Boii

“ Bo Peep. I think so, too. He’s a naughty boy! To tease some one is his great joy. He should be spanked and put to bed!
Old Woman. Yes, that is what I’ve always said.
(Boy Blue runs in, tooting horn.)
Boy Blue. Has any one seen my cows to-day? While I was asleep, they ran away. Which one of you let down the meadow bars?
Bo Peep. That bad Willie Winkie.
Mother Hubbard. Oh, my stars! What will he do next, the mischievous child? Was ever a young one so naughty and wild?
Boy Blue. Did you let those bars down, Willie Wink? Then you may hunt up the cows, I think. ”

“ I have taught him to love animals, for you know he is so big and strong, even though I do call him my little boy, that it would be no trouble for him to take a bear or a lion, and squeeze him in one hand so that the bear or lion would never hurt any one any more. ”

“ It presents to the imagination distinct episodes: the home-life of the Children in the cottage, their life in the wood, their adventure with the Bear, their three adventures with the Dwarf, and the meeting of the Bear and the Dwarf. The conclusion follows closely upon the climax,—the Bear, grateful to the kind Children, saved their lives and re-transformed, became a Prince. The happy marriage brings the tale to a close, with the palace home guarded by the two rose-trees. The message of the tale is the possible beauty of woman's love and character, and the loveliness of spring and of summer. ”

“ You know a bear’s hug is a remarkably tight squeeze, and generally takes your breath away for good. So Bob declined the honor, and popped a bullet in the bear’s cranium, and carried home in his arms a perfect little darling of a cub, for the poor bear was a mother. ”

“ He was about to go off with these angry words when a sudden growl was heard, and a black bear trotted out of the wood. The dwarf jumped up in a great fright, but he hadn’t time to reach his place of retreat, for the bear was already close to him. Then he cried in terror: ‘Dear Mr. Bear, spare me! I’ll give you all my treasure. Look at those beautiful precious stones lying there. Spare my life! what pleasure would you get from a poor feeble little fellow like me? ”

“ One little black bear—just the sort of little fellow you would expect to see robbing bees of honey, or stealing a squealing little porker from a sty—was led out and invited to show the ladies and gentlemen how well he could walk on a great, blue, rolling ball. ”

“ As my nephew propelled attentively, music sounded from inside of it, a rudimentary type of music mixed with poundings and hoots, and the animals bobbed back and forth, brandishing their instruments. I began to feel pleased. It was a little barbaric perhaps, but just right for Matthew. "Wheel that around the park once a day," I advised him, "and you'll be a different boy altogether. There's a toy will bring some color into your life."
My nephew, who has a limited taste for color and none for adventure, was looking solemn. People were staring at the toy, boys and idlers were following us. ”

“ Not little Brown Mouse from the field, nor Grey Mouse from the house, but dainty Princess White Mouse who has married White-foot Wood Mouse at sunset. They march under the arch of sword grass and wild rose garlands to the festooned cottage of the happy couple. ”

“ A little boy desires to possess a pony; if this be impossible his imagination gives life to a rocking-horse, and failing that he may tie a piece of string to a chair, and with great pleasure and much emotion urge on his fiery untamed steed across mountain and desert. ”

“ Then the Adversary let's fly his Dog, who coming to fasten, the Bear being furious and angry that he was so plagu'd with the first Dog, claps his paw about the back of him, and squeezes him that he howls and runs; there stands the Master, looking like an Owl in an Ivybush, to see the stakes drawn, and he haply with never a penny in his pocket, hath no mony at home, nor knows not where to get any. ”

“ The Horse will not use his Tail, unless against the busie flyes, but kicks with his Feet with that force, that he lays his Enemy on the ground. The Bull and Ram know the use of their Horns as well as the Horse of his Hoofs. So the Bee and Serpent know their Stings, and the Bear the use of his Paw. Which things they know merely by natural instinct, as the Male knows the use of the Female. For they gather not this skill by observation and experience, but the frame of their nature carries them to it; as it is manifest in young Lambs that will butt before they have Horns. ”

“ Bob White knew that Little Bear wouldn't take one of her children in his big paw and give it a weenty squeeze. "Come, children, run and hide. When you find one of my children, Little Bear, you say 'I spy!' Ready, children! ”

