They
traveled
from place to place, journeying
by night aud resting by day; for strange as it
may seem, these queer creatures can neither of
them see when the beautiful <
by night aud resting by day; for strange as it
may seem, these queer creatures can neither of
them see when the beautiful <
Childrens - Brownies
hathitrust.
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? The Wolf's First Party. 49
leaf-covered trees to hunt for the sun that was
just showing her smiling face above the hill,
behind v. nich she had hidden all through the
night The wolf gave her a friendly nod, and
gazed at the blue sky with feelings of the great-
est pleasure. He felt he could scarcely bear it
if the rain should fall, for he had almost reached
the limit of his patience in waiting for the party,
and the rain would mean that he must wait still
longer. But on this bright spring morning there
were certainly no signs of rain. Early in the
afternoon the wolf began getting ready. He
washed his face and hands in the little brook
that splashed and sang as it danced over the
stones, and then, as it grew broader, flowed
gently and silently along. The brook was the
wolf's mirror, t<^o, and a pine cone served him
for a comb. The poor, silly wolf was ready
hours before it was time to start, and he won-
dered if one always felt so anxious over their en-
trance into society. He wondered, too, if he
were really not more nervous than little Miss
Fox.
But at last the time of departure arrir'^d, and
the wolf started off. He must have something
to '^-axry, for he did not know what to do with his
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? 50 The Crow.
hands; so, remembering that some one had told
liim that you had better have an umbrella and
noli want it, than to want it and not have it, he
carried his big green sun-shade.
He was the first to arrive, and Miss Fox was
so pleasant and made him so welcome that he
never felt so hai)pj before. ! N"or did this happi-
ness end, for when all the guests had taken leave,
the woK remained to tell Miss Fox that this had
been the best and brightest time in all his life.
For many days he thought about the fine times
he had had at his first party, and wondered if he
would always have such fun, and if all the ladies
were as nice as Miss Fox.
The Crow.
Did you ever notice a number of black ob-
jects flying through the air or perhaps assembled
in a flock hunting for worms, or caterpillars, or
grubs, or maybe feasting on some fallen grains?
These are crows, and if you could examine them
closely you would see how beautifully their
glossy, black wings are tinged with dull blue and
brown and purple. They are very shy aiiS
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? The Cfow. 5S
cmming and verj fearful of the farmer's gun,
witL. which thej seem to be well acquainted.
One of them serves as watchman, and when he
sees danger approaching he sounds the alarm,
and all the crows within hearing distance flj ap
and away. The eggs of the crow are laid in nests
made of sticks woven with grasses and lined with
soft roots, feathers, or wool. Both the father
and mother bird sit on the eggs, and watch with
great care over their young. The crow can fly
very swiftly, and sometimes to great heights, and
it can also fly long distances. Have you ever
noticed one perched on a cow or perhaps a
sheep's back? It has perched itself there to pick
the worm out from the skin. Their cry of Caw!
Caw! Caw! is very ugly, and what a din they
make when they gather together in little parties
early in the morning to go in search of food, or
else at night when they are hunting for some
pleasant roosting place. The crow is a very
brave bird and is not afraid to attack the hawk
that sometimes comes swooping down upon it.
Its sharp, black eyes are of great service in its
search for food -- indeed it is upon this sense that
it depends and not upon the sense of smell. Its
keen sight also protects it from the attack of the
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? ^2 Bruin's Visit.
enemj. Sometimes you come across a crow tliat
is perfectly white, but this is not the case often.
The crow makes a very amusing and interesting
pet, 'except that it has the bad habit of stealing.
Thousands of crows are killed every year by
traps or the farmer's gun, and often and often
the poor little young ones are killed in their
nests by the hands of cruel and naughty boys.
The crow does steal the farmer's grain and pull
up the young seedlings, but he would be less
merciless to the poor bird, if he only saw how
much good he does in destroying the worms and
bugs, the mice and moles, which really eat up
lots and lots more than the much abused black
crow. Sometimes the farmers set up "scare-
crows" in the fields to frighten the thieves away,
but they soon learn that it is only a make-believe
man, and are not afraid.
Bruin's Visit.
Jack Feost was raging around in all his fury;
great white Hakes fell thick and fast and settled
one above the other upon the ground, making a
blanket soft and warm for the little plants that
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? Bruin's Visit. 53
lay hidden under the earth. The trees moaned
and shook their boughs as the wind went whist-
ling through tliem, and the little snow birds
hopped gracefully from limb to limb hoping to
find a stray worm or bug to satisfy their hungry
little selves.
