Text of Plan #938
  WEEK 39  

  Monday  


The Adventures of Johnny Chuck  by Thornton Burgess

Sammy Jay Finds the New Home

J OHNNY CHUCK was missed from his old home on the Green Meadows. If he had known how much he was missed, he certainly would have tried to go back for at least a call on his old neighbors. There had been great surprise when it had been discovered that Jimmy Skunk was living in Johnny's old house, and at first some of the little meadow people were inclined to look at Jimmy a wee bit distrustfully when he told how Johnny Chuck had given away his house.

When Johnny sent back word by the Merry Little Breezes that it was true, they believed Jimmy Skunk and forgot the unpleasant things that they had begun to hint at about him. But they one and all thought that Johnny Chuck must be crazy. Yes, Sir, they thought that Johnny Chuck must be crazy. They were sure of it when the Merry Little Breezes brought word of how Johnny had started out to see the world.

But everybody was so busy about their own affairs in the beautiful bright spring-time that they couldn't spend much time wondering about Johnny Chuck. They missed him every time they passed his old house and then forgot him; that is, most of the little meadow people did.

Peter Rabbit didn't. Peter used to stop every day to gossip with Johnny Chuck and tell him all the news, and now that Johnny Chuck was no longer there, Peter missed him greatly. Jimmy Skunk was always asleep or off somewhere. Besides, he was such a traveler that he knew all the news almost as soon as Peter himself.

The Merry Little Breezes told Peter that Johnny Chuck was still on the Green Meadows, hunting for a new home, so Peter made up his mind that just as soon as Johnny got settled, Peter would hunt him up and call. You see, he never dreamed that Johnny would leave the Green Meadows, and he thought that of course the Merry Little Breezes would tell him just where Johnny Chuck's new house was, whenever it was built. But there is where Peter made a mistake.

The Merry Little Breezes are the friends of all the little meadow and forest people, but they wouldn't be very long if they told everything that they find out.

Their merry tongues they guard full well

And things they shouldn't never tell,

For long ago they learned the way

To keep a secret night and day.

And so when they found Johnny Chuck's new house in the corner of Farmer Brown's old orchard, they promised Johnny that they wouldn't tell anybody, and they didn't. So it was a long time before any one else found out what had become of Johnny Chuck, for no one thought of looking in the corner of the old orchard.

The Merry Little Breezes used to come every day and bring Johnny Chuck the news, and he and Polly Chuck would laugh and tickle, as they thought of Peter Rabbit hunting and hunting and never finding them.

Then one morning, as Johnny Chuck sat on his door-step, half dozing in the sun with his heart filled with contentment, he happened to look up straight into two sharp eyes peering down at him from among the leaves of the apple-tree under which he had built his house. He knew those eyes. They were such sharp eyes that they were unpleasant. He didn't even have to look for the blue and white coat of the owner to know who had found his snug home. But he pretended to keep right on dozing, and pretty soon the owner of the eyes disappeared without making a sound.

"Oh, dear," sighed Johnny Chuck, "now the whole world will know where we live, for that was Sammy Jay." Then his face brightened as he added: "Anyway, he didn't see Polly Chuck, and he doesn't know anything about her, so I'll keep twice as sharp a watch as before."

 



The Real Mother Goose  by Blanche Fisher Wright

The Quarrel


[Illustration]

My little old man and I fell out;

I'll tell you what 'twas all about,—

I had money and he had none,

And that's the way the noise begun.

 


  WEEK 39  

  Tuesday  


Bobby and the Big Road  by Maud Lindsay

Good News

A S soon as the rain stopped, Bobby made haste to tell everybody he saw about Towser.

He told the milkman and the young gentleman who rode on horseback, and the merry-faced man, and every one of them promised to look for the yellow dog.

Bobby was out watching for the farmer when Florence's car stopped at the gate. The jolly chauffeur was the only one in it.

"Is this where Master Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, lives?" he asked, touching his cap to Bobby.

"Why," said Bobby, "I am Robert Lee Randolph, Junior. Don't you know me?"

"I thought you were Bobby," said the chauffeur.

"I am Bobby," said the little boy. "You took me riding in the car."

"But how can you be two boys?" said the chauffeur.

"I am not two boys," said Bobby. "Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, is my long name, but they call me Bobby for short."

