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SHORT STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS.
UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME.
GRANNY’S STORY BOX. By the Author of ‘‘Our White
Violet.†96 pages, all illustrated in Black and White, and 16
coloured Plates, by Mrs Seymour Lucas. Crown 4to. Paper
boards. Price, 5s.
GRANNY’S WONDERFUL CHAIR, and its Tales of
Fairy Times. By FRANCES BROWNE, Illustrated with 16
coloured and 63 Black and White Pictures, by Mrs SEyMouR
Lucas. Crown 4to. Paper boards. Price, 5s.
TOLD BY THE FIRESIDE. Original Stories, by E. Nessrr,
HELEN Mitman, L. T. MEADE, Mrs WoRTHINGTON BLIss,
Mrs MOoLeswortu, RowrE Lineston, M. C. Len, Mrs
Mackay, G. MANVILLE FENN, ALICE WEBER, E. M. GREEN,
EDWARD GARRETT, THEO. Girt, Mrs GELLIE, Rev. FoRBES
E. WinsLow, EMMA MARSHALL. Illustrated with 16 coloured
and 80 Black and White Pictures, by Mrs S—eyMour Lucas.
Crown 4to. Boards. Price, 5s,
JOHN CHINAMAN AT HOME. Description versified by
Rowe Linestoy. Fully illustrated by R. A. JAUMANN,
28 pp. in colour. 4to Boards. Price, 5s,
WEE BABIES. By Amy E. Biancuarp. With original
designs in colour, by Miss IbA WauGH. 4to Boards. Price, 5S.
GRIFFITH FARRAN & CO., LONDON.
WEBKES
the rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.
epee
List OF ILLUSTRATIONS,
THE MAN'S BOOT. The Bear knows |
what itis! The Owl which had seen |
Y 4 it. Chased out of the wood.
a | THE THRUSH AND THE Jay.
a j The Thrush in her nest. ‘‘ They doeat
so much.†What came bye-and-bye.
ULL PAY YOU OUT. Sheep at Gate.
The Dog lay in the Sun, &c.
I WISH. TI could live in a Pond.
I wish I could Fly, &c.
I DON’T CARE. I shall go this way.
He kicked his heels in the air.
NOT MY FAULT. Thehare ran off.
The small Stone hit a large one.
Fleeing for their lives.
THAT’S MY PLACE. The old yew
trees. There’san end of that. The
Cat which lay in the Sun.
WHAT'S THAT TO YOU? The Mule
at the Pump. ‘Do you know?†‘‘ You
rude thing.â€
I WON'T BE PUT ON. They have
put shoes on my feet, ‘‘ A good thing.â€
“ This won't do.â€
HE DID IT FIRST. The Sheep go
3 out. They meta Dog. The Men got
3 them out.
J WANT TO SEE THE WORLD. Two
Ducks in a pond. The end of the World.
I DON’T KNOW. “ Form in line.†No
one will care for you. A young Rat
quite dead. We must leave this.
WHY? The Maid willdrive you out. On
the steps of a large house. Chained up.
YOU DAREN’T. Sheep and i
Goats. You can’t jump that. ISN
They both fell. Se ‘
IAM AS GOOD AS YOU. A. =
Cat named Smut. She saw a Horse
in a Stall. Poor thing.
i THAT'S NAUGHT TO ME. A poor
Cow shut out. A Wolf out of the wood.
} Do as you like.â€
| MORE, MORE. Would not wait his turn.
Bang went a gun. Jack didnot wake. {
If IS TOO HARD. Inthenest. Killed
3
"AY WHY NOT? AyoungSpratwholived *
in the Sea. Some sorts of Fish. The
\ . dear old Sea. Crabs and Shrimps ‘
SOLD FOLKS. Try a new
, plan. A The Queen Bee.
\ “ “Good Night.
4 4 me
Po ral
sapere thts
eNLOUE PD.
Tuts book was published originally in 1875, under the
title of ““A Man’s Boot and other Tales.†It is written
by Miss Gertrude Sellon, whose sister’s writings for children
are also so well known. The First Edition was illustrated
by Harrison Weir, but the title was against it, and the
sale for years was slow. In 1882 it was re-issued with
its present title, and since that date it has enjoyed very
great popularity.
GONTEN TS
x.
THE MAN’S BOOT
THE JAY AND THE THRUSH
I’LL PAY YOU OUT
I WISH
I DON’T CARE
NOT MY FAULT
THAT IS MY PLACE
WHAT IS THAT TO YOU?
I WON’T BE PUT ON
HE DID IT FIRST
I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD
I DON’T KNOW
WHY?
YOU DAREN’T
I AM AS GOOD AS YOU
THAT’S NOUGHT TO ME |
MORE, MORE
IT IS TOO HARD .
WHY NOT?
THOSE OLD FOLKS
PAGE.
12
15
22
25
28.
31
35.
39
44.
47
5°
54
58
62
64
69.
The Man’s Boot.
~N a dark wood, where wild beasts lived,
there once lay a man’s boot. How it —
got there I can not say, for no man had
wae) been there; at least the beasts had
not seen one in all their lives. But
there the boot was, and when the
beasts saw it, they all came round to
find out what it was. Such a thing
was quite new to them, but they were not
gr much at a loss, for all that.
y ‘Well, there is no doubt as to what it is, I
say,’ said the Bear.
‘“Oh, of course not,’ said the Wolf, and the Goat, and all
the beasts and birds, in one breath.
“Of course,†said the Bear. “It is the rind of some kind
of fruit off a tree. The fruit of the cork, I should say.
This is cork, it is plain to see;†and he showed the sole
of the boot.
“Oh! just hear him! just hear him!†cried all the beasts
and birds.
“Tt’s not that at all,†said the Wolf, with a glance of
scorn at the Bear. ‘Of course it is some kind of nest.
Look! here is the hole for the bird to go in at, and here is
A
2 THE MAN’S BOOT.
the deep part for the eggs and young ones to be safe. No
doubt at all, of course not.â€
“Oh! oh!†cried the Bear, and the Goat, and all the birds
and beasts. ‘‘ Just hear what he says. It is not that at all.â€
“T should think not,†said the Goat. “It is quite a
Gg. . plain case. Look at this long
. root,†and he showed the lace
at ‘the side of the boot. “It
is the root of a plant, of course.â€
“ Not a bit of it,†cried the
Wolf and the Bear; ‘not a
bit of it. A root! How can
you say so? It is not that,
we can all see.â€
“Tf I might speak,†said
an old Owl, who sat in a tree
near, “I think I can tell you
what it is. I have been ina
land where there
are more of such
things than you
could count. Itisa
man’s boot.â€
“New hate ecuiedsall
the beasts and birds.
“What is a man? and
. what isa boot?â€
“Aman!†said the Owl. “ Well, a Man is a thing with
two legs, that can walk, and eat, and talk like us, but he can
do much more than we can.†.
