Part 4
“Yes, here you are, silly thing,” broke out the coal and the straw together. “But what are you going to do? As soon as the old woman turns around she will spy you, then back you’ll go into the pot. It’s hotter now than when you left it.”
“Don’t bother about me; think of yourselves,” answered the bean, angrily. “When the old woman picks me up, she’ll tread on you, Mr. Coal, and crush your life out. And you, Mrs. Straw, she’ll stick into the blaze. It’s hotter there than in the pot.”
“Come, come,” said the straw, softly, “let’s not quarrel. Let’s be friends and stick together. Perhaps we can save ourselves yet.”
“You are quite right, Mrs. Straw,” said the coal.
The bean said nothing, but she listened eagerly to the plans of the two others. These soon agreed to travel together to a far country, where they hoped to find their fortune. They set out without delay, and the bean rolled along behind.
Soon the three travelers came to a little gurgling brook. It seemed to them a mighty rushing and roaring torrent.
“Oh, dear, what shall we do now?” asked the bean, speaking for the first time since the journey began. “We can never get across these awful waters. Hear them thunder down the rocky cliffs!”
“Don’t worry, little Bean,” said the straw, proudly. “I’ll help you and Mr. Coal across in a twinkling.”
Thereupon the straw laid herself across the stream. She was just long enough to reach from bank to bank.
“Now walk over the bridge, Mr. Coal and Miss Bean,” called the straw.
The coal hastened on to the straw bridge while the bean watched in wonder. All went well until the middle of the stream was reached, when the bridge bent so low under the weight of the coal and the waters thundered so loudly that the coal stopped in fright.
The coal stood still for only a moment. But, alas, that was a moment too long.
The dry straw smoked, burst into a tiny flame, and broke in two. Down fell the coal into the water below and was instantly drowned. The burning straw bridge also fell into the water, which put out the flames, and the two pieces of straw went floating away down stream.
All this the little bean saw, watching safely from the bank. And she thought it the funniest thing that ever happened. So she laughed and she laughed—until she burst!
This would have been the end of little Miss Bean, had not a tailor passed that way just then. He was sorry for the poor bean, so he picked up the two parts tenderly, and quickly sewed them together. But the thread that he used was black. And ever since that time some beans have a black seam around them.
FRIENDS
(tw ist) wh ist ling
ferns
North
com fort ed
gent ians
North Wind came whistling through the wood Where the tender, sweet things grew— The tall fair ferns and the maiden hair, And the gentle gentians blue. “It’s very cold! Are we growing old?” They sighed, “What shall we do?”
The sigh went up to the loving leaves. “We must help,” they whispered low. “They are frightened and weak, O brave old trees! But we love you well, you know.” And the trees said, “We are strong—make haste! Down to the darlings go.”
So the leaves went floating, floating down, All yellow, and brown, and red, And the frail little trembling, thankful things Lay still, and were comforted. And the blue sky smiled through the bare old trees, Down on their soft warm beds.
—L. G. WARNER.
HELP ONE ANOTHER
(m outh) s outh
splen did
(m ount ain) f ount ain
“Help one another,” the snowflakes said, As they cuddled down in their fleecy bed. “One of us here would not be felt, One of us here would quickly melt; But I’ll help you, and you help me, And then what a splendid drift there’ll be.”
“Help one another,” the maple spray Said to its fellow leaves one day; “The sun would wither me here alone, Long enough ere the day is gone; But I’ll help you, and you help me, And then what a splendid shade there’ll be.”
“Help one another,” the dewdrop cried, Seeing another drop close to its side; “The warm south wind would dry me away, And I should be gone ere noon to-day; But I’ll help you, and you help me, And we’ll make a brook and run to the sea.”
“Help one another,” a grain of sand Said to another grain close at hand; “The wind may carry me out to the sea, And then, oh, what will become of me? But come, my brother, give me your hand, We’ll build a mountain and then we will stand.”
And so the snowflakes grew to drifts; The grains of sand to a mountain; The leaves became a summer shade; The dewdrops fed a fountain.
THE DROWNING OF MR. LEGHORN
(g irl) wh irl
point
waul
mat ter
(s ea) r ea son
arm f arm
heav y
(c ane) v ane
else
horse
perch
One day Mr. Leghorn, the rooster, and Mrs. Leghorn, the hen, were out walking. They came to a wide, deep brook. Mrs. Leghorn, who was light and quick, flew safely across; but Mr. Leghorn, who was heavy and slow, fell, splash! into the water.
