First Grade Read Aloud Banquet

Songs for November

Aiken Drum



King Cole



The Old Man in Leather



Ye Fairy Ship

My Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.


The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.


He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward, you can see;

I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!


One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 49 Nicholas Loses His Family from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Amelia C. Houghton
Nicholas Makes His First Gift from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Amelia C. Houghton 		The Race for a Sled from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Amelia C. Houghton Why the Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook How the Fir Tree Became the Christmas Tree from For the Children's Hour by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey The Night before Christmas from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Amelia C. Houghton Christmas at the Hacienda (Part 1 of 2) from The Mexican Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins Saint Nicholas (Part 2 of 2) from In God's Garden by Amy Steedman
Shoe or Stocking by Edith M. Thomas 		From The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe
The Robber Kitten, Anonymous 		A Song of the Snow by Madison Cawein An Old Christmas Carol, Anonymous Who Loves the Trees Best?, Anonymous A Christmas Carol by Christina Georgina Rossetti
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The Aesop for Children  by Milo Winter

The Old Lion and the Fox

An old Lion, whose teeth and claws were so worn that it was not so easy for him to get food as in his younger days, pretended that he was sick. He took care to let all his neighbors know about it, and then lay down in his cave to wait for visitors. And when they came to offer him their sympathy, he ate them up one by one.

The Fox came too, but he was very cautious about it. Standing at a safe distance from the cave, he inquired politely after the Lion's health. The Lion replied that he was very ill indeed, and asked the Fox to step in for a moment. But Master Fox very wisely stayed outside, thanking the Lion very kindly for the invitation.

"I should be glad to do as you ask," he added, "but I have noticed that there are many foot prints leading into your cave and none coming out. Pray tell me, how do your visitors find their way out again?"

Take warning from the misfortunes of others.


[Illustration]