potatoes and a wheelbarrow on which to trundle the sacks from vine to vine. As they worked the sun traveled across the sky and began to sink in the west. The clouds were red and gold and violet. The sheep followed the shepherd home to the fold; you could hear their tinkling bells. Even the birds were winging their way to the nest. Still the father and mother worked without ceasing.

Then in the stillness at the close of the day, the bell in the church on the hill began to ring, "Bim Bom, Bim Bom, Bim, Bom, Bom!" At the first note, the father took off his hat, bowed his head and thought about his good wife, his dear little children at home, and the potatoes which would feed them through the winter. "Thank you, God," he said. The mother also bowed her head and folded her hands; and as she thought of the children waiting for her, of the strong father by her side, and of the potatoes for their dinner many nights, she too said, "Thank you, God!"

When the bell stopped ringing and all was silent again, the father and the mother started home with wheelbarrow and basket and spade. By and by they spied their little house and at the door were their children watching and waiting for them. “Oh," said the children, "we'll have potatoes for dinner tonight," and they did.

Prayer:

The children will want to look long at the picture after the telling of the story and then to say very reverently, as did the father and the mother, "Thank you, God."

Handwork:

Each child is given a picture of "The Angelus" to mount on a brown card and take home.

(In the telling of the story if the sound of the bell is intoned, it will add to the effectiveness of the story.)

WINTER

LESSON XXI

GOD'S GREATEST GIFT

THE material here is sufficient for two weeks, and as December sometimes contains three and sometimes four school weeks, it can be extended when time permits. There is no story more lovely for the child at this age than the coming of the baby Jesus. It is the aim here to bring all babies nearer to the child, thinking of each one as a gift from God. The child's love goes out to God and to the Christ-child.

Song and rhythm:

If it is cold-and it is likely to be at this season of the yearthe children may sing "The Frost Song" and may play skating or sliding. (The music for a glide is to be used.) If it is very cold, the children will enjoy clapping the hands and stamping the feet in order to warm them. If it has snowed, the whirling snowflakes can be imitated as the children skim lightly on the tips of their toes, now and then whirling about, and at last sinking quietly to the floor. (The music "Floating like a Feather" in the Crawford Rhythms may be used by the pianist.)

Conversation:

The children will want to tell about their Thanksgiving experiences, and it means much pleasure to recall these and to share them with one another. The teacher is interested in each contribution; as her own she may tell of a visit to the Orphanage or the Home where the children's Thanksgiving gift was given. She may tell how it was received and

may bring the messages from the other little children. As the children recall their experience they may want to sing the Thanksgiving songs and perhaps to dramatize some part of the experience, such as going on the train to Grandmother's house or playing one of the games that was enjoyed.

Story: The Annunciation.

After some activity, the teacher may gather the children about her and tell them the first of the stories of the birth of the Christ-child, the lovely account of the Annunciation. She can create the atmosphere for the story by recalling some incident about the baby in the home of one of the children or by presenting the name of some little baby recently arrived in one of the families.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman, Mary, who was praying in her garden in the evening as were the father and mother in the field. As Mary prayed she heard a sound, and looking up she saw a lovely angel. The angel was kind to Mary when he saw that she was frightened. "Fear not, Mary," he said. "Blessed art thou among women. The Lord is with thee."

Then the angel told Mary a wonderful secret. He told her that God would send to her the little Lord Jesus and she would be his mother. Mary could not believe what she heard, but she knew the angel would not deceive her. "Be it unto me even according to thy word," she said.

The angel returned to God who had sent him and Mary remembered what he had said. There was a song in her heart while she began to get ready for the little Lord Jesus. She asked God every day to help her to take good care of the baby when he should come.

Picture:

After the story the picture of "The Annunciation," by