Part II

Stories to Tell

I

FAIRY AND WONDER TALES

(_Adapted for Children, Three to Six Years._)

1. THE RUNAWAY PANCAKE

Once upon a time seven hungry children were standing around the

fireside, watching their mother frying a pancake for supper. “Oh, give

me a bit, mother dear, I’m so hungry,” each of the children said.

“Yes,” said the mother, “only wait till it turns, and you shall have

some.” Pancake trembled and tried to jump out of the pan, but its back

was so weak that it fell flat again on the other side. When that side

was cooked, and its back felt stronger, Pancake gave a spring, jumping

right out of the pan upon the floor, and began rolling away like a

wheel, out through the door and down the steep hill. “Stop! Stop!

Pancake!” cried the mother, running after it with the frying-pan in

one hand and the spoon in the other. “Stop! won’t you stop?” all the

children screamed; but Pancake rolled on faster and faster down the

hill. It was a funny sight to see a man, and a hen, and a rooster, and

a duck, and a goose, and a gander, all joining in the chase, trying to

catch Pancake, who slipped by them all and rolled on. At the bottom of

the hill there was a deep river. Just as Pancake rolled near it a Pig

came up and said, “Pancake, roll on my snout, and I’ll take you safely

across.” “Thank you,” said Pancake, rolling right upon Piggy’s nose.

He sat there till they reached the other side in safety. “Ouf! Ouf!”

then grunted the Pig; “what will you pay me for carrying you across?”

When Pancake said, “I haven’t anything to pay you,” the Pig threw back

his head, opened his mouth wide, and down went Pancake, saying, “I wish

I had been eaten by those poor, hungry children, rather than by this

nasty Pig!” And that was the end of Runaway Pancake.

2. THE LITTLE RED HEN

Once there was a Little Red Hen that lived, so neat and tidy, all alone

in her house in the wood. Over the hill and far away in a den in the

rocks lived a bad young Fox. He wanted to eat the Little Red Hen, but

every time he went to her home he could not get her. One morning he

took a big bag and told his mother to have the pot boiling when he got

home so they could cook the Hen for supper that night. Over the hill

he crept, trot, trot, trot, and saw Little Red Hen picking up sticks

in front of her house. The Fox quietly slipped in without being seen,

and hid behind the door. The Little Red Hen came in with her apron

full of sticks, but when she saw the Fox with his bushy tail spread

out on the floor, she became so scared she flew with a great scream to

a high beam under the roof. The tricky Fox began to whirl around and

around after his tail so fast that the Hen got so dizzy she fell to

the floor. Quickly the Fox picked her up, popped her into his bag, and

trotted off for home. Coming to a hill he thought he would stop, to

take a rest, and he put his bag on the ground. Quick as a wink the Hen

pecked a hole in the bag, jumped out, rolled a stone into the bag in

her place, flew away to her home, and locked the door. “The Little Red

Hen is heavy,” said the Fox as he started off again. As soon as he saw

his mother, he cried, “Here is the Hen for our supper. Lift the cover

off the pot, while I pop her in.” When the mother lifted the cover, the

young Fox untied the bag and gave it a shake. Pop! Splash! Splash! Into

the boiling water dropped the heavy stone. Out flew the boiling water,

splashing and scalding the young Fox and his mother to death. So the

Little Red Hen lived happily and tidily in her house after that.

3. THE GOLDEN GOOSE

Once a mother lived with her three sons in a house in the woods. One

day the mother said to the oldest son, “Go, and cut wood in the forest,

and here is a good dinner for you.” At dinnertime a queer, little old

man came up and said, “I’m so hungry. Give me some of your dinner.”

“Be off,” said the selfish boy, and he ate all his dinner by himself.

Then he began to chop down a tree, but his axe slipped and cut his

leg, and he went hobbling home without any wood. Next day the mother

said to the next boy, “Go, and cut wood in the forest, and here is a

good dinner for you.” At dinnertime the same queer little old man came

and said, “I’m so hungry. Give me some of your dinner.” “No,” said the

selfish boy, who ate all his dinner by himself. Then he began to chop

a tree, but his axe slipped and cut his foot, and he went hobbling

home without any wood. The next morning the youngest boy, Dummling,

said, “Mother, I’ll get you some wood.” His mother gave him only some

dry crusts, and he went into the woods. The same little old man came,

saying, “I’m so hungry. Give me some of your dinner.” “Yes, gladly, I

will,” said Dummling. In a moment the little old man changed the dry

bread into a rich feast, and they both ate as much as they wanted. Then

the little old man said: “You have been kind to me. Now I will do

something for you. Cut down this tree, and at the roots you will find a

Golden Goose.” Dummling quickly chopped down the tree, and in a hollow

at the roots found a Golden Goose. He picked it up and went to the

nearest stopping-place for the night, where he found three sisters who

wanted some of the golden feathers. So, when Dummling had gone to bed,

the oldest girl went in where the goose was to pluck a feather, but

she stuck fast. The second girl came in later to pluck a feather, and

she stuck fast too. Then the third sister, greedy for a feather too,

put in her hand to get one, and she stuck fast. So the three girls had

to stay with the goose all night. The next morning Dummling came in,

and, not noticing the girls were stuck fast to it, picked up the goose

and started off with it under his arm. The three girls were obliged

to follow as fast as their legs could carry them down the street. A

minister seeing the strange sight called out, “Shame! following a man

like that! Let go!” But as soon as he touched them he stuck fast and

had to follow. Then a policeman ran up, saying to the minister, “For

shame! following girls like that! Let go!” And as soon as he touched

them he stuck fast and had to follow. It was a funny sight to see these

five trudging behind one another. “Help! Help!” cried the policeman.

Then two men going to work with picks and spades ran up, but as soon as

they touched them they stuck fast and had to follow. So these seven,

all in line, treading on one another’s heels, followed Dummling and

his Golden Goose until they reached the gates of the city in which a

King lived who had a daughter so very serious that no one could ever

make her laugh. The King had promised that whoever could make her

smile should have her for a wife, and should be the King’s son. When

Dummling heard that he went at once near the palace window, and when

the Princess looked out and saw such a comical sight she burst into a

hearty laugh. So Dummling became the King’s son, and lived with the

Princess and his Golden Goose, happy ever afterward.

4. DIAMONDS AND TOADS

Once there was a mother who lived with her two daughters in a house

in the woods. The elder daughter was very proud and disagreeable; the

younger one was kind, sweet-tempered, and beautiful. The mother was

very fond of the elder daughter because she was more like herself, and

she disliked the younger one and made her work hard all the time in the

kitchen and go twice a day to carry water in a pitcher from the spring

in the woods two miles from home.

One day, when this younger daughter was at the spring, a poor old woman

came to her and asked her for a drink. “Yes,” said the kind, obliging

girl, and she gave her a cool, refreshing drink from her pitcher. The

woman said: “As you have been kind to me, I will give you this gift. At

every word you speak a jewel or a flower shall come from your mouth.”

When she reached home her mother scolded her for being gone so long. “I

beg your pardon, mother dear,” she said, “for not being quicker.” And

as she spoke, out of her mouth dropped two diamonds, two pearls, and

six roses. “What do I see?” exclaimed her mother. When the girl told

her all, the mother said: “I must send my dearest daughter to receive

this gift too. Come, Fanny, see what comes out of your sister’s mouth

when she speaks. All you have to do to get the same gift is to go and

give the poor old woman a drink from the pitcher.” “I won’t go,” said

the ugly-tempered girl; “let sister give me some of her jewels. She

does not need them all.” At last her mother persuaded her to go, and

she went grumbling all the way. When she reached the spring she saw,

not the poor old woman her sister had met, but a beautiful lady, who

asked her for a drink. It was the fairy changed from the old woman

into a princess. “I did not come out to give _you_ a drink,” said the

selfish girl; “you can get water from the spring as well as I.” “You

are not very polite,” said the fairy; “since you are so rude and unkind

I give you this gift: At every word you speak, toads and snakes shall

come out of your mouth.” The girl ran home, and as soon as she spoke

to her mother two snakes and two frogs fell from her mouth. “What is

this I see?” cried her mother. The girl tried to tell, but at every

word toads and snakes dropped from her lips. And so it was forever

after--jewels and flowers fell from the kind girl’s mouth, but only

toads and snakes fell from the mouth of the girl who was rude and

unkind.--_Charles Perrault._

5. THE FROG KING

Once there was a king who had a little daughter so beautiful that the

sun had never seen any one so beautiful. Close by the palace there

was a dark wood, and underneath a large tree was a well. One day the

little Princess sat by this well, tossing her golden ball into the air

until at last it fell into the water. She began to cry bitterly. A Frog

peeped out of the water and said, “What will you give me, King’s Little

Daughter, if I get your ball for you?” “I will give you anything,” she

said, “my pearls, my jewels, my golden crown.” “If you will let me be

your playmate and sit by your side at table, and eat out of your golden

plate, and sleep in your little snow-white bed, I will bring your ball

to you again.” “I promise all,” she said, thinking that a Frog could

not live with people. In a moment the Frog plunged into the water head

foremost, caught the ball, and swam back with it in his mouth and

threw it on the grass to her. She picked up her pretty plaything and

ran away with it, heedless of the Frog’s cry, “Wait! Wait!” She did

not listen, but ran home as fast as she could and forgot all about her

promise to the Frog.

The next day as the royal family was seated at dinner, something came

creeping, splish, splash, splish, splash, up the marble staircase.

Then a knock was heard at the door, and a voice said, “King’s Little

Daughter, open the door for me.” When she opened the door she saw the

Frog. She screamed with fright, and slammed the door in his face. When

she told her father of her promise to let the Frog be her playmate,

the King said, “What you have promised you must keep. Go, and let him

in!” She opened the door and the Frog hopped in and followed her step

by step to the chair. “Lift me up!” he cried. She did not like to do

this, but the King said, “What you have promised you must keep.” When

the Frog was on the chair, he wanted to be on the table and eat out of

the golden plate, and when she started to go upstairs he asked her to

let him rest on her snow-white bed. She was afraid of the cold, clammy

Frog, and she began to cry again. But the King said, “What you have

promised you must keep. Ugly though he is, did he not help you when you

were in distress, and will you despise him now?” So the Princess took

hold of him with her fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a

corner. When he pleaded again to rest on her snow-white bed, she became

angry and took hold of him and threw him with all her might against the

wall. “Now will you be quiet, hateful Frog?” she said. But when he fell

to the floor suddenly he changed from a frog into a beautiful Prince

with kind and shining eyes looking at her. He told her how he had been

changed into a Frog by a very wicked fairy, and how no one but she

could get him out of the well and change him into a King’s son again,

and that when they grew older they would be married and live together

in his kingdom. The next morning when the sun was up, a carriage

appeared drawn by eight white horses, and when the King and Queen gave

their consent for the Princess to go, she was glad to be the Queen and

live in the Prince’s beautiful kingdom. But she never forgot what her

father had told her, “What you have promised you must keep.”

6. RED RIDINGHOOD

Once a sweet little girl, named Red Ridinghood, lived with her mother

in a house near a wood, and her loving Grandmother lived on the other

side of the wood. One day her mother said, “Take Grandmother this

basket of fresh eggs, butter, and cakes, for she is ill. Be sure and

not leave the main path.” The little girl said, “Yes, mother, I will

do just what you say.” Then she took the basket and went skipping and

singing happily through the wood, until she saw some beautiful flowers

a little distance from the path. “I will gather just a bunch of these

lovely flowers for Grandmother,” she said to herself; but she had not

gone far when she met a big, gray Wolf, who said, “Good morning, little

girl, where are you going?” “To my Grandmother’s,” she said. Then the

Wolf ran on before and knocked at Grandmother’s door with his paw,

“Thump! Thump!” Grandmother was better and had gone out for a walk.

So the Wolf walked in, put on Grandmother’s nightcap, and jumped into

her bed. Soon Red Ridinghood came up and knocked at the door. “Who’s

there?” said a voice, trying to speak like Grandmother. “It is your

little girl,” she said. “Come in, dear,” said the voice. When she

entered and looked in the bed, she cried out, “O Grandmother, what

big ears you have!” “The better to hear you, dear.” “What big eyes you

have!” “The better to see you, dear.” “What big arms you have!” “The

better to hug you, dear.” “What big teeth you have, Grandmother!” “The

better to eat you!” cried the Wolf, springing up. He was just about to

eat her when the door burst open and in rushed some wood-choppers who

soon killed the big, gray Wolf. Red Ridinghood ran home to her mother

as fast as she could, and said, “Oh, mother dear! it happened because I

disobeyed you, and went in that horrid path where I met the Wolf. But I

will never, never disobey again!”

