cut it and sewed it with her own hands.
General Washington was so pleased that he told his soldiers to have their
flags made at once.
Soon the beautiful stars and stripes were flying all over the country.
In Philadelphia, the little house where Betsy Ross lived is still
standing.
LONGFELLOW’S ARM-CHAIR.
Near the poet Longfellow’s home there was a blacksmith shop. A beautiful
chestnut tree grew beside it and spread its branches over the shop.
Little children often looked in at the open door on their way home from
school. They liked to see the sparks fly from the anvil.
The poet Longfellow sometimes passed by the shop. He thought it was such
a pretty picture that he wrote a poem about it. He called the poem “The
Village Blacksmith.”
Longfellow loved the tree and felt sorry when it was cut down. He and the
chestnut tree had grown old together.
About that time Longfellow had a birthday. He was an old, white-haired
man.
The children wanted to show their love for him. They had the wood from
the tree made into a chair and gave their pennies to pay for it.
This gift made Longfellow very happy. He thanked the children by writing
a beautiful poem, called “From My Arm-Chair.”
THE ROAD OF THE LOVING HEART.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the beautiful poem called “Singing.” It is
in a book which he named “A Child’s Garden of Verses.”
He was sick much of the time and had to live in a warm country. His home
was far away in the South Seas on a beautiful island.
Robert Louis Stevenson built his house on a hillside among the large
forest trees. Here the flying foxes came to rest. At night great bats
flew about.
The house was three miles from the nearest town. The trees grew close and
high along the path that led to it. They used packhorses to carry things
from the town to the house.
A beautiful stream ran through the ground. Orange trees grew along the
banks. Here Robert Louis Stevenson came to bathe and swim.
Mrs. Stevenson had a garden in which grew oranges, lemons, bananas, and
breadfruit trees.
She had cows, and pigs, and chickens in the barn-yard.
Robert Louis Stevenson had a brown pony named Jack. He and Jack were
great friends and had many fine rides together.
In this warm country Robert Louis Stevenson grew so much better that he
once said,
“It is like a fairy story that I should become well and strong. I go
boating, riding, bathing, and work hard with my wood-knife in the forest.”
II
The people on the island do not look as we do. Their skin is brown. Many
bright flowers grow on the island. The women always wear flowers in their
hair.
The people loved Mr. Stevenson very dearly. When they learned that he
wrote stories, they named him Tusitala. That means The Story Writer.
Once some of the chiefs were put in prison. Robert Louis Stevenson did
not think this was right.
He went to the prison to see the chiefs and was very kind to them.
At last the chiefs were set free. They wanted to show their love for Mr.
Stevenson, so they made a road from the town to his house.
It was a hard piece of work. It took many men a long time to do it.
When the road was made the chiefs gave a great feast. All the people on
the island came to it.
These are some of the words which they put on a board beside the road,
“To show our great love for Tusitala we have made this gift. It shall
never be muddy. It shall go on forever, this road that we have dug.”
SINGING.
Of speckled eggs the birdie sings
And nests among the trees;
The sailor sings of ropes and things
In ships upon the seas.
The children sing in far Japan,
The children sing in Spain;
The organ with the organ man
Is singing in the rain.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
MARCH.
[Illustration:
O March that blusters, and March that blows,
What color under your footsteps glows!
Beauty you summon from winter snows,
And you are the pathway that leads to the rose.
CELIA THAXTER.
]
THE FOUR WINDS.
“Which is the wind that brings the cold?”
“The North wind, Freddy, and all the snow;
And the sheep will scamper into the fold,
When the North begins to blow.”
“Which is the wind that brings the heat?”
“The South wind, Katy; and corn will grow,
And peaches redden for you to eat,
When the South begins to blow.”
“Which is the wind that brings the rain?”
“The East wind, Arty; and farmers know
That cows come shivering up the lane,
When the East begins to blow.”
“Which is the wind that brings the flowers?”
“The West wind, Bessie; and soft and low
The birdies sing in the summer hours,
When the West begins to blow.”
EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN.
THE BAG OF WINDS.
Long ago there was a man named Ulysses who had been traveling for many
years.
He was sailing toward home one day when he came to the land where Æolus
lived. Æolus was king of all the winds that blow.
Sometimes he sent soft winds to fill the sails of the ships at sea.
Sometimes he sent winds that made the waters roar. Then he called them
back and the sea would become quiet again.
