lady who was holding a little child. Kid started and stepped back as he
looked at it. "It is the baby in the watch," he said. "This must be
where he lives and that is his mother." Some one was coming. He was
caught at last, he felt sure. He slid into a pew and crawled under the
seat and kept very still--so still, in fact, that he fell asleep. When
he awoke a light was burning in the church and its rays fell across the
picture of the mother and child in such a way that the eyes of the
mother seemed to be looking straight at Kid under the seat.
For the first time in his life he felt like crying. "I wish I had a
mother," he thought, "and I should like to have her hold me in her arms
just as that little boy's mother is holding him. I would tell her about
this watch and perhaps she would tell me how to get it back to the
lady."
Kid crept from under the seat and stood up, and coming toward him down
the aisle was a man. Kid thought he wore a queer-looking costume, and
he dodged back of the seat; but the man had seen him and there was no
use in trying to run away; besides that, Kid was not at all sure that he
wished to get away.
"Is this your house?" asked Kid, when the man came up to him.
"No, my son," he replied; "this is the house of God."
Kid's heart leaped for joy; that was the name of the One the Salvation
Army people told him about, who loved everybody and helped you.
"If you please," said Kid, "I should like to see Him."
The good man looked at Kid very earnestly, and then he said, "If you
will tell me what you wish to see Him about, I am sure I can help you."
Kid told him about the watch and that he felt sure the lady lived there,
as the baby in the big picture was very much like the picture in the
watch. "And if this is God's house," said Kid, "I thought He might be
the father and forgive me. I am very sorry that I took it."
The good man took Kid by the hand. "Come with me," he said; "you are
forgiven, I am sure."
Kid was given a good supper, and for the first time in his life he slept
in a real bed.
The next day the good man found the owner of the watch, and when she
heard Kid's story she forgave him.
Kid was placed in a school, where he learned to be a good boy, as well
as to be studious, and he soon forgot the old life. He grew to be a man
of whom any mother could have been proud. But the only mother Kid ever
knew was the mother of the little boy in the picture, which he cherishes
as a thing sacred in his life.
[Illustration: headpiece to The Shoemaker Rat]
*THE SHOEMAKER RAT*
One day a rat gnawed his way into a pantry, and after he had eaten all
he wanted he grew bold and went into the kitchen.
There the cook saw him and chased him with a broom, but, not being able
to hit him as he ran out of the door, she picked up a pair of shoes that
were standing near and threw them after him.
The rat picked them up and put them on. On his way home he met a cat.
"What have you on your feet?" he asked the rat.
"Can you not see, my dear Tom?" said the rat. "They are shoes. I am a
shoemaker, and, of course, must wear my own product."
"Make me a pair," said the cat, "and I will spare your life."
"Very well," replied the rat, "but first you must bring me some
leather."
So the cat ran away and brought back two hides.
When the rat saw the amount of leather he was struck with an idea. "My
dear Tom," he said, "I can make you a suit of clothes and a pair of
gloves as well as the shoes, and you will be the envy of all the other
cats."
Tom was delighted and told the rat to hurry and make the outfit.
The wise rat first made the gloves and covered Tom's sharp claws. Then
he made the shoes for the hind feet, and when he had that done he felt
safe.
"Now you must wait," he said; "until I get something with which I can
fasten the coat." He ran away and returned with some long, sharp
thorns.
Next the rat put the leather around Tom's body and drew it tight,
fastening it with a thorn which he pushed so that the sharp point
pricked Tom.
"What are you doing?" asked Tom, angry at being hurt; but he could not
move, the leather costume was so stiff and tight, but he grabbed at the
rat with his mouth, and caught him by the tail.
The rat ran, leaving his tail in Tom's mouth.
"I'll know you," Tom called after him. "When I am out of this suit I
will catch you and eat you."
The rat had not thought of that and he wondered what he should do, but
he was a wise old fellow, and when he reached home he called all his
brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts about him.
"I met a cat to-day," he said, "who had been to the city where all the
styles are new, and he told me that all the city rats are having their
tails cut off, so I had mine done. If you want to be in style," he told
them, "you must have your tails like mine."
"Does it hurt?" asked one.