Mrs. Leghorn was sure Mr. Leghorn was drowned. So, without turning to see, she flew screaming and cackling toward the farmyard.
“What does ail you, Mrs. Leghorn? Why are you screaming and cackling so loudly?” asked the Wind-Mill as Mrs. Leghorn flew past.
“Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned. That’s why I am screaming and cackling so loudly,” replied Mrs. Leghorn.
“What a pity! I’ll swing my arms and creak. That’s the best I can do for poor Mr. Leghorn.” And the Wind-Mill fell to swinging his arms and creaking with all his might.
When the Big Barn Door heard the Wind-Mill creaking and saw him swinging his long arms, he called out, “What ails you, Wind-Mill? Why do you swing your arms and creak so?”
“Why, Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned, and Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling. That’s why I swing my arms and creak,” answered the Wind-Mill.
“Poor Mr. Leghorn, poor Mrs. Leghorn!” said the Big Barn Door. “I’ll slam and bang. That’s the best I can do.” And the Big Barn Door fell to slamming and banging with all his might.
The Old Red Ox heard the Big Barn Door slamming and banging, and cried out, “O, Big Barn Door, why are you slamming and banging so?”
“Reason enough,” answered the Big Barn Door. “Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned; Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling; and Wind-Mill is swinging his arms and creaking. That’s why I am slamming and banging so.”
“How sorry I am,” said the Old Red Ox. “I’ll paw the ground and bellow. What else can I do?” And he fell to pawing and bellowing with all his might.
“What is the matter, Old Red Ox?” asked the Watch Dog. “Why are you pawing and bellowing so?”
“Matter enough,” answered the Old Red Ox. “Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned; Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling; Wind-Mill is swinging his arms and creaking; and Big Barn Door is slamming and banging. That’s why I am pawing and bellowing so.”
“O dear me,” said the Watch Dog. “I’ll bark and whine. That’s all I can do.” And he fell to barking and whining with all his might.
The Old Gray Horse heard the Watch Dog barking and whining, and said, “What is the matter with you, Watch Dog? Why do you bark and whine so?”
“Wouldn’t you bark and whine if you could?” answered the Watch Dog. “Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned; Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling; Wind-Mill is swinging his arms and creaking; the Big Barn Door is slamming and banging; and the Old Red Ox is pawing and bellowing. That’s why I am barking and whining.”
“The poor things!” said Old Gray Horse. “I’ll prance and neigh. What more can I do?” And he fell to prancing and neighing with all his might.
The Weather-Vane looked down from his high perch and saw the Old Gray Horse prancing and neighing. “What’s the trouble, Old Gray Horse?” he called out. “Why are you prancing and neighing so?”
“Trouble indeed,” answered the Old Gray Horse. “Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned; Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling; Wind-Mill is swinging his arms and creaking; the Big Barn Door is slamming and banging; the Old Red Ox is pawing and bellowing; and the Watch Dog is barking and whining. That’s why I am prancing and neighing so?”
“O dear, O dear,” said the Weather-Vane, “what shall I do? I’ll whirl and point. That’s all I can do.” And he fell to whirling and pointing with all his might.
Pussy Cat looked up and saw Weather-Vane whirling and pointing. “O, Weather-Vane,” she cried out. “Why do you whirl and point so?”
“Because I can do nothing else,” answered the Weather-Vane. “Mr. Leghorn has fallen into the brook and is drowned; Mrs. Leghorn is screaming and cackling; Wind-Mill is swinging his arms and creaking; the Big Barn Door is slamming and banging; the Old Red Ox is pawing and bellowing; the Watch Dog is barking and whining; and the Old Gray Horse is prancing and neighing. That’s why I am whirling and pointing so.”
“O, how sad!” said Pussy Cat. “I’ll waul and squall. That’s the best I can do.” And she fell to wauling and squalling with all her might.
At this moment, when Pussy Cat was wauling and squalling, when the Weather-Vane was whirling and pointing, when the Old Gray Horse was prancing and neighing, when the Watch Dog was barking and whining, when the Old Red Ox was pawing and bellowing, when the Big Barn Door was slamming and banging, when the Wind-Mill was swinging his arms and creaking, when Mrs. Leghorn was screaming and cackling, Mr. Leghorn flew to the highest rail on the fence and crew,
“Cock-a-doodle-doo, What’s the matter with you?”
