xml version 1.0 encoding UTF-8
REPORT xmlns http:www.fcla.edudlsmddaitss xmlns:xsi http:www.w3.org2001XMLSchema-instance xsi:schemaLocation http:www.fcla.edudlsmddaitssdaitssReport.xsd
INGEST IEID EW7TMC24S_52RNCD INGEST_TIME 2016-12-08T21:55:13Z PACKAGE UF00082970_00001
AGREEMENT_INFO ACCOUNT UF PROJECT UFDC
FILES
Animal Life Readers
ROVER AND His FRIENDS
AND OTHER TALES
petite
], George Bell and Sons. oF
The Baldwin Library
RmB win
ANIMAL LIFE READERS
EDITED BY
EDITH CARRINGTON ayn ERNEST BELL
WITH PICTURES BY
HARRISON WEIR
AND OTHERS
ANIMAL LIFE READERS.
1.
Old Friends. By Epitx Carriveron. Illustrated
by Harrison Wetr. Price 8d.
-. Rover and his Friends, and other Tales.
Illustrated by Harrison Weir. Price 8d.
. Wild and Tame. By Epire Carrineron. TIllus-
trated by Harrison Wurr. Price 10d.
. Dick and his Cat, and other Tales. Illustrated
by F. M. Coopzr. Price 10d.
. From Many Lands. By Epira Carrineron.
Illustrated by Harrison Warr. Price 1s.
. History of the Robins. Illustrated by Harrison
Weir. Price ls.
. Man’s Helpers. By Epirx Carrineron. Illus-
trated by Harrison Weir. Price 1s.
. The Animals on Strike, and other Tales.
Illustrated by F. M. Coopzr. Price 1s.
. Wonders of Nature. By Evirn Cargryeron.
Illustrated by Harrison WEIR.
. Featherland. By Manvinte Fenn. Illustrated
by F. W. Kuyt and A. CarrutHers Govunp.
. Animals and their Friends. By Eprrx Car-
RINGTON. Illustrated.
. Tuppy, the Life of a Donkey, Illustrated by
Harrison WEIR.
Also to be had in special bindings for prizes.
ROVER AND HIS FRIENDS
AND OTHER TALES
ROVER AND HIS
FRIENDS
AND OTHER TALES
ADAPTED BY
EDITH CARRINGTON
AUTHOR OF “WORKERS WITHOUT WAGE,†‘A NARROW, NARROW WORLD,â€
‘a STORY OF WINGS,†ETC., ETC.
WITH PICTURES BY HARRISON WEIR
LONDON
GEORGE BELL AND SONS
YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN
.1895 '
This Series is published by Messrs. Bell for the
Humanitarian League.
CONTENTS.
: PAGE
Rover anp HIs Frienps. Anon.
Tue Srory or A Lirrnr Frog. Anon... . . 50
Tae Uery Ducxiine. By Hans Christian Ander-
on. Sy Pe ee eS 8
PREFACE.
In the Section of the Code for 1894-5, dealing with Reading
Books, occur the words “ Passages impressing on the
children the duty of gentleness and consideration for
others, and that of the humane treatment of animals may
also be widely introduced.â€
It is in the hope of encouraging that humane treatment
of animals, which in the hands of a sympathetic teacher
may so easily and naturally be made the first step towards
the “gentleness and consideration for others,†that this
series has been prepared. It is hoped now that the teach-
ing of humanity has received official recognition, that those
who have charge of the young will recognize its importance,
and.will realize that unless the cultivation of the heart runs
pari passu with that of the head, the spread of education
may become a curse instead of a blessing.
ROVER AND HIS FRIENDS.
1. ROVER RUNS AWAY.
1. Ah, Rover, Rover, what will
you do now, I won-der? You
have run away from your home,
Rover, and where will you find a
new one?
2. You have turned off your
master, and how will you now
get an hon-est living? I should
like to know that, Rover.
3. Are you not full of shame,
as you run along the road in that
way,—with your little stumpy
bit of a tail curl-ed down under
you ? ~
4. Why is it not cocked up in
B
2 ROVER
the air, as, in the very nature of
things, the tail of a dog ought to.
be?
o. You seem half starv-ed,
poor little Rover! You would be
elad if any one would give you a
good dinner now, should you not ?
6. And how can you drink such
dirty water as that, out of such a
puddle of mud? Are you very
thir-sty, Rover ?
7. It isa hot. day, to be sure,
and it is warm work, running so
fast. But why need you run at
all; little dog ?
8. There is nobody behind you,
to drive you on. Why not walk,
a nice, easy, jog-trot pace now ?
Tell me that, Rover.
9. Ah, well! Rover will not
say a word; so I must tell his
. story as well as I can.
I0. Rover had run away from
AND HIS FRIENDS. 3
his master, be-cause his master
had whipp-ed him; and he did
not like being kicked.
11. His master was an old
A RUN-AWAY,
tin-ker who used to travel about
and never stay long in one place.
12. He rather liked to travel ;
he saw more of the world than
dogs who stayed at home.
13. But he could not stand
4, ROVER
being beaten all day for no-thing
at all, and never spoken kindly to. |
Write: Rover ran off from his
master. He did not like to be
beaten and never to get a kind
word.
Questions: 1. Why did Rover run so fast? 2. What
did he look like? 8. What sort of water did he drink ?
4, Who was his master? 5. What sort of life did his
master lead? 6. What was it that made Rover run
away ?
2. HIS TAIL IS CUT.
1. When Rover was quite a
puppy, his master had clipp-ed
off the end of his tail with a pair
of shears, to make him a hand-
some dog, as he said.
2. But it spoilt his look. If
Rover had been asked first, he
would have said,—‘“‘ Please to let
AND HIS FRIENDS. 5
my tail alone. I like it best
where it is.â€
3. But no one thinks it worth
while to talk to a dog on such a
sub-ject, though he ought to be
the best judge. So the tail
came off.
4. Rover did not like this a bit,
but he did not run away then.
His tail could not be cut off a
sec-ond time.
5. But he could be whipped
again and again, and he did not
like being whipped. So he ran
away.
6. The tinker was poor, and
some-times had not enough to
eat, and then poor Rover fared
badly you may be sure. And
that was how he came to be
whipped.
7. He ate up the break-fast of
his master one morn-ing as well
6 ROVER
as his own, and was hungry after
that.
8. He did not mind being
hungry much, he was used to it,
but he did mind being beaten, so
he ran away from his master
without saying good-bye.
9. And so Rover ran on, and
on, and on, till he was out of
sight, and at last he saw a little
cott-age with smoke coming out
of the chim-ney.
10. By the cottage door there
was a little boy, and his name
was Bonnie. He had a little
sister, and her name was Minnie.
11. Their mother loved them
very dear-ly, and thought they
were very good child-ren. « Their
father, too, was fond and proud of
them.
12. He used to carry them on
his back and play at horses with
AND HIS FRIENDS. 7
HIS MASTER’S BREAKFAST.
games that Bonnie and Minnie
were fond of.
8 ROVER
Write: The master cut his tail
off. He thought it would look
nice. But it made him look ugly.
It was cruel, too.
Questions: 1. What did Rover’s master do when he was
a puppy? 2 Why did he cut the dog’s tail off? 38. Do
not dogs look better with their tails on? 4. Is it not
foolish and cruel to cut them off? 5. What did Rover see
as he ran? 6. What were the names of the children living
at the cottage ?
38. FATHER AND MOTHER.
1. Bonnie and Minnie, and their
mother and father, were very
happy in this little cottage, far
away from any town.
2. ‘They were in a wild country,
with high hills all round, and a
great, thick, dark wood not far
off.
3. There were not many houses
near, and some-times they did not
AND HIS FRIENDS. 9
see their near-est neigh-bour for
days and days.
4. Their father was not a rich
man. He had to work hard fora
living. Sometimes he went into
the great wood to cut fag-gots.
5. And sometimes he went on
the high hills to look after a small
flock of sheep, and lead them
from one feed-ing place to the
other.
6. When he was caring for the
sheep, he often did not come
home to his cottage for many
days.
7. This was his summer work.
It was in winter that he used to
cut fag-gots in the wood.
8. And then the sheep were put
into a fold near the cottage, and
ted with food which had been laid
up for them in autumn.
9. The sheep did not belong to
10 , ROVER
him, but to a person who lived a
good way off.
10. But though they were not
his own, he took great care of
them, and there was not a better
shep-herd in that part of the
country.
11. The mother of this little
boy and girl had enough to do,
for when she was not at any
other work, she carded wool.
12. Then she spun it into
threads to be woven into cloth.
Her spinn-ing wheel was never
long at rest. —
13. As she sat spinning she
used to teach Bonnie his letters
and hear him spell.
14. Little Minnie was not old
enough for this, she could not
speak plain, but only lisped. So,
she would amuse herself with her
play-things.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 11
Write: The father used to take
care of sheep. The mother spun
wool, and heard her little boy
spell.
Questions: 1. What sort of place was the cottage in?
2. What did the father do in winter? 38. What did he do
in summer? 4. Where were the sheep put in winter? 5.
What did the mother do? 6. How did Bonnie and Minnie
fill up their time ?
4. ROVER COMES BACK.
1. One ev-en-ing im summer,
Bonnie and Minnie were eating
their supper of oat-meal cake out-
side the cottage door.
2. Their father was a long way
off on the hills, and their mother
was spinning inside the cottage.
3. Bonnie and Minnie were so
busy eating that they did not leok
up to see what was coming, till
the little girl felt some-thing
12 ROVER
very cold rubbing against. her
hand.
4. Then she saw a dog close
beside her, with a little bit of a
stump of a tail wagg-ing very fast,
and his eyes fixed in a loving way
upon her supper.
o- “O doggy, doggy, where do
you come from?†lisped little
Minnie, not in the least afraid.
6. “It is Rover! That it is!â€
cried out Bonnie, in great de-light.
“It is Rover, that belongs to old
Tommy Tinker.
7. “How do you come back
here, and where is your master,
Rover?†It was plain that Rover
was not a stranger to them.
8. No, he had been there only
the week before, and while old
Tinker Tom was mending the
kettle they had made friends with
Rover, and he with them.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 13
9..The mother of Bonnie and
Minnie had found him a bone, for
she had felt pity for the poor, thin
doggie, whose master spoke to
him so gruff-ly.
10. And now Rover knew that
seis ae os il
1/4,
a“ i, xg
oe “3 yk
A NICE BONE.
he would meet kind friends at the
cottage, for though people forget
a kindness, the poor dog never
does. He is always grate-ful.
11. But Rover could not answer
the question, “ Where is your
14 ROVER
master?†which Minnie - had
asked him. _ ,
12. All he could do was to look
pleased and wag his short tail
faster than ever, and smell at her
oat-cake as if to say, “ Please give
me a bit.â€
Write: Rover was hungry. He
begged Minnie to give him a bit
of her cake. He did not forget.
Questions: 1. What did Minnie feel one evening P 2,
Was she afraid of the dog? 38. What had her mother
done for Rover before? 4. Did the dog remember her
kindness? 5. Who is always grateful? 6. What did
Rover do when Minnie asked him a question ?
5. ROVER’S STORY.
1. But Rover could not speak.
If he could have spoken, he would
have said: “Ivan away from old
AND HIS FRIENDS. 15
— Tommy Tinker, because I do not
like being whipped.
SO VERY THIRSTY.
2. “ And I have been running,
running all day till I am very
16 ROVER
tired ; and I have had nothing to
eat all day since break-fast.
