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 Science 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://archive.org/details/firstreadingbookOOshel 
 
PBEFACE. 
 
 This little book is designed to accompany 
 the Phonic Beading Cards. For fuller direc- 
 tions as to method of teaching these, see " Ele- 
 mental Instruction." k 
 
 Although these lessons are arranged with 
 reference to the method of teaching reading 
 there laid down, they may be very advan- 
 tageously used independently of them, as an 
 introduction to any ordinary reading book. 
 
 By the plan here presented, we believe chil- 
 dren will learn to read with far more ease and 
 rapidity than by the ordinary methods. The 
 ^ words at the heads of the lessons are first to be 
 — ■ learned as such, when the children will be 
 i able, for the most part, to prepare their les- 
 Kson without the aid of the teacher. The 
 
4: PREFACE. 
 
 class should first read the lesson from the 
 Cards, and then from the books. 
 
 The matter of these lessons is arranged and 
 revised from a series published in London, by 
 the "Society for the Promotion of Christian 
 Knowledge." 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 THE DOG AND THE EAT. 
 
 Is. To. Too. Of. Go. He. For. 
 
 The dog ran to get 
 
 a rat, 
 
 i* 
 
6 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 The rat bit the lip of 
 the dog. 
 
 Now the rat has run 
 to the box. 
 
 Now he is in the box. 
 
 Let the dog go in for 
 him. 
 
 The dog is too big 
 to go in. 
 
 Let the cat go in to 
 get him. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 1 ■f.#o&e#, 
 
 II. 
 
 THE DOG XKD THE COW. 
 
 O. Do. So. By. May. Say. You. Has. 
 Was, 
 
 The boy has a rod. 
 The dog is by him. 
 
8 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 boy do not hit the 
 dog. 
 
 The dog bit the leg of 
 the red cow. 
 
 He was a bad dog to 
 do so. 
 
 You may say so to him. 
 But do not hit him. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 W. ROBERTS :SCl 
 
 III. 
 
 THE PUP. 
 
 Ned has got a bun. 
 Let the pup beg for a 
 bit of the bun. 
 
10 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK, 
 
 Go off dog. 
 Let the pup sit by me. 
 Now the pup is fed. 
 He may lap in the pan. 
 
 Now let him run to the 
 dog. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 13 
 
 The sun is hot to-day. 
 Yes. It is now mid- 
 day. 
 
1- FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Let us sit on the mat. 
 
 Tom may sit by us. 
 
 The cat can sit in my 
 lap. 
 
 cat do not run off. 
 I can not let you run 
 to the hen. 
 
 The hen has an egg in 
 the box. I saw it in the 
 box. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 15 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE TOM-TIT. 
 
 Fy. Are. 
 
 A tom-tit is on the 
 log. 
 
 He is in the sun. 
 
16 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 How gay and fat he is. 
 Do not go off tom-tit. 
 
 now the cat has got 
 him. She has run up the 
 tree. 
 
 1 am so sad for the 
 tom-tit. 
 
 fy cat. You are a 
 bad cat to do so. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 17 
 
 YII. 
 
 . #+ THE TOP AKD THE BEE. 
 As. Why. Eye. 
 
 I can see my top. A 
 bee is on it. Can my top 
 
 see me ? 
 
 2* 
 
18 FIRST 'READING BOOK. 
 
 No the top can not see 
 you. But the bee can see 
 you. 
 
 Why can not my top 
 see me ? For it can hum 
 as a bee can hum. 
 
 The top has no eye. 
 For it is but a toy. The 
 bee has an eye. Can you 
 not see its eye ? 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 19 
 
 Till. 
 OLD AKN" LEE. 
 
 Old Ann Lee at the cot 
 is ill. She can not go out 
 nor get up. — Her boy Tom 
 has run to us to say so. 
 
20 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 May she eat my bun? 
 
 'No. She is too ill to 
 eat a bun. — But she may 
 eat sop. And she may sip 
 a cup of tea. 
 
