No More Learning

Night had come, and the Nibble Family had
all returned to their home in the front cellar. By
and by some of the neighbors dropped in, until
quite a party had gotten together.
'' We had a feast,"
said Lady Nibble, " but
no danger attended it.
We found a whole
cheese on the pantry
shelf with not a sign
of a cover over it. It
would have been folly
to miss such a chance
as this, so we went to
work and ate until we
could hardly move. If it is not carried off we
hope to have another feast to-morrow. "
" Do you know, I almost lost my life to-day,"
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? Adventures of the Mice.
297
eaid a very young mouse, ^'and I'll tell you how;
I saw the most tempt-
ing piece of cheese in
the centre of a funny
red box ; so I put ray
head in to take a bite,
and, bless you, a spring
snapped down and held
me tight. I jumped
around and around
with this thing on my
head, and shook it as
hard as ever I could,
although I was nearly
choked to death, but I
could not get out. At
last, by some rare good
fortune, the wire that
held the spring broke
and set me free. It
was a narrow escape,
and it taught me a
good lesson. Never,
as long as I live, will I
venture near a trap. "
" We had quite a scare, too," spoke up one of
*)/. young Snueaks. " My brothers and I crawled
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? 298
Adventures of the Mice.
into the jail to see what we could find to eat. "We
often pick up crumbs there. Well, this morning
we found more than crumbs -- we had quite a fine
breakfast of cold potatoes, bread and a pitcher of
milk. We were so interested in our eating that
we did not hear a sound until a shadow made me
look up, and I saw a big yellow cat coming to-
wards us. I ran, a piece of bread still in my
mouth, and called to my brothers, and all of us
had just time enough to get out of the clutches of
that huge yellow monster. '^
"As you are all relating experiences,'' said
another mouse, " I might as well tell mine. I
strolled out in the wheat field to-day, and there on
a sheaf of wheat sat a dozen or more of our cousins,
the field mice, nibbling away at the grain. They
asked me to join them ; so I did, and I really had
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? Adventures of the Mice. 299
a very pleasant time. If you have a chance, visit
them some day. You will like them and the
grain also. ''
" Speaking of something to eat " -- this from
Bobby Nibble -- " makes me think of the egg
which three of us boys found. We found it in
the school house play ground, and we ate every bit
of it. It had been cooked, I suppose^ for some
fellow's lunch. Why he left it I don't know, but,
at any rate, we found it and had a jolly good time
with it. "
"I carried off a jam pie this afternoon," said
Tommy Scratch, "and if you will come across to
my house I will share it with you. " No one needed
a second invitation nor a bit of coaxing. Away
they all scampered, thinking that the end of the
day was to be the best part. And they enjoyed the
feast to the fullest extent, for it was not often that
they had such a treat as this. They thought Tommy
must have been very brave to dare to carry off a
whole pie. They looked upon him as sort of a
hero, and were very polite to him all through the
evening.
The little mice must have kept very late hours
that night, for all night long could be heard the
sound of their little feet as they scampered here
and there.
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? Cousin Bear's Party.
Mr. and Mrs. Bruin had received an invita-
tion to a party. One of the Bear Cousins, who
lived back of the hill, had invited them, and Mrs.
Bruin told her husband that they must not fail to
go, for it would undoubtedly be a grand affair if
the Bears gave it. As soon as possible Mr. Bruin
ordered a new suit of clothes from his tailor, a hat
from his hatter, and a pair of the most stylish
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? Cousin Bear's Party. 301
slippers from his shoemaker. These, with his fine
twisted cane, made up a very fine costume. Mrs.
Bruin immediately summoned lier dressmaker, and
together they fashioned a gorgeous crimson gown.
Her bonnet of fine white straw was lined with red,
and, to her delight, her fond husband bought her
a fine feathered fan.
The night of the party Mr. Bruin and his lov-
ing wife started off in high glee. As they went
along they were the objects of great admiration.
Mrs. Bruin wore two magnificent sun flowers in
her belt. The night was perfect. The moon was
shining brightly, and the snow beneath their feet
sparkled like diamonds. It was quite a long walk,
but the house was finally reached, and a most de-
lightful time they had. Game followed game in
quick succession, until the call to supper sounded
in their ears. The refreshments were superb. Mr.
Bruin declared that he had never eaten such pork,
so tender and juicy, and the lamb was perfect.
Cousin Bear whispered to Mrs. Bruin that she had
gotten the pork from their neighbor, the farmer,
while the lamb had been procured seven miles away.
It was very late when the Bruins started for home,
and as they sauntered along beneath the stars they
agreed that the party was a great success, and
were more than glad to think that they had gone.
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? Cock Robin.
Cock Robin.
Who killed Cock Eobin,
Where the lilies grow?
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? ^UXu5U allocs
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? 304 Cock Eobin.
I, said the sparrow,
With my bow and arrow,
I laid him low^
Who saw him die
In the cedar top?
I, said the frog,
As I sat on a log,
In company with others,
I saw him drop.
Who was at hand
To catch his blood?
I, said the owl,
With my big bowl,
I caught the flood.
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? Cock Robin.
305
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? 306 Cock Robin.
Who'll make a shroud
So costly and fine?
I, said the beetle,
With my thread and needle,
The task shall be mine.
Who'll dig a grave
In the yew-tree shade?
I, said the mole,
Will soon make a hole,
ril dig the grave.