3. “And then I did not get
enough, and Tinker Tom is a
great way off, I hope, for I do not
want ever to see him again.
4. “JI came here be-cause you
were kind to me when I was here
before, and I thought you would
be kind again.
}. “I knew you would give me
some-thing to eat and drink, and
not beat me. And here I am,
you see; so pray give me some
supper.â€
6. This would have been a long
speech for a dog to make; and
Rover did not make it in so many
words.
7. But he looked as much of it
as he could. And Bonnie was
able to see quite well what he
meant.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 17
8. “O, Rover, Rover, you have
run away from your master, I
sup-pose, naughty dog!†said
Bonnie.
9. And Rover left off wagging
his bit of a tail that very minute
and hung down his head. Then
-he gazed at Bonnie in a plead-ing
way. :
10. “You do. not know how
hard it is to be beaten and kicked
always for no reason at all, and
to have no one to love you a bit.â€
11. His sad eyes seemed to say
this, and then the little boy saw
how thin the poor sides of the
dog looked.
12. “You are hungryandthirsty
and tired, are you not?†said
Bonnie. And Rover whined, as
much as to say, “To be sure I
am.â€
13. “ Rover, Rover, have some
Cc
Gi 2. ROVER
cake?†said little Minnie, as
plainly as she could, and she held
out a bit of her supper to him.
14. It was soon down Rover's
throat, and he wagged his tail
brisk-er than ever, which meant,
“Thank you, Minnie,†as plain as
could be.
Write: Rover tried to tell the
little boy why he ran away. It
was hard to have no one to love
him.
Questions: 1. If Rover could have spoken, what would
he have said? 2. How did Bonnie understand him? 3.
What was it that Bonnie did not know? 4. What did he
see when he looked at Rover’s sides? 5. What did little
Minnie give the dog? 6. Tell me what Rover did when
he got the bit of cake?
6. ROVER GROWS FAT.
1. Then Bonnie and Minnie
called their mother; and she had
AND HIS FRIENDS. 19
pity on poor Rover, and gave him
a large bowl of water.
2. This he lapped quite up, and
had something to eat as well.
Then she made a bed for poor
Rover in one corner of the fire-
place.
3. She said, “‘ Perhaps his mas-
ter, old Tinker Tom, is coming
this way again ; and we will take
care of Rover till he comes.â€
4. Rover hoped that he was
not coming that way again. But
he could not say so. And he
was glad to curl himself up, and
go to sleep.
5. Rover soon made him-self
quite at home with Bonnie and
Minnie. He did not at all seem to
wish to run away from them.
6. And they had no wish to part
with him. But, of course, the chil-
dren thought, Tinker Tom was
20 ROVER
sure to come some day to take
away their pet.
7. But day after day went
away, and no Tinker Tom came.
And each day Rover was well
fed, so that he began to look quite
sleek and pretty.
8. His curly coat shone like
silk. And to show how happy he
was, and how grateful to his new
friends, he became very playful.
9, Rover seemed to be growing
back again into a puppy, he was
so full of funny tricks.
10. He was never tired of romp-
ing. And he made up all the
games himself with-out being
taught.
11. They did not tease or worry
Rover to learn things which seem
like a hard lesson to a dog. But
they let him play in his own way,
and a very funny way it was.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 21
Write: As the dog was well
fed, he became full of fun. He
made up games himself.
Questions: 1. What did they give Rover? 2. Where
did he sleep? 3. What change came in his looks as he
was well treated? 4. How did he learn tricks? 5. What
does it seent to a dog when he is taught tricks? 6. Who
did they think would come for him?
7. ROVER’S GAMES.
1. Sometimes Bonnie said to
Rover, “ Catch your tail, Rover !â€
And then Rover would run round
and round, trying to catch the end
of his tail. |
2. Of course it was of no use
his trying to do that, it had been
cut off so short, and was such a
little bit of a stump of a tail.
3. Then Bonnie taught him to
know what he said, by taking
pains to talk to him. |
22 ROVER
4. Dogs like that, and are
quite clever at learn-ing words.
Though they cannot answer, they
like to know what we say.
5. Soon Rover knew what it
meant when Bonnie said, ‘‘ Let
us go for a walk,†even when the
door was shut and Bonnie was
sitting at the table.
6. But Bonnie never said this
unless he meant to take Rover
out, or the dog would have learnt
that he did not mean what he
said.
7. Then Rover learned to shake
hands of his own accord, by put-
ting his paw on the knee of
Minnie.
8. One of the things which
Rover liked best was to run after
a great ball of wool that Bonnie
made on pur-pose for a game.
9. Bonnie, Minnie, and Rover
AND HIS FRIENDS. 23
used to go to the top of a hill,
very near the cottage.
10. With all his might, Bonnie
threw the ball down the hill, for
Rover to run after.
11. Sometimes he was so eager
A GAME AT BALL.
to catch the ball that he tumbled
over and over, and rolled head
over heels down to the bottom of
the hill!
12. But he did not mind it a bit.
He thought it all fine fun, and
24: ROVER
always got the ball at last, and
ran back with it in his mouth.
13. Sometimes Bonnie would
say, “Take it to Minnie;†and
Rover was so clever that he knew
what that meant.
14. He soon knew the names of
each person in the cottage, and
would go from one to the other
when he was sent.
Write: He would run all down
the hill to bring the ball back.
He knew the names of the chil-
dren.
Questions: 1. What did Rover try to do with his tail P
2. What toy did Bonnie make for him? 38. What did he
learn to do of his own accord? 4. What did Bonnie tell
him to do when he brought the ball? 5. What did he
do sometimes when he ran after the ball? 6. What was
he clever enough to learn?
AND HIS FRIENDS. 25
8. TINKER TOM COMES BACK.
1. But one day, a good while
after they had had the little dog,
as they were playing this game,
Rover did not come back with
the ball.
2. Instead of that, when he got
to the bottom of the hill he looked
round, and then. ran off as fast
as he could with his little bit of
a.tail hanging down.
3. He had not stopped running
when Bonnie and Minnie lost
sight of him, and that was not
till he had run right into the great
wood.
4. What now, Rover? What
now?
again, Rover? running away ?
Why, you silly old dog, do you
not know when you are well off?
26 ROVER
0. Why, you have been well
fed, and have been able to play all
day long, and have had a nice
warm bed to sleep on at night.
6. And you have not been
whipped, Rover, but have been
well treated. What do you run
away for ? :
7. Ha, ha! Cunn-ing Rover!
Sharp-eyed Rover! He knew
what he was about, old Rover
did.
8. Look along that path, Bon-
nie, quite the other way from the
great wood, and, a great way off
yet, who is it you see?
9. Tinker Tom, to be sure!
with his pack on his back. Rover
has no mind to belong to Tinker
Tom again, to be whipped and
half starv-ed.
10. So Rover stole himself
away in time, wise Rover! funny
AND HIS FRIENDS. 27
Rover! ‘Tinker Tom did not
care.
11. He said he did not want
Rover back any more, when he
Ky NY, Ze
rae CL yee
SG iL Di ee WA yh
Qi" Tiled 2 Ny
Ate THe
. TF ii
2B
OFF TO THE WOOD.
heard where he was. They might
keep Rover, he said.
12. But he himself was hungry,
and would be glad of a bit of
28 ROVER
bread. If Bonnie’s and Minnie’s
mother would give him that,
they might keep Rover and wel-
come.
Write: One day Rover did not
bring back the ball. He saw his
old master coming and ran away
to hide.
Questions: 1. Why did not Rover bring back the ball ?
2. What was he afraid of P 3. Where did he go to hide?
4, What did Tinker Tom want? 5. What did he say that
Bonnie and Minnie might do?
9. ROVER LEARNS TO BE USEFUL.
1. So Tinker Tom got a good
hot din-ner and then he went
away again with his pack on his
back.
2. No trace of Rover was to
be seen, he had not come out of
the thick wood.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 29
3. Cunn-ing Rover! When Tin-
ker Tom had been gone a good
long time, and it was getting
dark, back came Rover again.
4. I guess he had watched
while he was in the wood, and
seen his old master go away, and
had given him time to get ever
so far, before he came near the
cottage again.
5. And when he did come in,
he looked so pleased and proud,
and he frisk-ed about as if he had
done some mighty wise thing.
6. He saidas plainly as he could -
speak, “Do you not think your
Rover a clever dog now ?â€
7. And Bonnie and Minnie
were glad, you may be sure,
when they knew that Rover was
their very own.
8. But, as he was to belong to
very poor people, the dog must
80 ROVER
try to be useful. Rover would
be glad enough to do all he could
for them.
9. Rover must work now.
When the father of Bonnie and
Minnie came home one day from
the hills, he said,
10. “ We must not let Rover be
idle all his life. He must do some-
thing to get an honest living.
11. “I shall take him with me
to the hills in the morning, and
teach him to do what the dog of
a Shep-herd ought.
12. “ He will help me nicely if
he will take to the trade, and
I shall be a gentle master to
him.â€
13. So the next morning Rover
went off to the hills with Bonnie’s
father. And if ever a dog looked
proud and pleased, it was he.
14. His master had a long crook
AND HIS FRIENDS. 31
in his hand, but Rover knew that
he would not be hit with it.
Write: When the tinker was
gone, his dog came back. The
father said he must teach Rover
to keep sheep.
Questions : 1. When did Rover come back to the cottage?
2. How did he behave when he came in? 38. What did
the father of Bonnie and Minnie say? 4. What did he do
with Rover the next morning? 5. What did he carry in
his hand? 6. How did Rover like to go with his new
master ?
10. LEARNING TO KEEP SHEEP.
1. At first it was a good deal
of trouble to teach Rover to take
care of sheep in the right way.
2. It was good fun to him, to
be sure, to run after them and
bark at their heels in a pleas-ant,
play-ful way.
3. But he did not know when
32 ROVER
to bark and when to be quiet, and
though he tried ever so hard, he
could not find out all that his mas-
ter told him to do.
4, But he did better each day,
and when the shep-herd went
home next, he said that Rover
was a good dog, and would be very
use-ful some day.
5. And, indeed, by the time
that the summer was over and
the sheep brought home, Rover
had become a first-rate sheep-dog.
6. Bonnie and Minnie were
very glad to hear this, and they
were very gilad, too, to have their
old friend Rover back again to
play with.
7. Rover was glad also; so
they were all glad and happy at:
the cottage, though the weath-er
was very cold.
8, Snow had begun to fall, and
AND HIS FRIENDS 33
THE SHEPHERD’S FLOCK.
it was nice to sit by the wood fire
which crackled in the grate.
D
34 ROVER
9. While Rover and his master
had been away, the mother of the
child-ren had not been idle, nor
had Bonnie.
10. She had spun a great deal
of wool and made it up into winter
clothes, and Bonnie had begun
to learn how to knit stock-ings.
11. He would soon be able, he
thought, to knit a pair for his
father for his birthday.
12. He had learn-ed to read,
too, as well as to spell, and he
had taught little Minnie her let-
ters out of his own book.
13. And so, all through the
winter, Rover’s master made fag-
gots in the wood.
14. Sometimes Rover went
with him and sometimes he
stopped at home, but he was a
very happy dog in either place.
AND HIS FRIENDS. 85
Write: At first Rover could
not learn to keep sheep, but soon
he got on better. At last he did
it well.
Questions: 1. What was Rover to learn? 2. What
did he become after a time? 3. What did the children’s
mother do while Rover was away? 4. What did Bonnie
do? 5. What work did Rover’s master do in the winter ?