 We can go to see her 
 by and by. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 21 
 
 fiOBERrs.SC. 
 
 Hark 
 
 Fast. Or. 
 
 ISTor. 
 
 IX. 
 
 THE FOX. 
 Bark. Form. Sly. 
 
 Fern. 
 What. 
 
 Yard. 
 Barn. New. 
 When. 
 
 Do you see the new dog ? 
 
 It is not a dog. It is a fox. 
 
 But hark. He can bark as a dog. 
 
22 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Yes. But he has not the form of 
 a dog. 
 
 May I go to him and pat him ? 
 
 No. He will hurt you if you do. 
 He is so sly. He bit Tom in the 
 hand just now. 
 
 How did Tom get him ? 
 
 The man at the mill got him in a 
 trap. And he let Tom have him. 
 
 But what will Tom do with him ? 
 Will he stay in the yard ? 
 
 Yes. Tom will tie him up. And 
 he will lie on the dry fern in that 
 tub. 
 
 Will he run off if he is set free ? 
 
 Yes. And he can run fast. He 
 will get off to the dell if he can. 
 Or he may go to the barn. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 23 
 
 Then he may get the old hen and 
 eat her up. For she sits in the 
 barn. 
 
 Will the fox eat hens ? 
 
 Yes. He will eat the hen and the 
 cock too if he can get him. — It was 
 he that got the cock and hen of the 
 man at the mill. — And so the « man 
 set a trap for him. 
 
 bad fox. I am glad that the 
 man got you in the trap. I will not 
 play with you nor go to you. 
 
 / 
 
24 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 BOBERTS. Sc 
 
 X. 
 
 DICK BELL AND THE NEST. 
 
 Far. Try. Son. Ely. Know. Bird. Last. 
 
 Do you know Dick Bell ? 
 Is lie the son of the man at the 
 mill? 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 25 
 
 Yes. It is he. 
 
 I know him. I saw him at play 
 with Ned when I was last at the mill. 
 What can you tell me of him ? 
 
 He is a bad boy. He will not do 
 as he is bid. I saw him go up a tree 
 for the nest of a bird. The tree is 
 the big elm by the pond. The 
 nest is not far from the top of the 
 tree. It is the nest of a bl?ck-bird. 
 You can see it in the tree. "You can 
 just now see the old bird fly out from 
 the nest. John the milkman told 
 him not to go up. I told him so too. 
 And I told him how sad a bird is 
 when her nest is lost. But he went. 
 He got far up into the tree. But he 
 did not get what he went for. 
 
26 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Did he try to get the nest ? 
 
 Yes. He did try to get it. 
 
 But tell Hie how it was that he 
 did not get it. Did he not go so 
 far up the tree ? 
 
 Yes. He went iip the tree as far 
 as the nest, and he held out his hand 
 to get it. — "When he held out his 
 hand to get the nest he let go of the 
 tree. And so he fell in to the pond. 
 I was on the bank and saw him 
 drop. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 27 
 
 WJl0S£/lT.iSr$Cr. 
 
 XI. 
 
 DICK BELL IN THE POND. 
 
 Such. One. Low. Drew. Path. 
 
 Much. Into. Hard. Girl. Farm. 
 
 Warm. Dirt. Wish 
 
 How did Dick Bell get out of the 
 pond ? Can he swim ? 
 
28 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 No. Dick can not swim. But 
 the pond was low. So that he had 
 not to swim. He got to the bank. 
 But then he fell back and sank. in 
 the mud. I will tell you how he 
 got out at last. A man was in the 
 farm yard not far off. And I ran 
 and told the man to help me. — He 
 was a kind man and went to get a 
 long rod out of the barn. We then 
 held out the rod to Dick. He held 
 on to the rod and so we drew him 
 up the bank. He had one bad slip. 
 But the man held him by the hand. 
 And at last w^e got him up on the 
 path. 
 
 Was he much hurt ? 
 
