Chapter I: Front Matter

LITTLE MOTHER GOOSE

BOSTON
DEWOLFE, FISKE AND CO.
361 and 365 Washington Street

COPYRIGHT, 1895,
BY
ALPHA PUBLISHING COMPANY.

_All rights reserved._

FATHER PORCUPINE AND THE ORANGES.

One day Father Porcupine was out hunting food. He came to a tree in which sat a lot of monkeys eating oranges. He asked for some, but the unkind monkeys only pelted him with the fruit as hard as they could! Then Father Porcupine laughed and put up his quills, and the oranges stuck on them. When his quills were stuck full he started for home, and he and his family had a fine dinner.

BABYLAND

THE PLEASANT SPOT.

There was a “pleasant spot” in Mrs. Hall’s parlor, and every day at just three o’clock in the afternoon, if they had been perfectly good children, little Dick and Fanny Hall could go in and sit in that place an hour, and nobody else could go there at that time. The “pleasant spot” was under the green palm tree.

If they had behaved well, Dick and Fanny always went to their mother at ten minutes of three to be made as “sweet as roses.” But if they had been naughty they never went.

What did they do in the “pleasant spot?” They told each other stories, and they themselves made the stories.

Fanny’s stories were very short ones, such as this:

“One day a little small new small small baby-girl fly went into
a rose, an’ her mama was not looking, an’ she los’ her way in
the rose’s leaves an’ never comed out, an’ that little girl-fly
never saw her mama any more, never, never, never again, Dicky.”

Dicky’s stories were short too, and such as this one:

“Sometimes, when little boys have a toy train, just a tin one,
and they are playing with it, it turns into a live train, and
the engine puffs out live smoke, and live people travel in it.
But if their fathers and mothers look, or anybody, it is a tin
train. And this is a fairy story, Fanny.”

Or like this one, which Dicky said was a “nadventure:”

“One time, when three little boys went up the mountain, they
set their lunch basket down on the tip-top. In about two
minutes they heard a noise at their basket, and a chipmunk
stood there, and the chipmunk had one of their cookies in his
paws!”

_M. Dunleath._

Draw a small circle around a small cent, a large circle around a large copper cent (or a two-cent piece, or a silver quarter), as in the designs—and then in a twinkling you will have a picture of a baby hen—that is, a chicken.]

* * * * *

I stands for me, because my name is Ink;
And _why_ it’s so you’ll surely never think,
Until you see the black,
Black spot upon my back—
And _then_ you’ll know just why, as quick as wink!

_P. S. C._

THE MOON AND I.

(_A Midnight Dialogue._)

SCENE: A Nursery at night; a wakeful baby sitting up in its crib; the full moon shining in at the window.

The Moon said to me:
“Baby Bee, Baby Bee,
Why aren’t you asleep in your bed?
When I am a-light
You know it is night;
So down with your bad little head!”

I said to the Moon,
With a coo and a croon:
“O, beautiful Moon up so high!
Don’t tarry afar—
Let’s see what you are!
Come down from your perch in the sky!”

The Moon said to me:
“Baby Bee, Baby Bee,
When I was an infant like you,
I put out my light
At eight every night
To let people know I was _new_.”

I said to the Moon,
With a coo and a croon:
“Dear Moon, I’ve no doubt you are right;
I freely admit
The wisdom and wit
Of one so exceedingly bright.”

The Moon said to me:
“Baby Bee, Baby Bee,
Then _why_ don’t you shut up your eyes
And sleep as you ought,
And as you’ve been taught?
What folly to act otherwise!”

I said to the Moon,
With a coo and a croon:
“Pray how can I sleep when in truth,
O, Moon, though I try,
I _can’t_ shut an eye!
O, Moon, I am cutting a tooth!”

The Moon said to me:
“Baby Bee, Baby Bee,
I judged you a little too soon.
You poor little dear!
I wish you were here
Where we never cut teeth,” said the Moon.

_Pax Prescott._

GOSLING GOOSE’S QUESTION.

“Why need I turn in my toes?” cried out Gosling Goose one day. “Little boys don’t, and I think it’s why they can run faster than we!”

Mrs. Goose smiled; but Mr. Goose said, “Goslings should be seen and not heard!”

BABYLAND

“KEECOO CARL.”

“Mama, give me a keecoo,” said Carl.

“My child, there isn’t a cookie in the house,” said Mama.

“Do you _wis’_ you had some?” asked Carl, planting his chubby elbows in Mama’s lap.

“Indeed I do,” said Mama. “I certainly do wish that when Bridget went, she had left something in the house to eat!”

Five minutes later, Carl, with his mama’s large travelling bag on his arm, closed the back gate behind him, and trudged down the street.

A “lovely lady” that Carl knew lived in the first house round the corner, and he walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

The lady herself came to the door.

“Please give Carl keecoo. Bwidget’s gone, and us haven’t one fing in the house to eat,” and Carl extended the open bag to his astonished friend.

