1 H e 
 
 NATURE STORIES 
 
 
 A BOOK OF THE BEST NATURE 
 STORIES THAT MOTHERS CAN 
 TELL THEIR CHILDREN W3& 
 
^'^S'TY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 000222266 
 
 8 
 
 J, ; • /. 
 

Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/mothernaturestorOOphil 
 
FEEDING THE DUCKS. 
 
MOTHER 
 
 Nature Stories 
 
 A Book of the Best Nature 
 
 Stories That Mother^ Can 
 
 Tell Their Children 
 
 With Ninety-six Illustrations 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY 
 
ALTEMUS' 
 
 MOTHER STORIES SERIES 
 
 MOTHER STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER NURSERY RHYMES AND TALES 
 
 A Book of the Best Nursery Rhymes and Tales that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER FAIRY TALES 
 
 A Book of the Best Fairy Tales that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER NATURE STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Nature Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER STORIES FROM THE OLD 
 TESTAMENT 
 
 A Book of the Best Old Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER STORIES FROM THE NEW 
 TESTAMENT 
 
 A Book of the Best New Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER BEDTIME STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Bedtime Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER ANIMAL STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Animal Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER BIRD STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Bird Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 MOTHER SANTA CLAUS STORIES 
 
 A Book of the Best Santa Claus Stories that Mothers can tell their Children 
 
 Profusely illustrated and handsomely bound in cloth, with ornamental 
 
 tion in colors 
 
 50 Cents per Volume 
 
 Copyright 1908 by Howard E. Altemcs 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Mrs. Henny-Pen's Strange Son, 
 
 The Little Provider, 
 
 How Tiddlety-Winks was Fed, 
 
 A Funny Pony, 
 
 A Late Spring, 
 
 A Cat's Paradise, 
 
 Charlie, 
 
 Cricket, 
 
 The Ant's Milch Cows, 
 
 The Crow Thief, 
 
 Monkeys in India, 
 
 Pussy's Bath, 
 
 The Dog Kindergarten, 
 
 The Pea-Hen, 
 
 The Chickadee-Dee, 
 
 A Letter From Italy, 
 
 A Clever Pig, 
 
 The Ant Eater, 
 
 Birds in January, 
 
 The Angry Bobolink, 
 
 The Orang-Utan, . 
 
 The Obedient Elephant, 
 
 A Chicken With a Wooden Leg, 
 
 Old Silver Heels, 
 
 An Acrostic, 
 
 Birds in February, 
 
 The Chimney Swallow, 
 
 Felix, The Alligator, 
 
 Ted and His Calf, 
 
 All About a Little Humming-Bird, 
 
 PAGiJ 
 
 7 
 9 
 12 
 14 
 16 
 17 
 19 
 21 
 22 
 24 
 26 
 28 
 29 
 31 
 32 
 33 
 35 
 36 
 38 
 39 
 40 
 41 
 42 
 45 
 46 
 47 
 48 
 51 
 53 
 55 
 
Contents 
 
 Tino, 
 
 Birds of Paradise, 
 
 Mud-Turtle, 
 
 A Bad Begin ning, 
 
 The Hoopee, 
 
 Speckle's Nest, 
 
 The Pitcher Plant, 
 
 Mary and the Ducks, 
 
 The Walking Leaves of Australia, 
 
 The Pelicans, 
 
 How the Mason Wasps Work, 
 
 Flowers That Love The Sun, 
 
 Venus's Fly-Trap, 
 
 A Crocus Story, 
 
 The Black Sheep, 
 
 Do You Really ? 
 
 The Tale of the Moral Little Dogg; 
 
 The Bluebell Fairies, 
 
 The Polar Bear, 
 
 The Lantern-Fly, 
 
 Night Flowers, 
 
 The Working Tools of Insects, 
 
 The Lady's Slipper, 
 
 The Dragon-Fly, 
 
 The Skaters, 
 
 Jack Frost, 
 
 Tipsy, Topsy, Tee, 
 
 The English Cuckoo, 
 
 The Garden Bird, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 57 
 
MOTHER NATURE STORIES 
 
MRS. HENNY-PEN'S STRANGE SON. 
 
 RS. HENNY-PEN stood looking at her one " chick " 
 with a puzzled expression. "I declare," she said 
 to herself, "if I did not know it, I would not be- 
 lieve that was my own child. His features are 
 not at all like mine. His voice is very peculiar. 
 It sounds, — well, it does not sound in the least 
 like mine." 
 
 Her " child," in other words her " chick," was scratching in the 
 ground near by. 
 
 Mrs. Henny-pen called to him, u cluck ! cluck ! cluck ! " said she. Then 
 she cocked her head on one side listening for his answer. But he 
 seemed to pay no attention to her. " Cluck ! cluck ! cluck ! " cried Mrs. 
 Henny-pen again in a very decided tone. 
 
 The little downy ball lifted up its head and answered his mother 
 more distinctly than he had ever done in his short life. 
 
 At the sound of his voice Mrs. Henny-pen stood still, and, if ever a 
 hen's face expressed astonishment as well as horror, her face expressed 
 it then.i 
 
 The sound that came from the strange, long bill of her one child was 
 
 not what she had hoped for. The downy 
 little ball answered her own "cluck! 
 cluck! cluck!" with a "quack I quack! 
 |,jj quack!" 
 
MBS. HENNY- PEN'S STRANGE SON. 
 
 Mrs. Henny-pen sat down to think. She feared that some one had 
 played a trick on her. The egg she had sat on so patiently, and from 
 which she had hatched her one " chick," must have been a duck's egg. 
 The " chick " she loved was not a " chick " at all, but an ugly duckling. 
 
 Mrs. Henny-pen sat thinking so long that she fell asleep. When she 
 awoke there was no sign of either a " chick " or a duckling. "He 
 has gone to the pond," she cried, and off she ran as fast as she could, 
 frightened almost out of her wits. Sure enough, there was her baby 
 swimming away as easily as possible. 
 
 Mrs. Henny-pen watched him at first with an anxious face. He 
 seemed so much at home, however, that she became calm. " I declare," 
 she said to herself, " he is a strong little fellow, and how well he 
 paddles. On the whole I am proud of him." The duckling, seeing his 
 mother on the shore, had the good sense to return to her. As he came 
 out of the water she said : " Well done, my son, very well done for the 
 first time. To-morrow you shall try again. And they both went back 
 to the farmyard as contented as possible. "After all," said Mrs. 
 Henny-pen to herself, " there is n't another hen in the yard with a son 
 like mine." 
 
 • 
 
 PATTY- SAYINGS. 
 
 "Who drew you your dollies?" I asked Pattykins, 
 "They're lovely — who made you those beautiful twins?" 
 "Oh, Dora drew outlines — the body and head — 
 And I made the inlines" our Pattykins said. 
 
 8 
 
THE LITTLE FKOYIDER. 
 
 OU know what is meant, do you not, by providing for a 
 family? Your father and mother provide for you. 
 They provide for you by giving you a home and food 
 to eat, and clothes to wear, and books to read. They 
 also provide a great many pleasures for you. You 
 surely remember the happy Christmas and the birth- 
 days when your mother and father provided for you so 
 
 many beautiful gifts, 
 and pleasant pastimes, 
 and games, and com- 
 pany, and everything 
 which could make you 
 a happy little boy or 
 girl. 
 
 Now the little harvest 
 mouse, or as it is some- 
 times named the little 
 field mouse, is a very 
 good provider. She 
 never forgets her little 
 children but gives them 
 plenty to eat whenever 
 she can find it. It is 
 true that she does not 
 buy clothes for them as 
 your mother does for 
 you, because Nature has 
 already given all little 
 mice a warm, fur coat, 
 so that they do not need 
 any more clothing. But 
 the little mother knows 
 that the dear little 
 things must have some- 
 thing to eat, so she 
 
TME LITTLE PROVIDER. 
 
 looks about to get food for them. Look at the picture ? There she 
 is with her family in a wheat-field. She is telling them where to 
 go and how to climb so as to get some good, rich wheat for din- 
 ner, and, no doubt, for breakfast and supper too. 
 
 10 
 
THE LITTLE PROVIDER. 
 
 Do you wonder how they are able to climb such a slender stem as 
 a wheat straw ? It is because the mouse is so small when it is full- 
 grown, that it only weighs the sixth part of an ounce. What a tiny 
 creature ! And if that is the size of the mother, how very small 
 must the little children be ! So you see a wheat straw does not 
 seem very slender to them. It holds them very securely while they 
 are nibbling the grain, and they are so small that the farmer very 
 often does not see them when he walks or rides over his field. 
 
 This good mother not only provides food for her little ones, but a 
 very fine home. Her house is a ball, which she hangs upon wheat 
 straws or grass stems, and very often to a thistle head. This little 
 house is woven of slender grasses, and is hollow inside, of course, 
 so as to give room to the family. You could not find the door to 
 this little house. There is no door-bell or knocker, for they do not 
 wish visitors. But the mother knows where the door is, and she 
 slips in and gives food to all her little children. Besides grain she 
 feeds them with insects, so the little ones have meat as well as bread. 
 Do you not think this mother a good provider ? 
 
 Look at her house. You could not hang a ball on a thistle head 
 any better, yourself, than this tiny creature has done for the comfort 
 of her family. 
 
 11 
 
HOW TIDDLETY-WINKS WAS FED 
 
 A humming-birdie's tongue is like a fine thread. At first Mrs. 
 S. would take the little fellow, on her finger, dip the straw in the 
 syrup, which was made of sugar and water, and hold the straw close 
 to birdie's beak.' Tiddlety-winks would stick out this long, thread- 
 like tongue and lick the straw. 
 
 After he had been with them some days, Mrs. S. would prepare a 
 little bottle of syrup each morning and lay it on the table. Soon 
 
 12 
 
BOW T1DDLETY-WINKS WAS FED. 
 
 the wee humming-bird learned this was his, and if he were hungry 
 before any one thought to feed him, he would hop down and peck at 
 the bottle till some one fed him ; which was done by merely uncork- 
 ing the bottle and holding it so he could stick his little bill in and 
 lap the syrup with his tongue. 
 
 By and by, when Tiddlety-winks had grown quite big for a hum- 
 ming-bird, a little sugar was left out for him to eat when he wished, 
 and sometimes he was held up to the window to catch the little 
 gnats. 
 
