Chapter II

One day the dove was in a tree near her nest
A man came into the woods with a gun.
He tried to shoot the dove.
The ant passed by and saw him.
“Oh, the poor dove!” said the ant.
“How can I help her?”
She ran to the man and bit his foot.
“Oh, my foot! My foot!” said the man.
Then he ran out of the woods.
“Thank you,” said the dove.
“You have helped me, little friend.”

STOP, STOP, PRETTY WATER!

“Stop, stop, pretty water!”
Said Mary one day,
To a bright, happy brook
That was running away.

“You run on so fast!
I wish you would stay;
My boat and my flowers
You will carry away.

But I will run after:
Mother says that I may;
For I would know where
You are running away.”

So Mary ran on;
But I have heard say,
That she never could find
Where the brook ran away.
ELIZA LEE FOLLEN.

THE BROOK.

One day some raindrops fell out of the sky.
They went running down a hillside.
By and by they came to a bright, happy brook.
“Stop, stop, pretty water!” said the raindrops.
“Where are you going?”
“I am going to the sea,” said the brook.
“I can not stop. I have work to do.
I water the grass and the flowers.
The cows come here to drink.
I make a home for the fishes.
The birds like my pure cold water.
The boys and the girls come here to play.

There are other little brooks.
They all go my way, so we run on together.”
“We will go with you, too,” said the raindrops.
So away they went with the bright, happy brook.

THE THREE BEARS.

One day Golden Locks went into the woods.
She came to a little house.
It was the home of three bears.
Father Bear was a big bear.
Mother Bear was a middle-sized bear.
Baby Bear was a little bear.
The three bears were not at home.
So Golden Locks went into the house.

II

Golden Locks saw three bowls of milk.
There was a big bowl.
That was for Father Bear.
There was a middle-sized bowl.
That was for Mother Bear.
There was a little bowl.
That was for Baby Bear.
She tasted the milk in the big bowl.
It was too hot.
She tasted the milk in the middle-sized bowl.
It was too cold.
She tasted the milk in the little bowl.
It was just right.
So she drank all of it.

III

Golden Locks saw three chairs.
There was a big chair.
That was for Father Bear.
There was a middle-sized chair.
That was for Mother Bear.
There was a little chair.
That was for Baby Bear.
She sat in the big chair.
It was too hard.
She sat in the middle-sized chair.
It was too soft.
She sat in the little chair.
But the little chair broke, and Golden Locks fell down.

IV

Then Golden Locks saw three beds.
There was a big bed.
That was for Father Bear.
There was a middle-sized bed.
That was for Mother Bear.
There was a little bed.
That was for Baby Bear.
She lay down on the big bed.
It was too hard.

She lay down on the middle-sized bed.
It was too soft.
She lay down on the little bed.
It was just right.
So she fell fast asleep.

V

Soon the three bears came home.
Father Bear said, in a big voice,
“=SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK.=”
Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK.”
Baby Bear said, in a little voice,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK, AND IT IS ALL GONE.”

VI

Then Father Bear said, in a big voice, “=SOME ONE
HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR.=”
Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR.”
Baby Bear said, in a little voice,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR, AND HAS BROKEN IT.”

VII

Then Father Bear said, in a big voice,
“=SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED.=”
Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED.”
Baby Bear said, in a little voice,
“SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED, HERE SHE IS, FAST ASLEEP.”