Ulysses and his sailors were glad to stay for a time in the land of
Æolus. They were tired of traveling so long.
When they were ready to go away, King Æolus filled their boat with food
and many gifts. One of these gifts was a large bag made of skin.
King Æolus said to Ulysses, “In this bag I have tied all the winds that
blow. If you wish to go more quickly toward home, open the bag and let
one of the winds fly out. Then tie the bag again.”
Æolus said good-by to Ulysses and sent a soft wind to carry him from the
land.
II
Day after day Ulysses sailed his boat safely over the sea. But one night
when he was asleep, his sailors wondered what was in the large bag made
of skin.
“It must be full of gold,” they said. “Let us take it.”
The sailors opened the bag and at once all the winds flew out.
How they made the waters roar around the boat! Even Ulysses could do
nothing to quiet them. For many days the boat was tossed about by the
waves.
At last the sailors saw land. They were very glad to pull the boat upon
the shore, and rest.
They did not know where they were. The winds had made the boat go far
from its path.
The sailors were sorry that they had opened the bag which King Æolus had
given Ulysses.
A long-time afterward the travelers came home. Ulysses often told the
story of his friend, King Æolus, and his gift of the Bag of Winds.
[Illustration]
THE FEAST OF DOLLS.
The Feast of Dolls is the happiest day in the year for the little girls
in Japan. It is the third day of March.
The night before, while the little girls are asleep, great boxes of dolls
are taken from the store-room.
There are all kinds,—large dolls, small dolls, girl dolls, and boy dolls.
The mothers and grandmothers of the little girls played with some of
these. Others are very much older.
On the day of the Feast of Dolls, the little girls wake up early and run
to the feast room.
Each doll must be dressed. This takes a long time, for some of the little
girls have a great many dolls.
By this time the feast is ready. The dolls cannot eat the rice cakes and
drink the tea, so their little mothers do this for them.
When the long, happy day is over, the dolls are undressed. Then they are
put away until the Feast of Dolls comes again.
THE FEAST OF FLAGS.
[Illustration]
The fifth of May is the great day for boys in Japan. It is called the
Feast of Flags.
Everywhere poles with gold paper balls on the top may be seen. Paper
flags of all colors fly from these.
The boys get up early on the day of the Feast of Flags. They go to the
room where the dolls had their feast.
Now the room is filled with flags, toy soldiers, and the games that boys
like. Their grandfathers and great-grandfathers played with some of these.
All day long the boys play at war with their soldiers. Sometimes they go
into the garden and shoot at straw soldiers.
On the morning of the Feast of Flags each father gives his son a paper
fish.
Every one in the house stands near while the boy ties this to a string.
Then they watch him raise it to the top of the pole which is set before
the house.
The wind fills out the hollow body of the fish. It pulls at the end of
the string as if it were alive.
The name of this fish is the carp. It is so strong that it can swim very
fast and even jump over waterfalls.
In America, fathers tell their sons to be brave and strong like the
eagle. But in Japan, they tell them to be brave and strong like the carp.
FRANKLIN’S KITE.
[Illustration]
A long time ago there lived a wise man named Benjamin Franklin.
People did not know much about lightning in those days. Franklin made a
kite to catch some of it.
He knew that rain would spoil paper, so he covered his kite with silk. He
put a piece of pointed wire at the top of the kite to draw the lightning
into it.
At the end of the string he tied a key for the lightning to follow. Then
he tied a piece of ribbon to the string and held it in his hand.
One rainy night when it was lightning he went out to fly his kite.
After a while he held his hand near the key. He saw a little spark of
lightning go from the key to his hand.
After that he brought the lightning into his house on wires. He made it
ring bells and do many strange things.
Other wise men have told us how to make lightning without drawing it from
the skies.
It lights houses, runs street-cars, and does many other useful things.
It is called electricity.
BOATS SAIL ON THE RIVERS.
[Illustration]
Boats sail on the rivers,
And ships sail on the seas,
But clouds that sail across the sky
Are prettier far than these.
There are bridges on the rivers,
As pretty as you please;
But the bow that bridges heaven
And overtops the trees,
And builds a road from earth to sky,
Is prettier far than these.
CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.
THE STORY OF A WATER-DROP.
Once there was a little drop of water. It lived in the great sea with
hundreds of other water-drops.
When the sun shone all the little water-drops danced up and down. They
looked like diamonds sparkling in the sunshine.