 13 
 
A FUNNY PONY. 
 
 He was such 
 a strange little 
 fellow, and he 
 lived in a 
 strange place, 
 J — away up in 
 the White 
 
 Mountains, at the Tip-Top House. The ladies used to ride him, and 
 he grew tired of it. When he saw any one coming to catch him, he 
 went limping off as if he were so lame he could hardly walk. 
 
 One day a new man was sent to catch him, who did not know hifl 
 tricks. 
 
 14 
 
A FUNNY PONT. 
 
 u I did not catch the pony," he said, when he came back, a because 
 he is so lame no one could ride him." Then how the men laughed ! 
 
 One day when the men opened the stables, the pony was gone, and 
 they thought some one had stolen him. 
 
 But at last they heard him chewing, and after they had hunted a 
 long time, they found him over in behind his manger. He jumped 
 over in there, and when he couldn't get out again, -he just lay there 
 and reached up and ate the hay that fell over so he could get at it. 
 
 They had to get hammers and axes and pry off the boards before 
 they could get him out. 
 
 15 
 
LATE SPRING. 
 
 A-lack-a-day, good neighbor, 
 The winter stretches long J 
 can you have the courage 
 raise so swfeet a song ? 
 My voice is fairly ruined 
 
 By this cold that's in my head, 
 And food's so scarce — why, really, 
 I can't find a crumb of bread. 
 
 Oh ! come now, brother sparrow, 
 
 What's the use of feeling blue, 
 When winter's sturdy backbone 
 
 Is almost broke in two ? 
 Our coldest snap is over — 
 
 The spring will soon be here, 
 With gentle showers, and dainty flowers, 
 
 With plenty and good cheer! 
 
 16 
 
A CAT'S PAKADISE. 
 
 • VA'S dearest pet is a white kitten. Last summer the 
 little girl took Snowball into the country ; for a vaca- 
 tion without her would not be worth having. 
 
 On the train, seeing a child who sat opposite playing 
 with a doll, Eva brought out Snowball from her cush- 
 ioned basket, with a blue ribbon around her neck, and 
 had her do some tricks. The lively creature was admired by every- 
 body ; even the other little mistress would have liked to swap her 
 doll for the kitten. 
 
 Hardly three minutes after Eva and her mother arrived at the 
 farm-house, which was to be their summer home, the former ran to 
 the garden with her pet by her side. An astonishing thing hap- 
 pened then. 
 
 Eva had truly supposed she knew kitty's voice in all its tones, 
 whether a purr, a gentle mew for milk, or — if I must expose the 
 kitten's faulty temper — a squall from the window-sill, after dark, 
 when a neighbor cat crept into the yard. But now Snowball set up 
 a queer noise never heard from her pink mouth before. 
 
 Her pretty fur was all ruffled up, worse than if she had met the 
 most hateful dog in town. Her tail, with all its hairs standing out, 
 was as large as Eva's arm. Yet there was nothing to be seen that 
 could excite her. Suddenly Snowball gave a bound into a bed of 
 something green, where she tumbled about, crooning in a way that 
 sounded fearful to her young mistress. 
 
 A pair of small boots were heard running upstairs. 
 " O mamma, come !" cried Eva ; " come quick, please. Something 
 is the matter with Snowball. I'm afraid she caught the hyderfogy 
 from that poor dog the cars ran over, you 'member. When I call 
 her she doesn't hear me at all." 
 
 »— Mother Nature Storiet \ 7 
 
A CATS PARADISE. 
 
 When Eva returned to the spot with her mother, she wondered 
 what it was that scented all the air ; but a glimpse of Snowball caused 
 her to forget all besides. One minute the kitten was rolling over, 
 the next she was standing on her head. Indeed, a more crazy acting 
 animal can scarcely be imagined. 
 
 "It's the catnip — don't you smell it?" said the farmer, smiling, 
 as he watched the kitten's antics over the garden fence. " It jus' 
 sets 'em on a spree ; cats and catnip they agree — I didn't mean to 
 make a rhyme. Let the creetur enjoy herself. There's a bigger bed 
 of the mint back o' the barn. You can gather some and carry home, 
 and any time your cat is ailin', you steep a little of the dried arb and 
 give it in her milk, and see how brisk she'll be." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Eva, with a sigh of relief, " I'm so glad she hasn't 
 real hyderfogy. Dear, sweet Snowball, you shall just live in 
 catamint." 
 
 ia 
 
*-top*l&t>tg 
 
 CHARLIE. 
 
 He was a pretty bay horse. He would go so fast and hold his 
 head up so proudly when he had on the new harness ; but when they 
 put on the old he hung his head and went very slowly. 
 
 When grandpa rode him he dropped his head and went along 
 slowly, and the boys said he was studying hia sermon, for grandpa 
 was a minister. 
 
 When the baby was put on his back he stepped so carefully the 
 boys used to say he thought Birdie was a basket of eggs. 
 
 But when Tom jumped on his back off went Charlie with a bound 
 and flirt of his tail, pretending to bite at Rover, who jumped and 
 barked about as happy as Tom or Charlie. 
 
 When they first bought him he would bite at Tom's sister Sarah; 
 but she used to bring him a lump of sugar, or an ear of corn, and he 
 got so friendly he would call for her every time he saw her. 
 
 One night it was very cold and they strapped the blanket on him 
 
 in the stable, and someway it slipped down over his heels. 
 
 How frightened he was and how he did kick. 
 
 19 
 
CHARLIE. 
 
 He was all of a tremble when Tom opened the door. 
 
 When they turned him loose in the barn-yard he pulled the pin out 
 of the door, and went in and helped himself to oats, and when they 
 put a button on the door he learned to turn that with his teeth. 
 
 One day they all went off to live somewhere else, and sold Charlie. 
 Ever so long after, when Tom was going by where there was a lot of 
 horses, one of them whinnied and tried to get away from his hitching- 
 post and go over to him. 
 
 It was Charlie. And Tom went right over and put both arms 
 around his neck and kissed him ; and he didn't care if the people did 
 eee him do it. 
 
 THE SPILL. 
 
 THIS Jack and Jill came down the hill, 
 With apple baskets laden ; 
 Jack met with such a dreadful si 
 It quite upset the maiden ! 
 
 Though Jack slid quickly down the hill, 
 
 The apples rolled the faster ; 
 Jack bruised himself, while frightened Jill 
 
 Cried, * Oh, what a disaster !* 
 
 20 
 
fCKET 
 
 he Little Black Fiddfen 
 
 u£ iimgsr&ss Ivere,B&by Belle, 
 L(]gJ<with yojjaKro bright eyes 
 
 and tell 
 
 ■ 
 
 the. boy who 
 fiddles 50 well? 
 Creak! craMcrefckl cre&ki" 
 is with an endless squeakl 
 
 e^fuftw boy, 50 little and black, 
 
 ith ;;iix good limfo to twrof K\5 pzvck^ 
 His -^Wpkneerthrust up over 
 
 IP his bfcck, 
 
 ^ hi5 eyes— & kindred or two, 
 
 It'i 52xid — 
 
 isgefth&n &! the rex of his Keid ! 
 
OES it not seem queer that such 
 
 tiny insects as ants should keep 
 
 cows, whole droves of them. 
 
 They are called " aphides," and 
 
 do not give real milk, but a sweet fluid, 
 
 that with their suckers they draw from 
 
 plants and trees. These odd insects make 
 
 honey in their bodies like bees ; they do 
 
 not stow it away in a hive, but let it drop 
 
 from two tubes just above the abdomen ; 
 
 some ants are always on hand to lap it 
 
 up i sometimes they feel hungry for more, 
 
 22 
 
THE ANTS MILCH COWS. 
 
 so they smooth the cows first on one side then on the other, till 
 the coveted juice drops on the leaf. 
 
 The yellow ants collect large herds of aphides that feed on the 
 roots of grass and other plants, carry them down to their under- 
 ground chambers and watch them carefully so that they may not 
 escape. They are well tended and eat the sap from the roots that 
 grow through the ant dwellings. 
 
 Some ants build mud walls around their cows to keep their neigh- 
 bors from stealing them ; others make a covered gallery between 
 their nests and the cow pastures. 
 
 In winter the ants would often suffer with hunger if they did not 
 have a herd of cows on hand. "Very carefully they guard the eggs 
 of the aphides, so that a large quantity of calves, as you might call 
 them, will hatch out to take the place of the cows that die. 
 
 In the summer, when the cows are feeding some distance from the 
 ant homes, the honey must be taken back to the nest. There are no 
 milk buckets in this community, so each ant has to be its own pail ; 
 swallowing as much of the fluid as possible, they hurry home, where 
 they bring it up again into their mouths. The nurse ants give it to 
 the babies, and the workers take it to the queens and soldiers. 
 
 Ants always seem to know their own cows and will fight for days 
 to keep those who have none from carrying their property away. 
 
 23 
 
THE CROW THIEF. 
 
 Chaelet Martin had a pet crow, which he called Jet, because he 
 was so black. 
 
 Jet was very fond of Charley, and would follow him every chance 
 he had. 
 
 Often he would light on Charley's shoulder and go to school with 
 him. 
 
 Sometimes, when Charley did not want Jet to go with him, he 
 shut him up. Jet didn't like to be shut up and would make an awful 
 cry. 
 
 The crow had one very bad trick, — he would steal, and hide the 
 things in the strangest places. This gave Charley, his mother, and 
 sister, a great deal of trouble hunting for them. 
 
 One day Charley's grandma came to visit his mother. After din- 
 ner she thought she would have a nap, so she took off her cap and 
 laid it upon the table. 
 
 Jet had perched himself in an open window, and was watching 
 grandma's cap very closely. He had never seen one before, and new 
 things had a great attraction for him. Jet watched till he was alone, 
 and then he flew to the table, caught the cap by one of the strings, 
 
 24 
 
THE CROW THIET. 
 
 
 and flew out of the window 
 
 with it. 
 
 "When grandma awoke, her 
 cap was not to be found anywhere. 
 Charley took Jet into a corner, and 
 tried to make him understand that 
 they knew he had taken it. Unless 
 he would show him where he had hidden 
 it he would have to go without his 
 supper. 
 
 But Jet just winked and blinked his 
 eyes, and grandma had to go home with- 
 out her cap. 
 
