Anonymous

“ THE CHICKADEE-DEE. Little darling of the snow, Careless how the winds may blow, Happy as a bird can be, Singing, oh, so cheerily, Chickadee-dee! Chickadee-dee! When the skies are cold and gray, When he trills his happiest lay, Through the clouds he seems to see Hidden things to you and me. Chickadee-dee! chickadee-dee! Very likely little birds Have their thoughts too deep for word, But we know, and all agree, That the world would dreary be Without birds, dear chickadee! ”

“ But her Godmother, above all things, commanded her not to stay till after midnight, telling her at the same time that if she stayed one moment longer the coach would be a pumpkin again, her horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen lizards, and her clothes become just as they were before.
She promised her Godmother she would not fail of leaving the ball before midnight, and then away she drives, scarce able to contain herself for joy. The King’s son, who was told that a great Princess, whom nobody knew, was come, ran out to receive her. ”

“ Just as the little girl struck the last blow her Aunt Margaret came into the room. Aunt Margaret stopped in the doorway, astonished.
“Why Flora,” she said, as puss darted out of the room, “what are you beating Griffin for?”
“What do you think he was doing?” cried Flora, her cheeks still flushed with anger. “He was on the table just ready to spring at this beautiful bird in my new hat. If I had not come he would have torn it to pieces.”
“But he knew no better,” said Aunt Margaret, “it is perfectly natural for a cat to spring at a bird. ”

“ She was afraid that, if she went, she would not find her beloved friend. Dinner-time came, and, with a heavy heart, she seated herself at the table. Her uncle and aunt noticed her sober face, and thought that she missed her father and mother.
“Come, come,” said her uncle, “we must cheer up; no sad looks on Thanksgiving Day. Maria, BRING IN THE TURKEY.”
Poor Bessie! she could not look up as the door opened, and something was brought in on a big platter. But, as the platter was placed on the table, she saw that it did indeed hold her turkey, but he was alive and well. ”

“ Will not other little children be as kind as Ralph and Edward?
A KIND HEART. The day Ethel Brown was seven years old she had a tea party.
Mrs. Brown had sent tiny cards of invitation to all the little girls on the street to come and bring their dolls. She also sent one to Nellie Day, her washer-woman’s little girl, at Ethel’s special request.
“She is a nice little girl,” said Ethel, “and doesn’t ever go anywhere like me. May I have her at my party?”
“That is right, little daughter,” said Mrs. Brown. “Always be kind to those who have less pleasure than yourself. ”

“ Now this young rat was not of a very quiet disposition. In fact he was quite gay, and thought the life in the farm-cellar was very dull and stupid and longed to see more of the world.
He sat near his father and mother one day when they were entertaining a caller, a stranger who seemed to have travelled all over the world, and told in a very interesting manner of the many wonderful things he had seen. “Why,” said the caller, “how you can be contented to live as you do I cannot imagine, and to bring up your children in such ignorance fills me with surprise. ”

“ Grandma smiled and told them to eat a good breakfast, for building a fort was hard work.
They were soon out in the snow, and what a splendid time they did have.
The fort did not grow very fast, for they had to stop so often to snow-ball each other.
When Grandma called them in to dinner they wondered where the time had gone since breakfast.
After dinner, Ralph was looking out of the window, when he spied two little birds cuddled up on a branch of a pine-tree.
“Oh, Edward! come here,” he called. “See those poor little birds. They look half frozen and so hungry.” ”

“ She then went to look into her mousetrap, where she found six mice all alive, and ordered Cinderella to lift up a little the trapdoor, when, giving each mouse as it went out a little tap with her wand, the mouse was that moment turned into a fine horse, which altogether made a very fine set of six horses of a beautiful mouse-colored dapple-gray. Being at a loss for a coachman, Cinderella said:
“I will go and see if there is never a rat in the rattrap—we may make a coachman of him.” ”

“ Miller died, and had worked so hard to earn a living for herself and Kitty that she had become sick. She was obliged to lie in bed all day, and when Kitty was away at school, the house was very lonesome to the invalid.
When Kitty reached the school that day her thoughts were full of her sick mother and the lovely apples.
She was usually a good scholar, but to-day she made so many blunders that the teacher looked at her in surprise. The little girl could only sit at her desk, with her book before her, and dream of those red apples. When school was dismissed, Kitty started slowly homeward. ”

“ Brown and Lady Gray both returned on snow-shoes, and how every one did laugh when they saw them.
But Lady Gray never could have done it if she had not tried.
THE ANGRY BOBOLINK. Pretty little bobolink In your satin coat, Trimmed with white across the neck Black about the throat, Why so angry do you seem? Why so fierce your mien? That you’re scolding somebody Plainly can be seen. “Don’t you know,” says bobolink, As he shakes his head, That my nest is hidden in This soft grassy bed? Somebody has come too near, And I wish to say There is no admittance here Pass the other way. ”

“ In a few moments he was working as busily as Laura, herself. As Arthur finished his last long string, he tied the ends together and threw it around Laura’s neck. When she bent her head a little, it reached the floor.
“There,” said he, “that proves that a boy can do a girl’s work.”
“Yes,” said Laura, “when”—then she stopped and smiled.
“When what?” asked Arthur.
“When he has a girl to show him how,” laughed Laura, as she danced out of the room with the cranberry strings. ”

“ Now Hiram loved his mother more than anything else in the world. Whenever he dreamed of being rich some time, as boys often do, it was not for himself he wanted the money, but that his dear little mother might drive in a carriage, drawn by a pair of horses with clanking chains. ”