One day something happened. The little water-drop broke into a great many
tiny drops.
At the same time it went up in the air. Other drops were going up, too.
Up, up, they went, higher, and higher.
At last the water-drops were sailing far above the sea. A strong wind
blew them over the land.
A man looked up at them and said, “See this big dark cloud. I think it is
going to rain.”
II
As they sailed along, the air grew very cold. This made the little
water-drops creep so close together that they became a shining raindrop.
Soon all the other little water-drops ran together and became raindrops.
They were so heavy that they could not float in the air. So down they all
went toward the earth.
Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! They fell upon the grass, the trees, and
the fields.
“It is raining!” cried the children as they ran into the house.
When the rain was over, out came the sun. Then a wonderful thing happened.
Some of the water-drops were not heavy enough to fall to the earth. As
the sun shone through them they changed into beautiful colors.
These colors were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They
formed a bow across the sky.
“Oh, look!” cried the children. “Look at the beautiful rainbow.”
EVA MAYNE (_Adapted_).
APRIL.
[Illustration:
Rollicking Robin is here again.
What does he care for the April rain?
Care for it? Glad of it. Doesn’t he know
That the April rain carries off the snow.
And coaxes out leaves to shadow his nest,
And washes his pretty red Easter vest?
LUCY LARCOM.
]
THE SLEEPING PRINCESS.
[Illustration]
Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had no children.
They were so happy when a little daughter came that they gave a great
feast.
The king asked the fairies to come because he wished them to be kind and
good to the little princess.
There were thirteen fairies in the land. But the king had only twelve
golden dishes. So one fairy was not asked to come to the feast. This made
her very angry.
The twelve fairies came and gave all their best gifts to the little
princess.
Just then the door opened and the angry fairy came into the room.
“When the princess is fifteen years old she shall prick her finger with a
spinning needle and die,” said the angry fairy.
But there was one kind fairy who had not made her wish.
“No!” she said. “The princess shall not die. She shall fall asleep for a
hundred years.”
The king and the queen were frightened. So they said that no
spinning-wheel should be used in all the land.
II
One day, when the princess was fifteen years old, she went into a high
tower of the castle. There sat an old woman spinning.
“Good morning,” said the princess. “What are you doing?”
“I am spinning,” said the old woman.
“Oh,” cried the princess, “how I should like to spin!”
The old woman gave the needle to the princess. She pricked her finger and
fell back fast asleep.
The king and the queen and every one in the castle fell asleep.
The fire in the kitchen stopped burning and the cook fell asleep.
The horses in the barn went to sleep.
The dogs stopped barking and fell asleep.
The doves on the housetop put their heads under their wings and went to
sleep.
Even the flies on the walls stopped buzzing and fell asleep.
A hedge of thorns soon grew around the castle. It was so high and thick
that no one could pass through it.
III
One hundred years after, a king’s son was hunting. He saw the towers of a
castle far away.
He rode toward the castle and at last came to the hedge of thorns. As the
prince looked he saw that it was not a hedge of thorns, but a hedge of
beautiful flowers.
The prince passed through the hedge of flowers and followed a path to the
castle.
He went into the castle and saw the king and the queen fast asleep.
Then he looked in all the rooms. By and by the prince came to the high
tower.
There lay the princess fast asleep. She was so beautiful that the prince
kissed her hand.
The princess opened her eyes and said, “My prince, I have waited for you
here a hundred years.”
Then the prince and the princess went out of the high tower together.
At once the king and the queen and every one in the castle awoke.
The fire in the kitchen burned, and the cook began to get the dinner.
The horses in the barn awoke, and the dogs jumped about and barked.
The flies on the wall buzzed, and the doves flew about the housetop.
That night there was a great feast in the castle. Ever after the prince
and the princess lived happily together.
JACOB AND WILLIAM GRIMM (_Adapted_).
AN OPEN SECRET.
Pussy Willow had a secret
That the snowdrops whispered her,
And she purred it to the south wind
While it stroked her velvet fur;
And the south wind hummed it softly
To the busy honey-bees,
And they buzzed it to the blossoms
On the scarlet maple-trees.
And these dropped it to the wood brooks
Brimming full of melted snow,
And the brooks told Robin Redbreast
As he chattered to and fro;
Little Robin could not keep it,
So he sang it loud and clear
To the sleepy hills and meadows
“Wake up! Cheer up! Spring is here!”
UNKNOWN.