 One day Charley and his little sis- 
 ter went to the orchard for apples. 
 Charley climbed the tree and shook 
 the branches, while his sister held 
 her apron to catch the apples as they 
 fell. Something white came floating 
 down into her lap. 
 What do you think it was? Grandma's cap! Jet had hung 
 
 it on the apple-tree. 
 
 25 
 
MONKEYS IN INDIA. 
 
 NCE upon a time, when I was in India, I was staying 
 at a place called Seringham. It was an island sur- 
 rounded by two rivers, — one the Coleroon, the other 
 the Cavery. 
 
 In this dry season we could walk very nearly across 
 the rivers, excepting just where the stream ran, and there we had 
 to cross over in round basket boats covered with the skin of some 
 animal. 
 
 The first night the children and I were very tired, and soon went 
 to bed. I woke up quickly, feeling that something was in the room. 
 Then I heard a sound as of some one drinking water. I sat up in 
 bed, and what do you think I saw ? A large monkey helping him- 
 self out of the water-jug. 
 
 I threw one slipper, then the other, at him. He quietly picked 
 them up and walked away with them. I called the ayah to run after 
 the monkey, but she was too frightened. The next morning she 
 came to me, saying, " Oh ! please, ma'am, some thief has been to 
 my box, and taken all my jaggery." 
 
 Jaggery, you must know, is the sugar the natives eat ; made from 
 the juice of the palmyra trees, and is a horrid brown mess to 
 look at. 
 
 I went to look at the place where trie ayah kept it, and found the 
 cord had been untied from the box, and the jaggery taken away. 
 
 I gave the ayah a little money and told her to buy some more, and 
 tie the box up well. 
 
 26 
 
MONKEYS IN INDIA 
 
 The next morning she found the box open and the jaggery gone 
 again. So we watched and saw a monkey come, untie the cord, and 
 help himself. The next morning, going into my bedroom, I found 
 another monkey on my dressing-table with the violet powder all 
 spilled out of the box. He was powdering his own baby monkey 
 with the powder-puff. 
 
 The monkeys were so impudent we did not know what to do with 
 them. I tried to poison some of them, by spreading the poison on 
 some bread and butter ; but the monkeys were so cunning that they 
 rubbed the poison off against the trunk of the trees, and then ate 
 up the bread. So that was no good. At last a friend of ours shot a 
 few of these troublesome and uu welcome visitors; and after that they 
 left us in peace for a little while. 
 
 §W 
 
 m 
 
 27 
 
PUSSY'S BATH. 
 
 NE morning Tommy was at play 
 Beside the meadow pond, 
 Sailing his boats along its edge, 
 And up the brook beyond; 
 
 When good old puss came strolling down 
 The little winding path, 
 And seeing her he called, for sport, 
 " Come here and take a bath ! " 
 
 She came to him without a thought 
 
 That his designs were base — 
 When Tommy held her fast, and said, 
 
 " Now I will wash your face." - 
 
 It seemed an easy thing to do — 
 
 He tried till, sad to tell, 
 They both slipped off the grassy bank, 
 
 And in the water fell. 
 
 From out the muddy bath, 
 
 Of which they had an equal share, 
 
 They scrambled quick, and hurried home 
 A sorry looking pair. 
 28 
 
PUSSY'S BATH. 
 
 Old pussy climbed the garden wall, 
 
 And, angry at such fun, 
 Sat there and licked her sodden fur, 
 
 And dried it in the sun. 
 
 While Tommy, stripped and dressed anew 
 
 In shabby kilt and hat, 
 Thought he would never try again 
 
 That trick upon a cat. 
 
 *# 
 
 THE DOG KINDERGARTEN. 
 
 Midget and Fidget, and Dumpy and Dun, 
 Were four little four-legged budgets of fun ; 
 They had a red house at the foot of the lawn 
 Where they slept together from dark to dawn \ 
 From dawn to dark they romped and ran, 
 Wrestled and tumbled till school began ; 
 
 39 
 
THE DOG KINDERGARTEN. 
 
 Then Floss, their mother, set all in a row, 
 
 To teach them the things that other dogs know, 
 
 And cuffed their ears if they spoke too low ! 
 
 " First lesson in Bark ! Attend now, hark : 
 
 Bow-wow ! so, speak it up loud as I ! " 
 
 "Yip, yap, yap, yip, boog-boo, ki-yi!" 
 
 "Yip-yip ! " said Midget ; " Yap-yap ! " said Fidget; 
 
 " Boog-boo ! " said Dumpy ; "Ki-yi ! " said Dun. 
 
 To the pupils this was lively fun ; 
 
 And the second lesson was just begun 
 
 When they saw a pussy-cat out by the well ; 
 
 Heels over head they went, pell-mell, 
 
 And the school broke up with a four-pup yell ! 
 
 " There are some things," Mother Flossie thought, 
 " That little dogs know without being taught ! " 
 But pussy was rather too spry to be caught. 
 
 30 
 
THE PEA-HE^. 
 
 Toukg pea-chicks are very hard to bring tip. They are delicate, 
 and their mother, being of a roving disposition, leads them long 
 tramps over hill and dale, and wears them out. 
 
 One day we took the pea- 
 hen's eggs away, and set a 
 common hen upon them, and 
 we gave her some hen's eggs. 
 She seemed contented, and sat 
 day after day, till the chickens 
 began to break the shell. But 
 no sooner had they got upon 
 their little Isgs than she must 
 
 have found that something was 
 wrong, and that they were not pea- 
 chicks. She straightway turned her 
 back upon them, as much as to say, 
 " You can't deceive me ; barn-yard 
 chickens are not pea-chicks ;" and she walked off, 
 
 and refused to feed or care for them. 
 
 31 
 
THE CHICKADEE-DEE. 
 
 Little darling of the snow, 
 Careless how the winds may blow* 
 Happy as a bird can be, 
 Singing, oh, so cheerily, 
 Chickadee-dee ! Chickadee-dee I 
 
 When the skies are cold and gray, 
 When he trills his happiest lay, 
 Through the clouds he seems to see 
 Hidden things to you and me. 
 Chickadee-dee ! chickadee-dee ! 
 
 Very likely little birds 
 
 Have their thoughts too deep for woirJs. 
 
 But we know, and all agree, 
 
 That the world would dreary be 
 
 Without birds, dear chickadee I 
 
 32 
 
A LETTER FROM ITALY. 
 
 Dear Frank: 
 
 Do you remember the crows that used to settle 
 dowu on the corn-field last spring at grandpa's, and how we used 
 to watch them from our window in the morning? Well, wouldn't 
 you be surprised if some day when you looked out, instead of crows 
 
 you saw great long-legged birds four feet high? That is what I 
 saw this morning. They are called cranes, and they are very pretty- 
 all gray, with black breasts and necks. They live a long way from 
 here, up in the north part of Europe, but in winter they fly south, 
 just as the robbins do at home. In the autumn they come here in 
 great flocks, and after they have rested for awhile they take their 
 loug flight across the Mediterranean Sea, and they don't come back 
 until spring. They have to cross the sea to go any further south 
 
 8 — Mother Nature Stories 
 
 33 
 
A LETTER FROM ITALY. 
 
 than this, you know. But here comes the funniest part of alL 
 There are lots of other birds who go south beside the cranes, and 
 some of them are too little for such a long flight ; they would get 
 tired half way across and would drop into the water and drown. 
 How do you think they manage ? Why, they just get on the 
 crane's backs. Isn't that funny ? And the cranes don't mind it 
 one bit. I saw a lot go off yesterday, and they made me think of a 
 lot of people going on a picnic, or else like the crowd getting on 
 board the big steamer we sailed from New York in. They crowded 
 on as close as they could, so close that some of them toppled off. 
 But they did not seem to mind; just took another crane. Some get 
 left behind, and these sit around in the hedges until the next flock 
 of cranes start south. They will come back the same way in the 
 Spring. Give my love to Aunt Fanny and Uncle Tom. 
 
 Your affectionate cousin, 
 
 Arthur. 
 
A CLEVER PIG 
 
 This clever pig, becoming tired of dwelling in a sty, 
 Resolved to build himself a house upon a mountain high ; 
 He cut down trees, then sawed them up, and nailed them 
 
 fast together. 
 Now in his hut he lives content, regardless of the weather. 
 
 <g>2> 
 
 36 
 
THE AKT-EATER. 
 
 "What do you think of this very queer looking creature? You 
 Burely do not think him very handsome, and perhaps your little 
 brain is very much puzzled in trying to guess what he is and what 
 he is made for. He has scales like a fish, but he is not a fish. Fish 
 do not have feet, and I do not think you ever saw a fish up a tree, 
 did you ? 
 
 The name of this queer animal is the scaly ant-eater, and his 
 home is in India. If you will look at your map you will see what a 
 great distance he is from you, so you need not be afraid of him. 
 He is about five feet long and has a long tail which helps him to 
 hold on to the limb of a tree. The sight of him might frighten you, 
 
THE ANT-EATER. 
 
 but he is a gentle creature, and is even shy. "When he thinks some 
 danger is nigh, he rolls himself into a ball, his tail folded up and his 
 head in the centre. So you see you need not be afraid ; he will not 
 bite you, besides he has no teeth, for the food he eats does not need 
 to be chewed. 
 
 .Now you are wondering what his food is. "Well, he lives upon 
 ants, and that is why he is called the ant-eater. 
 
 His claws are long and his nails are hooked, so he is able to 
 burrow into the ant-hills. There is a very sticky substance on his 
 tongue and when the poor little ants are caught there, they can- 
 not run away. They stick like a fly in molasses, and he swallows 
 them. 7 
 
 There are other ant-eaters in South America, but they do not 
 have scales on their backs. They are covered with hair, and are 
 larger than this creature. He requires a great many ants for one 
 meal, and he destroys a whole nest of ant-hills in a very short time. 
 Ants do not seem to us to be very good food, and there is a very 
 funny story told of an African savage who asked a white man if 
 he had ever eaten anything as nice as ants. So you see he was 
 an ant-eater too, although he did not have scales and go upon four 
 feet. 
 
 The fore feet of this animal are longer than his hind feet, and his 
 gait is very clumsy. How do you like his picture ? 
 
BIRDS IN JANUARY. 
 
