Various

“ I know Teddy Bears are hairy, but not one of them has a striped coat like mine.”
“Look at my legs,” said Dobbin. “No hairy horse ever had legs like mine.”
“I passed a whole new family on my way here,” sighed the Zebra. “There was an elephant that walked without wheels, a boat with sails, a doll with a voice, crackers with toys inside them, a Father Christmas with a real beard, and——”
“A hairy horse!” cried Dobbin.
“A hairy horse,” answered Mr. Zebra.
“Cheer up, cheer up, you boys,” chuckled Mister Jack-in-the-box. “There is plenty of room for us all in the world. ”

“ As soon as we were old enough to go out by ourselves, we had fine fun.
But one day Tabby very nearly got himself into trouble.
Tabby, you see, was rather a bold, bad kitten; he was always wanting to fight people, and one day he thought it would be splendid to have a quarrel with Mike.
Mike was the black and white fox terrier, who thought no end of himself; but Tabby did not care a bit what he thought, so he just stood in front of him, stuck up his tail, and—spat as hard as he could. ”

“ Gretchen drove them off with her umbrella. But they only waddled on a little way, then looked back to see what she was doing.
“I believe they want me to follow them!” cried Gretchen.
As soon as the geese saw her coming they began to run, and Gretchen ran after. On and on they went, over the common, across the fields, until they came to a little shady dell in a wood. And here Gretchen stopped, and clapped her hands with delight, for on the mossy ground was spread the most delicious tea she had ever seen. All around sat a number of little brown rabbits. Peter Bunny spied Gretchen first. ”

“ I took it and hid it in the garden, to punish Cook for being so angry with me. It was a very difficult thing for a kitten to do, I can tell you, and I had to rest many times on the way, but I did it, and then I went and sat in the sun and watched, and what do you think I saw? Why, that horrid person, Mike, must have seen all I did, for he went straight to where I had hidden it, and carried it off to Cook. She gives him bones; that is why he chums up to her. Oh, how I should have liked to have—scratched him.
I must not forget to tell you about Tabby and Fluffy and their “night out.” ”

“ And then, to the cabman's great astonishment. Mr. Northcote laid his cheek against the horse's nose.
“To think you should have come down to this, Firefly,” he murmured, with something very like tears in his eyes. Firefly whinnied again softly.
The poor horse had changed masters several times, and had had a hard life the last few years; but all his troubles were over at last.
Of course Mr. Northcote bought him from the cabman, and three months later, when the beautiful spirited animal was galloping round the fields, it was hard to believe he had ever been a cab-horse! ”

“ It was spring when Wideawake Willy went exploring. He shot his Teddy Bear, and tied it up in a scarlet handkerchief, for he knew explorers ate bears. Then he stuck a long feather in his hat, and strode gaily down the road. Presently he came to a big house. The door was open, and a lady asked him to go in. She showed him all sorts of wonderful things. What he liked best was Chin Chan, the Chinese boy, whose long pig-tail touched the floor. The lady told Willy that in China he lived in a boat, and helped his mother look after the chickens. ”

“ Uncle Bob told him to blow it well away from the horse's ears, so Dick sat backwards. As for Baby, big brother Gerald put him on the rocking-horse, to be a rough-rider.
“The great thing is to learn to stick on,” said Gerald, “because you will find falling off is very easy. Hold the horse's nose, Nellie; it seems rather a wild one.”
At last everybody joined the army, except the cat. She sat on a chair and turned up her whiskers; for cats like peace and quietness, and there cannot be much of either when soldiers go to the Front. ”

“ I have a wooden farmyard,
With wooden sheep and cows,
With wooden trees and houses,
Wooden pigs, cats and bow-wows.
Then I have a wooden bucket,
And a little wooden spade;
Of wooden bricks a lovely
Little doll's house I have made.
Now mamma says, when I grow up
Things different will be;
My horses, if I have any,
Will real horses be.
That sheep will not be made of wood,
And no more wooden cows
Or pigs; that dogs will bark and bite,
Unlike good wood bow-wows.
Just fancy, dogs that bark and bite ”