 No. But he was wet. And 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 29 
 
 he was in a sad mess with the 
 mud. 
 
 How did he get dry ? 
 . He went into a cot that was hard 
 by. And we got a kind girl to dry 
 him and warm him and rub off the 
 dirt. But he is now ill from the 
 wet. And I do not know when he 
 will get well. 
 
 You must not play with Dick 
 Bell. He was a bad boy not to do 
 as he was bid. And he w r as a bad 
 boy to try to get the nest of the 
 black-bird. I am glad that he did 
 not get it. And I hope that he may 
 not try to do such a bad act when 
 he gets well. If so, I shall not be 
 sad that he fell in to the pond. 
 
30 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 THE AXE. 
 
 Your. Sharp. Chop. Thing. 
 Stir. Foot. 
 
 Stool. 
 
 I have a bad toe. Can you tie a 
 bit of rag on it ? 
 
 Yes. I have a bit of rag. Let 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 31 
 
 me see your toe. Did you cut 
 it? 
 
 No. But Dick Bell cut it. 
 
 How did Dick Bell cut your toe ? 
 Was he at play with you ? 
 
 Yes. He was at play with me. 
 And he cut my toe with an axe. 
 
 Did I not tell you not to play with 
 Dick Bell ? You know that he is a 
 bad boy. — You saw him try to take 
 the nest of the black-bird, when he 
 fell into the pond. — But tell me what 
 Dick was at with the axe. And 
 how did he get it ? 
 
 He was at play with me in the 
 copse. A man had left his axe on a 
 log. — Dick got the axe to try to 
 chop the log with it. But he let it 
 
32 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 slip out of his hand on to my big 
 toe. 
 
 Did you not tell him that it is bad 
 to play with an axe ? 
 
 Yes. I told him so. And I told 
 him not to get the axe, lest he hurt 
 my hands or his own. 
 
 Well. Now you see what a bad 
 thing it is to play with an axe. 
 Dick did not cut your hands nor his 
 own. But he has cut your toe. 
 And that was as bad. It is well he 
 did not cut your toe off 
 
 Is it a bad cut ? 
 
 No. It is not a bad cut. I will 
 tie this rag on it. The dirt must be 
 kept from it. And you must lay 
 your toe up. You must not run nor 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 33 
 
 stir. You must sit still and set the 
 foot up on a stool. It will then be 
 well in a day or so. 
 
 XIII. 
 HOW TO GET WAKM. 
 
 Air. 
 
 Do not sit by the fire. 
 
 But I am so cold. I do not know 
 what else to do. 
 
 I will tell you then what else you 
 can do. — Go out in to the air, and 
 run, and jump, and skip, and hop. 
 Or you may play with the dog. 
 And then you will get warm. 
 
 But I can not go from the fire. 
 
34 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 
 It is so warm by the fire, and so 
 cold out in the yard. 
 
 But you know that you must go 
 out by and by. And then you will 
 be cold. — You can not help that. 
 But run and jump, and get warm 
 now. And you will not be cold 
 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 35 
 
 then. — You will be ill if you stay 
 too much by the fire. 
 
 Well, then, I will go out and skip 
 and play with Tray. — Now, Tray, 
 let us go to the yard. Jump up on 
 this bench. — You can jump as well 
 as I can. Now jump down. — Try 
 to run as fast as I can. Do not 
 bark. — But let us see if we can get 
 the bird that sits on that tub. No. 
 He is off. — And I can tell you that 
 he is glad to get off. See how far 
 he is now up in the air. — You can 
 not run as fast as the bird can fly. 
 And I find that I can not run as fast 
 as you can. — Now, Tray, you and I 
 are warm. We will go in. 
 
 Well, are you warm yet ? 
 
36 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 0, yes. I am so warm. I am 
 glad that I did not stay by the fire. 
 I shall not now go to the fire when I 
 am cold. But I shall go out, and 
 run and play in the air. 
 
 XIY. 
 