"Not a bit," answered the sly fellow, "and you have no idea how
comfortable it is running about without a tail to look after. It is
very expensive to have it cut," he explained; "that is the only
difficult part. I had to pay twenty pieces of cheese. But I watched
while another fellow was having his cut, and I am sure I can do it as
well as the rat that did mine. And if you wish to be in style at a very
low rate I will take off your tails for five pieces of cheese each."
The rats all agreed, and ran away to get the cheese, and while they were
gone the wise rat ran for a chopping-knife.
Soon he had the tails cut and a goodly store of cheese. "Now," he said
to himself, "Tom will never know me from the other rats."
He kept his eyes open for Tom, who had called his friends to help him
out of his suit and told them to watch for a rat without a tail. But
when they saw all the tailless rats they gave up looking for one who had
put Tom into the suit of leather, and Tom, not liking to hunt any too
well, gave it up also. "But the next time I meet a rat," said Tom, "I
will catch him, no matter whether he has a tail or not."
[Illustration: headpiece to The Poppies]
*THE POPPIES*
A long distance from here, in a far Eastern country, there once lived a
very rich king. All kings are not rich, you know, but this one was, and
his jewels were the most beautiful ever seen.
But this king dearly loved all the good things of this world and gave
feasts and dances that lasted for days without any one sleeping. Of
course he could not lead such a life as that and have good health, and
at last there came a time when the king could not sleep.
At last he offered a reward to any one who could put him to sleep, no
matter how it was accomplished. He said to the one who could do this he
would give half his kingdom.
The poor king was the subject for many experiments, and when he had
almost given up hope of ever sleeping again there came a strange-looking
man to the gate of the castle. He wore a turban and a long, flowing
robe of white, and wore around his neck many chains and strings of
queer-looking beads.
"I can make the king sleep," he said, "but I must be allowed to have the
grounds of the castle to myself and the king must obey me in every way."
The king was ready to do anything, and so the strange-looking man began
his work, but before he would do anything for the king he insisted upon
having half the kingdom given into his hands, and when this was done he
set to work. No one was allowed to be near him, and the king was left
alone in the castle with him.
One morning, not long after, the king saw what looked to be a sea of
green all around the castle, but it really was a bed of green leaves,
and soon there appeared white flowers among the leaves, and then the
strange man told the king to walk among them.
Soon the king felt a drowsy feeling stealing over him, and he sat down
in the midst of the sea of green and in a few minutes he was sound
asleep.
Then the strange man began to repeat something in a sing-song tone and
wave his hands over the sleeping king. He walked among the leaves and
flowers, repeating his queer rhyme, and the leaves and flowers grew
taller and taller until the king could not be seen, and the man moved
away, still chanting:
"Poppy, poppy, flower of sleep,
Your drowsy spell around him keep,
For I can all his kingdom take
If you do not let him wake."
The poppies grew until they reached the top of the castle, and every one
who went near to look for the king fell under the spell of their strange
power until the people around gave it up and the strange man became
king; he built a new castle and the old one was forgotten.
All went well with the new king until a young man called at his castle
and asked him about the old king, and the servants told him how the
strange flowers had grown around the castle and no one could go near,
and that every one thought that the old king was dead.
The new king, when he heard that the stranger was asking for the old
king, had him driven from the castle.
"Tell your master," said the stranger to the servants, "that he will
hear from me again."
The stranger went into the woods, where there lived an old witch, and at
midnight they came out and went to the castle among the strange flowers.
The witch held her hands high over her head and waved them up and down,
saying all the time:
"Poppy, poppy, sleepy flower,
Now I have you in my power.
I would have you shorter grow
Until the sleeping one you show."
Down came the tall flowers and bushes until the young man cried out,
"Here he is," and then the flowers ceased to grow small. The witch
knelt beside the sleeping king and whispered in his ear:
"Awake, good king, 'tis break of day,
And drive the false king far away."
The king opened his eyes and looked at the witch and the young man
beside her. "What has happened?" he asked.
"I will leave you to tell him," said the witch. "The sun is up and I
must go."
"When you offered to give half your kingdom to the one who could make
you sleep," said the young man, "I set out for your castle with a box
which contained a strange flower that had the power to make people
sleep, but it had to be used with the greatest care, and I alone knew
the secret of using it, for it was given to my grandmother by an old
witch doctor.