THE STARVING OF MRS. LEGHORN
po lite
seized
bun dle
bas ket
dis tance
praise
stretched
of fer ing
shrieked
fi nal ly
faint ly
fierce ly
doz en
smart
bunch
wool
eas y
own
Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn often went nutting. Mr. Leghorn was very polite and kind to Mrs. Leghorn. He ran about searching everywhere for nuts. When he found one he would call to Mrs. Leghorn, who would hasten to him. Then he would pick up the nut, roll it over and over, lay it down, and pick it up again a dozen times, all the time telling Mrs. Leghorn what a very nice nut that was, what a good hen she was, and how smart he was to find nuts for her. At last he would drop the nut before Mrs. Leghorn, who would peck it once or twice to make sure that all Mr. Leghorn had said of it was true, and then swallow it whole, without once offering to share it with Mr. Leghorn.
One day Mr. Leghorn found a very large nut, the largest nut he had ever seen. How proudly he called to Mrs. Leghorn! It took him a long time to tell all about that big nut and how he had found it, to praise Mrs. Leghorn’s goodness, and to brag about his own smartness. But finally he finished and turned the nut over to Mrs. Leghorn. She seized it greedily and was about to swallow it, but—it wouldn’t go down! She tried again and again, she stretched her beak wider and wider, but it was no use. The nut was too large.
Mr. Leghorn, who had been watching Mrs. Leghorn from a little distance, became alarmed.
“O, my poor Mrs. Leghorn,” he cried, “what shall I do? You can’t eat that nut; you’ll surely starve. What shall I do?”
“Run and ask Mr. Wise Owl,” said Mrs. Leghorn. “He can tell us what to do.”
So away ran Mr. Leghorn to the Wise Owl, screaming with all his might.
“O, Mr. Wise Owl,” he cried, “my poor Mrs. Leghorn is starving. She can’t swallow the big nut. What shall I do?”
“Who, who, who?” hooted the Wise Owl, blinking his great round eyes.
“Mrs. Leghorn, my Mrs. Leghorn, my own dear Mrs. Leghorn,” fairly shrieked Mr. Cock. “She can’t swallow the big nut. She will starve. Can you tell me what to do?”
Mr. Wise Owl stared straight ahead a moment—it seemed an age to Mr. Leghorn—then answered slowly, “Yes, Mr. Leghorn, I can tell you what to do. But you must first bring me a mouse.”
Away rushed Mr. Leghorn to Pussy Cat. “My good Miss Pussy Cat,” he cried, “dear Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Will you please catch me a mouse? I want it to take to Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“Yes, Mr. Leghorn,” answered Pussy Cat, “I will catch you a mouse, but you must first bring me a saucer of milk.”
Off flew Mr. Leghorn to Mrs. Mooly Cow.
“Dear, kind Mrs. Mooly Cow,” he said, “poor Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Will you please give me a saucer of milk? I want it to take to Miss Pussy Cat, who is going to catch me a mouse for Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“Yes, Mr. Leghorn,” answered Mrs. Mooly Cow, “I will give you a saucer of milk, but you must first bring me a bundle of corn.”
Away sped Mr. Leghorn to the Farmer.
“O, Mr. Farmer,” said Mr. Leghorn, “Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Please will you be so kind as to cut me a bundle of corn? I want it to take to Mrs. Mooly Cow, who is going to give me a saucer of milk for Miss Pussy Cat, who is going to catch me a mouse for Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“Yes, indeed, Mr. Leghorn,” said the Farmer, “I will cut you a bundle of corn, but you must first bring me a new coat.”
Off hastened Mr. Leghorn to the Tailor.
“O, Mr. Tailor,” cried Mr. Leghorn, “Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Won’t you please give me a new coat? I want it to take to Mr. Farmer, who is going to cut me a bundle of corn for Mrs. Mooly Cow, who is going to give me a saucer of milk for Miss Pussy Cat, who is going to catch me a mouse for Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“Yes, Mr. Leghorn,” answered Mr. Tailor, “I shall be very glad to give you a new coat, but you must first bring me a pound of wool.”
Away hurried Mr. Leghorn to Mrs. Sheep.
“O, good Mrs. Sheep,” he said, “Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Do, please, give me a pound of wool. I want it to take to Mr. Tailor, who is going to give me a new coat for Mr. Farmer, who is going to cut me a bundle of corn for Mrs. Mooly Cow, who is going to give me a saucer of milk for Miss Pussy Cat, who is going to catch me a mouse for Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“To be sure, Mr. Leghorn,” said Mrs. Sheep, “I will give you a pound of wool, but you must first bring me a bunch of clover.”