“Pooh! pooh!†cried they all.
THE MAN’S BOOT. 3
.“ That can’t’ be true'!â€â€™ said the beasts. ‘ How.can a thing
with two legs, ce more than we can, who have four. It is
false, of course.’ ;
“Of course it is, if they raven no wings, read a birds..
“Well,†went on the Owl, ‘they have no wings, and yet
itis true. And they can make things
like this, and they -call them
boots, and put them on their
feet
Ohloh!) -erredvallethe
beasts and birds at
once. ‘How can you ?
For shame! Fie on
you!. That is not true,
of course. It can not
pe: s
“A fine tale!†said
the Bear.
“Can do more than
Wwe a caneler = =Saidia “the
Wolf.
“Wear things on
their feet!†said the
Goat.
‘(Not true te mot venue)!’
cried they all. ‘On the face
; pf it, your tale is not true. We
know that such things are not worn on the feet. How could
theyabek * :
“Of course they could not,†said the Bear. ‘It is
false.â€
A THE MAN’S BOOT.
“Tt must be false,†cried all the birds and beasts. You
must leave the wood,†they said to the Owl. ‘What you
say can not be true. You are not fit to live with us. You
have said what we know is false. It must be, of course.â€
And they chased the Owl out of the wood, and would not
let him come back.
“Tt is true for all that,’ said the Owl. And so it was.
The Fay and the Thrush.
* HEN shall you build your nest?†said a Thrush to
a Jay, one fine day in the spring.
Oh; Ege bye, some time,†said the Jay. ‘It is so
fine now. I must hop, and fly, and
sing, and have some fun, while I
‘One can sing while one
works,†said the Thrush.
_ “When shall you build
your nest ?†asked the Jay.
“Mine? Oh! I have built —
some of it. Look!†and
the Thrush, with a glad
chirp, showed the
bush where she had
ae moss and ES
as to make part of a
nest. ‘And now,â€
said she, ‘‘ 1 must be
off to get some hay or
wool, or some more moss
to go on with.†|
‘“Oh, come and have a
bit of play,†said the Jay. ‘Why don’t you rest for a time?â€
6 THE JAY AND THE THRUSH.
“Oh! that will come by-and-bye,†said the Thrush. And
she sang her song—
‘When I’ve done
I'll have my fun;
In my nest
Til take my rest:; os
_ That I know will be the best.†on
“Well, eel said the Jay, cif you like to slave all
the best part of your life, pray do.â€
Of course,†said the Thrush, “the best part of my life
is to work in!â€
“Time for work by-and- -bye,†said the Jay.
“Time: for rest and play by-and- bye,†said the Thrush.
And off she flew, as she sang her short gay song.
-“T don’t like that song,†said the Jay. :
Day by day it was the same. The Thrush had built He
THE -JAY AND THE THRUSH. vi
nest, and laid five smooth, round eggs in it, and yet the Jay
had not brought one stick to‘make hers.: At’ last, ‘one day;
in great haste, she brought some twigs, and some coarse grass;
and laid them on a bough in a low bush. But she did-not
place them well, and when she had worked an hour or two,
she left off, and went to see the Thrush, who sat on her nest
in a bush close by.
‘When will your nest be done?†said the Thrush.
‘“Oh, by-and-bye,†said the Jay. ‘‘I must rest now.
Have you found time to rest yet?â€
“Oh dear no!†said the Thrush. “ Just look, I have
five dear little young ones here. How could I leave them, or
find time to play? I fetch them food, or else sit here to keep
them warm all day and all night. They are such dear wee
things, and they do eat so much, the pets! I must be off
now to get them some more food, I see! Time to rest by-
and-bye, when they have grown up, and can get their own
food.†And off she flew.
The Jay’s nest was not done, when one day she
saw the Thrush with five young ones, all round her on
the grass. » .
‘‘ Have you built your nest?†cried the Thrush.
“No,†said the Jay. ‘ At least, it is not done yet, but I
have laid my eggs, and the rest of the nest I can build by-
and-bye, when they are hatched.â€
“That won’t do,†thought the Thrush. But she did not
say SO.
That night came a great storm. It rocked the bush where
the Jay had laid her eggs on the loose twigs and grass.
They were not well twined, and there was no edge to keep
the eggs safe. The eggs slipped on one side, and one by one
8 . THE JAY AND THE THRUSH.
they fell on the ground. When the Jay woke next day, all
her eggs were gone, and bits of shell lay strewed on the
ground round the bush.
And that was what came of the Jay’s “ by-and-bye.â€
$l Pay Wou Out.
,OW this is an odd tale, but if you do not
think it is at all true, why that is a good
thing.
A Hen trod ona Duck’s foot. She did
not mean to do it, and it did not hurt much, but the Duck
would pay her out, she said. So-she flew at the Hen, but as
she did so, her wing struck a Cock, who stood close by.
Tle pay you «out, cried
he, and he flew at the Duck.
But as he did so, his claw tore
the fur of a Cat, who was just
then in the yard. f
halle pay you
outs | cried She,
aud ‘she. flew. at
the Cock. But as
she did so, her tail
went in the eye of a Sheep who was near.
“Tl pay you out,†cried he, and he ran at the Cat. But
as he did so, his foot caught the foot of the Dog, who lay in
the sun.
10 I’LL PAY YOU OUT.
“ T’ll pay yeu out,†cried he, and he ran at the Sheep.
_ But as he did so, his leg struck an old
~ Cow, who stood by the gate.
“I ‘Il pay you out,†cried she, and
she ran at the Dog. But as
she did so, her horn grazed
yythe skin of a Horse, who
-. WAS by a-tree.
aK I’ll pay you out,â€
* cried he, and he ran
. at the Cow.
There. was’ a aeunite Sane Gites flew: at: ine
- Cow, and the Cow at the Dog, and the Dog
at the Sheep, and the Sheep at
the Cat, and the Cat at the
‘ eee and the Cock at the
<= | fa * ~ Duck, and the Duck
| : ; at the Hen.
What a noise
_, they made, to
} be sure!
“What is
all this?†said: the
man, who took care
of them.†“TI can ‘not
have this noise.†‘So
Phe took sa. great stick.
OTe. may a here,†he said to the Hen. But he drove
it Lic DAS? WOW Olune. lI
the Cock to his roost, and the Duck to her pond, and the Cat
to her hearth, and the Sheep to his fold, and the Dog to his
house, and the Cow to her field, and the Horse to his stall.
“T’ll pay you all out,†said he.
% Wish.
DOG saw a Cat on the top of a high i.
wall. And he said, ‘‘ I wish I could
get up there. It must be so nice to sit up
so high: but I
can not climb.â€
And he was
CizOSis weaned
would not wag
his tail.
Then he |
went on, and saw a Bird in the air. And he said, “I
wish I could fly like that Bird. What fun it must be! and
I am so dull here.â€
And he felt still more
Gross.