"Before I could reach you I was overtaken by a band of robbers and the
box stolen. They made me tell what I intended doing with the flower, on
pain of death, but I did not tell the whole secret. Then they put me in
a cave and rolled a stone in front of it too heavy for me to move, and
left. I was almost dead from starvation when I was found by some
peasants, who nursed me until I was well enough to travel, when I
hurried here, only to find that one of the band of robbers had taken
your whole kingdom after putting you to sleep with the charmed flower.
"He drove me from the castle when he heard that I was asking for you,
and if it had not been for the witch who lives in the wood I should not
have been able to awaken you. She knew the secret, as she is the
daughter of the witch who gave the flower to my grandmother."
When the king heard the strange story he hurried with the young man to
the castle where the robber king lived. He was asleep when they
arrived, and the servants, who did not like their new master, ran out to
meet the old king, and when they heard what had happened they went back
to the castle and bound the robber while he slept, and when he awoke he
was so frightened that he promised to tell where the rest of his band
could be found if they would spare his life.
This they promised to do, and the country was rid of these bad men, for
they were put on a ship and made to work the rest of their lives.
The king was so grateful to the young man who rescued him that he made
him his heir, and when the king died he left him his kingdom.
[Illustration: headpiece to Little China Doll]
*LITTLE CHINA DOLL*
In a shop window sat a little China Doll. She had been in the store so
long she could not remember ever living in any other place.
Long, long ago there were other china dolls, but one by one some little
girl had carried them away and she was left alone. China Doll had black
painted hair and big, staring eyes, and her lips and cheeks were very
red. Her body was filled with sawdust and her hands and arms to the
elbow were china, as were her feet and legs to her knees.
By and by wax dolls came to the store; they had real hair, all curls,
and eyes that would open and close, and poor China Doll was set back in
the window, and after a while she was put in a box on the shelf and
taken out only once a year--at Christmas-time--when she was dusted and
put in the window again. She felt very lonely with so many stylish wax
dolls, and as she had given up hope of ever being chosen by any little
girl, she was glad when the little old lady who kept the store put her
back in the box on the shelf.
At last there came a time when the children no longer came to the store,
but went to the big city for their toys, and China Doll and the little
old store-keeper grew old together.
China Doll sat in the window all the time now, with tape and thread and
other useful things, but was the only thing little folk could want.
One day in summer a tally-ho stopped in front of the store, and a party
of young people came in. They bought a number of things and filled the
old store with their laughter. Suddenly the prettiest girl reached into
the window and took out China Doll. "Oh, you dear, quaint little doll!"
she said. "My grandmother has one just like this, girls, and I have
asked her many times to give it to me to make a French pincushion, but
she will not let me have it."
Oh, how China Doll's heart beat! Could it be true that she was going at
last? Yes, the pretty girl bought her and took her away on the
tally-ho.
The next day she dressed China Doll in the prettiest silk dress, such a
one as she had dreamed of years ago, with an overskirt and purled
sleeves. Then she made her the dearest poke-bonnet trimmed with little
roses. She also made her a pair of kid boots.
When China Doll was all dressed the pretty girl put a ribbon over her
arm, and on each end was a little bandbox. Then she stood China Doll on
her dressing-table and used the little boxes for pincushions. And there
China Doll lived a very happy life, which teaches that all things come
to those who wait.
[Illustration: headpiece to The Disorderly Girl]
*THE DISORDERLY GIRL*
Louise was just going out of the door with her sled when her mother
called to her. Louise hesitated, for she knew that her mother was
calling her to make her play-room tidy and she wanted to go coasting
with the other children.
She went back slowly and asked, "What is it, mother?"
"Your play-room must be put in order before you can go out to play," her
mother replied. "You have had plenty of time this week to do it, but
you have neglected it, and now you cannot put it off another day."
"Why can't Jane do it?" asked Louise.
"Jane will clean the room," her mother replied, "but it is your duty to
pick up the books and toys that are strewn around."
Louise pouted, but she knew that she must do as her mother said, and she
took off her hat and coat and went up to her play-room. She went in and
closed the door. It certainly was a very disorderly-looking room.
