2. Children stand, arms pressed close to side, eyes closed, shoulders
drawn up, mother behind pointing.]
Behold the round-eyed Owls!
The puffed-up feathery birds
That cry out in the night
And speak these two odd words:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_
Light scares these big-eyed birds;
They go and hide all day;
They sit in hollow trees;
Disturbed, they hiss and say:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_
[Illustration: 3. Children slowly circle room, arms stretched out wide,
heads inclining forward, mother behind, pointing.
4. Children circle room as before; mother behind, tiptoe, joyous, with
tossing, soaring, wavering arm movements.
5. Mother waves her arms backward repeatedly. Children circle, away to
their seats, arms extended horizontally as before, repeating refrain
until seated.]
But out they fly at night;
They come round many a house;
All noiselessly they sail,
A-watch for mole or mouse.
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_
They never fly for joy,
And soar about the sky
They sail, and pounce, and sail—
These Owls with their strange cry:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_
Back to your hollow tree,
You birds that have no song!
No child would like to be
An Owl for very long.
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_
[Illustration: THE NIMBLE PENNIES.
Draw two circles, a small one at the top, a large one below and behind
it, as in the first two designs. Draw around a small cent and a large
copper cent (or two-cent piece, or silver quarter). Add two tiny circles
for eyes, then the lines in the following designs, and finally you will
have a spring lamb with a tinkling bell.]
* * * * *
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
(_Lilybud to herself._)
“O, the bestest dood time I’ve had all alone,
A-playin’ wiv _such_ a shiny black stone—
(_Lilybud to mama._)
“But, mama! oh, mama! come quick—I dess,
I dess I have dot sumfin bad on my dwess!”
_P. S. C._