6. How did Rover get on, and what did he do?
ll. THE LOST SHEEP.
1. At night they all sat round
the blaz-ing logs and were as
happy as happy could be, though
summer was gone and there were
no flowers for Minnie to gather.
2. But one night the sheep
were so silly as to get out of the
shed, and when morning came
not one of them could be seen.
3. Poor things! They had got
tired of being shut up, and they
36 ROVER
did not think how cold it was
outside.
4. There was great trouble
then. The shep-herd went to the
cottage and said, “Rover, my
boy, the sheep are away! What
shall we do?â€
5. Ah, Rover, Rover, now is
the time for you to show your
thanks for a good home and a
kind master !
6. Jump up, Rover, and let us
gee whether you are wise enough
to help now. It was just as if
Rover could tell each word and
what it meant !
7. Up he jumped and gave his
coat a shake, as if to say, “I
am ready,†and ran out at the
door.
8. First he began to run round
and round the shed and the fold,
smell-ing, with his moist black
AND HIS FRIENDS. 37
nose close to the ground, and
look-ing very busy and know-ing.
9. That was his way of asking
f
XM
A WINTER EVENING.
the quest-ion, ““Now, where on
earth have these poor things
gone ?â€
10. After a few minutes spent
38 ROVER
in sniffing, Rover trotted up to
his master, stared up into his face
with an earn-est look, and gave a
low whine.
11. Next he ran a little way
towards the hills, and stood look-
ing back at him with one paw
lifted up and the rest on the
ground.
12. Rover, with his ears cocked
and his eyes bright, was trying
to say to his master,
13. “These child-ish sheep
have gone astray to the hills.
Are you coming with me, or.
shall I go alone ?â€
Write: The sheep got out of the
shed. Rover knew where they
had gone. He wished to set off
and find them.
Questions: 1. What did the sheep do one night? 2.
Why did they go away? 38. What did Rover do to find
AND HIS FRIENDS. 39
out where they were? 4. How did he look at his master ¥
5. Could we find out where they had gone by smelling the
ground? 6, Then is not a dog, in some ways, wiser than
we are?
12. ROVER IS LOST.
1. Then off he trotted to-wards
the hills, his master coming
after; but he could not walk
fast enough to please Rover.
2. There was no snow on the
ground when they set out, but
before noon it began to come down
very fast.
3. The mother of Bonnie and
Minnie was in great dis-tress to
think that their father was out on
the hills in such weather.
4. Shewas a-fraid that he would
lose his way. Many people had
been lost on the hills in the snow.
5. And more than one had died
40 ROVER AND HIS FRIENDS.
from cold and hunger among the
snow drifts there in the valleys.
6. Bonnie and Minnie were
quite sad, for they could not help
thinking of their loving father
and his faith-ful doggie out in
such dan-ger.
7. Night came on, and there
was no father yet. At last they
heard him coming; a foot-step
drew near and a hand was heard
lifting the latch.
8. He set the door open and
came in, shaking the snow from
his boots and taking off his
great rough coat.
9. Though he was all white
with snow, and chilled, and tired,
and was very hungry, and felt
ready to drop, this was not the
reason why he looked so grave.
10. He had lost his way more
than once on the hills, and had
LOOKING FOR THE LOST SHEEP,
42 ROVER
had nothing to eat all day, his
feet were sore and half frozen;
but that was not the worst.
11. He had not found the
sheep: that was one thing. And
he had lost poor Rover! That was
a sad, sad thing.
12. He could not help a tear
from fallng as he thought of it
all. ‘The poor foolish sheep will
all die from being frozen,†he said.
13. “We shall be blamed for
their loss, and I shall have to give
up all I have in the world to pay
for them.â€
Write: The sheep could not be
found. The master lost Rover
too. This made him very sad.
Questions: 1. How did Rover set off for the hills? 2.
What did the mother feel while they were gone? 3.
What did the children feel? 4. When he came back at
last, what did he say about the sheep? 5. Who else was
lost? 6. Where was the dog, then?
AND HIS FRIENDS. 43
13. THE SHEEP CAN NOT BE FOUND.
1. Bonnie and Minnie both
began to cry, and their mother
could not help crying too.
2. But she made some broth
for her poor tired husband, and
begged him to take it.
3. And little Minnie crept be-
tween the knees of her father and
looked up in his face rather as
Rover might have done.
4. She begged him in her baby
talk to eat up his nice supper.
The father did eat some, and he
was all the better for it.
5. But he could not help think-
ing all the time of the poor sheep
and Rover, who had no supper
that night.
6. Next morning, long before
44 ROVER
it was light, the shep-herd went
out again to look for his sheep.
7. The next day after that he
did the same, spend-ing the whole
_ long day on the cold hills, and he
did it again on the third day.
8. But they were days full of
sorrow. ‘The sheep were no-
where to be found, nor poor
Rover either.
9. No person whom the shep-
herd met had seen them or heard
of them, nor did he meet many
people on the hills.
10. One day he came home and
said, “It is of no use looking for
the sheep any more.
11. “They are all dead long be-
fore now, I should think, and they
lie buried under the snow dritts
among the hills.
12. “As for the faith-ful dog,
he, of course, stayed by them if he
AND HIS FRIENDS. 45
found them, and if he could not
find them he would not come
away without them.
13. “Inany case my poor Rover
is dead by this time.†And he
turned his back to hide his tears.
14. “There is nothing now for
me to do, wife, but to go to the
owner of the sheep and tell him
the truth about how they got out
of the shed.
15. “Heis a hard man, and he
will turn us out of the cottage.
You and the children will have
to leave. It was a bad night for
us when the sheep strayed!â€
Write: The shepherd went on
looking for the sheep. He said
at last. that they were dead and
the dog too. |
Questions: 1. What did little Minnie beg her father to
do? 2. What did the shepherd do for three days? 3.
What did he come home and say one day? 4, What did
46 ROVER
he think had become of Rover? 5. What was the only
thing left for him to do? 6.. What sort of man was the
owner of the sheep, and what was he likely to do?
. 14. ALL COME HOME SAFE.
1. But while he was saying
these sad words he heard a great
noise out-side his cottage.
2. And Bonnie heard it, and
Minnie heard it, and their mother
heard it. They all ran out to the
_cottage door.
3. * Baa-baa!†“ Bow-wow-
wow!†“ Baa-baa-baa!†“ Bow-
wow-wow !â€
What could be the mean-ing of
those noises ?
4. It was very plain what the
meaning was.
“There is Rover come back,
father!†shout-ed Bonnie, before
he reached the door.
AND HIS FRIENDS. Al
5. * Rover’s come back !†cried
out little Minnie.
“And the 25
sheep are come A,
back !†— said
their mother.
6. Yes, there
every one of
them ; and
there was poor
Rover, as glad
as any of his
friends.
7. But, dear
dear! so tired
with running,
and so hoarse
with barking 5 ALONE WITH HIS FLOCK.
and so hungry!
8. It would have made you sad
to see the plight he was in, and
the poor sheep too. They had
ax
Ree? A LOI
Oo SPY XH.
LOSE GO ak
48 ROVER
paid dearly for their wish to get
out.
9. Poor things, they were
thankful enough to be put into
their cosy shed and get a nice
meal of tur-nips.
10. And as for Rover, you may
be sure that he was served as if
he had been a prince that night,
as well he de-serv-ed.
11. For what prince could have
done as he did, or would have
done it if he could?
12. It was a fine dish of food
that Rover got, and a grand bed
that was made up for him, and a
nice long nap that he took by the
fire after his long toil.
13. But how far Rover had
tramped over the hills for them,
or how he had found them and
driven that lot of timid things
safe home—ah! nobody can know,
AND HIS FRIENDS. 49
14. That was Rover's secret,
and he kept it to himself.
Good Rover! Clever, grate-ful,
faith-ful Rover !
Write: They heard a noise out-
side the cottage. It was the bark
of a dog and the bleat of sheep.
Questions: 1. What noise did they all hear? 2. What
had Rover done? 3. What meal did the sheep get? 4.
How was Rover treated? 5. Was he able to let them
know how he found the sheep? 6. What sort of dog do
you call him ?
THE STORY OF A LITTLE
FROG. |
15. HIS BIRTH-PLACE.
1. It was on a warm day in
June that Rana, the little frog,
first stepped out of the small
_ brook which had been his birth-
place, cradle, and infant school.
2. He stood on the brink and
felt half sorry to leave the water,
half glad to be on the land.
3. The father and mother of
Rana were not what we should
call loving parents, yet they had.
done all they could for the good
of their child.
4. They had chosen as his
A LITTLE FROG. 51
cradle the soft-est of water weeds,
which grew in a lonely spot
under the shade of a willow
tree.
5. They knew that there he
would be able to get for himself
all that he
wanted.
6. So they
left him, wrap-
ped up safely
in a mass of
jellyalong with
his _ brothers
and sisters,
while they
went away in search of fun.
7. A few warm days in April
caused a great stir among the
weeds, for many gay young crea-
tures woke up to life there.
8. Even the old willow tree
thought it high time to dress
52 A LITTLE FROG.
herself in silver and yellow tufts
to welcome Spring.
9. The first thing that Rana
knew was that he was trying to
free himself from the eggs which
lay among the rushes. He wanted
to try to swim.
10. He was but a very little
chap, and could not do it fast at
first. He had bright eyes and a
long tail like all the others.
11. The young frogs had not
long been alive before they found
that other folks lived in the
water. ,
12. A pair of eyes as bright as
their own soon glared upon them,
a wide mouth gave a snap, and
one of them was eaten up by a
bold little fish, Cap-tain Stickle-
back.
Write: A little frog was born
A LITTLE FROG. 58
in a brook. He was glad to get
out, but sorry to leave the water.
Questions: 1. Where was Rana born? 2. What had
his parents done to make him comfortable? 38. What
was the first thing he did? 4. What did he look like?
5. Who lived in the water besides the tadpoles? 6, What
did the little stickleback do ?
16. HE BEGINS TO CHANGE.
1. After the tad-pole had gone
down his throat, Captain Stickle-
back called a whole troop of
soldier-fish, armed like himself,
to rush among the rest of the
tadpoles.
2. Our hero, Rana, panting
with fear, hid at the bottom
among some water-cress stems.
He began to think what he should
do next.
3. “I know!†he said. ‘“ To
be sure! Why, of course I am
54 A LITTLE FROG.
hungry!†Then, looking round,
he saw that he need feel no fear
of starv-ing.
4. There were plenty of old
dead leaves, which, lying in the
water, would soon have made it
smell very nasty.
Rana now felt
that he had
something useful
to do.
o. With the
bold heart of a
tadpole he made
up his mind that,
so long as a dead
leaf was left, he
would go on eating day and night
and take no rest till they were all
gone.
6. While he was hard at work
in this way, of course Rana had
help from plenty of his friends.
A LITTLE FROG. 55
7. And now it will be well to
show you his likeness, and tell
you how his looks began to
change.
8. He had no legs, arms, or
fins,andheswam
by wagging his
strong tail.
9. He breathed
water instead of
air through gills,
on each side of _=
his head. He
was very like a
fish, yet he was
not one. MASTER TADPOLE,
10. His eyes
and gills both grew so large
and hand-some that he felt quite
proud; but soon the pretty gills
grew smaller and smaller. They
went away.
56 A LITTLE FROG.
11. In a few days Rana was
changed again, so much that his
oldest friends hardly knew him.