Bruin had started bright and early that morn-
ing to visit his cousin, a brown bear who lived in
the woods beyond the school house. It was a
long journey, but Bruin cared little for that, for
he knew the way, and knew also the good times
that he and Cousin Bear enjoyed together. Well
he remembered his last visit. TVhat sport they
had playing ten pins, with sticks for pins and
stones for balls. How they enjoyed the game
of catch with the big horse chestnuts that fell
from their prickly coverings and lay scattered on
the ground. The snow had put a stop to ten
pins and catch, but it had brought sport of its
own, for what better fun could two young bears
want than a jolly game of snow-ball or a ride on
the school-house hill? TTith all these good times
dancing in his head, Bruin started off. ]! ,Iother
ITature had given him a thick furry coat, but
old Jack Frost did his best to pierce through this
heevy brown covering, and make him hurry
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? Bruin's Visit. 55
9lt>ng to keep good and warm. The scliool house
came in sight as he turned the last corner, and
Cousin Beards home was soon reached.
How glad Cousin Bear was to see him. They
chatted away as busy as beavers, for there was so
much to tell and so much to hear, but all was
told at last, and then arose the question -- what
next to do. Snow-balling was fun for awhile,
but their paws got too cold. They could not go
up on the hill, for all the school children were
out with their sleds, and there certainly was not
room for them both.
"Let's have a game of hide and seek," said
Cousin Bear.
Bruin liked that idea and cheerfully con-
sented. Cousin Bear shut his eyes, and Bruin
hurried off to find some good hiding place. First
he tried one and then another, but nothing suited
him, until at last the very thing met his gaze.
Time had worn a great hole in an old oak tree.
There it stood, bending its leafless limbs as
though beckoning Bruin to crawl inside. Such
a splendid chance could not be missed. My ! how
good and warm it was. Bruin was tired, and
before he knew it he had gone sound asleep.
How long he slept he did not know, but when
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? 56 Bruin's Visit.
lie opened his eyes the shadows had crept heavily
over the woods, and night was coming on apaca
Cousin Bear started in surprise when Bruin
rushed breathlessly into his house, for as he
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? Bruin's Visit. 57
could not find him he thought he had gone home,
and then how he laughed when Bruin told of
his hiding place, and thej both thought It a
great joke that Bruin had fallen asleep, while
he was playing. He said he would remember
to look there for him next time they had a game.
Bruin warmed himself by the bright fire, and
then said he must be going. Cousin Bear would
not hear a word as to his leaving until they had
had supper. So he set out the very best his store-
house afforded, and they both had a very merry
time, eating the turkey and fat little lamb, which
the bear had stolen the night before. When they
had cleared the table and washed the dishes,
Bruin trotted off towards his home as fast as he
could. It was dark before he reached his own
woods, but he was not afraid, for he knew every
step of the way. He was pretty well tired out
when he got home, and it did not take him very
long to get ready for bed. As he curled himself
up for a good long sleep, he felt satisfied over a
very happy day.
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? The Owl and the Bat.
"Good evening, Miss Bat/' said the grave gvay
owi, "pray may I come up and chat awhile? ''
"Indeed, you may, Mr. Owl," replied the bat.
"It's such a beautiful evening that I have been
sitting up here ever so long watching the moon,
as she played hide and seek among the trees; the
stars seem to be enjoying the game as much as
I, for they twinkle as brightly as diamonds so
far above us all. "
'T. see you have an eye for
the beautiful, my dear young
lady," said the owl, "but if
you but knew it, the most
beautiful thing I have seen in
all my life is yourself. "
The bat hung her head and
looked quite shy, while the
owl blinked his eves and
looked as though he thought
lie had really said something
most elegant.
"Do you know, my
dear," continued the ? ^^4
owl, "I have watched
? *>vv
S8
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? The Owl and the Bat.
59
you night after night as you floated around so
gracefully, never interfering with the other birds^
but going quietly about your own business, and
I decided that some day or other I would ask you
if you would not consent to be ]\Irs. Owl. The
time has come, Batty dear, and I hope you will
say yes. ''
,^^^^^f^V
The bat did say yes, for she had long admired
^he owl. She liked his solemn ways, and thought
him a very handsome bird.
It was decided that they should be married
very soon -- the very next week, in fact, for the
moon would be shining in all her glory then, and
the guests could not be asked to come in the
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? 6o The Owl and the Bat.
dark, even though it might be pleasanter for the
bride and groom.
