Chapter II: Part 2

3. Let twelve pupils be the twelve months. Let the pupil who is January speak first. He should tell who he is and what he brings. He might speak as follows:

I am January. The Indians call me Snow Moon. I bring cold weather,
ice, and snow. Healthy boys and girls like me. When I am here, they
can go coasting and skating. When I bring too much cold, they stay
indoors by the fire and read books about Indians.

In this way each of the twelve pupils may tell the class what kind of month he is.

=Group Exercise.= After each month has spoken, the class should tell him, first, what was specially good in his talk, and then, what might have been better. These questions will help the class to see how good each talk was:

1. What was the best thing in the talk?

2. Did the speaker leave out anything interesting?

3. Did he use too many _and's_?[30]

=Written Exercise.= You and eleven classmates may go to the board. The teacher will name a month for each pupil. Each is to write a sentence that tells what he likes to do in one of the months. If you are to write what you like to do in November, you might write a sentence like the following:

In November I like to read books and play games by the warm fire.

While the twelve pupils are writing on the board, the pupils in their seats will write on paper.

Do not forget that the name of every month begins with a capital letter. Do not forget that the word _I_ is always written as a capital letter.

=Group Exercise.= 1. The class may now point out any mistakes there are in each of the twelve sentences on the board. These questions will help pupils to find mistakes:

1. Is the name of the month spelled correctly? Does it begin with a
capital letter?

2. Does the sentence begin with a capital letter?

3. Does the sentence end with a period?

4. If the word _I_ is used, is it written as a capital letter?

2. Now the sentences that pupils wrote at their desks may be read. Those that are very good may be written on the board under the ones about the same months. Then the class will point out mistakes in them, if there are any.

=20. Making Riddles=

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Can you guess either one of the following riddles?

I come once in a year. I always bring Santa Claus with me. When I
leave, a new year begins at once. What am I?

I come once a year. Turkeys do not like me, but everybody else
gives thanks after I have been here several weeks. What am I?

2. Make riddles about the months, for your classmates to guess. Begin your riddles like the two above.

=Game.= Twelve pupils stand in a row in front of the class. The teacher whispers to each the name of one of the months. The game is for the class to arrange these pupils in the order of the months of the year. Of course January will be placed at the beginning of the row. December will be placed at the end. Each pupil in the row makes a riddle about the month he is. The class must guess who is January, who is February, and so on to December.

Those who guess the riddles may be the months in the second game.

=Group Exercise.= Pupils who make very good riddles may write them on the board. Then the class will try to make them still better.

=Written Exercise.= When the riddles on the board have been corrected, copy the one or two you like best. Take these copies home to show to your parents. Write the name of the month under each riddle you copy. Begin that name with a capital letter. How will you make sure that you have spelled it right?

=21. Correct Usage--_Did, Done_=

Some pupils spoil their talks and stories because they make mistakes in using _did_ and _done_. They say _did_ when they should say _done_, and _done_ when they should say _did_. The sentences at the top of the next page show these words used correctly:

1. The Indian boy _did_ a brave deed.

2. He _has done_ deeds of bravery before.

3. I never _did_ anything so daring.

4. _Have_ you _done_ your work?

5. I _had done_ my work long before you spoke.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. As you read the sentences above, try to find out when it is right to use _did_ and when _done_.

2. Read the sentences again. Now notice that nowhere is the word _done_ used unless _has_ or _have_ or _had_ is used in the same sentence. Is this true of the word _did_ also?

Let us remember, then, never to use _done_ alone, and never to use _did_ with _have_ or _has_ or _had_.

=Game=.[31] 1. One of the pupils plays that he or she is an old Indian squaw. All the other pupils are her children. She stands before them and says: "Children, I must go to the river. I must see whether the warriors are catching many fish for supper. I want you all to stay here in the tepee and finish your work." In a little while the squaw returns from the river. She walks up and down the aisles and asks each of her children this question: "Have you done your work?" Each one answers: "No, I have not done my work, but I think that John (pointing to the next pupil) has done his." The questions and answers go on until every pupil in the class has spoken. Then those who made no mistake in their answers join in an Indian dance. They march up and down the aisles, clapping their hands and chanting, "All good Indians have done their work."

2. The old Indian squaw again leaves and again returns to her children. This time she asks each one, "What were you doing while I was gone?" Each one answers, "I did the work you gave me to do." All those who answer correctly join in an Indian dance, singing, "I did my work yesterday, and I have done my work to-day."[32]

=22. Telling Fairy Stories[33]=

PETER AND THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN[9]

On the edge of a great forest there once lived a toymaker and his
little family. Although he worked hard, he was very poor. His wife
had to help him whittle and paint the toys, which he sent to the
nearest village to be sold.

"Times are hard," the toymaker said one night to his wife, "I
cannot save any money. Christmas is near at hand, and I am afraid
we shall have no presents for the boys."