Then he came to
a pond, and saw a
Fish in it. And he
said, ‘I wish I could
live in a pond all the
day. Then I should
not be so hot as I am
now.†And he would
Rerren reer Tene riers
Whe
Dasa earns
I WISH. 12
not look at the Fish, but shut his eyes, and lay down on the
grass.
Then he heard the Fish say, ‘‘ Oh, I wish I could lie down
on the fresh green grass, like that Dog! It does look so nice
and warm out there.â€
The Dog sat up, and went back by the road he had come.
As he went he saw the Bird, and he heard it say, ‘I wish
I could play all day long like that Dog, and have a house
made for me to live in. I have to make a nest, and my wings
14 I WISH:
are so tired; yet I must fly to and fro,. day by day, till it is
done.†ca &
Then he saw the Cat on the wall, and heard her say,
“There goes that spoilt old Dog home to get his plate:of
meat! I wish I was as well off, and could get meat like him.
I have had no food all this long day. I wish I was like that
Dog!
“3 Don't Care.
“T SHALL go this way,†said a young black Colt, who
was out on the moor. And he looked down the road.
“No, no,†said a Horse who was close by. ‘“ You must
stop on the moor.â€
“Why?†asked the Colt.
‘““T can not tell,†said the Horse, ‘‘I have been told to
stay by an old Horse, and
so leshalla::
P lhedonst «care. said
the young Colt, and off he
set down the road.
By-and-bye he met an
old Mare, at an inn door.
‘What are you here for?â€
asked she.
» have come out for 4
a bit of fun,†said the Colt. a
‘But you should not,â€
said the Mare. “ You are
not fit to go out in the world. You have no shoes on.â€
‘““T don’t care,†said the Colt, and he kicked his heels
high up in the air to show that he did not mind what the old
16 DON DT CARE.
Mare said. But the Mare was a Mare of few words, and she
said no more. |
Then he went on down the road, as fast as he could tear.
He met a Mule with a pack on his back. The Mule
shook his head when he saw the Colt.
“You should not be here,†he said. ‘‘ You have come
off the moor, I know. The town is close by.â€
‘““T don’t care,†said the Colt. And he tore on.
Right on through the town he went. He had not been
in a town in all his life. And the noise, and the sight of all
I DON’T CARE. 17
the men, and carts, and things, made him feel quite mad.
He tore here, and he tore there, while men and boys ran to
catch him, and threw stones and sticks, and cried out at him,
all up and down the streets.
At last, in a great sheet of glass, he saw what he thought
was a young Colt, and he ran up to ask it what he should
do, and how he could get back to aa
the moor. Of course, it was not a
Colt, but his own self that he saw
in the glass.
The glass cut him when he
dashed at it, and he fell down. &
cs
Cad
And then he was caught.
“Why, that is my young Colt
off the moor!â€â€™ said a man who just
then came sup. . “sehese. are†his dal
tricks, are they? He must have a great clog of wood tied to
his feet, then.â€â€™
So he was led back to the moor, with his head cut, and
his feet all sore, and there he had to stump from spot to
spot with a great clog tied to his feet. He did not say, “I
don’t care†then.
Rot My Fault,
NE day a Hare was on the top of a high hill. In mere
play, for he was gay and young, he kicked:a small
stone down the hill. Then he ran off, to leap and. bound
through the wood.
As the small stone fell, it hit a large stone, which moved
too, and rolled down as well. And this large stone, as it
went on, struck a rock, which ee Ee
lay on the side of the hill. —.
The rock was not firm, and °
a small thing could move it.
The stone struck it just at
the base, and the rock shook
and moved, and -at last fell
from its place. It fell in the
midst of a deep-stream, which
ran through the fields, with
a bank on each side.
There the rock stood, in Oe i
the midst of the stream. Day
by day, the mud and sticks, that came down with the Stream,
were stopped by the rock, till they made quite a high bank.
At last the stream was dammed up, and could not get on. Its
nD
NOT MY FAULT.
, and by the dam made by the
course was choked by the rock,
mud and sticks.
20 NOT MY FAULT.
But the stream could not stay still. It rose and it rose,
till it reached the top of the dam. Then, with a great roar,
it burst on its way, and rushed on each side, all down the
vale.
There was a great flood. All the live things that were
in the vale were forced to flee for their lives. But it was no
use. They had not time, and they all lost their lives in the
flood.
That day the Hare was once more on the top of the hill.
NOT MY FAULT. 21
His eyes filled with tears when he saw the flood. ‘“ Poor
things! poor things!†he said; “T can not bear the sight.
‘How sad this loss of life is! It breaks my heart to see it.
There is but one thing that seems good to me at this sad
time, and that is that I had to do with it in no way. I should
die of grief, if, through my fault, such pain and woe came on
the world!â€
That is Ay Place.
<= N an old yew tree lived a Wren. Sie
gs had built her nest there for two years,
on the same bough. The third year,
s when she came to build her nest, she
j , saw a young Wren on what she called
of her bough.
“What are you here for?†she said, for -
she saw that the young Wren had some moss in
her beak, as if she meant to build her nest.
“Tam here to build my nest,†said the young Wren, in
a pert voice. |
“You must not, that is my place,†said the old Wren.
“It isnot. It is mine,’ cried the young one. ‘‘I was
here first this spring. You-are but just come, and see what
I have done,†and she showed some moss twined in the twigs
of the bough.
J don’t care. It is my place,†said the old Wren. ‘I
THAT IS MY PLACE. 23
had this tree first. I have had it two years, and now, when
I come back, I find you here.â€
‘First come, first served,†said the young Wren.
eythat 1s what: I say.. cried, the old: Wren, a eaeat
rage.
“And that is what I say,†said the young one. ‘“ So it
is all right.â€
The old Wren gave the young one a peck, and tried to
tear the moss off the twigs. The young one flew at her, and
they. had a great fight. Each cried
Mout, itis my placed (No, itis
> mines, was, mere onst.« «No; 1
‘What is all this?†said an old
Cat, who lay near in the sun. ‘ What
a noise! I must go and see.’ So she
went, and she heard what the two birds said.
They were in far too much of a rage to see her. But all
at once they heard a great fierce voice close to them, which
said, “You can not both have the place.†And she caught
them, each in one of her front paws. ‘It is not yours,’ she
said to the old Wren. ‘‘ You were too late this year. You
are a cross bird, and you fight. I can not let you live.â€
And she ate her up.
“ And it is not yours,†she said to the young one. “The
24 THAT IS MY PLACE.
old Wren had it last year, you know. “You have not been at
all fair. I can not let you live.â€
So she ate her up too.
Then the Cat went down the tree, and lay in the sun.
‘There is an end of that,†said she.
What is that to Dou?