 We think of birds as belonging, like 
 flowers, especially to spring and summer, 
 but when it is cold we sometimes have 
 visits from the birds of the Arctic regions. 
 Perhaps to them a winter in the northern 
 parts of our country is as pleasant a 
 change as Cuba is to us. The snow-bunt- 
 ing is one of these visitors, and I have seen a number of these 
 charming little fellows flying and darting about in a snow-storm as 
 if they enjoyed it. They are far-away cousins of the canary, and 
 are in shape very like that bird. But they are not yellow. In win- 
 ter they are snow-white save for brownish pink markings on the 
 wings and head, and in summer they are gray. 
 
 More rarely flocks of the red-headed cross-bill come. Very odd- 
 looking birds are they, because, as their name indicates, their bills 
 cross and make just the right sort of scissors to pick out fir seeds, 
 which they are very fond of. 
 
 38 
 
THE ANGRY BOBOLINK. 
 
 Pretty little bobolink 
 
 In your satin coat, 
 Trimmed with white across the neck 
 
 Black about the throat, 
 Why so angry do you seem ? 
 
 Why so fierce your mien ? 
 That you're scolding somebody 
 
 Plainly can be seen. 
 
 * Don't you know," says bobolink, 
 
 As he shakes his head, 
 " That my nest is hidden in 
 
 This soft grassy bed ? 
 Somebody has come too near, 
 
 And I wish to say 
 There is no admittance here 
 
 Pass the other way. 
 
 "If my gentle little wife 
 
 Sits so calm above, 
 'Tis because she knows I'll g 
 
 This dear nest we love." 
 Fear not, pretty bobolink, 
 
 Sing your joyous song, 
 Never will I trouble you, 
 
 Sing, the whole day long. 
 
 3? 
 
THE OKAITO-UTAX 
 
 The orang-utan is called the Wild Man of the "Woods, because he 
 resembles a man more than any other animal. He belongs to the 
 ape family. He lives in Borneo and Sumatra. Now take your map 
 and find those countries, so you will know the home of the orang- 
 utan. He is fond of eating fruit and fresh green leaves and buds, 
 and a cocoanut he esteems a great delicacy. He has strong teeth 
 with which he bites off the outside covering of the cocoanut, then 
 he pushes his claws or 
 soft spots at the end 
 the milk. Then he 
 a tree or some hard 
 the shell, and in this 
 several cocoanuts at 
 are very long and 
 to climb high trees 
 leaves. Few other 
 enough to fight him, so 
 makes his bed of large 
 rises from it when the 
 
 fingers through the 
 of the nut and drinks 
 strikes the nut against 
 substance and breaks 
 way he can devour 
 one meal. His arms 
 strong and help him 
 and gather twigs and 
 animals are strong 
 he is very fearless. He 
 leaves and ferns, and 
 sun has dried the dew. 
 
 He can be quite sly, and is sometimes an artful thief. It hap- 
 pened one time that a captain of a vessel took one of these animals 
 on board, and pretty soon he was caught stealing sugar from the 
 table and candy out of the sailors' pockets. He was very quiet at 
 meals and when he had emptied his bowl or glass, would reach it 
 out to be filled again. He was quite well-behaved for a creature 
 who had never sat at table before, and I think you will agree that 
 there are some boys and girls who might learn table manners from 
 him. 
 
 40 
 
longed to 
 very brave 
 would obey 
 cept his ma- 
 One time 
 was raging, the 
 " Stand, my brave 
 
 In some countries in Asia 
 an elephant is made to carry 
 the flacr in battles. This is 
 
 o 
 
 because the elephant is so 
 tall, and the soldiers can 
 easily see the flag flying 
 from his back. 
 
 One of these ele- 
 phants, which be- 
 the Poona host, was 
 and very kind, but he 
 the order of no one ex- 
 hout, or driver, 
 while a very fierce fight 
 driver called out to him 
 beast, stand ! " A moment 
 and fell 
 
 later the mahout received a fatal wound, and fell to the 
 
 ground, where he lay beneath a pile of wounded and slain. 
 
 The obedient animal would not move, though the battle raged 
 wildly around him. The Poona soldiers, who feared they were being 
 overcome, were cheered on by the sight of the flag still floating from 
 his back. 
 
 He never stirred a foot, and all through the hot fight, the noise, the 
 smoke, the confusion, listened patiently for the voice of his master. 
 
 41 
 
A CHICKEN WITH A WOODEN LEG. 
 
 Stella and Laura had some little white bantams, which 
 were very tame, and of which they were very fond. There were 
 two of them, — a rooster and a hen. Neither was larger than 
 good-sized pigeons. 
 
 42 
 
A CHICKED WITH A WOODEN LEO. 
 
 The rooster put on far more airs, and held his head higher, 
 than the great Cochin-China in the barn-yard, and he always 
 managed to be ahead of the latter in getting off the first crow 
 in the morning. In the winter the children were fond of coast- 
 ing, and they seldom thought of starting out without " Tip " and 
 " Ty,'' as they had curiously named their feathered friends. 
 
 These chickens really seemed to like to ride. The little girls 
 
 would get on the big si 3d, each 
 
 holding her pet, and off they 
 
 would start. Sometimes the sled 
 
 would be sent down, carrying the chickens 
 
 alone. "Tip" would t ^ne»aiiy keep his balance, but his mate 
 
 always became frighten"- tnd jumped off when about half-way 
 
 down. 
 
 The children kept these chickens for over three years. One 
 night a weasel got into the hen-house and killed them. 
 
 Some time after this, Stella found a little chicken with its 
 
 leg badly broken. She carried it to Adam, the gardener. The leg 
 
 was so badly crushed that it could never be of any use, and 
 
 Adam cut it off. Then he carefully bound up the stump. After 
 
 a while it healed, and he made as well as he could a wooden leg, 
 
 43 
 
A CHICKEN WITS A WOODEN LEG. 
 
 which he bound on to the stump. The chicken thrived, and 
 seemed to take kindly to its wooden leg. 
 
 Sometimes it forgot, and tried to scratch with it, but it would 
 not work. 
 
 It had a peculiar walk, — a sort of a hop, from which the chil- 
 dren christened it " Hoppy." At night they put it up in a box 
 made on purpose for it, fastened up inside of the hen-house. 
 Hoppy lived to a good old age, but never did anything re* 
 markable. 
 
 
 44 
 
OLD SILVER HEELS. 
 
 This is the true story which Aunt Lucy often tells the children, 
 as we sit around the fire at twilight. 
 
 " When I was a little girl — seventy years ago — we had to go 
 more than a mile to school. One of the large boys would come for 
 us at night, with old Silver Heels and a sleigh made of a crockery 
 crate on runners. 
 
 "We would pile in until there was not room enough for another 
 
 Dne, shouting, laughing, and snow-balling each other. Old Silver 
 
 Heels would go on patiently across the bridge, and about half-way 
 
 up the long hill. Then he would turn round, and take a good look 
 
 at the load. If there were more than three or four of us he would 
 
 begin to back down the hill. 
 
 45 
 
AN ACROSTIC. 
 
 "Back — back down the hill to the very botton:. Then, with- 
 out a word, he would walk up again to the same place. If we 
 had not lightened the load he would look around and go backing 
 down again. Sometimes we let him do so five or six times before 
 the boys would get out; but we never could get home until they 
 did so. 7 
 
 " After they were out, and old Silver Heels had counted the load, 
 he would go gravely on to a steep, ' sidling ' place, near the gate, 
 where he generally managed to tip us all over. We didn't care for 
 that, for it was only fun to shake off: the snow and run into the 
 house." 
 
 east" ym <§>© @w@v ? w& 
 
 )! %hi cms, ®pol \hnm m , smote® , 
 
 m<i X racjji>ii 
 
 46 
 
BIRDS m FEBRUARY. 
 
 In spite of the old saying, "As the days 
 begin to lengthen, the cold begins to strength- 
 en," spring makes itself felt in February. 
 Some sunshiny day you waken and find the 
 willow-trees are turning yellow, and you hear 
 a faint silvery note that sounds like tinkling 
 ice; and grandpa, who knows a great deal 
 about weather, will tell you it is going to rain, 
 for " the chickadees are come." And perhaps 
 Dennis or Patrick, or whatever the gardener's name is, will grumble 
 that the birds will spoil the fruit buds. But do not believe him. 
 Those tiny birds with dark wings and gray vests never touch a bud 
 that hasn't a grub in it, and are our busy, kind little friends. Some- 
 times the chickadee is called the black-capped titmouse, and 
 scholars give him a long Latin name, but I like best to call him 
 from the song he sings, when he is happy, in spite of chilly winds 
 and snow, " chick-a-dee-dee-dee j chick-a-deel" 
 
 4? 
 
^J 1 \)t Ch'mtlt.yif\M.\\<>) / /, ^ 
 
 AKIAN was a little city girl 
 who went one summer to 
 visit her grandfather in the 
 country. He lived in a low, 
 old farmhouse among the Berkshire 
 hills. She was delighted with every- 
 thing she saw, and wished that she 
 could stay there always. 
 There was an old attic filled with curious things whose use she 
 did not even know. She liked to play "house" with them, and 
 often pretended that she was her own great-grandmother as she 
 ranged them around in circles and squares to correspond to the 
 rooms of a house. 
 
 One day after she had grown tired of playing in the attic she 
 thought that she would explore an old, unused " ell," which she had 
 once peeped into. It did not prove very interesting, and she was 
 just turning to go, when plump, something fell down the great, 
 wide-throated chimney. Two chimney swallows, with a whirr and 
 a flutter, followed, flying about the room as if in sore distress. 
 They finally hovered over the little, dark object which lay in the 
 fireplace. 
 
 What do you think it was ? A nest, in which were three little 
 birds I It was the swallows' home, which, by some means, had 
 
 48 
 
THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 
 
 become loosed from the chimney where it had been fixed. 
 Strangely enough, not one of the little birds was injured. 
 
 Marian placed the nest carefully on the window-sill, and then ran 
 out to the kitchen to get some crumbs of bread to feed the open 
 mouths. 
 
 As the days went on the swallow family formed the little girl's 
 chief delight and care. She told her grandfather about the nest and 
 begged him to take out a pane of glass from the window so that the 
 big birds might be free to come and go as they pleased. 
 
 "When they first flew away she felt afraid that they would not £nd 
 
 their way back. But they 
 
 did, and flew happily in 
 
 and out many times a day. 
 