"Well, then," said the chauffeur, "I have a note here for Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, and if you are very sure that you are the right one, I'll give it to you."

The chauffeur was such a funny man! It made Bobby laugh even to look at him.

The note that the chauffeur brought was from Florence.


"DEAR BOBBY" (Mother read):


"Early this morning just before your letter came my mamma and I were standing at the window watching the rain." ("Why, I was doing that too!" said Bobby.) "I like to hear rain patter on the roof and dance against the window-panes." ("Why, so do I," said Bobby.)

"While we were at the window, Mamma and I saw a boy going by, leading a yellow dog." ("Oh, I know it was Towser. I know it was Towser," said Bobby.)

"The yellow dog did not look very happy; neither did the boy. We felt sorry for them both.

"Just then the postman came. He brought your letter, and when we read it, we felt sure that the dog we had seen was Towser.

"Papa was going out in his car, and he took me with him up the street where the boy and the dog had gone.

"By and by we caught up with them and asked the boy if the dog were his.

" 'I found him circus day,' said the boy, 'and I took him home with me and tied him in the shed. My mother will not let me keep him any longer because he howls. Do you want him?'

"Then I called 'Towser! Towser!' and the dog jumped up and down, and wagged his tail. Papa told the boy that the dog belonged to Johnny. The boy was glad; and so are we.

"We are going to take Towser home to Johnny this afternoon, and you must be ready to go with us.

"I am so excited that I don't know what to do.

"Your little friend,          
"FLORENCE GREY.

"Written by her mamma."


Oh, what a beautiful letter it was!

 



Bobby and the Big Road  by Maud Lindsay

Taking Towser Home

B OBBY was ready and waiting when Florence and her papa and the jolly chauffeur came for him.

And the first question he asked them was, "Where is Towser?"

Towser was lying on the floor of the car and when Bobby patted him he thumped his tail and winked both eyes as if to say, "I am as glad to see you as you are to see me."

But Towser was homesick. Not even the juicy bones that Florence had given him for his dinner had made him forget Johnny.

He lay in the car with his nose on his paws, and looked so forlorn and miserable that it was hard for Bobby to believe that he was the same dog that had chased the spotted calf, and run down the Big Road to find the ox-wagon man.

But every time Bobby and Florence looked at him they laughed, for they knew how glad Towser would be by and by.

They planned what they would do when they got to Johnny's house:

When they were almost there, they would cover Towser up with a rug. Then when they stopped at the log cabin, Bobby would call Johnny, and ask if he had heard anything about Towser; and Bobby wasn't to laugh the least bit when he asked.

Then Florence would say: "I have brought you something, Johnny. It is here in the car"; and when Johnny came to see what it was, they would let him lift up the rug himself.

That is what they planned, but this is what really happened:

No sooner had they reached Johnny's house, and Bobby had called Johnny, than Towser jumped from under the rug, and began to bark, "Bow-wow-wow-wow!" Johnny could have heard him half a mile away.

"Towser, Towser!" he called, fairly tumbling out of the door; and nobody could keep Towser in the car then!

The children thought that they had never had so much fun in all their lives, as when they took Towser home to Johnny.

 



Mother Goose  by Frederick Richardson

Little Polly Flinders


[Illustration]

 


  WEEK 39  

  Wednesday  


Fairy Tales Too Good To Miss—In the Meadow  by Lisa M. Ripperton

The "Wake-Up" Story

T HE sun was up and the breeze was blowing, and the five chicks and four geese and three rabbits and two kitties and one little dog were just as noisy and lively as they knew how to be.

They were all watching for Baby Ray to appear at the window, but he was still fast asleep in his little white bed, while mamma was making ready the things he would need when he should wake up.

First she went along the orchard path as far as the old wooden pump, and said: "Good Pump, will you give me some nice, clear water for the baby's bath?"

And the pump was willing.

The good old pump by the orchard path

Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.

Then she went a little farther on the path and stopped at the wood pile, and said: "Good Chips, the pump has given me nice, clear water for dear little Ray; will you come and warm the water and cook his food?"

And the chips were willing.

The good old pump by the orchard path

Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.

And the clean, white chips from the pile of wood

Were glad to warm it and to cook his food.

So mamma went on till she came to the barn, and then said: "Good Cow, the pump has given me nice, clear water, and the wood pile has given me clean, white chips for dear little Ray; will you give me warm, rich milk?"