Books were on the floor and games were on the table, doll clothes were
strewn in all parts of the room.
Louise had picked up most of the things when she saw from the window her
little friend Clara passing the house. "Clara!" she called, "wait for
me, I have to put my play-room in order before I can go coasting." But
Clara would not wait.
Louise closed the window, threw herself on the couch, and began to cry,
saying she thought it was mean everybody was going coasting but her.
All at once she saw two little girls walking toward her. They looked
just like her dolls--Bella and Emily--only they were as large as
herself.
Louise tried to get up, but she was unable to move.
"Let us undress her," said Bella Doll, coming over to Louise and lifting
her by one arm.
"Yes," said Emily Doll, "and comb her hair."
Then Louise knew what had happened--she had turned into a doll and the
dolls had become little girls.
The doll girls undressed Louise and put on her nightdress, pulling it
over her head in the most careless manner, Louise thought. Then they
combed her hair, pulling it terribly.
"I wonder how she likes to have her hair pulled," said Bella Doll.
"She knows how it feels, now," said Emily.
"I think she better go out," said Bella Doll, "instead of going to bed,"
and they dressed her in a thin white dress. "Now we will take her out
in the cold; that is the way she does with us."
They fastened her clothes with pins and pushed them right through her
body, and after she was dressed they changed their minds about taking
her out and threw her on the floor and began playing games.
"I wonder if they are going to leave me here," thought Louise. "Some
one will be sure to step on me." Just then she saw a Teddy Bear lying
on his side under the couch. "Why are you under there?" Louise asked.
"The little girl who was playing with me dropped me back of the couch a
week ago," he said, "and I have been here ever since, and you will
probably remain on the floor where you are now, for she never picks up
her toys. She is a very careless girl."
Louise did not reply, for just then Emily Doll came over to the couch
for a book and pushed Louise out of the way with her foot. Bella Doll
set out a croquet set and one of the balls hit Louise on the head. Then
Emily dropped her book and said: "Come along, Bella, let us go
outdoors."
Louise watched them as they went out. "Oh, this is the way she always
leaves her room," said Teddy Bear, for he could not see from under the
couch there were two little girls, and thought it was Louise who went
out of the door. "She never thinks of us," the Teddy Bear continued,
"or how uncomfortable we may be, for she is a very careless and untidy
girl."
The door opened and Bella Doll came in. She went over to the couch for
her hat and Louise saw her foot over her head. "She will break me if
she steps on me," cried poor Louise, and she jumped up as she cried
aloud. There she was on the couch. She had been asleep. She got up
and finished her work, when suddenly she thought of the Teddy Bear, and
looked under the couch. There he was on his side just as she had seen
him in her dream. Louise picked him up and set him in a chair; then she
looked at Bella's clothes to make sure there were no pins pricking her,
and after looking at Emily also she put both of them in a comfortable
place. Her books were put on a shelf, and she resolved never again to
let her room get so untidy or to let her dolls or Teddy Bear suffer from
neglect. "Perhaps they do feel things," she said. "Anyway, I'll be
sure not to hurt them or let them be in uncomfortable positions, for I
was very miserable lying on the floor thinking I might be stepped upon."
[Illustration: headpiece to The Wise Old Gander]
*THE WISE OLD GANDER*
Once there lived a farmer who was not a good caretaker. He did not have
a house for the hens and chickens and geese and ducks, and Old Fox, who
lived in a hole over the hill, never had any trouble in getting a nice
goose or a fat hen for his supper or breakfast.
"Something must be done at once," said Madam Goose. "There will be no
one left in the whole yard if this keeps on. Why, only last night Madam
Gray Hen was carried off and she has left all those little chicks; it is
really too awful to think of."
"But what can we do?" asked Gray Goose. "The rooster does not know, for
I heard one of his family ask him, and he only said the master should
take better care of us."
"So he should," replied Madam Goose, "but he doesn't, so we must care
for ourselves unless we wish to be carried off, too. Let us go to the
gander; he may be able to help us."
"Come with us," they called to the rooster and black hen who were
talking together; "we are going to see the gander and ask him to help us
to be rid of Old Fox over the hill."
The gander stretched out his neck and blinked his eyes as he listened to
their tale of woe.