A small pair of neat legs grew out
under his tail, and this is what he
looked like now.
12. Also he began to turn his
nose up at weeds and dead leaves.
One of his com-rades died in the
night, and—I am sorry to tell it -
of him—Rana ate up the body !
Write: He ate up dead leaves
which made the water smell bad.
His legs grew. He ate up adead
tadpole.
Questions: 1. Why did Rana hide among the weeds?
2. What did he think about? 8. What did he begin to
eat? 4. What would the dead leaves have done to the
water if they had been left there? 5. Then what use
are tadpoles? 6. As soon as his hind legs grew what did
Rana eat ?
A LITTLE FROG. 57
17. HE BECOMES A FROG.
1. Rana was so pleased with
the taste of the dead tadpole that
he said, “I must go to and fro
getting rid of all dead things I
find. It is my duty, and I
will.â€
2.. But when all the dead things
were gone, he and two young
fellows like him went to war
with all of their friends who
were small enough to swal-low.
3. Any water creature who had
more legs than them-selves they
ate. ‘They made dead bodies of
them. At last anew change took
place in Rana.
4. At least, it was a number of
changes took place all at once.
They made him feel that the
58 A LITTLE FROG.
brook was too damp and narrow
a world for him. |
oO. His liking for weeds had
quite left him, he felt hungry
for worms and in-sects, and felt
that he must wander far to find
them.
6. He felt in himself that he
would soon have power to travel
on land. A pair of eyes so bright
as his were quite wasted in the
dim water.
(. The gills for breath-ing- water
were gone, and he was now fit to
breathe air. A second pair of
legs came. The tail of a tadpole
was fast going. ,
8. Rana stepped, or rather
crawled, forth that mild June
day, and looked back at the brook
over his shoul-der.
9. He meant now to travel.
But before going many steps he
A LITTLE FROG. 59
met one of his own race, yet who
was much larger than himself.
10. The stranger said he would
bring him among his own friends,
and he seemed to speak kindly.
As he went
along by his
new friend,
Rana cast a
look at him.
11. The
skin of the
otherfrog was
marked with
larger darker
spots on. the LITTLE epOGee:
back and
legs, and behind his eye he had a
round white bladder where Rana’
had only a brown mark.
12. He was thrice as big as
Rana, and it was plain that he was
not the same sort of frog.
60 A LITTLE FROG.
13. Soon he led Rana to where
some hundreds of the same sort
were at play in the marsh. Most
of them had bladders too.
Write: Rana was now a frog.
He came out on dry land. He
met a frog rather like himself.
Questions: 1. What food did Rana begin to eat now ?
2. What was the last change in him? 3. Whom did he
meet on the bank? 4. What was the strange frog like?
5. How was he different from Rana? 6. Where did they
go?
18. THEY TURN HIM OUT.
1. Rana was soon asked by a
crowd of the frogs in the marsh
where he had come from, and if
he was a girl frog: ?
2. If not, why had he not got
his bladders with him ? So quick
were the questions that he did
not know what to say at first.
A LITTLE FROG. 61
3. His guide spoke for him.
“He is young,†said he, “and if
A CROWD OF YOUNG FROGS,
you give him time I dare say his
bladders will grow.†-But the
rest said this was only an ex-cuse.
62 A LITTLE FROG.
4. ‘ All manly frogs have blad-
ders,†they said, and they had
always worn them.
o. They looked at him as a cheat
because he had none. But soon
they left him and went to bury
their bodies in the mud.
6. This was their plan when
they wished to catch gnats. And
while they were waiting to pounce
on the little flies they cheered
them-selves by using the blad-
ders.
7. These were filled with air, |
and by squeez-ing them the frogs
made a fine loud croak-ing. Rana
wanted to try whether he could
not croak too.
8. But it was only a little note
he was able to make without any
blad-der, and it did not please his
new friends.
9. “ What is that noise ?†said
A LITTLE FROG. 63
one, popping up his head. ‘“‘ Who
dares to spoil our hunt for gnats
by making the wrong kind of
croak ?â€
10. It was in vain for Rana to
hide, he was seized and driven
out as a spy. His voice was vile,
they really could not stand it.
11. Short work was made of
him; he was pushed out from
among the frogs which were so
lucky as to have bladders.
12. Where was he to go now?
As he went hopping away they
cried, “Get out of this! Get out
of that!†So he was glad to go.
13. At last, with one great
jump, Rana got over a bank at
the end of the marsh, and found
him-self on a dry walk, safe from
them.
14. It was long before he
pluck-ed up his spirits after the
64, A LITTLE FROG.
fright. Then he crept off the
path and went to rest under a
cool cab-bage leaf.
Write: Rana finds plenty of
frogs, but they do not like him.
He gets away into a garden.
Questions: 1. What did Rana find in the marsh? 2.
What did the other frogs do? 3. What use did they make
of their bladders? 4, What did Rana try to do? 5.
What did the frogs do then? 6. Where did Rana find
himself sitting P
19. IN THE GARDEN.
1. Under the broad cab-bage
leaf, Rana had a long nap till the
cool of the next sunset, when he
thought he could enjoy a walk.
2. Among the cabbages there
were a number of small white
slugs, mec were just 7 thing
for him.
A LITTLE FROG. 65
3. As Rana jumped at them,
he never missed his aim, but
always caught the slug at once.
But he was not long to be left
in peace under his fresh green
tent.
4. That very sabes was the
one which the master of the gar-
den wished to have for his dinner
next day, and a man came to cut
it.
Oo. Rana was waked from a nice
doze, after the slugs, by the fall-
ing of the roof over his head. He
sprang nimb-ly away, but not be-
fore a boy spied him.
6. This lad flung stones at poor
Rana, and chased him. He vowed
that he would kill Master Froggie
if he ever found him in the cab-
bage bed again.
7. What a shame, when Rana
had just been helping him at his
F
66 A LITTLE FROG.
work by. eating slugs, without
wages and without thanks!
8. Drivenfrom hishiding-place,
Rana thought he might as well
have a good look round the place,
and see if there was water near.
9. “Hor unless there is water
I cannot live here,†said he to
himself, “no matter how good
the food is. 3
10. “My skin would soon dry
up, and I should die.†But there
was a pond, near which ferns grew;
it would do nicely for a bath.
11. Now and then, as he went,
Rana caught a fly, an ear-wig, a
small beetle, or a slug to re-fresh
himself with.
12. At the other side of the
kitchen garden was a yard, and
in this yard were cocks, hens, and
ducks walking about.
13. The sight of the ducks made
A LITTLE FROG. 67
Rana shake with fear, for ducks
eatfrogsup. So after seeing them,
he went back to the other part.
Write: The frog was chased by
aboy. It was’a shame to throw
stones at the useful little frog.
Questions: 1. What became of the cabbage? 2. What
did a cruel boy do? 8. What did Rana eat? 4. What
must frogs live near? 5. What did he see in the yard ?
6. Why did he fear the ducks ?
20. SNAIL FRIENDS.
1. He now went to live in a
garden bed where bright red fruits
grew in long rows close to the
ground. Be-tween the rows of
plants, straw was laid down.
2. Rana did nottouchthe sweet,
juicy berries, for he liked other
things better.
3. He did good work by eating
68 A LITTLE FROG.
up a lot of creatures who, if left
to them-selves, would soon have
been enough to destroy all the
nice fruit.
4, Some. weeks passed in a
quiet way, and Rana began to find
that his coat of skin was getting
too tight, it would not do any
longer.
3}. It began to peel off in little
bits, and after a time he was
| dressed in a smart new one which
- was ready under the old.
6. He was not alone in the
garden bed. There were two
snails, whom he found pleasant
comrades, though they were not
~ lively.
7. They had one taste in com-
mon with him. They dearly loved
the rain. When the weath-er was
dry, and the sun very hot, they
were no-where to be found.
A LITTLE FROG. 69
8. But as soon as the rain be-
gan to fall, out popped the snails,
and began looking about with
their eyes stuck out at the end
of two long feelers.
WILL THEY TOSS MEP?
9. At first Rana thought these
were horns, and was half afraid
of them.
10. But he soon found out that
the snails carri-ed their eyes at
the end of a long tube, so that,
70 A LITTLE FROG.
when danger was near, they could
be pulled inside their heads.
11. Then, Rana liked to see the
clever way in which the snails
made their houses bigger as fast
as they grew them-selves.
12. They carry with them all
the bricks and mortar they ever
want, and paint-pots and brushes
too.
13. They are their own masons
and painters, and very pretty
houses they make, too, and all
out of nothing but slime!
Write: Rana had a new coat.
His old one peeled off in little
bits. He made friends with two
snails.
Questions: 1. What did Rana find as he grew bigger ?
2. How did he get his new clothes? 3. What friends did
he find in the strawberry bed? 4. Of what use was Rana
there? 5. How did the snails make their shells grow?
6. What are the eyes of a snail like?
A LITTLE FROG. ona
21. OTHER FRIENDS.
1. Then there were the bees,
who would buzz a little talk as
they passed. But they had not
much time for idle chat in. the
daytime.
2. At night, when Rana felt
most ready for fun, the bees all
wanted to go to sleep in their
hive, so he did not see much of
them.
3. To the wasps Rana felt a
dis-like. That is, he ate them,
but did not care for them in any
other way.
4. With the moths and butter-
flies he was friendly. He liked
to hear the story of all the changes
they had passed through.
5. This made him think of his
own child-hood. There was one
72 A LITTLE FROG.
other creature which lived in a
snug corner of the bed.
6. At first Rana thought he
must be one of his own brothers,
or perhaps an uncle, grown very
big and stout.
7. But he soon found out that
this was a mis-take. The stranger
was a toad, and would have little
to say but rude thing's to Rana.
8. The toad said that he liked
dry places himself, and could
carry little bags of wet stuff in
his skin. This he thought was a
clever trick. :
9. And low people only, he said,
were forced to go to the water
side. Then his manner of chang-
ing his clothes was queer.
10. How could he and Rana
agree? They both thought that
as they could not, it was better
to keep apart.
A LITTLE FROG. 73
11. The toad spent his time in
flipping out a long sticky tongue
at the flies. They stuck at the tip
of it, and then he pulled it in to
-eat them.
A STICKY TONGUE,
jacket now,†he said to Rana, after
their short talk. “ You had better
go away. Do not stand staring
like that while I change my
thing's.†.
13. So Rana crept off, but he
peeped out from under a leaf all
74 A LITTLE FROG.
the same, to see how the toad
did it |
Write: The toad is not like
the frog. He can live in a dry
place. He has small bags of
wet stuff in his skin to keep him
cool.
Questions: 1. Why had not the bees time to waste? 2.
What other creature did Rana find in the strawberry bed ?
8. What was the toad doing? 4. How did he catch flies ?
5. What sort of place did the toad like? 6. How was he
able to live in a dry place ?
22. THE TOAD’S NEW THINGS.
1. This was how the toad began
to fit himself with new clothes.
First, to get rid of the old ones he
made a crack down the middle
of his back.
2. Then he began to strip off
the old coat and trow-sers, first
A LITTLE FROG. 75
pulling out his hind legs, and
pushing it along towards his fore
legs.
3. Inch by inch he drew the
old coat off his body with care.
Now it had reach-ed his head.
His fore legs were next free.
4. With great care he drew his
eyes through two small holes. —
Then, rolling up the whole, with
one gulp he sent it down his
throat ! | :
o. He was able to swallow his
cast-off things, instead of selling
them to the old-clothes man.
