Here and Now Story Book Part 7

MY KITTY

Meow, meow!

Kitty's eyes, two eyes, yellow eyes, s.h.i.+ny bright eyes.

Meow, meow!

Kitty's pointed ears, pink on the inside, fur on the outside.

Meow, meow!

Kitty's mouth, little white teeth and whiskers long.

Meow, meow!

Kitty's fur, soft to stroke like this, like this.

Prrrr, prrrr, Little fur ball cuddled close to the warm, warm fire.

Prrrr, prrrr, Little padded feet pattering soft to get her milk.

Prrrr, prrrr, Little pink tongue, lapping up the milk from her own little dish.

Prrrr, prrrr, Warm little, round little, happy little kitten snuggled in my arms.

Pssst, pssst!

Stiff little kitten, spitting at a dog.

Pssst, pssst!

Hair standing up on her humped-up back.

Pssst, pssst!

Sharp white teeth, sharp, sharp, claws.

Pssst, pssst!

Ready to jump and to bite and to scratch.

Kitty, kitty, kitty, You funny little cat, I never know whether you'll purr or spit You funny little cat!

THE ROOSTER AND THE HENS

An objective story tied in with the personal.

THE ROOSTER AND THE HENS

Once there was an egg. Inside the egg there was a little chicken growing, for the mother hen had sat on it for three weeks. When the chicken was big enough he wanted to come out and so he went pick, peck, pick, peck, until he made a little hole in the sh.e.l.l. Then he stuck his bill through the hole and wiggled it until the sh.e.l.l cracked and he could get his head through. Then he wiggled it a little more and the sh.e.l.l broke and he could get his foot out. And then the sh.e.l.l broke right in two.

As soon as the little chicken was out he went scritch, scratch, with his little foot. Then he ran to a little saucer of water. He took a little water in his bill; then he held his head up in the air while the water ran down his throat. The mother hen went:

"Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,"

and the little chicken ran to her calling:

"Cheep, cheep, cheep."

Then he heard a funny little noise. He looked around and what do you think he saw? Another egg was cracking because another little chicken was going pick, peck inside. Soon out of the sh.e.l.l came a little baby brother. And then he heard another funny little noise, and another sh.e.l.l broke and out of the sh.e.l.l came a little baby sister. And then he heard another little noise and another sh.e.l.l broke and out of the sh.e.l.l came still another little sister. This went on until there were a lot of yellow baby chickens. Then all the little chickens went scritch, scratch, with their little feet looking for worms, and all the little chickens took a drink of water and held up their heads to let the water run down their throats. And all the little chickens ran to the mother hen calling:

"Cheep, cheep, cheep."

Now all the little chickens began to grow. The little sisters all got little bits of combs on the tops of their heads and under their bills.

Their little yellow feathers turned into all kinds of colors. But the little brother chicken, he got a great big red comb on the top of his head and under his bill, and he got long spurs on his ankles. On his neck the feathers grew long and yellow and behind on his tail they grew very long and all s.h.i.+ny green.

He was walking around one morning while it was still dark when suddenly he felt a funny feeling in his throat. He wanted to open his mouth. So he did, and out of his mouth this is what came:

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo."

He thought it sounded perfectly wonderful; so he opened his mouth again and out came the same sound:

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo."

Now when his sister hens heard this wonderful rooster-noise they all came running out of the chicken house. This made the rooster more pleased than ever. So he threw his head way back and he opened his beak wide and he crowed:

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, I'm twice as smart as you, c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, See what I can do."

When his sister hens heard him say this each one began to cluck and say:

"Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I'm going to lay an egg, an egg."

Then the rooster answered:

"c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, I don't believe it's true.

c.o.c.k-a-doodle-doo, I don't believe it's true."

So the little black and white hen, she ran into the barn and up on the side of the wall she saw a little box. She jumped into the little box and there she laid an egg. Then she said:

"Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Robert.

Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Robert."

Then the little yellow hen she jumped right into the manger and she wiggled around in the straw until she made a little nest where she laid an egg. Then she said:

"Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Martha.

Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Martha."

Then the little black hen she saw another little box nailed on to the wall so she jumped up on it and she laid an egg and then she said:

"Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Tom, for Tom, Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Tom."

And then the little white hen she could not find any place at all. She ran around and around. Finally she sat right down in the soft dust which by this time the sun had made all warm, until she made a little round hollow and there she laid an egg. Then she said:

"Cut-cut-cut, cadaakut, I laid an egg for Peter.