Laura Rountree Smith

“ Grandpa Grimes was a jolly old fellow. He carried a suit-case and a big umbrella.
He never went anywhere without his umbrella.
He said, “Who can tell whether it will rain or shine?”
One of the twins grabbed his suit-case and the other twin grabbed his umbrella.
Grandpa asked, “Where is Humpty Dumpty?”
“Oh, oh!” cried Teddie and Freddie, “we had forgotten all about him, and we had forgotten all about our dinner, too!”
Grandpa Grimes began to whistle [17] a merry tune and they all went into the house.
GRANDPA GRIMES
Humpty Dumpty did not wake up when they came in. ”

“ The Beautiful Princess said, “I can not come until you let out the Oak-Tree Fairy!”
The next day it rained, and the next, and the next.
It is very sober business walking in the woods in wet weather.
The poor prince got the feathers [51] in his cap all wet, but he must make the Oak-Tree Fairy come out.
He pleaded and pleaded with her to leave her tree.
At last the Oak-Tree Fairy sang this little song:
“O prince, I promise to leave my tree
When yellow slippers you bring to me.”
The prince was delighted. He went into town, and bought the prettiest yellow satin slippers he could find. ”

“ Then Grandpa stooped down and said, “Whisper in my ear what the trouble is. We haven’t time to cry all morning.”
Then Humpty Dumpty whispered something to Grandpa, and Grandpa picked him up and carried him all the rest of the way to the store.
When they reached the store, what a time they had!
Teddie and Freddie tried on all the caps the man had, and Humpty Dumpty got so hungry that they had to buy him a box of crackers!
At last Teddie and Freddie chose stocking caps just alike, and [60] Humpty Dumpty chose a sun-bonnet, and they were all as happy as children could be. ”

“ So they wrote a big sign, “For Sale,” and put it on the front door.
“I wonder who will buy our house?” said Freddie.
“I wonder how soon we can go,” said Teddie.
Humpty Dumpty was so happy that he turned three somersaults.
“Don’t fall again,” said Mama Roly-Poly. “If you hurt yourself it will spoil everything.”
Then Humpty Dumpty climbed up on the sofa and was as still as a mouse.
“What does Grandpa think about our going?” asked Freddie.
Papa Roly-Poly said, “Grandpa does not think we shall like the circus.” ”

“ The prince nodded his head, and the pixie began to dance about him. He waved his feather duster to and fro about the prince’s lame leg, and soon—will you believe it?—the leg was no longer lame!
Then the prince asked Marygold [69] to marry him, and they went down the garden walk, laughing and singing in the moonlight.
When the sisters heard that Marygold had really gone, and that the prince had a fine castle, they were very jealous, you may be sure.
They said, “We should like to live in the castle. We must drive Marygold away.” ”

“ He nearly rolled off the sofa.
Grandpa Grimes said, “Humpty Dumpty, I believe you roll off something every day!”
Humpty Dumpty said, “That was a fine story.”
Grandpa said, “I will tell it to you again some day.”
Freddie said,“I should like to act out the story.”
Teddie said, “I should like to act it out, too.”
Then Grandpa Grimes laughed.
He pulled out his watch and said, “Bed-time for honest folks.”
Then all the children went merrily to bed.
[34]
The Roly-Polys can not spell,
They do not know their lessons well,
They sit on stools and wear dunce-caps, too,
As any child might have to do. ”

“ The twins dressed so fast that they forgot to brush their hair and had to run back up-stairs to do it.
Grandpa said, “After breakfast we will go to town and meet your ma and your pa.”
The Roly-Polys finished breakfast. Then they washed the dishes [58] and fed the cat and made the house look as neat as a pin.
Grandpa said, “It is so warm that you do not need your caps, and I am going to buy you new ones, anyway.” ”

“ The dwarf stamped his foot again, and shouted, “What do you intend to do with all these children?”
The Pied Piper did not answer. He only played a merry tune.
“They shall not stay here!” shouted the dwarf. Then he went into the next room, where his brothers were at work.
The dwarfs in this room were starting young plants, and they [45] tended the roots of trees to make them grow.
The dwarf stamped his foot and shouted to his brothers:
“The Pied Piper has brought in a whole villageful of children. ”

“ Marygold ate the peach. She began to grow stiff and cold. She grew colder and colder, until she turned into a statue. Then the proud sister went away.
Next day the prince saw the statue and ordered that it be brought into the garden.
“It is a statue of my lost princess,” he cried.
The prince grew fond of the statue. He went to see it morning [77] and evening. He placed an evergreen wreath about its neck.
One day the pixie came.
He said to the prince, “I have come for my statue.”
The prince led the pixie about the palace and showed him many statues. ”

“ He took them to the fairy in the oak tree, but she only repeated the same verse.
The prince then puzzled his brains to find out what kind of slippers the fairy wished.
He was almost in despair, when, one day, he was walking through the [52] woods and saw a queer little yellow flower growing.
He went nearer the flower. Then he clapped his hands and shouted for joy, because the flower was in the shape of a yellow slipper.
He searched a long time until he found another flower just like it. Then he ran as fast as his feet would carry him, and came to the oak tree and said:
“Now I am happy. ”

“ A door in the side of the mountain opened, and the piper and the children went inside.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry!” said the piper. “We must get inside the mountain before the door closes.”
The children all followed him. ”

“ So they all went back to the hay-stack.
[118]
If in the woods you chance to meet
A gentleman both round and neat
And if you say, “How do you do?”
Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!
[119]
CHAPTER IX
“Hurry, hurry!” said Papa Roly-Poly, after they had rested for a while. “We must get home.”
“We are so hungry,” said Freddie.
“We are so thirsty,” said Teddie.
“Keep a stiff upper lip,” said Humpty Dumpty.
Then they all rolled out of the hay and found a path that led to the woods.
“Oh, oh!” cried Teddie and Freddie. ”