The stork wrote the invitations. He wrote
them on the leaves of the water-lilies, using his
long sharp beak for a pen.
The night of the wedding came, and with it
many guests. The stork and the crane came to-
gether, for they lived in the same pond. The
eagle and the buzzard met as they came sailing
through the air.
The happy pair were soon made one, and then
what merry times they had. The lark and the
nightingale sang their brightest songs, and all
joined hands in a lively dance. Morning came
only too soon, and the guests must go, and as
the owl kissed his little bride, he cashed that
all her life might be just as happy as the first
night had been. What a happy time the bridal
party had for the next few weeks. "When the
guests had all gone, they packed their trunks,
and hastened away to spend their honey-moon
among the pine forests of the Green Mountains.
They traveled from place to place, journeying
by night aud resting by day; for strange as it
may seem, these queer creatures can neither of
them see when the beautiful <
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? The Owl and the Bat.
5l
Thj have si: oh curious eyes that the light makes
them blina So thej used to spend the long
summer days nestled close together on the
branch of some high tree. - At night they would
fly about here and there, watching the other
animals and enjoying the pure air.
The owl is a very wise bird, you Iniow, so he
was able to tell his trusting little wife many in-
teresting things.
After spending a very pleasant time, they re-
turned to their home, and settled down to spend
a very happy life.
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? Unhappy Bruin.
PooE Bruin's life seemed marked with mib-
fortunes. Bruin was not one of the happj crea-
tures who have the good fortune to be bom
under a luckj star -- the night must have been
cloudj and most miserably starless when he
opened his eyes in this wide, wide world. As
the years went on poor Bruin's troubles seemed
to grow. Fortune had no kindly smile for him,
and try as he might, all his efforts to succeed
were in vain.
One time Bruin left his home, and went
strolling through the woods. He was all alone,
, for the other bears had gone off long before, but
Bruin had not been wanted. Sorrowfully and
lonely he trotted along, taking no heed of where
he was going, until all at once he was brought to
his senses by a sharp click, and try with all his
might, he could not move. You've guessed what
had happened -- he had stumbled into a trap, and
was held there as fast as fast could be. The hot
sun poured dov/n upon him, but no one came to
release him ; but at last, just as twilight fell upon
the world, two great big men drove up in a cart,
and with a loud shout at their horses, stopped
62
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? Unliappy Bmin. 63
in front of Bniin. 'Tine luck we liave had to-
day," said one of them. "We will make a good
thing out of him/' said the other. Then, as
quick as a wink, a big black bag was thro-^Ti
jver Bruin's head, and he was hoisted into the
wagon.
This was the beginning of poor Bruin's new
life. These men were street players -- one of
them brought forth squeaky sounds from an old
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? 64 Unhappy Bruin.
fiddle, while the other made most dismal noises
upon the harp.
Bruin was taken to their miserable home, and
day by day was trained to dance and play tricks
to amuse the people. Bruin found it was wisest
to please these men, for cruel blows and kicks
rewarded his failures.
One day they rigged him up in a suit of
clothes, put shoes on his feet and a hat in his
hand, and led him out to dance upon the street.
All day long he kept it up, and when night came
he could scarcely move. His masters had gone
to join some friends and chat with them, and
had left Bruin in charge of a boy. The boy
grew tired of being alone, and seeing a chum,
hurried after him, leaving Bruin to his own de-
vices. Bruin knew his chance had come, and
trotted away just as fast as ever his tired feet
would carry him. He wandered on and on, until
at last the woods were reached. Then he lay
down under a tree, nearly worn out, but very
happy he felt that at last the wheel had turned
and fortune had surely smiled on him.
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? The Ostrich.
Did yo" ever think anything about the way in
which we jbtain the beautiful feathers that help
to ornament our hats and bonnets '^ Away off,
in a country called Africa, lives a bi^'d known as
the ostrich. It is a large bird with long, slender
legs, and such a great long neck that it is as tall
as a very tall man. IsTature has given it these
long legs to help it go over ground very rapidly.
"When pursued, it travels across the sandy plains
where it lives with strides that carry it twenty-
five miles an hour. The ostrich has very keen
sight and sharp hearing, and its long neck aids
it in seeing great distances.
The nest where the mother bird lays the e^gs
is just a hollow made in the sand, with a shallow
border all around it. The old bird sits on the
eggs and keeps them warm at night, but the
rays of the hot tropical sun do the work in the
day-time. These eggs are very large, weighing
from two to three pounds.
