Mary Frances Blaisdell

“ Mary sat up and did not feel one bit sleepy.
"Why, Miss Smith," said Mary, "how can we be a book?"
"I will show you," said Miss Smith.
"We will play that we are the Mother Goose Book.
"You must each think of some child from Mother Goose land whom you would like to be.
"Then each one can come to the front of the room and play at being that little child.
"The rest of us will try to guess who the child is."
The children all thought that would be great fun, and for a few minutes it was so quiet they could almost hear the snow falling. ”

“ Of course they all wanted one.
"I know something better than a Christmas tree," said Miss Smith.
"Something better than a Christmas tree!" said Mistress Mary. "What can it be?"
"I must tell you about it," said Miss Smith. "You know I have told you about Mrs. Brown."
"Yes," said Boy Blue, "she is the 'Old Woman in the Shoe.'"
Miss Smith laughed. "Is that what you call her?" she said.
"Yes," said Mary, "you know she has a great many children."
"Well, Tommy and Betty Brown have been sick a long time.
"Mrs. Brown has had to work very hard to get food to eat. ”

“ Jack and Jill Went up the hill, To get a pail of water. Jack fell down And broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.
JACK AND JILL
Tommy Tucker and Mary had many good times together that summer.
They fished in the brook at the end of the meadow.
They went berrying and took their dinner with them.
They rode to market in the big wagon with Grandpa Hall.
In fact, they did everything that boys and girls who live on a farm like to do.
But they did not always play alone. ”

“ Boy Blue had never seen such a large school in all his life.
In the little country school there were only ten children.
In Mary's school there were fifty boys and girls in one room, and there were ten rooms in the school-house.
Now it was winter, and there was snow on the ground.
The children had been to school three months.
Every afternoon they had great fun coasting down the long hill behind the school-house.
One day Miss Smith said, "Children, do you know what month this is?"
"Yes, yes!" they all said. "This is December."
"Christmas comes this month," said one little girl. ”

“ When Jill's mother called the children to dinner, there was a long row of cakes and pies and, cookies.
"We ought to eat our dinner here," said Mary.
"I like mother's pies and cookies best," said Jack.
So Jack and Jill ran up the hill once more, and Mary and Tommy climbed over the fence and ran across the garden to see what Grandma Hall had for their dinner.
Little Jack Homer Sat in a corner, Eating his Christmas pie; He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And said, "What a big boy am I!"
JACK HORNER'S PIE
I am going to tell you about another one of Boy Blue's friends. ”

“ There are horses, and cows, and sheep, and pigs, and ducks, and hens and chickens on the farm.
Of course, Boy Blue likes the cows and sheep best.
He likes to drive the cows to the pasture in the morning.
Sometimes, at night, he drives them home again.
He likes to watch his father milk the cows and feed them.
"When I am a big boy," he says, "I shall milk my own cow every day."
Sometimes he goes with the boy to watch the sheep.
Shep, the dog, always goes with them. He watches the sheep all day long.
They like to get into the meadow where the grass is green and sweet. ”

“ But Snowball did not seem to think so.
One morning Boy Blue went out to feed her, and she would not leave her nest.
"Cluck, cluck!" said she, "I can hear my little chickens."
Boy Blue kept very still and listened.
"Peep, peep, peep," he heard.
"Yes, Snowball," he said, "I can hear your chickens, too."
All day he was busy helping John build a chicken house.
They built the house in the field near the barn.
"I know Snowball will like this house," said Boy Blue.
The next morning Snowball let him see her chickens. ”

“ Tommy put Humpty Dumpty up on the stone wall and ran off with the twins.
Grandpa Hall's old white cow was in the meadow eating grass.
As she came near the wall she saw something that looked very much like a pumpkin.
Mrs. Cow was fond of pumpkins, so she thought she would go and see what it really was on the wall.
"Why, it surely is a pumpkin," said Mrs. Cow, "but I wonder what all those holes are for."
Humpty Dumpty felt very much hurt to think that Mrs. Cow should speak of his eyes and mouth as holes. ”