"You are right, something must be done," he said; "and you are quite
right in coming to me also. I will think over the matter and give you
my advice later."
"Later!" screamed Madam Goose. "Later there will be no need for advice;
there will be no one to give it or to advise. What we need is advice at
once, and something that will rid us of Old Fox under the hill. He is
eating the whole yard, one by one."
"Well, well," answered the gander, standing on one foot and then on the
other. "I will think over the matter for a short time and then tell you
my decision. You know, my dear madam, that great minds must have quiet
to think out important matters. Leave me, I beg of you all, for a
little while."
As soon as the gander was alone he waddled over to the pig-pen. "Mr.
Pig," he said, "I am going to ask your advice. Old Fox over the hill is
carrying off all the fowls and something must be done."
"Ugh, ugh," grunted the pig. "I can tell you what will frighten him
away. I will stay awake to-night and grunt at him; he will know better
than to linger where I am."
"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Pig," said the gander, backing away from the
pig-pen. "I will tell my friends, and I am sure they will feel safe
to-night."
"Conceited fellow," said the gander. "I guess it will take more than
his grunts to scare that foxy fellow."
Then he went to the donkey. "He isn't very wise," thought the gander,
"but sometimes those who have the least wisdom speak wisdom without
knowing it.
"Mr. Donkey, I have come to ask your advice. Old Fox is carrying off our
hens and geese. Something must be done to stop him, or soon there will
be none left."
"Quite so; quite so. I see; I see, Mr. Gander," said the donkey. "You
have come to the right place for advice. Now go back to your friends
and tell them to have no fear; I will take the matter in hand."
"But what are you going to do?" asked the gander.
"Why, my dear sir, I am going to bray at Old Fox when he comes. I am
going to bray at him, and you will see he will not stay long when he
hears my commanding voice."
"Oh, how can I ever thank you?" said the gander, walking away. "I will
tell my friends at once that you will take care of them to-night."
"Foolish old donkey," said the gander to himself. "I guess Old Fox has
heard a donkey bray before this. I'll try the cow next.
"Madam Cow, Old Fox is carrying off all the fowls, one by one, and if
something is not done at once to stop him, there will be none of us
left. What would you advise?"
"Oh, don't ask me, Mr. Gander," said the cow. "All I can do is to moo,
and Old Fox would no more mind that than the wind blowing. I wish I
were wise enough to advise you, but I am not. But if I can help you in
any way let me know."
"Thank you, Madam Cow," said the gander, waddling away. "You may hear
from me. We never can tell when we shall need the help of our friends."
The next one the gander visited was the cat.
"Can you help me, Madam Puss?" began the gander. "We fowls are all in
trouble; Old Fox carries off one or more of our number every night, and
something must be done to stop it at once."
The cat opened her mouth very wide and yawned, and the gander wondered
if he had been wise, after all, in asking her for advice in this matter.
But Puss closed her mouth with a snap and sat up.
"Of course I can help you," she said. "Did you ever see my claws?"
The gander backed away as Puss held them up to his view.
The gander confessed that he had not and Puss went on: "Well, leave it
to me to protect the barnyard; that dog Rover never seems to think about
anything but eating and sleeping. I will yowl and spit at Old Fox when
he comes to-night, and I can tell you and your friends he will not come
again."
"Thank you, thank you, Madam Puss," said the gander, running away.
"My, but that was a narrow escape for me!" said the gander. "She
positively looks awful when she opens her mouth. I seem to be getting
advice, but not the kind that will save my friends; they all feel sure
they can scare Old Fox, but not one of them will be able to; I don't
know that all of them together would--"
The gander stopped still and held up his head. "I have it," he said, "I
have the very plan; I will get them all together and each shall do his
part. I believe we can scare Old Fox away for good and all time."
The gander went to the dog and he promised to bark. "Of course, there
is no need of having the others around if I do that," said the dog.
"But bring them along if you like; every little helps."
That night the donkey, the dog, the cat, the cow, and the pig were
gathered in the barnyard; each one protested that the others were not
needed, all but the cow; she was modest, and said she would help. Then
the rooster came and offered to crow and the geese were to quack.
"Now you all must hide," said the gander, "and don't move until Old Fox
gets right in the middle of the yard; then jump up and do your worst."