Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 27

But the goats did not come out, so the boy climbed over the fence and started after them to chase them out. But the goats just ran round and round in the field, until at last the little boy was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a dog came down the road. "Why, little boy," he said, "what are you crying for?"

"I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them, and they will not come out."

"Well," said the dog, "that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you."

So the dog ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking loudly. When the goats saw him coming they started to run, and ran round and round in the field until at last the dog was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a fox came trotting down the road. "Why, dog," he said, "what are you crying for?"

"I am crying because little boy is crying," said the dog.

"And what are you crying for, little boy?" asked the fox.

"I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out."

"Well," said the fox, "that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you."

So the fox ran through the hole and started after the goats, barking shrilly. And when they saw him coming they started to run, and ran round and round in the field until at last the fox was so tired that he sat down by the fence and cried.

By-and-by a bee came flying lightly overhead.

"Why, fox," he said, "why are you crying?"

"I am crying because dog is crying," said the fox.

"And why are you crying, dog?" asked the bee.

"I am crying because little boy is crying," said the dog.

"And why are you crying, little boy?" asked the bee.

"I am crying because the goats will not come out of the ryefield. I was driving them along the road to the hills, and they went through the fence, and I have chased them and chased them and they will not come out!"

"Oh," said the bee, "that is nothing to cry about. Just you wait here and I will go into the field and chase them out for you."

So he flew over the fence and flew straight to the first goat and began to buzz in his ear. The first goat lifted up his head and said: "Ho!

What is this?" and he looked all around him, but could see nothing from which to run.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" said the bee, and he lighted on the ear of the goat.

"Now here is someone that means business," said the goat, and he shook his head to shake off the bee, but the bee only clung the tighter.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz!" he said. Then he stung the first goat in the ear.

"Now," said the first goat, "this is a serious matter. Ouch!" he added, as the bee stung him again. "Come on, you," he called to the others, "it is time to get out of here!" With that he led them straight to the hole in the fence, and they ran through it, all three of them, and out into the road where the little boy sat with the dog and the fox.

"Oh," said the dog, "the bee can do something that I cannot, even if he is so small."

"Yes," said the fox, "the bee didn't make much noise, but the noise that he did make counted more than all of our barking."

[Ill.u.s.tration: LITTLE BUNNIE BROWN IS AT THE HEAD OF HIS CLa.s.s]

TEENY TINY[L]

There was once upon a time a teeny-tiny woman who lived in a teeny-tiny house in a teeny-tiny village. Now, one day this teeny-tiny woman put on her teeny-tiny bonnet and went out of her teeny-tiny house to take a teeny-tiny walk. And when this teeny-tiny woman had gone a teeny-tiny way, she came to a teeny-tiny gate; so the teeny-tiny woman opened the teeny-tiny gate, and went into a teeny-tiny meadow. And when this teeny-tiny woman had got into the teeny-tiny meadow, she saw a teeny-tiny bone on a teeny-tiny stone, and the teeny-tiny woman said to her teeny-tiny self: "This teeny-tiny bone will make me some teeny-tiny soup for my teeny-tiny supper." So the teeny-tiny woman put the teeny-tiny bone into her teeny-tiny pocket, and went home to her teeny-tiny house.

Now, when the teeny-tiny woman got home to her teeny-tiny house, she was a teeny-tiny bit tired; so she went up her teeny-tiny stairs to her teeny-tiny bed, and put the teeny-tiny bone into a teeny-tiny cupboard.

And when this teeny-tiny woman had been to sleep a teeny-tiny time, she was awakened by a teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard, which said:

"GIVE ME MY BONE!"

And this teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head under the teeny-tiny clothes, and went to sleep again. And when she had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice again cried out from the teeny-tiny cupboard a teeny-tiny louder:

"GIVE ME MY BONE!"

This made the teeny-tiny woman a teeny-tiny more frightened, so she hid her teeny-tiny head a teeny-tiny further under the teeny-tiny clothes.

And when the teeny-tiny woman had been asleep again a teeny-tiny time, the teeny-tiny voice from the teeny-tiny cupboard said again a teeny-tiny louder:

"GIVE ME MY BONE!"

At this the teeny-tiny woman was a teeny-tiny bit more frightened; but she put her teeny-tiny head out of the teeny-tiny clothes, and said in her loudest teeny-tiny voice:

"TAKE IT!"

[L] From "English Fairy Tales," collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam's Sons.

SONG OF THE PEAR TREE

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

What on the tree may be?

Why, there's a beautiful branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree has leaves, too, And what on its branch may be?

A beautiful twig.

Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now what on the twig may be?

A beautiful nest.

Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now, what in the nest may be?

A beautiful egg.