The baby ostriches are very pretty birds. They
look like young partridges, only they are many,
many times larger and have littlo brist'ies all
over them mixed with down.
6i
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? 66
The Ostricli.
When the ostrich is about a year and a half
old it falls a vistim to the hunter's pursuit.
There are a number of ways for catching them.
Sometimes the hunter clothes himself in the
>>kin of the bird, and imitates its motion so ex-
actly that it is almost impossible to tell the sham
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? King lyco's Resolve. 67
from the real bird. Then, when he is within
bow-shot of some Tinluckj bird, his arrow pierces
it, and it falls his prey. Sometimes the bird is
caught with a lasso, and in some places the
hunter mounts on horse-back and pursues it in
that way.
Way off in California ihere are a number of
ostrich farms, and when you get to be big, per-
haps you will be able to go there and see them.
But the very next time you go to the Zoological
Garden, you must get your mammas to take you
to see these wonderful birds. I am sure you will
wonder how such beautiful feathers can come
from such ugly looking birds.
King Leo's Resolve.
Mother Nattiee had carpeted the earth with
a covering soft and brown and rustling. Deep
in the reds and yellows she had dipped her paint
brush, and the trees gleamed in their grandeur
like a Ifaming forge. The squirrels had been
busy for weeks filling their store-houses with the
nuts that would serve for the winter's food, and
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? 65 King Leo's Resolve*
the song cf the birds had long since ceased, iot
far away they'd flown, seeking a warmer homa
All the woods seemed hushed and forsaken.
Ws<<<<. . . ^4. -V T> _ . ? . ->l<>9i_
^
'King Leo nc*^*oed all this as he paced throngji
the forest with rt^tless strides this antumn daj.
Things had gone wrong with his majesty, and
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? King Leo's Resolve, 69
he wondered that the trees should glow in such
brilliancy when all else seemed dressed in som
bre colors. "Why must nature/' muttered he,
^Tiav-c this dash of brightness in her adorning
while my life is all gloom and all sadness? Long
have I reigned in the forest as Eing of Beasts-
Pve held sway over the largest of them all, the
tigers, wolves and bears have trembled at my
roar, and at my command all have yielded. 'Now
Vm deserted. Xo longer am I consulted in
affairs of wisdom. It's months since I have sai
on my throne of holly boughs. I'm forsaken
and alone. Is there no way in which I can win
them again? Must all my life be thus, sorrow
and g''oom? "
He sat down to think, and as he thought, his
heart grew lighter, and something ;ilmost like
a smile came over his face. ^'I'll try it," he said
to himself, as he rose from the rock on which he
had been sitting and went towards home.
And this was what King Leo had been think-
ing: Have I ever done anything to make them
care for me? They crowned me their king, but
all my reign I have governed through fear.
My roars were as mighty as the thunder; my
will was hard and cruel. Vot a trifling offence
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? ^? '
Mm
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? The Willful Young Gobbler. 71
I have taken their lives, and now I am reaping
my reward. If it is not too late, I will begin
again. Love, not fear, shall be my motto this
time, and perhaps some day my life will be full
of happiness, instead of woe and misery.
And poor King Leo did begin again, and al-
though the struggle was hard and the time of
conquest long, he did prove himself victor at
last, and died at a very old age, loved and re-
spected by all the beasts of the forest, having
proved to them all that Love hath greater power
than Fear.
The Willful Young Gobbler.
Madame Ttiekey put on her shawl and bonnet
to go to hunt for the silliest young turkey about
the place, because that silly young turkey was
her son. He had been gone since early morning,
and what had kept him his mother could not
guess. Mother Turkey and her young offspring
lived on a great big farm, and had been a very
happy pair, but Mother Turkey was fi;rowing
anxious. The fields had become bare and yel-
low, the trees stood around them tall and leafless,
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? 74 The Bears and the Hive.
But old heads are often the wisest, and had
this silly young gobbler only listened to his
mother he might still be strutting around the
barnyard, or perhaps wandering through the
wheat field, picking up the full, ripe grains that
he loved so dearly. The farmer one day, as he
sauntered through the poultry-yard, spied this
well-fed gobbler, and decided that no finer bird
than he could be found, and before Mr. Turkey
had time to run, he was firm in the farmer^s
clutches, and before many minutes his life was
over. What a foolish bird he was, and how
much better it would have been had he only
listened to the words of warning from his good
old mother.
The Bears and the Hive.
