Chapter III: Preparation

We shall now learn that the robbers came back while the four musicians were asleep in the house, and what happened. Tell where each animal went to sleep. What do you think they did when the robbers came back? Let us see.

Narration.

THE ROBBERS RETURN.

The robbers did not go very far away. They hid in the woods and watched to see what went on in the house. Along about midnight one of the robbers said: “See, the light is out. Perhaps the police have gone away.” “Yes,” said all the other robbers, as they looked, “the light is out.”

The captain of the robbers then sent one of the band to see if all was safe. He stole softly through the woods and crept into the house. When once in he saw something shining in the fireplace. It was the cat’s eyes, but he thought it was two coals of fire. So he took the candle from the table and stooped to light it at the coals. The cat at once sprang at him and scratched his face with her claws. The robber, badly scared, ran out of the house. As he ran, the dog awoke and bit him in the leg. The donkey kicked him, and the cock cried out, “Cock--a--doodle--do.” Still worse frightened, he ran back to where the others were hiding.

“Oh!” he said, “I wouldn’t go back there for the world! There was a terrible old woman sitting by the fireplace. She scratched me with her long finger nails. A man lay behind the door: he cut me in the leg with his long knife. A giant, who was lying in the yard, struck me with his great club. Then some one cried out, ‘Bring a rope and hang the thief.’ So I ran back as fast as I could.”

When the other robbers heard this they all said, “No, it is not safe to go back there;” and they went away to another part of the country. The four musicians liked the little house in the woods so much that they remained there all the rest of their days in joy and comfort.

Model Treatment.

1. Tell where the robbers went when they ran away. Tell what the one said who saw that the light was out. What did the captain then say? What did the cat do to the robber? The dog? The donkey? The cock? Tell what report he made to his brother robbers. What did they then do?

2. Why did the robber go to the fireplace? What is a candle? What do we use in place of candles? A long time ago people used candles. Of what were they made? What is burned in lamps? Where do we get it? Where do we get gas? Can cats see better than dogs or donkeys or chickens? Where do cats sleep? Dogs? Donkeys? Cocks?

Why do chickens sleep up so high?

Why are robbers afraid of police?

What are _policemen_?

What is their duty? Who pays policemen? In what other stories did we hear of a fireplace? (In “The Cock and the Hen.”) Tell about it.

Detail of Form Work.

===========================================================================
PART.| MAKING. | DRAWING. | CUTTING. | DRAMATIZATION.
-----+-------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------
I. | The animals |The donkey, the |The four animals |The meeting of the
| modeled in | dog, and the cat| on their journey.| four animals.
| clay. | talking to the | |
| | cock. | |
-----+-------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------
II. |The robbers’ |The four animals |The robbers hidden|The four animals
| house (of | frightening the | in the wood. | in the forest and
| paper). | robbers. | | frightening the
| | | | robbers.
-----+-------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------
III. | Candle and |The robbers |Different kinds |The robber,
| Standard. | running away. | of lights and | returning to the
| (See Worst,| | receptacles for | house and
| Ex. 86). | | lights. | frightened away
| | | | by the animals.
-----+-------------+-----------------+------------------+------------------

THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE BEAN.