And the cow was willing.

Then she said to the top-knot hen that was scratching in the straw: "Good Biddy, the pump has given me nice, clear water, and the wood pile has given me clean, white chips, and the cow has given me warm, rich milk for dear little Ray; will you give me a new-laid egg?"

And the hen was willing.

The good old pump by the orchard path

Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.

And the clean, white chips from the pile of wood

Were glad to warm it and to cook his food.

The cow gave milk in the milk pail bright,

And the top-knot Biddy an egg, new and white.

Then mamma went on till she came to the orchard, and said to a Red June apple tree: "Good Tree, the pump has given me nice, clear water, and the wood pile has given me clean, white chips, and the cow has given me warm, rich milk, and the hen has given me a new-laid egg for dear little Ray; will you give me a pretty red apple?"

And the tree was willing.

So mamma took the apple and the egg and the milk and the chips and the water to the house, and there was Baby Ray in his nightgown, looking out of the window.

And she kissed him and bathed him and dressed him, and while she brushed and curled his soft, brown hair, she told him the "Wake-Up" story that I am telling you:

The good old pump by the orchard path

Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.

And the clean, white chips from the pile of wood

Were glad to warm it and to cook his food.

The cow gave milk in the milk pail bright,

And the top-knot Biddy an egg, new and white;

And the tree gave an apple so round and so red,

For dear little Ray who was just out of bed.

 



The Real Mother Goose  by Blanche Fisher Wright

The Pumpkin-Eater


[Illustration]

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,

Had a wife and couldn't keep her;

He put her in a pumpkin shell,

And there he kept her very well.

 


  WEEK 39  

  Thursday  


Among the Meadow People  by Clara Dillingham Pierson

The Katydids' Quarrel

[Illustration]

T HE warm summer days were past, and the Katydids came again to the meadow. Everybody was glad to see them, and the Grasshoppers, who are cousins of the Katydids, gave a party in their honor.

Such a time as the meadow people had getting ready for that party! They did not have to change their dresses, but they scraped and cleaned themselves, and all the young Grasshoppers went off by the woods to practise jumping and get their knees well limbered, because there might be games and dancing at the party, and then how dreadful it would be if any young Grasshopper should find that two or three of his legs wouldn't bend easily!

The Grasshoppers did not know at just what time they ought to have the party. Some of the meadow people whom they wanted to invite were used to sleeping all day, and some were used to sleeping all night, so it really was hard to find an hour at which all would be wide-awake and ready for fun. At last the Tree Frog said: "Pukr-r-rup! Pukr-r-rup! Have it at sunset!" And at sunset it was.

Everyone came on time, and they hopped and chattered and danced and ate a party supper of tender green leaves. Some of the little Grasshoppers grew sleepy and crawled among the plantains for a nap. Just then a big Katydid said he would sing a song—which was a very kind thing for him to do, because he really did it to make the others happy, and not to show what a fine musician he was. All the guests said, "How charming!" or, "We should be delighted!" and he seated himself on a low swinging branch. You know Katydids sing with the covers of their wings, and so when he alighted on the branch he smoothed down his pale green suit and rubbed his wing-cases a little to make sure that they were in tune. Then he began loud and clear, "Katy did!  Katy did!!  Katy did!!!"

Of course he didn't mean any real Katy, but was just singing his song. However, there was another Katydid there who had a habit of contradicting, and he had eaten too much supper, and that made him feel crosser than ever; so when the singer said "Katy did!" this cross fellow jumped up and said, "Katy didn't!  Katy didn't!!  Katy didn't!!!" and they kept at it, one saying that she did and the other that she didn't, until everybody was ashamed and uncomfortable, and some of the little Grasshoppers awakened and wanted to know what was the matter.

Both of the singers got more and more vexed until at last neither one knew just what he was saying—and that, you know, is what almost always happens when people grow angry. They just kept saying something as loud and fast as possible and thought all the while that they were very bright—which was all they knew about it.

Suddenly somebody noticed that the one who began to say "Katy did!" was screaming "Katy didn't!" and the one who had said "Katy didn't!" was roaring "Katy did!" Then they all laughed, and the two on the branch looked at each other in a very shamefaced way.