Hug and Squeeze were two fat little cubs,
who lived with their grandmother. Their
mother had been captured in a trap vrhen they
were little, tiny bears, and Mother Bruin had
taken them to her home and cared for them ever
since. Such times as she had with them -- they
seemed to have been born under an unlucky
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?
? The Wolf's First Party. 49
leaf-covered trees to hunt for the sun that was
just showing her smiling face above the hill,
behind v. nich she had hidden all through the
night The wolf gave her a friendly nod, and
gazed at the blue sky with feelings of the great-
est pleasure. He felt he could scarcely bear it
if the rain should fall, for he had almost reached
the limit of his patience in waiting for the party,
and the rain would mean that he must wait still
longer. But on this bright spring morning there
were certainly no signs of rain. Early in the
afternoon the wolf began getting ready. He
washed his face and hands in the little brook
that splashed and sang as it danced over the
stones, and then, as it grew broader, flowed
gently and silently along. The brook was the
wolf's mirror, t<^o, and a pine cone served him
for a comb. The poor, silly wolf was ready
hours before it was time to start, and he won-
dered if one always felt so anxious over their en-
trance into society. He wondered, too, if he
were really not more nervous than little Miss
Fox.
But at last the time of departure arrir'^d, and
the wolf started off. He must have something
to '^-axry, for he did not know what to do with his
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? 50 The Crow.
hands; so, remembering that some one had told
liim that you had better have an umbrella and
noli want it, than to want it and not have it, he
carried his big green sun-shade.
He was the first to arrive, and Miss Fox was
so pleasant and made him so welcome that he
never felt so hai)pj before. ! N"or did this happi-
ness end, for when all the guests had taken leave,
the woK remained to tell Miss Fox that this had
been the best and brightest time in all his life.
For many days he thought about the fine times
he had had at his first party, and wondered if he
would always have such fun, and if all the ladies
were as nice as Miss Fox.
The Crow.
Did you ever notice a number of black ob-
jects flying through the air or perhaps assembled
in a flock hunting for worms, or caterpillars, or
grubs, or maybe feasting on some fallen grains?
These are crows, and if you could examine them
closely you would see how beautifully their
glossy, black wings are tinged with dull blue and
brown and purple. They are very shy aiiS
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? The Cfow. 5S
cmming and verj fearful of the farmer's gun,
witL. which thej seem to be well acquainted.
One of them serves as watchman, and when he
sees danger approaching he sounds the alarm,
and all the crows within hearing distance flj ap
and away. The eggs of the crow are laid in nests
made of sticks woven with grasses and lined with
soft roots, feathers, or wool. Both the father
and mother bird sit on the eggs, and watch with
great care over their young. The crow can fly
very swiftly, and sometimes to great heights, and
it can also fly long distances. Have you ever
noticed one perched on a cow or perhaps a
sheep's back? It has perched itself there to pick
the worm out from the skin. Their cry of Caw!
Caw! Caw! is very ugly, and what a din they
make when they gather together in little parties
early in the morning to go in search of food, or
else at night when they are hunting for some
pleasant roosting place. The crow is a very
brave bird and is not afraid to attack the hawk
that sometimes comes swooping down upon it.
Its sharp, black eyes are of great service in its
search for food -- indeed it is upon this sense that
it depends and not upon the sense of smell. Its
keen sight also protects it from the attack of the
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? ^2 Bruin's Visit.
enemj. Sometimes you come across a crow tliat
is perfectly white, but this is not the case often.
The crow makes a very amusing and interesting
pet, 'except that it has the bad habit of stealing.
Thousands of crows are killed every year by
traps or the farmer's gun, and often and often
the poor little young ones are killed in their
nests by the hands of cruel and naughty boys.
The crow does steal the farmer's grain and pull
up the young seedlings, but he would be less
merciless to the poor bird, if he only saw how
much good he does in destroying the worms and
bugs, the mice and moles, which really eat up
lots and lots more than the much abused black
crow. Sometimes the farmers set up "scare-
crows" in the fields to frighten the thieves away,
but they soon learn that it is only a make-believe
man, and are not afraid.
Bruin's Visit.
Jack Feost was raging around in all his fury;
great white Hakes fell thick and fast and settled
one above the other upon the ground, making a
blanket soft and warm for the little plants that
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? Bruin's Visit. 53
lay hidden under the earth. The trees moaned
and shook their boughs as the wind went whist-
ling through tliem, and the little snow birds
hopped gracefully from limb to limb hoping to
find a stray worm or bug to satisfy their hungry
little selves.
