog. See how still he stands. He likes to play with the little girls. The little girls like to play with him, too. Do you know the girls? The name of the tall girl 106 READING LESSONS. is Lucy. The girl with, her hand on the dog is Ann. Lucy put the baby on the dog's back. Will the dog hurt the baby? No, he is a kind dog. He will give her a nice ride. The baby has some flowers. They are pretty flowers. I think she got them in the fields. She will take them to her mamma. My dog's name is Nep. Some- times we call him Neptune. That is a long word. Nep is a very good dog. He can swim like a duck. One day Harry fell into the pond. Nep dashed after him. The brave dog brought Harry to land. We all love JNTep. READING LESSONS. 107 Emma has been to get some sticks. She "went to get them for her mamma. She found them on the sand. How can she carry them on her back ? She has tied them together with a string. 108 READING LESSONS. She holds one end of the string in her hand. And see ! she has sticks in her dress. She has one stick in her hand. She will carry them to her mamma. Emma has a little sister. Some- times she helps Emma pick up sticks. Emma is very kind to her sister. She is very kind to her mamma. She can get dinner for her mamma. I wish that she had a little wagon. Then she could draw the sticks home. Some- times Dick lends her his wagon. Dick lives near her home. He helps her to fill the wagon with sticks. Then he helps her to draw them home. Dick is kind to everybody. Everybody is kind to Dick. HEADING- LESSONS. 109 Here is Mary milking the cow. This is the old red cow. Her name is Brindle. Mary will fill her pail with milk. Sometimes Brindle gives the pail a kick. Then she tips the pail over and spills the milk. 110 READING LESSONS. Thomas has milked the cow in the shed- He has ten pigs in a pen. He has fed his pigs. He gives the pigs milk to drink. Mary skims the milk first. Why does Mary skim the milk ? It is a wet day. Robbie must play in the shed. He has a tin pan. He calls it his drum. He will rap on the tin pan. He has the tin pan in his lap. He has two sticks. He calls them his drum-sticks. He drums on the pan, and then he whistles a tune. Robbie has a little hatchet. He chops wood with his hatchet. Then he takes the wood into the kitchen for mamma. READING LESSONS. Ill This little girl lives near the "water. She likes to dig in the sand. She has found a pretty shell. She finds a great many pretty shells. This little girl can draw pretty pictures. She draws pictures on the pretty white 112 READING LESSONS. shells. Sometimes she draws pic- tures on the sand with a stick. The pictures do not stay on the sand. Can you tell why? She has a big black dog. She throws sticks into the "water. The dog will swim for them. He will bring them to her. I think of a "word that sounds like sat. What is it, children? Is it an animal that catches rats ? No, it is not cat. Is it what the cat catches? No, it is not rat. Is it what I do to the cat? No, it is not pat. Is it "what I wear on my head? It is not Tiat. Is it level? It is not fiat. Is it what the cat sits on? Yes, it is mat. READING LESSONS. . 113 Come, Percy, let us go down the hill to the pond. What a fine day it is ! There is a tent near the pond. In the tent there is a table. There are apples, cookies bread, and cakes on the table. Take a flag and put it on the tent. We will have dinner. Then we will play by the water. 114 READING LESSONS. Two little birds found an old hat in a garden. They got bits of hay and made a nest in the hat. The mother-bird laid four blue eggs. By and by some little birds were hatched. How happy the big birds were then I The tiny birds grew very fast. Soon they could fly. Then they made nests, but not in the old hat. They built their nests in a tree. Then they laid eggs and more birdies came. And that is the way the world gets so full of birdies. READING LESSONS. 115 What is the matter, Harry ? Oh dear! the bees sting me. What did you do to the bees? I put a long stick into the hive. That made the bees very angry. Go away, you bad bees. Go away, you bad boy, I say. Why did you meddle with the bees? Your mother told you not to meddle with them. You did not mind your mother. Now the bees sting you. Oh! what shall I do? What shall I do ? Run away as fast as you can. 116 READING LESSONS. ^Z Oh, -see the dishes! They are pretty dishes. We will have tea. John will fill your dish. What is in the big dish ? There is milk in the big dish. Do you like milk? Yes, I like milk. Will READING- LESSONS. 117 you fill my dish, John ? Give the doll some milk. Can the doll drink? We "will play that she can drink. She has a little dish. Drink, doll, drink. The milk in the dish is for Kit. Come Kit, and drink some nice milk. Come, little folks, come to din- ner. Come in, come in! Wash your faces. Comb your hair. Set the table. Bring up the chairs. Put dollie in the baby-chair. John, you be father. Blanche ■will be mother. Annie, Kate, and I will be company. Cut the bread. Put butter in the little dishes. Dollie, don't spill the milk. Pill my cup with tea. Thank you. 118 READING LESSONS. O, you bad, bad cat ! Ton have caught the dear little bird. Two birds were on the fence. Puss hid behind the tall grass. The little birds did not see her. She jumped upon the birds. READING LESSONS. 