“ A keen face, yet very innocent, in which dog intelligence and fox cunning and bear drollery mingled perfectly; a face full of surprises, that set you smiling and thinking at once; a fascinating, inquisitive face, the most lovable and contradictious among the Wood Folk,—the face of Mooweesuk the coon, the Little Brother to the Bear, as Indian and naturalist unite in calling him. ”

“ Most animals, even the dangerous grizzly, do not care to be seen when the two-legged kind and his dog are about. When I feared a surprise by a bear or a grey wolf, I would say to Wabeda: “Now, my dog, give your war-whoop:” and immediately he would sit up on his haunches and bark “to beat the band” as you white boys say. When a bear or wolf heard the noise, he would be apt to retreat. ”

“ The quiet life of the woods is undisturbed; for the voice of the hound is only an echo, not unlike the far-off tolling of a slow-swinging bell. The leaves stir as a wood mouse scurries from his stump; an acorn rattles down ”

“ Buddie declared. It was a shame to impose on such good nature.
“I have to grin and bear it,” was the reply. “That’s the motto of our family: Grin and Bear It.”
“And a very good motto it is,” said the Donkey. “Now, you never see a bear without a grin.”
“So Doctor Goose says,” said the Bear. “He claims the bear came first and the grin afterward. But Doctor Fox claims the grin came first. Otherwise, he says, the motto would be, Bear and Grin It.”
“What difference does it make?” said Buddie.
“Not a mite, that I can see,” said the Bear. [93] “I have to grin, and I have to bear it. ”

“ He seeks no close acquaintance with either grizzly bears or Indians. He will get the wind of either of his aversions as quickly as a hound will whiff a deer, and, like the hound, he will give his knowledge to the world, in a voice that is resonant, magnetic, and—on the whole—musical. The bray of an earnest mule is not after the Italian but the Wagnerian school. ”

“ Bad Dog! Where are you slinking off to?—Oh, Toby, darling! do, do take a little of your own good advice, and try to cure yourself of lying in the fender!"
THE OWL IN THE IVY BUSH; OR, THE CHILDREN'S BIRD OF WISDOM. INTRODUCTION. "Hoot toots, man, yon's a queer bird!"
Bonnie Scotland.
I am an Owl; a very fluffy one, in spite of all that that Bad Boy pulled out! I live in an Ivy Bush. Children are nothing to me, naturally, so it seems strange that I should begin, at my time of life, to observe their little ways and their humours, and to give them good advice. ”

“ For a time, no sound was heard beyond the low murmur of delight that came from the amazed group, but presently the growl of the big Lavender Bear grew louder, and he said in a tone of triumph,:
"He never makes a mistake!" ”

“ Boies has personally managed his property. The rugged outdoor life, to which he became accustomed in his youth, not only resulted in giving him a splendid physique, but imbued him with a love for a farmer's life which will always remain with him. Although profoundly interested in politics, it is safe to believe that he finds more real enjoyment in looking after his big farm than he does in all that politics can bring him. ”

“ He advanced slowly toward Jane Gladys, and the monkey, the leopard, the donkey and the clown all stood around in a circle and watched the bear with much interest.
But before the grizzly reached her the child had a sudden thought, and cried out:
“Stop! You mustn’t eat me. It would be wrong.”
“Why?” asked the bear, in surprise.
“Because I own you. You’re my private property,” she answered. ”

“ Vainly, ceaselessly, a thousand times, undeterred by the bafflement and the pain, the bee will hurl himself against the bottom of the bottle as he strives to win to the light. That is instinct. Place your dog in a back yard and go away. He is your dog. He loves you. He yearns toward you as the bee yearns toward the light. ”

“ Some sat upon all fours, while others erected themselves on their hind-feet, and stood up like little bears or monkeys—all the while flourishing their tails and uttering their tiny barking, that sounded like the squeak of a toy-dog. ”

“ Of course, the little boy, remembering the experience of about forty other little boys in connection with the late baldheaded Elijah, has a prejudice against the [Pg 30] bear family, but why the full-grown man should so continually persist in caging this shaggy-coated, dignified, kingly and ancient brother of his, I cannot see, unless it is that he knows almost nothing at all of his better nature, his shy, innocent love of a joke, his partiality for music and his imperial disdain of death. ”