Away ran Mr. Leghorn to the Farmer’s Wife.
“O, good, kind Farmer’s Wife,” cried Mr. Leghorn, “Mrs. Leghorn is starving. Won’t you, please, pull me a bunch of clover? I want it to take to Mrs. Sheep, who is going to give me a pound of wool for Mr. Tailor, who is going to give me a new coat for Mr. Farmer, who is going to cut me a bundle of corn for Mrs. Mooly Cow, who is going to give me a saucer of milk for Miss Pussy Cat, who is going to catch me a mouse for Mr. Wise Owl, who is going to tell me what to do.”
“Yes, yes,” answered the kind Farmer’s Wife, “I will gladly pull you a bunch of clover, but you must first bring me a dozen eggs.”
Mr. Leghorn fairly flew back to Mrs. Leghorn, who was still trying vainly to swallow the large nut. He seemed to forget all his politeness.
“Where’s your nest, Mrs. Leghorn, where’s your nest? Tell me this instant!” he shrieked.
Mrs. Leghorn had never told any one where her nest was. That was her secret; and she would not have told her secret now—not even to keep herself from starving—had she not been so frightened at Mr. Leghorn, who stood glaring at her fiercely. She thought he had gone mad and would do her harm. So she answered faintly,
“Under the corner of the barn.”
Away to the corner of the barn rushed Mr. Leghorn, where he found Mrs. Leghorn’s nest full of eggs. He took a dozen in a basket and hurried off to the Farmer’s Wife, who pulled him a bunch of clover, which he carried to Mrs. Sheep, who gave him a pound of wool, which he took to Mr. Tailor, who gave him a new coat, which he brought to Mr. Farmer, who cut him a bundle of corn, which he carried to Mrs. Mooly Cow, who gave him a saucer of milk, which he took to Miss Pussy Cat, who caught him a mouse, which he carried to Mr. Wise Owl.
“There, Mr. Wise Owl,” cried Mr. Leghorn, quite out of breath, “there’s a nice fat mouse. Now tell me what I shall do for poor Mrs. Leghorn, who is starving because she can’t swallow the big nut.”
“Who, who, who?” cried Mr. Wise Owl, staring sleepily at the fat mouse.
“Mrs. Leghorn, she is starving!” screamed Mr. Leghorn, now quite angry. “She can’t swallow the big nut. You said you would tell me what to do.”
“O, yes,” said Mr. Wise Owl, “to be sure, that’s easy. Just go and find Mrs. Leghorn some smaller nuts.”
MR. AND MRS. LEGHORN TO THE RESCUE
o cean
chas ing
urged
(c atch) scr atch
(pl ace) p ace
(p ast) m ast er
(p ond) be y ond
(ch ild) w ild ly
scarce ly
(f eel) h eel
(sm art) st art
(own) un kn own
af ter noon
Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn went for a stroll one afternoon. They had never been far from home and they soon came into unknown places. But they wandered on and on, chasing grasshoppers and crickets, and now and then stopping to scratch for a worm, until they finally came to the bank of a frog pond.
“Look, Mrs. Leghorn,” said Mr. Leghorn, “there’s the ocean, the wide, blue ocean that we have heard so much about.”
“Indeed it is,” answered Mrs. Leghorn. “Could you believe we had come so far!”
Splash!... _Splash!_
“What was that?” cried Mrs. Leghorn.
“What was that?” cried Mr. Leghorn.
“Help me out! Help me out!” came a deep voice from the pond.
“Me, too! Me, too!” came a little, peeping voice from the same place.
“Why, that’s our good master and his little boy,” cried Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn together.
“They’ve fallen into the ocean!”
“Help me out! Help me out! Me, too! Me, too!” came again from the pond.
“Yes, good Master, yes,” screamed Mr. Leghorn, “we’ll help you. But what shall we do?”
“Bring a rope! A rope!” came the answer.
“A rope, a rope!” cried Mr. Leghorn. “O, where shall we find one?”
“Just beyond! Just beyond!”
Mr. Leghorn ran wildly along the bank with Mrs. Leghorn following close on his heels. They looked to the right, and they looked to the left; they looked up, and they looked down; but no rope could they see.
“Hurry up! Hurry up!” came from the water.
“O dear, O dear!” cried Mrs. Leghorn.
“O, where is that rope?” cried Mr. Leghorn.
“Follow your nose! Follow your nose!” came the voice.