119 See her hang on the fence. She has a bird in her paws. Poor little bird ! yon cannot get away. See its wings. Pnss will kill and eat yon. O, yon nanghty kitty ! "Why do yon kill the birds ? 'Why do I kill birds? I will tell yon why," says Miss Pnss. " I have three little kittens at home. They are hnngry. My babies want food. My mistress does not give them milk. I kill birds for my children. Yon call me nanghty. Do yon eat chickens? Are yon nanghty?" 'O kitty! come to me and I "will give yon all the food yon want." 120 READING LESSONS. FROGS AND FISHES. My name is Frank. I live in the country. Near my house is a pond. Frogs and fishes live in the pond. Fishes swim "with their fins. Frogs swim with their legs. There are little frogs, big frogs, and speckled frogs. We call the big frogs, bull-frogs. There are logs and rocks in the pond. The frogs jump on the logs and rocks. Sometimes ten frogs sit on a long log. A big bull-frog sits on a rock. READING LESSONS. 121 Maybe that is a school. The big bull-frog is the master. The bull-frog teaches the little frogs to sing, I think. Anyway, the frogs all sing at night. The little frogs sing, "Peep, peep." The big frogs sing loud and strong. I catch the fish with a hook. I can catch the frogs with a net. I will tell you something more about frogs. I watch them in my pond. Very young frogs do not look like big frogs. They do not have legs. Young frogs have big, round heads, and long tails. 122 READING LESSONS. They have gills like a fish. John calls them pollywogs. That is a wrong name. These young frogs are tadpoles. After a long time, legs come out of the big, round head. Then the long tails drop off. ]STow they are real frogs. They can swim just as "well as when they were tadpoles. But they can jump upon logs and rocks, and all around the edges of the pond. Is not that a funny thing? Catch a tadpole with a net. Put it in a dish or tub. Fill the dish or tub with water. Then watch it as I did. And let me know "what you learn about it. READING LESSONS. 123 FOXES. My house stands at the foot of a great hill. Foxes live on the great hill. They dig holes in the ground among the rocks. These holes are their houses. They are called dens. Foxes have long bushy tails, and sharp noses. They are red, or nearly red. A fox is as big as my dog. Foxes run very fast. My brother John hunts foxes. He takes his gun, then he calls his dogs. The dogs jump up and run to him. 124 READING LESSONS. Dogs love to hunt just as well as John. Off they go to the hill to find a fox. A dog finds the track of a fox. Then all the dogs run after the fox. When John sees the fox, he kills it with his gun. If I were a fox, I would run into my den. Foxes like to hunt just as well as John. They hunt hens, geese, and ducks. One day a flock of ducks were swimming in my pond. They swim with their web-feet. A sly old fox ran down the hill to the pond. READING- LESSONS. 125 She wanted to get some supper for her little ones. The fox saw the flock of ducks in the pond. She hid in the bushes near by. Soon a fat duck swam to the land. Quick as a flash the duck was in the fox's mouth. Three little baby foxes sat by the door of their house. What "was their house ? They were very hungry. They wanted their supper. ' When will mamma come ? " said one little fox. Soon the old fox trotted home "with a fat duck in her mouth. "Here, my hungry babies, here is a fat duck for supper." 126 BEADING LESSONS. Mew, mew, says the cat. Quack, quack, says the duck. Bow wow, says the dog. Moo, says the cow. Baa, baa, says the lamb. Cluck, cluck, says the hen. Chee, chee, says the little bird. Do animals talk? The cat is black. The duck is black, too. The duck swam in the pond. Catch the dog. Jump on his back. Give the cow some hay. Pat the pretty lamb. The dog can stand on the cow's back. The black duck says quack, quack. READING LESSONS. 127 Isn't this a funny mother ? She carries her babies on her back. See them standing on her back. They are as happy as can be. One little fellow is trying to get up. Do you see how his mother is helping him? She puts her leg out for him to stand on. Then he hangs on with his tail, and climbs up with the rest of them. Seven little babies on their moth- 128 READING LESSONS. er's back. They are going to get some dinner. Their mother will catch a rabbit for dinner. Per- haps she "will catch a bird. Then they will scamper to get some. See "what sharp claws she has! She can climb and dig with these claws. She has a strong tail. She can climb a tree with her sharp claws, and hang to the limb with her tail. She stays in the hollow of a tree, by day. At night, she goes out for food. She likes rabbits very well; but she likes chickens better. Tell me some- thing more about this animal. How do the little ones stay on her back? What has she on her nose? Did you ever see an ani- mal like this one? X c /