 The young birds grew 
 
 very tame, and would 
 
 eat from Marian's 
 
 hand, coming to 
 
 her as soon as 
 
 she entered the 
 
 heartily when "^-^ ^^^^^^^Ml k room * She grew 
 
 one day they ^^^^^SS^^ Vi so fond of thcm 
 
 followed the "^SSllli M that she cried 
 
 father and mother 
 
 bird out of the opening 
 
 and never came back. Many 
 
 times during that winter, in 
 
 her city home, the little girl 
 
 thought of the bird family 
 
 which she had so loved and cared 
 
 for and wondered if she should ever 
 
 see them again. 
 
 When summer came she went back to 
 visit her grandfather. She felt too big a girl 
 now to play " house," but read and studied instead. 
 One day she thought that she would take her book 
 and read in the " ell." As she sat by the window 
 
 - Nature Storiet . - 49 
 
THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 
 
 thinking of the happy hours she had spent in the little room, sh6 
 happened to look np and saw a nest fastened to the side of the 
 fire-place. Her heart beat fast. She arose and tip-toed over to it. 
 Could it be that one of her swallows had built it ? The nest was 
 full of little opening mouths. 
 
 Just as she was about to run for some crumbs a swallow darted in 
 through the window. It did not seem at all afraid of Marian, so she 
 felt sure that it was one of the swallows which she had helped rear 
 the summer before. 
 
 " O Grandpa," she said, running into the sitting-room, where the 
 old gentleman sat, " one of my family is back— and he knows me — . 
 and I am so happy 1 " 
 
 50 
 
FELIX, THE ALLIGATOR. 
 
 
 When I was a little girl Cousin Fred went down South. He 
 said he would bring me home a pet, and so he did. It was a baby 
 alligator. 
 
 He was sailing up the Mississippi 
 River and he saw an alligator and her 
 young lying in the sun on the 
 bank. Cousin Fred gave one of 
 the boatmen a handsome sum of 
 money for going on shore and 
 taking one of the babies away 
 from its mother. Alligators 
 sleep by day and play by 
 night, so they were all 
 asleep in ,the sun when the 
 man crept up to them and 
 picked out the nicest 
 looking one he could 
 find. If the old mother 
 alligator had been 
 awake she would 
 very likely have up- 
 set their boat with 
 a blow of 
 her tail, for 
 alligators 
 have great 
 strength in 
 their tails, 
 canoe. Brother 
 ugly, but mine, he 
 long. 
 
 I named him Felix. Ned said he thought "Prolix" would be 
 a better name. But nursie told me not to mind his droll sayings. 
 
 Felix learned to eat meat out of my hand, and he would follow 
 
 and so make nothing of capsizing a 
 Ned always thought alligators were 
 said, was as clever as the days were 
 
 51 
 
FELIX, THE ALLIGATOR. 
 
 me about as well as a dog. He used to crawl about the veranda, 
 hunting for insects. He liked any kind of an insect, no matter 
 how small. 
 
 When the cold weather comes, alligators bury themselves in the 
 mud. They stay there until it gets warmer. But I did not think 
 Felix would want to do so, for he was civilized. 
 
 "It isn't so easy to forget what is natural," nurse said. "Your 
 Cousin Fred told me that down South, where Felix came from, 
 alligators are almost lifeless after they go to sleep in the mud. 
 The sunshine brings them to." Nursie was particular to add, 
 "but whether or no our Northern sunshine will revive Felix, I 
 can't say." 
 
 Mother fixed the nicest basket you ever saw. And, sure enough) 
 it was just as Cousin Fred said; the minute the cold weather began, 
 Felix crawled into it, but he never came out alive. 
 
 " Wool isn't mud," nursie told us. " You can't make alligators 
 into children," which is true. But it makes us gentle and loving 
 to be kind to dumb animals ; and of course dumb mothers are very 
 different from our kind of mothers. 
 
 The alligator mother lays her eggs in the mud, and leaves them 
 to be hatched by the sun. But she never goes far away from them, 
 and when the little alligators come out of their shells, their mother 
 is very fond of her babies. 
 
 The pretty pocket books andbags that you see in store windows 
 are prepared from alligator skins. My Felix had just such a skin. 
 
 52 
 
TED AND HIS CALF. 
 
 OUNG Ted was a rider bold, 
 Who never did things by half, 
 And so he hitched to his cart one 
 A strong and frolicsome calf. 
 
 Away he went, and on behind 
 Came a troop of merry boys, 
 
 **■.* 
 &■$* 
 
 63 
 
TED AND HIS CALF. 
 
 Who tossed their caps, and screamed aloud, 
 Till the woods rang with the noise. 
 
 But the steed was like his driver, — 
 He wouldn't do things by half, — 
 
 And never had Ted a drive like that 
 He had with his frolicsome calf. 
 
 Then Ted tried another game, 
 And mounted his sturdy steed; 
 
 But the calf resolved he wouldn't bear that, 
 So he ran with all his speed. 
 
 Ted learned to his great dismay, 
 
 That it wouldn't do by half, 
 When he wanted fun, to tamper witb 
 
 A strong and frolicsome calf. 
 
iThbout aJj£€lC Humming-bn\< 
 (^PtMety-winks- 
 
 He was picked up in the middle of 
 the road, a wee birdling which had 
 fluttered from its nest. 
 
 His plaintive little cries were heard by grandpa Lord on his way to 
 spend the day with his grandchildren. 
 
 After vainly trying to find the tiny home, grandpa concluded to 
 take the little feathered wanderer with him. 
 
 When grandpa appeared with this unexpected visitor the question 
 was — what could they do with him, for what could he eat ? 
 
 55 
 
ALL ABOUT A LITTLE HUMMING-BIRD. 
 
 Birdie was first placed in a little basket lined with the softest 
 batting. Sugar and water were mixed, and with a tiny straw for a 
 spoon, birdie lapped the sweet, and when he had had enough cuddled 
 down in his cottony bed and went to sleep. 
 
 Carrie said, " I know what we will call him — * Tiddlety -winks ; ' n 
 and so he was named. 
 
 ALL ALONE. 
 
 I've two little hands to hold the rope, 
 I've two little feet to jump and trip, 
 
 And I try very hard ; so soon I hope 
 To learn all alone the way to skipl 
 
 56 
 
TINO. 
 
 The children in the Warburton School have such a queer pet. 
 
 I wonder if you can guess what it is. No, not a rabbit or a kit- 
 ten, nor even a mouse, but a funny little chameleon that was sent 
 all the way from Florida to Miss Durand, the principal of the 
 school. 
 
 He is a very little creature, and only measures seven inches 
 from his queer little nose to the tip of his tiny tail. They 
 call him Tino. Tino will fasten his little hand-like feet into Miss 
 Durand's apron, and ride triumphantly around the schoolroom, to 
 
 the great delight of the children. The first time he visited them 
 they admired his beautiful green coat, but very much to their aston- 
 ishment the next time he came his color had changed to brown. 
 They soon discovered that he had a variety of coats ; indeed, he 
 seems to have rare taste in dress, and is always able to make him- 
 self harmonize with his surroundings. 
 
 Tino's principal diet is live flies. The boys bring him a supply 
 of these every morning, and never tire of watching him dart out his 
 long, forked tongue and catch his victims. His favorite resting- 
 place is a large plant that stands near the door of the dressing-room. 
 
 57 
 
BIRDS OF PARADISE. 
 
 The beautiful birds seen in 
 this picture are all Birds of 
 Paradise, although they dif- 
 fer in many ways. 
 
 But besides these varieties 
 .'• there are hundreds and hund- 
 reds of others 
 
 Birds of Paradise are found 
 chiefly in New Guinea and the 
 islands near that country. 
 They are wonderfully beautiful 
 in plumage, and yet what bird 
 do you suppose they greatly 
 resemble ? The common black 
 
 58 
 
BIRDS OF PARADISE. 
 
 crow. We should not see this resemblance unless we studied birds and 
 compared one kind with another. The Bird of Paradise is like the crow 
 in the shape of its body, its bill and feet. Then its habits, and strange 
 to say its cries are like those of the crow. 
 
 The skins of the Birds of Paradise used sometimes to be worn by 
 eastern soldiers when they went into battle. The soldiers thought the 
 «kins served as a charm to protect the wearer from harm. 
 
 When the skins of these birds with the feathers on were sent to foreign 
 countries all signs of legs or feet were removed. From this fact the 
 idea arose that the creatures had no feet. It was thought they floated 
 in the air always, or hung from the trees by the long fine feathers of 
 their tails. This foolish idea was believed for many, many years by 
 intelligent people. 
 
 In its natural home the Bird of Paradise is very active and lively in 
 its habits. If caught and kept in a cage it is pert and bold. 
 
 In different languages different names are given these gorgeous, 
 beautiful creatures. In one language they are called Birds of Paradise, 
 in another Birds of the Air, in a third Birds of the Sun, and most 
 beautiful of all — God's Birds. 
 
 69 
 
MUD-TURTLE. 
 
 Mud-turtle looked from out his shell ;- 
 The jewel-weeds beside the brook 
 Their gold and rubies o'er him shook; 
 The mint gave out its cool, fresh smell ; 
 The swimming minnows glistened bright, 
 Where, in the water, shone the light; 
 And, on the green moss by the brink, 
 A little bird came down to drink; 
 The frogs among the rushes leapt; 
 A moth beneath a dock-leaf slept. 
 60 
 
MUD TURTLE. 
 
 The frogs among the rushes leapt; 
 A moth beneath a dock-leaf slept. 
 
 With greedy eyes and waiting jaw 
 Mud-Turtle stretched his neck far out; 
 He snapped at everything he saw: 
 The frogs in terror sprang about; 
 The minnows knew not what to do; 
 Away the bird, loud twittering, flew; 
 The sleeping moth awoke too late, 
 To find that he had met his fate! 
 Mud-Turtle drew within his shell. 
 "This world is very wrong," said he; 
 "The reason why I cannot tell, 
 That no one seems more fond of mel" 
 
Old mother Fox one evening looked 
 
 From out her den of rocks; 
 "Come here, my pretty Bushy Tail," 
 
 She called her little Fox. 
 "You're getting larger every day, 
 
 You're growing strong ; I feel 
 Tis time that you should leave your play, 
 
 62 
 
A BAD BEGINNING-. 
 