[Illustration: “GOOD MORNING, LITTLE GIRL, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?“]

7. GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Three bears lived in a home of their own in the woods--one, a great,

big Bear, the Father, with a great, big voice; a middle-sized Bear,

the Mother, with a middle-sized voice; and Little Baby Bear, with a

little, wee voice. One morning, when the three bears were taking a

walk while waiting for their breakfast of milk and honey to cool, a

naughty, disobedient, runaway girl, named Goldilocks, came along and

peeped into their window. Seeing no one, she walked into the kitchen

and began to taste the breakfast. Father Bear’s was too hot; Mother

Bear’s was too cold; Baby Bear’s was just right, so she ate it all up.

Then she went into the parlor to rest, and saw three chairs. Father

Bear’s was too hard; Mother Bear’s was too soft; Baby Bear’s was just

right, so she sat on it and broke it down. Then Goldilocks went up the

narrow stairs to the bears’ bedroom. She climbed on Father Bear’s bed,

but that was too high for her; the Mother’s was too low; but the Baby

Bear’s bed was just right, so she fell fast asleep. Soon the three

hungry bears came home. Father Bear roared, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING

MY BREAKFAST AND SITTING ON MY CHAIR!” Mother Bear growled out: “_Some

one has been tasting my breakfast and sitting on my chair!_” Baby Bear

screamed, “Some one has been tasting my breakfast and eaten it all up,

and sitting in my chair and broken it down!” The bears then rushed

upstairs. “SOME ONE HAS BEEN ON MY BED!” roared Father Bear. “_Some one

has been on my bed too!_” growled Mother Bear. “Some one has been in my

bed, and here she is!” screamed Baby Bear. This awoke Goldilocks, who

was so frightened she sprang out on the other side of the bed, jumped

out of the window, and ran home as fast as she could.

8. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY[5]

Once a good King and Queen were so happy to have a little baby girl

that they gave a great feast in the palace, to which they invited

seven beautiful Fairies, each of whom brought her a rich present. But

one ugly Fairy, named Jealousy, who was angry because she was not

invited, said, “I’ll make the Princess cut her hand with a spindle,

and she shall die!” Everybody began to cry, but one good Fairy said:

“No, she shall not die, but she shall sleep for a hundred years, and

can be awakened only by a good Prince.” The King ordered all spindles

to be put away; but when the Princess was sixteen years of age an

old woman, who had not heard of the King’s command to put away all

spindles, let the young Princess spin. In a moment she had cut her

hand and fell to the ground in a deep sleep. The good Fairy flew at

once to her side and said: “She is not dead, but, as I said, she shall

sleep a hundred years, and can be awakened only by a good Prince.” They

carried the sleeping Princess home, but when the Fairy thought how

lonely she would be on awaking in a hundred years, she touched with

her wand all the maids and servants, even Mopsy, her pet dog, and all

fell asleep and were left in the great room in the palace with the

Sleeping Princess, who lay there dressed in her most beautiful, royal

garments. The King and Queen died of grief soon after, and great trees

grew up around the palace, hiding it from the world, until a hundred

years passed away. One day a Prince, rich, handsome, and good, was

hunting in this thick forest, when suddenly he saw the palace towers,

and asked an officer what the building was. When the officer told him

how the good Fairy had said a Sleeping Princess in the palace could be

awakened only by a good Prince, he determined to try and awaken her.

Quickly entering the strange palace he found the beautiful Princess,

fair as wax, sleeping on her couch, dressed in her royal garments,

which were very beautiful though so strange and old in style. There

too were the maids and servants in their queer clothes, and Mopsy, the

pet dog, sleeping at the side of the Princess. The King’s son quickly

touched one of the fair hands of the Sleeping Beauty and stooped to

kiss it, and in an instant the Princess opened her eyes wide and

smiled at him. At the same moment all the maids and servants, and even

Mopsy, awoke and looked as fresh as though they had been asleep only a

night. The servants at once, helped by the good Fairy, prepared a rich

wedding-feast in the great dining-hall. Then the good Prince took the

beautiful Princess to his own palace, where they were married in great

joy. The palace in the woods disappeared. The ugly old Fairy, Jealousy,

had died years before, but the good Fairy, whose name was Patience,

came often to visit the good Prince and his Beautiful Princess, who had

awaked from her sleep of one hundred years.

9. JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK

Once a poor widow lived alone with her boy, Jack, who was careless

and paid no attention to what his mother said. One day Jack saw her

in tears, for, she said, “We have nothing now in the world but a cow,

which we must sell to get food.” So next morning, taking the cow to

market, Jack met a butcher who showed him some wonderful beans, which

he offered to give for the cow. Jack gave him the cow for the beans,

and ran home very happy, thinking his mother would be happy too over

his good fortune. But his mother was so grieved that she threw the

beans out of the window, and both of them went supperless to bed that

night. Next morning, lo! the beans had grown so tall that the stalks

made a ladder reaching far up into the sky. Unseen by his mother, Jack

began climbing up, up, up, until he reached the top, where he saw a

strange country, and in the distance a great house. This was the castle

of a great Giant who had gone on a journey. The Giant’s wife received

Jack kindly, giving him something to eat, and when the Giant came home

she hid him in the oven. Through a crack Jack peeped and saw the Giant

eat his supper and then place a wonderful hen on the table, and every

time he said “Lay,” she laid a golden egg. When the Giant fell asleep

Jack jumped out of the oven, picked up the hen, ran off with it, and

climbed down the bean-stalk. He found his mother crying, but when Jack

put the wonderful hen on the table and said “Lay,” his mother’s eyes

grew big with surprise, and her tears dried at once. Soon they had as

many golden eggs as they wished to live on. But one day a fox ran off

with the golden hen. Again, unseen by his mother, Jack climbed the

bean-stalk. This time the wife hid him in the lumber closet when the

Giant came roaring home. Through a crack Jack peeped and saw the Giant

eat his supper and then place on the table big bags of gold and silver,

and play with them. When the Giant fell asleep, Jack jumped from the

closet, picked up the bags of money, ran off with them, climbed down

the bean-stalk like lightning, and ran home. He found his mother again

in tears, but when Jack showed her the bags of gold her surprise made

her smile again. Not long after that, again unseen by his mother, Jack

climbed up the bean-stalk. This time the wife hid him in a large kettle

when the Giant came roaring home. Lifting up the lid a little way, Jack

peeped out and saw the Giant eat his supper and then take out a magic

harp and began to play wonderful music. When he fell asleep Jack jumped

out of the kettle, picked up the magic harp, and started off with it.

But the magic harp called out “Master! Master!” so loudly that the

Giant awoke and began running after Jack. But Jack reached the top of

the bean-stalk first. He climbed down it like lightning, picked up his

axe, and chopped down the bean-stalk at its roots, making it fall over

just as the Giant began to climb down. In a moment the wicked old Giant

fell down into the garden, with a loud noise like a falling tree. And

that was the end of the Giant and the Bean-stalk. But Jack never again

caused his mother any sorrow.

10. JACK, THE GIANT-KILLER

Once a poor farmer had a good son named Jack, who was wide-awake and

always ready to help. Far up on the mountain in a great cave lived

a wicked Giant named Carmoran, who was so fierce and frightful that

everybody was afraid of him. Every time he wanted food he came down the

mountain to the valley and carried off oxen on his back, and pigs and

sheep tied around his waist. The people were in despair. One day Jack

heard the town officers say: “All the treasure the Giant has hidden in

his cave shall be given to whoever rids the land of this evil Giant!”

Jack laughed and said to them, “I will try!” So he took his horn and

pick-axe and shovel and began digging a pit, deep and broad, covering

it with sticks and straw. Then he sprinkled earth over it until the

place looked like solid ground. Then he stood on the other side of the

pit, and just at the peep of day he put his horn to his mouth and blew,

“Tan-tivy! Tan-tivy!” The old Giant awoke, rubbed his eyes and rushed

out of his cave, and seeing Jack running away, cried, “You villain,

I’ll pay you for troubling my sleep! I’ll boil you for breakfast!” Just

as he said that down he fell into the pit, and the very foundations of

the mountains trembled at his fall. “O Giant,” laughed Jack, “will no

other food suit you than sweet Jack?” Jack was not long in killing the

wicked old Giant in the pit. Then he went to the cave and brought out

all the treasure. When the town officers heard of this good deed Jack,

the farmer’s son, had done, they called him

“JACK, THE GIANT-KILLER.”

They gave him a sword and belt, and in the belt they wrote:

Here’s to the right valiant Cornishman

Who slew the Giant, Carmoran.

11. ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP

Once there was a Chinese boy named Aladdin, who was playing in the

street, when a strange-looking man called to him, “My boy, I am your

uncle! Come with me! I will give you great riches!” He took out of his

pocket a beautiful gold ring, which he gave to the boy, who walked

away with him. After a long time they came to a great stone which had

a ring to lift it up. The man lifted up the stone and showed Aladdin

a deep cave, saying to him: “At the other end of this cave there is a

door leading to a palace and a garden of fruit trees where you will

find a lamp hanging. Bring me this lamp and I will give you great

riches.” This man was not Aladdin’s uncle, but a wicked magician, who

wanted to use the boy to get this lamp for him, for it had power to

make whoever possessed it greater than any prince. Aladdin went down

into the cave and found the lamp and everything just as the man had

said. When he came back to the mouth of the cave he said, “Uncle, help

me up!” “Give me the lamp first,” said the man. “No,” said Aladdin, “I

won’t give it to you until you help me out.” That made the magician

very angry. So, uttering some magic words, he slammed the stone down

over the mouth of the cave, and poor Aladdin was shut up alone in

darkness. The disappointed boy sat a long time thinking what to do. But

suddenly when he happened to rub the ring that the magician had put

on his finger and forgotten, in an instant the Slave of the Ring, a

queer, little old man, stood before him saying he was ready to do for

him whatever he asked. “Then take me out of this cave,” said Aladdin,

and instantly he was out. He ran home and showed his mother the lamp.

“I will polish it, mother,” he said, “and then we can sell it for much

money.” No sooner had he rubbed it than the Slave of the Lamp, a great

strong Giant, stood before him, saying that he was ready to do for him

whatever he asked. “Then, bring us plenty to eat,” said Aladdin, and

instantly richest food on golden plates stood before him. Every time he

rubbed the lamp the Slave of the Lamp came and gave him everything he

asked. One day, when he became older, he fell in love with a beautiful

Princess, and he asked his mother to take several golden vases full of

rich jewels as a present to the King and beg him to let the Princess

become his wife. The King laughed at such an idea, but said: “If your

son will send me forty golden vases like these, full of the richest

jewels, he shall have the Princess.” Aladdin quickly rubbed his lamp

and asked the Slave of the Lamp to bring him forty golden vases filled

with richer jewels than the former ones. The King was so delighted with

them that he gave Aladdin the Princess to be his wife, and Aladdin

asked the Slave of the Lamp for a grander palace to live in than the

King’s. They lived very happily until one day, when Aladdin was away

hunting, a strange-looking man came near the palace calling out,

“Lamps! Lamps! Who will change old lamps for new ones?” A servant ran

to her mistress and said, “Shall I exchange this ugly old lamp I found

in the cupboard for a new one?” Without waiting for an answer she took

it and sold it to the old pedler, who was really the wicked magician in

disguise. So he got the lamp after all. Quickly he rubbed it, and when

the Slave of the Lamp appeared, he said, “Transport Aladdin’s palace

and all in it to Africa.” Instantly the palace was gone. When Aladdin

returned from hunting, the King ordered the poor fellow’s head to be

cut off at once, but Aladdin plead for forty days to find out where his

palace and Princess had gone. Then he remembered his gold ring. This

he quickly rubbed and asked the Slave of the Ring to transport him to

his palace. Instantly Aladdin was transported to Africa, and stood in

his palace before his Princess, who was in tears because of the wicked

magician. Soon after that the Slave of the Ring helped him to get back

his wonderful lamp by killing the wicked magician. Then the Slave of

the Lamp transported him back to his home with his palace and the

beautiful Princess. But Aladdin never again lost his wonderful lamp.

12. BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS

Once there were three brothers, Peter, Paul, and John. Their father

was very poor. One day, being unable to keep them longer, he told them

they must go out into the world to earn their own living. Not far from

their home lived a King, in front of whose palace-windows a great oak

grew, with branches and leaves so thick that the light was shut out of

the palace. The King had promised a great fortune to any one who would

cut the oak down. Many tried, but the strange thing was, for every chip

cut off two new chips took its place, so that the tree grew larger,

rather than smaller, and the palace grew darker. The King had promised

also to give his daughter and half his kingdom to any one who would dig

a well so that he could get pure water for his palace. Many had tried

to do this, but the rocks only grew bigger for all their digging and

shoveling. When the three brothers heard of this, each said, “I will

help the King and get the fortune, the King’s daughter and half the

kingdom.” They started off in great expectation, but they had not gone

far into the fir woods on the side of a steep hill, until they heard

some one hewing and hacking farther up the hill in the wood. “Now, I

wonder what that is?” said Jack. “Why, it’s a woodchopper, of course,”

the two brothers answered; “you are always wondering about something!”