They had two boys. These looked as like as two peas from the same
pod, but they were very unlike at heart. Peter, the younger one,
made his father and mother very happy. Joseph, the elder, caused
them much worry.

The toymaker would say: "Put wood on the fire, boys. We cannot work
if we are not warm." Peter would go to the shed at once, bring in
an armful of wood, put some of it in the stove and the rest in the
woodbox. All the while Joseph would stay in the warm room and would
not lift a finger to help him.

So it was with everything. Peter worked steadily at his father's
side most of the day, whittling and gluing and painting toys, while
Joseph slipped away and spent his time in idleness and play. In the
evening it was Peter who helped his mother dry the dishes.

One day as the three workers were busily bent over the bench, a
knock was heard at the door. They were surprised to see standing
outside a strange little old man, no higher than the tabletop.

"Excuse me," he said, lifting his red cap very politely. "I have
lost my way. Would one of the boys kindly be my guide through the
woods?"

"Yes, of course," answered the toymaker. He looked from one of his
sons to the other, wondering which one to send. He hoped that
Joseph would offer to go, because he was the elder. But Joseph was
already shaking his head very hard and turning away. Peter caught
his father's look and put on his hat and coat.

"I know all the paths," he said to the stranger, "and will help you
find your way."

They started off at once. When they had gone a short distance, it
began to snow. They trudged along just the same until the ground
was covered with a thick white blanket as far as they could see.
They talked very little, but kept their eyes open for the way, and
hurried along. At last they reached a place where four great oak
trees stood in a row, as if some one had planted them so.

"This is the place," said the little old man. He took a golden
whistle from his pocket and blew it. A low sweet tone came from it,
that sounded like pleasant music in the silent woods. In a moment a
large sleigh, drawn by eight prancing reindeer, appeared before
them. The little old man motioned Peter to follow him and jumped
in. As soon as Peter had jumped in too, they drove away as fast as
they could go, bells ringing, and sparks flying as the reindeer's
hoofs struck the ground. Now and then the strange little old man
spoke to the reindeer. They seemed to know his voice. He called
each by name, "Now, Dasher," and "Now, Dancer," and "Get up,
Prancer." Then they dashed and danced and pranced faster than ever.

They had been moving over the ground in this way for more than an
hour. Then Peter saw in the distance a building that was longer and
wider and higher than any building he had ever seen or heard about.
As they got nearer, a steady buzzing sound was heard. Peter thought
it was the sound of machinery. He thought a thousand wheels must be
turning and humming within. As he looked and listened, the sleigh
suddenly came to a stop. They stood at the entrance to the mighty
building.

"What is this building?" asked Peter.

"This is my workshop," said the strange little old man, as he
jumped out of the sleigh. "Some day I shall take you inside. You
are the kind of boy I like. I know how you help your father and
mother. To-day you have helped me. Here is a little present to take
home with you."

He placed something in Peter's hand. Then he hurried up the broad
stairs and into the workshop. The big door slammed shut behind him,
and at that very moment the sleigh, the reindeer, and the workshop
itself suddenly disappeared. Much to his surprise Peter found
himself alone in the woods and not far from his father's hut.

He wondered whether he had only dreamed all that had happened. No,
that could not be, for he still held in his hand a small leather
bag, the present from the little man. Holding this tightly, he
hurried to his home.

You may imagine the surprise of his parents and his brother when he
told his story. They asked him to tell it again and again. Each one
examined the small leather bag. There were two beautiful gold coins
in it. Peter gave these to his father and mother.

His father patted him on his curly head.

"We shall spend these for Christmas," he said.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which part of this story do you like best? Tell your classmates what sort of picture you would make with colored crayons for this part of the story. Explain exactly what will be in the picture. Then make the picture.

2. Why did the strange little old man help Peter? Do you know any story in which a fairy helps good people?

3. Think of the fairy stories that you have heard or read. What is the name of the one you like best? Would it not be fun for each pupil to tell the class his favorite fairy story? When you tell yours, do not let it be too long. Tell only the important parts of it.[22]

=Group Exercise.= After each story, you and your classmates should tell the speaker what you liked in his story and in his telling of it. Then tell what you did not like.

=23. Study of a Poem=

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Tell your classmates how you think fairies look. How tall do you think they are? What kind of clothes do they wear? After you have answered these questions, draw on the board or on paper, with colored chalks or crayons, a picture of a fairy.

2. Do fairies always walk or run, or can they fly, or have they tiny horses and wagons?

3. Can you see the picture of the fairies in the following lines? What do those lines tell you about fairies that you did not know before?

Their caps of red, their cloaks of green,
Are hung with silver bells,
And when they're shaken with the wind
Their merry ringing swells.
And riding on the crimson moths
With black spots on their wings,
They guide them down the purple sky
With golden bridle rings.

