Beginners' Book in Language Part 16

Is some one thinking of buying you by the pound, as if you were a little pig or a calf? Why not say instead, 'I am as round and fat as a ball of b.u.t.ter'? Look at the third sentence. It says that you like to run and jump. That is true. You do like to run and jump. But why not tell it in a bright way? You might have said, 'My brother says I can run like a deer and jump like a frog.'"

Tom took the letter back and gave a shout. "I see what you mean," he cried. "I'll write the whole letter over." A little later he showed his mother the following:

Dear Fred:

I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with brown hair all over the top of my head. I am as round and fat as a ball of b.u.t.ter. My brother says I can run like a deer and jump like a frog. My sister says I am a bookworm. But rather than be a deer or a frog or a bookworm, I want to be your best friend.

Somebody

=Oral Exercise.= Which of the letters that Tom wrote do you like better?

Can you tell why? Point out bright sentences in his first letter. Point out interesting sentences in his second letter.

Tom was very much pleased that he had written his letter over. "The next time I have to write a letter," he said, "I shall write two, and send the second one."

"That's a good plan," said his mother. "First write the best letter you can. Then read it over and make it better." Tom began at once to write more letters for Valentine Day. "It's fun," he said, "and the teacher told us that we might send more than one if we cared to." He followed the new plan of writing a first letter, rather rapidly, and then slowly writing it over and making it better. Then he would throw away the first. Tom worked more than an hour. At the end of that time he showed his mother three letters. Here is one, written to a schoolmate named Marjorie:

Dear Marjorie:

I have two blue eyes and a roof of brown hair. Besides, I have a nose, a mouth, and two ears. But I must not tell you any more, or you will guess who I am. My name is short and begins with _T_.

Somebody

Tom's next letter was written to George, the biggest and strongest boy in the room. He and Tom were good friends. Probably Tom wrote the letter in order to have some fun with George. This is it:

Dear George:

I am the boy who can spank you. I think I shall do it soon, if I feel like it. Better be good when I am near. Of course you know who I am. My name is short and begins with _T_. Better be good, George.

Somebody

Tom's mother asked whether this letter might not hurt George's feelings.

"Oh, no," laughed Tom. "He knows that I am only joking. Why, he is so big and strong, he could spank me, if he wanted to."

Tom's third letter was to a friend whose name was Mary. Tom liked to tease her. Only a few days before, he had thrown s...o...b..a.l.l.s at her. Here is the letter:

Dear Mary:

I am the very, _very_ good boy who _never_ teases you. I never pull your hair. I never throw more than one s...o...b..ll at you, at a time.

Somebody

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which one of the three letters by Tom do you like best? Read the sentence or sentences in it that you like specially.

2. What plan does Tom follow in writing letters? Why did he decide to follow this plan?

=42. Still More Letter Writing=

=Written Exercise.= 1. Write a letter for Valentine Day. Write it to one of your cla.s.smates. Have your letter tell about yourself, just as Tom's told about himself. Sign it _Somebody_, and let the receiver guess who wrote it. Better write the letter twice. Make the first one as good as you can, but write it rather rapidly. Then read it over carefully and make it better wherever you can. Let the second letter be the one you send.

2. If you would like to write more than one letter, as Tom did, do so; but it is better to write one very carefully than two or three carelessly.

Now all the letters should be taken to the cla.s.s post-office. Each letter should be folded and should show on the outside the name of the person to whom it is to go. Perhaps the cla.s.s postmaster will have a box for all this mail. In this the letters may be kept until Valentine Day. On that day the entire mail should be sorted by the postmaster. All the letters for each row may be placed in a separate pile. The letter carriers, one for each row, will deliver them.

=43. Improving Letters=

After the Valentine letters have been read, and the writer of each has been guessed, it will be time to copy some[51] of the letters on the board for the following exercise.

=Group Exercise.= 1. The first letter on the board should be read carefully by the cla.s.s. You and your cla.s.smates should tell clearly what you like and what you do not like in it. The teacher will rewrite it on the board as the cla.s.s tells how it can be made better. The following questions will help in this work:

1. Is the letter as good as it might be?

2. What do you like best in it?

3. Can you tell how it may be made better?

4. What bright thought might be put in the letter?

5. Are there any mistakes in the letter?

2. Other Valentine letters should be studied in the same way.

=44. Study of a Poem=

Our friend Tom, who wrote the bright letter we read a few days ago, was somewhat careless about putting his things in their proper places.

"I wonder where my cap is," he shouted one morning, just as it was time to hurry to school.

"Where did you put it?" his mother asked quietly.

"On the hook in the hall," answered Tom.

"Well," said his mother with a smile, "if you are sure you put it there, Mr. n.o.body must have taken it away. Perhaps he threw it on a chair in the kitchen or on the table in the hall."

And there, to be sure, on a chair or table somewhere in the house, or even on the floor, the cap was found. Mr. n.o.body had put it there.

On another day Tom was unable to find a story-book he had been reading.