Chapter VII

Blacky ran into the house as fast as he could go.
He put the kettle full of water over the fire.
Mr. Fox was afraid when he saw the big black kettle rolling down the hill.
When he saw Blacky jump out of the kettle he said,
“O ho! I will have you now.”
He ran down to Blacky’s house.
He tried the door but he could not get in.
Then he went down the chimney.
He fell into the kettle of hot water.
Then Blacky went to get Whitey and Browny.
Mr. Fox had carried them to his den in the woods.
After that they all lived together in Blacky’s strong brick house.

THE BOY AND THE NUTS.

Once there was a greedy little boy.
He saw some nuts in a pitcher.
He put his hand into the pitcher.
“I will take a big handful,” he said.
But he could not take out the handful of nuts.
He did not wish to drop the nuts.
At last he began to cry.
Just then his mother came into the room.
“Why are you crying?” she said.
“I can not take this handful of nuts out of the pitcher.”
“Take one nut,” said his mother.
“Then you can get your hand out.”

THE NEW MOON.

Dear mother, how pretty
The moon looks to-night!
She was never so pretty before.

Her two little horns
Are so sharp and so bright--
I hope she’ll not grow any more.

If I were up there,
With you and my friends,
I’d rock in it nicely, you see;

I’d sit in the middle,
And hold by both ends.
Oh, what a bright cradle ’t would be!

And there we would stay
In the beautiful skies,
And through the bright clouds we would roam.

We would see the sun set
And see the sun rise,
And, on the next rainbow, come home.
ELIZA LEE FOLLEN.

THE CARPENTER.

“Good morning, Mr. Carpenter.
May I come in?
See, I have broken my sled.
Can you mend it for me?”
“Yes, I can mend it,” said the carpenter.
“Here is a board but it is too long.”
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!” sang the saw.
“Now I must plane it,” said the carpenter.
“Zish! Zish! Zish!” said the plane.
“This board is just right,” said the carpenter.
“Rap-a-tap, tap!” said the hammer.
As the carpenter works he sings this song,
“Rap-a-tap, tap! Tick-a-tack, too!
Here is your sled as good as new.”
“Thank you, Mr. Carpenter.
When I am a man I should like to be a carpenter, too.”

SOMETHING TO TELL.

Where do we get wood?
How is wood used?
Find something in this room made of wood.
Who cuts down the trees?
How do the logs get down to the sawmill?
What do the men in the sawmill do?
Who has seen a carpenter at work?
Can you name the carpenter’s tools?
Tell me something a carpenter makes.
Find something made with a hammer.
Find something made with a plane.
Find something made with a saw.
What tools have you?
What will you be when you are a man?

THE GINGERBREAD BOY.

A little old man and a little old woman lived together
in a little old house.
The little old house was near a deep wood.
One morning the little old woman was baking gingerbread cakes.
She cut out some round gingerbread cakes.
Then she said to the little old man,
“See! I have cut out a cake to look just like a little boy.”
Then she put The Gingerbread Boy in the oven to bake.
Not long after the little old woman went to the oven to look at her cake.
Out jumped The Gingerbread Boy.
Away he ran as fast as he could go.
The little old woman and the little old man ran after
him, but they could not catch him.

II

The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on.
At last he came to a barn full of threshers.
As he went by the door he said,
“I have run away from
A little old woman,
A little old man,
And I can run away from you,
I can, I can.”
Then the threshers ran after him, but they could not catch him.
The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on.
Soon he came to a field full of mowers.
As he passed the field he called out,
“I have run away from
A little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
And I can run away from you, I can, I can.”
Then the mowers ran after him, but they could not catch him.

III

The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on, till he came to a cow.
He called out to the cow,
“I have run away from
A little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
And I can run away from you,
I can, I can.”
Then the cow ran after him, but she could not catch him.
The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on
Soon he met a fox and called out, “I have run away from
A little old woman,
A little old man,

A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
A cow,
And I can run away from you,
I can, I can.”
Then the fox ran after him.

IV

Now a fox can run very fast.
On and on ran the fox until he caught The Gingerbread Boy.
Then the fox began to eat him.
“Dear me!” said The Gingerbread Boy
“Here I am a quarter gone.
Now I am half gone.
I am three-quarters gone.
Oh, dear! I am all gone.”
And he never spoke again.

THE CITY MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE.

One day a city mouse went to visit a country mouse.
The country mouse lived in a field.
The two mice ran about the field and had a happy time.
At last the country mouse said,
“We must have something to eat.”
He gave the city mouse an ear of corn.
This was enough for the country mouse.
But the city mouse did not like it.
So he said to the country mouse,
“My friend! Is this all you have to eat?
Come to the city and visit me.
I live in a beautiful house.
Come and see what good things
I have to eat.”
So the two mice set off for the city.

II

After a while they came to the house where the city mouse lived.
Oh! What good things the city mouse set before the country mouse!
She had bread and cheese and cake.
“How good this is!” said the country mouse.
“I wish I lived in the city.”

Just then a man came into the room.
The mice jumped down and ran into a hole.
“Do not be afraid,” said the city mouse.
“The man can not find us.”
By and by the man went away.

Then the mice ran out of the hole and again began to eat.