Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 20

And she kissed him and bathed him and dressed him, and while she brushed and curled his soft, brown hair, she told him the Wake-Up Story that I am telling you.

The good old pump by the orchard path Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.

The clean, white chips from the pile of wood Were glad to warm it and cook his food.

The cow gave milk in the milk-pail bright; The top-knot Biddy an egg new and white; And the tree gave an apple so round and so red, For dear little Ray who was just out of bed.

[G] Used by permission of _The Youth's Companion_.

#FIRST STORIES FOR VERY LITTLE FOLK#

ABOUT SIX LITTLE CHICKENS

BY S. L. ELLIOTT

[Ill.u.s.tration: "A LITTLE GIRL CAME OUT WITH SOME CORN-MEAL IN A DISH."]

A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There was a noise that went "snick, snick," and out of the sh.e.l.l stepped something like a little fuzzy ball, but with two bright eyes, and two bits of feet to walk on. What do you think it was? A little chicken?

Yes, and Mother Biddy was so glad to see it, and she called it "Fluffy."

And Fluffy said "Peep, peep! I have some brothers and sisters in the sh.e.l.ls; if you call them, I think they will come." So Mother Biddy said "Cluck, cluck!" and something said: "Peep, peep!" and out came another chicken, as black as it could be, so Mother Biddy called it "Topsy."

"Are there any more?" said Mother Biddy. "Yes. Peep, peep! We're coming; wait for us," and there came four more little chickens as fast as they could run. One was as white as snow, and Mother Biddy called it "s...o...b..ll." The next was yellow and white, and she named it "Daisy."

Then there was a yellow one with a brown ring around its neck, and that was called "Brownie." And what do you think! one was all black, only it had a little white spot on the top of its head that looked like a cap, so Mother Biddy called it "Spottie." Now they were all out of their sh.e.l.ls, and they said: "Peep, peep! We're hungry." So Mother Biddy said: "Cluck, cluck! Come see my babies," and out of the house, close by, came a little girl with some corn-meal in a dish, and my! wasn't she glad to see the chickens?

[Ill.u.s.tration: FLUFFY TOPSY s...o...b..LL DAISY BROWNIE SPOTTIE]

After they had eaten all they wanted, they thought they would take a walk and see this queer world they had come to live in.

Pretty soon they came to a brook, and they all stood in a row and looked in. "Let us have a drink," they said, so they put their heads down, when--

"Peep, peep!" said Spottie. "I see a little chicken with a spot on its head."

"No, no," said Brownie; "it has a ring around its neck, and looks like me."

"Peep, peep!" said Daisy. "I think it's like me, for it is yellow and white." And I don't know but they would all have tumbled in to see if they hadn't felt something drop right on the ends of their noses.

"What's that?" said Fluffy.

"Cluck, cluck!" said Mother Biddy. "Every chicken of you come in, for it is going to rain, and you'll get your feathers wet."

So they ran as fast as they could, and in a few minutes the six little chickens were all cuddled under Mother Biddy's wing, fast asleep.

"TRADE-LAST"

BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS

"My frock is green."

"My frock is blue."

"You look pretty."

"So do you."

PHILIP'S HORSE

[Ill.u.s.tration: PHILIP IN HIS "ROUGH-RIDER" SUIT.]

Little Philip was very fond of horses, and as he was too old to sit on a chair or box or trunk and make believe a rocking-horse was pulling it along his bedroom floor, his father bought him a horse all spotted brown and white, with a beautiful white mane; and Philip loved to get up on his back.

In winter he would go out in his sleigh, even when the snow was deep. It was jolly fun to be in the sleigh all wrapped up cozy and warm in furry robes. He would crack his long whip and make it sound almost as loud as a fire-cracker. He used to carry a make-believe pistol when he dressed up in his "Rough-Rider" suit and went horseback-riding. But all the neighbors thought it was funny that Philip would always leave the saddle on his horse when he went out in his sleigh. But you won't think it is funny when I tell you a secret--maybe you have guessed it already--Philip couldn't get the saddle off, because, don't you see, his horse was only a make-believe, hobby-horse.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PHILIP IN HIS SLEIGH.]

The Kitten That Forgot How to Mew

By Stella George Stern

All little girls, and little boys too, like to read stories about kittens. Here is a story about a dear little kitten that belonged to a dear little girl named Peggy.

Peggy had two brothers, and three cousins--all boys--and every boy had a little dog. At first the dogs would tease the kitten, but they soon learned better. The dogs and the kitten played together. All day long, out in the yard, you could hear them going, "Bow-wow!" and "Mew!"

But, you see, there was only one little "Mew" and ever so many "Bow-wows," and after a while the kitten hardly ever spoke at all.

But one day the kitten wanted to mew, and--what do you suppose?--she had forgotten how to do it! She tried and tried, and all she could say was "M-m-m-bow!"--just as much like a dog as a kitten. She was so sad. She ran out into the yard and cried.

The Big White Hen pa.s.sed by and asked what was the matter.

"Oh, Big White Hen," sobbed the kitten, "I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!"

"Never mind, Kitty Cat," said the Hen; "I will teach you to talk. Listen to this: M-m-m-cut, cut, cut, cut, cut-ca-_da_-cut!"

"No," said the kitten; "that's not the way to talk kitten-talk." And she cried again.

Then along came the Sheep and asked, "What is the matter?"

"Oh, Sheep," sobbed the kitten, "I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!"

"Never mind, Kitty Cat," said the Sheep; "I will teach you to talk.

Listen: M-m-m-baa!"

"No," said the kitten, "that's not the way to talk kitten-talk." And she cried again.

Then along came the Horse and asked what was the matter.

"Oh, Horse," sobbed the kitten, "I have forgotten how to talk kitten-talk. I try and I try, and all I can say is, M-m-m-bow!"