“ After a dozen pies had been put into the oven, Jill said, "Oh, Jack! we must have some more water.
"Will you run up to the house and get some?"
"Yes," said Jack, "if someone will go with me."
Tommy had gone for more apples and Mary was mixing her cake.
"I will go with you," said Jill. "Here is our pail."
So Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail of water.
Their mother let them fill their pail.
Then she gave them four cookies that she had just taken from the oven.
When they started down the hill, Jack began to run. ”

“ Rags trotted along behind him, wagging his tail and barking at everything he saw.
"What can you do, Tommy?" asked Grandpa.
"I can play my violin and sing," said Tommy. "That is all I know how to do."
"Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper.
"I think we shall have to call you 'Tommy Tucker'," said Grandpa.
But Tommy could do many things besides sing and play.
He helped Grandpa Hall feed the hens and chickens.
He gave them fresh water and found all the eggs.
Then he brought in some wood for Grandma's fire.
There are a great many things for a boy to do on a farm. ”

“ She lived in the city, and her father owned a big toy-store.
Mary liked to go to the store with him.
She liked to see all the dolls and toys and books.
Sometimes she played store with her own toys.
But I must tell you about her lamb.
One summer Mary went to the country to visit Boy Blue.
Of course there were cows, and pigs, and sheep, and lambs on the farm,
Mary liked the lambs best, and one of them was a great pet.
She called him Fleecy, and pulled sweet clover for him to eat.
Fleecy followed Mary all over the farm. Sometimes he even ran down the road after her. ”

“ Bo-peep's mother gave one of them to each of the children.
"Now," said Bo-peep, "I will try first to pin a tail on the sheep."
So her mother tied a handkerchief over her eyes, turned her around three times, and said, "Go."
Bo-peep started off bravely, and pinned the tail to her mother's apron!
How the children laughed! and Bo-peep laughed too, when she saw what she had done.
Boy Blue was sure he could pin a tail on the sheep.
But he pinned it right on the corner of the table cloth.
Then it was Mary's turn. She shut her eyes tight and walked very straight. ”

“ It was Jack, you know, who let Mary's lamb into school.
He was late that morning and did not shut the door.
When it was time for the children to go home Mr. Horne packed them all into his big sleigh.
"Good-bye, Jack!" they cried.
"Good-bye, Jack Horner, we have had a lovely time!"
There was an old woman Who lived in a shoe, She had so many children She didn't know what to do, She gave them some butter Without any bread; Then she spanked them all soundly, And sent them to bed.
THE OLD WOMAN IN THE SHOE
You remember I told you that Boy Blue lived on a big farm. ”

“ But the oven was all right, and that was what Mary needed.
"Let's make our oven full of cakes and pies," said Mary.
"I'll build the fire," said Jack.
"And I'll help you get the wood," said Tommy. ”

“ Perhaps the mother pig tied each little tail up at night to make it curl more tightly.
Curly and Whitey, Pearly and Twisty, and Baby, were the names of the five little pigs.
One day the mother pig said to Curly: "You must go to market to-day, my son. I want a nice big cabbage for my soup."
So this little pig went to market.
The market was not very far away,—just down the road and across the field to Grandpa Hall's cabbage patch.
"Be sure and get a good large one," said the mother pig, as Curly trotted away. ”

“ Boy Blue learned to ride on his pony's back, and he took long rides with his father.
One day he said, "I wish I had a pony cart, then I could take Little Sister to ride.
"Fire-cracker is very strong. ”

“ MARY FRANCES BLAISDELL
AUTHORS OF "CHILD LIFE," "CHILD LIFE IN TALE AND FABLE," "CHILD LIFE IN MANY LANDS," "CHILD LIFE IN LITERATURE," ETC.
COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
PREFACE
This is a book of short stories for the youngest readers,—stories about old friends, which they can easily read themselves.
Here they will learn why Mary's Lamb went to school, what the mouse was looking for when he ran up the clock, why one little pig went to market, how one little pig got lost, and the answers to a great many other puzzling questions. ”

“ The stories progress gradually from very easy to more difficult matter, keeping pace with the child's increasing knowledge and ability,—the book being carefully arranged for use as a supplementary reader, or for home reading for the little ones. ”

“ SANTA CLAUS.
In Boy Blue's basket there were a horn and a drum, a box of tin soldiers, and three books. Under the basket was a new red sled.
Mary found two dolls and a trunk full of dresses for them, a toy kitchen, and a writing desk in her basket. ”