NCE there was a Mule, who lived ina large field. In
the next field lived a Horse, and a Cow, and a young
Galt
The Mule was a cross, bad Mule, and the Cow had told
the Calf not to talk to him. But the Calf would ¢&
go, day by day, to the side of the hedge, and talk to @=
him all the same. |
Now in the Mule’s field there was a
pump.
One day the Calf came to
the side of the hedge, and said
to the Mule, ‘‘ What is the
name of that great thing in
your field ?†:
Now, to tell the truth, the : sf
Mule did not know, but he
did not like to say so. So he said in a loud fierce voice,
“What-is that to you?†The Calf was young, and did not
know much yet. She thought that “ What is that to you?â€
was the name of the pump.
26 WHAT IS THAT TO You ?
“It is a long grand name,†she thought.
“The Horse and the Cow do not know that, Iam sure.
I will show off to them how wise I am.â€
So she said ‘‘ What-is-that-to-you†nine or ten times, till
she could say it quite fast and well, all in one word, and then
she went up to the Horse and said, with her head high in the
alr,
“Do you know the name of that thing in the Mule’s
melee
~ No, said the Horse. ~ “I should like to know. He
was not proud and vain, like the Calf. “Do you know?†he
asked.
“Yes,†said the Calf, with her head still high in the air.
“Oh yes! I know quite well.â€
“What is it, then?†said the horse.
WHAT IS THAT TO YOU ? 27
“ What-is-that-to-you !â€â€™ said the Calf, with a grand air.
“Take that, you rude thing!†said the Horse, and he
gave her such a kick that she fell down, and was much hurt.
The rest of the day she did not hold her head high at all.
“Tt was all the fault of the Mule,†she said.
5 wont be put on.
WON'T be put on,†said a young Horse,
who had just been brought off the moor,
where he had run wild all his life.
‘Who wants to put on you?†asked
an old Mare.
‘““Why, those men. They have put
— =» shoes on my feet!â€
‘“A good thing, too,†said the Mare.
“A good thing! Shoes on me! A free horse of the
moor! as if I would wear these things!†And ina rage he
kicked his feet on the stones, till at
last he got off first one shoe, and
then one more. “ There!†he
said. ‘‘I wear shoes! No,
not I!â€
just? then. the
Groom came in. He
took the young Horse
and the Mare, and put
them both in a brake,
that he might teach ,
the young Horse how
to go.
The Horse reared when he felt the bit and the curb, but
it was of no use.
I WON'T BE PUT ON. 29
‘When he cracks the whip,†said the old Mare, ‘“ he
means that we must go fast.†ae
‘“Oh, he does, does he?†said the Horse. ‘Then he
may crack for me! I won't be put on in that way, I can tell
him!â€
_ And when the Groom cracked his whip, the Horse would
not go on, but stood quite still.
This won’t do,†said the Groom, and he lashed the
30 I WON’T BE PUT ON. *
Horse so hard that he soon did go on.. He did not play
that trick twice. :
“Oh! my fore feet hurt me so,†said the Horse, at last.
‘““The stones cut them, and the hard road makes them quite
sore. Are yours sore?â€â€™
‘“No,†said the Mare. ‘I have shoes on, you know.â€
The Horse said no more, but he was glad to get home.
The Groom put him in a stall, and put a thick cloth on him.
‘What's that for?†said the Horse. “Just like that
Man! When I am so hot that I do not know what to do,
he puts this great thick thing on me. I won't be
put on in that way.†2
And he kicked till the
cloth fell off. |
ute soon he telt
scoldiele. cor .a- chile
and all through the night
he felt ill, and could not
sleep for cold and pain. .
His feet were sore, and ;
his sides were stiff.
‘“T wish I had that
cloth on,†he said. ‘I wish I had not kicked my shoes off.
I wish I had goné on when the man cracked the whip. If
he will but get me some more shoes, and let me have the
cloth on, I will not say next time, ‘I won’t be put on.’â€
mea
praets,
eK
rP3
he did it First,
HERE were once two Sheep who lived in a field. One
was black, and one was white. In the same field lived
a Horse and a Cow.
Now the black Sheep was not at all good. But where he
chose to go the white Sheep would go, and what he did the
white Sheep would do. So they both did what they ought
32 HE DID IT FIRST.
not. And when the white Sheep was asked why he did what
he ought not, he would say, ‘‘ The black Sheep did it first !â€
One day a Boy went through the field, and did not shut
the gate. The black Sheep saw it, and ran out of the field
with great glee. The white Sheep saw it too, and they both
went some way. .
But soon they met a large Dog, who knew that they
ought not to be out in the road. He ran at them, and bit
them, and tore some wool off their backs. They were glad to
run back, and the white Sheep was quite ill with fright all
the rest of the day.
“But why did you go?†said the old Cow.
“The black Sheep went,†said the white one. “He did
it first.â€
Well, the gate was shut, but one day the black Sheep
found a way out of the field through a hole in the hedge. He
crept through the gap, and of course the white Sheep crept
HE DID IT FIRST. Be
through it as well. They got out on the moor, and went a
long way. They thought it fine fun to be out there, with no
one in sight.
Soon the black Sheep, who was first, came to the edge
of a deep pit. He gave a great jump, and leaped in.
The white Sheep did not stop to think. He gave a great
jump, and leaped in too. Down, down, down he fell, on to a
heap of great stones. Both he and the black Sheep were
much hurt. They could not get out,
and were forced to lie there in
great pain.
By-and-bye some Men
came by, and saw the Sheep
ineeene spits eine sven soot
them out, and took them
back to the field, and sent
for some one to see what could
be done for them.
The Horse and the Cow, in great grief, came and stood
by the side of the white Sheep as he lay on the grass. They
were fond of him, in spite of all his faults.
“Oh! why,†cried the Cow, with tears in her eyes (and
the bell that was hung round her neck shook and rang as she
leant over him)—‘‘ Why did you leave the field with the black
Sleeps
“ He did it first,†said the white one, in a faint voice.
c
34 HE DID IT FIRST.
“Then why did you a down that steep place? Could
you not see that it was a pit ?’
“T did not stop to see. He did it first,†said the white
Sheep. Then, with a groan, he went on to ask, ‘‘ How is the
black Sheep? Is he here too? And what does the Man
think who comes to see us?â€
‘“T grieve to say,†said the Cow, “that he thought you
were both far too much hurt to live. The poor black Sheep,
who lies close by, has just died, and I fear that you must die
too.â€
“He did it first,†said the white Sheep. And with
~ those words he died.
3 want to see the World.
HERE was once a young Pig, who
wished to see the world. He lived in
a sty with an old Sow, and he used to
talk to her of his great plans, and of
what he would do by-and-bye when
he went out in the world. He had been born in the sty, and
the door was too high for him to see the yard.
One day the farm boy did not shut the door of the sty.