THE FEAST OF EGGS.
There was once a princess who left her beautiful castle. She went to live
in a little house in the country.
One day she told her servant to go to the village and buy some eggs for
supper.
“Eggs!” said the servant. “There are no birds’ eggs.”
“I did not ask for birds’ eggs,” said the princess. “Buy hens’ eggs, of
course.”
The servant shook her head and said, “We have no hens. I do not know what
kind of birds they are.”
The princess thought that she would surprise the boys and the girls of
the village. So she sent an old man far away.
When he came back the old man carried a chicken coop on his head.
All the children of the village ran after him. They wanted to know what
he was carrying on his head.
The old man set the coop down, opened the little door, and a large
rooster stepped out.
[Illustration]
The children all cried, “Oh, what a wonderful bird that is!” They did not
know what to call him.
Then out stepped the hens. There was a white one, and one that was brown,
and one that had tall red combs.
The princess gave the chickens some corn. When they had eaten it the
rooster crowed.
How the children laughed! “Ki-ki-ri-ki!” they cried, like the rooster.
II
The children ran home to tell about the wonderful birds that had come to
live in the village.
Not long after, the princess showed the children one of the hens that was
sitting.
“Fifteen eggs!” they cried. “The doves lay only two, and the other birds
only five. How will the hens feed so many little ones?”
The children watched the chickens when they came out of the eggs. They
were surprised that the little chickens were covered with yellow down.
“It is wonderful!” they cried. “Other little birds have no feathers. And
see! They know how to run. Oh, there are no birds like them!”
By and by the princess asked the people of the village to a feast of
eggs. They all sat down at a long table in the garden.
The eggs were in large baskets on the table. They were as white as snow.
The princess showed them how to break the eggs. Then she cooked them in
many ways.
The people of the village liked the feast of eggs. When they went home,
the princess gave them some chickens.
After that the children had merry times hunting for the white eggs.
From the German of CHRISTOPH SCHMID (_Adapted_).
THE EASTER EGG.
On Easter Day, a princess gave a party to the children of the village.
She had no apples and nuts to give them. So she colored some eggs red,
blue, and yellow.
When the children came, the princess took them into the woods. She told
them to make nests out of the grass and leaves.
They left the nests under the trees. Then they went into the garden where
a feast was waiting for them.
While they were eating, the princess carried the colored eggs into the
woods. She filled the nests with them.
Then she went back to the children and said, “Come, now! Let us look for
our nests.”
The children hunted everywhere. When they found the nests, they clapped
their hands for joy. In each nest lay five colored eggs.
“Red eggs! Red eggs!” cried one. “In my nest all are red!”
“In mine are blue ones,” cried another. “All blue like the sky!”
[Illustration]
“And mine are as yellow as the butterfly that is flying around us,” said
another.
“Oh,” they all cried, “how we should like to see the chickens that lay
such beautiful eggs!”
“Of course hens do not lay them,” said one little girl. “Hens’ eggs are
white.”
“I saw a rabbit running away from my nest,” said another. “I believe a
little rabbit laid them.”
All the children laughed and said, “Yes, yes! The rabbits laid the
colored eggs!”
From the German of CHRISTOPH SCHMID (_Adapted_).
THE FARMER AND THE BIRDS.
[Illustration]
It was springtime. The birds were singing merrily as they built their
nests.
But the farmers were angry. They did not want the birds to eat the corn
in the fields, and the cherries on the trees.
The farmers said that all the birds must be killed. But the birds had one
friend.
This friend stood up before the farmers and said, “Think of your woods
and fields without the birds! Who will drive the worms from your fields
and gardens?
“The birds pay you well for the grain and the cherries that they eat.
What will you do without their sweet music?”
The farmers laughed and would not listen to the friend.
They sent men and boys into the fields and the woods to kill the birds.
The little ones were left to die in their nests.
When summer came, there was not a bird to be seen. Hundreds of worms ate
everything that grew in the gardens and fields.
That autumn there were no red and yellow leaves on the trees. The
branches were dry and brown.
Then the farmers were sorry. The next spring they sent a man away to
bring the birds from all the country around.
One day the man drove a wagon covered with green branches into the
village. Cages filled with singing birds hung upon the branches.
The farmers opened the doors, and the birds flew out.
Once more the woods and the fields were filled with sweet music.
Suggested by LONGFELLOW’S poem, “The Birds of Killingworth.”
MAY.