 And should begin to steal. 
 The farmer's eye is quick and keen, 
 
 The Chicken-roosts are high ; 
 The Kabbit, he is fleet of foot; 
 
 The Partridge, she is sly. 
 If you would live upon your wits, 
 
 You must be very sly; 
 You'll have to watch before you pounce ; 
 
 You must be very sly." 
 
 " Yes, mother," said young Bushy Tail, 
 
 "I know just how you feel, 
 But I've begun to prowl about ; 
 
 I've really learned to steal. 
 The Rabbit runs, the Partridge flies, 
 
 The Chicken-roosts are high, 
 But I shall wait a chance to pounce \ 
 
 I shall be very sly. 
 I mean to live upon my wits; 
 
 I shall be very sly." 
 
 So off they both together went, 
 And left their den of rocks ; 
 
 And which one of the two was worse, 
 The big or little Fox? 
 
 63 
 
THE HOOPOE. 
 
 Itf all your travels I dare say you never saw this singular-looking 
 bird, the hoopoe, and you will be obliged to go a long distance to 
 find one, as far as Africa or the Indian archipelago. If you find 
 these names on your map, you will not forget the home of the 
 hoopoe. 
 
 What makes this bird so different from all others is his beautiful 
 crest of tall feathers. These feathers stand out on top of his head 
 like an open fan, and he carries his crest in a very stately way, so he 
 must feel quite proud of it. !N"ow you have often heard that fine 
 feathers make fine birds, and this is the case with this bird. He is 
 handsome because his feathers, and especially the feathers on his 
 head, are so fine, although his bill and his legs are of a bright coral- 
 red color. Tou see, he can be proud of his feet, as well as his head. 
 His bill is quite long, and he can dig in the ground for worms as 
 well as you could dig with a spade, and perhaps a great deal better. 
 He has a way of puffing his neck until it becomes quite large, and 
 then he utters a sound — hoo — hoo — hoo— very rapidly. The only 
 change he ever makes in his note is hoh — hoh — hoh and this he 
 says when he is angry or disturbed. But when he is in a good 
 humor he will say his hoo — hoo— hoo very softly and smoothly. 
 
 "When you visit a place where there is a large collection of birds, 
 ask to see the hoopoe. 
 
 64 
 
SPECKLE'S NEST. 
 
 what do you think old 
 Speckle one day 
 Found in her cosy ne&t? 
 A sharp-eyed, furry, long- 
 tailed thing, 
 A most unwelcome guest — 
 A frisky, squeaking, impudent 
 mouse, 
 Who quite disdained to beg, 
 Yet slipped in her nest when she was away 
 And broke her new-laid egg* 
 
 "What are you about, you wicked mouse?" 
 
 Old Speckle cried with scorn. 
 "I'll teach you not to come in my house, 
 As sure as you are born!" 
 With that she gave him such a peck, 
 
 And held him down so tight, 
 The poor little mousie shrieked with pain, 
 And nearly died of fright." 
 
 S— Mother Nature Stories 
 
THE PITCHER PLANT. 
 
 Among all the curious leaves that grow, the Chinese "pitcher 
 plant " is the most singular. It is just in the shape of a pitcher, and 
 has a little lid to it, too. This is usually closed tight, so that, of 
 course, the rain can never get in, and yet it is always filled with 
 water. If you were to measure it you would find about a tumbler- 
 ful in it. 
 
 How do you think the water gets there ? "Well, it is a part of the 
 sap, of which we have talked before, that comes to the leaf through 
 the thousands and thousands of little mouths on the inside of the 
 pitcher, and so it is kept filled. If the leaf was spread out all this 
 moisture would go off into the air. God knew that, where it was to 
 grow, men often had a hard time to get water to drink, and so he 
 provided these little cupfuls of it by the wayside, to quench their 
 thirst. 
 
 In the island of Ceylon it is called the "monkey cup," because these 
 mischievous creatures know just how to open the lid, and drink the 
 water. 
 
 60 
 
MARY AND THE DUCKS 
 
 !$T?ARY went one winter's day 
 
 \i\v Down beside the pond to play, 
 ~~ Where the ducks were paddling round 
 On the cold and snowy ground. 
 "Quack," they cried, and meant to say : 
 "Mary dear, good day, good day I" 
 
 One began to flap its wings ; 
 (They were hungry, poor wee things !) 
 Mary ran to brother Jim, 
 Cuddling up in fear to him ; 
 But the duck had only said : 
 " Mary dear, I want some bread I" 
 
 Jim and Mary, kind and good, 
 Ran and fetched the ducks some food ; 
 And, when they had fed them all, 
 "Quack," the birds did loudly call ; 
 "Thanks so much 1" they meant to cry, 
 "Mary dear, good-bye, good-bye I" 
 
 67 
 
THE WALKING LEAVES OF AUSTRALIA. 
 
 There are some funny 
 
 leaves in Australia, which 
 
 the people there used to think 
 
 could walk alone ! 
 
 ^^ Whenever there came a gust of 
 
 wind these queer leaves blew off in 
 a perfect shower. As leaves gen- 
 erally do, they turned over and 
 over, and rested upon the ground. 
 Then they would seem to crawl 
 towards the trunk of the tree from 
 which they fell. 
 
 Since that time it has been found 
 
 that these leaves, as they were 
 
 thought to be, were real insects, 
 
 and lived upon these very trees. 
 
 Their bodies are thin and flat, and 
 
 their wings veined just like a leaf. 
 
 If they are disturbed, their legs, 
 
 which are folded away under 
 
 their bodies, leave 
 
 .^a Zill C^afc— their whole 
 
 .. . <<? shape exactly 
 
 like the leaf of 
 
 a tree, with stem and all. 
 
 Bright green in the summer, these singular little insects slowly 
 
 change their color to a dingy brown, just like a frost-bitten leaf. 
 
 Strange, that with wings they do not fly, but rather walk or crawl 
 
 along the ground ! 68 . 
 
m> 
 
 mm-''- iiil 
 
 
 THE PELICANS. 
 
 The pelican family have very long bills for their upper jaw, and 
 a soft bag or pouch for the lower. In this they gather a whole dinner 
 of fish for their children. 
 
 These birds always dress in half-mourning. The father and 
 mother are in white with black trimmings, while the children wear 
 Quaker gray. 
 
 The pelicans choose their nests among the rocks, in some dry 
 place, and nestle down in them very comfortably. They are so 
 lazy that they will go to sleep anywhere on the ground, with their 
 feet curled under them. Nothing but an earthquake would wake 
 them up. 
 
 This is why they like desert places to live in. There they can eat 
 and sleep, and no one will trouble them. It is really all they do. 
 You know the Bible tells us of " the lonely pelican of the wilder- 
 ness," and David said he was like one. 
 
 18 
 
HOW MASON" WASPS WORK. 
 
 Mrs. Woods sat at the window in one of the rooms of her country 
 house busily sewing. Several spools lay on the sill. 
 
 " Oh," said Marjorie, who stood by her side, and took off a needle- 
 ful now and then for her mother, " here's a horrid, green caterpillar 
 inside the spool 1 " and sure enough there was. 
 
 Taking the spool out of her hand her mother shook the caterpillar 
 out and went on with her work. Again she needed some cotton, and 
 
 70 
 
HOW MASON WASPS WORK. 
 
 again Marjorie broke the thread. Another caterpillar was again in 
 the same place. What did it mean ? 
 
 Again Mrs. Woods shook the spool out of the window, and this 
 
 time examined it more closely, when to her surprise she found two 
 
 more exactly like the others in size. 
 
 Just then came a mason wasp bringing in his jaws a fine, green 
 caterpillar, which he left where the others had been placed. Now it 
 was explained how they came to be there ; but the wasp must have 
 had some reason for doing it, and so it had, as you will see. 
 
 Very roon his partner followed, and laid a tiny egg on each of t^e 
 caterpillars and went her way ; she brought in mud many times, until 
 eggs and caterpillars were quite sealed up. 
 
There are some flowers that 
 
 love the sunlight as much as you 
 
 do. See the sunflower, with its 
 
 great, honest face, always looking 
 
 towards the west until it has 
 
 gone out of sight The next 
 
 morning you will find that same 
 
 flower gazing towards the east, all ready and waiting 
 
 for it to rise. This is why this flower has often been called the 
 
 "Sun Worshipper." 
 
 The little white daisy is a great lover of the open light of day. 
 This is why it used to be called " day's eye." And the marigold 
 mourns its going so much that it solemnly closes just at night- 
 fall. 
 
 So does the oxalis, and you will not only find its flowers closed, 
 but the leaves, too, folded all up into three pretty divisions, like a 
 heart. And our sweet pond-lily always hides away under the water 
 when the sun is gone, only to appear when it comes up in the 
 morning. 
 
 7 Z 
 

 
 
 j^f ::■■ 
 
 
 
 "^'Usisigk 
 
 WSS~ 
 
 
 
 S^-T-'aj 
 
 5/ 
 
 mm 
 
 1 ^jr-B' 
 
 
 YENUS'S FLY-TRAP. 
 
 OOK at this harmless looking flower with its cluster 
 of white blossoms. Would you think for one 
 moment that it was a robber and murderer, and that 
 it actually makes war upon the poor little insects 
 that happen to fly too near to the dangerous plant ? 
 Yet it does have this very bad reputation, and the 
 worst thing is that what is said about it is all true. 
 
 It is a very curious plant, indeed, one of the most wonderful in 
 the whole world. It grows wild in the wet, sandy bogs and marshes 
 of North Carolina and South Carolina, and very many persons cul- 
 tivate it in green-houses and bestow much care upon it in order to 
 learn all its ways and tricks. Botanists, who have made a study of 
 this wonderful plant, have discovered facts which will astonish a lit- 
 tle boy and girl quite as much as they astonish grown people. Look 
 at the leaves around its stem. Each one of these leaves has sharp 
 teeth like a saw, and they can spring very much like a steel-trap. 
 
 73 
 
A CROCUS STORY. 
 
 <*? 
 
 RB you awake?" whispered a 
 little blue crocus to a white 
 one, who had been sleeping by 
 • her side under the earth for 
 months. 
 
 "Yes, wide awake, and warm 
 all through. I am sure it 
 must be Spring," the little 
 white one answered. 
 