 THE HAY EICK. 
 
 Put "Were. They. First. House. Fork. 
 Does. Grass. Girls. 
 
 What is hay ? 
 
 Hay is dry grass. Did you not 
 see men and boys and girls toss the 
 hay up, and turn it when the days 
 were long and warm ? 
 
 ; yes. I saw them toss the hay 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 37 
 
 #0&£*7-& j», 
 
 up with long forks. But how do 
 they first get the hay ? 
 
 It is first grass. When the grass 
 is grown up, they cut it. — Then they 
 let it lie in the sun. And so it lies 
 till what is at the top is dry. — Then 
 they toss it and turn it with a fork 
 
38 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 as you saw. — And when it is dry 
 they put it in to a rick. So that 
 cows may eat it when the days are 
 cold as they are now, and the grass 
 will not grow. 
 
 The rick is in the form of a house. 
 And straw is on the top. — Tell me 
 why they put the hay in to the 
 form of a house ? 
 
 The wet runs off the top of the rick 
 just as it runs off the top of a house. 
 
 But will the wet hurt the hay ? 
 
 Yes. The hay rots if it gets wet. 
 And if at first it does not lie in the 
 field till it is dry, it gets first warm, 
 then hot, and at last it burns. — I 
 saw a hay rick burnt in this way at 
 the farm on the hill. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 39 
 
 I can use a fork. I shall be glad 
 when the days are warm and long, 
 that I may go out and toss and turn 
 the hay. 
 
 XV. 
 
 THE FKOG. 
 Where. There. Fish. Watch. 
 
 Where did you go just now ? I 
 saw you go out. 
 
 I went to the pond to see the fish 
 swim. 
 
 "What have you got in your hand ? 
 
 Tt is a frog. I got him in the long 
 grass by the pond. Do you see him 
 try to get out of my hand ? 
 
40 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Yes. I see him try. But let him 
 go. You hurt him. 
 
 No. I do not hurt him. I do 
 but hold him fast. 
 
 But you do hurt him. That is 
 why you see him try so hard to get 
 free. — It is to him as if a great 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 41 
 
 man were to hold you fast in his 
 hand. 
 
 Is it so ? I did not think of that. 
 I will let him go then. 
 
 There now. See how fast he hops 
 off. He can not thank you. But 
 you can see how glad he is. 
 
 yes. And I am glad to see that 
 he is glad. But I did not think that 
 I hurt him. 
 
 1 know that you did not think so. 
 Tou did not think at all. — You 
 know that frogs and birds and dogs 
 and cats can not tell you when you 
 hurt them. — So you must think of 
 what you do to them. And you 
 must watch them. Tou may then 
 see when you hurt them. 
 
 4* 
 
42 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 THE FKOG IK THE POND. 
 Swan. Does. Arms. Thin. 
 
 I saw the frog hop in to the pond. 
 Let us go and see him swim. 
 
 There he is by the tree. You 
 may stir the pond with your stick 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 43 
 
 if you will. You will then see how 
 fast he will be off. 
 
 0, how well he can swim. But he 
 does not swim as a fish swims. 
 
 No. He has not fins as a fish has. 
 He swims with his legs. Just as a 
 man swims with his legs and arms. 
 
 Can you swim as he can ? 
 
 I can swim in the way that he 
 swims. But I can not swim so fast 
 nor so long. — It is not God's will for 
 men to swim as well as frogs do. 
 Men stay on land and go into the 
 sea but now and then. — But watch 
 this frog, and you will see that he 
 stays as long in the pond or in the 
 ditch as he stays on the land. 1 — I 
 will tell you how it is that I can not 
 
44 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 swim so well as "he can. — I have not 
 a web to my toes and hands such as 
 he has. — You can see that he has a 
 web or thin skin from toe to toe. 
 It is like the web on the toes of a 
 duck. The birds that swim have 
 webs of this kind. 
 
 Then the swan has webs to his 
 toes? 
 
