Fourth Grade Read Aloud Banquet

Norse Lullaby

The sky is dark and the hills are white

As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night;

And this is the song the storm-king sings,

As over the world his cloak he flings:

"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep";

He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:

"Sleep, little one, sleep."


On yonder mountain-side a vine

Clings at the foot of a mother pine;

The tree bends over the trembling thing,

And only the vine can hear her sing:

"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep—

What shall you fear when I am here?

Sleep, little one, sleep."


The king may sing in his bitter flight,

The tree may croon to the vine to-night,

But the little snowflake at my breast

Liketh the song I  sing the best—

Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

Weary thou art, a-next my heart,

Sleep, little one, sleep.

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 47 The Fate of Injun Joe from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain George IV—The First Gentleman in Europe from Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall The Story of Pliny from The Story Book of Science by Jean Henri Fabre Presents for the King from Our Little Frankish Cousin of Long Ago by Evaleen Stein Sir John Moore at Coruna from The Struggle for Sea Power by M. B. Synge The Proceedings of the Three Brothers from Fairy Tales Too Good To Miss—Across the Lake by Lisa M. Ripperton The Darkest Day of All the World from Hurlbut's Story of the Bible by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
With the Crusaders from God's Troubadour, The Story of St. Francis of Assisi by Sophie Jewett
The Christmas at Greccio from God's Troubadour, The Story of St. Francis of Assisi by Sophie Jewett 		The North Wind Doth Blow from The Fall of the Year by Dallas Lore Sharp The Inspector General of the Army from Four American Patriots by Alma Holman Burton The Crow, the Jackal, the Wolf, and the Camel from The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton How the Emperor Albrecht Met His Death from Stories of William Tell Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall Strange Nests from Will o' the Wasps by Margaret Warner Morley What Became of Giglio from The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray
    Precious Words by Emily Dickinson The Pumpkin by John Greenleaf Whittier Sir Patrick Spens from Poems, Anonymous   The Skeleton in Armor by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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The Aesop for Children  by Milo Winter

The Miller, His Son, and the Ass

One day, a long time ago, an old Miller and his Son were on their way to market with an Ass which they hoped to sell. They drove him very slowly, for they thought they would have a better chance to sell him if they kept him in good condition. As they walked along the highway some travelers laughed loudly at them.

"What foolishness," cried one, "to walk when they might as well ride. The most stupid of the three is not the one you would expect it to be."

The Miller did not like to be laughed at, so he told his son to climb up and ride.

They had gone a little farther along the road, when three merchants passed by.

"Oho, what have we here?" they cried. "Respect old age, young man! Get down, and let the old man ride."

Though the Miller was not tired, he made the boy get down and climbed up himself to ride, just to please the Merchants.

At the next turnstile they overtook some women carrying market baskets loaded with vegetables and other things to sell.

"Look at the old fool," exclaimed one of them. "Perched on the Ass, while that poor boy has to walk."

The Miller felt a bit vexed, but to be agreeable he told the Boy to climb up behind him.


[Illustration]

They had no sooner started out again than a loud shout went up from another company of people on the road.

"What a crime," cried one, "to load up a poor dumb beast like that! They look more able to carry the poor creature, than he to carry them."

"They must be on their way to sell the poor thing's hide," said another.

The Miller and his Son quickly scrambled down, and a short time later, the market place was thrown into an uproar as the two came along carrying the Donkey slung from a pole. A great crowd of people ran out to get a closer look at the strange sight.


[Illustration]

The Ass did not dislike being carried, but so many people came up to point at him and laugh and shout, that he began to kick and bray, and then, just as they were crossing a bridge, the ropes that held him gave way, and down he tumbled into the river.

The poor Miller now set out sadly for home. By trying to please everybody, he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass besides.

If you try to please all, you please none.