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 And places the three legged stool for her seat. 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, Verbs tell us something to be done- 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; GOOD AND BAD. ANON. There was a little girl, And she had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good She was very good, But when she was bad she was horrid ! 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' vat I cannot get to eat I smells it mit my nose. 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, Spite of all your mild reproof? Are you often in a flutter? Are you sometimes filled with joy? Then I have my grave suspicions That you have at home-that boy. Are your walls and tables lammered? When his merry pranks annoy,— You were once just like-that boy? Have you heard of broken windows, Do you love a teasing mixture Of perplexity and joy? You may have a dozen daughters, But I know you've got that boy! THE NEW MOON. MRS. FOLLEN. [To be spoken simply and naturally, in your ordinary tone of voice] Dear mother, how pretty The moon looks to-night! She was never so cunning before; Her two little horns Are so sharp and so bright, I hope she'll not grow any more. |