 Yes. You may see that he has 
 when you next go to the pond. 
 
 - 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 45 
 
 XVII. 
 TKAY AND FAK 
 
 Could. Come. Would. Care. Things. 
 
 We have two dogs. 
 What are their names ? 
 Tray and Fan. Tray is a big dog, 
 and Fan is a little one. 
 
46 tflRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Which do you like best ? 
 
 Oh! I like Fan best. I do not 
 like Tray. 
 
 Why do you not like Tray ? 
 
 He is so big. And he jumps up 
 on me when I go near him. 
 
 But do you know of what use he 
 is? He is of much more use than 
 Fan. 
 
 Of what use is he then ? 
 
 I will tell you. If bad men should 
 come to steal what is in the house 
 he would bite them. — And if we 
 were in bed he would bark and 
 wake us. And then we could take 
 care of our things. ^ 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 47 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 OLD A1STN" LEE. 
 
 Thank. Good. Bye. "Work. 
 
 Old Ann Lee is well now. I saw 
 her to-day. She is blind. But she 
 can sit, and knit, and spin. 
 
 Shall we go and see her ? 
 
48 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Yes. We will go by the field. 
 
 There she is. She sits by the door 
 of her cot, and spins. 
 
 How do you do, Ann Lee ? 
 
 I am well, my dear, thank God ! 
 I am now blind. But I can spin, 
 and knit, and go to church. 
 
 How do you find your way to 
 church ? 
 
 My son Tom leads me there. 
 
 Good bye, Ann Lee. We will 
 take care to come and see you now 
 and then. And send to us if we 
 can help you. 
 
 Thank you. Good bye, my dears. 
 
 Now then we will go home. Do 
 you know Tom Lee ? 
 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 49 
 
 Yes. I see him when he leads old 
 Ann to church. 
 
 He is a good son. He is so kind 
 to her. 
 
 How old is he ? 
 
 He is but ten years old. 
 
 Does he work at the mill ? 
 
 Yes. He works hard at the mill. 
 And he. takes home all he gets for 
 his work to old Ann. 
 
 He is a good boy. And if he 
 keeps on so he will be a good 
 man. 
 
 Does Tom Lee like play ? 
 
 0, yes. He likes play as well as 
 Dick Bell does. 
 
 But I do not see him at play. 
 
 No. He has no time for play. 
 
50 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 • • • • 
 
 He works hard all day. And when 
 he goes home he reads to old 
 Ann. 
 
 XIX. 
 THE EAT. 
 
 Whose. Look. Shell. Squirrel. Full. 
 Two. "Wood. Teeth. Marmot. Gnaws. 
 Gnaw. Mouth. 
 
 0, here is a rat in the trap. 
 
 What an old one he is ! 
 
 How can you see that he is an old 
 one ? 
 
 He has such long teeth. 
 
 But why has an old rat long teeth ? 
 An old man's teeth are not long. 
 And our old dog Tray has not long 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 51 
 
 /? 03£T& Tiff. So. 
 
 teeth. The pup's teeth are as long 
 as Tray's teeth. 
 
 I will tell you why. A rat's teeth 
 grow as long as he lives. — But when 
 you are a man, your teeth will grow 
 no more. — And a clog's teeth grow 
 no more when he is of his full size. 
 
52 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 Can you tell me why a rat's teeth 
 grow as long as he lives ? 
 
 Yes. The rat does not bite what 
 he eats as you do. And he does not 
 tear it as you see Tray tear meat 
 from a bone. — He gnaws it into little 
 bits like saw-dust with the two long 
 teeth which you see in the front of 
 his mouth. — And if the teeth were 
 not to grow he would soon wear 
 them out. For he gnaws hard 
 things that lie in his way as well as 
 what he eats. 
 
 Can he gnaw wood ? 
 
