Nursery Tales from Many Lands  by Eleanor L. and Ada M. Skinner

Poor Old Good

Once upon a time there was a very old man. He was very, very poor, but he was such a good old man that the people called him "Old Good."

He carried a little wooden bowl in his hand. When he beat on the bowl it sounded a little drum.

And because he was very poor,

He went begging from door to door.

One day he came to a house and asked the people for something to eat, but they said,

"Go 'long, go 'long, go 'long, Old Good,

We wouldn't help you if we could."

He came to another house and asked the people for something to eat, and they said,

"Go 'long, go 'long, go 'long, Old Good,

We wouldn't help you if we could."

He came to another house and asked the people for something to eat, but they also said,

"Go 'long, go 'long, go 'long, Old Good,

We wouldn't help you if we could."

And then he came to the last little house in the village and asked the people there for something to eat. The little boy who met him at the door said,

"Come in, come in, come in, old man,

We'll help you in every way we can."

So he held out his rice-bowl and poured in rice. But it was only half full.

And they poured in more rice, but still it was not full.

And they poured in more rice, but still it was not full.

And it was not full until they had poured in about a bushel of rice.


[Illustration]

Then the old man said,

"You have been very good to me, little boy. Now I will tell you what is going to happen. You know there is a stone lion at the door of the temple."

"Yes, I have seen the stone lion at the door of the temple," said the little boy.

"Hear what I say. Whenever the eyes of that stone lion turn red, there is going to a flood."

Then he put his hand into his pocket and took out a little paper boat and said,

"When the flood comes you must save all you have in this little boat.

"If any animals ask you to save them,

You must save them.


"If any insects ask you to save them,

You must save them.


"But if any men or women ask you to save them,

You must not save them."

The next day when the little boy went to school he looked at the eyes of the lion.

Then the next day when the little boy went to school he looked again at the eyes of the lion.

And every day when the little boy went to school he looked at the eyes of the lion.

One day another little boy said to him,

"Why do you look at the eyes of the lion?"

And the little boy said,

"When the eyes of the lion are red,

There is going to be a flood."

The other little boy only laughed at the answer, but that day after school he painted the eyes of the lion red.

The next morning when the first little boy went to school he looked at the eyes of the lion, and, behold! they were red. As soon as he saw this he ran home as fast as he could and said to his mother:

"The eyes of the lion are red;

Therere is going to be a flood."

Then they put their little paper boat out on the ground and it became a large wooden boat.

As soon as they had put all their things into the boat the flood came.

Then a little ant came from an ant's nest and said,

"Oh, please, won't you take us into the boat?"

And they took all the little ants into the boat.

Then many of the little mice swimming around in the water said,

"Oh, please, little boy, take us into the boat?"

And they took all the little mice into the boat.

Then a fierce, big, striped tiger came running out of the woods and said to them,

"Oh, please, little boy, take me into the boat?"

And they took the fierce, big, striped tiger into the boat.

The little boy who had painted the eyes of the lion was in the flood.

He swam to them and said,

"Oh, please, little boy, take me into your boat?"

But the little boy said,

"No, no, little boy. Old Good said that we must not take any people into the boat."

"Oh, please, please, please!" he begged.

They took him into the boat.


When the flood was over they took the naughty little boy to their house. He lived with them ever afterward.

But still sometimes he was a naughty boy.

He did a very naughty thing for which all the family was punished and put into prison.

While they were there, one little mouse after another came to the prison and each said,

"Oh, good little boy,

It was you saved me;

I will cut your cords

And set you free."

So the little mice gnawed to pieces all the that bound them.

Then, one after another, came the little ants to the prison, and each said,

"Oh, good little boy,

It was you saved me;

I will loosen the ground

To set you free."

And the ants built many nests under the walls of the prison.

Then the fierce, big, striped tiger came and said,

"Oh, good little boy,

It was you saved me;

I will dig a big hole

And set you free."

And he dug a big hole where the ants had had loosened the ground, and the walls of the prison fell.

The family came out, went back to their home, and all lived happily together ever afterward.


Chinese Nursery Tale