 "Oh, yes, this is Spring," 
 whispered blue. "Our shoots 
 have been out a week, and all that time the sun has felt warm. 
 Suppose we bloom ; the earth will be so glad to see a flower again." 
 "I'm willing," responded little white crocus. "I want nothing 
 so much as to help make the world beautiful and tell people the 
 Spring has come, so let us send round a crocus murmur to all the 
 flower-beds, parks and gardens in the big city; then they will know 
 it is time to wake up and bloom." 
 
 "Don't venture out yet," a tulip bulb grumbled from her earth- 
 bed a few inches below the little crocus. "March is only half gone, 
 and you know old Winter will never let him alone. There will be 
 awful cold winds before April comes. You had better stay where 
 you are and keep warm." 
 
 74 
 
A CROCUS STORY. 
 
 "Dear I oh, dear ! " sighed blue and white, "we dread the freezing 
 winds. "Perhaps, Miss Tulip, you are wrong. I am sure we 
 ought to be out." 
 
 "Let us venture," urged a tiny pink crocus near by. "We can 
 at least show Mr. Winter that Spring has come, and that he must 
 go away. Come, let us do our best and not be afraid of a little 
 cold." 
 
 So a crocus murmur went round to all the flower-beds, parks and 
 gardens in the big city, telling the little crocus flowers to wake up 
 and bloom. The next morning everything was beautified by thou- 
 sands of spring messengers holding up their tiny bell-cups to the 
 
 sun — some white, some yellow, some blue, and a few pink. The 
 earth was glad to hold on her breast again such beauty. Even the 
 people passing stopped, smiled and said with confidence, "Now, 
 spring has really come." 
 
 Alas! there was one who gave the flowers no welcome. It was 
 Mr. Winter. "I feel indignant," he complained to March, "that 
 such tiny little flowers dare come up and make me feel uncomfort- 
 able and out of place. Now, I suppose I must take my departure, 
 but before I leave, dear March, you must let me give them a fright 
 and a chill." 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Winter!" begged March, shivering and bewildered, 
 "please leave me and go away. I can't control my winds when you 
 
 75 
 
A CROCUS STORY. 
 
 keep interfering, you mix me all up. Here you come with snow 
 and cold trying to kill the pretty green things that I have had 
 such trouble to wake out of the frozen ground." 
 
 Then Mr. Winter sent a gray snow-cloud to cover the sun, and 
 breathed an icy air into the March wind. He laughed when a few 
 feathery flakes settled on his nose. "Only a day more; give me 
 just one day more, friend March," he begged. "I will then go and 
 shut myself up in my big cave for a long snooze." 
 
 March nodded his consent, and together they started like a wild 
 express train. The whole thing was a frolic, after all. As the 
 snow covered the flowers it whispered, "Do not fear, I will keep you 
 folded warm until this cold wind blows Mr. Winter away." 
 
 The wind was not only merry but busy also. It blew light green 
 into all the willows, red into the maples, a faint white into the 
 plum and apple buds ; it tore the dead leaves away from the sweet 
 arbutus, it played a regular game with ladies 7 skirts and veils, it 
 took off men's hats, and the noses and cheeks that came in its way 
 were painted a deep red. By night all was over and Mr. Winter 
 had departed. A soft breath of April filled the air. As it swept 
 gently over the snow it said, "Melt at once; you are sadly out of 
 place covering spring flowers." 
 
 With the morning came a perfect flood of sunshine and warmth, 
 so the birds began to sing. 
 
 "Oh, how glad I am," laughed the little blue crocus, "that we 
 came out just when we did." 
 
 "I'm glad." "And so am I glad." "And so are we glad." All 
 the others answered. 
 
 76 
 
THE BLACK SHFRP 
 
 AA, Baa, Black Sheep, are your bags full ?" 
 "Yes, little Master, of the finest wool ; 
 
 Black soft fleeces to spin you garments warm 
 
 That the wind may not hurt you though it rage into a storm 
 
 Fine soft fleeces to stuff a baby's bed 
 
 And as black as the beaver upon your curly head." 
 
 Lisped Dolly Dimples, " Do your bags hold enough 
 To make me a tippet, and to line my doll a muff?" 
 
 77 
 
DO YOU REALLY? 
 
 JiigjSjjO you think a crab could climb a tree ; 
 jl^jg Do you really ? 
 
 Do you think a mouse could catch a flea ; 
 Do you really ? 
 Do you think that apple-trees can speak ; 
 Or that Sunday comes three times a week ; 
 Do you think a donkey has a beak ; 
 Do you really ? 
 
 Do you think that guinea-pigs have tails 
 
 Do you really ? 
 Or that rabbits live on tenpenny nails ; 
 
 Do you really? 
 Do you think a cat nine lives has got ; 
 That a strawberry ice is nicest hot ; 
 Do you think a lobster loves the pot • 
 Do you really ? 
 
 78 
 
"Oh, come with me," said the big doggie, i 
 As he winked with his eye that was dotted j 
 
 He had, they say, a fascinating way 
 
 Of seeming to be kind when he plotted. 
 
 The little dog good said he wished he could, 
 But mamma " No, no " had told him. 
 
 He was very much afraid, if away he strayed, 
 That mamma would surely scold him. 
 
THE TALE OF THE MORAL LITTLE DOGGY. 
 
 "If only you yield and come out in the field/ 
 Said the big dog, whispering low, 
 
 "There's a wee little mouse for you to touse, 
 And a bird to chase, I'll show." 
 
 With a yearning sigh, and a soft " Oh, my ! ** 
 The little dog pricked up his ears. 
 
 There was fun alive, could he contrive 
 To elude his mother's fears. 
 
 The tempter wily his chops licked slyly, 
 
 And added, in accents thick : 
 "Down by the stone there's a great, big bone 
 
 For you and me to pick." 
 
 80 
 
THE TALE GF THE MORAL LITTLE DOGGY. 
 
 Then the little dog moral he scented a quarrel; 
 
 " Oh, no ; my ma," said he, / 
 "Told me I ought to 'void him who sought 
 
 To pick a bone with me." 
 
 So the wise dog stayed and his ma obeyed, 
 
 For he truly had found the reason 
 Of the big dog's bribe, who was one of that tribe 
 
 That delights in fights and treason. 
 
 And the little dog sage lived a good old age, 
 
 While he fed on pie and liver ; 
 But the big dog squabbled on a bridge that wabbled, 
 
 And was drowned in the roaring river. 
 
 6-*Wte Walvre Sio-<ei 
 
 81 
 
They first peep from the bluebells 
 To see that no one's there — 
 
 At us they might be frightened ; 
 They don't mind Mr. Hare 1 
 
 They tell him elfin stories 
 
 Of wonder and delight, 
 And creep, when morning wakens, 
 
 Back in the bluebells bright 
 
 82 
 
THE POLAR BEAR 
 
 The polar bear, when he's at home, 
 Lives among ice and snow ; 
 
 You'll often find him, so I'm told, 
 A-sitting on a floe. 
 
 I don't know what a floe may be, 
 It must be something queer ; 
 
 They haven't got them at the shops 
 Or anywhere round here. 
 
 And so the polar bear is sad, 
 At least, he seems to be, 
 
 Because he hasn't any floes 
 Where he can sit, you see. 
 
 He's very fond of fish; I think 
 
 He thinks it's very nice, 
 But always, I suppose, he'd like 
 
 To finish with an ice. 
 
 83 
 
THE LANTERN-FLY. 
 
 Every little boy or girl who reads this has, no doubt, seen a 
 fire-fly. How beautiful they are as they fly about among the trees 
 and the flowers on a warm summer evening. But I wonder if any 
 of you have ever seen a lantern-fly like this huge fellow who has 
 had his picture taken for you. I hardly think you have ever seen 
 him, because you would be obliged to go to China, or Guiana, or 
 Brazil, or the West Indies, to get a sight of such a large fire-fly. 
 Look on your map and see where these pretty creatures live, and fly 
 
 
 fee Ik 
 
 
 ill 
 
 " 'JSt 
 
 about the forests and the gardens, shining like torches. You nave 
 often seen Chinese lanterns, have you not ? "Very pretty they are 
 too. You have seen them in parades and processions and some- 
 times on grounds where garden parties were playing games. Per- 
 haps the Chinese, who are so accustomed to see these wonderful 
 lantern- flies in their own forests and gardens, have learned to be 
 very fond of such brilliant things, and that is the reason they invent 
 
 84 
 
THE LANTERN-FLY. 
 
 such gay lanterns in painted paper. They could not send their lai* 
 tern-flies to you very easily, so they give you as good an imitation 
 as they can make. Have you never seen the wonderful Chinese 
 Janterns in the shape of flies and bugs ? 
 
 But would you not like to know where the wonderful fire-fly 
 keeps his light ? It has rows of light on each side of its body, and 
 sometimes it leaves a line of light behind it, but that is not very 
 often the case. It is only in very warm countries that you can see 
 the fire-fly in its greatest brilliancy. When the insect is flying, of 
 course his wings do not cover *his body, and in this way, his light 
 can be seen, but when he folds his wings over his body, he hides his 
 light. Travelers tell a great many wonderful things, and sometimes 
 they tell what is not strictly true. A traveler who went to the West 
 Indies before the natives had been driven out by the white settlers, 
 says that when these natives went hunting or walking in the night, 
 they would tie these immense lantern-flies to each great toe, so as to 
 have light on their path, and when they went fishing, they would tie 
 a great many together on the end of a pole, and in this way make 
 torches which gave them plenty of light. The large lantern-flies 
 will devour mosquitoes greedily, so you see he can be useful as well 
 as ornamental. Do you not think it is a fine thing to be handsome 
 and useful too ? Try it, my little friend, and see. t 
 
 Travelers often tell the story, and it is a very true story too, that 
 the ladies of Brazil are in the habit of putting fire-flies in little bags 
 of lace or gauze so that they cannot escape, and wearing them in 
 their hair or in the folds and flounces of their evening dresses. 
 These little creatures and the larger ones too, make a beautiful 
 decoration for the ladies' dresses. Sometimes in the summer 
 months, when the young people in Brazil have their festivities, 
 persons galloping through the streets on horseback will have 
 their own clothes and the horses, too, covered with these bags 
 of fire-flies, so that as they dash through the town, they look like 
 moving bodies of light. When you visit China and Brazil, or the 
 West Indies, you see the largest and finest fire-flies and lantern-flies 
 in the world. 
 
 86 
 
7?*^ 
 
 
 NIGHT FLOWEKS. 
 
