Nay-stay! I wish I were an elm tree, A great, lofty elm tree, with green leaves gay! The sun and moonshine glance ín, O, no! I wish I were a robin-- A robin or a little wren, everywhere to go: And ask no leave or pardon Till winter comes with icy thumbs Well, tell! Where should I fly to, Where go to sleep in the dark wood or aell? Home would come the rover, For mother's kiss! sweeter this Than any other thing. WHO TO CHOOSE COMPANIONS. ANON. [Change the voice, if possible, in order to imitate the two supposed to be in conversation.] "By your leave, sir," said a water rat to the kingfisher, “this is my house." And he sat in the doorway to prevent the kingfisher from entering. Nay, but I want to come in," said the kingfisher, "I have paid you my visits before, and why not now? Think how handsome I am, and how much my family is sought after." "You have been in before, sir; but to tell you the truth, that's the very reason I prefer to keep you out now, notwithstanding your fine clothes and your fine family. You have an awkward habit of eating fish and leaving the bones at my door. Now, I don't want anything laid to me that I don't deserve, and as I don't catch and eat fish I won't have the credit of it. I consider no company worth having that takes away my character!" THE VIOLET. JANE TAYLOR. [To be delivered simply and unaffectedly.] Down in a green and shady bed Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, And yet it was a lovely flower, Yet there it was content to bloom, And there diffused its sweet perfume Then let me to the valley go, This pretty flower to see, That I may also learn to grow In sweet humility. THE COWBOY'S SONG. MRS. ANNA M. WELLS. [Give this piece in a coaxing tone of voice, and imitate the "mooing" of a cow at the end of each stanza.] Mooly cow, mooly cow, home from the wood "Mooly cow, mooly cow, whisking your tail GRAMMAR IN RHYME. ANON. [Speak every word distinctly; make the proper pauses.] Three little words you often see Are articles, a, an, and the. A noun's the name of anything, Adjectives show the kind of noun, Conjunctions join the words together, The proposition stands before The interjection shows surprise, The whole are called nine parts of speech, THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL. R. W. EMERSON. [To be given in a natural, descriptive manner The mountain and the squirrel Had a quarrel, And the former called the latter "Little Prig;" Bun replied, "You are doubtless very big, But all sorts of things and weather Must be taken in together To make up a year, And a sphere. And I think it no disgrace To occupy my place. If I'm not so large as you, You are not so small as I, I'll not deny you make A very pretty squirrel track. Talents differ; all is well and wisely put; THE LITTLE DUTCHMAN. MARY MAPES DODGE. [Speak with a broken accent, boldly.] Oh, I'm a little Tuchman, My name is Van der Dose, An' ven dey vill not let me play An' ven dey makes me vork too hard An' ven dey sends me off to bed An' ven dey comes to vake me up For I'm a little Tuchman, THAT BOY. GEORGE COOPER. [Deliver this paying attention to the rising inflection of the voice in almost every line.] Is the house turned topsy-turvy? Does it ring from street to roof? Will the racket still continue, Are you often in a flutter? Are you sometimes filled with joy? |