6. Thus, without any tailor,
Mister Toad stood forth dressed
in a new dress. It was fresh and
neat, and fitted him without a
crease. |
7. Rana looked on in wonder
at the way in which it was done.
But he liked his own way best.
76 A LITTLE FROG.
He did not go near the big toad
any more.
8. In a few weeks a chill
seemed to steal through the air,
which made Rana shiver. “I can
smell winter coming,†said he.
J. “IT must go and find a nice
nook near the pond, where I can
bury myself in the soft mud, and
go to sleep till spring comes
again.â€
10. So he set out for the pond
by the lawn. But before he was
half-way there, he saw coming to
meet him one of the large ducks
who had just been taking a swim.
11. She was now looking about
in a hungry way for some-thing
to eat after it. Rana hoped to
escape by creeping gently into the
~ bushes. |
12. But the moment he moved
upon the grass, the duck caught
A LITTLE FROG. 77
sight of him, and began to run
towards him as fast as her short
legs would carry her.
GOOD-BYE. I AM OFF.
Write: The toad changed his <
skin. He ate it up after he took
it off. Rana met a big duck.
78 A LITTLE FROG.
Questions: 1. How did the toad begin to change his
coat? 2. What did he do with the old clothes? 3. How
did Rana begin to feel? 4. Where did he go? 5, What
did he mean to do till spring came? 6. What did he
meet ?
23. A HUNT.
1. And now began a hunt much
more dread-ful than the one in the
marsh when Rana was running
away from the large frogs.
2. The great duck was worse
than fifty frogs. Poor duck! She
wanted her supper, and she did
not know that Rana minded go
much.
3. She came after him with her
yellow beak wide open, crying
‘Quack, quack !†as loud as ever
» she could.
4. At the sound of her voice
one of the duck’s friends came
A LITTLE FROG. 79
running from the yard to see what
was going on.
5. She thought there must be
something nice to eat, and wished
to go halves. Between the pair,
Rana had a poor chance.
6. He dodg-ed here and there,
he skipp-ed—oh! you never would
have thought that any little frog
could have such long legs!
7. Once, when the beaks of the
two ducks were almost close upon
him, he really leaped over their
heads. They were a-maz-ed at
this.
8.. “Well!†said one duck to
the other, “I never did see such
a frog as this before. I believe it
is a lark!â€
9. Cut off from the water, for
the ducks stood be-tween him and
it, Rana could not get away by
diving.
80 A LITTLE FROG.
10. Not seeing well in his fright
where he was going, he dashed
right into the yard, and then the
noise be-came hor-rid indeed.
11. There were old ducks and
young ducks, all eager to take their
share in the chase, and ready to
see which would get the prize.
12. Rana now gave him-self up
for lost. But spying: a little hole
in the house wall, he aimed at it,
and sprang up high.
13. He just reached the hole,
and sat down to calm his mind,
leaving all the ducks behind
quack-ing loud-ly and saying it
was a shame.
14. When he had rested, and
the noise be-hind him had stop-
ped, Rana looked out to see if the .
coast was clear.
15. But there sat the- ducks
still, on the watch for their meal,
A LITTLE FROG. 81
for they had had no din-ner that
day. It was plain that Rana could
not go back that way to the pond.
Write: A hunt for Rana took
place. He got away and hid in
a hole in the house wall.
Questions: 1. What began when the duck saw Rana ?
2. What did he do? 3. Where did he leap in his fright ?
4. Why were the ducks so hungry? 5. Where did Rana
take refuge? 6. Why could he not get to the pond that
way P
24. IN THE KITCHEN.
1. As he could not get that
way to the pond, Rana began to
see whether he could not go out
in some other way.
2. 'The hole was narrow ; there
was no room for a jump. But by
crawl-ing some way he saw a
light, and knew that the hole
was a sort of pass-age.
82 A LITTLE FROG.
3. After a minute or two, and
a little more crawl-ing, and then
a spring, Rana found him-self—
where ?—on the floor of a neat
little kitchen !
4, A large tabby cat lay doz-ing
before the fire, but the foot-steps
of Rana were so quiet that she
never heard or heed-ed him.
Do. Not so Betsy, the cook,
though. She ran with screams
into the hall, and when her mas-
ter, Mr. Evans, ran to know what
was the matter, she burst into
tears.
6. “Oh!†she sobbed, “there is
a nasty big toad in the kit-chen
come to pois-on me, and unless
master will kill it this moment, I
cannot go back there !â€
7. Mr. Evans and the child-ren
went to the kitchen, and Betsy
came along behind them, in hopes
A LITTLE FROG. 83
of seeing the dread-ful creature
killed out of her way.
8. But her master, gently pick-
ing up the little frog, said, “ You
call this pretty little thing a big
toad, and think that it means to
poison you, Betsy? Silly girl!
9. “ Hiven if it had been a toad
it could not have hurt you, for
toads have no poison about them.
They cannot bite, and can do no
harm.
10. “ But this is nothing but a
poor little frog, in a great fright
at the ducks out-side, whom I have
heard making a great noise.
11. “Oh, father,†said little
Willy, “I do believe this is the
same frog we saw in the garden,
which you said had come to help
keep it in order by eating slugs.
Write: The hole in the wall
84 A LITTLE FROG.
was a passage. Rana crept into a
kitchen. The servant was silly.
Questions: 1. Where did the hole lead? 2. What lay
before the fire? 3. What silly thing did Betsy fancy? 4,
What did her master tell her? 5. Can toads hurt any one?
6. What did little Willy say?
25. RANA IS OF SOME USE.
1. But Rana did not like the
warm hand of Mr. Evans, and had
jumped on to the table, and then
to the window, hoping to get out
that way.
2. “JT dare say you are right,
and that this is the same frog we
saw in the garden, Willy,†said
Mr. Evans.
3. “TI looked close-ly at him,
and I saw that though this is what
is called ‘the common frog,’ he is
not so common about here as else-
where. |
A LITTLE FROG. 85
4. “ Most of the frogs here are of
a larger kind, and have blad-ders,
which make them sing so loudly
at night in the marsh.†__
. “Sing, father! Croak, I
think you
mean. It is
not a_ bit
like music.â€
‘ No,†said |
Mr. Evans, 2
“most peo-
ple would °
not call the
noise music.
6. “ But to
me it sounds A YOUNG CROAKER,
very nice. I
have some happy thoughts which
always come into my head when
I hear the croak of a frog.
7. “ And it happens that when
I was in India I have often been
86 A LITTLE FROG.
kept awake at night by the croak-
ing of a frog in my bath-room.
8. “Yet I would not allow my
serv-ants to hurt him or drive him’
out. I knew that he was doing
me a service which no man could
do.â€
9. “A ser-vice, father!†cried
the children. ‘What service could
the frog do you?â€
10. “ Look at that little fellow
at the window,†said Mr. Evans,
pointing to Rana, who by this time
was all right after his fright.
11. “The froggie is doing Betsy
a service now, and will return
her good for evil.â€
12. “What is he doing, sir?â€
asked Betsy, “I am sure I see no-
thing.†“Watch him for a minute.
Tsawhim just now—there, again!â€
13. At that moment Rana was
in the act of pounc-ing on a
A LITTLE FROG. 87
wasp, who had gorg-ed himself
with sugar.
14. He was crawl-ing inasleepy
way over the pud-ding which she
had been making. The frog snapp-
ed it up in an instant.
Write: In India: frogs are of
use. In this land they are of
use too. Betsy saw Rana eat a
wasp.
Questions: 1. What did not Rana like? 2. Where did
he hop? 8. Why did Mr. Evans when in India tell his
servant not to drive away the frogs? 4. What servicc
did the frog do for Betsy? 5. Whatwas the wasp doingt
6. How was Rana different from some other frogs?
26. FROGS IN INDIA.
1. Mr. Evans went on to say:
“In India, and other hot lands, I
cannot think what people would
do without frogs.
88 A LITTLE FROG.
2. The sting-ing flies tor-ment
one so. They are a great plague,
and would be ten times worse with-
out frogs.
3. “ All marshy places would
send forth swarms of insects, were
it not for these frogs, who live in
such places, and make insects
their food.
4. “ Yousee,†added he, laugh-
ing, “the frog is not very dainty.
He needs no sauce to help down
these wasps, which must taste
like pepper, I should think.
0. “He gulps them down one
after the other, without burning
his mouth. And you need not
fear lest he should rob your larder.
He is safer there than your pet
cat.â€
6. “Well, I am _ sure,†said
Betsy, looking a little ashamed
“That is a good thing. Those
A LITTLE FROG. 89 -
wasps do tease one in the autumn,
when they get sleepy.
7. “I do not want the creature
killed, if you think it is not hurt-
ful, only I do wish it would get
out of my place, for I do not
like it.â€
8. “That is very easy to ma-
nage,†said Mr. Evans. ‘“ Willy,
take the frog and carry him down
near the pond, or else put him in
the garden near the water.â€
9. “ Willy made haste to obey
his father, but Rana was too quick
for him. He made off in great
haste to-wards the hole by which
he came in.
10. And the little boy, who did
not notice the cat lying in his
way, tripped over her and fell on
the ground.
11. By this time Rana had
tucked himself safely into his
90 A LITTLE FROG.
hole, and was peep-ing out at
them all- with his bright eyes.
Write: In hot lands frogs are
of great use. They kill the flies
which would sting people.
Questions: 1. Of what use are frogs in hot countries ?
2. Does it hurt a frog to swallow a wasp? 8. What did
his father tell Willy todo? 4. What did Rana do when
Willy tried to catch him? 5. What happened to Willy?
6. Where did the little frog sit and peep out?
27. BETSY AND RANA.
1. “There, Betsy,†said Mr.
Evans, turning to leave the
kit-chen, “you will not see any
more of the frog for the present.
2. “ But if he should ever come
back again, you had better make
him your friend.
3. “I should not feel very much
sur-prise at seeing you, some day,
with the little frog on your knee,
A LITTLE FROG. 91
ready to stroke and pet him as
Mrs. Smith does her toad.â€
4. Betsytossed her head. “Mrs.
Smith can make pets of frogs and.
toads if she likes,†Betsy began.
to say; ‘as for me, I do not like
those things.â€
5. Willy stayed a few minutes
watch-ing the hole, but as no frog
came out he ran off, and Betsy
was soon left alone.
6. She went back to her pud-
ding, and having cut up the apples,
was going to put them with the
sugar into the basin.
7. In the sugar she found a
wasp, half stupid, and two or
three flies, who had gone there
to feast, and had eaten too much.
8. They could not walk very
well, and she put them aside on a
bit of paper, while she got the
pudding ready.
92 A LITTLE FROG.
9. But when it was put on to
boil, and she was about to sit
down and make up a clean cap
for her own head, she could not
help looking at the hole.
10. She began to wonderwhether
_ Rana had gone quite away, and
how far off he was. She thought
she would just try a little plan of
her own to find out.
11. Taking up one of the sleepy
wasps gently with the sugar-
tongs, she laid it near the hole, and
waited for a few min-utes, watch-
ing’ for the frog.
12. But no frog showed his nose,
and she sat down to her work
again beside the fire. Hardly was
she seated, than she sawthe bright
eyes appear.
13. Without quitt-ing his place
of safety, Rana snapped up the
wasp. “Well, that is funny !â€
A LITTLE FROG. 93
thought Betsy. “I wonder
whether he would like the flies ?â€
Write: Betsy fed the frog with
a wasp. He crept out of his hole
to snap it up. She thought that
he might like flies too.