ROBERT M. BIRD, "The Fairy Folk"

4. Where do you think the fairies live? What do they eat? The following poem gives one answer to these questions, and tells us still more about fairies. What is the name of the poem? The child that sings it is afraid of fairies. Do you know any other children that are afraid of them?

A CHILD'S SONG

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!

Down along the rocky shore
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain-lake,
With frogs for their watchdogs,
All night awake.

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM (Abridged)

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Let us make sure that we understand every line of this pretty poem or song. In the first line, why is the mountain called _airy_? A _rushy glen_ is a narrow valley in which many rushes or swamp reeds grow. Have you ever seen such a place? Draw a picture of a rushy glen.

2. Which lines in the first part of the poem tell about fairies? These fairies go in a troop or band or company. Which line tells us that? With colored crayons draw a picture of a fairy wearing a green jacket, a red cap, and a white owl's feather.

3. The second part, or stanza, of the poem tells where some of these fairies live. What do some of them do all the night? As they watch, who keeps them company?

4. When you read this poem, does it seem to be a song? Do you like the way it reads? Which part do you like best? Draw with colored crayons a picture for this part. Before you draw, explain how the picture looks in your mind. Perhaps you will draw a picture of a troop of fairies, or of a fairy in the reeds with fairy watchdogs near by.

=Memory Exercise.= Which do you like better, this poem you have just studied or the part of another poem about fairies that is printed before this? Read aloud, several times, the one you like better, until you can say it without once looking at the book.

=24. More Telling of Fairy Stories=

PETER VISITS THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN'S WORKSHOP

Over a week had passed since Peter's ride in the strange little old
man's sleigh, but the little man had not come again. Peter was
beginning to fear that he might never return. One afternoon,
however, just as the early winter twilight began to darken the
great forest, the jingling of sleighbells was heard in front of the
toymaker's hut.

"Whoa, Dasher! Steady, Dancer! Whoa, Prancer!" was what Peter heard
as he pressed his face against the windowpane. Yes, there were the
reindeer, and there, bundled up to his chin in furs, was the
strange little old man. He saw Peter at once and made signs to the
boy to come along with him. Peter could not put on his cap and coat
fast enough. In less than a minute he had climbed into the sleigh,
tucked himself in snugly, and was flying over the frozen,
snow-covered ground by the side of his strange companion. Soon they
had left the lighted hut far behind them and were making their way
through the woods on an old logging road that Peter knew. After a
while, however, they reached parts of the forest that Peter had
never seen. Here grew trees whose names he had never heard. Now
and then he caught glimpses of animals that were unlike any of
those with which he was familiar. Peter was so much interested in
these that he hardly noticed the great building, the little man's
workshop, until the sleigh had stopped before the main door of it.
But then he forgot everything else. The big shop was brightly
lighted in every story, and the steady hum of machinery filled the
evening air.

"We're working overtime now," explained the little man. "You see,
Christmas is near."

The humming grew louder and the lights seemed a great deal
brighter, as they entered the building. Peter was much excited.
When the inner doors were opened, and Peter stood in the great
roaring workshop itself, he could hardly believe his eyes. Before
him, in long rows, he saw a thousand pounding and buzzing machines,
all running at full speed. Ten thousand workbenches stood in
orderly rows beyond the machines. The unending room fairly swarmed
with busy workmen, like a hive over-flowing with bees. And such
workmen! Each wore a green coat and a red cap, decorated with a
white owl's feather. Each was no higher than Peter's knee. They
were fairies.

As he stood there, trying to understand it all, troop after troop
of the fairies passed him. They were pushing long, high baskets,
that stood on wheels. Down the long room they rolled these and
through a great double swinging door at the other end. These
baskets were filled to the top with playthings. Some held dolls,
some sleds, some drums. Others were full of various kinds of
musical instruments. Still others gave forth the pleasantest
smells. They contained cookies and ginger snaps and all sorts of
Christmas goodies.

"Why, they are all Christmas things!" cried Peter in great
surprise, turning to the strange little old man at his side. But
the strange little old man was gone, and Peter stood alone in the
doorway of this wonderful Christmas workshop.

Before he could decide what to do, a group of little workmen called
him by name, as pleasantly as if they had known him all his life.

"Peter, come and help us with this basket!"

"I will," answered Peter.

He was glad to join in the work. Hanging coat and cap on a near-by
hook, he put his shoulder against one of the heavy baskets. Soon he
had it rolling merrily down the long aisle. Past machines that
sawed boards he pushed it, past planing wheels, past long rows of
benches where the workers were hammering or gluing or painting,
past wide ovens where the little bakers were busy over hundreds of
pans of frosted gingerbread--on and on, down the great room he
pushed it so fast that his wee comrades were almost left behind. As
he passed machines and benches and ovens, the workmen looked up
from their work an instant. They smiled at the newcomer.

"When you get through with that," shouted the workmen at the saws,
"come and help us with these boards."

