THE FOOLISH PUG.
A pompous pug once thought that he A dashing swell would try to be, And on his neighbors one and all, Sat out to make a stylish call.
He wore a gla.s.s upon one eye, And on his head a silk hat high; A wide, stiff collar around his throat, And last an English overcoat.
So fine and splendid was his air The very birds stood still to stare, As walking on his two hind feet He sauntered boldly down the street.
But oh, alas! it comes to all To learn that pride must have a fall, And e"er the corner he had turned Poor pug that bitter lesson learned.
A saucy maid with one great whack, Brought down her broom upon his back, And as he raised a frightened wail Another soused him from her pail.
Poor pug! that night he sat and thought Of all the trouble he had brought Upon himself, because that he A foolish dude had tried to be.
THE SILHOUETTE PARTY
"Children," said Grandpa, one afternoon, "I am going to build a bonfire this evening, to burn up this rubbish, so you may have a silhouette party."
"Why, what is a silhouette party?" asked Lucy, opening her eyes very wide.
"I know," said Ralph, "it is funny black pictures on something white."
"That"s right," laughed Grandpa. "Now you fly round and write your friends and Grandma and I will get everything ready."
When the young people arrived at half past seven, they found a blazing fire, and in front of it was stretched a sheet between two large apple trees.
Quite a distance in front of the sheet were some seats, where Grandpa told some of the children to sit, while the others took part in the pictures.
He then disappeared with them in a tent close by where Grandma was waiting to dress them in their different costumes. Shouts of laughter came from the tent as the children put on their odd dresses; indeed there was so much fun that it took quite some time.
When all was ready Grandpa came out and addressing the children who were waiting said, "These are to be Mother Goose pictures, which you will all know. You must guess whom they represent and the one who guesses correctly the largest number will receive a prize."
He threw a large pine knot on the fire, which burned up brightly, and there the children saw a shadow on the sheet, a little bent figure with a broom over its shoulder.
"The old woman who swept the cob-webs out of the sky," cried some one.
Following this, came a figure with a long cloak and tall peaked hat, leading a dog.
"Old Mother Hubbard," guessed another.
Then came a boy and a girl carrying a pail.
"Jack and Jill," chorused the children.
After this a girl with a shepherd"s crook.
"Little Bo-peep," again was guessed.
"Now," said Grandpa, "it is time the others had their turn at acting."
So the exchange being made, the pictures continued.
"Jack Horner," "Little Miss m.u.f.fet," "Old King Cole," and "Mary, who had a little lamb," followed in quick succession.
Then Grandpa announced that the pictures were over.
"As we cannot decide who has guessed the largest number of pictures,"
said he, "I will give you each a prize." And he pa.s.sed them each a card.
It proved to be a picture of Ralph and Lucy cut from black paper and pasted on a white card.
"These," said Grandpa, "are silhouette pictures too. Will you always know what a silhouette picture is now?"
"Oh yes," said the children.
THE SNOW BIRDS.
It had snowed very hard. Ralph and Edward, who were visiting Grandma in the country, had to stay in the house all day.
When they went to bed it was still snowing, and every time they woke up during the night, they could hear the wind sighing and whistling around the house, and through he branches of the old pine tres.
But the next morning the sun was shining brightly. Such a glorious day!
How the branches of the pine trees did sparkle.
"It looks as if they had been sprinkled with gold dust and diamonds,"
exclaimed Ralph.
"Oh Grandma! Please do hurry breakfast. We are going out to build a fort," cried the boys, bursting into the dining-room.
Grandma smiled and told them to eat a good breakfast, for building a fort was hard work.
They were soon out in the snow, and what a splendid time they did have.
The fort did not grow very fast, for they had to stop so often to snow-ball each other.
When Grandma called them in to dinner they wondered where the time had gone since breakfast.
After dinner, Ralph was looking out of the window, when he spied two little birds cuddled up on a branch of a pine-tree.
"Oh, Edward! come here," he called. "See those poor little birds. They look half frozen and so hungry."