 Yes. If you were to stop up his 
 hole with wood to try to keep him 
 in, he would gnaw a hole in the 
 wood. — I once saw a large piece of 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 53 
 
 lead put on the hole of a rat. But 
 the rat made ,a hole in the lead and 
 got out. v 
 
 But why does not this old rat 
 gnaw his way out of the trap with 
 his long teeth ? 
 
 There is tin in the trap on the 
 sides. And he can not gnaw tin, 
 for it is too hard. 
 
 0, now I see that my squir-rel has 
 two teeth in the front of his mouth 
 like the rat's teeth. Will they grow 
 as long as he lives ? 
 
 Yes. Look at your squir-rel when 
 he eats a nut, and gnaws a hole in 
 the shell. — You will then see how he 
 would wear down his teeth if they 
 were not to grow. 
 
 5* 
 
54 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 What beasts are there which gnaw 
 what they eat like the rat and the 
 squir-rel, and whose teeth grow as 
 long as they live ? 
 
 Yon know one that has the same 
 kind of teeth. Can you not tell me 
 his name ? 
 
 Is it the cat ? 
 
 No. There is the cat. Look at 
 her mouth. You will then see that 
 she has not teeth like the rat to 
 gnaw with. ' Her teeth are more 
 like the dog's. 
 
 0, do you mean the rab-bit ? 
 
 Yes. If you go to him and give 
 him this leaf, and look at him while 
 he eats it, you will see his teeth. 
 And you will see how he makes use 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 55 
 
 of his teeth. — Then there is the hare 
 which eats in the same way. And 
 there is the mar-mot, a strange little 
 thing that lives in a land a gr*eat 
 way off. 
 
 XX. 
 
 HANDS AND PAWS. 
 
 Color. Their. Mouse. Dormouse. Large. 
 Eyes. Young. Thumb. Monkey. Paws. 
 
 What have you got in that little 
 box? 
 
 Look at it. What do you suppose 
 it is? 
 
 It seems like a young squirrel. 
 
 But it is not a squirrel, if it does 
 look like one. Is it not like some- 
 
56 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 jpaa&rrs- j? 
 
 thing not so big as a squirrel, that 
 you have seen ? 
 
 0, I know what you mean. It is 
 like a mouse. 
 
 Yes. This is a mouse. Its name 
 is the Dor-mouse. 
 
 Its color is brown. He has a 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 57 
 
 large tail, too. And his fine black 
 eyes are just like my squirrel's. 
 
 Yes. And you will see by and by 
 that he eats like a squirrel. 
 
 ; now he sits up on his hind legs. 
 And he holds a nut in his two hands. 
 And he gnaws it just as the squirrel 
 does. 
 
 You must not say his hands, but 
 his fore feet. 
 
 But he can hold a nut as I hold 
 an apple in my hands. 
 
 Yes. But he can not hold a nut 
 in one paw. And you can hold an 
 apple in one hand. 
 
 0, I see that he takes hold with 
 both paws But why can he not 
 hold a nut in one paw ? 
 
58 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 He has not a thumb as you have. 
 And so he can not pinch a thing as 
 you can. — He has four toes in a row 
 on each of his fore feet. And he 
 has five toes on his hind feet, like 
 the toes on your foot. — Look at your 
 foot and your hand. You will then 
 see that your great toe is not put 
 on your foot as your thumb is put 
 on your hand. 
 
 Have no beasts thumbs as I 
 have? 
 
 Yes. Apes and monkeys have 
 thumbs. And they can pinch a thing 
 with one hand as you can. But a 
 monkey has four hands and no true 
 feet. 
 
 yes. I have seen a monkey 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 59 
 
 take hold of the branch of a tree by 
 his hind foot. 
 
 There are monkeys that can take 
 hold of the branch of a tree by their 
 tails as well as by their hands or 
 feet. 
 
 Where did you get this Dor- 
 mouse ? 
 
 John Bell got it in a hole in a 
 tree. It was a-sleep when he got 
 it. 
 
60 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 XXI. 
 
 POBERJs.St. 
 
 THE DOKMOUSE. 
 
