Hark! the dewy Heavens ring With the song the Angels sing, "In a manger Christmas morn Christ the baby King is born!"
THE LITTLE RAG-A-m.u.f.fINS
[Ill.u.s.tration]
"I wish I could do something for those poor little Brown children," said Susan one morning as she and brother Billy sat by the nursery window reading. "Their father is out of work, and I"m afraid they won"t get any Thanksgiving dinner this year."
"I tell you what," suggested Billy, "as we have spent all our money, let"s dress up in some of mother"s old clothes and make believe we are rag-a-m.u.f.fins. We"ll slip out carefully tomorrow morning, without making any noise."
"That"s a fine idea," said Susan. "We can use your water colors to paint our faces."
About 10 o"clock Thanksgiving morning the children went quietly upstairs to their playroom and painted their faces. Then, after dressing, they crept downstairs and out of the house. Their queer costumes attracted much attention, and their pretty, wistful ways gained for them many friends. In an hour, when they had counted their pennies, they found to their delight that they had over three dollars.
"Now we had better hurry to the store and buy the things," said Susan.
The kind-hearted butcher let them have a chicken for half price, in order that there should be no disappointed little hearts over the lack of sufficient funds. The basket was soon filled to overflowing and on the top of the vegetables was placed with great care a mince pie.
The Browns were very grateful and Bobby, Billy and Susan were very happy to think that they had done it all themselves.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
[Ill.u.s.tration: HICKORY, d.i.c.kORY, DOCK PUB. BY NAT. ART CO., N. Y.]
LITTLE SIR CAT
Little Sir Cat Visits Mrs. Porker
As Little Sir Cat and Piggie Porker traveled on they met Sir Launcelot, the n.o.ble Knight of good King Arthur"s round table, riding a great horse with Miss m.u.f.fet in the saddle. Well, by-and-by, along came old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs on her arm. She was singing in a high cracked voice a funny song that went like this:
"_Who wants to buy some nice fresh eggs Laid by a hen with yellow legs, Yellow legs and a bright red comb, In a little round nest in my own dear home?_"
"How much are they?" asked Sir Launcelot, taking a gold piece from his purse. And of course, she didn"t answer but handed the basket to him with a curtsy. "They are yours, Sir Knight," and, taking the gold piece, she wrapped it up in her handkerchief and put it away in the pocket of her short green skirt.
Sir Launcelot laughed, for he knew that a gold piece was too much to pay for the eggs, but he was such a generous knight he didn"t care.
[Ill.u.s.tration: LITTLE SIR CAT VISITS MRS. PORKER]
Then Piggie took Little Sir Kitten home with him to meet Mrs. Porker and the little Porkers. And after a while Little Sir Cat set out again to find his fortune.
Well, by-and-by, he came to a tall flag-pole at the top of which floated a beautiful flag with red stripes and silver stars. But Little Sir Cat didn"t know what flag this was, for he had never crossed the ocean blue, and Mother Goose Land is not on this side of the water, you know. And then a big bird said, "Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue!" He was the big American Eagle, only, of course, Little Sir Cat didn"t know that either; he only knew Mother Goose people, you see.
"Why, I didn"t think you could cheer so well," said Little Sir Cat, and he opened his knapsack and took out a red, white and blue lollypop and gave it to him, and wasn"t that eagle pleased? Well, I should say he was. He flapped his wings and began to sing:
"_Oh, I"m the bird as you all have heard Who fights for the U. S. A.
I love the stars on our beautiful flag As I watch it wave from my lonely crag, And I give a screech that is heard afar, Three cheers for every silver star, And the bands of red and white and blue, And the soldier boys who are brave and true, And the sailor lads on the deep wide sea, Oh, the U. S. A. is the land for me!_"
And when he finished he said to Little Sir Cat, "Climb on my back and we"ll fly away, far away, across the water wild with spray, way, way off to the U. S. A."
Isn"t it wonderful how an eagle could say things like this in rhyme? It must have been because he was in Mother Goose Land where everybody talks in poetry.
"I"m afraid I can"t," replied Little Sir Cat. "My mother would worry if I went so far away." So the big eagle said good-by, but before he left, he pinned a tiny red, white and blue flag on the little Kitten"s coat.
_On another page of this jolly book, If you just turn over the pages and look, You"ll find a story about Sir Cat And the Cow that jumped over the Moon Man"s Hat._
Dobbin
Dobbin has an iron shoe On each of his feet, so you Can see it"s hard for him to go Anything but very slow.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Ten Little Boy Scouts
One little Boy Scout beating a tat-too; A little comrade heard the call--then there were two.
Two little Boy Scouts climbing up a tree; Along came another one--then there were three.
Three little Boy Scouts standing by the door; Running out they met a Scout--then there were four.
Four little Boy Scouts in the water dive; Another one swam up to them--then there were five.
Five little Boy Scouts doing lots of tricks; Their captain called out, "Shoulder arms!"--then there were six.
Six little Boy Scouts looking up to heaven; An airship brought another down--then there were seven.
Seven little Boy Scouts got to school quite late; They found a scholar in the room--then there were eight.
Eight little Boy Scouts dressed up very fine; They caught a little ragged one--then there were nine.
Nine little Boy Scouts chased a speckled hen; They b.u.mped into another Scout--then there were ten.
Ten little Boy Scouts yelling "Hip, hurrah!"
This is all there is to tell--these are all there are!