The old woman went a little farther until she saw a rope; and she said, "Rope, rope, hang butcher; butcher won"t kill ox; ox won"t drink water; water won"t quench fire; fire won"t burn stick; stick won"t beat dog; dog won"t bite pig; pig won"t jump over the stile; and I shall not get home tonight."But the rope would not hang the butcher.
The old woman went a little farther until she saw a rat, and she said, "Rat, rat, gnaw rope; rope won"t hang butcher; butcher won"t kill ox; ox won"t drink water; water won"t quench fire; firewon"t burn stick; stick won"t beat dog; dog won"t bite pig; pig won"t jump over the stile; and I shall not get home tonight."But the rat would not gnaw the rope.
The old woman went a little farther, until she saw a cat, and she said, "Cat, cat, kill rat; rat won"t gnaw rope;rope won"t hang butcher ; butcher won" t k ill ox; ox won"t drink water; water won"t quench fire; fire wont burn stick; stick won"t beat dog; dog won"t bite pig; pig won"t jump over the stile; and I shall not get home tonight."The cat said, "Bring me some milk and I will."So the old woman went a little farther until she saw a cow, and she said, "Please, cow, give me some milk for the cat."The cow said, "I will not give you milk until you bring me a handful of hay."The old woman ran to the haystack and came back with a handful of hay.
The cow gave the old woman some milk. She gave the milk to the cat.
Then the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; and the pig jumped over the stile; and the old woman got home that night after all.
PROVERBS
Waste not, want not.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Set a stout heart to a steep hill.
Lesson 42
ELVES
If you make a daisy chain And hang it on a tree,Elves will have it for a swing; You just try and see.
If you put a bunch of May Somewhere on the ground,Elves will trim their hats with it
And then dance round and round.
If you shake the petals down From a crimson rose,Elves will come and gather them To make their Sunday clothes.
If you pick an apple blossom When the dew is on it,Elves will set to work and make A baby fairy"s bonnet.
From Child Education
"Elves will have it for a swing."
Lesson 43
LITTLE HALF-CHICK
Once upon a time, there was a hen who hatched out some little chicks. She was very pleased as they came out of the shells. One- two-three-four came out s o f t a n d fluffy; but the last little chick had only one little leg, one little wing, and one little eye!
It was just a half-chick.
The mother hen did not know what to do with Little Half-chick.
He could not run and jump as his brothers and sisters did. He had to go hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick.
One day Little Half-chick said to his mother, "Mother, I am tired of the farmyard. I am going to see the king." The mother hen tried to keep him at home, but he would not listen to her. Away he went, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, to see the king.
He had not gone very far when he came to a little brook. Now, this little brook was caught in the grass and leaves, and could not flow. So the water cried out, "Little Half-chick, help me, please, help me! I am caught in the leaves and cannot get away.""I have no time to help you," said Little Half-chick. "I am off to see the king." And away he went, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, hoppity- kick.
Soon he came to a fire that was smoking in damp sticks and leaves. When the fire saw Little Half-chick he cried, "Help me, help me, Little Half-chick! Fan me with your wing. I am nearly choked with smoke.""I have no time to help you," said Little Half-chick. "I am off to see the king." And away he w e n t , h o p p i t y - k i c k , hoppity-kick, hoppity- kick.
A little farther on, Little Half-chick came to some trees where the wind was caught. The wind was crying and trying to get away, but the trees held him fast. When the windsaw Little Half-chick he cried, "Help me, help me, Little Half-chick! Lift these heavy branches so that I can get away.""I have no time to help you," said Little Half-chick. "I am off to see the king"; and away he went, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick.
At last Little Half-chick came to the palace of the king.
Hoppity-kick, he went under the gates, and, hoppity-kick, he went into the garden. But the cook saw him and cried, "What a queer chick! I shall cook him for the king"s dinner."Before Little Half-chick could go hoppity-kick again, the cook caught him and popped him into a pot of water. Soon the water came up over his feathers and over his head.
"Oh, water, do not drown me!" cried Little Half-chick. But the water said, "You would nothelp me when I was caught in the leaves and grass," and it ran right over his little head. Soon the fire grew brighter and brighter, and the water became hotter and hotter, till Little Half-chick cried, "Fire, do not burn so fast, or I shall die!"But the fire said, " You would not fan me when I was smoking," and it burned hotter and hotter than before. Little Half-chick said, "Oh, I think I shall die!"But, just then, the cook lifted the lid of thepot and peeped in.
"Oh, what a queer chick! It will not do for the king"s dinner." So the cook picked Little Half-chick up by his leg and threw him out of the window.
The wind caught him and blew him up and up till he reached the top of the church-steeple; and there he stuck fast.
He stands there even to this day with his one leg, one wing, and one eye.
He cannot go hoppity-kick any more, so he turns round and round when the wind blows, listening to what it says.
Lesson 44
IF ALL THE SEAS WEAE ONE SEA
If all the seas were one sea, What a great sea that would be!
If all the trees were one tree, What a great tree that would be!
If all the axes were one axe, What a great axe that would be!
If all the men were one man, What a great man that would be!
And, if the great man took the great axe, And cut down the great tree,And let it fall into the great sea, What a great splash that would be!
Lesson 45