 Been. Found. Some. All. Comes. 
 Ground. Done. 
 
 Had your dor-mouse been a-sleep for some 
 weeks when John Bell found him? And 
 did he not eat at all for that time ? 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 61 
 
 I can not say that it did not eat for all 
 that time. But it did not eat much. Would 
 you like to have me tell you how the dor- 
 mouse lives ? 
 
 0, yes ; do. I like him, and would like 
 to know all you can tell me of him. 
 
 I will tell you then how he lives in sum- 
 mer and in win-ter. You know that the 
 days are hot in sum-mer. Then he sleeps a 
 little while in the day and wtfkes at dusk. 
 He eats and plays as he likes all night. He 
 runs up and down the trees and jumps from 
 branch to branch. — But when win-ter comes 
 near, the days are cold. And then he finds 
 out a snug hole in a tree or in the ground. 
 He makes a nest in the hole. The nest is 
 made of leaves and grass. — He next gets such 
 nuts and seeds as he can. And these he 
 stores up in his .hole. When he has done 
 this, he curls up in his nest and goes to 
 sleep. 
 
62 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 How long does he sleep ? 
 
 As long as the days are cold. When a 
 mild day comes, he wakes up and eats a nut 
 or two from his store. When the cold comes 
 back, he goes to sleep as he did at first. 
 And so he goes on till spring comes and the 
 days are warm. Then he comes out of Ins 
 hole and lives like the rest of the things that 
 live in the woods. 
 
 How I wish I had a dor-mouse. 
 
 I will give you this one if you will take 
 care of him. 
 
 O, thank you. I will take great care of 
 him. I will give him a nice large cage. 
 And I will feed him with the best nuts I can 
 get. fe 
 
 You may take him in your hand if you like. 
 
 But will he not bite me as my squir-rel 
 did? 
 
 No. He will not bite you if you do not 
 hurt him. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 63 
 
 O, how soft he is. I like him so much. 
 He is my pet. 
 
 XXII. 
 THE YAK. 
 
 North. Small. Short. Foot. 
 
 Snow lies on the ground all the year 
 on the tops of high hills. 
 
 Does snow lie on the ground in spots 
 where there are no high hills ? 
 
 Yes. Par to the North. 
 
 Do men live where there is snow all the 
 year? 
 
 Yes. Men live there, and boys and girls 
 too. 
 
 What do they eat ? Can they get bread ? 
 
 No. They cannot get bread like that 
 which we eat, for they have no wheat. They 
 eat fish and meat. 
 
64 
 
 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 But how can they get meat ? Are there 
 beasts that live where there is no grass on 
 account of the snow ? 
 
 Yes, There are beasts that live on fish. 
 And there is the Deer that lives on moss, 
 which grows when the snow is on the ground. 
 And there is the Yak, a small kind of ox, j 
 with short legs, which lives on the tops of 
 high hills. 
 
 How does he get his food ? 
 
 / 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 65 
 
 i 
 
 He digs a trench in the snow with his 
 nose, and goes up the hill as he digs. He 
 finds some moss on the ground, which he 
 eats like the deer. — But by and by he gets 
 to a place where the snow is so deep that he 
 cannot work on. 
 
 And what does he do then ? 
 
 He folds up his short legs and rolls down 
 the hill till he comes to the edge of the snow. 
 
 But what does he do next ? 
 
 Then he digs a trench like the first, and 
 so he keeps on till he has had as much moss 
 as he likes. 
 
 I would like to see a yak. What an odd 
 beast he must be ! 
 
 6* 
 
66 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 XXIII. 
 
 THE BEES. 
 Honey. Learn. Those. Should. "Wasps. 
 
 Come with me and look at the bees.' 
 But do not go too near the hive. If you do 
 they will sting you. 
 
 Why should I look at the bees ? I do 
 not like to look at them so well as at wasps. 
 They are not so bright and gay as wasps are. 
 