‘Ho! Hol now is: my time!†cried the Pig. “Now
I’m off! It is no good for you to come, you poor old thing,â€
he said to the Sow. ‘“ You will be in my way, and in your
own as well, for I know you do not care to see the world. I
will come back and let you have a look at me when I ama
great Pigs
“Take care, take care,†said the old Sow. “It may be
well to go out in the world, if you must, but it is best to stop
at home if you can.â€
“Poor old thing!†was all the young Pig said, and
he turned up his snout as he said it.
He went through the door, out in the yard. It was a
36 I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD.
square yard, with a high wall all round it, and a high door in
one side of the wall. |
‘So this is the world,†said he. ‘‘ What a large place
itis! Dear me! I must take care, or I shall be lost. I
must keep close by the edge of the world, so that I may not
lose my way.â€
So he walked on by the side of the wall, and soon saw
a flock of Geese. They put out their
heads and made a great noise as he
went by. The young Pig did not
like this, and he went on
as fast as he could. Butas
soon as he had
passed, he felt
quite proud that
he had seen such |
strange things.
Next he saw
two Ducks in
a pond, who
cried, ‘‘ Quack !
quack!†when
they saw him.
“What does
that mean?†thought the Pig. But he could not find out.
“How much I shall have to tell when I get home!†he thought.
I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD. , 27,
By this time he had got to the high door.
“This must be the end-of the world,’ said he, for he
could not see through.
He went on, still by the
side of the wall, and met a
large Cow, and when he saw
her great horns, he thought he
had best get out of her way
asitastease he could; So. he
made haste, and soon found
that he was back at the door
of his own sty.
“So here you are!â€â€™ said
the old Sow.
‘Here I am!†cried the
Rig
“And what have you
Seema :
“Oh! such things! I have been all round the world.
I find that it is square, and has a wall all-round: at, lest
pigs should fall off. In fact, it is like a big sty.
“Well, to be sure!†said the old Sow.
“ And the end of the world,†went on the young Pig,
“is made of wood, and has two high posts, one on each side,
to mark the place. The first thing that I saw in the world
was a herd of such queer pigs. They had but two legs each,
38 I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD.
-and they were quite white. Then I saw two pigs that could
swim. There are but two in the world: Think of that! And
they said, ‘ Quack, quack.’â€
‘© What does that mean?†asked the old Sow.
“Oh! it is what they say in the world,†said the young
Pig, with a grand air. “It is no good to tell you what it
means, for you have not been there, you know. Then I saw
a huge red pig with two horns. There is but one pig of
this sort in the whole world!â€
“Well, to be sure!†said the old Sow.
“JT should have made friends with him,
2?
went on the
young Pig, “but he did not look my way. And then, as I
had gone all round the world, I came home. Ah! — The
world is a fine place, you poor old thing!†and he turned up
his snout once more.
“T know all that is to be known now,†said he. ‘“ The
farm boy may shut the door when he likes. I am a great pig
now. I know the world!†o
“Well, to be sure!†said the old Sow.
F Don't Rnow.
rN YOUNG Rat once lived who would not take the pains
to make up his mind. When ‘the old Rats asked
him if he would like to come out with them at night, he
would say, ‘I don’t know ;†and if they said, “ Would you
like to stay in?†he. still used the same words, “I don’t
>
know.†He would not take the pains to make a choice,
or to find out which he would like.
An old grey Rat said to
him one day—
‘No one will care for
you, if you go on like
this. You have no
more mind than a
blade of grass. It
is good to give up
your own way, but
it is not good to
have no way at all.â€
The young Rat
sat up, and looked
wise, but said not
a word. \ ‘Bag
4O I DON’T KNOW.
“Don’t you think so?†said the old grey Rat; and he gave
a stamp with his hind feet, for he could not bear to see the
young one so cool.
‘‘T don’t know,†was all the young Rat said, and then he
walked off with slow steps, to think for an hour if he should
stay at home in the hole, or go out in the loft.
One day there was a great noise in the loft. It was old,
and the rain had soaked through some of the beams, so that
the place was not safe to live in. On this day one of the
joists gave way, and a beam fell with one end on the floor.
The walls shook, and the hair of all the Rats stood on end
with fright.
“This will not do,†said the old Rats, and they shook
their heads as they spoke. ‘We must leave this
place.â€
So they sent out scouts to look for a new home, and
in the night the scouts came back, and said they had
found an old barn, where there would be room and food
for all.
“Then it is best to go at once,’ said the old Rat, who
was, the chief = orm in line.
The Rats came forth from their holes, and stood on the
floor in a long line.
“Are all here ?†and the old grey Rat looked round. ‘You
all choose to go?†asked he. ‘Make up your minds at
once.â€
I DON’T KNOW. AI
“Ves, yes,†said all in the line.
Just then the chief caught sight of young Grip (that
was the young Rat’s name). He was not in the line,
nor was he out :
he stood just
by it.
“You did not
speaks «= Grip)
he wsaid 53 of
course you will
comer =
“T don’t know,â€
said Grip. ah
“Don’t know! Why, you do not think *
it safe, do you?â€
“T don’t know,†said Grip. ‘‘ The roof may not come
down yet.â€
“Well, stay then,†said the old Rat, “ and serve you right
if you are killed.â€
“1 don't know that 1 will stay,†said Grip: 7° Bhe root
might come down soon.â€
“Well, we cannot wait for you to make up your mind.
Come or stay, as you like. Right face, Rats fe Marchâ€
And the long line marched out of the loft. Down the
steps they went, one by one, and the young Rat
looked on. |
42 I DON’T KNOW.
“T think I will go,†he said; “ but yet—I don’t know. It
is nice and snug here.â€
The tail of the last Rat was lost to sight as he spoke. He
I DON’T KNOW. 43
went near the steps, and looked down. “I will go back to
my hole for a short time, just to make up my mind,â€
said he. ,
That night there was a great crash. Down came beams,
joists, tiles, and the whole roof.
_ The next day some men came to look at the loft. They
thought it odd to see no Rats, but at last, as one man moved
a great tile, he saw a young Rat, quite dead, half in and
half out of his hole. — 7 :
by ?
e OW you must not go in there?†said an old Dog to
a young Pup, who stood on the white steps of a large
house. “ You must stay out now.â€
“Why?†asked. the young Pup. For it was a trick (and
WHY ? 45
a bad trick) of his to say “Why?†when he was told to do,
or not to do, a thing.
“Why?†said the old.Dog. ‘I can not say why. Old as
I am, I do not know why. But I do know that if you go in,
when it is a wet day like this, the Maid will drive you out.â€
“ But why?†went on the Pup. “It is not fair. There is
no sense in it. I have been in the house some days, and no
one turned me out, so why should they now?â€
“Those were fine days,†said the old Dog.
“Well, it is the wet days that I most want to be in,â€
said the Pup. ‘ And I don’t see why I should stay out. So
here I go.â€
And so he did. oe
But he soon found that though no one coneed to tell him
“why†he must not come in, it was quite
true that he might not.