Questions: 1. What did Mr. Evans advise Betsy to do?
2. What did she answer? 8. When she had put the
pudding on to boil what did she do? 4. What did Rana
do? 5. What did she think Rana might like, after the
wasp ?
28. RANA GROWS SLEEPY.
1. Betsy soon popped a fly down
a little fur-ther from the hole. It
moved slowly. This time Rana
was forced to come a little way out.
2. By the time that Betsy had
given him all her flies, she had
tempt-ed him quite out into peHtte
kitchen.
94 A LITTLE FROG.
3. She felt that she was a clever
woman, and she was not willing
to quar-rel with the little creature
who seemed of so friendly a sort.
4. But the dinner hour was
near, and she had no more time
just then to play with him.
o. Rana, pleased to find him-
self wel-come, began to make him-
self at home in the kitchen. Days
and weeks passed, and he and the
cat became close friends.
6. The winter was very cold.
So Rana, who spent most of his
time in the hole, once or twice
peeped out into the yard, to see
if he should dare to go out.
7. But seeing snow all about,
and feeling a bitter wind blow-
ing, he was glad to shrink back
into the hole.
8. Some-times he would nestle
under the warm fur of the cat,
A LITTLE FROG. 95
who was so fond of him that she
was quite vexed if any one tried
to take him away.
9. As insect food failed in the
A COSY CORNER.
winter months, Rana too grew
sleepy, and did not want so much
food to keep him alive.
10. But there were always a
96 A LITTLE FROG.
few creep-ing things to be found
on the kitchen floor, and he would
hunt in the cup-board for crick-ets
or beetles.
11. Betsy was his best friend
now, as Mr. Evans had said she
would be.
12. At length the spring came
round again, warm winds blew,
and this made Rana think that
now all his kins-folk would be
leaving their winter homes in the
mud.
Write: Betsy gave the frog
some flies. He ate them, and
came out to make friends with her.
Questions: 1. Did Rana eat the flies? 2. What did
he do through the winter? 8. What did the cat allow
him todoP 4 On what did he feed? 5. Who was now
his best friend? 6. What did Rana think when it grew
warmer ?- ,
A LITTLE FROG. 97
29. HOW RANA DIED.
1. It was the right time of year
for frogs to marry, and Rana be-
gan to think of looking out for a
wife.
2. The weath-er was now fine
and pleas-ant. With this view he
set out to the pond one fine
morning.
3. He got to the brink just in
time to see a large party of frogs
coming up from their snug winter
quart-ers,
4. But, alas for poor Rana!
They were all the sort that have
bladders !
0. Not one of them would have
a word to say to him, and no
other frogs could he find far or
near.
6. When night fell he had quite
H
98 | A LITTLE FROG.
made up his mind that he must
lead a single life for ever.
7. He felt in very low spirits,
and settled to go and tell his dear
friend the cat all about it. |
8. But as he walked sadlyalong,
with eyes turned down to the
ground, he heard a loud “Quack!â€
close by. .
9. A duck, who had just said
to herself that the water was too
cold for ladies to swim in yet,
spied him, and—
10. Oh dear! Oh dear! how
shall I tell the mourn-ful tale !—
she made one great snap at him,
and all was over!
11. Little Willie, who was dig-
ging in the garden, without think-
ing what he was doing, threw his
spade at the poor duck, to make
her let go.
12. He did not think that he
A LITTLE FROG. 99
hohe
we
he = N
4 YAY Sy 2
Sk
fe FE is tA
A SAD END
would murder Lily. That was
her name, and she was a great
“100 A LITTLE FROG.
pet. But it was in vain for him
to run up to her and cry.
13. The duck fell dead, roll-ing
over on her snow-white side, and
with the frog sticking in her throat.
She never quacked again!
14, At the outcry and the shouts
of Willie, who was in a great state
of mind, Mr. Evans and Betsy
came running from the house.
15. Even Sammy, the cat, trot-
ted along behind. But none of
them could do the least good.
Write: Willy saw the duck with
the frog in her beak. Without
think-ing, he threw his spade at
her. Both frog and duck lay
dead.
Questions: 1. Why did Rana visit the pond? 2. What
sort of frogs did he find there? 3. As he was going home
what happened? 4. What did Willy do? 5. Did he
mean to kill the duck? 6. Who came out to see what
was the matter?
A LITTLE FROG. 101
30. THE END.
1. “My lovely old duck, my
~dear Lily!†cried Mr. Evans.
“Why, Willy, my child, is this
ee doing ?â€
2. “ Oh, father,’ sobbed the
child, “ she has killed Rana—
Rana, Betsy’s little pet frog, who
Mis so tame and good ! ean
3. “Oh dear, sir,†said Betsy,
half laughing and half crying,
‘So he was, for sure !â€
Ay ss Well, I am afraid you can-
not bring back my poor dear duck
to life again,†added Mr. Evans,
“and I fear they had better be put
into one grave.’
o. And so Willy dug a grave
under the ferns by the pond, and
buried Rana and the duck in the
Same tomb.
102 A LITTLE FROG.
6. “I am sorry I killed the
poor duck, for she was only eat-
ing her proper food,†said Willy.
“ But I wish Rana was alive still
for all that.†— .
7. He put up a tomb-stone
over the pair, with these verses
written on it, which he and his
little sister made up.
_ ‘To the memory of |
Lity THE DvuckK,
Who died of eating ;
and
RANA THE FROG,
who died of being eaten.
Write: Willy dug a grave to
bury them in. Lily was not to
be blamed for eating the frog.
Questions: 1. What did Mr. Evans say when he found
his duck dead? 2. What did Willy answer? 3. What
did Betsy say? 4, How were they buried? 5. Where
was the grave dug? 6. Can you repeat the verses ?
THE UGLY DUCKLING.
31. THE NEST.
1. It was nice summer weather
in the country, and the golden
corn and the hay-stacks made the
meadows look pleas-ant.
2. The stork, walking about on
his long red legs, talked and made
the same chatter as storks do in
the land of Egypt.
3. He had learnt to speak from
hearing his mother doit. It was
indeed nice to walk about in the
country.
4. The cornfields and meadows
had forests round them, in the
middle of which were deep pools.
5. In a sunny spot stood an
104 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
old farm house, close by a river,
and from the house to the water
side grew great burdocks. |
6. The leaves were so high
that under the tallest of them a
little child could stand up-right.
7. The spot was as wild as the
middle of a thick wood. In this
snug place sat a duck on her nest,
watching for her young brood to
hatch.
8. She had almost begun to get
tired of her task, for the little
ones were a long time coming
out of their shells.
9. The other ducks liked much
better to swim about the river |
than to climb its steep banks to
have a gossip with her.
10. At last one shell cracked,
and then the next, and from each
ege came a little thing that lifted
its head and cried, “ Peep, peep !â€
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 105
11. “ Quack, quack!†said the
mother. And then they all
quacked as well as they could,
and looked about them. |
12. The
mother let
them look.
at the large
green leaves
as much as
they liked, 3
because %&
green iss*
good for the |
eyes.
13. “How
large the
world is,â€
said they, when they found how
much more room they had now
than they had inside the shell.
Write: A duck had her nest
106 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
near a river. At last the shells
cracked and out came the little
ducks.
Questions: 1. Where had the duck her nest? 2. Had
she sat long on the eggs? 8. What were.the other ducks
doing? 4. At last what happened? 5. What did the
ducklings look at when they came out? 6. What did
they think about the world outside their shells? .
32. THE LARGE EGG.
1. “Do you fancy that this is
the whole world?†asked their
mother. “Wait till you have
seen the garden!
2. “It stretches far beyond
that, to the field of the parson.
But I never dare to go so far.â€
3. “Are you all out?†she
added, rising. “No, I declare,
the largest ege lies there still.
I wonder how long this is to last.
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 107
4. “Tam quite tired of it,’ she
said, and she seated herself again.
on the nest.
“Well,
how are you
getting
on?†asked
an old duck,
who pai d
her a visit.
o. One
ege is not 4
hatched |
yet,’ said
the duck. “7
“It will not 7 YZ 4 EL WY,
break. But gee CB)
just look at ay
the others! ~-% “#2 |
D i d y ou WELL, PaO ARE YOU GETTING ON?
ever see such pretty little things ?
6. “ They are the very image of
their dear father, who has been
rs
108 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
most constant in coming to sit
by me as I stay here.â€
7. “Let me see the ege that
will not break,†said the old duck.
“T have no doubt it is the egg
of a turkey.
8. “They triedtomakeme hatch
some once, and after all my care
and trouble with the young ones,
they were afraid of the water!
9. “I quacked and quacked, so
did my drake. But all was no
good. I could not get them to
20 in.
10. “ Let me look at the egg.
Yes, that is the egg of a turkey.
Take my advice, leave it where
~ it is, and teach the other children
to swim.â€
11. “I think I will sit on it a
little while longer,†said the duck,
“as [ have sat on it solong. A
few days more will be nothing.â€
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 109
12. ‘“ Please yourself,†said the
old duck, and she went away.
At last the large egg broke and
a young one crept forth, crying,
“* Peep, peep.â€
13. It was very large and ugly.
The duck stared at it and said,
“Tt is not at all like the others.
I wonder whether it really is a
turkey ?â€
Write: The big egg was
hatched at last. Out crept a young
bird. It was not like the rest.
Questions: 1. Did the big egg hatch at last? 2, What |
sort of creature crept from it? 38. What did the mother
think? 4, What advice did the old duck give her? 5.
What had she tried to do with the young turkeys she
hatched? 6, What did the creature that came from the
large egg cry?
33. THE FIRST SWIM.
1. “We shall soon find out
whether it is a turkey or not.
110 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
When we go to the water that
will be plain.
2. “It must go in, if I have to
push it in myself,†said the duck.
On the next day the weather
was cheerful, and the sun shone
brightly. |
- 8. The mother took hee brood
down to the water, and jumped
inwithasplash. “Quack, quack!â€
she cried.
4. One after the other the duck-
lings jumped in after her. The
- water closed over their heads, but
they came up again at once.
). They swam about, and it
was pretty to see them. And the
ugly duckling was also in the
water swimming with them.
6. “Oh,†said the mother,
“that is not a turkey. See how
well he uses his legs, and how
upright he holds himself !
ONE AFTER THE OTHER THEY JUMPED IN.
112 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
7. “He is my own child, and
not ugly at all, if you look at him
in the proper way.
8. “Quack, quack! I will now
take you into grand places, come
with me to the farmyard.
J. “ But keep close to me, or you
will be trodden upon ; and, above
all, beware of the cat.â€
10. When they came to the
farm-yard there was a great noise.
Two young broods were fight-ing
for the head of a fish.
11.. It was, after all, taken off by
the cat. “See, children, that is
the way of the world,†said their
mother, wetting her beak.
12. She would have liked the
head of the herring herself. “Come
now, use your legs well, and let
me see how you can behave.
13. “ You must bow your heads
nicely to that old duck yonder,
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 1138
she is the highest born of them
all, she is Spanish, and so she is
well off.
14. “Do you not see that she
has a red rag tied to her leg,
which is something very grand,
and a great honour for a duck ?
15. “It shows that people are
anxious not to lose her. She is
to be well known by man and
beast.†|
Write: The aot brings her
little ones to the water. The ugly
one swims as well as the rest.
Questions: 1. How did the duck find out whether she
had hatched a turkey or not? 2. Was the ugly duckling
able to swim? 38, What did the mother duck say then?