“Still, I’d like to see,” said Jack, and up the hill he went while his

brothers sauntered on. Jack soon saw a strange sight--an axe hacking

and hewing away all by itself at the root of a great fir tree. “Good

morning,” said Jack. “So you stay here all alone and hew, do you?”

“Yes,” said the axe, “and here I’ve hewed and hacked a long, long time

waiting for you!” “Well, here I am at last,” said Jack, and he put

the axe into his bag. When he climbed down the hill and joined his

brothers they laughed at him and said, “Well, what did you see?” “The

axe that we heard,” Jack answered, but he said nothing more. Farther

on they came to a great ridge of rock which ran up the mountainside,

and far off they heard something digging and shoveling. “Now, I wonder

what that is?” said Jack. “Why, it’s a woodpecker, of course,” answered

the brothers; “you are so clever with your wonderings!” “Still, I’d

like to see,” said Jack, and up the rock he climbed while his brothers

sauntered slowly on. At the top of the rock he saw a strange sight--a

spade digging and digging away all by itself. “Good morning,” said

Jack. “So you stay here all by yourself and dig, do you?” “Yes,” said

the spade, “and here I’ve been digging a long, long time waiting for

you.” “Well, here I am at last,” said Jack, and he placed the spade

in his bag, and returned to join his brothers, who laughed and said,

“Well, what did you see?” “The spade that we heard,” said Jack. So

they went along until they came to a brook at which each drank, and

then Jack said, “I wonder now, where this water comes from?” “Why,

water rises from a spring in the earth,” laughed the brothers. “I’ve a

great mind to see where this brook starts from,” said Jack, starting

to climb up. At the tiny source of the brook Jack found a walnut, out

of which the water trickled. The walnut said, “I have trickled and

trickled here many a long day, waiting for you.” “Well, here I am at

last,” said Jack, as he filled the little hole in the walnut with moss

and placed it carefully in the bottom of his bag and ran down to meet

his brothers again. “Well, have you found out where the water comes

from?” they said. “Yes,” said Jack, “out of a hole up there.” So they

kept making fun of him, until at last they reached the King’s palace.

They found the oak bigger and the rock harder than ever, because so

many had tried in vain. The King, in discouragement and despair, had

said, “Whoever tries and fails now shall have both his ears cut off,

and he shall be placed on a desert island.” The three brothers were not

afraid. First Peter, and then Paul, tried to chop down the oak and fill

the well with water, but instead of the fortune, they got both their

ears cut off, and they were sent off to a desert island. Then Jack was

ready to try. “If you want to look like a sheared sheep with your two

ears cut off, we’re ready for you,” said the King’s servants, really

feeling sorry for the young man. But Jack took out the axe and said,

“Hew! Hew!” and soon the great oak fell with a crash and great light

shone in the palace. Then he took out the spade and said, “Dig! Dig!”

and soon the rock broke in two and the well was deeper. Then he pulled

out the walnut, took away the moss from the hole, and put the walnut in

the well, and the water trickled, trickled so fast that very soon pure

water filled the well. So Jack had felled the oak which darkened the

palace, removed the rock, and filled the well in the palace-garden with

water. Then the King gave him the great fortune, his daughter’s hand in

marriage and one-half his kingdom, as he had promised. And the axe, and

the spade, and the walnut said: “Those who have ears and will not use

them must not complain if they are removed; and are we to blame if we

help only those who are ready to use us?”

II

FABLES

(_Adapted for Children, Three to Nine Years._)

1. THE BOY AND THE NUTS

One day a selfish Boy saw a jar of nuts. He put his hand into the jar

and grasped as many as his hand could hold. As the mouth of the jar was

small he could not pull his hand out, so he became frightened and began

to cry. “I can’t get my hand out!” he whined. A boy standing near said,

“Take only half as many, and you can easily get your hand out!”

2. THE GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN EGGS

Once there was a man who had a wonderful Goose that laid for him every

day a fine golden egg. But the man wanted to get all the golden eggs at

once. So he killed the Goose and cut her open, but found she was like

all other geese. So he lost the Goose he had because he was so greedy

and impatient.

3. THE DOG IN THE MANGER

Once a hungry Cow came to a manger full of hay. But a Dog was lying

there, snarling and barking, and would not let the Cow come near the

hay. “Mr. Dog,” mooed the Cow, “How selfish you are; you cannot eat

the hay yourself, and you will let no one else have any of it.”

4. THE TOADSTOOL AND THE ACORN

In a forest a Toadstool once sprang up in a night. Early the next

morning, as soon as the first passer-by touched it with his foot, the

Toadstool fell to the earth and its life was ended. A little Acorn grew

and grew and grew during more than one hundred years, and it is still

standing strong and tall in the forest.

5. THE BOYS AND THE FROGS

One day some boys at play were throwing stones into a pond at some

frogs. At last one old Frog peeped up out of the water and said, “Boys,

why are you so cruel?” “We are only playing!” shouted the boys. The old

Frog croaked back: “It may be fun for you, but remember it is death to

us. Do to us as you would like us to do to you.”

6. THE DOVE AND THE ANT

Once a little Ant went down to the river to drink. He fell into the

water and began to drown. Just then a Dove, perched on a tree, saw

him and quickly dropped down a leaf, which served as a little boat on

which the Ant sailed safely to the shore. “Thank you,” said the Ant as

he shook his wet feet, “I shall not forget this.” Next day a Hunter

was aiming his bow and arrow straight at the Dove when the Ant bit his

foot, making the man jump, and the Dove flew away.

7. THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

A Fox who was hungry saw some large, juicy grapes on a vine high up in

a tree. “How good they will taste,” said he; “I am going to have some

of them.” Then he gave a run and leaped as high as he could, but the

grapes were still far above his head. He could not reach them no matter

how high he jumped. At last he trotted off in a rage, muttering, “I

know those are sour grapes and not worth eating.”

8. THE CROW AND THE PITCHER

Once a Crow who was very thirsty found a pitcher with a little water

at the bottom which he was unable to reach. He tried to overturn the

pitcher but it was too heavy. “Ah! Ah! I know what I’ll do,” he said.

So he gathered up pebbles from the ground, and one after another

dropped them into the pitcher until the water gradually reached the

top. Then the wise Crow was able to drink all the water he wanted.

9. THE WIND AND THE SUN

One morning the Wind said to the Sun, “I am stronger than you are.” The

Sun said, “I know I am stronger than you are.” As they were quarreling

over the question a traveler came in sight. So they agreed to decide

the matter by seeing which first could make him take off his coat. Then

the Wind began blowing, blowing as fiercely as he could. He nearly tore

off the traveler’s coat, but the man buttoned his coat up more closely

about him, and the Wind had to give up, beaten. Then the Sun, clearing

away the clouds, shot his hottest beams down on the traveler’s back,

and the man soon threw off his coat. Then the Sun said, “Wind, you make

more noise, but, you see, I am stronger.”

10. THE SHEPHERD BOY AND THE WOLF

Once there was a boy who took care of a flock of sheep near a town.

One day, when some men were working in the town, they heard the boy

call, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolves are among the lambs!” The men ran up to

him in great haste, but found no wolf among the lambs at all. The boy

had a good laugh, and said, “I only called you for a joke!” He did the

same thing two or three times. At last the wolves really came and began

carrying off the lambs. The boy cried, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolves are

carrying away the lambs!” But the men said, “He can’t fool us again!”

So they would not come, and the wolves carried off many of the lambs.

The foolish boy lost his place and found out, when too late, that a

boy who tells lies, even in fun, may not be believed when he tells the

truth.

11. THE LION AND THE FOX

Once an old Lion was sitting at the door of his den when a Rabbit came

near. “Good morning, Bunny,” said the Lion, “come in and see my nice

den.” “Thank you,” said Bun, and went in, but he did not come out

again. Soon a Dog came by. “Come in, friend Doggie,” said the Lion.

“Thank you,” said the Dog, and he went in, but he did not come out

again. By and by a Fox came along. “Good morning, Mr. Fox,” said the

Lion, “come in and see me.” “No, thank you, sir,” said the Fox, “I see

the footprints of a Rabbit and a Dog going in, but I see no footprints

pointing out.”

12. THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

One day a Hare stood laughing at the slow pace of the Tortoise,

and boasting how swiftly he could run. The Tortoise laughed back

cheerfully, “Let us race five miles, and let Mr. Fox be the judge, and

decide who beats.” So they got ready, and when the Fox said “One, two,

three, go!” off they started. The slow-going Tortoise, jogging along,

was soon left far behind by the swift-speeding Hare, who laughed at

the fun and said, “I might as well take a nap!” When the Hare awoke he

looked up and saw the Tortoise almost at the goal. Running like the

wind he reached the goal a few minutes too late. “Oh, oh, my friend,”

laughed Judge Fox, “slow and steady wins the race.”

13. ONE GOOD TRICK

Once a Cat and a Fox met in the wood. The Fox said: “I know a hundred

different tricks for getting away from hunters’ dogs. How many do you

know, Puss?” “I know only one,” said Puss, “and if that fails me I am

a dead cat!” “Poor, poor Pussy,” sighed the Fox, “I am sorry for you!”

Just then the cries of hunters and barking of dogs were heard. The

Fox ran off as fast as he could, trying this trick and that, but the

hunters’ dogs soon caught him. The Cat simply sprang up to the top of a

tree. That was her one trick, and she was safe. “I see,” said Puss, as

she saw the Fox carried off, “one good trick is better than a thousand

poor ones.”

14. THE CONCEITED GRASSHOPPER

One day a very young Grasshopper and an old Rooster met out in a

field. “I can jump higher than anybody,” chirped the Grasshopper.

“All right; let me see you do it,” said the Rooster, at the same time

opening his mouth wide as if he meant to yawn. “Here I go, then,”

cried the Grasshopper. He jumped so high he landed right in the mouth

of the Rooster, who gulped him down. That was the end of the boasting

Grasshopper.

15. THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

Six blind beggars sitting by a roadside as an Elephant passed were told

that they might touch it so that they would know what an Elephant

was like. The first one touched only the Elephant’s side and said, “He

is like a wall!” The second one felt only his tusk and said, “No, no,

he is like a spear.” The third took hold of his trunk and said, “He is

surely like a snake.” “No such thing,” cried the fourth, grasping one

of his legs, “he is like a tree.” The fifth was a tall man and took

hold of his ear, and said, “All of you are wrong, he is like a big

fan.” The sixth man happened to catch hold of his tail, and cried, “O

foolish fellows, he is not like a wall, nor a spear, nor a snake, nor a

tree, nor a fan; he is exactly like a rope.” So the Elephant passed on

while the six blind men stood there quarreling, each being sure he knew

exactly how the Elephant looked, and each calling the others hard names

because the rest did not agree with him.

[Illustration: “THOSE WHO PLAY AND DANCE ALL SUMMER MUST EXPECT TO

DANCE HUNGRY TO BED IN WINTER”]

16. THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

One warm summer day an Ant was busy gathering food and laying it up

for winter. A foolish little Grasshopper who saw him said: “Oh, you

poor slave, why do you work so hard? See how I play and enjoy myself!

Play and sing with me.” “No, no,” replied the Ant; “if I play now,

what shall I have ready for winter?” “Oh, it isn’t winter yet,” said

the idle long-legs, as he hopped off again to play. At last the cold,

bitter winter came. Then the Grasshopper went to the Ant to beg for

some food to keep from starving, but the Ant said, “Those who play and

dance all summer must expect to dance hungry to bed in winter.”

17. THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL

Once a Fox went trot, trot, trot, toward a hen-roost to catch a hen.

But the farmer had set a trap in which Mr. Fox caught his long, bushy

tail, and it came right off. As he trotted back home, ashamed to be

seen without his tail, he said: “I know what I will do; I will tell

the foxes tails are ugly and useless. Let us cut them off.” So he

called all the foxes in council, but he took good care to hold his back

against a tree, so they could not see that he did not have a tail.

While he was making his speech, urging them to cut off their tails, one

little fox peeped behind the tree and cried, “Oh! Oh! he has lost his

tail!” Then another fox gave him a push, and as he ran off in shame,

all the foxes laughed, “That is why he wanted us to cut off our tails.”