Bruin had started bright and early that morn-
ing to visit his cousin, a brown bear who lived in
the woods beyond the school house. It was a
long journey, but Bruin cared little for that, for
he knew the way, and knew also the good times
that he and Cousin Bear enjoyed together. Well
he remembered his last visit. TVhat sport they
had playing ten pins, with sticks for pins and
stones for balls. How they enjoyed the game
of catch with the big horse chestnuts that fell
from their prickly coverings and lay scattered on
the ground. The snow had put a stop to ten
pins and catch, but it had brought sport of its
own, for what better fun could two young bears
want than a jolly game of snow-ball or a ride on
the school-house hill? TTith all these good times
dancing in his head, Bruin started off. ]! ,Iother
ITature had given him a thick furry coat, but
old Jack Frost did his best to pierce through this
heevy brown covering, and make him hurry
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? Bruin's Visit. 55
9lt>ng to keep good and warm. The scliool house
came in sight as he turned the last corner, and
Cousin Beards home was soon reached.
How glad Cousin Bear was to see him. They
chatted away as busy as beavers, for there was so
much to tell and so much to hear, but all was
told at last, and then arose the question -- what
next to do. Snow-balling was fun for awhile,
but their paws got too cold. They could not go
up on the hill, for all the school children were
out with their sleds, and there certainly was not
room for them both.
"Let's have a game of hide and seek," said
Cousin Bear.
Bruin liked that idea and cheerfully con-
sented. Cousin Bear shut his eyes, and Bruin
hurried off to find some good hiding place. First
he tried one and then another, but nothing suited
him, until at last the very thing met his gaze.
Time had worn a great hole in an old oak tree.
There it stood, bending its leafless limbs as
though beckoning Bruin to crawl inside. Such
a splendid chance could not be missed. My ! how
good and warm it was. Bruin was tired, and
before he knew it he had gone sound asleep.
How long he slept he did not know, but when
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? 56 Bruin's Visit.
lie opened his eyes the shadows had crept heavily
over the woods, and night was coming on apaca
Cousin Bear started in surprise when Bruin
rushed breathlessly into his house, for as he
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? Bruin's Visit. 57
could not find him he thought he had gone home,
and then how he laughed when Bruin told of
his hiding place, and thej both thought It a
great joke that Bruin had fallen asleep, while
he was playing. He said he would remember
to look there for him next time they had a game.
Bruin warmed himself by the bright fire, and
then said he must be going. Cousin Bear would
not hear a word as to his leaving until they had
had supper. So he set out the very best his store-
house afforded, and they both had a very merry
time, eating the turkey and fat little lamb, which
the bear had stolen the night before. When they
had cleared the table and washed the dishes,
Bruin trotted off towards his home as fast as he
could. It was dark before he reached his own
woods, but he was not afraid, for he knew every
step of the way. He was pretty well tired out
when he got home, and it did not take him very
long to get ready for bed. As he curled himself
up for a good long sleep, he felt satisfied over a
very happy day.
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? The Owl and the Bat.
"Good evening, Miss Bat/' said the grave gvay
owi, "pray may I come up and chat awhile? ''
"Indeed, you may, Mr. Owl," replied the bat.
"It's such a beautiful evening that I have been
sitting up here ever so long watching the moon,
as she played hide and seek among the trees; the
stars seem to be enjoying the game as much as
I, for they twinkle as brightly as diamonds so
far above us all. "
'T. see you have an eye for
the beautiful, my dear young
lady," said the owl, "but if
you but knew it, the most
beautiful thing I have seen in
all my life is yourself. "
The bat hung her head and
looked quite shy, while the
owl blinked his eves and
looked as though he thought
lie had really said something
most elegant.
"Do you know, my
dear," continued the ? ^^4
owl, "I have watched
? *>vv
S8
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? The Owl and the Bat.
59
you night after night as you floated around so
gracefully, never interfering with the other birds^
but going quietly about your own business, and
I decided that some day or other I would ask you
if you would not consent to be ]\Irs. Owl. The
time has come, Batty dear, and I hope you will
say yes. ''
,^^^^^f^V
The bat did say yes, for she had long admired
^he owl. She liked his solemn ways, and thought
him a very handsome bird.
It was decided that they should be married
very soon -- the very next week, in fact, for the
moon would be shining in all her glory then, and
the guests could not be asked to come in the
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? 6o The Owl and the Bat.
dark, even though it might be pleasanter for the
bride and groom.
The stork wrote the invitations. He wrote
them on the leaves of the water-lilies, using his
long sharp beak for a pen.