“ Then I saw him, tearing down the field, his tail tucked in between his legs, his ears laid flat. He was running away from the old red bull. He had made faces at him, and then ran away when the bull pretended to chase him. I wasn't going to fight him after that. I wouldn't run away from an old bull.
Bob ran into the kitchen, and pretended to be asleep when I spoke to him.
I went back to the tub after that, and I just went straight up to the funny, smiling thing, and—I kissed it. After that, we were great friends, and had lovely games every day till I went away. ”

“ Bunny. “Now go and fetch the tea.”
The geese had vanished, so Gretchen filled the tea pot from the little kettle on the fire, and Peter Bunny carried dishes of cakes. Then they all sat down, and Gretchen had as many cakes as she could eat. When tea was over, Mrs. Bunny told Gretchen to go and play with the children until bedtime.
“What's that?” asked Peter, presently, pointing to the umbrella, and Gretchen showed him how it opened and shut.
“I know!” he cried. “We'll go for a sail in the air.”
“Hurrah!” cried all the other rabbits, and they dragged Gretchen and the umbrella on to the common. ”

“ One day two little mice entered an old house where they hoped to settle down and make their home, Mr. and Mrs. Mousey by name.
After looking about for some time they decided on a corner close to the kitchen wainscot, and not far from the larder.
They made a cosy little nest of string and paper, working hard all day, hardly resting till late at night. As to food, Mr. Mousey soon found where that was to be got. Many were the visits he paid to the larder, and delicious were the biscuits and cheese that he found there. ”

“ The journey was not a bit nice, but we kept very close to each other, and shut our eyes up tight, and tried to pretend we were not shut up in a hamper, but under Cook's chair, waiting for the mice to come out.
When we got to the Show we felt a little strange, but we soon got used to the noise and all the people.
“We must look our best, Kitty, Miss Daisy said so,” I whispered. “We are much handsomer than the other cats here; let us show ourselves off.” ”

“ Jack always said he should be a sailor when he grew up.
No toy ever pleased him so much as a boat, and he was constantly imitating the ways of sailors, from dancing a hornpipe, down to floating about in a big round tub on the little stream which ran at the end of the garden. ”

“ Who learnt something more than the killing of rats.
The kitten ceased mewing, and gazed on the rows
Of good little cats, and he murmured, “Who knows
That p'raps after all I shall like school as well,
And quite enjoy learning to write and to spell!”
When lessons were over, Dame Smut said, “I see
That Tommy a very good kitten can be.”
And Tommy in triumph laughed gaily the while
He ate up the mouse for his tea with a smile.
Edith Grabham.
An Elephant at work.
Mister Jack-in-the-box. “Hullo, hullo, here I am again!” cried Mister Jack-in-the-box, as he sprang up in a great hurry one day. ”

“ They had driven to the farm in the morning, sitting on the box-seat of the waggonette by John, and as soon as they arrived they had gone all round the farmyard, and looked at the dear little ducks and chickens, and every other living creature on the place. ”

“ One day the farmer's daughter came to Fir Tree Farm, and when she went away she took James with her.
John was very sad at first, and Miss Brighteyes felt dreadfully sorry for him; even Joseph tried to be nice to him, but it was Jerry who comforted him best, and gave him good advice.
Then he set to work to be useful, and behaved himself so well that the farmer used to send him to bring the horses in from the fields. ”

“ When Mother heard of Fifie's naughtiness with Betsy Ann, she said that Fifie must wear a muzzle for some hours every day until he learnt to behave better. Poor Fifie! how he hated it and longed to join in the romps with Jennie and Fipps.
However he was so good for a week, that Mother said the muzzle might be left off.
And here you see Jennie with Fifie and Fipps, celebrating the happy occasion with fairy cakes which cook had given them.
Out in the Cold.
There once lived three children named Jones,
Who were constantly breaking their bones ”

“ From ÆSOP'S FABLES. A young fox who went to steal chickens in a farmyard, got his beautiful bushy tail caught in a trap.
Finding it impossible to get away, he bit off his tail and ran home, feeling very much ashamed of his appearance when the other foxes laughed.
“Tails are quite out of fashion,” he said, as they went on laughing.
“They are no use, and dangerous, too. You can run faster without them. ”