18. THE BOY AND THE ECHO

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” shouted a boy in the woods one day. “Hurrah! Hurrah!”

some one shouted back. He thought it must be another boy in the woods,

and started off to find him, but no other boy was to be seen anywhere.

“Where are you?” he called out. “Where are you?” came back at once.

“You are mocking me!” he cried. “You are mocking me,” came again the

voice. “You are a goose,” the boy cried, becoming angry. “You are a

goose,” came back the same voice. The boy began to cry, and ran home

to tell his mother that a bad boy hiding in the woods called him bad

names. “Did he speak first or you?” his mother asked. When he explained

it all, his mother said: “There was only one boy there, and you were

that boy, and what you heard was your echo. If you had spoken kind

words, only kind words would have come back to you.”

19. THE CAMEL IN THE TENT

One cold night an Arab sat in his tent, and his Camel asked if he

might put his nose inside the tent to keep it warm. “Yes,” said the

kind-hearted man. Soon the Camel said, “Please let me put my neck

inside,” which his master permitted. “It will take no more room if I

put my two front feet inside too, will it?” pleaded the Camel. The

man moved a little to allow that. “May I please put my hump in too?”

begged the Camel. Then, as soon as his hump was in, the Camel walked in

altogether. The Arab began to complain, but the Camel said, “If you do

not like this small space, you can go outside yourself.” Then he gave

the Arab a push that landed him right out of his tent and stayed inside

all by himself. That was the Arab’s reward for allowing the Camel to

put his nose inside the tent.

20. THE MONKEY AND THE CATS

Two Cats who had stolen a large piece of cheese were quarreling over

dividing it. At last they decided to refer the matter to a Monkey, who

took a pair of scales and, breaking the cheese into two pieces, placed

a piece in each scale. “Let me see,” he said, taking out the heavier

piece, “this piece weighs more than the other.” Then he bit off quite a

piece and put it back on the scale, and, of course, it was lighter than

the other piece. So he took a mouthful from that side, and continued

taking from first one side and then the other, until the Cats cried,

“Hold! Hold! Give us the two pieces and we will be satisfied.” “Not so

fast,” replied the Monkey, “justice must be given,” and he continued

to nibble one piece after another. The Cats saw their cheese was

almost gone and begged for what was left. “No, no, my friends,” said

the Monkey, “what remains belongs to me for my pay!” So he crammed the

rest into his mouth and munched it in hearty enjoyment as he solemnly

dismissed the court.

21. THE LION AND THE MOUSE

One day a Lion was lying fast asleep in a thick wood, when a little

Mouse, playing “hide-and-seek,” ran over the Lion’s nose and awakened

him. As quick as a flash the Lion caught the Mouse under his paw. “O

Lion, do not eat me, please,” begged the Mouse, “I am such a little

thing. I could not make you a mouthful. Let me go and some day I will

do something to help you.” This made the Lion laugh, but he let the

Mouse scamper off. Later on this good Lion was caught in a net and

roared in distress. The Mouse heard him and ran up and said, “Now, Mr.

Lion, I will do something to help you.” “How can you?” roared the Lion.

Quickly the Mouse began to gnaw the net with his sharp little teeth. It

took a long time, but at last the Lion was free. The Mouse laughed as

he scampered away again, saying, “Little friends may help as much as

great friends. I did help you after all, you see!”

22. THE LARKS IN THE WHEAT-FIELD

Once a Lark and her little ones lived together in a nest in a field of

ripened wheat. The mother bird was afraid the reapers might come before

the young larks could fly. So every morning when she went for food she

told them to listen carefully to all they heard and tell her when she

returned. On the first evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell his

son to ask the neighbors to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no danger yet,”

said Mother Lark. The next evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell

his son to ask his uncle and cousins to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no

danger yet!” said the mother. On the third evening they said, “To-day

we heard the farmer say to his son, ‘To-morrow we will reap the wheat

ourselves!’” “Then,” cried the mother, “we must fly away at once, for

the wheat is sure to be cut now. When a man makes up his mind to do a

thing himself, it is more likely to be done.” She took her young ones

away at once, and the next day the wheat was reaped by the farmer and

his son.

23. THE MILLER AND HIS DONKEY

Once an old Miller and his son were walking along a country road behind

their Donkey, which they were driving to town to sell. On the way they

met some girls who said, “Look! What stupid people to walk instead

of riding.” Wishing to please them the old Miller put his son on the

Donkey and walked along by their side. Soon they came to some men who

shouted: “Look; what a lazy lout! Are you not ashamed to ride, while

your poor old father walks?” Wishing to please them the Miller told his

son to get down while he mounted and rode. Not long after they met some

women who cried, “Look, what a shame for that selfish old father to

ride while his son walks!” So the father, wishing again to please, took

up his son behind him. They had not gone far when they met a man who

said, “Look at that shameful sight! Why, those two strong fellows are

better able to carry that poor beast than he is to carry them.” Wishing

to please him the Miller and his son got down, tied the Donkey’s legs

together between a long pole, shouldered the load, and began carrying

the Donkey in this way along the road. When they came to the town

bridge they met a crowd of people who shouted with such laughter and

jeers at this funny sight of seeing them carrying a Donkey, that the

frightened animal kicked himself loose, and fell over the bridge into

the river and was drowned. The Miller said to his son, “By trying to

please everybody we have pleased nobody and lost our Donkey.”

24. THE PERSIAN AND HIS SONS

Once there was a Persian Ruler, who lived in a great palace with his

three sons. The father had a beautiful pearl which he decided to give

to the son which showed himself the noblest. He called the three boys

before him and asked each to tell the noblest deed he had performed

in the last month. The eldest said: “Father, as I was traveling in a

foreign land, a merchant trusted me with many valuable jewels, and he

did not count them. I might easily have kept one or two and they would

not have been missed, but I carried those jewels and delivered them all

as safely as though they had been my own.” “My son,” said the father,

“you were honest, and did a noble deed!”

“Father,” said the second son, “as I was walking in the country the

other day, I saw a child playing by a lake, and while I watched, the

child fell in and I saved the child.” “You have done your duty,” said

the father, “and you too have done a noble deed.”

“Father,” said the third boy, “as I crossed over the mountain the other

day, I saw a man who had done me a great wrong, sleeping near the edge

of a dangerous precipice. I would have walked by without a word, only

something within me called me to go back and awake him lest he fall

over the precipice and be killed. I did this, knowing all the time that

the man would not understand, and that he would be angry with me, as,

indeed, he was.”

“My son,” cried the father, “your deed was the noblest. To do good to

an enemy without hope of reward is indeed the noblest of all. The pearl

is yours!”

III

FOLK-TALES

(_Adapted for Children, Six to Twelve Years._)

1. WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMPY TAIL

One day a Bear met a Fox, who was slinking along with a string of fish

he had stolen. “Where did you get those nice fish?” said the Bear.

“That’s telling,” laughed the Fox; “but if you want to get some, go out

on the ice, cut a hole in it, and stick your tail down in the hole and

hold your tail there until you feel a bite. The longer you hold your

tail in the hole the more fish you will get. Then all at once pull your

tail out sidewise with a strong jerk.” The Bear went down to the ice

and held his tail a long, long time in the hole until it was frozen

fast in. Then he jerked it out with a side pull, and his tail snapped

short off. And people used to think that is why the Bear has a stumpy

tail.

2. WHY THE ROBIN’S BREAST IS RED

Far, far away to the North, in the bitter winter, a hunter and his

little son sat down beside their fire, watching it day and night. They

knew well that unless it was kept burning the people would freeze and

the Bear would have the Northland all to himself. But one night when

the father was ill and the boy was so tired that he fell fast asleep,

the Bear stole up quietly and poked the fire with his big, wet paws.

Thinking the fire was out, he went quickly away to his cave. But as

soon as the Bear was gone, a little gray Robin flew down and fanned

a tiny blue spark into a flame with her wings. As she did this, the

little Robin’s breast was burned red. But wherever she flew after that,

over all the woods, a fire began to burn, and the whole Northland

became full of fires, and so the Bear did not have all the North

country to himself. For a thousand years the people of the North have

had a great love for the Robin. And they tell their children this story

why the Robin’s breast became red.--_Adapted from Coates’ “Nature Myths

and Stories.”_

3. THE MAN IN THE MOON

“Go out into the forest and gather sticks for the fire,” said the

wood-cutter’s wife to her husband. “To-morrow will be Sunday, and we

have no wood to burn.” “Yes,” he said, “I will go.” He went to the

forest, but instead of getting the fire-wood, he sat by the bank of

a stream and fished all day, and late at night went home without any

wood. His wife was already asleep and did not know what he had done.

Early the next morning he crept out to the forest, intending to bring

wood before she would be astir. He cut the wood, and began carrying the

bundle of sticks on his back, when a voice behind him said, “Put the

wood down.” “I can’t,” he said, “my wife cannot cook dinner without

it.” “You will have no dinner to-day,” said the voice. “My wife will

not know I did not bring wood last night,” he said. “Put the wood down!

It is Sunday, the day when men should rest from their work.” “Sunday or

Monday,” said the man, “it is all one to me.” “Then,” said the voice,

“if you will not keep Sunday on earth, you shall keep Monday in the

heavens, and you shall carry your wood until the Judgment Day.”

The man could not tell how it was, but he felt himself being lifted

up, up, up, sticks and all, till he was in the moon. “Here you shall

stay,” said the voice. On any clear night, when you look up at the

moon, you can still see a great shadow, like an old man with wood on

his shoulder.

4. PROMETHEUS, THE GREEK FIRE-GIVER[6]

Long ago the Greek people believed that the world was ruled by many

gods. They thought Jupiter was the father, with many powerful children.

One of these was Prometheus, meaning “Forethought.” This god had a kind

heart, and longed to help the poor and unhappy men of earth who lived

in caves and holes in the rocks, hungry and cold. They ate their food

raw, like the beasts. They had no tools, nor comforts. Prometheus said:

“Poor man, how I pity him! If he only had fire, then he would be happy.

Yes, man shall have fire, even if Jupiter kills me.” So one dark night

he set out for Mount Olympus, the abode of the gods, stole a lighted

brand, hid it in his bosom, and brought it down to man. “See the gift I

bring you!” he cried. It was midwinter. Snows were deep on the ground.

Ice covered the rivers. Men were shivering in the cold and little

children were freezing. Prometheus laid wood together and touched it

with his firebrand, and lo! the first fire on earth was started! Blue

fingers were spread out to the wonderful warmth. Pinched faces smiled

in the golden glow. “Summer is come again!” they shouted. They called

Prometheus, the helper of man. But he became their teacher too. He

showed them how to cook their food, make tools, and dig metals from

the earth, and soon man was warm and happy and busy. One day Jupiter

looked down from his high throne on the topmost peak of Mount Olympus

and saw the fire-theft. In fearful anger he ordered his son, Vulcan,

the blacksmith of the gods, to seize Prometheus, carry him away to

the Caucasian Mountains, chain him fast to a huge rock, where a great

vulture tore out his liver. There Prometheus suffered for ages; but

generation after generation of men lived on earth, and died, blessing

him for the gift he had brought to them. After many centuries of woe,

Hercules found Prometheus, killed the vulture, broke the chain, and set

free the suffering god, who said, “I am glad man has the fire-gift!”

And the sight of man warming himself beside it and using it comforted

him.

5. PHAETHON’S WONDERFUL RIDE

The Greeks believed that Apollo was the god of music and of hunting,

and also of the sun. Every day, they thought, he rode through the sky

in his golden chariot, drawn by fiery horses. One day Phaethon, meaning

“the Bright and Shining One,” his son, said, “Father, let me drive

your chariot for one day.” “My son,” said Apollo, “I cannot grant your

request! ’Tis a mischief, not a gift, you ask. The road is steep and

the four fiery steeds untamed. You would grow dizzy and fall and set

the world on fire.” But Phaethon pleaded and, because he had promised,

at last Apollo ordered the Hours to harness the horses and fling wide

open the palace-gates. Phaethon took the reins and the whip in his

hands. “My son,” said Apollo, “be sure to watch the horses with the

greatest care, and do not use the whip.” At first Phaethon remembered

his father’s words and he enjoyed his ride; but soon he became reckless

and drove faster and faster until he lost his way. In trying to find

it again he drove so near the earth that immediately trees shriveled,

harvests withered, fountains dried up, cities were burned to ashes,

and even the people of the land over which he was passing were burned

black--which color the Negroes have to this day. This frightened

Phaethon so much that he whipped up his horses, and drove them so far

away that the earth turned to a sudden cold. The cries of the suffering

people rose in chorus to Jupiter, who awoke from his deep sleep, and

at once hurled his deadliest thunderbolt straight at the foolhardy

Phaethon. In a moment the dead boy fell like a shooting star into

the waters of a deep river. His intimate friend, Cycnus, continually

plunged into the river in hope of finding all the scattered pieces

of his body, until the gods changed him into a swan. And that is the

reason, the Greeks thought, why the swan is ever mournfully sailing

about, and often plunging his head into the water to continue his sad

search for Phaethon.