At that, Mr. Leghorn flew along faster than ever. Mrs. Leghorn could hardly keep in sight of him. But no rope could they find.
“Hurry up! Hurry up!” came from the pond and urged them on, whenever they began to slacken their pace.
“Going down! Going down!” came the deep voice.
“Me, too! Me, too!” came the peeping voice.
“O, they are drowning, they are drowning!” screamed Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn.
“Let ’em drown! Let ’em drown!” came the voice.
“What!” cried Mr. Leghorn.
“What!” cried Mrs. Leghorn.
“Better go home! Better go home!” called the deep voice.
Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn stood staring at each other. They could scarcely believe their ears.
“Go to roost! Go to roost!” came the voice.
Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn began to look silly. The sun had set and it was growing dark. They turned about and started off homeward.
“You’re fooled! You’re fooled!” sounded after them as they left the banks of the pond.
“He told the truth that time, even if he is only a frog,” said Mrs. Leghorn.
Vocabulary
Most of the words used in the preceding books of the Aldine Series are used frequently in this Second Reader. They are not listed in this vocabulary, however; here are given only the words used for the first time in this book. The number at the left of a word refers to the page on which the story begins in which that word is first used. New words are listed in the text immediately before the lesson in which they are used.
A
36. about 53. above 163. across 16. afraid 172. afternoon 21. age 160. ahead 151. ail 151. alarmed 138. alas 65. already 8. among 8. angry 36. animal 46. ant 151. arm 5. ash 77. astray 133. awful 16. awoke
B
91. ballad 115. bang 16. bank 26. bark 84. barn 160. basket 138. bean 26. bear 160. became 46. began 12. begged 21. believe 26. bellow 172. beyond 6. black 117. blazed 160. blinking 138. bother 62. bow 160. brag 53. branch 81. bravely 26. breathes 102. breeze 138. bridge 16. brook 117. broom 145. brown 94. build 160. bunch 160. bundle 26. burrowed 107. bush 138. burst 46. buy
C
151. cackling 117. castle 26. catch 172. chasing 77. cheek 16. chicken 107. chirped 94. choose 107. clever 94. cliff 26. climbed 107. cloak 138. coal 46. cob 151. cock 81. color 145. comforted 160. corner 138. country 81. crazy 26. creak 117. crib 6. croak 100. crocus 138. cruel 138. crush 46. crust 36. curled 160. cut
D
100. daffodils 12. dance 16. dare 12. dark 145. darlings 55. dash 12. dead 138. delay 117. dense 71. diamond 12. die 63. different 117. directly 117. disappeared 160. distance 3. doctor 94. dome 59. don’t 3. door 160. dozen 26. drank 65. dream 26. drink 26. drive 8. drove 36. drumikin 81. duller
E
16. each 138. eager 94. eagle 3. ears 107. earth 160. easy 94. eaves 133. echo 16. eight 16. eleven 151. else 117. enemy 12. enough 117. enter 8. envy 16. even
F
160. faintly 160. fairly 84. family 151. farm 117. farther 68. father 36. feared 6. feathers 151. fence 145. ferns 160. fiercely 160. finally 12. find 172. fine 117. finished 46. fish 55. flash 133. foaming 8. foolish 117. forest 160. forget 117. fortune 107. forward 8. found 147. fountain 160. frightened 36. frisked 36. frolicked 117. front
G
36. gayly 145. gentians 93. gild 117. gladly 117. glaring 60. goat 117. grasshoppers 117. gray 117. greedily 36. greedy 12. growled 16. guess 138. gurgling 93. gypsy
H
160. harm 107. hasten 117. heap 151. heavy 172. heel 60. height 94. held 117. hoarsely 84. hole 94. hollow 36. home 172. homeward 81. honest 94. hoot 138. hope 117. horrible 151. horse 36. hullo 36. hump 12. hungry 107. hunt 46. hurried
I
93. idle 138. immediately 102. Indian 138. instant
J
117. jewel 65. journey 81. June
L
63. ladies 77. lamb 37. lambikin 77. large 8. laughed 81. lazy 65. leaped 94. learn 16. least 36. left 94. lesson 84. life 26. lion 12. lively 46. lost 8. lucky
M
21. ma’am 94. magpie 102. Manitou 94. maple 46. marry 172. master 151. matter 84. meal 94. mean 117. melt 100. merry 26. mice 117. mile 160. milk 46. miss 138. moment 46. money 84. monster 36. morsel 59. mossy 94. mountain 26. mouse 36. mouth 55. murmur
N