"All right, I will," said Peter as he moved along with his basket.

"When you get through with the sawing," cried the planers, "come
and help us."

Peter smiled at them. "I will," he shouted back as loud as he
could, so as to be heard above the noise of the machinery.

"When you finish planing," the painters called to him next, "come
and help us."

"I will," Peter replied. "I like to paint, anyway."

Now he passed the bakers. They tossed him a cooky. "When you finish
painting," they said, "perhaps you will come and help us."

"That I gladly will," answered Peter in his pleasantest tone. It
was quieter here, and he did not need to shout.

At last he reached the double swinging door. Through this he had
seen basket after basket disappear before him. Here was the
storeroom. It was even larger than the workroom. The walls were
lined with shelves, on which were placed the Christmas things. This
was an interesting place, but Peter had no time to stay. He was
eager to help at the machine saws, at the planing machines, at the
workbenches, and in the bakeshop. So he hurried back to these. He
did first one thing, then another, as he was needed. He was used to
work and liked to help.

The fairies were careful workers and jolly comrades. Now and then
they sang as they worked. Then the machines themselves, like the
fingers and arms and legs of the workmen, seemed to move faster and
the work to be easier.

Suddenly a loud but very pleasant whistle sounded through the
mighty workshop. It was the signal for a recess. The machines
stopped. The fairies laid down their tools and brushes. All was
quiet for a time. Now another kind of fun began. The fairies
started various games. They formed rings and danced round and round
as they sang:

"Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho,
Heigh ho!"

They played at guessing riddles. These were about toys.

"You see," whispered a fairy who explained everything to Peter,
"when the snow comes, and Christmas is near, we leave our homes in
the woods and spend our winters making toys for all the good
children in the world. Sometimes we cannot make all the toys we
need, but we do not wish a single child anywhere to be without a
Christmas."

Peter soon learned that the fairies took pride in speaking
correctly. Those who sometimes made mistakes played special games
to help themselves get over bad speaking habits. At one place they
stood like soldiers in a row and pronounced words that were printed
on the board.

"Don't you sometimes wish for the woods and moonlight nights?"
asked Peter.

He could not hear the answer. At a signal the machinery had started
again. The fairies were hurrying back to their places. Peter took
his place with the rest. He worked steadily at one job and another.
The time flew by. Another whistle blew, and it was time to stop for
the day. Then the strange little old man appeared.

"It's time for you to go back home," he said. "Should you like to
be here always?"

"Oh, yes," answered Peter. "But I have pleasant work to do at home
too."

The strange little old man took a ring from his pocket and held it
up before the boy's eager face.

"You are the kind of boy I like," he said. "You are willing to help
and work. Take this ring home with you. I give it to you. It is a
magic ring. Wear it on Christmas Day. On that day wish any one
thing you please. The ring will get it for you."

While he was talking they had walked to the main door of the
building. Peter had put on his cap and coat. Now the door stood
open, and they said good-bye. Peter walked slowly down the steps,
staring at the magic ring on his finger. When he reached the last
step, he turned and looked back. In the doorway stood the strange
little old man, watching him. Peter thought he looked different.
Yes, he seemed taller and stouter than before. He seemed jollier.
Peter glanced at the red cap, red coat, and leather leggings he
wore. He noticed the laughing face, the twinkling eyes, rosy
cheeks, and white beard.

"Can this be Santa Claus?" he thought.

Instantly the great workshop disappeared. Peter found himself, as
before, not far from his father's house. His parents and brother
caught sight of him as he came out of the forest, and they ran out
to meet him. They listened in astonishment to what he told them he
had seen. They could not admire enough the magic ring on his
finger.

=Oral Exercise.=[34] 1. What interested you most as you read the story about Peter? What kind of picture should you make with colored crayons for the part of the story you liked best? Draw the picture after you have told your classmates about it.

2. Do you remember what kind of boy Peter's brother, Joseph, was? What do you think he would have done if he, instead of Peter, had been in that workshop? What might have happened to him?

3. Play the part of the story about Peter that tells of Peter and the fairies as they worked together in the great toyshop. Who shall be Peter? Who shall be the fairies at the saws? Who shall be the bakers? Who shall be the painters? What toys and things will you make?

4. Play the same part of the story but as it would have happened if Joseph had been there instead of Peter.

5. Make believe that, as you awoke one Saturday morning, you found a letter on your pillow. When you read it, you learned that it was from a fairy. This fairy invited you to meet him at the old tree near the school-house. When you met him there, you and he went off into the woods. Tell your classmates what happened. It may be that your story will be somewhat like that of Peter. Still, you may have seen and heard and done things that were very different.

=25. Making Riddles=

You remember that during the recess in Santa Claus's workshop some of the fairies made riddles. Peter said that these were about toys. Here are two they might have made:

It has two arms, two legs, and a head, like a human being, but it
cannot walk or work or talk. What is it?

