Kindergarten Read Aloud Banquet



Nursery Songs for November

Aiken Drum



King Cole



The Old Man in Leather



Ye Fairy Ship




A Child's Garden of Verses



A Good Boy

I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day,

I never said an ugly word, but smiled and stuck to play.


And now at last the sun is going down behind the wood,

And I am very happy, for I know that I've been good.


My bed is waiting cool and fresh, with linen smooth and fair,

And I must off to sleepsin-by, and not forget my prayer.


I know that, till to-morrow when I see the sun arise,

No ugly dream shall fright my mind, no ugly sight my eyes.


But slumber hold me tightly till I waken in the dawn,

And hear the thrushes singing in the lilacs round the lawn.


  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 39 Sammy Jay Finds the New Home Good News
Taking Towser Home
The "Wake-Up" Story The Katydids' Quarrel Mrs. Specklety Hen The Oxen Story The Story of Abraham
The Quarrel Little Polly Flinders The Pumpkin-Eater Old King Cole Shoeing Good King Arthur Betty Blue
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Frederick Richardson's Book for Children  by Frederick Richardson

[Illustration]

dropcap image NCE on a time there were three Billy-goats, who were to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was Gruff.

On the way up was a bridge over a burn they had to cross; and under this bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.

So first of all came the youngest billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.


[Illustration]

"Trip, trap; trip, trap!" went the bridge.

"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.

"Oh! it is only I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I'm going up to the hill-side to make myself fat," said the billy-goat, with such a small voice.

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.

"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy-goat; "wait a bit till the second billy-goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."

"Well! be off with you," said the Troll.

A little while after came the second billy-goat Gruff to cross the bridge.

"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge,

"WHO'S THAT tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.


[Illustration]


[Illustration]

"Oh! it's the second billy-goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hill-side to make myself fat," said the billy-goat, who hadn't such a small voice.

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.

"Oh, no! don't take me. Wait a little till the big billy-goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger."

"Very well! be off with you," said the Troll.


[Illustration]

But just then up came the big billy-goat Gruff.

"TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge, for the billy-goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.

"WHO'S THAT tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.

"IT'S I! THE BIG BILLY-GOAT GRUFF," said the billy-goat, who had an ugly, hoarse voice of his own.


[Illustration]

"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," roared the Troll.

"Well, come along! I've got two spears,

And I'll poke your nose and pierce your ears;

I've got besides two curling-stones,

And I'll bruise your body and rattle your bones."

That was what the big billy-goat said; and so he flew at the Troll, and tossed him out into the burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn't fallen of them, why they're still fat; and so:

Snip, snap, snout,

This tale's told out.


[Illustration]