The night of the wedding came, and with it
many guests. The stork and the crane came to-
gether, for they lived in the same pond. The
eagle and the buzzard met as they came sailing
through the air.
The happy pair were soon made one, and then
what merry times they had. The lark and the
nightingale sang their brightest songs, and all
joined hands in a lively dance. Morning came
only too soon, and the guests must go, and as
the owl kissed his little bride, he cashed that
all her life might be just as happy as the first
night had been. What a happy time the bridal
party had for the next few weeks. "When the
guests had all gone, they packed their trunks,
and hastened away to spend their honey-moon
among the pine forests of the Green Mountains.
They traveled from place to place, journeying
by night aud resting by day; for strange as it
may seem, these queer creatures can neither of
them see when the beautiful <
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? The Owl and the Bat.
5l
Thj have si: oh curious eyes that the light makes
them blina So thej used to spend the long
summer days nestled close together on the
branch of some high tree. - At night they would
fly about here and there, watching the other
animals and enjoying the pure air.
The owl is a very wise bird, you Iniow, so he
was able to tell his trusting little wife many in-
teresting things.
After spending a very pleasant time, they re-
turned to their home, and settled down to spend
a very happy life.
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? Unhappy Bruin.
PooE Bruin's life seemed marked with mib-
fortunes. Bruin was not one of the happj crea-
tures who have the good fortune to be bom
under a luckj star -- the night must have been
cloudj and most miserably starless when he
opened his eyes in this wide, wide world. As
the years went on poor Bruin's troubles seemed
to grow. Fortune had no kindly smile for him,
and try as he might, all his efforts to succeed
were in vain.
One time Bruin left his home, and went
strolling through the woods. He was all alone,
, for the other bears had gone off long before, but
Bruin had not been wanted. Sorrowfully and
lonely he trotted along, taking no heed of where
he was going, until all at once he was brought to
his senses by a sharp click, and try with all his
might, he could not move. You've guessed what
had happened -- he had stumbled into a trap, and
was held there as fast as fast could be. The hot
sun poured dov/n upon him, but no one came to
release him ; but at last, just as twilight fell upon
the world, two great big men drove up in a cart,
and with a loud shout at their horses, stopped
62
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? Unliappy Bmin. 63
in front of Bniin. 'Tine luck we liave had to-
day," said one of them. "We will make a good
thing out of him/' said the other. Then, as
quick as a wink, a big black bag was thro-^Ti
jver Bruin's head, and he was hoisted into the
wagon.
This was the beginning of poor Bruin's new
life. These men were street players -- one of
them brought forth squeaky sounds from an old
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? 64 Unhappy Bruin.
fiddle, while the other made most dismal noises
upon the harp.
Bruin was taken to their miserable home, and
day by day was trained to dance and play tricks
to amuse the people. Bruin found it was wisest
to please these men, for cruel blows and kicks
rewarded his failures.
One day they rigged him up in a suit of
clothes, put shoes on his feet and a hat in his
hand, and led him out to dance upon the street.
All day long he kept it up, and when night came
he could scarcely move. His masters had gone
to join some friends and chat with them, and
had left Bruin in charge of a boy. The boy
grew tired of being alone, and seeing a chum,
hurried after him, leaving Bruin to his own de-
vices. Bruin knew his chance had come, and
trotted away just as fast as ever his tired feet
would carry him. He wandered on and on, until
at last the woods were reached. Then he lay
down under a tree, nearly worn out, but very
happy he felt that at last the wheel had turned
and fortune had surely smiled on him.
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? The Ostrich.
Did yo" ever think anything about the way in
which we jbtain the beautiful feathers that help
to ornament our hats and bonnets '^ Away off,
in a country called Africa, lives a bi^'d known as
the ostrich. It is a large bird with long, slender
legs, and such a great long neck that it is as tall
as a very tall man. IsTature has given it these
long legs to help it go over ground very rapidly.
"When pursued, it travels across the sandy plains
where it lives with strides that carry it twenty-
five miles an hour. The ostrich has very keen
sight and sharp hearing, and its long neck aids
it in seeing great distances.
The nest where the mother bird lays the e^gs
is just a hollow made in the sand, with a shallow
border all around it. The old bird sits on the
eggs and keeps them warm at night, but the
rays of the hot tropical sun do the work in the
day-time. These eggs are very large, weighing
from two to three pounds.
The baby ostriches are very pretty birds. They
look like young partridges, only they are many,
many times larger and have littlo brist'ies all
over them mixed with down.
6i
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? 66
The Ostricli.