The Tree Frog always knew the right thing to do, and he said "Pukr-r-rup!" so loudly that all stopped talking at once. When they were quiet he said: "We will now listen to a duet, 'Katy,' by the two singers who are up the tree. All please join in the chorus." So it was begun again, and both the leaders were good-natured, and all the Katydids below joined in with "did or didn't, did or didn't, did or didn't." And that was the end of the quarrel.

 



A Book of Nursery Rhymes  by Francis D. Bedford

Old King Cole

[Illustration]
[Illustration]
 


  WEEK 39  

  Friday  


More Mother Stories  by Maud Lindsay

Mrs. Specklety Hen

Once upon a time there was a hen whose name was Mrs. Specklety Hen.

She lived on a farm in company with a great many geese and turkeys and ducks and other hens, and they all belonged to a lady who fed them well, and treated them well, and knew them all by name.

Mrs. Specklety Hen liked to live on the farm. She liked the yellow corn that came out of the corncrib. She liked to take dust baths, and she liked to walk about the yard singing a song that nobody knows how to sing but a hen.

One day as she went about singing she thought to herself, "I must go and find a place to make a nest"; and she no sooner thought this than she started out. First of all she went to the barn, but the big double doors were shut tight, and she could not get in.

Then she tripped over to the house where the lady lived, and looked under it. "No, indeed," said she, "it is too cold and too damp under there. I shall go on the porch."

So up she hopped on the lady's porch, and the first thing she saw there was a ladder which reached from the floor to a little square hole in the top of the porch. "Up I go," said Mrs. Specklety Hen, and up she hopped till she came to the hole, which was a doorway large enough for you or for me to go through. Mrs. Specklety Hen went through very easily, and she found herself in a long room right next to the roof that had one little window to let the light in. In this room was an open trunk full of old clothes, a box full of papers, and a barrel full of hay. Mrs. Specklety Hen looked in the trunk, but she did not make her nest in there. She looked in the box, but she did not make her nest in there; but when she came to the barrel, the hay was so nice and so tempting that she jumped in, made her nest, and laid one beautiful egg in it.

Then down she flew from the loft in a great hurry, calling as loudly as she could:—

"Ca! ca-ca-ca-ca! ca," which meant in her language, "I've laid an egg! I've laid an egg! I've laid an egg!"

All the hens on the place heard it and they joined in at once, "Ca! ca-ca-ca-ca! ca. She's laid an egg! She's laid an egg! She's laid an egg!" till the news was spread far and wide.

The next day Mrs. Specklety Hen went back to her nest, and again and again and again, till there were as many eggs in the nest as you have fingers on one hand. One, two, three, four, five. Now in this house where Mrs. Specklety Hen went each day, there lived a little boy whose name was Johnny-boy, and one day he said to his mother:—

"Mama, I believe I shall go out and hunt for a hen's nest." So he took his cap and ran out of the back door just as Mrs. Specklety Hen flew down from the loft, calling as loudly as she could:—

"Ca! ca-ca-ca-ca! ca. I've laid an egg! I've laid an egg!"

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Specklety Hen," said Johnny-boy, "I know where your nest is." So he ran up the ladder and through the door in the top of the porch, and there he was in the long room next to the roof that had one little window to let the light in. He looked in the trunk—did he find anything there? He looked in the box—did he find anything there? And then he looked in the barrel—and what did he see? Five beautiful eggs in the nest! And did he take them all? No, he left one in the nest for a nest egg, and he put four in his cap and went carefully, oh, so carefully, down the ladder to mother's room. When mother saw the eggs she was so surprised! And she said:—"I must make a cake." And so she did, "with sugar and spice, and everything nice."


[Illustration]

So he ran up the ladder.

The next day was Sunday and Johnny-boy and father and mother had the cake for dinner. "I'm glad I found that hen's nest," said Johnny-boy when he saw the cake, and when he had eaten his dinner he took a plate of crumbs to Mrs. Specklety Hen.

 



The Real Mother Goose  by Blanche Fisher Wright

Shoeing

Shoe the colt,

Shoe the colt,

Shoe the wild mare;

Here a nail,

There a nail,

Yet she goes bare.

 


  WEEK 39  

  Saturday  


The Sandman: His Farm Stories  by Willliam J. Hopkins

The Oxen Story

dropcap image NCE upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and had green blinds, and it stood not far from the road. And in the fence was a wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field.