I spend most of my life in a little wooden box. I press against its
cover day and night. I want to get out. Oh, how I leap when some
one opens the box! Oh, how frightened little girls and boys look
when they first see me! What am I?

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Of course you have guessed the first of these two riddles. But can you guess the second one?

2. Make riddles for your classmates to guess, about toys and other things that are suitable for Christmas presents.

=26. Making Riddles Better=

A schoolgirl once made this riddle:

It makes beautiful colors. Children like it. What is it?

The answer is, a box of crayons.

=Oral Exercise.= Do you think this riddle can be made better? Is anything important left out? Is it bright enough? Try to make a better riddle about the box of crayons.

A schoolmate changed the riddle of the box of crayons. He thought this was better:

We are twelve little men in a little tight box. Each one of us
writes his name in a different color. What are we?

=Oral Exercise.= Which of the two riddles do you like better? Can you tell why? Does the first riddle say anything about the box? Does it tell that anything is in a box?

Three other schoolmates made up other riddles about the box of crayons. Here they are:

We are a band of fairies living in our cozy little home. Each of us
wears in his cap a feather of a different color. What are we?

I am a piece of the rainbow caught and put in a little tight jail.
A little schoolgirl uses parts of me when she draws pictures. What
am I?

We are a company of soldiers. Each of us wears a cap of a
different color. We spend most of our time in a small pasteboard
fort. When we go out, we are sure to make our mark. What are we?

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Of all the riddles of the box of crayons, which do you think is the best? Which is the second best? Which is the poorest?

2. Now again make riddles about toys and Christmas presents. But you should now be able to make better ones than you did before.

=Group Exercise.= 1. The class, after a riddle has been guessed, should point out what is good in it and then should tell how it might be made better. Should it be made shorter? Should it be made longer? How could it be made brighter?

2. The best riddles should be repeated slowly, so that the teacher may write them on the board. Now these may be read over, and the class may try to make each one better.[20] The teacher will rewrite each in its improved form.[35]

=Written Exercise.= 1. Copy the riddle that the class likes best. As you copy, notice the spelling of the words, the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence, and the mark at the end of each sentence. This careful copying will prepare you for the next exercise.

2. Write from dictation the riddle that you have copied. Then correct any mistakes.[36] These questions will help you to find out whether you have made any:

1. Is every word spelled correctly?

2. Does every sentence begin with a capital letter?

3. Is every sentence followed by the right kind of punctuation
mark?

=27. Study of a Poem=

You read in the story of Peter's visit to Santa Claus's workshop that the fairy workers sometimes sang while they worked. At recess too they had songs. One of these you will probably enjoy very much. As you read it you can see the fairies dancing in a ring in the moonlight.

THE LIGHT-HEARTED FAIRY

Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho,
Heigh ho!
He dances and sings
To the sound of his wings
With a hey and a heigh and a ho.

Oh, who is so merry, so airy, heigh ho!
As the light-headed fairy? heigh ho,
Heigh ho!
His nectar he sips
From the primroses' lips
With a hey and a heigh and a ho.

Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-footed fairy? heigh ho,
Heigh ho!
The night is his noon
And the sun is his moon,
With a hey and a heigh and a ho.

UNKNOWN

Would it not be pleasant to dance in a ring with your classmates? You might play that you are all fairies, and you might say this poem while you dance. Each pupil could make a red cap of paper. He might stick a white owl's or a white chicken's feather in it as fairies do. He could wear it while reciting the poem. But, first of all, you must make sure that you understand every line of the song, else you cannot say it well.

=Oral Exercise.=[37] 1. What do you like about this poem? Have you noticed that the fairy is called _light-hearted_ in the first stanza of the poem, but light-headed in the second and _light-footed_ in the third?

2. What do fairies drink? The second stanza tells. They find this delicious sweet drink in the cups of flowers.

3. As you know, fairies are rarely, if ever, seen in the daytime. The night is their day, when they dance and sing and do good deeds. What is meant in the poem by the line, _The night is his noon_? What is the fairies' sunlight?

=Memory Exercise.= 1. Read this poem aloud a number of times. You will not have to read it often before you will be able to say it without the book. When you know it, recite it to the class as well as you can. Wear your red cap and think of the merry, airy, light-hearted fairy as you recite it. That will help you to say it in a lively way.

2. Perhaps the teacher will permit the five or six pupils who have recited best to form a ring in front of the class and dance round and round as they recite the poem. Then the class may point out what might have been done better. Perhaps other bands of fairies will recite, each trying to recite best.

=28. Correct Usage--_Rang_, _Sang_, _Drank_=

The story about Peter does not tell us the words with which some of the fairies had trouble. If some fairies are like some pupils, then they need to learn how to use the words _rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ correctly.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. As you read the following sentences, notice that _rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ are not used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_. Are _rung_, _sung_, and _drunk_ used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_?

