Mary didn't like to go to school and leave her lamb at home. She knew
he would not be happy all alone; and how could she study her [books]
and do sums on her [slate], without her dear little woolly [lamb]
close beside her? But schooltime came, and she had to start. If she
had looked back, she would have seen the [lamb] trotting along behind,
all so pretty, with a blue [bow] on his [neck]. He loved to follow
little Mary, and he didn't know [lambs] mustn't go to school. Before
he caught up with her, the [bell] rang, the [children] all ran in, and
the [door] was shut; but he stood on the door-[step] and heard them
singing. Then the arithmetic class began, and the [teacher] said:
"Mary, if you had three [apples], and gave one [apple] to Hannah, how
many would you have left?" Mary was not thinking of [apples].
"Four," she said, "but please teacher, did you know I had a [lamb]?"
and the lamb heard her voice and called "Baa!" outside the [door], as
loud as he could. "Why, there he is!" cried [Mary]. "He must go home,"
said the teacher; and she opened the [door] to send him away. But the
little [lamb] came right in, and ran to [Mary], so glad to see her
again! "Oh, please let him stay!" said she: "I am sure he will be
good!" But all the other [children] laughed--it was so funny to see a
lamb in school--and the [teacher] had to turn him out. But the [lamb]
would not go home. He wanted to stay near Mary; So he waited on the
[step] and every time he heard her voice he cried "Ba-a-a!" At last
the [teacher] said [Mary] must take him home; so she put away her
[books], and the little [lamb] jumped and danced, he was so happy, as
they ran home together.
[Illustration: HOW HE WOULDN'T JUMP.]
[Illustration: MARY'S LITTLE LAMB.]
V
All the week the little lamb had to stay at home while Mary went to
[school]; but on Saturday they had such good times! First, [Mary] had
her tasks to do. She wiped all the [cups] and [plates] and [spoons],
dusted the [chairs] and made her own [bed]. Then she went out to play.
The nicest place to "play house" was the [roof] of a [hut] by the
[barn]. Mary and little Aunt Hannah climbed up by the [fence], with
their [dolls] and [tea set] but the [lamb] couldn't climb. They tried
to carry him, but he was too heavy--and he kicked, too. So they took
him up on the [straw] in the [barn] and dropped him out of a [window]
onto the [roof]. Then they all had a good time playing "party", with
some caraway [biscuits] and a little [jug] of milk. But at noon,
when Mary's Mother blew the dinner-[whistle], the lamb couldn't get
down! They couldn't lift him up to the [window], and he was afraid to
jump to the ground. Little Aunt Hannah stood on the [wheelbarrow], but
could not reach him. Then they brought out armfuls of [straw] and made
a big soft [haystack] and [Mary] stood on the [roof] and tried to push
him off into the [straw] but he wouldn't budge. "Come to dinner,
children," called Mary's [Mother]. "It is getting cold." "Oh dear!"
said little Mary, almost crying. "He'll have to stay up here and
starve! But he's had three [caraway biscuits], anyway." At last
[Hannah's] big brother came out to find them. He laughed when he saw
the [lamb] and the [haystack] but he went for a [ladder], and very
quickly brought the little [lamb] safely down to the ground. Then they
all went in and had their dinner together.
[Illustration: HOW LITTLE MARY SPUN.]
[Illustration: MARY'S LITTLE LAMB.]