[Illustration:
Little white snowdrop! I pray you arise;
Bright yellow crocus! Come open your eyes;
Sweet little violets, hid from the cold,
Put on your mantles of purple and gold;
Daffodils! Daffodils! Say, do you hear?
Summer is coming! And springtime is here!
EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.
]
MARY’S MEADOW.
Mary liked to plant flowers beside the road and in the fields.
She told her father that she wanted to make people happy who had no
gardens. So Father called her The Traveler’s Joy.
But Mary liked best of all to play in the Squire’s meadow. It was filled
with beautiful flowers and singing birds.
Mary cried when her father told her that he and the Squire were no longer
friends. He said she must not play in the meadow with the Squire’s great
dog, Saxon.
One day, the gardener gave Mary some pretty cowslips. She forgot what her
father had told her, and ran down to the Squire’s meadow to plant them.
Soon she heard a loud shout. She looked up and saw the old Squire running
toward her. With one hand he held his dog, Saxon, who was trying to get
away.
Mary was so frightened that she did not hear what the Squire was saying.
She told him that she was not digging up his cowslips, but planting them.
Just then Saxon came running toward her. The Squire stopped shouting to
her, and called to Saxon. He did not know that Mary and Saxon were such
good friends.
Mary threw her arms around Saxon’s neck, and began to cry. Then she
picked up her basket and ran home as fast as she could.
Every day she thought the old Squire would come and tell her father. But
he never came.
II
The next spring it was great fun to look for the flowers which The
Traveler’s Joy had planted.
One day Mary’s father sent for her. When she came home, she found the old
Squire talking to her father. He held some cowslips in his hand.
He gave them to Mary, and said, “My dear, I am sorry that I sent you out
of the meadow.”
“But I was not digging up your cowslips,” Mary said.
The old Squire put his hand on her head. “I know, my child,” he said.
“You are The Traveler’s Joy.”
“I am glad the cowslips grew,” Mary said. “I hope they will grow all over
your meadow.”
Then the Squire said, “It is not my meadow now. I have given it away.”
“Oh, please, please, do not give it away!” cried Mary. “Can’t I play
there with Saxon, and plant flowers?”
The Squire smiled at her father, and said, “Yes, Mary! You may play, and
plant, and do what you like there.”
Father put his arm around the little girl. “You do not know what the
Squire means. Do you, dear?” he said. “The Squire has given it to you.
Now we shall always call it Mary’s Meadow.”
JULIANA HORATIO EWING’S “Mary’s Meadow” (_Adapted_).
[Illustration]
THE MAY PARTY.
[Illustration]
A bright, happy crowd of children marched to the woods for a May party.
First came two boys carrying a May-pole to which bright ribbons were tied.
Then came the May Queen with a crown of flowers on her head, and a long
wand in her hand.
The girls marched behind the May Queen, carrying the pretty May baskets
which they had made. The boys were waving flags and blowing horns.
When they came to the woods, the boys set up the May-pole and all the
children danced around it.
In and out they went weaving the bright ribbons. The girls went to the
left, the boys to the right. They bowed as they passed each other, and
sang the pretty May-pole song.
Soon the pole was wound with the bright ribbons.
Then some of the children ran down to the water to sail boats, and others
went up, up, in the swings.
The older girls set the table. What a beautiful table it was! There were
sandwiches, and oranges, and cakes, and nuts, and candy.
After the children had eaten all the good things, they went through the
woods gathering flowers.
They filled the pretty baskets with flowers, and stood them side by side.
But the children could not tell which they liked the best.
That night, when it was dark, each girl and boy put a basket on the
door-step of a friend, then rang the bell and ran away.
They had such a good time that they wished May-day came oftener than once
a year.
COME, MY DOLLY.
Come, my Dolly, come with me,
Dance beneath the apple-tree.
See the blossoms flying down,
Wings of pink and rosy crown.
Catch them, Dolly, in your gown,
While the sun sees you and me
Dancing ’neath the apple-tree.
Some day, Dolly, you will see
Snow upon the apple-tree;
White wings then will flutter down,
Covering leaves all dry and brown.
But, my Dolly, do not frown;
When spring comes again, you’ll see
Pink wings on the apple-tree.
LYDIA AVERY COONLEY-WARD.
PROSERPINA.
It was harvest-time and the grain was ready to be gathered.
Mother Ceres was very busy, for she had the care of every seed that grows.