“ She always hangs her head.
C. E. C. Warner.
The Goose Girl. Gretchen was a goose girl. She lived in a tiny cottage with a red roof, all amidst the fields, and woods, and hills, and every day she took a big stick and drove her geese across the common to the pond on the other side.
One summer morning her mother said she might take a holiday, and go and visit her Auntie Jeanne. So Gretchen dressed herself in her best clothes, and set out to the village. She spent a happy time with her auntie, and after tea started for home. ”

“ Sometimes we play at motor-cars,
My! how I have to run!
But Tony thinks That chasing cats
Is quite the bestest fun!
But if he bites poor Pussy's Tail,
Then I am very strict;
I make him sit up straight and beg
Until his conscience's pricked.
THE CATS AND THE CHEESE,
Or, Better Agree than Go to Law.
Two cats took some stolen cheese to a monkey to divide for them, as they could not agree about it. The monkey put a piece of cheese into each side of the scales. One piece weighed down the other, and from this the monkey took a large bite ”

“ The people he lived with grew very fond of him, and treated him in every way as their own.
He had a terrier dog given to him by one of the farm hands, and this he took a great interest in. Now Floss was a good rat catcher, and as rats were most destructive in the barn, Bobbie used to take Floss up there, by the hour together, and hunt them.
One day he caught fourteen rats and mice and laid them at his little master's feet. ”

“ One day I chased Chick out of the farmyard, and left her all alone in a big field.
I hoped she would never come back any more, but Mr. Tortoise found her, and asked Bunny and his brother to take her home. That nasty Bunny told everybody what I had done. So Mr. Turkey chased me out of the farmyard. In a field I met such a funny man. Two birds sat on his arms, and one said, “Everyone would be quite fond of Sammy if he only left off being disagreeable!” I trotted home, and began to try at once. Nobody ever calls me “Sulky Sammy” now.
C. M. R.
Mountain Goats. ”

“ I jumped after it, and—oh what a lovely feast I had; but my ribbon got all splashed and wet—I was in such a hurry—and that was how Cook found out it was I who had upset the milk. She would not let me go into the kitchen for three whole days afterwards.
I was very dull for those three days. You see, there were mice and all kinds of nice things in the kitchen, and my whiskers were growing fast, and that makes you feel that you want mice more than anything else almost. ”

“ And Nip made mud-pies!
In the gig.
At last their mother
Came out to see;
Then—off to bed
Without their tea!
Under the Big Hat,
or, Jackie and Me. Jennie and Jackie were twins. They had two dearly-loved playmates, Fifie the puppy, and Fipps the kitten. Fifie was nearly always in disgrace.
One day Fifie thought, “Now I will be good to-day. I will sit in the field and there will be nothing to make me naughty.”
But as he passed through the hall he spied Jennie's doll on a chair.
“Ah!” said Fifie, “Betsy Ann enjoys the fresh air. I'll take her with me.” ”

“ The farmyard's full of fun,
And so I think, I'll have a drink,
And warm me in the sun!”
By E. M. Whitaker
FIR TREE FARM. Fir Tree Farm was the name of the big stone house, so the Squirrels thought they could not do better than call their house Fir Tree House, which they did.
There were three of them, Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel and Miss Brighteyes, their daughter.
Every morning at one o'clock they had lunch on the big branch that was very high up, because, you see, they knew very well that James and John were about, and James and John thought it fine fun to chase them. ”

“ Took her chickens for a walk,
Dick, the youngest, strayed away
While his mother stopped to talk.
Then he saw the strangest sight,
'Twas a monster aeroplane,
But it gave him such a fright
That he scurried home again!
Funny Toys
❀ ❀ ❀
Here's a number of funny toys
For good little girls and good little boys,
First comes Jackie all ready for fun,
After the animals see him run.
Next is a bird of colours gay,
If he spreads his wings he will fly away.
Poor Master Duckie cries “Quack, quack, quack!
To my farmyard pond please take me back.” ”