“Bless your heart!” she said, drawing her little friend in, and when he left he had ten cookies in his bag. She certainly was a “lovely lady” but Carl wished she hadn’t smiled so much with her eyes.

A little further on, another lady lived who often called to see mama, and Carl gave her door-bell a pull. This time a maid came, and Carl was shown into the parlor.

When Mrs. Lee came in and heard Carl’s errand she, too, “smiled,” and into his bag went eight _beautiful_ doughnuts.

Three or four more friends were visited, and at every place Carl’s bag grew heavier.

With a happy heart he hurried home, and bursting into the sitting-room he excitedly empties the contents of his bag into mama’s lap.

There were cookies, yellow and brown, of all shapes and sizes, and doughnuts both round and square.

_“Carl! Where in the world”_—began mama.

“Yesh, isn’t you glad?” interposed Carl. “They was all gibbed to me for _you_, and every buddy sent their love!”

This is how “Keecoo Carl” came by his name.

_Carrie A. Griffin._

A rattle is enough for me,
For I can make as much noise,
With my own mouth and fists and heels,
As babies with lots of toys!

_P. S. C._

LITTLE SALLY’S ANIMAL STORY.

“Do you know any stories?” was the first thing Jimmy said to his little cousin visitor.

“I do,” said Sally, smiling. “What kind do you like best?”

“All the kinds,” said Jimmy promptly. “Do you know any about animals?”

“I do,” said Sally. “I know a first-rate one about my own cat.”

“Tell it, now,” said Jimmy.

“I will,” said Sally. “I will begin it right now.”

Jimmy came around in front where he could “see every word.” “Begin!” said he.

“I am beginning,” said Sally. “My cat is just as old as I am. We were kittens together. Mama says she used to rock us in the cradle. One of the first things I remember, Jimmy, is my cat. She is a very big gray cat with a ringed coon tail.”

“Got a name?” asked Jimmy.

“She has. Big Betsey. Big Betsey goes to the country in summer. Mama wouldn’t think of leaving her behind to look out for herself. And we think, Jimmy, that Big Betsey always knows on what day we shall start. We think, Jimmy, that she understands a great many words that we say.

“Last summer she had a very smart handsome kitten, a great pet with us all, and we think Big Betsey understood us when we said we did not think the kitten could be taken too. The morning we were to start, when Mama went upstairs, there in one of the trunks lay Big Betsey’s kitten, and there Big Betsey stood packing her as nicely as possible, standing up on her back feet and tucking her in with her paws! Did you ever hear of such a thing, Jimmy?”

“No,” said Jimmy, “I didn’t. Did the kitten go?”

“She did,” said Sally.

“In the trunk? O, I hope she did—_please_, cousin Sally, please say she did!” entreated Jimmy.

“She’d have smothered, Jimmy, all locked in where she couldn’t get any fresh air to breathe. She and Big Betsey went in a basket, and had part of my seat. This is The End, Jimmy.”

“It’s a very nice animal story,” said Jimmy.

_M. Dunleath._

THE BIG NIGHT BIRDS.

(MARCHING PLAYS FOR NURSERY AND KINDERGARTEN.)

1. Children march with mother behind pointing at them and singing.

2. Children stand, arms pressed close to side, eyes closed, shoulders drawn up, mother behind pointing.]

Behold the round-eyed Owls!
The puffed-up feathery birds
That cry out in the night
And speak these two odd words:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_

Light scares these big-eyed birds;
They go and hide all day;
They sit in hollow trees;
Disturbed, they hiss and say:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_

4. Children circle room as before; mother behind, tiptoe, joyous, with tossing, soaring, wavering arm movements.

5. Mother waves her arms backward repeatedly. Children circle, away to their seats, arms extended horizontally as before, repeating refrain until seated.]

But out they fly at night;
They come round many a house;
All noiselessly they sail,
A-watch for mole or mouse.
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_

They never fly for joy,
And soar about the sky
They sail, and pounce, and sail—
These Owls with their strange cry:
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_

Back to your hollow tree,
You birds that have no song!
No child would like to be
An Owl for very long.
_Tu-whit, tu-whoo! tu-whit, tu-whoo!_

Draw two circles, a small one at the top, a large one below and behind it, as in the first two designs. Draw around a small cent and a large copper cent (or two-cent piece, or silver quarter). Add two tiny circles for eyes, then the lines in the following designs, and finally you will have a spring lamb with a tinkling bell.]

* * * * *

(_Lilybud to herself._)

“O, the bestest dood time I’ve had all alone,
A-playin’ wiv _such_ a shiny black stone—

(_Lilybud to mama._)

“But, mama! oh, mama! come quick—I dess,
I dess I have dot sumfin bad on my dwess!”

_P. S. C._

THE HOUSE MOUSE

(_Mother, or teacher sings_:)

2. Several children come out and hippity-hop about swiftly and gaily.]

Sometimes a child at night
Awakes from slumber sweet,
And seems to hear the step
Of fleeing elfin feet.

(_Child sings_:)

’Tis I, the merry Mouse,
The little bright-eyed Mouse
That dwells within the house!
Tis I! ’tis I! ’tis I!

