The Young and Field Literary Readers Part 14

"O, I don't know," said the camel. "It's a way I sometimes have. I like to roll a little, after dinner."

With that, he rolled over, and the jackal fell into the water.

POEMS BY LAURA E. RICHARDS[1]

THE b.u.mBLEBEE

The b.u.mblebee, the b.u.mblebee, He flew to the top of the tulip tree.

He flew to the top, But he could not stop, For he had to get home to his early tea.

The b.u.mblebee, the b.u.mblebee, He flew away from the tulip tree; But he made a mistake, And flew into the lake, And he never got home to his early tea.

[1] Copyright, 1890, by Little, Brown, and Company.

LITTLE BROWN BOBBY

Little Brown Bobby sat on the barn floor, Little Brown Bossy looked in at the door.

Little Brown Bobby said, "Lackaday!

Who'll drive me this little Brown Bossy away?"

Little Brown Bobby said, "Shoo! shoo! shoo!"

Little Brown Bossy said, "Moo! moo! moo!"

This frightened them so that both of them cried, And wished they were back at their mammy's side.

JIPPY AND JIMMY

Jippy and Jimmy were two little dogs.

They went to sail on some floating logs; The logs rolled over, the dogs rolled in, And they got very wet, for their clothes were thin.

Jippy and Jimmy crept out again.

They said, "The river is full of rain!"

They said, "The water is far from dry!

Ki-hi! ki-hi! ki-_hi_-yi! ki-hi!"

Jippy and Jimmy went s.h.i.+vering home.

They said, "On the river no more we will roam; And we won't go to sail until we learn how, Bow-wow! bow-wow! bow-_wow_-wow! bow-wow!"

THE SONG OF THE CORN POPPER

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Here am I, all ready to pop.

Girls and boys, the fire burns clear; Gather about the chimney here, Big ones, little ones, all in a row.

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Into the bowl the kernels drop; Sharp and hard and yellow and small, Must say they don't look good at all; But wait till they burst into warm white snow!

Hop away! pop away! here we go!

Pip! pop! flippety flop!

Shake me steadily; do not stop!

Backward and forward, not up and down; Don't let me drop, or you'll burn it brown.

Never too high and never too low; Hop away! pop away! here we go!

A FRENCH FAIRY TALE

THE FAIRY

Once on a time there was a woman who had two daughters. The older was very much like her mother, and was very ugly.

The younger was not like her, but was very good and beautiful.

The woman liked the older girl because she was like herself.

She did not like the younger; so she made her do all the hard work.

One day the younger daughter had gone to the spring to get water. It was a long way from home.

As she was standing by the spring, a poor old woman came by and asked her for a drink.

"Indeed, you shall have a drink," said the girl.

She filled her pitcher and gave the old woman some water.

The woman drank, and then said, "You are so kind and good, my dear, that I will give you a gift."

Now this old woman was a fairy, but the girl did not know it.

"I will give you a gift," she said, "and this shall be the gift: With every word that you speak, either a flower or a jewel shall fall from your mouth."

When the younger girl came home, her mother scolded her because she had been so long at the spring.

"I am very sorry indeed, mother," said the girl.

At once two roses, two pearls, and two diamonds fell from her mouth.

"What is this!" cried the mother. "I think I see pearls and diamonds falling out of your mouth! How does this happen, my child?"