 No, they are not so bright and gay. But 
 they do much more good. And you may 
 iearn more from them if you look at them, 
 than you can from wasps. 
 
 O, I know what good they do. They 
 make honey and wax. But what can I learn 
 if I look at them ? 
 
 Come with me and I will tell you. Do 
 you not see how hard they work ? 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 67 
 
 I see them move here and there. But I 
 can not see what they do. 
 
 But if you look with care you may see 
 what they do. Those that you see fly in to 
 the hive bring loads of honey that they have 
 got from flowers. — Some of the honey they 
 make into wax, to make their combs with, 
 and the rest they stow up in the cells of the 
 comb. 
 
 O, now I see some stuff on their legs. 
 What is it ? 
 
 That is pollen, or dust, out of the flowers. 
 With this they feed their young ones. — Now 
 when you see how hard and how well they 
 work, you should learn to work hard and 
 well like them. — But this is not all you may 
 learn from them. 
 
 What else do you mean ? 
 
 They store up food for the cold time when 
 there will be no flowers for them to go to for 
 fresh honey. — You should in the same way 
 
68 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 think of the time to come. You should learn 
 to read and write, and to do all the good you 
 can, now you are young. — A time will come 
 when you will have no one to teach you, and 
 no time to learn. 
 
 XXIY. 
 
 GOD MADE YOU. 
 
 Book. Sounds. Think. Arms. Walk. 
 
 God made you, and gave you all you 
 have. 
 
 He gave you eyes to see with, so that you 
 can look at the sun, and the earth, and the 
 beasts that live on it, and the birds that fly 
 in the air. And you can see boys, and gills, 
 and men. And you can read what is in this 
 book. — If you had no eyes you would be 
 blind, and would not see one of these things 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 69 
 
 by night or by day. When the sun shines, 
 
 it would be the same to you as when it is 
 
 aight. 
 
 God gave you ears to hear with, so that 
 ou can hear what we say to you. — And you 
 an hear sweet sounds when the birds sing 
 i the woods and fields, and when God's 
 
 t 'aise is sung in church. — If you had no 
 
70 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 ears you would not hear words nor sweet 
 sounds, but you would be deaf like a stone. 
 
 God gave you a mouth to speak with, so 
 that you can talk to boys and girls, and ask 
 for what you would like. And you can sav 
 what you think and feel. — If you had no 
 mouth you could not speak, but you would 
 be dumb like a fish. 
 
 God gave you arms and hands to work 
 with, and legs to walk, and run, and jump 
 with. — If you had no arms you could do no 
 work. And if you had no legs you would 
 not be able to move, but you must stop in 
 one place like a log. 
 
 God gave you a head, so that you can 
 learn what we teach you, and know what it 
 is that you hear and see. 
 
FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 •v 
 
 XXV. 
 GOD SEES YOU. 
 I Dark. Heart. Which. Looks. 
 
 V .' . ■ 
 
 God is a spirit. He is not like a man. 
 You can not see God. But He can see you* 
 at all times. — He can see you as well in the 
 night when it is dark, as He can in the day 
 when it is light. — He can see your heart, 
 which no man can see. He sees all you do^ 
 He hears all you say. He knows all you 
 think, and all you feel. — He is in all places. 
 » You can not go out of His sight. 
 
 God knows when you are a bad boy. 
 He looks on you when you will not do as 
 you are bid. He hears you, if you say what 
 is not true. His eye is on you when you do 
 a bad act. 
 
 God will not let you be happy when you 
 
72 FIRST READING BOOK. 
 
 will not try to be good. And it is He who 
 helps you when you wish to be good. 
 
 If you pray to God, He will send His 
 Holy Spirit to tell you what you should do, 
 and make you good. 
 
 If we mind God, He will make us happy ; 
 and when we die, He will raise us up to see 
 Him, and live for ever with the angels. 
 
 • 
 
 THE END. 
 
 
1 
 
S*M 
 
 1 X!r r Vjyr