6. THE STORY OF THE SUNFLOWER

Clytie was a water-nymph who lived in a cave at the bottom of the sea.

She had never seen the earth or sky or stars or sun or light of day, in

her dark home, deep in the sea. One morning she floated up so far that

she reached the surface and swam to the beautiful green shore. Shaking

the water out of her waving yellow hair, she sat and watched a golden

ball which was arising out of the east. It was the sun. With wonder

and delight her eyes followed him as he mounted higher and higher. It

became noon, but Clytie never stirred. She scarcely seemed to breathe.

Soon the sun sank lower and lower toward the west, and Clytie’s eyes

still followed him with love. Then the sun sank from sight. Clytie fell

upon her face in sorrow, crying, “Oh, the miracle! shall I ever see it

again? I will not leave this spot. I will wait to see if the wonder may

not return.” So through the long night she watched, and in the white

light of dawn the great sun burst again in beauty upon the waiting eyes

of Clytie, who followed him in his course, turning her sweet, sad face,

east, south, and west as the day advanced. This she did day after day,

until at last the gods, in pity, changed her into the sunflower. But

the sunflower still follows, with upturned face, the daily journey of

the sun.

So the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close;

As the sunflower turns to her god when he sets

The same look which she turned when he rose.

7. THE GOLDEN TOUCH

Once there was a King, named Midas, who loved gold better than anything

else in the world. Every day he went down into a dark room in his

castle to play with his piles of gold, and to see them shine. One

morning, before he arose from his bed, he sighed: “I wish I had the

whole world for my treasure-room, and that it was full of gold all my

own, then I would be very happy!” Just then a voice said, “Midas, you

are a very rich man. You ought to be the happiest man in the world.” “I

am not,” said the King; “but I would be if everything I touched would

turn to gold.” “Are you sure you would not be sorry you made such a

choice?” said the voice. “How could I be sorry? I would be the happiest

man in the world!” “Very well, then,” said the voice, “you shall have

the Golden Touch.” Just then a little sunbeam came through the window

shining on his bed. He put out his hand and touched the coverlet, and

it was turned to gold. He sprang from his bed and ran about the room,

turning everything to gold. Then he dressed himself and was delighted

to find his clothes became golden garments, and his spectacles turned

to gold. Going down-stairs he went out into the garden, and kept

plucking roses which changed into beautiful, shining gold. Even the

dewdrops became little nuggets of gold. Then he went back into the

house to breakfast, and had great fun changing his daughter’s bread

and milk bowl into gold. Just then his daughter, Marygold, came into

the room crying, “Oh, my beautiful roses are all ugly and yellow and

without any fragrance.” “Don’t cry,” said her father; “let us eat.”

But as soon as he touched his breakfast, the baked potatoes, fish, and

cakes all became gold. He raised the cup of coffee to his lips. That

too turned to gold, and of course he could not drink it. He looked at

Marygold who was quietly eating her bread and milk. How he longed to

have just one taste. Seeing her father’s sad face, Marygold ran to him,

but as soon as he took her in his arms and kissed her she too became

hard, shining gold, and even her tears were little nuggets of gold.

Poor, unhappy King! His heart was sad. He threw himself on the floor

and tried to pray, but the words would not come. All at once the room

grew bright, and a voice said, “How do you like the Golden Touch?” “I

hate the very name of gold!” cried the King. “I would give all I have

just to see my daughter smile again.” “Then,” said the voice, “take a

pitcher, go to the river, jump in head first and fill the pitcher with

water; then sprinkle a few drops of it on everything you have changed

to gold. Everything will become as before.” The King quickly did all

the voice said. The first thing he did with the water was to sprinkle

Marygold, who at once opened her eyes in life again. Then he went into

the garden and changed the roses back to their natural beauty and

fragrance. Nor did he stop until he had sprinkled water on everything

he had changed to gold. Then he ate his breakfast with great joy. Only

two things were left to remind him of the Golden Touch--the sand in

the river and Marygold’s hair. As this made her more beautiful, Midas

said that was the only gold he cared for after that.--_Adapted from

Hawthorne’s “Tanglewood Tales.”_

8. SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

Once upon a time in the early days of the Christians, in the reign of

the Emperor Diocletian, there was born in the province of Cappadocia,

in Asia Minor, a beautiful baby boy, named George, who grew up to be

a brave soldier and knight. Once when he was on a pilgrimage to the

Holy Land he came to a town in the country of Libya where the people

were living in great terror because a great dragon, with poisonous

breath, had his home in a marsh outside the city walls. The monster

had devoured their sheep and oxen, and the people were forced to shut

themselves close inside their city and send out each day a sheep to

satisfy the hunger of this dreadful dragon. At last not one sheep was

left. Then the King ordered that each day two children, chosen by

lot, should be sent out to the dragon. The people obeyed the King’s

order and from day to day arose the bitter cries of parents upon whose

children the cruel lot had fallen. But one morning the lot fell upon

Cleodolinda, the beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter of the King.

He was in despair, for he loved his little daughter most tenderly.

He offered all the gold in the treasury and half his kingdom if she

should be spared. But the parents who had been obliged to sacrifice

their children insisted that the King’s daughter should be given to

the dragon, and threatened to burn the King in his palace if he did

not send her forth at once. The King pleaded for eight days longer to

bid farewell to her. Then he sent her forth weeping, and arrayed in

her royal robes, to die for her people. Walking timidly toward the

terrible monster’s den, along the path strewn thick with the bleaching

bones of her former playmates, she suddenly heard the sound of hurrying

horse’s hoofs. She looked up, and there was a beautiful young knight

in armor, on a milk-white horse, coming toward her with a gleaming

spear, ready to do battle with any enemy that might cross his path.

She cried, “Fly! fly for your life, Sir Knight!” But when he had heard

her sad story, he said: “God forbid that I should fly! I will destroy

this monster, your enemy, and deliver you through the power that lives

in all true followers of Christ.” Just then the dragon came forth,

half flying and half crawling toward them, clashing his bronze scales

with horrid noise. Cleodolinda again begged the knight to fly and

leave her to her fate. But Saint George made the sign of the cross and

rushed upon the monster. The struggle was fierce and long, for it was

hard to strike through the dragon’s bronze scales. But at last, with

a blow like that of three strong men, Saint George pinned the dragon

to the earth with his lance. Cleodolinda did not run away but, “with

folded hands and knees full truly bent,” the brave girl stood near her

champion, who said: “Touch him and see how tame he is. See, even his

poisonous breath is gone. It is the power of good over evil.” Then he

took the girl’s rich girdle, bound it round the great dragon, and gave

one end to her, telling her to lead the dragon into the city. So the

girl who had obediently gone out to the dragon expecting him to devour

her, obediently led the powerless creature over the fields he had laid

waste and over the bleaching bones of the children he had devoured,

and the meek monster followed her like a lamb toward the walls of the

city where the people were gathered in terror. Saint George called

out: “Fear not, only believe in the Christ through whose might I have

overpowered your enemy, and I will destroy the dragon before your

eyes.” Then he took his sword and smote off the dragon’s head, and all

the people hailed him as their deliverer. But Saint George bade them

give God the praise. He preached to them so earnestly that the King and

princess and all the people became Christians. He would not take the

gold the King offered him, but ordered that it be distributed among the

poor. Then he bade them all adieu and rode away to do in other lands

like noble deeds of loving service. So this champion of the weak became

the patron saint of merry England, and only the bravest knight or

soldier may wear the cross and be called a Knight of Saint George.

9. SAINT PATRICK AND THE SNAKES

If you should ever sail across the ocean to Ireland, and travel on that

Emerald Isle, you would be sure to hear many interesting stories about

the good missionary, Saint Patrick. One story which was told many years

ago by an old monk named Jocelin, is this:

Long, long ago, when Ireland was called Erin, and before Saint Patrick

came to the island, the people were troubled with a plague of demons

and reptiles. Patrick was the son of a Christian magistrate who lived

in England. In the year A. D. 411, when Patrick was fifteen, some wild

Irish raiders stole him and sold him as a slave in Ireland, where he

remained in slavery for six years tending pigs upon the mountains. When

this Christian boy, Patrick, made his escape to France, he resolved to

return to Ireland and devote himself as a missionary to the conversion

of the people. When he returned to Ireland to enter upon his mission,

he found the country stricken because of the demons and reptiles. By

means of a wondrous staff which he stretched toward heaven, and a

holy bell, Fuin Foya, which when he rang was heard throughout Erin, he

drove away the demons with howls of rage. Then, as he went about the

land preaching and doing good to all the people, he found them still

suffering with the plague of snakes and toads, which ugly reptiles he

drove westward until they reached a high rock, when, with a hissing

sound, they turned upon Saint Patrick and tried to poison him. But

the saint was armed with his melodious bell, which had been given by

the angels, and of all sounds in the world the ringing of a heavenly

bell is most terrible to a reptile, and the silvery tones of this bell

frightened the snakes and toads more than all the bells of the land

ringing together. When Saint Patrick saw these wicked serpents making

ready to sting him, and saw they all no longer obeyed his commands

and his threats, he uncovered the bell and the moment they heard the

first tinkle they rushed forward in a body to scramble up the side of

the hill and away from the sound they hated. As soon as they reached

the top they began to sway to and fro in their fright, for there, far

beneath the dark rocks, lay the blue waters of the ocean. But they

could not wait there long, for as soon as Saint Patrick came to the

summit, he made a sign for them to come near him, and, creeping and

crawling, they cowered at his feet, waiting to hear their doom. The

good Saint Patrick stood over them and, lifting his staff in his hand,

he pointed out far over the sea. “Forward, every one into the sea!”

he commanded, “and henceforth this blessed Isle of Erin shall be free

forever from your power of evil!” They lay at his feet hissing and

writhing in agony, but Saint Patrick began to uncover his bell, Fuin

Foya. As soon as they saw that, the reptiles rushed and tumbled down,

down over the steep rocks. So, hissing and howling, they plunged into

the sea and disappeared under the waves.

10. THE COYOTE AND THE INDIAN FIRE-BRINGER

One cold winter’s day, long, long ago, when the Coyote was the friend

and the counselor of the Indian, a Boy of one of the tribes was ranging

through a mountain forest with a big, gray Coyote. The poor Indians ran

naked in the snow or huddled in caves in the rocks, and were suffering

terribly in the cold. The Boy said, “I am sorry for the misery of my

people.” “I do not feel the cold,” said the Coyote. “You have a coat of

fur,” said the Boy, “and my people have not. I will hunt with you no

more until I have found a way to make my people warm in the winter’s

cold. Help me, O counselor.” The Coyote ran away, and when he came

back, after a long time, he said, “I have a way, but it’s a hard way.”

“No way is too hard,” said the Boy. So the Coyote told him they must go

to the Burning Mountain to bring fire to the people. “What is fire?”

asked the Boy. “Fire is red like a flower, yet not a flower; swift to

run in the grass and destroy, like a beast, yet not a beast; fierce and

beautiful, yet a good servant to keep one warm, if kept among stones

and fed with sticks.”

“We will get the fire,” said the Boy. So the Boy and the Coyote started

off with one hundred swift runners for the far-away Burning Mountain.

At the end of the first day’s trail they left the weakest of the

runners to wait; at the end of the second day the next stronger, and

so for each of the hundred days; and the Boy was the strongest runner

and went to the last trail with the Coyote. At last the two stood at

the foot of the Burning Mountain, from which smoke rolled out. Then

the Coyote said to the Boy, “Stay here till I bring you a brand from

the burning. Be ready for running, for I shall be faint when I reach

you, and the Fire-spirits will pursue me.” Up the mountainside he went.

He looked so slinking and so small and so mean, the Fire-spirits

laughed at him. But in the night, as the Fire-spirits were dancing

about the mountain, the Coyote stole the fire and ran with it fast away

from the Fire-spirits who, red and angry, gave chase after him, but

could not overtake him. The Boy saw him coming, like a falling star

against the mountain, with the fire in his mouth, the sparks of which

streamed out along his sides. As soon as the Coyote got near, the Boy

took the brand from his jaws and was off, like an arrow from a bent

bow, till he reached the next runner, who stood with his head bent for

running. To him he passed it, and he was off and away, and the spiteful

Fire-spirits were hot in chase. So the brand passed from hand to hand

and the Fire-spirits tore after each runner through the country, but

they came to the mountains of the snows ahead and could not pass.