4, Where did she take them next? 5. What was going
on in the yard? 6. What was tied to the old Spanish
duck’s leg ?
34. THE UGLY ONE.
“ Now,†said the duck, “ do
not turn in your toes; a well-bred
114 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
duckling spreads his feet wide
apart.
2. “Do it Just like your father
and mother, in this way. Now,
raise your heads and say ‘Quack!’â€
3. The ducklings did as they
were bid, but the other ducks
stared, and said, ‘Look, here
comes a new brood.
4. “Was there not enough of us
before ? And what a queer look-
ing object one of them is; we do
not want him here.â€
0. And then one flew at the
ugly duckling and bit him in the
neck.
6. “Let him alone,†said his
mother; “he is not doing any
harm.â€
“Yes, but he is big and ugly,â€
said the other, “and must be
turned out.â€
7. “'The others are pretty chil-
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 115
dren,†said the old duck with the
rag on her leg, “all but that one.
I wish you
could im-prove
him a little.â€
8. “That
cannot be done,
your Grace,â€
replied the
mother. “He .% ty
is not pretty, :
but he has a
good temper,
andswimseven
better than the
others. WA
9. “Ithinkhe
will grow up
pretty, and per-
haps smaller. xatsz your uzaps AND SAY
He has stayed ee
too long in the egg, and his figure
has been spoilt.â€
116 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
10. And then she stroked his
neck, saying, “It is a drake,
and so it does not matter so
much.â€
11. “The others are graceful
enough,†said the old duck.
““Now, make your-selves at home.
And if you find the head of a
fish you can bring it to me.â€
12. And so they made them-
selves happy; except the poor
duckling who had crept out of
his shell last of all.
13. He was bitten, and pushed,
and made fun of, not only by the
ducks, but by all the poultry.
Write: The poor duckling was
not used well. The other ducks
did not know what made him look
So queer.
‘Questions : 1. What did the duck teach her ducklings to
do next? 2, What did the duck with the red rag think ?
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 117
3. What did the mother say of the ugly duckling? 4,
What did the old duck tell them to do? 5. What was
the fate of the big duckling whom the rest thought ugly ?
6. Who teased. him ?
35. HE RUNS AWAY.
1. “He is too big,†they all
said, and the proud turkey cock
puffed himself out like a ship in
full sail.
2. He had been born into the
world with spurs, and thought
himself a king.
3. He flew at the duckling,
and became quite red on the
head with passion,
4, The poor little thing did not
know where to go, and was quite
sad, because he was so ugly, and
was laughed at by them all.
5. So it went on from day to
day, till it got worse and worse.
118 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
The poor duckling was driven
about by all.
6. Even his brothers and sisters
were unkind to him. They would
say, “Oh, you ugly creature, I
wish the cat would get you.â€
7. And his mother said she
wished he had never been born.
The ducks pecked him, the
chickens beat him, and the girl
who fed them kicked at him with
her foot.
8. So at last he ran away, fill-
ing the little birds in the hedge
with terror as he flew over the
palings.
9. “They are afraid of me be-
cause I am so ugly,†he said. So
he closed his eyes and flew still
further.
10. Then he came to a large
moor where wild ducks lived.
Here he stayed the whole night,
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 119
feeling
very tired
and full of
SOrrow.
ll. In
the morn-
ing, the
wild ducks
stared
at him.
“What
sort of
duck are
you?†they
all said,
flying
round him.
12. He
bowed to
them and
was as
polite as
he could
YOU ARE VERY UGLY.
120 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
be, but he did not reply to their
question.
_ 18. “ You are very ugly,†said
the wild ducks; “but that will
not matter if you do not want
to marry one of us.â€
14. Poor thing! He had no
thought of such a thing. All
he wanted was leave to lie among’
the rushes and drink some of the
water from the moor.
Write: The ugly duckling runs
off from the yard. He comes to
a moor where wild ducks live.
Questions: 1. What did the ugly duckling do next ? 2.
What made him run away from the yard? 3. What did
the little birds in the hedges do when they saw him? 4.
Where did he go? 5. What did he meet on the moor?
6. What was he glad to do?
36. CRUEL SHOTS.
1. After he had been on the
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 121
moor two days, there came two
wild geese, who were still young;
- and were very saucy.
2. “ Listen, friend,†said one of
them to the duckling ; ; “you are
so ugly that we like you very
well.
3. “Will you go with us? Not -
far from here is a moor on which
are. other wild geese.. It will be
a chance for you to get a wife.â€
4. “Pop, pop!†sound-ed in the
air, and the two wild geese fell
dead among the rushes, and the
water was tinged with blood.
5. “Pop, pop!†sound-ed far and
wide in the dis-tance, and whole
flocks of wild geese rose up from
the rushes.
6. The sound came from each
side, for idle and cruel men had
come out to shoot the harmless
birds, and this they called “sport.â€
122 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
7. But it was a bad deed to
make a sport of what brings pain
and death to dumb creatures.
8. The blue smoke from the
guns rose like clouds over the
dark trees, and floated away across
_ the water. |
J. Then a number of dogs,
whom the cruel men had taught
to fetch their game, bounded in
among the rushes.
10. How full of terror was the
poor duckling now! He turned
away his head to hide it under
his wing.
11. At the same time a large
dog passed quite near him. His
jaws were open, his tongue hung
from his mouth, and his eyes
glared. |
12. He thrust his nose close
to the duckling, who saw his
sharp teeth. And then “splash,
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 123
splash,†he went off into the
water.
13. “Oh,†sighed the duckling.
Ul O
Wy
; Af 4
I
Hy
har TL LM
HE SAW THE SHARP TEETH.
“ How thankful I am to the dog
for not biting me!†|
14. And so he lay quite still,
124 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
while the shot rattled through
the rushes, and gun after gun
was fired over him. |
15. It was late before all became
quiet, and even then he did not
dare to move, for fear the horrid
men should come back
Write: Cruel men came to
shoot for sport. The poor duck-
ling hid in great fear. It was
long before the guns were quiet.
Questions: 1. Who came to the moor? 2. What did
- the wild geese ask the duckling to do? 3. What loud
noise was it they heard? 4. What became of the two
wild geese? 5. What came up to him? 6. Is it not very
cruel to make a sport out of the pain and death of dumb
creatures P
37. AN OLD WOMAN.
1. He waited in quiet for many
hours, and then, after looking
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 125
about him with care, he began to
hurry away from the moor.
2. He ran as fast as he could
over field and hill till a storm
arose; andhe couldhardly struggle
against it.
3. At night he reached a poor
cottage that seemed ready to fall,
and only stood up because it could
not tell on which side to fall first.
4. The storm was still so angry
that the duckling could go no
further, and he sat down by. the
cottage.
5. Then he saw that the door
was not quite shut, for the hinges
had given way and there was a
crack near the bottom.
6. It was large enough for him
to slip through, which he did
safely, and Bete a shelter for the
night.
7. A woman, a Tom cat, and a
126 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
hen lived in the cottage. The
Tom cat, whom his mistress called
“My little son,†was a great pet.
8. He could raise his back,
purr, and could even throw out
sparks from his fur if it were
stroked the wrong way.
J. The hen had very short legs,
so she was called ‘“ Chickie short-
legs.â€
10. She laid good eggs, and
her mistress loved her as if she
had been her own child.
11. Inthe morning the stranger
was found. And the Tom cat
began to purr, and the hen to
cluck. |
12. “ What is that noise
about?†said the old woman,
looking round her room. Her
sight was not very good.
13. When she saw the duck-
ling, she thought it must be a
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 127
grown-up duck which had strayed
from home.
14. “Oh, what a prize!†she
cried. “TI hope it is not a drake,
for then I shall have some duck’s
eges. I must wait and see.†|
15. So the duckling was not
sent away, but he was to remain
on trial for three weeks. But
there were no eggs.
Write: The duckling crept into
a cottage. An old woman, a Tom
cat, and a hen lived in it.
Quéstions: 1. What sort of weather was it? 2. Where
did the duckling take shelter? 3. Who lived in the cot-
tage? 4, What did the old woman think when she saw
him? 5. What could the hen do? 6. How long was the
duckling in the cottage?
38. THE CAT’S ADVICE.
1. Now, the Tom cat was the
master of the house, and the hen
128 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
was the mistress, at least so they
ee
“Can you lay eggs?†said
the hen to the duckling. “ No,â€
replied he.
3. “Then have the good-ness
to hold your tongue, and do not
talk to me.â€
4, “Can you purr, or raise your
back, or throw out sparks ?†said
the Tom cat.
“No,†said the duckling. -
o. “Then you have no right to
speak when clever people like us
are in the room,†said the Tom cat.
6. So the duckling sat in a cor-
ner, feeling out of sorts, till the
sun-shine and the fresh air came
through the open door.
7. Then he began to feel such
a great longing for a swim that
he told the hen so. “ What an
absurd notion !†said she.
vee
CAN YOU LAY EGGS?
180 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
8. “ You have nothing to do, or
you would not get such foolish
fancies. If you could purr or lay
eges they would pass away.â€
9. “ But it is lovely to swim
about on the water,†said the
duckling. ‘“ And it does refresh
you so.â€
10. “ Lovely, indeed!†said the
hen. “ Why you must be crazy.
Ask the cat. He is the most
clever creature I know.
11. “ Ask him how he would
like to swim on the water, or dive
under it. J may be no one, but
ask him, or my old mistress.
12. “There is no one in the
world more clever than the old
woman. Ask her. Do you think
she would like to swim ?â€
13. “You do not know my na-
ture,†said the duckling.
“We do not know your nature ?
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 131
Then who can know it, I won-
der ?
14. “Are you more clever than
the cat, or the old woman? I
say nothing of myself. Do not
get such non-sense into your head,
child.
15. “ Are you not in a warm
room, and with persons from
whom you may learn something ?
16. “But you are a chatter-box, —
and your words are not civil.
I advise you to lay eggs, and
learn to purr as fast as you can.
I speak for your good.â€
Write: The hen and the cat
could not tell what the young
duck felt. He wished to swim
but they did not.
Questions: 1. What did the cat and the hen fancy them-
selves ? 2. What did the hen think of thecat? 3, What
did the duckling wish for? 4. Could the hen understand
132 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
this wish? 5. Who did the hen think to be the cleverest
person in the world? 6. What did she advise the duck-
ling to learn?
os
89. THE WILD SWANS.
1. “I believe I must go out
into the wide world again,†said
the duckling.
“ Yes, do!†said the hen.
2. So the duckling went and
found water in which it could
swim and dive, but no other bird
came near him because of his ugly
look.
3. Autumn came and the leaves
fel. The clouds, heavy with
snow, hung low in the sky, the
raven cried ‘“ Croak !â€
4. It made one shiver with
cold to look at the clouds. All
this was very sad for the Peer
homeless duckling.
do. One night, just as the sun
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 133
set, there came a large flock of
lovely birds out of the bushes.
6. They ee,
were Swans, ss
and they _
curved
their grace-
ful necks,
while their
soft white
plum-age
shone like
snow.
7. They
made a
strange
wild cry as
they spread
their fine
wings and
flew away HE GAVE A LOUD SCREAM.
from those cold lands to warmer
places.
134 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
8. They mounted higher and
higher in the air; the ugly little
duckling felt an odd feeling as
he watched them.
