Chapter VI

“Where are you going?” said Foxy Loxy.
“Oh, oh! The sky is falling,” they said.
“We are going to tell the king.”
“Come with me,” said Foxy Loxy.
“I will take you to the king.”
So Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky,
Ducky Lucky, and Turkey Lurkey, went with Foxy Loxy.
He took them into his den, and they never saw the king.

THE SWING.

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

THE KIND OLD OAK.

It was time for winter to come.
There was no green grass in the fields.
The birds were all in the South.
Under an old oak-tree, there were some sweet blue violets.
“Dear oak-tree,” said they.
“Winter will soon be here.
We are afraid of the cold.”
“Do not be afraid, pretty violets,” said the oak.
“Go to sleep, I will take care of you.”
So the violets went to sleep.
The kind old tree dropped a red leaf upon them.
Then leaf after leaf dropped down.
Soon the violets were all covered over.
Winter came but they were not afraid.
They were fast asleep under the leaves of the kind old oak.

IN THE WOODS.

Here are some woodmen.
They are in the deep woods.
Two woodmen are cutting down a tree.
How fast they work!
See the ax go up and down.
Soon the tree will fall.
See! Down it comes!
Other woodmen cut off the boughs.
Then they cut the tree into logs.
By and by they will take the logs to the water.
They will put the logs on the ice.
In the spring the warm sunshine will melt the ice.
Then the water will carry the logs down to the sawmill.

THE HONEST WOODMAN.

A woodman was at work near the water.
He was cutting down a large oak-tree.
You could hear the chip, chip, chip of his ax.
He lifted the ax high over his head to give a good blow.
The ax fell into the water.
The poor woodman looked down into the deep water.
He said, “Oh! What shall I do?
I have lost my good ax!”

II

A kind fairy lived in the water.
She came up out of the water and said,
“My poor man, why are you crying?”
“Oh! said the woodman.
“I have lost my good ax.”
“Do not cry,” said the fairy.
“I will get your ax for you.”
The fairy went down into the deep water.
Soon she came up with a gold ax.
“Is this your ax?” said the fairy.
“Oh, no!” said the
“That is not my ax.”
The fairy again went down into the water.
Soon she came up with a silver ax.
“Is this your ax?” she said.
“Oh, no, no!” said the woodman.
“That is not my old ax.”