Then the swift runners, one after the other bore it forward, shining

starlight in the night, glowing red in the sultry noons, pale in the

twilight, until they came safely to their own land. There they kept the

fire among the stones and fed it with sticks, as the Coyote had said,

and it kept the people warm.

Ever after, the Boy was called the Fire-bringer, and the Indians said

the Coyote still bears the mark of fire, because his flanks are singed

and yellow from the flames that streamed backward from the firebrand

that night in the long ago.--_Adapted from “The Basket Woman,” by Mary

Antrim._

IV

FAVORITES

(_Adapted for Children, Six to Twelve Years._)

1. THE UGLY DUCKLING

Once upon a time a Duck was sitting all alone on her nest watching

for her young ducklings to hatch. All at once the eggs seemed alive.

“Peep! Peep!” and one little fluffy yellow head after another looked

out. “Quack! Quack!” said the Duck, and all the ducklings quacked too,

as well as they could. But one egg still remained unhatched, and it

was the largest egg of all. “I must sit on it a little longer,” said

Mother Duck very tenderly. This she did until at last the large egg

cracked and out tumbled a large, ugly, gray Duckling. He seemed so

different from the others that the mother thought sure that he must

be a turkey, until she saw him swim in the water, just as well as her

other children. But he was not so pretty as the others, and the poor,

ugly Duckling was bitten and pecked and chased and kicked about and

made fun of by all, and even his own brothers and sisters were unkind

to him. At last he could bear it no longer, and he ran away, going on

and on until he came to a swamp where the wild geese lived. “Bang!

Bang!” went a gun in the morning, and two of the geese fell dead. In

a moment more a large, terrible dog ran up. He put his nose close to

the Duckling, showing his sharp teeth, and then “Splash! Splash!” he

went out of the water without touching him. “I am so ugly a dog will

not bite me,” the poor bird said, lying still until the gun stopped

shooting. In the evening he flew away from the swamp and came to a

hut where an old woman lived with a cat and a hen. These made so much

fun of him because he was so ugly that he flew away from them and was

very lonely and sad among the rushes all the long, cold winter until

the spring came. Then one morning he flew on and on until he came to a

large, beautiful garden where he saw three white swans moving on the

smooth water. “I will fly to them,” he said. As soon as they saw him

they swam toward him and began to stroke his neck with their beaks.

Just then he looked down into the clear water, and was surprised at his

own image. He saw himself no longer a dark, gray, ugly duckling, but

a beautiful snow-white swan like the others. Little children running

about the garden came up to throw bread and cake into the water. “Oh,

see!” cried one of the children. “There is a new one! The new one is

the prettiest!” The Swan was so happy he did not know what to do. He

was not at all proud, but he shook his beautiful feathers, stretched

his graceful, slender neck, and said: “Now, when people see me they

will be glad! I never dreamed of such happiness when I was an ugly

duckling!”--_Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen._

2. THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER

Once there were three brothers, Hans, Swartz, and Gluck, the youngest.

These three brothers owned a rich farm in a valley far up on the

mountainside. The apples that grew there were so red, the corn so

yellow, the grapes so blue, and everything was so fertile that it was

called “Treasure Valley.” On the very top of the mountain a river

shone so bright and golden when lighted by the rays of the setting

sun that people called it the “Golden River,” but its waters flowed

down on the other side of the mountain. The two older brothers were

so selfish and cruel that they were called the “Black Brothers.” They

beat their brother Gluck so cruelly one day for being kind to some one

that the West Wind punished them by blowing, blowing, blowing so hard

that everything became dry and the valley became a desert. Then the

three brothers went to live in the town, and the two oldest went from

bad to worse, until one day they said, “We have nothing left in the

world but Gluck’s Golden Pitcher.” This pitcher was a gift from his

uncle, which Gluck highly prized, but the cruel brothers ordered him,

while they were away, to put it into the melting-pot and make it into

gold spoons that they might secure money to support them. While the

melting-pot with the gold pitcher in it was warming over the hot fire,

Gluck looked out of the window and saw the sun reflecting its yellow

glow in the Golden River, far up on the mountain crest. He sighed, “How

fine it would be if only that river were really gold. We wouldn’t be

poor then!” “It wouldn’t be fine at all,” said a thin little voice from

the melting-pot. “Pour me out! Pour me out! I’m too hot,” continued the

thin little voice. It was the King of the Golden River, a queer little

dwarf, who peeped out of the melting-pot and said: “Whoever climbs to

the top of the mountain where the Golden River begins, and pours in

three drops of holy water, shall find the river turned into gold. But

whoever fails at the first trial can have no other, and will be changed

into a big black boulder.” With these words the King of the Golden

River vanished up the chimney. Just then the two brothers knocked at

the door and came in, and when they saw the golden pitcher all melted

away and vanished in smoke up the chimney, they beat poor Gluck black

and blue for his carelessness. When Gluck told them what the King of

the Golden River had said, at first they would not believe him, and

then they quarreled so terribly over which should be the first to go,

that a policeman came and Swartz was thrown into prison. Then Hans

said, “I will be the first to get the gold.” He took a bottle of water

and climbed up, up, up the mountainside until he met a dog so thirsty

that his tongue hung from his mouth. Hans gave the dog a kick and

passed on until he met a little child, who said, “I’m so thirsty.” But

Hans gave the child a slap and passed on until he met a queer little

old man, who cried, “Water! Water! I’m dying for water!” Hans spoke bad

words and passed on, drinking up all the water himself. So when he came

to the source of the Golden River he found that all his water was gone,

and he did not have even three drops to put into the river. Then, in a

rage, he threw the empty bottle into the stream, and immediately there

was great thunder and lightning, and Hans was changed into a big black

boulder.

When Hans did not return, Gluck went to work in a goldsmith’s shop

to earn money enough to get Swartz out of prison. As soon as he was

released he said, “Now I will try to get the gold.” So Swartz took a

bottle of water and climbed up, up, up the mountainside, passing the

poor, thirsty dog, the little child, and the queer little old man dying

of thirst, without so much as sharing one drop of water with them.

When he came to the source of the Golden River he found that all his

water was gone and he did not have even three drops to pour into the

river. Then, in a rage, he threw the empty bottle into the stream,

and immediately there was great thunder and lightning, and Swartz was

changed into a big black boulder beside his brother.

Gluck waited long for his brothers to return, but when they did not

come he took a bottle of water and started to climb up, up, up the

mountainside until he came to the poor thirsty dog, and the little

child, and then the queer little old man, with each of whom Gluck

kindly shared the water from his bottle, and when he reached the top

of the mountain he found he had plenty of water still in his bottle.

So he poured in three drops of his holy water into the heart of the

river, but, to his surprise, he found that the river did not change

into gold. The water began to flow down the other side of the mountain

toward Treasure Valley. He was disappointed and sad. Then the King of

the Golden River appeared again and said, “Follow the stream!” Then

he noticed, as he went down the mountainside, that everywhere the

river flowed flowers and vines and fruit trees blossomed, and soon all

Treasure Valley was one rich, beautiful garden again. Then he saw that

the river was indeed, as the King had said, a River of Gold. After that

Gluck lived in a beautiful home in Treasure Valley. His apples were

red, his corn was yellow, his grapes were blue, and everything became

prosperous again. But the hungry and thirsty were never once sent empty

away.--_Adapted from John Ruskin._

3. THE CLOUD

One hot summer morning a little Cloud rose out of the sea and floated

happily across the blue sky. Far below lay the earth, brown and dry and

desolate from drought. The little Cloud could see the poor earth-people

working and suffering in the heat, while she floated here and there

in the sky without a care. “Oh, if I could only help those people,”

said the Cloud. “If I could make their work easier and give the hungry

ones food and the thirsty ones drink! Yes, I will help, I will!”

And she began to sink softly down to the earth. As she sank lower

she remembered when she was a tiny cloud-child in the lap of Mother

Ocean she was told that if the clouds went too near the earth they

would die. Thinking of that she held herself from sinking and swayed

herself here and there in the breeze. Then she said, “Men of earth,

come what may, I will help. I will.” All at once she became so large

and wide-spread that the men of earth were afraid; the trees and the

grasses bowed themselves; a wonderful light glowed from her heart; the

sound of thunder rolled through the sky, and a love greater than words

can tell filled the Cloud. Down, down, close to earth she swept, and

gave up her life in a heavy shower of rain. That rain was the Cloud’s

generous deed, but it was her death, and it was her glory too. Over the

whole country round, as far as the rain fell, a lovely rainbow spread

its arch, and all the brightest rays of heaven made its colors. It was

the last greeting of a love so great as to sacrifice itself. Soon the

rainbow was gone, but long, long after, the men and women, saved by the

Cloud, kept her blessing in their hearts.--_Adapted from “How to Tell

Stories to Children,” Sara Cone Bryant._

4. THE GREAT STONE FACE

Far up in the mountains of New England there was a great rock in such

a position as to resemble the features of a human face. There were

the broad arch of the forehead, the eyes, the nose, and the lips. So

real was it, the Great Stone Face seemed to be alive. Happy were the

children who grew up to manhood or womanhood with this Great Stone

Face before their eyes, for the features were all so noble and their

expression like the glow of a great, warm heart, it was an education

to look at it. There was a belief among the people who lived in the

valley, that one day a boy would be born who would become the greatest

and noblest man of his times, and whose face would exactly resemble

the Great Stone Face. After a long time a boy grew up in the valley

who learned to love the sight of this image. After his day’s work was

done he would gaze up at it until he thought it seemed to notice him

and give him a smile of kindness and encouragement in response to his

look of love. Very often during those years a rumor arose that the

great man foretold for ages had at last appeared. A boy who had grown

up in the valley, had gone away and become a millionaire, returned, and

people said, “This is he!” But it proved untrue. Then a soldier, and a

statesman, and a poet arose, and people said, “This is he!” But it was

not so. Meanwhile, the boy who quietly day by day lived, and labored,

and looked up, and loved the Great Stone Face grew to manhood, becoming

more and more like it, until one day everybody saw the resemblance,

and cried, “This is he!” And it was. This good boy and young man had

gradually grown in gentleness and goodness and love until his face

became as magnetic and his influence as helpful in the valley as the

Great Stone Face.--_Adapted from Hawthorne._

5. TOM, THE CHIMNEY-SWEEP

(_Written by Canon Kingsley for his own little boy._)

Once there was a chimney-sweep, and his name was Tom. He lived in a

great city, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep. He never

washed himself, he never had been taught to say his prayers, he could

not read or write. One morning Tom and his master, Mr. Grimes, started

off to sweep some chimneys in the country. Mr. Grimes rode the donkey,

and Tom, with his brushes, walked behind. They overtook a poor old

Irish woman, trudging along with a bundle on her back. She had a shawl

on her head and a red dress. She spoke kindly to Tom, and they walked

along together until they came to a spring. The master jumped from

the donkey and dipped his head into the water, shaking his ears to

dry them. Tom said, “Master, I never saw you wash before.” “Nor will

you see me wash again, most likely. I did it for coolness, not for

cleanliness. I’d be ashamed to want washing every week or so like any

smutty collier-lad.” “I wish I might wash,” said poor little Tom. “Come

along,” said Grimes. “What do you want with washing yourself?” and he

began beating the poor boy. “Shame on you!” cried the old woman. “They

that wish to be clean, clean they will be; they that wish to be dirty,

dirty they will be. Remember!”

That day Tom swept so many chimneys that he got lost, and came down

the wrong chimney in one house, and found himself standing in a room

the like of which he had never seen before. There was a wash-stand

with a basin and soap and brushes and towels. Looking toward the bed

he held his breath, for there, under the snow-white coverlet, was the

most beautiful little girl Tom had ever seen. “Are all the people

like that when they are washed?” he thought. Then he looked at his

wrists and tried to rub off the soot, and wondered if it ever would

come off. Looking round he saw standing close to him a little, ugly,

black, ragged boy with red eyes and grinning white teeth. “Who are

you?” he said. “What does such a little black monkey want here?” But

it was himself reflected in the great mirror, the like of which also

Tom had never seen before. Tom found out then, for the first time,

that he was dirty. He burst into tears and turned to sneak up the

chimney again to hide himself, but he upset the fender and threw the

fire-irons down with a great noise. Under the window there was a great

tree, and Tom went down the tree like a cat and across the garden

toward the woods. The gardener, who was busily engaged in watering the

rose-bushes, saw him and gave chase; the milkmaid heard the noise

and followed too; and so did the groom and the plowman, and the old

Irish woman and Mr. Grimes. But Tom ran faster than all, and in the

woods he was lost from view, and all went back again. On the bank of a

river Tom sat down to rest, and was soon fast asleep and dreaming of

the little clean girl and the Irish woman who said, “They that wish

to be clean, clean they will be.” All at once he cried out, “I must

be clean! I must be clean!” He awoke and went into the water, where

he washed his feet, and suddenly he was changed into a Water-baby.