The first who saw him was
the Cook, who had a broom
in her hand. |
“That vile Pup!†she
cried: ‘ Lookat his tect!
“What is wrong with my
feet?†barked the Pup.
But she did not wait to tell him. She struck him with
the broom, and he fled with a howl up the stairs.
“Oh, that Pup!†cried the Maid, as she saw the marks
46 WHY?
of his feet. ‘‘ He ought not to come in the house at all, if
he will not keep out on wet days.â€
“ But why?†yelped the Pup, 3 the Maid threw a hearth
brush at his head.
Still no one told him mine But a man just then came up
Stairs.
‘“Why, what a mess!†he said. “Oh,I see. It is that
Pup. I thought he knew he must not come in.â€
“So I did, but I did not know why,†growled the Pup, as
with sore back and lame foot, he crept under a chair.
‘““Come out, come out,†cried the Man. ‘I will not have
you in the house at all. Out with you!†And
he seized him with a strong hand, and chained
him up ina stall.
“You might have stopped out, and played
on the grass, if you had stayed there,†he
said. ‘But as you will come in the
house’ when you ought not, you
must be kept where you can BO
do so.’
And e the young Pup had to stay \y
in the dull stall. And when at last he
was let out, he did not ask ‘“ Why 2â€
if he was told to do, or not to do,a_
thing, but did as he ought at once,
like a wise dog.
Dou Darent.
OU can’t jump that,†said a Goat toa
Sheep.
They were on a cliff near the sea.
In the cliff there was a deep, deep
cleft or crack, which went down to
the sea. It was not broad, but it
was too wide for a Goat or a Sheep to
cross. At high tide the waves of the sea »
foamed and raged in this cleft, and it was high tide now.
yee The Goat and the Sheep
; Be stood on one side of the
cleft.
he Sheep looked pebut
said not a word. She knew
it was too much of a jump
for her, but she was too vain
to say SO.
‘You daren’t,†said the Goat.
The Sheep did not like this. She
oi would not say it was true that she dared
; © not, and she did not know what else to say.
At last she thought of a way out.
48 YOU DAREN’T.
‘“ Vou daren’t!†said she.
Now it was the Goat’s turn to look vexed.
Evol WUstisay, tab tol etrollt Of ib ma mhe cricd ma. Vou
daren’t, you know.â€
“You daren’t you know,†said the Sheep.
‘I do dare, then!†cried the Goat.
“So do I,†said the Sheep. ‘ How dare you say I don’t
dare?â€
YOU DAREN’T. 49
“Vou don’t!†cried the Goat.
“Vou dour acmed: the sheep:
“T do! Ido!†cried both at the same time.
And at the same time both, as if with one voice, cried,
ie Eee teal a4 |
There was a pause. Both went back a few steps, ran to
the edge of the cleft, and leapt with all their might.
It was too wide. The Sheep fell in the midst of the
cleft. The Goat just touched the edge of the side with his
foot, but could not gain sure hold, and he fell too.
When the tide turned, a dead Goat and a dead Sheep
were swept out to sea.
F am as Good as Vou.
NCE there was a Cat, whose name was Smut. But she
chose to say it was Grim, for she thought that was a
grand name. She liked to be thought much of, and to say
to all she met, ‘I am as good as you.â€
One day she set out to see what could be seen in the world.
First she came to a sty, in which was a great, fat pig. She
leapt up on the wall, and said, “ Good day, Pig.â€
‘Who are you?†said the Pig.
(ie ann aS Food" das! yOu
the Gat:
TON@ Comic, saicl Une. Pie, Wor
proud. And he was glad to find
hope,†cried
he was not.
some one who would talk to him.
The Cat was well pleased. | ¢
“This Pig is a wise Pig,†“®s
thought «she; =)" Hey knows
what. 1S: what. lecanescets= 50
she sat on the wall, and told.
him all the news.
Then she went on, and meta j :
‘s
Dog in the yard.
I AM AS GOOD AS YOU. 5!
“What do you want here?†said he in a gruff voice.
iY Owkareshere cried the Cat.) And Ie amyasegood -ds
you, I hope.â€
ss Humph !†said the Dog.
“He is not half as nice as the Pig,†thought the Cat. And
she said, “I can not stay. It will be dark soon, and I must
find a house to sleep in. Good day, Dog.â€
“ Humph!†said the Dog.
She went on some way, and came to what she thought
was a house. She went in, and saw a Horse in a Stall.
52 I AM AS GOOD AS YOU.
He was blind, but he heard her come in, and he said, ‘‘ Who
ISatheGeh. a
“It is I,†said the Cat, in as loud a voice as she could.
“What an odd voice,†thought the Horse. And he said,
“But who are you?â€
“T am as good as you,†said the Cat.
« Are you a Horse?â€
ee Well, I am not quite a Horse,†said the Cat. “ But Iam
as good as one.†.
«What is your name,†said the Horse.
‘My name is the great Grim.â€
“ And how tall are you? For I can not see, you know.â€
“ My head is as high as the top of the door,†said the Cat.
And, in fact, so it was, for she had got up on to the top of the
door, where there was a nice broad ledge for her to sit on.
“ How grand you must be!†said the Horse. ‘“ Will you
share my stall, if you have no place to sleep in BE
“Thank you,†said the Cat, “you are most kind. If you
will take care to leave room for me, I will come when it gets
dark. But mind you leave room for me.â€
“JT will,†said the Horse, and he went quite on one side of
the stall. |
In the night the Cat came, and lay down on the straw.
There she went to sleep. The Horse had not gone to sleep,
but he did not hear her come in.
“Why does not the great Grim come?†thought he. “I
I AM AS GOOD AS YOU. 53
will let him have this side of the stall, I think. It is not so
cold as the side near the door.â€
So he went to the side by the door. As he did so, he trod
on the Cat’s tail.
‘““ Mew!†cried she.
“Why, what can that be?†said he. ‘“ You must move
out of the way, if you please.†But as he spoke, he put his
hoof on the Cat’s head. There was one loud ‘“ Mew!â€
Then all was still.
Next day the Horse heard the Groom come to the door,
and say to a Boy, who was with him, ‘‘ Why! there is a dead
Cat in the stall!â€
“Poor thing!†thought the Horse. ‘‘ But where can the
great Grim be?â€
That's Thought to Me.
DOG once set out to go through the
world and see all that was to be seen.
He had been spoilt in his young days,
and his heart was hard, so he did not
care for the pains or the joys of those :
2 . that he saw, as long as he was safe
and pleased. In this way he lost half the joys that he might
have had, and was of none of the use that he might have been,
but he did not know that, or, if he did know, he did not care.
One day as he went through a field he heard a sad cry,
and when he looked round he saw a Sheep in a stream.