[Illustration]

Not far from the kitchen door was a well, with a bucket tied by a rope to the end of a great long pole. And when they wanted water, they let the bucket down into the well and pulled it up full of water. They used this water to drink, and to wash faces and hands, and to wash the dishes; but it wasn't good to wash clothes, because it wouldn't make good soap-suds. To get water to wash the clothes, they had a great enormous hogshead at the corner of the house. And when it rained, the rain fell on the roof, and ran down the roof to the gutter, and ran down the gutter to the spout, and ran down the spout to the hogshead. And when they wanted water to wash the clothes, they took some of the water out of the hogshead.


[Illustration]

But when it had not rained for a long time, there was no water in the hogshead. Then they got out the drag and put a barrel on it, and the old oxen came out from the barn, and put their heads down low; and Uncle John put the yoke over their necks, and put the bows under and fastened them, and hooked the chain of the drag to the yoke. There wasn't any harness, and there weren't any reins. Then he said "Gee up there, Buck; gee up there, Star." And the old oxen started walking slowly along, dragging the drag, with the barrel on it, along the ground. And Uncle John walked along beside them, carrying a long whip or a long stick with a sharp end; and little John walked along by the drag.


[Illustration]

And they walked slowly out of the yard into the road and along the road until they came to a big field with a stone wall around it, and a big gate in the stone wall. It wasn't a regular gate, but at each side of the open place in the wall there was a post with holes in it. And long bars went across and rested in the holes. And the old oxen stopped, and Uncle John took the bars down and laid them on the ground. Then the oxen started and walked through the gate and across the field until they came to the river. And when they came to the river, they stopped.

The little river and the field are not there now, because the people put a great enormous heap of dirt across, and the river couldn't get through. The water ran in and couldn't get out, and spread out all over the field and made a big pond. And they had some great pipes under the ground, all the way to Boston. And the water runs through the pipes to Boston, and the people use it there to drink, and wash faces and hands, and wash dishes, and wash clothes.

Well, when the old oxen stopped at the river, Uncle John took his bucket and dipped it in the river, and poured the water into the barrel until the barrel was full. Then he said "Gee up there," and the old oxen started slowly walking across the field. And the drag tilted around on the rough ground, and the water splashed about in the barrel, and slopped over the top of the barrel on to the drag, and on to the ground. And the oxen walked out of the gate into the road and stopped. And Uncle John put the bars back into the holes, and the old oxen started again and walked slowly along the road, until they came to the farm-house, and in at the big gate, and up to the kitchen door, and there they stopped. And Uncle John unhooked the chain from the yoke, and took out the bows, and took off the yoke, and the old oxen walked into the barn and went to sleep. And they left the drag with the barrel of water by the kitchen door.

And the next morning, when they wanted water to wash the clothes, there was the barrel of water, all ready.

And that's all.

 



Ring o' Roses  by L. Leslie Brooke

Good King Arthur

[Illustration]

When good king Arthur ruled this land,

He was a goodly king;

He stole three pecks of barley-meal,

To make a bag-pudding.

[Illustration]

A bag-pudding the king did make,

And stuffed it well with plums:

And in it put great lumps of fat,

As big as my two thumbs.

[Illustration]

The king and queen did eat thereof,

And noblemen beside;

And what they could not eat that night,

The queen next morning fried.

[Illustration]
 


  WEEK 39  

  Sunday  


The Nursery Book of Bible Stories  by Amy Steedman

The Story of Abraham

I N those long ago days, when the story of the world was only beginning, a city had grown up, far away in the East, on the banks of the great river Euphrates. The people who settled there had learned to make bricks and build houses; but many of them still lived in tents, for they often wandered far away from their city, and lived among the fields, where they were herding their sheep and cattle.

There were no books in those days to teach the people what they wanted to know; but they learned from other things besides books, and the great sky above them was a page they often studied. They watched the golden sun rise in the east, and marked the hours as it climbed high into the sky, and it taught them all about times and seasons; and at night, when they saw the moon hang out her silver lamp, and the stars come out one by one, they learned the lesson of numbers, and how to guide their way, and many other things.