Hundreds of other Water-babies were there, laughing and singing and

shouting and romping in the clear, cool water, and all dressed in

their little bathing-suits, so clean and white. The one that had been

poor little Tom, the chimney-sweep, was the happiest and whitest among

them all. And he never forgot the old Irish woman (who was really

Queen of the Water-babies) or what she had said: “They that wish to be

clean, clean they will be; they that wish to be dirty, dirty they will

be.”--_Adapted from “The Water-babies.”_

6. WHERE LOVE IS, GOD IS

Once in a little town in Russia there was a lonely old cobbler who

lived in a cellar. There was always plenty of work for him, for he was

prompt and honest and industrious. But the cobbler was not happy, for

it seemed to him God had been unkind to him in taking away his wife

and children by death. But at last a good priest came and taught this

unhappy cobbler to read the New Testament, and then he grew happy and

contented, and changed in every way. One day as he was reading how

the Lord was treated when he was on earth, he said to himself, “And

suppose he came to me, would I treat him differently?” “Martin!”--and

a Voice seemed close to his ear. “Who’s there?” the cobbler said; but

no reply came. “Martin, Martin,” said the Voice again, “look to-morrow

on the street; I am coming!” Next morning Martin waited and waited, but

saw no stranger come near. An old soldier, whom he knew, came into his

shop out of the snow, to whom the cobbler gave a cup of tea and whom

he treated with kindness as he told him he was expecting his little

Father, Christ. Later in the day a poor widow with a little child came

into his shop out of the cold, to whom the cobbler gave warm food and

a coat and some money, as he told her how he was expecting the Lord to

come to him that day. In the late afternoon the cobbler saw from his

cellar window a poor apple-woman fighting a boy who had stolen some of

her apples. The cobbler rushed into the street and told the woman she

ought to forgive the boy as the Lord forgave us. He purchased an apple

which he gave to the boy, who, touched by the kindness, begged the

apple-woman’s pardon and kindly helped her by carrying her heavy basket

for her.

By the evening lamp-light the cobbler opened his New Testament and

was disappointed because the Christ-guest had not come. Then a Voice

whispered, “Martin! Dost thou not know me?” “Who art thou?” cried

the cobbler. “’Tis I,” cried the Voice. “Lo, ’tis I!” And forth from

the dark corner of the shop stepped the soldier, and then the widow

with the little child, and then the old apple-woman and the lad with

the apple. All smiled and vanished. But the heart of the cobbler was

glad, and he saw at the top of the Gospel page these words: “I was an

hungered and thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye

took me in.” And at the bottom of the page he read: “Inasmuch as ye

have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it

unto me.” Then the cobbler saw that the Lord had really come to him and

he had really received Him that day.--_Adapted from Count Tolstoy._

7. THE PIED PIPER

(_Written by Robert Browning, the poet, for the amusement of a friend’s

son who was ill, and to give him subjects for drawings._)

Long ago in a country far away there was a town that was troubled with

rats. These rats fought the dogs and killed the cats and bit the babies

in their cradles. They ate up all the cheese. Yes, and often a man

would find a rat’s nest in his Sunday hat. The people began to think

they would have to move out and let the rats have the town. At last the

Mayor and Council met to see if they could think of a way to get rid of

them. They had almost given up when they heard a rap at the door. “Come

in,” they said; and there stood a strange, tall, thin man, with a queer

long coat, half yellow and half red, that came down to his heels, and

a pipe upon which he played. “My friends,” said he, “I see you have a

great many rats in your town. If I can rid you of them, will you give

me a thousand guilders?” “Yes, fifty,” they cried; “only take away the

rats!” Then Pied Piper stepped out into the street and began to blow

on his pipe. Before he had played three notes, out of the houses the

rats came tumbling--great rats, small rats, lean rats, fat rats, black

rats, gray rats, brown rats, all following the Piper as if for their

very lives. Straight to the river he walked, drawing the rats after

him. In they plunged head first, and were all drowned. How the bells

rang for joy! How the people shouted! The Mayor gave orders to poke out

all the nests and fill up the holes. “First, if you please, my thousand

guilders,” said the Piper. The Mayor and Council laughed: “Now the

rats are dead, they won’t come back to life, you know. It was only a

joke we spoke. We won’t give you more than fifty guilders.” Pied Piper

threatened, but the Mayor said, “Do your worst. Blow your pipe till you

burst.” Then the Piper stepped into the street again and played three

notes, and at once all the children of the town came running, tripping,

skipping, shouting merrily after the Piper and his wonderful music.

When they reached the mountainside a great door suddenly opened and all

the children went in with the Piper--all except one poor little lame

boy who could not keep up, and came too late. And the door was shut. No

one ever heard of the Piper or the children again. But the Mayor and

Council agreed that when they owed any one anything after that they

would pay it. And these words were kept in the town where all could see

them: “Always keep your promise!”

8. DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT

Once there was a little boy named Dick Whittington, whose father and

mother died and the people who took care of him were very poor. Often

he had no breakfast or dinner. In the town where he lived Dick often

heard about London, the great city, where people said nobody was ever

hungry, nobody had to work, and the streets were paved with gold.

Dick longed to go there. So one day when a big wagon, drawn by eight

horses, all with bells on their heads, was going to London, Dick went

along. But he was disappointed to find the streets covered with dirt

instead of gold, and none would give the hungry boy even a crust of

dry bread. At night he was so cold and tired he sat down on the stone

steps of a great house and longed to be back in the town where he was

born. Next day Dick found some work to do in the kitchen of this great

house. He would have been happy there, but the cook beat him, and the

rats and mice in the garret where he slept kept him awake at night,

often running over his face. One day a gentleman gave him a penny. Dick

bought a cat, which soon drove away all the rats and mice, and then the

poor boy slept soundly every night.

Dick’s master was a rich merchant with great ships that he used to fill

with all kinds of things to send to foreign lands. Whenever a ship was

ready to sail it was his custom to call together all his servants and

ask them to send something in the ship to trade for profit. So one day

when the ship was ready, all the servants had something to send, except

Dick, who said he had nothing in the world but a cat. “Send your cat,

my lad,” said the master; “perhaps you will get something of profit for

her.” Dick, with tears in his eyes, carried poor puss down to the ship

and gave her to the captain. After the cat was gone the rats and mice

came back and the cook treated Dick so cruelly that early one morning

he ran away. He had not gone very far when he sat down on a stone to

rest, and listened to the ringing of a merry chime of bells, which

seemed to him to say:

Turn again, Whittington!

Turn again, Whittington!

Thrice Lord Mayor of London!

“If I am to be Lord Mayor of London,” said Dick, “I will go back and

let the cook scold me as much as she pleases.” Then Dick turned back

and reached the kitchen before any one missed him. Some time after

that the ship came back, and the captain said Dick’s cat had won him a

great fortune, for an African chief had bought the cat at a great price

to drive away the rats and mice from the dining-table of his palace.

Dick was cleaning pots in the kitchen when his master called him into

his office. “Mr. Whittington,” he said, “your cat has brought you more

money than I have in the whole world.” Dick was too kind to keep all

for himself. He gave presents to his master’s daughter Alice, and to

the captain, and to the sailors, and even to the cross old cook. When

he was dressed in a nice suit of clothes he looked as handsome as any

young man in London. So Dick Whittington, through his cat, became a

rich merchant, married his master’s daughter, and became three times

Lord Mayor of London.

9. THE BOY WHO HATED TREES

One night Dick was told by his father to rise early the next morning

and help set out some new trees. “I hate trees,” said Dick, “I want

to go fishing. I wish I lived in a land where there were no trees!”

Then Dick fell asleep, and in his dream he heard the queerest rustling

noise, and then a voice called out, “Here is a boy who hates trees!”

A procession of trees came toward him. The willow was weeping; the

poplar was trembling; the aspen was quaking; the pine and elm and maple

and oak were followed by the fruit trees, like the apple and pear and

cherry, while the walnut and birch and palm slowly brought up the rear.

When all was quiet the Pine began: “Here is a boy that hates trees, and

says we are of no use!” “Yes,” said the Maple, “and this morning he ate

some of my sugar.” “Yes,” said the Willow, “and he made a whistle out

of me.” “Yes,” said the Palm, “and he fanned himself with one of my

leaves.” “And he got his bicycle tire out of me, and his rubber boots

too,” said another tree. The Elm said: “I have a plan. The wind will

help us. The wind is our friend.” So the wind took Dick and hurled him

off to a great desert and dropped him down in a land where there were

no trees. Dick felt very lonely and was full of fright when he saw a

bear coming toward him in the distance, and there was no tree to climb.

How glad he was that he was mistaken and that it was not a bear coming,

but camels, with men on them. The men beckoned him to get up and ride,

which he was glad to do. Soon he saw the men bowing down and thanking

God and then waving their hands. Dick looked and saw a spot of green

grass, a spring of cool water, and one of the things he hated--a tree.

He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life. He

tumbled off the camel, ran toward the tree, and threw his arms about

it, saying, “Dear tree, dear tree!”

The next morning Dick was glad to help his father plant the trees, and

the school-teacher on Arbor Day said, “I think if good care will help

the trees, they will get it from Dick.”

10. THE PRINCE WHO HATED SPIDERS AND FLIES

A young Prince in a rage once said, “I wish all the spiders and flies

were driven out of the world!” Not long after that he had to hide at

the close of a great battle in a wood, where he fell asleep under a

tree. A soldier found him there, and was about to kill him, when a fly

tickled the Prince’s face, which awoke him, and made the soldier run

away. That same night the Prince hid himself in a cave across the mouth

of which a spider wove a web. Next morning two soldiers seeking him

were about to enter the cave when they saw the spider’s web. “He can’t

be in there,” they said, and passed on. So a hated fly and a spider,

after all, saved the Prince’s life!

11. TIRED OF BEING A LITTLE GIRL

“Oh, dear me,” sighed a little girl one fine morning, “I wish I could

be something else!” “What would you like to be?” said a little voice.

“I would like to be a rosebud,” she said. In a moment she felt her

skirts twisting about her body, and when she touched her pink dress

it was not calico but rose-leaves. She looked at her feet and they

had turned green. So she knew she was a rosebud, growing on a bush in

a garden. The wind swung her back and forth. It was so nice to be a

rosebud. Suddenly a beautiful Fairy bent over and said, “I will drink

the dew and eat the tender leaves of the rosebud for dinner.” “Don’t,

don’t,” cried the little girl, “if you do you will eat my head.” The

Fairy began to laugh. “Please, make me something else, quick,” cried

the little girl; “make me into a bird.” In a minute she was a real,

live bird hopping around among the daisies. “This is great fun,” she

cried, “but I begin to feel hungry.” “Do you?” said a little voice;

“then I’ll feed you.” In front of her stood the ugliest little man,

holding in his hand a slimy worm, which he wanted to put into her

mouth. She screamed out, “I won’t eat that worm! I’m not a real bird!

I’m a--I’m a----” Just then she awoke and found she had been dreaming

under the apple tree. Then she ran as fast as she could into the house,

and cried, “O mamma, I’d rather be a little girl than anything else.”

12. THE ELEPHANT AND THE TAILOR

One day a tailor was sitting with his feet crossed by an open window,

making some fine clothes, when an elephant, passing down to the river,

playfully put his trunk in at the window. The tailor, out of meanness,

pricked the elephant’s trunk with his sharp needle. The elephant in

pain quickly drew it back and jogged on his way to the riverside,

where, after quenching his thirst, he filled his trunk and mouth

with the muddiest water he could find, and went back to the tailor’s

window and squirted it all over him and his fine clothes, making him a

laughing-stock to all his neighbors.