“Welp- ame! oh; help sme!†she sctied:: =" shall be
drowned.â€
The Dog could have pulled her out, for he was a strong
Dog, and could swim well; but he said in a calm voice, ‘“‘ That
is nought to me,†and went on.
The Sheep was not drowned, for the stream took her
down toa place where the bank was low, and she could get
out; but she owed the Dog no thanks for that.
_ He went on, till he thought he must find some food, and
just then he caught sight of a Cat, in the yard of a house
THAT’S NOUGHT TO ME. 55
near by. The Cat hada pan of milk, which she seemed to
like, for she purred as she lapped at it.
‘Hi there!†cried the Dog, “give me some of your
milk.â€
The Cat arched her back, and growled, but said not a
word. She thought the Dog would not come in; but he did, |
-and drove her from.the pan with a snarl which showed his
great teeth.
“Oh, do not take it all, pray!†cried the Cat. ‘It is all
I shall have; I do not have milk more than once in a day.â€
“J don’t care. That is nought to me,†said the Dog;
and he drank it all up, and went on, well pleased.
Day after day he was the same. He would not help a
poor Cow that had got shut out of her
field, though he knew of a gap
in the hedge by which
she could have got
back. He would not
take the pains to
point out the way to
the old oak in the
wood, when a young *
Bird, who had strayed
too far from its nest, asked him. To each and all he said,
“Tt is nought to me.â€
At last he came to a great wood. He was tired, and not
56 THAT’S NOUGHT TO ME.
quite well too, for he had found a large piece of meat, all of
which he ate at one meal. So he thought he must rest for
a time, though he had heard it was not a safe place to sleep in,
for there were said to be wolves there. .
And soon he went to sleep.
In his sleep he dreamed that, all at once, a great Wolf
. came out of the wood and
seized hold of him.
‘“Save me! save me!â€
he cried.
“Why should
Ty save=s youl?
said the Wolf,
Pyitheeeaeeeterce
gleam in his eye.
io SeeEnehcmmone
who would say
a good word for you?â€
At this speech the Sheep, who had asked the Dog to
help her, came out of the wood.
“I have a word to say,†she said, in a grave voice, “but it
is not a good word. This Dog would not help me. ‘It is
nought to me’ if you kill him.â€
“Oh!†groaned the poor Dog. ‘Is there none who will
say a kind word.†.
Then came the Cat. “TI do not care if you kill him,†she
THAT’S NOUGHT TO ME. Eo
said to the Wolf. ‘“‘It is nought to me.’ He did not care
for my grief.â€
dhe Cow came next Do as you like); che said; \ tele
is no good. ‘It is nought to me’ what is done with such
as ties
- And then came a whole crowd of Beasts and Birds, and
they stood round and cried, with one voice, “‘ Do as you will
with him. ‘It is nought to us.’â€
The Dog’s fear in his dream was so great that he woke.
How great was his joy to find that no Wolf was near!
“But it might have been true!~ he thought. “I will
mend my ways. I will not go through the world as I have
done; and I will not say of those who live in the same world
with me that their joy, or grief, or pain, is ‘ Nought to me!’â€
More, More.
ICK and Jock were two young Rooks, who lived at the
J top of a tall tree in a copse. They were quite young,
and could not get their own food yet, but though they were
the same age, they were not the same in some things.
When the old birds brought food to the nest, Jick would
not wait for his fair turn. He-called out “ More, moreâ€
when he had just had some, and as he was a fine young bird,
and Jock was not, Jick was the pet of the old Rooks, and so
got more than was good for him, while poor Jock got less.
All the fat worms,-and slugs, fell to Jick’s share, so day by
day he grew more fat, and called out still, ‘“ More, more.â€
| Jock soon found that he
should not be well off till he
could get his own food. So
he tried to hop and fly soon,
and went through all the drill
that old Rooks teach their
young ones, and most of the
- Rooks in the copse said ihe got on well, and were grieved to
see him so lean and thin. But Jick, who had all done for
him, did not care to find food, or to fly. He grew so fat that
he lay all day in the nest, and blinked his eyes.
See
MORE, MORE. 59
“You spoil that child!†said all the wise Rooks to those
who brought Jick food. ‘He will be the worse for it, you
will see.â€
“Ono! the pet!†they said. ‘When he asks in that
sweet way for ‘ More, more!’ we must give it him.â€
So things went on, and all the young Rooks could get
their own food but Jick.
60 MORE, MORE.
One day the old ones brought him a large worm.
“That will make you a good meal,†they said, “and be
quick, for we hear some boys are near, with their guns, and
we want to be off.†.
Jick was quick, but as soon as the worm was gone, he
gaped with his great beak, and cried, “ More, more.â€
“One might have done for you,†said the old ones,
“but what must be, must.†And off they flew to find more
food.
Once twice. svimicewadid= they, bidity Mite. one mores
worm, and then Jick, too fat and sick to eat more, shut his
eyes, and went to sleep. 7
“Bang! bang!†went agun. Two shots were fired, and
the two old birds fell dead. But Jick did not know. Jock
knew, and he, the one for whom they did not care, was the one
who mourned when they fell. |
Wake! wakes he cried to liek Bub Jick did not
wake.
Wake! eried Jock once more, “"Elerelis a boy-at the
foot of the tree. He will climb up. Wake, and fly.â€
But Jick still did not wake.
The boy did climb, and Jock, when he drew near, gave
Jick a great peck to wake him up, and then flew to a bough
near by. |
“There is one on that bough,†cried the boy to a man
who had the gun. ‘ Don’t shoot him, though, he is too lean.â€
MORE, MORE. 61
“ Could not shoot him if he was not,†said the man, ‘“‘ he
is out of reach.†For Jock, when he heard the boy speak,
had spread his wings, and flown off with ease.
“Why do you go on?†cried the man to the boy. “It is
too late in the year to find young Rooks in the nest.â€
Sistity thousme. asked tle boy... hlene icpa tay one:
Why, he can’t fly, I do think.â€
Jick woke now. He stood on his feet, and tried to fly,
but he could not. He was so fat and dull, and blinked so
with his eyes, that the boy laughed.
“You might as well have hopped into my hand as have
sat here,†he said.
‘““ Save me, save me,†the Rook tried to say, but the words
that came were, ‘“‘ More, more.†The boy did not know what
they meant, though.
So the two old ones and Jick were baked in the same pie.
St is Too Paro.
Z OU must learn to fly,†said a white Dove to her two
young ones, as they sat in the nest.
“T’ll try,†said Pluff, who was a good Dove.
‘Oh, I can’t, it is too hard,†said Duff.
‘Now, do as I do,†said the old Dove. “I will take care
. of you. Hop
_2-- on this bough.
Spread your
wings like me,
and fly to this
branch quite
tear.
Phutietited:
His heart beat,
and his head
swam, when
he found him-
self first in the air, but he
tried to do just as he was told,
and in a short time (which seemed
to him, though, a long time), he
found that he was safe on the branch.
