"Yes," said Marjorie, "and we will put the cage with the other little bird on the table by the apple."

The other little bird was lonesome; she was calling too, "Sweet, sweet, Dickie, Dickie, Dick." When all was ready they closed every window but the one by the tree; Bobbs stood near in order to shut it as soon as the little bird flew in. The other children went away and were very still.

"Sweet, sweet, Dickie, Dickie, Dick," sang the little mate, and the apple lay temptingly near. Dickie hopped closer to the window; the children were breathless. Then he spread his wings and in an instant he was on the table by his little mate pecking at the apple. Bobbs shut the window; Marjorie raised the cage door and gently pushed the apple inside; Dickie hopped after it. You should have seen the children dance and heard them sing, "O Dickie, Dickie, Dick is safe again!"

Prayer:

The children will sing to the little bird visitors again and talk about the story. Then the teacher may suggest a prayer: "Dear Father in heaven, we thank thee for little birds. Help us to take good care of them." There will be no handwork period as the care of the birds has taken the time. The informal dismissal may follow the prayer.

LESSON V

FALL TREASURES

Ir will not be necessary to speak of the greetings and the preparations again unless to add some new suggestion from time to time. We can proceed to the material of the topic that is being introduced. Fall treasures are somewhat different in various parts of the country; what is given here is selected as illustrative of the kind of discussion and play which may be developed with fall nature material anywhere. The teacher and children bring some of the treasures to the hour together, examine them, play with them, and, of course, enjoy them. Again God is connected with the child's pleasure as its source.

Conversation:

The room is gay with the autumn flowers and the bright leaves brought in by the teacher and many of the children. Every table has its vase of them, and there may be branches in the wall pockets and in jars on the floor.

The children's faces are as bright as the flowers and leaves. They begin spontaneously to talk about them, and the teacher leads them to tell where they found these treasures, to note the colors in them, to connect them with the fall of the year. As the flowers are named the children will enjoy saying over and over a little verse like the following one, in which may be woven the correct names of the flowers and the month:

"Asters and daisies and goldenrod bright
Come in October to gladden our sight.'

Sense game:

One each of the different flowers and a leaf may be used as material for a sense game. A child may blind his eyes and another hide one of the flowers or the leaf. The blindfolded child opens his eyes and tells which one is gone. The children delight in this little play, and they are becoming more familiar with the names of the flowers. Instead of using names, colors may sometimes be substituted.

Story: The Maple Tree.

Once upon a time a maple tree grew in the midst of a little child's garden. All summer the child had played in the shade of its thick green leaves. Now summer was gone and autumn had come. One day the mother said to the little child, "I want you to watch the maple tree carefully; something wonderful is going to happen to it."

The little child begged the mother to tell what it was, but the mother said, "No, it would spoil the surprise if I should tell you."

Every day the little child watched until finally one day she was rewarded. When she looked up at the maple tree she discovered that every leaf had changed to gold. "Mother, mother," the little child called, "I know the surprise. The maple leaves have turned yellow. They shine like the sun."

Song:

After the story the children may handle the leaves and talk about the changes in the leaves on the trees. They may sing about the gay leaves:

"Now the gay leaves on the trees,

Playing with the autumn breeze,
Whirling, twirling in the air,

Fall here and there."

(Songs for the Little Child.)

Prayer:

The teacher may say that God gives the beautiful flowers and the trees with the changing leaves and ask if the children would like to thank him for them. If she has chosen the right time, there will be an atmosphere of devotion even though only a few of the children may attempt to join in the prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, we thank thee for the beautiful flowers and leaves that come in the autumn.”

Handwork:

As handwork, there are many suggestions that may be used. The children may have crayon and paper and draw freehand, leaves or fall flowers as they choose. Needles and thread may be furnished them and they may string chains of the real leaves, or leaf stencils may be provided and the children may crayon inside the stencils fastened with paper clips to a background.

Dismissal:

If there is time before dismissal, some of the familiar songs may be sung and the children may have the opportunity to show one another what has been made.

Handwork:

LESSON VI

FALL TREASURES (CONTINUED)

When the children arrive let them go to the handwork tables, and talk about going for a walk to the woods or park. Suggest that each one make a little basket in which to carry the treasures that he finds. Give the children construction paper in squares 9 by 9. Fold over one edge one third the distance to the other edge; then fold the other edge over to meet the new base line. Open the paper and cut three inches on either end of both lines. Fold over the outer squares thus made and fasten to the inner square with a brad at each side; a handle of the construction paper doubled may be fastened with the same brad.