13. THE LOST CAMEL

A wise man of the East once met a company of merchants who had lost

their camel in the desert. “Was the camel blind in his right eye, and

lame in his left foot?” asked the man. “Yes,” they said. “Had he lost a

front tooth?” “He had.” “And was he loaded with wheat on one side and

with honey on the other?” “Yes, yes.” “Then,” said the man, “I haven’t

seen your camel.” The merchants were angry and said: “You must have

seen him, because you know all about him. You have taken our jewels and

money from his load.” They seized the man and brought him to the judge,

who heard the story. The judge, as well as the merchants, thought the

man knew more about the camel than he wished to tell. “How did you know

the camel was blind in one eye?” asked the judge. “I knew the camel was

blind in one eye because it had eaten the grass on only one side of

the path.” “How did you know it was lame in its left leg?” “Because I

saw that the print of that foot was fainter.” “How did you know he had

lost a tooth?” “Because wherever it had grazed a small tuft of grass

was left untouched in the center of the bunch.” “But how could you tell

what its load was?” cried the merchants; “tell us that.” “The busy

ants on one side and the flies on the other showed me the camel was

loaded with wheat and honey, and I knew it had strayed because there

were no footprints before or behind.” “Go,” said the judge, “look for

your camel.” The merchants did so, and found the beast not far away.

14. THE STORY WITHOUT AN END

Once a King who never tired of hearing stories said: “If any one can

tell me a story that will last forever, I will give him my daughter and

half my kingdom, but if he fails he shall have his head cut off.” The

King’s daughter was very pretty, so many young men tried; but a week, a

month, two or three months was all they could spin out their story, and

off came their heads. At last a young man came who said, “I can tell

a story that will last forever.” The King and his daughter begged him

not to try, for they did not want to see another fine fellow lose his

head. But he insisted that he would not fail, and so began his story:

“Once upon a time a king built a high granary, and filled it with wheat

to the very top. But in building it the workmen had left a very little

hole near the ground, just large enough to let one little ant through.

So a little ant went in and carried off a grain of wheat, then another

little ant went in and carried off another grain of wheat, then another

little ant went in and carried off another grain of wheat.” Day after

day, week after week, the story-teller kept saying, “Then another

little ant went in and carried off another grain of wheat.” “Tell us

what happened after that?” pleaded the King. “O King, I must first tell

you this,” he said; and so he continued several weeks longer. At last

the King cried; “Man! Man! you will drive me wild with your ants. Take

my daughter; be my heir; rule my kingdom; but let me hear no more of

your abominable ants.” So the man married the King’s daughter, and they

lived happily. But the King never cared to hear any more stories.

V

CHRISTMAS STORIES

(_Adapted for Children, Six to Twelve Years._)

1. SAINT CHRISTOPHER

Once there was a very strong man who could carry such heavy loads that

he was called “Offero,” meaning “The Bearer.” He was very proud of his

strength and said, “I will serve only the greatest king on earth.” He

found a rich and powerful king and served him, until one day he saw

his master tremble. “Why do you tremble, O king?” he asked. “Because I

fear Satan, who is too strong for me.” “Then I will serve him,” said

Offero. He went at once and served Satan, until one day he noticed

his new master tremble before a cross, the cross on which Christ hung

to overcome the strength of Satan. Then Offero went everywhere in

search of the stronger master, Christ. He found a boy who said: “Yes,

Christ is the strongest King on earth or in heaven. But to find him

you must cross a broad river whose current is so swift that men are

drowned in trying to cross. If you serve Christ by carrying over on

your strong shoulders the weak and the little ones, you shall find the

Christ of your search on the other side.” Offero built a hut beside

the swift-flowing river, and whenever he saw a poor traveler trying

to cross the stream, he bore him on his strong shoulders. Well was

he named “The Bearer,” for he carried many across, and not one was

lost. His staff was a great palm tree which he had plucked up by the

roots. One night as he was resting in his hut he heard the cry of

a little child, calling, “Offero, will you carry me over this night?”

A weak little child stood near the river. Offero helped him on his

strong shoulders and, staff in hand, began to cross the flood. But

the wind blew furiously, the waves rose high, and there was a roaring

in his ears as if a great ocean were let loose. The weight upon his

shoulders bore him down until he feared he would sink. But he held

firmly to his strong staff and at last reached the other bank and

placed the child safely on the ground. “What have I borne?” cried

Offero; “it could not have been simply a young child, for the weight

was too great!” Just then the child suddenly changed into the form

of the strong Christ-King, who said: “Offero, as thou didst wish to

serve me, I accepted thee as my servant. Thou hast borne, not the

weight of a child, but the weight of a world. Thou shalt be called

‘Christ-Offer--the Christ-Bearer,’ and shalt serve me always. Plant

thy staff in the ground, and it shall put forth leaves and fruit.”

Christopher did so, and the dry staff flourished as the palm tree, and

was covered with clusters of fruit; but the Christ-Child had vanished

from his sight.

[Illustration: OFFERO ... BEGAN TO CROSS THE FLOOD]

2. THE FIR TREE

Far away in the forest grew a little Fir Tree. Around him stood tall

pines and firs so large that the little Fir felt very discontented,

wishing so much to be like the other trees. “If I were tall like them,”

sighed the Fir, “I would spread my branches so far the birds would

build their nests in my boughs, and when the wind blew, I should bow

grandly like them.” So unhappy was the little tree that he took no

pleasure in the warm sunshine, the birds, or the bright clouds. One day

in winter when the snow was on the ground, a little rabbit jumped right

over the little tree’s head. Oh, that made him so angry! Two years

after, the wood-cutters came and cut down several of the largest trees

and carried them away. “Where do they take these trees?” the Fir Tree

said; and a stork replied: “As I was flying here from Egypt I saw great

masts on the ships. That is what large trees become.” “Oh, how I wish I

were tall enough to be a mast and sail on the sea!” sighed the Fir Tree.

Christmastime came, and many young trees were cut down, some that were

even smaller than the Fir Tree, and men carried them away in wagons.

“Where do they take those trees?” the Fir Tree asked; and the sparrows

chirped: “We know! we know! We peeped in at the windows in the town and

saw little trees like those planted in the middle of a warm room, and

made beautiful with gilded apples, gingerbread, toys, and a hundred

lights.” “I wonder if anything like that will ever happen to me?” cried

the discontented Fir Tree; “that would be better than crossing the sea.

Oh, when will Christmas come?” The wind and air and sun and birds tried

to make the Fir Tree happy, but he only grew more discontented with

his lot. One day, just before Christmas, the wood-cutter came again,

and this time the Fir Tree was the first to be cut down and carried

off. But he could not think of happiness now, for he was sad at leaving

his home in the forest. He knew that he would never again see his dear

old friends, the trees, the bushes, the birds, and the flowers. That

morning the Fir Tree was stuck upright in a tub that stood on a rich

carpet in a splendid parlor. Some ladies came in and began to dress his

boughs with very pretty things--sugar-plums, apples, oranges, walnuts,

dolls; red, blue, and white candles; and to the top was fastened a

glittering golden star that shone as brightly as any star in the sky.

The tree looked very beautiful. “Oh,” sighed the tree, “I wish all

the candles were lighted! Will the trees of the forest come to see

me? Will the sparrows peep in at the windows? I wonder if I shall

stay pretty like this always?” At last the candles were lighted; the

folding doors opened; happy children trooped into the room shouting and

dancing with joy at the sight of the wonderful Christmas tree. Older

people came too, to look at the sight and enjoy the presents which

were taken one after the other from the tree, until all the candles

were burned low and put out and only the glittering star remained. The

happy children danced about the room with their pretty toys, and no one

cared for the tree or looked at him except the nurse, who peeped among

his branches to see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten. All night

the tree stood in darkness. In the morning the servants dragged the

tree from the tub and placed him upstairs in the dark attic, where he

stayed all winter, hidden away from sight and forgotten by every one.

In the spring the tree was carried down-stairs and taken out into the

yard. “Now I shall live again,” said the Fir Tree, and he spread out

his branches. But alas! his leaves were all withered and yellow, yet

the star of gold still hung in the top, glittering in the sunshine.

A boy seeing the star ran up and pulled it off the tree. “Look what

was sticking to this ugly old Christmas tree,” he cried, trampling on

the branches until they cracked under his feet. A few minutes later

the gardeners boy came up with an axe and chopped the tree into small

pieces and threw them into the fire. And just as he was dying, the Fir

Tree saw the little boy wearing the star on his breast and sighed,

“The night I was crowned with that beautiful golden star was the

happiest night of my life.” And he knew that night of happiness was the

longed-for Christmas Eve.--_Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen._

3. THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

Once in the sunny land of France there was a little girl named Piccola,

who lived all alone with her mother. They were very poor, and little

Piccola had no dolls or toys, and she was often hungry and cold. One

day when her mother was ill, Piccola worked hard all day trying to sell

the stockings which she knit, while her own little bare feet were blue

with cold. As Christmas drew near she said to her mother: “I wonder

what Saint Nicholas will bring me this year? I have no stocking to hang

in the fireplace, but I shall put my wooden shoe on the hearth for him.

He will not forget me, I am sure.” “Do not think of it this year, my

dear child,” replied her mother; “we should be glad if we have bread

enough to eat.” But Piccola could not believe she would be forgotten.

On Christmas Eve she put her little wooden shoe on the hearth before

the fire and went to sleep to dream of good Saint Nicholas. The poor

mother looked at the shoe and thought how disappointed the little girl

would be to find it empty in the morning, and sighed to think she had

nothing to put in it. When the morning dawned Piccola awoke and ran to

her shoe, and there in it lay something with bright eyes looking up at

her. A little swallow, cold and hungry, had flown into the chimney and

down to the room and had crept into the shoe for warmth. Piccola danced

for joy, and clasped the shivering swallow to her breast. “Look! Look!”

she said to her mother. “A Christmas gift, a gift from the good Saint

Nicholas!” and she danced again in her little bare feet. Then she fed

and warmed the little bird, and cared for it tenderly all winter long.

In the spring she opened the window for it to fly away, but it lived in

the woods near-by, and sang often at her door.--_Adapted from “Child

Life in Many Lands,” Blaisdell._

4. THE GOLDEN COBWEBS

(A story to be told by the Christmas tree)

The night before Christmas the tree was all trimmed with pop-corn, and

silver nuts, and golden apples, and oranges, and walnuts, and dolls,

and bonbons, and a hundred colored candles. It was placed safely out of

sight in a locked room where the children could not see it until the

proper time. But ever so many other little house-folks had seen it.

Pussy saw it with her great gray eyes. The house-dog saw it with his

steady brown eyes. The yellow canary saw it with his wise bright eyes.

Even the little mice had a good peek at it. But there was some one who

had not seen the Christmas tree. It was the little gray spider! The

housemother had swept and dusted and scrubbed to make everything clean

for the Christ-Child’s birthday and every spider had scampered away.

At last the little gray spider went to the Christ-Child, and said:

“All the others see the Christmas tree, dear Christ-Child, but we are

cleaned up! We like to see beautiful things too!” The Christ-Child was

sorry for the little spider, and he said, “You shall see it.” So on

Christmas morning before any of the children were awake, the spiders

came creeping, creeping, creeping down the attic stairs, along the

hall, under the door, and into the room where the Christmas tree was

standing. Oh! it was beautiful to their little eyes as they looked

upon it as much as they liked. Then father spider, mother spider, and

all the spider family went creeping, creeping, creeping up the tree

and all over its branches, and in great joy hurried back to their home

in the attic. The Christ-Child looked down to see if the tree was all

ready for the children, and oh!--it was all covered over with cobwebs!

“How badly the housewife will feel at seeing those cobwebs!” said the

Christ-Child. “I will change them into golden cobwebs for the beauty

of the Christmas tree.” So that is how the Christmas tree came to have

golden cobwebs.--_Adapted from “How to Tell Stories to Children,” by

Sara Cone Bryant._

5. THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

One cold, wintry night, two little children were sitting by the fire

when suddenly they heard a timid knock at the door. One of the children

ran quickly and opened it. Outside in the cold and darkness, they saw

a poor little boy, shivering, without shoes on his feet, and dressed

in thin, ragged clothing. “Please, may I come in and warm myself?” he

said. “Yes, indeed,” cried the children, “you shall have our place

by the fire. Come in!” The little stranger boy came in and the kind

children shared their supper with him and gave him their bed, while

they slept on the hard bench. In the night they were awakened by

strains of sweetest music, and, looking out of the window, they saw a

band of children in shining garments coming near the house. They were

playing on golden harps, and the air was full of Christmas music. Then

lo! the Stranger-child, no longer in rags, but clad in silvery light,

stood before them, and in his soft voice said: “I was cold and you

let me in. I was hungry and you fed me. I was very tired and you gave

me your nice soft bed. I am the Christ-Child who comes to bring peace

and happiness to all kind children. As you have been good to me, may

this tree every year bring rich gifts to you.” He broke a branch from

the fir tree that grew near the door and planted it in the ground,

and disappeared. But the branch grew into the Tree of Love, and every

year it bore golden fruit for the kind children.--_Adapted from Lucy

Wheelock in Bailey-Lewis, “For the Children’s Hour.”_

VI

BIBLE STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

(_Adapted for Children, Six to Twelve Years._)