It was amongst these people that Abraham had been born—Abraham the great traveller, the man who had journeyed far away into unknown lands, and who had met with so many adventures. He had returned now from his wanderings, and returned a very rich man indeed. His possessions were piled high on the backs of the long string of camels and asses; his flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle were driven along by hundreds of his servants; and he, the great chief, in his scarlet robe rode at their head.

A whole country was needed for this large tribe of people, with their flocks and herds; so Abraham halted on the wide plain of Mamre, and settled down there to make his home.

It seemed as if the chief had all that his heart could desire: there was his dear wife, Sarah, to keep him company; there was his gold and silver, his sheep and cattle, a beautiful land to dwell in, and, best of all, he had God for his friend.

But there was just one thing that Abraham and his wife had not got, and they wanted that one thing more than anything else in the world. They had no children, and they longed with all their hearts for a little son. God had been so good to them, had taken care of them through all their wanderings, had given them great riches; but this one gift He had not sent, and they said to themselves, "What is the use of all our possessions when we have no son to enjoy them after we are gone?"

Now it happened one day that Abraham sat at the door of his tent, and looked out over the rich fields where his flocks were feeding, finding very little pleasure in it all, and feeling, perhaps, rather sorrowful and lonely, when suddenly there came to him three wonderful men whom he knew were messengers from God. And the message they brought was a very joyful one—so joyful that Sarah, who was listening inside the tent, could scarcely believe it could be true. God was going to give them a little son, the messenger angels said.

But although Sarah thought the news was too good to be true, Abraham was quite sure that God would do as He promised; and he was quite right, for, after waiting all those many, many years, the baby whom they had so longed for was born.

There was surely no happier woman in all the world than Sarah when she held her little son in her arms, and Abraham's happiness was as great as hers. They called the baby Isaac, which means "laughter," and he was the very joy of their hearts; and as he grew into a strong, healthy boy, they seemed to love him more every day. He was their only child, and so much more precious than all the other gifts that God had given them.

Now God knew that Abraham loved and trusted Him, and He knew, too, how much Abraham loved his little son, and so He made a plan to try which love was the greater.

In the stillness one day God's voice called, "Abraham!"

And Abraham answered at once, "Behold, here am I."

Then, quite plain and clear, the command came, "Take now thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

Abraham knew just what that meant, for he had often built an altar of stones and offered a lamb upon it to God; but now, instead of a lamb, he was to give his only son.

Not for one moment did Abraham hesitate. He could not understand why God should want to take back His precious gift, but he trusted God with all his heart, and was sure that whatever He did must be right.

Very early in the morning he prepared for the journey to those distant mountains which he could just see on the horizon. He saddled the ass, and told Isaac to get ready to go on a journey with him, and he also carefully cut the wood ready for the burnt offering.


[Illustration]

Abraham leaving Home

Isaac was quite a big boy by this time, and was accustomed to go on journeys with his father; so he asked no questions about what they were going to do until at last they reached the mountain and began to climb up over the rocks. His father had given him the bundle of wood to carry, and he saw, too, the knife and the fire, so he was sure they were going to offer a sacrifice to God. But where was the lamb? What was the use of fire and wood without the lamb? Isaac was puzzled, and at last he felt that he must ask a question.


[Illustration]

"They went both of them together."

"My father," he said.

And the poor father, climbing up and up with tired feet and a heart heavy with sorrow, paused for a moment, and answered, "Here am I, my son."

"Behold the fire and the wood," said Isaac, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

"My son," answered Abraham, "God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

So on and on they went, until at last they came to the place which God had chosen; and there Abraham built an altar, and put everything ready, and took his son, whom he loved so dearly, and who was so willing to do as his father bade him, and put him also upon the altar. Now he took the knife, and raised it up to kill the boy; but before he had time to strike, God's voice rang out from heaven.

"Abraham, Abraham, lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me."

So Isaac was saved, and all Abraham's sorrow was turned into joy. He had trusted in God through the darkness of sorrow, when every step of that long journey had cost him bitter suffering; and now in the sunshine of joy he retraced his steps, with a heart so full of gratitude and happiness that the long journey seemed to him as a pathway of flowers, the boy's hand clasped in his, and God leading them.

 



The Real Mother Goose  by Blanche Fisher Wright

Betty Blue


[Illustration]

Little Betty Blue

Lost her holiday shoe;

What shall little Betty do?

Give her another

To match the other

And then she'll walk upon two.