First Grade Read Aloud Banquet

Songs for December

I Saw Three Ships



The Mulberry Bush



The North Wind and the Robin



Dance a Baby

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay,

To keep me happy all the day.


And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;


And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.


I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 28 The Cyclone from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Quicksilver Bob from Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston The Lamb with the Longest Tail from Among the Farmyard People by Clara Dillingham Pierson The Sheep and the Pig Who Set Up Housekeeping from Fairy Tales Too Good To Miss—Around the Fire by Lisa M. Ripperton Victory for the Greeks from On the Shores of the Great Sea by M. B. Synge The Secret from The Irish Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins The Night When a Nation Was Born from Hurlbut's Story of the Bible by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
Once I Saw a Little Bird, Anonymous 		Summer Afternoon by A. A. Milne
The Little Maiden and the Little Bird by Lydia Maria Child 		Escape at Bedtime by Robert Louis Stevenson The Sun Travels by Robert Louis Stevenson Over in the Meadow by Olive A. Wadsworth Cherry-Tree by Christina Georgina Rossetti
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The Aesop for Children  by Milo Winter

Belling the Cat

The mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.

Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last a very young Mouse got up and said:

"I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful. All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:

"I will say that the plan of the young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question Who will bell the Cat?"

It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.


[Illustration]