1. I _rang_ the bell for the teacher.

2. Have you ever _rung_ it?

3. I _sang_ the Christmas song.

4. Have you ever _sung_ it?

5. I _drank_ the grape juice.

6. Have you ever _drunk_ apple juice?

7. The fairies danced and _sang_, and _drank_ nectar.

8. They had _rung_ the bell.

9. They had _sung_ that song before.

10. He has never _drunk_ nectar.

2. Which of the six words that you have been studying in this lesson are used with _have_ or _has_ or _had_? Which are not used with them? Make these two lists. Would it be right to make the following rule?

Never use _rang_ or _sang_ or _drank_ with _have_ or _has_ or _had_.

3. Using what you have just learned, fill the blanks in the following sentences with the right words, _rang_ or _rung_, _sang_ or _sung_, _drank_ or _drunk_:

1. The strange little old man had already ---- his morning coffee.

2. He ---- an old song that he had ---- many times before.

3. When he had ---- a silver bell, a troop of fairies appeared.

4. Peter is not a fairy. He has never ---- nectar.

5. But he has often ---- the song he heard the fairies sing.

6. He has never ---- a silver bell.

7. Have you ever ---- the school bell?

8. Have you ever ---- spring water?

=Game.= Let the girls of the class, working together in a group, write on the board six sentences in which _rang_, _sang_, and _drank_ are used correctly. Let the boys in the same way write six sentences in which _rung_, _sung_, and _drunk_ are used correctly. The boys will correct the girls' sentences, and the girls the boys'. The teacher will decide whether the boys or the girls made fewer mistakes, and which group wrote the more interesting sentences. Then all the sentences may be read aloud by several groups of pupils in turn, each trying to read the most clearly.

=29. Making up Fairy Stories=

The magic ring that Santa Claus gave Peter would bring him any one thing that he might wish. When Christmas morning came, he had only to say his wish, and it would be fulfilled.[38]

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Suppose that you had such a magic ring. What would be your one big wish? It will be fun to see whether you and your classmates have the same wish.

2. What do you think Peter himself wished when Christmas morning came? What happened then? Tell your classmates the story of Peter's wish on Christmas Day, exactly as you think everything happened.

=Group Exercise.= One or two of the best stories about Peter's wish should be told a second time. This time the teacher will write them on the board. Now you and the other pupils should read them carefully to see where they can be made better.[20] These questions may help in this work:

1. Can better words be used for some of those in the story?

2. Should some of the _and's_ be left out?

3. Can anything be added to make the story interesting?

=Written Exercise.= Silently read one of the improved stories, perhaps more than once, noticing the spelling of the words, the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence, and the mark at the end of each sentence. Write it from dictation. Then compare your paper with what is written on the board, and correct any mistakes you may have made.

=Oral Exercise.= Suppose that Peter lost the magic ring before Christmas came. Who might have found it? What might have happened then? Make up a story to tell this. You might call it "The Lost Magic Ring." Try to make up a fairy story that your classmates will be very glad to hear. Try to think of some wonderful happenings for it. Perhaps the following ideas will help you to begin your story:

1. When Peter learned that he had lost the magic ring, and could find it nowhere, he started off at once into the woods. He wanted to find the strange little old man and tell him what had happened. Peter had not gone very far when he met a giant. On the giant's finger Peter saw his magic ring. What did he do?

2. Peter's careless and lazy brother, Joseph, saw the magic ring on the window sill. Peter always laid it there when he washed his hands. Joseph took the ring in order to tease his brother. Then the thought came to him that he would wish himself something on Christmas Day. On Christmas morning he placed the fairy ring on his finger and spoke his wish. What was that wish? Was the wish fulfilled, or did a fairy appear to punish the boy? What happened then?

3. The strange little old man himself took the ring from Peter's finger while Peter was asleep. Why did he do this? Did he want to see what Peter would do? Did he plan to give him another ring instead,--a ring that held three wishes instead of one? How did Peter find the strange little old man? When and where did he receive the more wonderful ring? What were his three wishes on Christmas morning?[39]

=30. Writing Dates=

If you were asked to write on a slip of paper your name and the date of your birth, could you do it? Of course you know how to write your name. Some time ago you learned to write the names of the months. Now you are to learn how to write dates. You will need to know this when you begin letter writing, which will be soon.

=Written Exercise.= 1. Here are two dates:

January 1, 1918

December 25, 1917

The first date is that of a New Year's Day some time ago. The second date is that of Christmas more than a year ago. See the little mark (,), called a comma, between the year and the day of the month. Write the date of the last New Year's Day; of the next New Year's Day. Write the date of last Christmas; of next Christmas.

2. Write the date of your birth; the date of the birth of your mother; of a friend.

3. Write from dictation the list of dates that your teacher will give you.[40]

=31. Telling Interesting Things=

Now the Christmas vacation is over. Of course you had a good time. Of course Santa Claus brought you something. It would be fun for every pupil to tell the class about his Christmas. Probably each one's Christmas was different in some ways from that of his classmates.

=Oral Exercise.=[41] 1. Did Santa Claus come to your home? Did you see him? If you did, tell the class how he looked. Show the class how he walked into the house. How did he talk? What did he say?

2. Tell the other pupils what Santa Claus brought you. If he brought you a little engine, or a sand machine, or a small airplane, or a steamship that runs by clockwork, or a baby sewing machine, or a music box, or a doll stove on which one can really cook, or some other interesting toy, explain to the class exactly how it works. Perhaps it would be pleasant if each pupil brought a toy to school and held it up before the class while he explained how it works.

3. What was the best fun you had during the Christmas vacation? Tell the class about it.

=32. Story-Telling=

JACK AND JILL[C]

"Clear the lulla!" was the general cry on a bright December
afternoon. All the boys and girls of Harmony village were out
enjoying the first good snow of the season. Up and down three long
coasts they went as fast as legs and sleds could carry them. One
smooth path led into the meadow. One swept across the pond, where
skaters were darting about like waterbugs. The third, from the very
top of the steep hill, ended abruptly at a rail fence near the
road. There was a group of lads and lasses sitting or leaning on
this fence to rest after an exciting race.

[C] Copyright by Little, Brown and Company.

Down came a gay red sled. It carried a boy who seemed all smile and
sunshine, so white were his teeth, so golden was his hair, so
bright and happy his whole air. Behind him clung a little gypsy of
a girl. She had black eyes and hair, cheeks as red as her hood, and
a face full of fun and sparkle.

"It's just splendid! Now, one more, Jack!" cried the little girl,
excited by the cheers of a sleighing party that passed them.

"All right, Jill," answered he, and they started back up the hill.

Proud of his skill, Jack made up his mind that this last "go"
should be the best one of the afternoon. But they started off,
talking so busily that Jill forgot to hold tight and Jack to steer
carefully. No one knows how it happened. They did not land in the
soft drift of snow or stop before they reached the fence. Instead,
there was a great crash against the bars, a dreadful plunge off the
steep bank beyond, and, before any one could see what was
happening, a sudden scattering of girl, boy, sled, fence, earth,
and snow, all about the road. There were two cries, and then
silence. Down rushed boys and girls, ready to laugh or cry, as the
case might be. They found Jack sitting up, looking about him with a
queer, dazed expression, while an ugly cut on the forehead was
bleeding. This sobered the boys and frightened the girls half out
of their wits.

"He's killed! He's killed!" wailed one of the girls, hiding her
face and beginning to cry.

"No, I'm not. I'll be all right when I get my breath. Where's
Jill?" asked Jack stoutly, though still too giddy to see
straight.--LOUISA M. ALCOTT, "Jack and Jill" (Adapted)

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Make believe that you are the Jack or the Jill in the story. Play that the accident has just happened. You are lying in the snow. Your classmates are standing around you wondering whether you are alive or dead. Slowly you sit up. What do they do and say? Let some of your classmates do and say these things. What do you say? What happens next? Play the story up to the time when the doctor looks you over and says that you will have to stay in bed a long time.[42]

2. Again make believe that you are Jack or Jill. Play that the accident happened some time ago. Tell your classmates about that afternoon's coasting and how it ended. Could you walk home that day? Did the other children lay you both on sleds and slowly draw you to your homes? What did your mother do and say when she saw you coming? Did they put you to bed at once and run for the doctor? What did the doctor do and say?

3. Do you own a sled? Tell the class about this sled. Tell about going coasting on it.

4. What can one do with a sled besides go coasting? What was the best fun you ever had with your sled? Where were you? What did you do? After you have told the class about the fun you had, you may make one or two pictures about it with colored crayons. Perhaps the following list will help you to remember some good times you have had:

1. The first sled ride that I remember

2. Hitching behind with a sled

3. A race down a hill on sleds

4. The toboggan slide

5. The longest hill I ever coasted down

6. The steepest hill I ever coasted down

7. Six of us on a bob

5. Did you ever have an accident with your sled? Accidents sometimes happen. Perhaps you are very careful and have never had any trouble. But you have probably heard of accidents and narrow escapes. Tell the class of one, and explain how it might have been avoided.

=33. Explaining Things=

Winter is here. There are many games to play and many pleasant things to do after school and on Saturdays. You would enjoy talking with your classmates about these. Perhaps you can plan some good times together.

=Oral Exercise.= Make believe that your class is having a meeting to plan some fun for after school and Saturdays. What games do you think would be best? Think out a clear plan. Then stand before your classmates and explain it to them. Tell exactly how it is to be carried out. Tell where, when, and everything else they must know. The following list may help you to make a good plan:[43]

1. A skating party some Saturday

2. A skating race to see who is the best boy skater and who is the
best girl skater in the class

3. Building one or two snow forts

4. A snowball battle between your class and another

5. A straw ride

6. A game of shinny, or hockey, between your class and another

7. A class tramp with the teacher through the woods or parks

8. A basket-ball game between your class and another

9. A class party at some one's house

10. A coasting party

=Group Exercise.= After the plans have been told, you and your classmates must decide which one you will carry out. You may wish to ask some of the speakers questions. At last the class may vote.

=34. Words sometimes Mispronounced=

Some pupils do not know how to speak certain words correctly. If they did, their talks would be much more pleasing.[44]

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Pronounce the following words as your teacher pronounces them to you, in a clear, strong, and pleasant voice. Then read the whole list as rapidly as you can without speaking any word indistinctly or incorrectly.

looking
seeing
walking
running
jumping
smiling
laughing
crying
teasing
speaking
talking
hearing
saying
eating
paying

2. Use in sentences each of the words in the list above. Try to make sentences that will give pleasure to your classmates. Anybody can use the word _looking_ to make uninteresting sentences like these:

Some one is _looking_ for me.

I am _looking_ for some one.

He is _looking_ at me.

Try to make sentences like these:

The boys were looking at Jack's big red sled.

The girls were looking for a story-book at the public library.

The hunter was looking at the panther, and the panther was
looking at him.

Perhaps the teacher will write the best sentences on the board, or let the pupils who give them write them on the board.[20]

=35. Telling Interesting Things=

Far north of us lies a part of the world where it is very cold both in summer and in winter. It is so cold there that trees cannot live. No cities are to be seen there, and no farms. The people who make their homes in this world of ice and snow live by hunting and fishing. They are called Eskimos. Their clothes are warm suits made of the fur of the polar bear, the seal, and the reindeer. Let us learn about the Eskimos.

HOW THE ESKIMO BUILDS HIS HOUSE

The house in which an Eskimo family lives is made of ice and snow.
First the builder makes a ring on the snow-covered ground. This he
makes as large as he wishes the house to be. On this ring he places
blocks of snow. Then he lays more blocks on top of these. Each row
or ring of blocks is a little smaller than the row or ring below
it. As more and more rows of blocks are laid, these rows at last
close the top like a roof. Then snow is shoveled over it, until not
a crack remains in the solid wall.

Now a narrow hallway is made. This is the only way into the house.
It is long, and the opening is hung with skins. The Eskimos creep
through it on their hands and knees.

There is only one window in the Eskimo's house. It is a small hole
in the wall, over the low hallway. There is no glass in it, but it
is covered with a thin skin that keeps out the wind and cold.[45]

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Can you think of a good reason why the Eskimos have no such houses as ours? Why have they no fine large coal or wood stoves in that cold country? What would happen if an Eskimo placed our kind of stove in his house and started a roaring fire in it?

2. The Eskimo has only three things with which to build. What are they? If you had only snow and the skins and bones of animals to work with, what kind of house should you make? Can you think of any way in which you could make the Eskimo house warmer or safer?

3. Does the Eskimo way of building a house give you an idea of a good way of building a snow fort? Tell your classmates what you think would be the best way of building one. Shall you put a roof over it?

4. Play that you are an Eskimo. Make believe that you are in the frozen North and are just beginning to build yourself a new house. You have already drawn a ring on the snow-covered ground. Draw a ring on the floor of the schoolroom with a piece of chalk. Other pupils will play that they have come to the Far North in a ship. They will pretend that they know nothing about the way Eskimos live or build their houses. They stand around while you work at your new house. They ask you many questions about it. Stop in your work and explain it to them. Remember that they know nothing at all about it. Perhaps some of their questions will seem very stupid to you. But patiently explain to these strangers everything they want to know.

=Group Exercise.= The class will tell you and the other pupils how the meeting between the Eskimo and the strangers might have been played better. But first they will point out what they liked in the play. Several other groups of pupils will each try to show the class how the meeting should be played.

=Oral Exercise.= Find out from a book or from your parents or your teacher some interesting fact about the Eskimos and the country where they live. Let it be something that you think the class does not know. The other pupils will do the same. Then each one will stand before the class and tell what he has learned.

Some might tell about how cold it is in this North-Pole part of the world.

Some might tell about polar bears, seals, reindeer, or walruses.

Some might tell the class what Eskimos eat and how they cook their food.

Some might tell about the inside of the Eskimo house.

Other pupils might tell the class about some of the men from our country who traveled in this cold part of the world. Some of these men wished to reach the North Pole.

=Group Exercise.= When each pupil has spoken, some of those who spoke best will tell again what they said. The teacher will write on the board what they say. Now the class will try to make this better. The following questions will help the class improve what has been written on the board:[46]

1. What is the best part of the account on the board?

2. Is anything important left out?

3. Could anything be left out because it is not needed?

4. Are too many _and's_ used?

5. What could be added to make the account better?