With my pickax and spade.
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? Cock Robin.
307
A>>t<<'^^-*
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? 308 Cock Robin.
Wlio'U toll the bell
In the chapel tower?
I, said the daw,
With my long claw,
I toll the bell
For half an hour.
Who'll bear a blazing
Torch in the case?
I, said the kite,
Will cany the light
And show the way
To the burial place^
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? Cock Kobin. 309
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? 310 Cock Eobin.
Who'll bear the pall
Both careful and slow?
I, said the stork,
With a measured stride,
My legs are long
And my shoulders wide,
I'll bear the pall
To the plain below.
Who'll sing a psalm
As the hearse goes by?
I, said the thrush,
If others will hush,
I'll sing a verse
Will bring tears
To the eye.
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? Cock Robin.
311
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? 312 Cock Kobin.
Who'll be the parson
With faith and trust?
I, said the rook,
Will read from my book,
*^ Ashes to ashes,
And dust to dust/^
Who'll mark
The songster's earthy bed?
I, said the bat,
Will attend to that,
ril carve his name
On the tree at his head.
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? Cock Robin.
313
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? 314 Cock Robin. ^
Who'll keep it green
When summer is here?
I, said the hare
Will plant flowers there,
I'll keep it green
Through many a yean
Who suffered for his fault,
Ere a week rolled by?
Who, but the sparrow
That shot the fatal arrow
And roused the indignation
Of all creatures
Far and nigh.
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? Cock Robin.
315
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? The Narrow Escape.
Mr. and Mrs. Graycoat and the four little
Graycoats lived iu the garret of a big, roomy, old
farm house. There were great chests up there,
around which the little mice played tag, and cor-
ners dark and dreary in which they often hid.
Fine times these four-footed little fellows enjoyed
scam[)eri ng around wherever they pleased in this
their garret home.
Mrs. Graycoat was a nice little mouse and very
fond of her husband and four little children,
as they were also of her. Mr. Graycoat thought
his wife very beautiful when she put on the pink
calico mob cap that had once been the property of
Charlotte, the bisque doll from Paris. Father
Mouse's coat was also part of the wardrobe of one
of the dolls, and fitted him so tight he could
scarcely breathe in it, but still he was very proud
of his rig and wore it whenever he went to market.
Father Mouse did the marketing, while Mother
Mouse stayed at home with the four little Gray-
coats, for they were such mischievous little chaps
it was not wise to leave them alone. The market-
ing was done in the pantry or else at the great
hanging shelf by the cellar stairs. Father Gray-
coat carried a bag over his arm into which he
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? (317)
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? 318 The Narrow Escape.
dropped one morsel after another for tne wife an^
babies at home.
One morning he started on his daily raid, his
bag over his arm, and his tight-fitting coat but-
toned snugly around him, promising the little
Graycoats to come back soon and to bring a nibble
of cake to each of them if they would be very
good children. He had been gone some time when
Mrs. Graycoat put on her pink cap and gathered
the little ones around her to wait for his coming.
Long and long they waited, and the babies were
growing as hungry as little bears, and cross, too,
for they wanted the promised cake ; but no Father
Graycoat came. What could have happened ?
The little mother was getting anxious, for he had
never been gone so long before. By and by came
the patter of well-known feet, and there stood Mr.
Graycoat, breathless and empty handed and tremb-
ling like a leaf. Such a time as he had had ! A
great white cat had taken possession of tlie cellar
and had led old Graycoat a long and weary chase.
Hunger was forgotten then, for Mother Graycoat
had time to think of nothing but their happiness in
having the father home safe and sound.
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? The Sick Lion.
The King of the Forest had been sick for
"weeks, and every day he grew thinner and thinner
-- so thin that you could count his ribs, and his
great jaw-bones stood out sharp and bold from
underneath his shaggy mane. He could not eat,
and he could not sleep, and he was becoming so
cross and surly that his friends and neighbors
dared not go near him. He had long ceased to
wander through the forest, and his roar, once so
strong and mighty, now sounded lii^e a feeble
groan.
The beasts all pitied their poor sick king, for
thoiigli they feared him, they had always thought
him a very handsome fellow, and were proud of
his bold and daring ways. But now they felt
that all was over, and that it would not be long
before the poor old lion would lie down to die.
'Now one bright sunshiny day the Rhinoceros lell
his home some way down the river to take a good
long swim and perhaps call upon his friends who
lived on the other side. The swim was a long
one, and the sun was growing very warm, so
when he reached the spot where his friends lived
he was most happy to stop there to rest and re-
fresh himself. The Rhinoceros knew the Lion,
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? 320 The Sick Liou
and after the gentle breezes had fanned him and
he had grown cool and comfortable he went to
visit him. Such a hopeless object as the Rhi-
noceros found -- he scarcely knew him. "He
will surely die/' thought the Rhinoceros, "I
must try to do soriiething for him/' and he thought
and thought, until at last he hit upon a plan that
pleased him very much. " My friend/' said he,
" will you go home with me ? I am sure if you
had a change you would soon be yourself again,
and it is much cooler where I live. If you will
only consent you can mount my back and we wull
swim down the river in a little while. " It was a
long while before the poor old king would yield,
but he did at last, and the Rhinoceros took such
good care of him, and his house was so cool and
pleasant, that the Lion soon got well and strong.
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? University of
Connecticut
Libraries
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