J. He turned himself in the
water like a wheel, stretch-ed out
his neck to-wards them, and made
a scream so loud and strange that
it startled himself. |
10. Could he ever forget those
happy birds ? And when at last
they were out of sight he dived
under the water, and rose again
wild with sur-prise.
11. He did not know these
birds, nor where they had flown.
But he felt towards them as he
had never felt before.
12. The winter grew colder and
colder, he was forced to swim
about on the water to keep it from
freezing.
13. Hach night the space on
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 135
which he swam grew smaller and.
smaller. At length it froze so hard
that the ice crackled as he moved.
14. He had to paddle with his
lees as well as he could to keep
the space from closing up. He
became tired out at last, and lay
still and helpless, frozen fast in
the ice.
Write: A flock of wild swans
flew over the duckling. He felt
more for these birds than he had
felt for any others.
Questions: 1. What did the duckling say he must do?
2. What did the hen reply? 3. What sort of weather set
in? 4. What was the duckling forced to do to keep the
water from freezing? 5. At last what did the ice do? 6.
What happened to him when he was tired out by swimming
and paddling ?
40. AN UPSET.
1. Early in the morning a pea-
sant who was passing by saw the
poor duckling fast in the ice.
136 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
2. He broke the ice in pieces
with his wooden shoe, and took
the duckling home to his wife.
3. The warm fire soon made
him well; but when the children
wanted to play with him he
thought they wished to hurt him.
4. So he started up in terror,
made a flutter into the milk-pan,
and splash-ed the milk about the
room.
5. Then the woman clapped
her hands, which made him more
afraid still.
6. He flew first into the butter-
tub, then into the meal-cask, and
then out again. Whata state he
was in!
7. The unkind woman scream-
ed, and struck at him with the
tongs. The children shouted, and
tumbled over each other in trying
to catch him,
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 137
8. But he had the luck to
escape. The poor creature slip-
IN THE MILK-PAN.
ped out to lie down in the newly-
fallen snow outside.
9. It would make you very sad
to hear all that the poor duckling
went through that cold winter.
188 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
10. At last spring came, and
the warm sun shone. He found
himself one morning on a moor
amongst the rushes.
11. Then the young bird felt
that his wings were strong; as
he flapped them against his sides
he was able to rise high in the —
air.
12. They bore him onwards till
he found himself in a large gar-
den. The trees bent their boughs
down to a stream which wound
round a smooth lawn.
13. From a thicket close by
came some charming white swans,
rustling their feathers and sailing
lightly over the smooth water.
14. The duckling called to mind
the lovely birds he had seen fly-
ing over his head. These were
like them.
15. He felt more sad than
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 139
ever, for he thought how ugly he
was; or, at least, all the world
had told him so.
Write: The duckling was glad
when spring came. He was able
to fly into a garden. There were
Swans in it.
Questions: 1. What did the kind peasant do? 2. How
did the duckling get on in his cottage? 8. Where did he
go next? 4, What were his wings now able to do? 5.
Where did they carry him? 6. What did he meet in the
garden ?
41. LOVELY SWANS.
1. “I will fly to these royal
birds,†he cried, “and they will
kill me because I am so ugly and
yet dare to come near them.
2. “It will not matter. I had
better be killed by them than
pecked by the ducks, and beaten
by the hens.
3. “I will not again be pushed
140 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
about by the maid who feeds the
poultry, or starved to death with
hunger in the winter.â€
4. 'Then he flew to the water
and swam towards the lovely
swans. ‘The moment they saw
him’ they rushed to meet him
with out-spread wings.
d. “Icill me,†said the poor bird,
and he bent down his head to the
surface of the water and waited
for his death-blow.
6. But what did he see in the
clear stream below? It was like
a mirror, and showed him his own
form. What was it like ?
7. He was no longer a dark,
grey bird, ugly and not pleasant
to look at, but he was like the
two lovely birds beside him.
8. Hewas a grace-fuland snowy
swan! To be born in the nest of
a duck in a farmyard does not
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 141
matter to a bird if he be hatched
from the egg of a swan.
9. He now felt glad at having
THEY RUSHED TO MEET HIM.
had sorrow. And he was glad that
he had known all that trouble.
10. These hard-ships made him
enjoy the pleasure now before him
. 142 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
far more than he would have
done if he had never known bad
fortune. 3
11. The great swans in the
smooth stream came round him.
They made friends with the new-
comer, stroking his neck gently
with their beaks, and speaking to
him in the softest swan words.
12. This was their welcome
to the poor stranger, and he felt
comfort after all he had gone
through as he swam about beside
them.
Write: The two swans were
good to the new-comer. He soon
found out that he was a young
swan himself and not a duck.
Questions: 1. What did the duckling think when he saw
the two swans? 2. When he bent down his head what did
he see in the water? 8. How did the other swans treat
him? 4, Was he sorry now to have felt so much trouble
THE UGLY DUCKLING. 148
before? 5. How did the swans make friends with him?
6. Though he had been born in a duck’s nest, from what
sort of egg had he been hatched ?
42. THE END.
1. Into the garden after a while
there came some little children.
They threw bread and cake into
the water for the swans, which
were quite tame.
2. ‘See! There is a new one!â€
cried the youngest. And the rest
all came to look. They were full
of delight.
3. They ran to their father
and mother in the house to tell
them about the otherswan. They
danced and clapped their hands
as they went.
4. “There is anew swan come!â€
shouted they, all at once. “A
new one is Swimming about with
144 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
the old pair. Give us some more
bread and cake for him!â€
o. Then they threw plenty
more food into the water, and
said, ‘The new one is the most
lovely of all. |
6. “He is so young and pretty.
His wings are whiter even than
those of the old ones. And see
how gentle he is!â€
7. When the swans heard their
new comrade praised thus, they
bowed their heads before him.
Then he felt quite ashamed, and
hid his head under his wing.
8. He was so happy that he did
not know what to do, and yet he
was not at all proud.
9. He had been laughed at for
being ugly, and now he heard
them saying that he was the
most lovely of the swans.
10. Even the elder-tree bent
THE MOST LOVELY OF ALL.
146 THE UGLY DUCKLING.
down her green boughs before
him into the water, and the sun
shone on his feathers till they
shone too. |
11. Then he rustled his wing's
and curved his slender neck as he
floated over the clear stream.
12. And he cried in all the joy
of his heart, “I never could have
dreamed that there was such a
happy life as this in store for
me when I was an ugly duck-
ling.â€
Write: Some children came out
to feed the swans. They said
that the new one was the most
lovely of all.
Questions: 1. Who ran into the garden? 2. What did
the children see? 8. What did they do when they saw the
new swan? 4. What did they think of him? 5. What
did they give the swans? 6. What did the new swan say ?
WORDS FOR SPELLING.
ROVER AND HIS FRIENDS.
1.
friends -
ought
no’-body
be-cause’
whipp-ed
beat’-en
2.
clipp’-ed
shears
sub’-ject
judge
e-nough’
break’-fast
chim’-ney
thought
3.
cott’-age
coun’-try
. near’-est
fag’-gots
car’-ing
au-tumn
‘wheel
a-muse’
heard
4
oat'-meal
rubb’-ing
wage’-ing
a-fraid’
strang’-er
ket’-tle
eruff’-ly
ques’-tion
5.
tired
speech
sup-pose’
naugh’-ty
neigh’-bour gaz’-ed
plead'’-ing
rea’-son
whin’-ed
plain’-ly
throat
6.
bowl
lapp’-ed
fire’-place
course
_ pret’-ty
tease
wor'-ry
7.
taught
clev’-er
learn’-ing
ac-cord’
pur’-pose
ea-ger
tum’-bled
8.
in-stead’
stopp’-ed
treat’-ed
sharp'-eyed
bread
9.
watch’-ed
frisk’-ed
i-dle
teach
crook
10.
trou’-ble
pleas’-ant
first’-rate
weath’-er
crack’-led
clothes
_stock’-ings
148
WORDS FOR SPELLING.
Rover anp His Frienps (continued).
11.
blaz’-ing
wheth’-er
sniff’-ing
earn’-est
a-stray’
15.
par’-ents
chos’-en
cra -dle
search
crea -tures
glar’-ed
cap’-tain
stic’-kle-
back
16.
tad’-pole
sol’-dier-
fish
wa -ter-
cress
12;
dis-tress’
faith’-ful
latch
chill’-ed
froz’-en
17s
fel’-lows
wast -ed.
breath’-ing
crawl’-ed
shoul’-der
hun’-dreds
blad’-ders
18.
ex-cuse’
cheat
gnats
squeez’-ing
croak’-ing
seiz’-ed
cabb’-age
19.
com’-rades en’-joy
13.
broth
sor -row
bur’-1-ed
tears
stray’-ed
A LITTLE FROG.
chas’-ed
driv’-en
hid’-ing-
place
ear’ -wig
20.
snail
jui-cy
feel’-ers
mor’ -tar
paint’-pots
peel’-ed
Ae
but’-ter-
flies
un’-cle
star’-ing
«1A
reach’-ed
hoarse
plight
co'-sy
de-serv’-ed
bleat
29.
trow’-sers
cast’-off
es-cape’
23.
halves
beaks »
a-maz -ed
div’-ing
rize
er
coast
24,
kitch’-en
doz’-ing
foot’-steps
pois’-on
WORDS FOR SPELLING.
149
A Lirrrz Frog (continued).
dread’-ful
be-lieve’
25.
else’- where
mus -ic
In’-di-a
serv -ice
poune’-ing
26.
sting’-ing
plague
laugh'-in
2 g
dain’-ty
pep’-per
a-sham’-ed
tripp’-ed
27.
pud’-ding
boil
sug’-ar-
tongs
quitt’-ing
28.
sleep’-y
tempt’ ed
vex’-ed
fail’-ed
cup’-board
crick’-ets
beet’-les
kins’-folk
29.
quar’-ters
blad’-ders
set’-tled
la’-dies
spied
dig’-ging
30.
laugh’-ing
coach’-man
tomb
‘mein’-o-ry
THE UGLY DUCKLING.
dl,
duck’-ling
mead’-ows
E’-gypt
bur’-docks
up-right
watch’-ing
gos-sip
crack’-ed
32;
stretch’-es
be-yond’
tir’-ed
seat’-ed
hatch’-ed
ad-vice’
real’-ly
33.
wheth’-er
weath’-er
cheer’-ful
bright’-ly
be-ware’
her’-ring
Span’-ish
anx’-1-ous
34.
e-nough’
queer
fig’-ure
strok’-ed
poul’-try
35
pas’-sion
puf’-fed
crea’-ture
chick’-ens
pal’-ing
sor’-row
ques’-tion
36.
cru’-el
sau’-cy
list’-en
float’-ed
glar’-ed
bit’-ing
37.
strug’-gle
hing’-es
mis'-tress
strok’-ed
strang’-er
stray’-ed
150
WORDS FOR SPELLING.
THE
38. au’-tumn
feel’-ing — shiv’-er
ab-surd’ curv’-ed
no’-tion plum’-age
fan’-cies scream
cra -zy ‘freez'-ing
na-ture froz’-en
non’-sense
40;
- 89. — peas’-ant
be-lieve’ wood-en
Uery Ducrrine (continued).
es-cape’ strok’-ing
flapp’-ed
boughs 42.
whit’-er
4], prais’-ed
poul’-try — laugh’-ed
starv’-ed ° elder’-tree
out-spread’ feath’-ers
sur-face float’-ed
death -blow dream’-ed
mir’-ror
CHISWICK PRESS :—CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.
Br \SA45
a}
: