Chapter III: Part 3

=Written Exercise.= When all the accounts on the board have been rewritten, study the one the teacher selects. Notice the spelling of the hard words. Notice the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence and the punctuation mark at the end of each sentence. This study will make it easier for you to write the account from dictation without making any mistakes. Write it from dictation.

=36. Study of a Poem=

You remember, of course, that the house of snow in which Eskimos live has only one window. But this is only a hole in the wall, covered with a thin skin. There is no glass in it. So the little Eskimo boys and girls do not know the wonderful things that Jack Frost sometimes pencils on the windowpanes when children are asleep. The Eskimo children could not understand the poem below. But you have seen these sights on your own windows--castles, high and rocky places, knights with waving plumes, and trees and fruits and flowers. You will learn from the poem how Jack Frost paints them there.[9]

JACK FROST

The door was shut, as doors should be,
Before you went to bed last night;
Yet Jack Frost did get in, you see,
And left your window silver white.

He must have waited till you slept;
And not a single word he spoke,
But pencilled on the panes, and crept
Away again before you woke.

And now you cannot see the hills
Nor fields that stretch beyond the lane;
But there are fairer things than those
His fingers traced on every pane.

Rocks and castles towering high;
Hills and dales and streams and fields;
And knights in armor riding by,
With nodding plumes and shining shields.

And here are little boats, and there
Big ships with sails spread to the breeze;
And yonder, palm trees waving fair
On islands set in silver seas.

And butterflies with gauzy wings;
And herds of cows and flocks of sheep;
And fruits and flowers and all the things
You see when you are sound asleep.

For creeping softly underneath
The door when all the lights are out,
Jack Frost takes every breath you breathe,
And knows the things you think about.

He paints them on the windowpane
In fairy lines with frozen steam;
And when you wake you see again
The lovely things you saw in dream.

GABRIEL SETOUN

=Oral Exercise.= 1. How did Jack Frost get into the house? Has he visited your house this winter? Did he pencil, or trace, on your windows some of the pictures of which the poem speaks? Which ones?

2. What is a castle? What is a knight? What is a knight's armor? What is a knight's plume? Can you draw a picture of it on the board for those who do not know how it looks? Why did knights have shields? Draw a picture of a shield on the board.

3. Can you draw on the board a picture of a palm tree? Draw an oak or an apple tree beside it, so that every one will see how a palm tree is different. Explain your drawings.

4. Which part, or stanza, of the poem do you like best? Read it so that your classmates may see why you like it.

5. Play that you are Jack Frost. Show the class how you tiptoed into the room and out again without waking any one. Think of the following questions, and tell the class what you did last night when all children were sound asleep:

1. Did you visit more than one home?

2. What did you paint on the windowpanes?

3. Did you paint the same pictures in all houses?

=Memory Exercise.= When you understand every stanza in this poem, read the whole poem aloud several times. Perhaps the teacher will read with you, so that you may be sure to read correctly. After a few readings you will find that you can say the poem without looking at the book. It will be fun to see which pupils will know it first. But which pupils can recite it best?[47]

=37. Game=

=Group Exercise.= 1. Did you ever telephone? Make believe that you are telephoning to a classmate. Hold the make-believe telephone in your hands and call for the pupil with whom you wish to talk. He will take up his make-believe telephone and answer you. Ask him some questions. Listen to what he says. Reply to what he asks. In this way carry on a conversation with him.

2. The class will listen, and when you have finished talking they will tell you what they liked and what they did not like in the telephone conversation. The following questions[15] will help the class to decide how the talks might have been better:

1. What interesting thing was said by the speakers?

2. Was any poor English used?

3. Were the voices of the speakers pleasant?

4. What might have been said that the speakers did not say?

3. Other pairs of pupils may now telephone. Each pair will of course try to make their conversation as bright as they can. The class will enjoy listening to the bright talks.

4. Would it not be a good plan, before going on with this game of telephoning, for the class to make a telephone directory? All names beginning with _A_ could be written on one page of a little notebook that you could make. All names beginning with _B_ would go on another page. And so it would go on, through the _C's_, the _D's_, the _E's_, to the end of the alphabet. Then each name could be given a number, just as in telephone books. Perhaps the teacher will bring a telephone directory to class and explain it to you.

5. It might be fun to place in your telephone directory such names as Jack Frost, Santa Claus, Peter the toymaker's son, Joseph his brother, Queen Mab, the busy ant, the lazy grasshopper, and some of the Indians and Eskimos that you have come to know in this book. Then you could telephone to these. One pupil would be Jack Frost and would always answer when Jack Frost's number rang. Another would be Santa Claus, another would be Peter the toymaker's son, another Queen Mab, and so on.

6. You and your classmates may now have the following conversations over the make-believe class telephone:

1. A conversation between Queen Mab and Jack Frost about some pupils
in your class

2. A conversation between Peter and Joseph about the lost magic ring

3. A conversation between the ant and the grasshopper in the fable

4. A conversation between an Indian boy and a white boy

5. A conversation between two fairies, one in the woods and one in
Santa Claus's workshop

6. A conversation between a polar bear and a boy hunter (the bear
objects to being hunted)

7. A conversation between an Eskimo girl and a girl in your class

8. A conversation between Santa Claus and the teacher about some
pupils in your class

9. A conversation between two girls about a plan for a good time
next Saturday with which to surprise the class

10. A conversation between two girls about a new dress that one of
them will soon wear to school

=38. Correct Usage--_May_, _Can_=

A mistake that pupils sometimes make is to use the word _can_ when they mean the word _may_. These two words do not have the same meaning. The following conversation shows this:

"Mother, can I eat another piece of pie?" once asked a boy at the
dinner table.

"I suppose you can, Tom," replied his mother. "You have teeth to
bite and chew, and there is room in your stomach for another piece.
Yes, I suppose you _can_ eat another piece. But you _may_ not,
because I want to save it for to-morrow."

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Read the following sentences and try to tell the difference in meaning between _may_ and _can_:

1. I can run faster than you.

2. I can write my name.

3. May I write my name in your notebook? Will you let me?

4. May I run over to George's house, mother?

5. I can do many things.

6. May I read the book Santa Claus gave you?

7. I can read books.

2. Do you see that when you say, "I can do this," you mean, "I am able to do this"? What do you mean when you say, "May I go to the moving-picture theater, Mother?" Do you mean, "Will you permit me to go?"

3. Fill each blank in the sentences below with the right word, _may_ or _can_:

1. John, ---- you spell _Eskimo_?

2. Father, ---- I go with John to the game?

3. Miss Brown, ---- I change my seat?

4. Miss Brown, ---- you see me when I stand here?

5. Mary, ---- you find that book for me?

6. ---- you touch the ceiling when you are on the chair?

7. ---- I go home at three o'clock, Miss Smith?

8. Miss Smith, ---- I borrow a pencil of Ruth?

9. Miss Smith, ---- you speak French?

10. Miss Smith, ---- I have another sheet of paper?

=Game.= 1. Let the boys write on the board a number of sentences in which _may_ is used correctly. Then let the girls do the same. Now let the girls read the boys' sentences. The boys will read those written by the girls. Who made the fewer mistakes?

2. After all sentences have been corrected (if they need to be corrected), let the boys read their sentences aloud, and the girls theirs. The teacher will tell whose reading was the better.

=39. Talking over Plans=

Valentine Day is near at hand. Why could not your class plan a special good time for that day? Other classes have done it. One plan would be for pupils to send each other valentines. You could have a post office right in the schoolroom. One of the pupils could be the postmaster. It would be the business of the postmaster to see that each valentine went to the right person.

=Group Exercise.= Make plans with your classmates for Valentine Day. Think out what should be done and how it should be done. Then stand before the class and explain your plan. The other pupils will explain theirs. At last the whole class will choose the one that seems best. The following questions will help in the making of plans:

1. How shall the class post office be run?

2. Who shall be the class postmaster? What shall he do? Shall there
be letter carriers?

3. Would it be more fun for pupils to send short notes to each
other than valentines bought at the store? Perhaps red-paper
borders could be pasted around the edges of the letters? Some of
the letters might be from Jack Frost, Queen Mab, Peter, and other
friends you have met in this book.

=40. Letter Writing=

First of all, in getting ready for Valentine Day, you will need to learn how to write letters.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Who wrote the first of the following letters? How can you tell? Who wrote the second? To whom is it written? To whom is the first written?

Dear Jill:

The doctor says that I am perfectly well again. I should like
to go coasting Saturday. Shall we go together? I want to show you
how careful I can be in steering a sled.

Jack

Dear Jack:

My mother will not let me go coasting. I wish you would come
over to my house Saturday. We could write valentine letters
together, to our friends. We could pop some corn too.

Jill

2. Do you see the little mark (:) after the words _Dear Jack_ and _Dear Jill_ in these two letters? That mark must always[48] be written there in a letter. Next, do you see how the first line in each letter is different from the other lines? The first line of a letter must always begin a little to the right of the other lines. Notice where the name of the writer of each letter is placed. Is there any mark after it?

=Written Exercise.= 1. In order that you may not forget the points you have just learned about letter writing, copy Jack's letter to Jill. Then compare your copy with the letter as it stands in the book, and correct mistakes.

2. Now read carefully Jill's letter to Jack. Notice once more exactly how the different parts of the letter are written. Write the letter from dictation. Then correct what you have written by comparing it with the letter in the book.

It is well that you now know how to write a letter. There is at this very time an important letter that needs to be written by you. As you know, the teacher will soon choose some one in your class to be the postmaster for Valentine Day. Whom do you want for that position? Perhaps you would like to be postmaster yourself. Or do you want to be one of the letter carriers? The next exercise will give you a chance to tell the teacher.

=Written Exercise.= It would take too much of the teacher's time to listen to each pupil's opinion about those post-office questions.[49] Then, too, the teacher might not remember all that each pupil said. So there is only one thing to do. Each pupil must write his ideas and wishes in a letter to the teacher. Write your letter, beginning it thus:

Dear Teacher:

Tell in your letter exactly what you would tell the teacher in a private talk. No one but the teacher will see your letter.[50]

=41. More Letter Writing=

When Valentine Day comes, you will wish to write very good letters to your classmates. You already know how to write a letter, but it is another matter to write a bright letter.

Do you remember that boy, Tom, who once dreamed about an owl and an elf? One day Tom told his mother that his school was planning a special good time for Valentine Day. "We shall have a post office in our room," he said. "Everybody is to send everybody else letters."

"What kind of letters are they to be?" asked his mother.

"Well," answered Tom, "each pupil is to write at least one bright letter about himself. Those who receive the letters have to guess who wrote them. You see, we do not sign our names."

Tom had already written his letter, and he showed it to his mother. It was to his best friend, Fred. Here it is:

Dear Fred:

I am four feet three inches tall. I weigh seventy-five pounds.
I like to run and jump. I like to read books, too. I am your best
friend.

Somebody

=Oral Exercise.= What do you think of Tom's letter to Fred? Is it a bright letter? How does every sentence in it begin? Do you like to have all the sentences begin the same way?

Tom's mother read the letter. Then she read it again. Then she said, "Tom, you can do better than that."

Tom was surprised. He thought it was a good letter. "Are there any mistakes in it?" he asked. "No, there is not a single mistake in it," answered his mother. "You have the right mark after the words _Dear Fred_. You have begun every sentence with a capital letter. You have the right mark at the end of every sentence. But, Tom, it isn't a bright letter."

"How shall I make it bright?" asked Tom.

His mother smiled. "Look at the first sentence in your letter," she said. "It tells that you are four feet three inches tall. How uninteresting that is! Who cares to know your exact height, down to an inch! Why not say instead, 'I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with brown hair all over the top of my head'! Would not that be much brighter than 'I am four feet three inches tall'? Now look at the next sentence. It tells that you weigh seventy-five pounds. How uninteresting that is! 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 butter'? 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 butter. 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 snowballs 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 snowball 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 classmates. 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 class 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 class 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 class. You and your classmates should tell clearly what you like and what you do not like in it. The teacher will rewrite it on the board as the class 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. Nobody 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. Nobody had put it there.

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

"I'm sure I put it back in the bookcase," he said.

"Isn't it there now?" asked his mother.

"No!"

"Then Mr. Nobody must have been reading it," she answered. "He always forgets to put the books back where they belong. Perhaps he left it on the lounge, where you were reading last night."

And there, to be sure, in a corner of the lounge, was the lost book.

In Tom's house Mr. Nobody was always doing mischief. He was always mislaying Tom's things. He was always tearing his books, leaving doors ajar, and making finger marks on the doors. Now and then he spilled the ink on Tom's desk. He usually forgot to put Tom's boots where they belonged. He was so careless and forgetful that he got Tom into trouble nearly every day.

Does Mr. Nobody visit your house, too? If he does, you will understand the following poem about him:

MR. NOBODY

I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody's house!
There's no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody.

'Tis he who always tears our books,
Who leaves the door ajar;
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak
For, prithee, don't you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.

He puts damp wood upon the fire,
That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid,
Who had them last but he?
There's no one tosses them about
But Mr. Nobody.

The finger marks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill, the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots; they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.

UNKNOWN

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Read the poem again in order to see which of the four stanzas you like best. Can you tell why? Look through the poem and tell all the things that Mr. Nobody does. Which of them has he done at your house?

2. Did you ever see Mr. Nobody at your house? Do you think you could catch sight of him if you looked in the mirror? Make believe that you did see him at your house. Tell your classmates exactly how he looked.[52]

=Group Exercise.= As each pupil gives the class a picture of Mr. Nobody the class will say whether this picture looks like the pupil speaking. Then the class will point out what they liked and what they did not like in that pupil's way of speaking. These questions will help in this work:

1. Did the pupil stand squarely on both feet, or was he so weak
that he had to hold onto a chair or desk to keep from falling over?

2. Did he speak so clearly that every one in the class could
understand him?

3. Did he make a stop at the end of every sentence and drop his
voice there to show that the sentence was finished?

4. Did he use too many _and's_?

=45. Making a Little Book=

Would it not be pleasant for you and your classmates to make a class picture book? Perhaps you do not know how to make one. This is the way. Every pupil writes a few sentences that tell how he looks. These give the reader a picture of each writer. Then these pictures are all put together in a little book.

One pupil might write this picture of herself:

I am a short little girl with straight yellow hair, blue eyes, and
red cheeks. My mother says I am always giggling. So my picture
would show my round face covered with smiles.

Another pupil might write as follows:

I am a boy with black hair that is curly, brown eyes, and a long,
thin nose. You would know me by my size, for I am the tallest pupil
in the room.

=Written Exercise.= Write a picture of yourself. Write what will help a reader to see you as you are. You need not say that you have two eyes, two ears, two arms, and two legs. But if you have only one leg, or only one arm, say that. If you wear your hair in two braids, say that. Perhaps you will write twice, using the first writing as a help for the improved second writing, as Tom learned to do when he wrote letters.

=Group Exercise.= 1. When every pupil has finished his picture of himself, all these should be given to the teacher. Then the teacher will read one after another aloud, and the class will try to tell whose picture each one is. You see, this will be like a game. If the class cannot guess a picture, the teacher will read the name of the writer. Then the class will explain what should be added to the writing, or changed in it, so that it may give a true picture of the writer.

2. You and your classmates should now rewrite your pictures, making them better. After that they should be neatly copied. Then[53] all these pictures should be fastened together to form a book. A cover should be made for the book, on which may be written words like these:

+----------------------------------+
| PICTURE BOOK |
| |
| OF THE |
| |
| THE PUPILS OF MISS SMITH'S ROOM |
| |

=46. Correct Usage--_No, Not, Never_=

_I haven't_ means _I have not_
_you don't_ means _you do not_
_he doesn't_ means _he does not_
_never_ means _not ever_

It is a common mistake to use two _not_-words in a sentence when one is enough. Each of the following sentences is correct. Each contains only one _not_-word.

1. I have _never_ seen your father.

2. I _haven't_ ever seen your father.

3. I have _no_ money in my pocket.

4. I _haven't_ any money in my pocket.

5. I _don't_ see any mistakes in this example.

6. I see _no_ mistakes in this example.

7. I _don't_ ever go down that street at night.

8. I _never_ go down that street at night.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Point out the _not_-word in each of the eight sentences above. Are there any sentences there that need another _not_-word? Do you see that the second sentence is only another way of saying the first? Which sentence do you like better, the first or the second? The third or the fourth? The fifth or the sixth? The seventh or the eighth?

2. Say each of the following sentences in another way without changing the meaning:

1. I haven't any ink.

2. He has no book.

3. She hasn't any paper, and I haven't a pencil.

4. I have no ticket.

5. My father doesn't do any work on Saturday.

6. My father does not play any kind of instrument.

7. Haven't you ever seen a circus?

8. I have no pocketknife.

9. I haven't seen a ball game this year.

10. He had no money to spend.

=Game.= A pupil, who may be called _John_, is sent from the room. The teacher gives a flower, a piece of colored paper, a thermometer, or some other object that is not usually found in pupils' desks, to a member of the class. Then John is told that he may return.

TEACHER: John, some one in this room has a flower (or whatever the
object may be) in his desk. Try to guess whose desk it is. You may
ask any of your classmates whether they have it.

JOHN (to a classmate): Have you that flower in your desk?

THE CLASSMATE (if he does not have it): I have no flower in my desk
(or, I haven't any flower in my desk).

THE CLASSMATE (if he has it): I have it in my desk. Here it is.

=47. Telling Interesting Things=

=Oral Exercise.= 1. What kind of dog should you like to have for your pet? Stand in front of the class and tell your classmates why you like that kind of dog and what you would do with him.

2. Dogs can do many useful things. Tell the class of a remarkable thing you have seen a dog do. If you cannot do that, tell of some intelligent and brave deed which you have heard that a dog did. Perhaps the following list will help you:

1. Some dogs are faithful watchdogs. They may be trusted to guard a
house, a small child, an automobile, or a flock of sheep.

2. Some dogs are used in hunting.

3. Some dogs are good rat catchers.

4. Some dogs are taught tricks. Such dogs are sometimes seen at the
circus.

5. In some countries dogs are used to haul carts; in others they
draw sleds.

6. The St. Bernard dog and the Newfoundland dog are famous as
life-savers.

7. Dogs make good playmates for boys and girls.

3. Think of a dog you like. Without telling what kind of dog he is, make your classmates see exactly how he looks. There is no need of saying that the dog has four legs, two ears, two eyes, and a tail. Every dog has these. But tell what the class must know in order to see the dog as you see him in your mind. Perhaps you will make the class see a picture something like one of the following:

I

My dog has long hair but he himself is short. He looks like a white
muff. His bark and bite are sharp, but no one is afraid of him. He
might just as well be a rabbit.

II

The dog I am thinking about is nearly as tall as I am. He is so
heavy that I cannot lift him off the ground. He is so strong that
he can carry me. His beautiful brown and white hair is long and
curly. He is a good dog, and I should feel safe with him anywhere
on the darkest night.

=Group Exercise.=[54] 1. The class will try to guess the kind of dog each pupil tells about. Then it will tell each speaker (1) what was good in his talk, and (2) where the talk might have been better.

2. Some of the talks should be given a second time. This time the teacher will write them on the board.[16] How can each of them be made better?

3. You and your classmates might make an interesting dog picture book. After writing about each dog, you could draw his picture or cut it out of a magazine and paste it beside what you have written.[55]

=48. Study of a Picture Story=

I

=Oral Exercise.= 1. What is happening in the first picture on the next page? Does the dog want to go along? Why do the boys not take him?

2. Make believe that you are the boy on the back seat in the boat. Look at the dog as that boy looks at him. Hold up your finger as the boy does. What does that mean? Now, as your boat slowly moves from shore, talk to the dog. Are you sorry that he must stay? How do you show that? Do you sternly warn him not to leave his post?

=Group Exercise.= 1. Some of your classmates will now play that they are talking to the dog. Each tries to show how it really happened.

2. The class will tell what it likes in each pupil's talking and playing, and what it does not like. The following questions will help the class:

1. Did the pupil talk as he really would talk to his dog if the
class were not there to hear him?

2. What was the best thing he said?

3. What might he have said that he left out?

=Oral Exercise.= 1. You and a classmate may now play that you are the two boys in the first picture. Make believe that you are just arriving at the lake on your bicycles. Jump off and lean them against trees.[56] Talk about the lake and the beautiful day. Look the boat over and talk about your plan to go rowing. Talk about where to leave the bicycles. Decide to have the dog watch them. Explain this to the dog. Tell him you are sorry that he cannot go along. Then untie the boat, jump in, and push off. One of you is rowing. The other is sitting on the back seat and talking to the dog.

2. Two other pupils, and two others, may now play the same happenings.[57] They should try to talk exactly as they would if they were really the boys in the picture. Those two boys probably talked all the time.

=Group Exercise.= The class will tell what it likes in each playing of the picture, and what it thinks could be done better. The following questions will be useful in these talks:

1. Did the boys jump off their make-believe bicycles as if these
were real? Did they lean them carefully against trees?

2. Did they talk together as if they were really on a day's picnic?

3. Did they get into the boat carefully? Did one of them row the
make-believe boat as if it were a real boat? Did he look back now
and then to see where he was going?

4. Which two boys played the picture best? Which two talked the
best?

II

In the second picture the boys are seen on the water, well out from shore. They have just made an unpleasant discovery.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Play that you are one of the boys in the boat and have suddenly discovered your dog in the water near by. Look as you think this boy looked. Say what you think he said to the dog. Say what he said to the boy rowing the boat.

2. Now, with a classmate, play this part of the story. Begin where you stopped in the first picture. You have left the dog on shore and are rowing out into the middle of the lake. What can you see out there? What do you say to each other? Think of the things that two boys out in a boat would talk about,--birds flying by, fish, the sky, the depth of the water, whether they could swim ashore. Say these things. Then, right in the middle of your good time, the dog! After you have scolded him, you and your classmate talk together about what to do. What does each say, and what do you decide?

=Group Exercise.= Other pupils will now play this part of the story in their own way. Each two will try to show the others the best way. After each playing, the class will talk about it. These questions will help the class to see whether the playing was good or not:

1. Did the players talk enough? What more could each one have said?

2. Did they act and move as if they were sitting in a boat out on a
lake or as if they were standing on dry land?

3. Did they lean over the edge of the boat and look for fish? Did
they speak about how the shore looked from the middle of the lake?
Did they see other boats on the water?

=Oral Exercise.= How did the story end? Did the boys row on and let the dog swim after them until he got tired and returned to shore? Or did they take the wet animal into the boat and leave the bicycles to take care of themselves? What happened then? Were the bicycles still there when the boys returned from their boat ride? Tell your classmates how you think the story ended. If the ending is a good one, the teacher may ask you and other pupils to play it.

=Group Exercise.= The teacher will write some of the story endings on the board. Perhaps one or two pupils who have told good endings may write these on the board. Then the class will try to make each one better.[58] The following questions will help in this class work:

1. Does every sentence begin with a capital letter?

2. Does every sentence end with the right kind of mark?

3. Are there mistakes in any sentence?

4. Where can better words be used than those of the writer?

5. Where can a sentence or two be added to make the story better?

=Written Exercise.= Of all the story endings that have been corrected and rewritten on the board, the best one should now be copied. As you copy, notice the spelling of the hard words, the capitals, and the punctuation marks. Then, together with two or three classmates, correct your work and theirs.

=49. Correct Usage--_Went_, _Saw_, _Came_, _Did_=

An interesting game is sometimes played by pupils, which teaches them to use four words, _went_, _saw_, _came_, and _did_, correctly. Besides, it teaches them to have sharp eyes.

=Game.= Many things are placed on the teacher's desk. At a word all the pupils in the class march past the desk and try to see everything on it as they pass. When they have returned to their seats, the teacher asks questions that the pupils answer. For example:

TEACHER (to first pupil): Tom, what did you do?

TOM: I _went_ to your desk, I _saw_ a pencil on it, and I _came_ to
my seat. That is what I _did_.

TEACHER (to the next pupil): Mary, what did you do?

MARY: I _went_ to your desk, I _saw_ a knife on it, and I _came_ to
my seat. That is what I _did_.

Each pupil must name an object on the desk that no other pupil has spoken of. One of these objects the teacher has marked on its under side. The pupil who names that object wins the game, if he has made no mistake in his language, and he may go to the desk and mark another object for the next game. In this second game only those may play who made no mistake in the first.

=50. Two Punctuation Marks=

You already know that every sentence must begin with a capital letter. Besides, you have learned that some sentences end with a little mark (.) that is called a period, and some with a mark (?) that is called a question mark.

=Written Exercise.= In order to prepare for the game on the next page, copy the following sentences on the board.[59] Put capital letters where they belong. Place the right mark, a period or a question mark, at the end of each sentence.

1. what do you see on the side of the mountain

2. a large dog is standing in a snowdrift and barking

3. does he want to call us to him

4. these Saint Bernard dogs are very intelligent

5. they are beautiful dogs

6. what happened to the two boys who went boating on the lake

7. did they take the disobedient dog back to shore

8. the next picture in this book shows what they did

9. what should you have done

=Game.= The class is divided into two equal sides. Five pupils of one side go to the board. Each pupil writes a question. The questions may be about dogs or horses or Indians or anything that the class may choose. When they are written, the whole class reads them carefully to see whether there are any mistakes in them. Every mistake that is pointed out counts one score for the side that finds it. When the questions have been corrected, five pupils of the other side write the answers. These, in turn, are read by the class for mistakes. Then five more questions are written by five other pupils, and so on. When one of the two sides has made a certain score, twenty-five or more or less, the game ends. The side first reaching that score wins.

=51. Another Study of a Picture Story=

Of course you remember the two boys whose dog followed them out into the lake. When they rowed back to land, they found the bicycles untouched. Nobody seemed to have passed there. Still, the boys were afraid to leave them, and of course they could not take them along in the rowboat.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. What plan are the boys carrying out in the first picture on the next page? Do you think it is a good plan? Could you think out a better one? Explain it to your classmates.

2. Look at the second picture and tell what has happened since the boys tied the dog to the bicycles. How did the boat happen to upset? Is this dog a good swimmer? Could he probably save the drowning boy if he were not tied? What will happen next? This exciting story might end in several ways. Tell the class how you think it ended. Begin your story with the tying of the dog.

=52. Letter Writing=

It is over a month since you mailed a letter in the class post office. Shall we have another letter-writing day? It might be fun for all the pupils to send short letters to each other.

=Written Exercise.= 1. Think of a question that you would like to ask one of your classmates.[60] It may be something you really want to know, or it may be a question that you are asking just for fun. It does not matter. Write a short note asking the question.

2. Before mailing the letter, read it over several times with one of the following questions in your mind at each reading:

1. Have you begun the letter correctly? If it begins with a
greeting like _Dear Tom_ or _Dear Mary_, there should be this mark
(:) after the name of the pupil to whom you are writing.

2. Have you written your own name in the right place at the end of
the letter? No mark should follow your name.

3. Does the first line of the letter begin a little more to the
right than the lines below it?

4. Did you place a question mark at the end of the question you are
asking?

5. Would it be a good plan to write your letter over so that it
will be one of the best and neatest letters in the class post
office?

3. The class letter carrier will bring you the letter that one of your classmates has sent you. Write a letter[61] answering the question you have been asked. You know how to write dates. Place in the upper right-hand corner of your letter the date of your writing. The following letter shows the date written in the right place and in the right way:

March 25, 1919
Dear Tom:

The question you sent me is the same as the one my letter asks
you. I wonder whether the answers will be the same. My answer
is, Yes, I do want to go to the woods next Saturday.

Fred

=53. Words sometimes Mispronounced=

It is very pleasant to listen to speakers who make no mistakes in pronouncing words. In the list below are some of the words that give trouble to some pupils.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Listen carefully as the teacher pronounces the words in the following list. Then read the whole list as rapidly as you can, pronouncing no word incorrectly or indistinctly.

again
Tuesday
picture
I wish
drowned
you
threw
Italian
could have
window
into
chimney
to-morrow
nothing
February
just

2. Ask your classmates questions in which the words above are used. The answers, too, should use words from the list.

=54. Story-Telling=

THE DAUGHTER OF CERES

Long ago there lived on the earth a good goddess or fairy whose
name was Ceres.[62] It was she who made the corn and the grass and
the flowers grow. She drove over the fields in her magic chariot
and waved her wand. Then the trees put forth green leaves, the
grain sprouted, and the fruits glistened in red and gold colors.
She was the queen of all growing plants.

Ceres had an only daughter, of whom she was very fond. Her name was
Proserpina.[62] One day Proserpina begged her mother to allow her
to go into the meadow to gather flowers.

"You hardly ever let me wander in the fields, Mother," she said.
"Other girls go. Do let me go to-day. I shall be gone only a short
time."

Ceres did not like to let her daughter go. She feared some harm
might come to the little girl. But Proserpina begged so piteously
that, finally, Ceres agreed.

"But," she said, "you must not go farther than the brook that
borders the meadow. Do not cross that. I want to be able to see you
when I look out of my window."

Proserpina promised gladly. In a minute she had put on her bonnet
and had kissed her mother good-bye. With a basket on her arm she
ran gaily toward the near-by fields. They were dotted, on this
sunny morning, with the most beautiful flowers. Ceres at her window
watched the happy girl for a time. Then she returned to her work,
for she was always very busy.

Proserpina, like a butterfly that is glad to use its wings,
wandered delightedly from flower to flower. Never had the sunshine
seemed brighter and pleasanter. Never had the birds sung more
happily. Never had she seen such beautiful flowers. The violets
seemed larger and sweeter than ever before. The roses, the pinks,
and the lilacs seemed to be wearing holiday clothes. In a short
time she had filled not only her basket but also her apron with the
choicest blossoms. Then she sat in the tall grass and clover to
make some wreaths. She decided to make one for herself and a large,
beautiful one for her mother.

As she sat there in the sunshine and twined the stems of flowers
into pretty wreaths, she suddenly heard a low murmuring. It seemed
to come from near by. She listened. The sound kept steadily on. She
arose to see what it was. A few steps showed her that she had heard
only the murmuring and splashing and babbling of a little brook. It
bordered the meadow in which she had been gathering flowers and was
the very brook that her mother had told her not to cross.

And now a strange thing happened. As Proserpina stood beside the
running water, she saw, just a little distance on the other side, a
large shrub such as she had never set eyes on before. It was
completely covered with the most wonderful flowers in the world.
Before she knew what she was doing she had stepped lightly across
the brook. The nearer she came to the beautiful plant, the more
attractive it looked; and when she stood close to it, its beauty
seemed richer than anything she had ever seen. There were a hundred
flowers on it. Each had a color of its own. All together they made
one beautiful bouquet.

Proserpina was so charmed with what she saw that she did nothing at
first but look and look at the magical sight. At length, however,
she made up her mind to pull the shrub up and carry it home.

"I will plant it in our garden at home," she said.

So she took hold of the thick stem at the center of the plant and
pulled. It would not come up. She tried harder and loosened it a
little. Then she grasped it firmly near the ground with both hands,
and pulled and pulled with all her might. Suddenly, up came the
shrub, roots and all, so suddenly that Proserpina nearly fell. A
deep hole had been left in the soil where the plant had grown. As
Proserpina looked at this hole, it grew wider and wider and deeper
and deeper. In a few moments it had grown so deep that the bottom
seemed to be entirely gone.

Suddenly a tall man arose from the black depths. He wore a helmet
and carried a shield. As soon as he saw the frightened maiden, he
made a sign to her to come nearer.

"Do not be afraid," he said. "I shall do you no harm. I have come
to take you to my palace. You may live there as long as you
please."

Proserpina was so frightened that she wanted to run away. But she
was not able to move.

"No, no," she cried. "I don't want to go to your palace. I want to
go to my mother."

The stranger leaped swiftly to where she stood. He caught her in
his arms. In a moment he had jumped with her into the deep and
almost bottomless opening. There, far down, stood a golden
chariot, drawn by six coal-black horses. Into this chariot the
stranger stepped, carrying the frightened girl. He laid her gently
on the floor of the car and took the reins in his hands. They were
off at once at a furious pace. In a minute they had left the
meadows and the brook far behind them. Then the opening slowly
closed. Nowhere was there left the least mark or sign to tell what
had happened.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. What did you like best in this story? Do you like the ending? How do you wish it had ended?

2. With a classmate play the first part of the story. This is the part that tells about Ceres and Proserpina before Proserpina goes to the meadow. What does Proserpina say? What does Ceres say?

3. Now with another pupil play the part of the story that tells what happened after Proserpina crossed the brook. First, she sees the beautiful shrub. What does she say when she sees that? Next, she tries to pull it up. How she tugs and tugs at it! This must be shown in the playing. What does she say as she pulls away at it? How does she look and what does she say when she sees the deep hole that grows wider and deeper every moment? Last, the stranger is seen. He and Proserpina talk together before he carries her away. Does Proserpina scream as the stranger picks her up? Scream as if you were being carried away.