“ And such fun looking at everybody else’s. Here are two, Bessie’s and Fred’s:—
I’m for the boy Who can stand on his head, And who NEVER likes To go to bed. If there’s more than one of them,— I’m for FRED! I bring a kiss From far away; It’s travelled many Miles to-day. Take it, my dear, And send one back To your old, loving Uncle Jack.
Don’t you think that the children OUGHT to have had a good time if all received as dear little valentines as these?
THE VENTURESOME RAT.
He was a fine young rat and lived with his father and mother, and brothers and sisters in a farm-cellar. ”

“ The old tyrant Winter leaves nothing to prize, Leaves nothing that’s bright or fair; He has stolen the blue from the bending skies, The warmth from the earth and air. “The summer’s dear blossoms are withered and dead; My garden is brown and bare ”

“ Ask some of the older people in your family to tell you something more about ants. There is much more of interest in regard to them than I have space to write you.
THE FOOLISH PUG. A pompous pug once thought that he A dashing swell would try to be, And on his neighbors one and all, Sat out to make a stylish call. He wore a glass upon one eye, And on his head a silk hat high; A wide, stiff collar around his throat, And last an English overcoat. So fine and splendid was his air The very birds stood still to stare, As walking on his two hind feet He sauntered boldly down the street. ”

“ A HORSE WHO WORE SNOW SHOES.
Mr. Brown had to go to his camp at Pine Tree Valley, which is in the midst of the mountains in California.
His men were cutting down the giant trees, and piling them in readiness for the Spring freshet, or floods of the river, when the snows melted. Then they would slide them down the mountain sides to the little villages below.
There was a great deal of snow on the mountains, and Mr. Brown knew it would be hard work climbing to the camp, but Lady Gray was strong, and used to it.
Lady Gray was Mr. Brown’s pet horse, and carried him everywhere. ”

“ Mintie was a bantam biddy, very small, white as snow, and very pretty. She had been left an orphan chick, and for a while kept in the house, near the kitchen fire. She had been Bertie’s especial charge, and he fed and tended her faithfully.
As she grew older she would rove about with the larger hens, but was very tame, and always liked the house. She would come in very often. When Bertie happened to pop corn in the daytime she was pretty apt to be around, and pick up the kernels he threw to her.
One night he left his corn-popper on the kitchen table. ”

“ Their neighbors considered them extremely proud and haughty. They never were known to play with any of the cats in their street. To be with each other was all they asked. Sometimes these neighbors took a great deal of pains to get a glimpse of Tomasso and Lilia as, paw in paw, they danced a minuet together. ”

“ Fred was tired of reading, tired of looking out of the window, and so he poked the fire for a change.
“I suppose there are a good many different sorts of fires,” he said to his mamma, as he laid down the poker.
“Yes, indeed,” she answered. “It is very interesting to know how people keep warm in all parts of the world, especially where fuel is scarce and dear. In Iceland, for example, fires are often made of fish-bones! Think of that. In Holland and other countries a kind of turf called peat is dug up in great quantities and used for fuel. ”

“ In Russia the poorer people use a large porcelain stove, flat on top like a great table, with a small fire inside which gives out a gentle, summer-like warmth. It often serves as a bed for the whole family, who sleep on top of it.
“There are, besides gas-stoves, oil-stoves, various methods of obtaining warmth by heated air and steam, and, doubtless, other devices that I never heard of.
“In some countries, however, no fires are needed. In looking at pictures of tropical towns you will at once notice the absence of chimneys.”
Fred looked admiringly at his mamma as she paused. ”

“ THE DOLLS AND THE OTHER DOLLS.
“Mamma,” little Nellie asked, “is it right to give away things that have been given to you?”
Her mamma replied that it might be quite right sometimes; and she said, “But I should feel sorry if I had made a little friend a present she did not value, and so was glad to part with it.”
“O mamma!” said Nellie, “you know how I value my dollies, every one, that my dear aunts and cousins sent me because I was sick. Now I am well again. To-morrow is New-Year’s. Some sick little girls in the hospital want dollies. ”

“ His mother laughed and told him when he had tamed his mice he must keep them well out of her way.
The trap was set, the mice were caught, and sure enough, in a short time were so tame they would eat from Harry’s hand. He made a little house for them, and kept in it his bedroom. Whenever he went out, he always shut the door carefully.
Now it happened that among Harry’s acquaintances, there was one very disagreeable boy. His name was Dick Taft. Harry did not play with him very often, for he was so ugly it was hard to get along with him. ”

“ And as Dinah read every word plainly and quickly, of course she had for her very own the fine roller-skates the box held. And now sitting curled up in the sun, doing nothing, is not the thing she likes to do best. ”

“ FANNY’S TELEPHONE ORDER.
Little Fanny Desmond was a dear child, and, like a good many other little children, she liked to do whatever she saw the grown people do.
She would listen with great interest when she saw her mother use the telephone. She was especially surprised when her mother ordered things, and later in the day they would be brought to the house.
“I wish I had a telephone of my own,” she said to her papa. “Mama just puts her mouth up to that funny thing, and gets whatever she asks for. Yesterday she asked somebody to send us ice-cream for dinner, and sure enough, it came.” ”

“ And in France a coarse yellow and brown sea-weed, which is found in Finistere, is carefully dried and piled up for winter use. A false log, resembling wood, but made of some composition which does not consume, is often used in that country. It absorbs and throws out the heat, and adds to the looks of the hearth and to the comfort of the room. ”

“ When all is ready the insect cuts out pieces of leaves to line the nest and to make the cells. These linings are out in the shape of the cells. You, would be surprised to see the care taken to have every piece of just the right size, so that it will fit. ”