(_Mother sings_:)

A rush as of a troop!
A scamper in the walls!
A scurry in the floors!
Then perfect silence falls.

(_Children, pausing, sing_:)

’Tis we, the merry Mice!
’Tis we, the frolic Mice
All scudding in a trice!
’Tis we! ’tis we! ’tis we!

(_Mother sings:_)

A merry sprite it is!
Yet children fear the Mouse,
The Mouse that joys like them
To dwell within the house!

(_Children sing, joining hands, dancing in a round:_)

We do! each merry Mouse,
Each little tricksy Mouse;
We like the cosey house,
We do! we do! we do!

4. Children hippity-hop about gently.]

(_Mother sings:_)

And dainty is the Mouse!
What children like, it eats!
It chooses grains and fruits,
And has a tooth for sweets.

(_Children sing, dancing in a round:_)

Then do not fear the Mouse,
The dainty merry Mouse
That shares your cosey house;
O, no! no, no! no, no!

BABYLAND

THE KIND LITTLE CAT.

Miss Howells has told the story of Posy Pinkham’s cat that dreamed. This is a story of two other cats Posy had.

The cats were sisters. Their names were Fluff and White-face. Fluff was a gentle milk cat. White-face was a fierce mouser. White-face would often bite and claw her sister, but Fluff never bit and clawed back.

Once, however, Fluff bit and clawed first, and there was a fight, and Fluff—but that’s the story.

Papa Pinkham had caught a gray mouse in the wire cage-trap. It was so cunning Posy begged to keep it, and Papa Pinkham left it in the cage-trap and went off to business. Posy fed the mouse with five kernels of corn, and then went to dress her doll Lilybell for breakfast.

Fluff had been looking on. Now she went close up to the cage and sat down.

Just then White-face came creeping, creeping up, in the way of mouse-hunting cats.

“Hush,” she whispered to Floss; “there’s a mouse; see me catch it!”

“No,” whispered Floss, “it’s such a cunning mouse, so soft and smooth, such bright little eyes, such a long slim tail—no, don’t.”

“I shall, I say!”

“No, you mustn’t—besides, it is Posy’s mouse.”

“I don’t care, I want it!”

Just then the mouse moved so its tail came through the wires. White-face sprang, but Floss sprang quicker, not at the tail, but at her fierce sister.

White-face was very angry; she bit and clawed terribly; she scratched Floss across the face—but Floss fought on.

At last White-face got away, and ran out the door and up a tree. Floss chased her and nipped the tip of her tail as she climbed. Then she ran back to the house, and told Posy all about it.

Posy hugged the kind little cat, and tied a beautiful ribbon about her neck, and told her she was brave as a lion, and kind as—as—a little girl!

But White-face got no ribbon, and no praise—and she was so scared she staid up in the tree all day.

_C. P. Stuart._

The Wild Hare

(_Mother sings:_)

Now this must be a bunny!
I know it by its ears!
Those gentle wildland creatures,
Such timid pretty dears!

(_Child sings:_)

O, yes, I am a bunny!
I’ve seen you as you pass
My little hidden bower
Built in the wildland grass.

(_Mother sings, seeking to capture child_:)

Pray let me catch you, bunny!
O, let me, rabbit dear,
And take you to the children—
Nay, bunny, do not fear!

(_Child sings, springing away in little leaps_:)

I am a free wild bunny!
To catch me who shall dare!
I am no timid rabbit rabbit—
I am a wild swift hare!

(_Mother sings, following after child_:)

Nay, bunny, stop and listen,
And tell me many things!
Say, is a hare’s life pleasant?
But no—away it springs!
Stop, stop, and tell me, bunny,
Where stay you when night comes?

(_Child sings_:)

O, all the great green wildland
Is full of little homes!

(_Mother sings_:)

And tell me, pretty bunnies,
What do you have to eat?

(_Children sing_:)

O, twig and leaf and berry
Are bunny’s bread and meat.

(_Mother sings, shuddering_:)

But oh! the owls and foxes
That hunt you for their prey!

(_Children sing, springing away_:)

Then on our leaping long-legs
We bunnies streak away!

THE FOURTH OF JULY.

Two little tots were out at play—
And it was Independence Day;
One said, “I wis’ us bofe was boys!
I do dess feel bang-full of noise!”

The other tossed her little head;
“O dirls is dess as dood,” she said;
“We’ll build a gwate big fort of sand
To guard dis gwate Amer’can land!”

They built and built without a stop;
And when ’twas done, right at the top
Their little flag they grandly flew,
And cheered the old red, white and blue.

All worn, all torn, a playhouse rag,
To them it was their country’s flag!
“Hoowaw for Independence Day!
Hoowaw!” they cried, and ran away.

_Ella Farman Pratt._

Draw a small circle (around a small cent), then a large circle directly below and behind it (around a large copper cent, or two-cent piece, or silver quarter), as in the first and second designs. Then add the lines in the following designs, and a big lion will sit staring at you.]

The Robins