Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 33

"For when you came in you were quite as polite As Tommy Perkins," said everybody.

"You bowed and you danced, while we all sat entranced, So sweet were the notes," said everybody.

"You wanted to learn to say, 'A, B, C,'

Like good little bears," said everybody.

"And when we exclaimed, 'Such fiddle-dee-dee!'

No notice you took," said everybody.

"And when we all shouted out, 'One! Two! Three! Four!'

Instead of roaring," said everybody, "You gently reminded us all that in school We must not be noisy," said everybody.

"If you won't teach us manners, We're going back home,"

Said the three little bears to everybody.

"For after the night falls it won't do to roam; So we'll say our farewells to everybody."

Then they stood up and bowed, and held out their paws, And shook hands all round with everybody.

"We'll dance all the way, for we know how to play,"

Said the three little bears to everybody.

"And with our best compliments we wish you good day."

"Good day and good luck!" said everybody.

THE SNOWMAN

BY W. W. ELLSWORTH

One day we built a snowman.

We made him out of snow; You'd ought to see how fine he was-- All white from top to toe!

We poured some water on him, And froze him, legs and ears; And when we went indoors to bed _I_ said he'd last two years.

But in the night a warmer kind Of wind began to blow, And winter cried and ran away, And with it ran the snow.

And in the morning when we went To bid our friend good day, There wasn't any snowman there-- _Everything_'d runned away!

#ANIMAL STORIES#

TINY HARE AND THE WIND BALL

A STORY FOR VERY LITTLE FOLK TO READ. NO WORD IN IT HAS MORE THAN FOUR LETTERS

BY A. L. SYKES

"I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare to his Mama one day, as he ran to the door of his home.

"What do you want to do, my dear?" she said.

"I do not know, but I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "SOON MAN CAME BY."]

"You may run out a wee bit of a way, and run and jump and play in the sun," said his Mama.

"I do not want to run and jump and play. I want to do just as I like,"

said Tiny Hare.

"You may eat the good food that you can find near our home," said his Mama, "but if you go far MAN may get you, or DOG may eat you, or HAWK may fly away with you."

"I do not want to eat the good food that I can see here. I want to do just as I like."

Papa Hare then said very low and deep, "_What_ do you want to do, my son?"

"I do not know," said Tiny Hare, "but I want to do just as I like."

Then said Papa Hare, "Do not wake me from my nap any more now, and when the big moon is high in the sky, and it is just like day. I will take you far out in the wood, and you may run and jump and play and eat, and be very safe, for MAN will be in his home, and DOG in his, and HAWK in hers."

"I do not want to go out in the wood, and run and jump and play when the moon is high in the sky. I want to do just as I like."

"Do not wake me," said Papa Hare, and he shut his eyes and put his ears down.

"Come here," said Mama Hare, "and I will tell you a tale of the cold time of the year when snow is over bush and tree and our good food, and what came to the hare who did just as his Mama told him not to. Step, step, step in the snow he went till he came to the Red Fire, and--"

"I do not want to hear the tale," said Tiny Hare. "I want to do just as I like."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "HE SAW HAWK FAR UP IN THE SKY."]

"Do not wake me from my nap, then," said his Mama, and she shut _her_ eyes and put _her_ ears down.

Just then Tiny Hare saw a Wind Ball roll by. A Wind Ball is the part of one kind of a weed that is left when the weed does not grow any more, and it is dry and like wool, and it can roll like a ball, and fly as fast as a bird.

"I can run as fast as you," said Tiny Hare. "I can do just as I like, and I want to get you."

On went the Wind Ball, roll, roll, roll, and on went Tiny Hare, leap, leap, leap. Just as he was near it, the Wind Ball rose into the air, and flew like a bird, and on went Tiny Hare, jump, jump, jump. Roll and fly, roll and fly went the Wind Ball, and leap and jump, leap and jump went Tiny Hare till he was not able to run any more, and his feet were sore.

He lay down to rest, but soon MAN came by, and Tiny Hare ran into a hole in a tree, and now how he _did_ wish that he was at home!

[Ill.u.s.tration: "DOG CAME BY, AND TINY HARE RAN INTO A HOLE."]

By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and DOG came by, and Tiny Hare ran into a hole in a wall, and how he _did_ wish he was at home! By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and he ran, and he ran, and he ran! And, by and by, he saw HAWK far up in the sky, and Tiny Hare ran into a bush, and how he _did_ wish he was at home.

By and by he came out to try to hunt for his home, and Wind Ball went by once more.

"I can't get you, and I don't want to," said Tiny Hare, but the wind was low, and Wind Ball went roll, roll, roll, slow, slow, slow, and Tiny Hare went with it, limp, limp, limp, and by and by he saw his home. Tiny Hare ran as fast as a hare with lame feet can run, and soon he went in and lay down in the home by his Mama.