When the ostrich is about a year and a half
old it falls a vistim to the hunter's pursuit.
There are a number of ways for catching them.
Sometimes the hunter clothes himself in the
>>kin of the bird, and imitates its motion so ex-
actly that it is almost impossible to tell the sham
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? King lyco's Resolve. 67
from the real bird. Then, when he is within
bow-shot of some Tinluckj bird, his arrow pierces
it, and it falls his prey. Sometimes the bird is
caught with a lasso, and in some places the
hunter mounts on horse-back and pursues it in
that way.
Way off in California ihere are a number of
ostrich farms, and when you get to be big, per-
haps you will be able to go there and see them.
But the very next time you go to the Zoological
Garden, you must get your mammas to take you
to see these wonderful birds. I am sure you will
wonder how such beautiful feathers can come
from such ugly looking birds.
King Leo's Resolve.
Mother Nattiee had carpeted the earth with
a covering soft and brown and rustling. Deep
in the reds and yellows she had dipped her paint
brush, and the trees gleamed in their grandeur
like a Ifaming forge. The squirrels had been
busy for weeks filling their store-houses with the
nuts that would serve for the winter's food, and
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? 65 King Leo's Resolve*
the song cf the birds had long since ceased, iot
far away they'd flown, seeking a warmer homa
All the woods seemed hushed and forsaken.
Ws<<<<. . . ^4. -V T> _ . ? . ->l<>9i_
^
'King Leo nc*^*oed all this as he paced throngji
the forest with rt^tless strides this antumn daj.
Things had gone wrong with his majesty, and
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? King Leo's Resolve, 69
he wondered that the trees should glow in such
brilliancy when all else seemed dressed in som
bre colors. "Why must nature/' muttered he,
^Tiav-c this dash of brightness in her adorning
while my life is all gloom and all sadness? Long
have I reigned in the forest as Eing of Beasts-
Pve held sway over the largest of them all, the
tigers, wolves and bears have trembled at my
roar, and at my command all have yielded. 'Now
Vm deserted. Xo longer am I consulted in
affairs of wisdom. It's months since I have sai
on my throne of holly boughs. I'm forsaken
and alone. Is there no way in which I can win
them again? Must all my life be thus, sorrow
and g''oom? "
He sat down to think, and as he thought, his
heart grew lighter, and something ;ilmost like
a smile came over his face. ^'I'll try it," he said
to himself, as he rose from the rock on which he
had been sitting and went towards home.
And this was what King Leo had been think-
ing: Have I ever done anything to make them
care for me? They crowned me their king, but
all my reign I have governed through fear.
My roars were as mighty as the thunder; my
will was hard and cruel. Vot a trifling offence
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? ^? '
Mm
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? The Willful Young Gobbler. 71
I have taken their lives, and now I am reaping
my reward. If it is not too late, I will begin
again. Love, not fear, shall be my motto this
time, and perhaps some day my life will be full
of happiness, instead of woe and misery.
And poor King Leo did begin again, and al-
though the struggle was hard and the time of
conquest long, he did prove himself victor at
last, and died at a very old age, loved and re-
spected by all the beasts of the forest, having
proved to them all that Love hath greater power
than Fear.
The Willful Young Gobbler.
Madame Ttiekey put on her shawl and bonnet
to go to hunt for the silliest young turkey about
the place, because that silly young turkey was
her son. He had been gone since early morning,
and what had kept him his mother could not
guess. Mother Turkey and her young offspring
lived on a great big farm, and had been a very
happy pair, but Mother Turkey was fi;rowing
anxious. The fields had become bare and yel-
low, the trees stood around them tall and leafless,
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? 74 The Bears and the Hive.
But old heads are often the wisest, and had
this silly young gobbler only listened to his
mother he might still be strutting around the
barnyard, or perhaps wandering through the
wheat field, picking up the full, ripe grains that
he loved so dearly. The farmer one day, as he
sauntered through the poultry-yard, spied this
well-fed gobbler, and decided that no finer bird
than he could be found, and before Mr. Turkey
had time to run, he was firm in the farmer^s
clutches, and before many minutes his life was
over. What a foolish bird he was, and how
much better it would have been had he only
listened to the words of warning from his good
old mother.
The Bears and the Hive.
Hug and Squeeze were two fat little cubs,
who lived with their grandmother. Their
mother had been captured in a trap vrhen they
were little, tiny bears, and Mother Bruin had
taken them to her home and cared for them ever
since. Such times as she had with them -- they
seemed to have been born under an unlucky
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?