“ I shall take care that you shall not hurt my people any more, because you will become a bear yourself.'
At this moment the second brother came up—for the mountain had been left open on purpose to tempt him also—and cried out breathlessly: 'Don't you see that the bear is lying close to you? Why don't you shoot him?' And, without waiting for a reply, pressed forward to drive his arrow into the heart of the bear. ”

“ Rabbit and Mr. Dog came over pretty soon to see if they'd got home yet. And of course Mr. Rabbit was proud about the way his poem had turned out; and Mr. Dog he was proud, too, on Mr. Man's account. Then they all had a big supper, to celebrate, and by and by Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Dog went away arm in arm, singing Mr. Rabbit's poem to the moon; while the 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old Black Crow went to bed happy because they had followed Spring clear around the world, and hadn't got lost or tumbled off into the sky, but were home again safe and sound in the Hollow Tree. ”

“ Then I met a wee mouse, and to the mouse I said:
[Pg 70]
“Mouse, gnaw tree, tree will not stop wind, wind will not put out torch, torch will not burn staff, staff will not drive kid. I see by the moonlight it is long past midnight. It is time kid and I were home an hour and a half ago.”
Then the wee, wee mouse began to gnaw the tree, the tree began to stop the wind, the wind began to put out the torch, the torch began to burn the staff, the staff began to drive the kid, and the kid began to go. ”

“ A strong east wind was blowing which helped Father Bear somewhat, as it was hard for the bees to keep on the wing against such a wind. When it blew stronger than ever Bobby saw his father thrust a great paw into the black hole in the tree. Great masses of golden, yellow honey were put quickly into the jar. Again and again father put in his hand just as though no bees were around at all. ”

“ Out of the roses lovely fairies, all in pink;
And out of the water-lily nearest the fountain,
The queen of the fairies, in a white satin dress and golden crown.
She could open the gate by herself and she led the fairies out on the green grass and they danced while Little Boy Blue played sweet music.
All night long they danced and danced, until first thing you know they heard a sound. It was the cock telling them that morning was on the way.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo
The sun is after you.
The fairies all must go to sleep,
And so must Little Boy Blue. ”

“ Big hunting, where the object was a man-eating lion or some other animal which menaced human life, he heartily approved of, but wanton cruelty he could not abide. Yet the dog he might use every effort to save from the knife of science did not appeal to him as a pet; he preferred a nice, plump, rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed, ringleted little girl—if she liked dogs, why, very well, only none of them in his rooms, thank you!
These fairy children, Sylvie and Bruno, travel [Pg 285] many leagues in the story, for good fairies must be able to go from place to place very quickly. ”

“ The child looked around smiling and thrust its hands into the pockets of the pajamas. Close after it came a big rubber bear, walking erect on its hind feet. The bear had twinkling black eyes, and its body looked as if it had been pumped full of air. ”

“ An old chum of mine, who was a famous sportsman and a great favorite with the ladies, turned out to be a bull-dog, and as he adjusted his neck-tie and pulled up his collar around his thick, hairy neck, I had once more to hide my face in order to preserve my gravity. ”

“ Elephants are afraid of mice. So Gray Mouse, with his paws all shaking, took the straw and walked toward the elephant. He heard the hinges of the barn door creaking.
“Come away, Gray Mouse,” cried White Rabbit, “Small Dog is coming.” ”

“ She laughed gaily, ‘And some people say that dogs don’t know what we say to them. Now remember, Billy, you’re to be my own true dog, and not run away nor do naughty things, and I’ll give you a home as long as you live. ”

“ At any rate, when once your boy begins to grow long and weedy, his days as a dog-boy are ended. He will pass through a chrysalis stage in his country, or somewhere else, and after a time emerge in his mature form, in which he will still remember you, and salaam to you when he meets you on the road. ”

“ And, Sprigg, there are bears in the woods, who have such a fancy for little boys that, should they find one astray too close to their den, they would hug him, and hug him, till there would not be enough breath left in his body to carry him home. ”