 Theee are some flowers that never see the 
 sun. One of the most curious is the "even- 
 ing primrose." About six o'clock it suddenly 
 bursts open, with a popping sound, and at six 
 next morning closes. 
 
 If you watch that pretty flower, and listen, 
 
 you can hear this strange performance. 
 
 This is why it does so. The little calyx holds the petals in such 
 
 a way that the moment it turns back they are let loose. At 
 
 once it bursts out into full flower, with this ftmny noise, like a 
 
 pop-gun. 
 
 So the "night-blooming cereus" blossoms in the night, only 
 for an hour, giving out its sweet fragrance, and then dies. Just 
 think of never seeing the sun at all ! 
 
 In a far Eastern country there is a kind of jasmine called the 
 "sorrowful tree." It droops as if sick in the daytime, and at 
 night grows fresh and bright. It opens its lovely flowers with a 
 very pleasant odor till morning, and then wilts and looks wretched 
 again. 
 
 86 
 
THE WORKING TOOLS OF INSECTS. 
 
 I wonder if you know that the smallest insects you see about you 
 have tools given them to do their work with. There is a little fly 
 called a saw-fly, because it has a saw to work with. It is really 
 a very much nicer 
 saw than you could 
 make, if you were 
 ever so old. 
 
 The fly uses it 
 to make places 
 where the eggs will 
 be safe. What is 
 more strange, it 
 has a sort of home- 
 made glue which 
 fastens them where 
 they are laid. 
 
 Some insects 
 have cutting in- 
 struments that 
 work just as your 
 scissors do. The 
 poppy-bee is one of them, whose work is wonderful. This bee has a 
 boring tool, too. Its nest is usually made in old wood. This borer 
 cleans out the nest ready for use. When all is ready the insect cuts 
 out pieces of leaves to line the nest and to make the cells. These 
 linings are cut in the shape of the cells. You would be surprised 
 to see the care taken to have every piece of just the right size, so 
 that it will fit. When they are fitted, the pieces are nicely fastened 
 together and put into the nest. 
 
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 87 
 
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 S 
 
 THE LADY'S SLIPPER. 
 
 HE lady's slipper is a very beautiful flower. It 
 belongs to the family of orchids, and if you are a 
 little boy or little girl who has heard older people 
 talk about the wonderful and beautiful orchids 
 which you can find in green-houses, and which flor- 
 ists show sometimes at fairs and other public places, 
 you will be able to know something about what the word orchid 
 means. They are the most showy flowers that can be found any- 
 where. In Japan the orchids grow very finely. Some are purple, 
 some are red, some are spotted, some are striped, some are white 
 with purple stripes, and others are purple with white stripes, but 
 there is not one of these orchids which is not a very handsome 
 flower. Some are spotted and tinted with yellow, with a deep crim- 
 son and purple at the edges. Would you not say that was a superb 
 flower ? 
 
 In a country named Sumatra, the orchids grow in great variety 
 and in great beauty. Now, all these beautiful flowers are sisters, 
 although they are not exactly alike, just as all roses are not alike 
 and as you perhaps do not very much like your sister or brother, 
 yet you both belong to the same family. The particular orchid 
 which is named lady's slipper, is a fine plant with large downy 
 leaves and flowers of a beautiful white and rose color. It grows 
 from one to two feet high, and can be found in its wild state in 
 North America. It blooms generally in May and June. 
 
 Look at the picture very carefully and see how closely it resem- 
 bles a lady's slipper. Do you not think so? It looks very much 
 
THE LADY'S SLIPPER. 
 
 like the shoes knit of zephyr which your mamma wears in her cham- 
 ber, and perhaps you have a pair too. I am sure you have seen 
 bed-room slippers which look very much like this flower. The next 
 time you visit a green-house be sure to ask to see the orchids, and I 
 am sure you will say afterwards that you never knew of so many 
 beautiful shades of color. You will find almost every color under 
 the sun, in a large collection of orchids. 
 
 The lady's slipper, though not so showy as some of the orchids, is 
 one of the most beautiful. The pretty rose and white slippers hang 
 from the stem so gracefully, you almost feel tempted to put them on. 
 
 89 
 
THE DRAGON-FLY. 
 
 The dragon-fly does not carry a lantern or a torch about with him 
 like the fire-fly and the lantern-fly, but he is a very beautiful crea- 
 ture, and you will not need to go to tropical countries, like China 
 and India and Brazil, to see him. It must be a very fine thing to 
 have one pair of wings, so as to fly through the air, from garden to 
 garden and from field to field, and to take very long trips without 
 being obliged to go on a train or a boat or in a carriage. But what 
 do you think of two pairs of wings ? And yet the graceful dragon- 
 fly has two pairs and he uses both pairs at the same time, just as 
 you use your two feet. These wings, too, are often painted in 
 colors of red and black and brown and yellow, and sometimes a deli- 
 cate, shining blue, which looks like the precious stone called 
 sapphire. They love the sun, and so they come in great numbers in 
 the summer season. Have you never seen them flying around the 
 tall tiger-lilies in the garden ? And away they go sometimes into 
 the forests, and they can be seen on the hedges and very often about 
 the fruit trees in the orchard. But to these places they only make 
 short visits, because they love to live near the water, skimming over 
 the lake and the pond and the river. They are lighter than feathers, 
 and when you are near a pond in the summer, you can find a great 
 deal of pleasure in watching them as they fly here and there over 
 the water. Their beautiful wings are as thin as gauze. You can 
 easily see through them, and when you look at them closely, you 
 wonder how such frail, delicate wings can support even as light a 
 
 90 
 
TEE DRAGON-FLY. 
 
 body as the slender dragon-fly; but these four wings do a great deal 
 of flying. "Watch him on the pond, and see how seldom he rests; he 
 loves to go all the time. 
 
 The front wings and the hind wings differ in coloring so he is all 
 the handsomer for that. His legs are black with reddish thighs, 
 and when he flies, the colors of his four wings and his legs and his 
 bright brown eyes shine in the sunlight, till you might almost be-, 
 lieve that a very beautiful piece of jewelry was flying about. But 
 although he is a handsome fellow, he is a great tyrant on the water, 
 and the poor little insects, like the gnats and midges, he devours 
 without a grain of salt. Some of them carry a sting too, and poor 
 animals dread them very much. Indead the dragon-fly devours 
 smaller insects so greedily that he is called dragon for that reason. 
 In olden times which you will read about when you are older, there 
 were a great many stories about the terrible dragons who devoured 
 people. These stories were fables or untrue stories, but the dragon- 
 fly got his name from these cruel monsters that devoured everything 
 that came within their reach. 
 
 A FIDDLER. 
 
THE SKATERS 
 
 When Mrs. Bear went out to skate, 
 Papa's top-hat went skating, too : 
 
 Bear Minor and his sister Kate 
 
 (Who wore a muff and muffler blue) 
 
 Went far ahead across the ice, 
 
 And laughed and shouted, " This is nice !' 
 
 92 
 
JACK FROST 
 
 ?HE earth was 
 {jp dressed one 
 
 winter's night 
 In all its best 
 
 of spotless white ; 
 Jack Frost it was whose magic hand 
 Had turned it thus to Fairyland. 
 
 With coats so warm and boots so stout 
 Next morn the children started out, 
 Their rosy faces all aglow, 
 To see the sparkling ice and snow. 
 
 They reached the frozen pond at last, 
 And on it soon were skating fast ; 
 For all the water there was lost 
 And turned to ice by old Jack Frost. 
 
 They made the most of ice and snow, 
 Jack Frost so seldom comes, you know ; 
 But when he does, the children say 
 They only wish he had come to stay I 
 
 93 
 
TIPSY, TOPSY, TEE. 
 
 Half-a-dozen little girls 
 Playing a game, I see. 
 They whirl a ring; I hear them sing, 
 " Tipsy, topsy, tee ! " 
 
 Then — " Here's a king arriving ! " — 
 That's how it sounds to me, 
 Though there's no crown nor ermine gown 
 For tipsy, topsy, tee ! 
 
 All hands in line, a pretty row, 
 Then bow and courtesy ! 
 One makes a choice, and every voice 
 Sings, " Tipsy, topsy, tee ! " 
 
 More kings arrive — the curly heads- 
 I've counted two or three, 
 And they're all so gay, I like the play 
 Of tipsy, topsy, tee. 
 
 94 
 
THE ENGLISH CUCKOO. 
 
 The English cuckoo " sings as she flies," and the English people 
 are glad to hear its voice, " Cuck-oo ! cuck-oo ! " because it tells them 
 that the spring has come ; but no good children can like its mean, 
 ugly ways. 
 
 The mother does not build a nest of her own, as all respectable 
 birds should do, but lays her eggs in the nest of some other bird 
 much smaller than herself. 
 
 When the young cuckoo is hatched, before it has feathers, or 
 even gets its eyes open, it feels around to see if there is anything 
 else in the nest; if it finds eggs, it manages to push them over the 
 side of its stolen home. If a young bird is there, perhaps its own 
 sister or brother, the naughty cuckoo works its body under the 
 helpless creature, and by dint of backing and pushing, contrives to 
 get the poor thing out of the nest ; down it goes on the ground and 
 is killed, unless the nest is low; then it becomes chilled and dies. 
 Over and over again the murderer slaughters its victims until it is 
 left alone in the nest. "Such a mean, selfish, disagreeable bird I " 
 you say. I agree with you, but there are children who would like 
 to keep everything for themselves, too. 
 
 95 
 

 THE GARDEN BIRD. 
 
 In New Guinea there is a bird which not only builds a house 
 but has a garden too. He is known by the name of Garden Bird. 
 
 When he is going to build, the Garden Bird first looks for a level 
 spot of ground which has a shrub in the centre. Then he covers 
 the bottom of the stem of this shrub with a heap of moss. Next 
 he brings small green twigs from other plants ; these he sticks in 
 the ground so that they lean against his shrub. On one side he 
 leaves a place open for the door. The twigs keep on growing so 
 that his little cavern is like a bower. 
 
 Last of all, in front of the door, the bird makes a lawn of moss. 
 Upon this lawn he scatters purple berries and pink flowers, and 
 these he always keeps fresh. 
 
 He is about as large as a thrush or black bird. His head, his 
 back, his wings and tail are brown, and beneath he is greenish-red. 
 
 96 
 
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