But Duff was not there. He still
sat in the nest.
“Come, Duff,†cried the old Dove.
IT IS TOO HARD. 63
“Vou must come. If you do not learn to fly, you will die.
You will starve, for I shall not feed you when you get big.
And if a storm comes, and blows down the nest, you will be
killed if you can not fly.â€
“ Oh, I can not,†said Duff; “it is too hard.â€
“ Why, Pluff has done it, and what Pluff has done, you can
do. Come, hop on this bough. I will have it done.â€
So Duff hopped on the bough. But he would not spread
his wings. He would not trust to what he was told. He
slunk back to the nest, and there he stayed.
Day by day it was the same. And when Pluff could ae
quite well, Duff could not fly at all. He had not once tried.
One night a storm came. The tree in which the nest was
rocked to and fro. The nest was old, and at last it gave way.
The old Dove and Pluff flew out as it fell, and were not hurt,
but Duff, what of him?
They cried to him to. spread his wings; but he could not fly.
“Tt is too hard,†he moaned as he fell on the hard ground.
And so it was. He was killed by the fall.
Why hot?
HERE was once a young Sprat, who lived in the sea.
One day, as he swam by the shore, he saw a small
stream, which ran down to the sea through the sand.
“T think I shall go up Soe when the tide is high,â€
said he.
“Up where?†asked a Sole, who ce him.
Wipe st hat
stream, to be sure!
Do you see how
nice it looks? No
rough waves or
great rocks to bruise my
smooth sides, and rub my
bright scales. Yes! I shall go
up there at high tide.â€
‘Pray don’t think of such Sy
a thing!†said the Sole with
al (aS ieee, Inve
stream is not meant for
you; your place is
in the sea, and in
the sea you should
stay.â€
But wdonkt
want to stay,†said
the young Fish,
with a cross flap
—-*
66 WHY NOT?
of his tail; ‘there are fish in the stream, I know, and why
should not I be there?†|
‘“‘ The stream is fresh,†said the Sole, ‘‘and the sea is salt.
If you tried to live in the stream you would die. Some sorts
of fish are meant for the sea, and some for the stream. You
are meant to live in the sea, and it is no good for you to fret.â€
fT shalliret! lwill fret! “said the sprat; “thats, if |
do not go. But I will go—so there!â€
‘Take your own way, then.â€
‘And as to what you say of the kinds of fish,†cried the
young Fish, “I know that the same.sorts do live in the sea
and in the streams, or ponds, which are the same, of course.
Crabs, and Shrimps, and Flat Fish live in both, I know; and
why not I?â€
“Why not? Iam sick of your ‘Why not’s’â€â€™ said the
Sole. ‘The same Crab or Shrimp could not live in the sea
and in the stream. They are not the same sort.â€
‘Well, then!†said the young Fish, ‘I know there is
one sort that does live both in the sea and in the streams—I
have seen some. They go up the streams, and stay there, and
\ then come back. I knowit. And they get
so fat and big, and splash and dash
Ln about in the streams, and
have such fun.â€
““Tuery do! yes! But you
AeenOr ONceOebneme Vou
gcan not do what they do.â€
And the Sole looked with a
~ smile on the small Sprat by
his side.
“i, dont Ses why MOL,†sacl tiie Spores — Weu can
WHY NOT ? 67
stay here, old Stick-in-the-sand! but I shall not.†And he
swam off.
He went to a shoal of Sprats and told them what was
in his mind. They all joined fins, and said they would do
what no Sprat yet had done. ‘If some fish can do it, why
not all?†said our young friend.
And all said, “‘ Why not ?â€
One Sprat, who thought he was a great wit, made a
verse, which they all sang as they set forth for the stream.
Itran-thus—
“Tf some fish can, why not all?
If the great, why not the small ?â€
But the old Sole, who met them on their way, said they
ought to add this third line—
“ Pride, they say, must have a fall,â€
which they did not like to hear.
By help of the high tide, they got some way up the stream.
They were in high glee, and laughed, and flapped their tails.
“This is grand!†they cried. ‘‘ We shall soon grow big
and fat, and splash, and dash, and leap in the fresh stream.â€
But soon the tide began to slack. They got toa small
hole in the stream, and lay there.
The salt tide passed back down
the stream. ee «=
cri
vile this stream ,,
tastes!†said one. \
“Ts this what they
call fresh ?â€
poling a liste!
sick —so sick!â€
68 WHY NOT?
cnediour trend.“ 1 shall-dic: “ican not live mm this. It 1s
not like the sea. Let us go back.â€
‘“Let us go back!†they all cried. But when they tried,
they found they had got so far up the stream, and were in so
deep a hole, that it was hard work to get back.
‘‘Oh! the sea! the dear old sea!†they said. “Shall we
get back there? We feel as if we should die in this stream.
It makes us so weak and ill.â€
It did make them ill. They gasped, and their bright
skins looked dull and pale. Their fins seemed to have no
strength, and some of the poor Sprats gave up at last, turned
on their sides, and died in the stream. Some got back, and
they reached the sea with great pains, but they did not look
like the same which had set out a few hours since. The old
fish were kind to them, and did not laugh or scorn them.
They could see at.a glance what the poor things had gone
through, but they used for a long time to tell the tale of
the Sprats to any young fish who was heard to say “ Why
NO
Those OL Folks.
e DON’T see why we
should-make our cells
the same way as they have
been made till now,†said a %
young Queen Bee to the
crowd round her. ‘‘ Those
Old Folks will have them
with six sides. And why,
pray? Let us try a new
plan. We will have them
round.†,
ue Wes; yes, chicd ithe lees
with one voice, for they had
just been put into a new hive,
and could do as they liked.
‘““Those old folks! We will
see what we can do.â€
So they tried round cells,
but soon found it was a
great waste of
room and of
wax to make
70 THOSE OLD FOLKS.
them, Then
they tried
square, but
(Obi Gl ME lake
walls would.
not bear the
weight when
they were full.
Slice masta ec
tried two or
three shapes
at the same
fiche, sea TG
made them fit
as they could,
but that gave them much ~
more work, and was no use.
Time went on all the same,
and their heads were so full
of their own plans, and of
scorn for “those old folks,â€
and they tried such odd
THOSE OLD FOLKS. 71
ways, that at last no one knew what the old shape had
been.
“Let us try cells with six sides,†said a young Bee one
day, when they had tried all the ways they could.
72 THOSE OLD FOLKS.
Six sides ah, yes! 2 said the Qucen, + What a broht
thought.†:
So they pulled down the old cells, and built them up with
six sides. They were just right!
“There,†cried they all with great joy, ‘‘see what we have
found out! This is the best way that could be! If ‘those
old folks’ could but see us now, and our new plans!â€
And those Bees still jeer at ‘‘ those old folks!â€
TURNBULL & SPEARS, PRINTERS