Chapter 2

They marched in singing "Mistress Mary," and little Mistress Mary laughed, and cried, and clapped her hands, all in one minute.

Then the children put the plants on a table near the window where Mary could see them.

There were geraniums, and pinks; a sweet heliotrope, and a rose-bush with a pink rose.

Alice brought the heliotrope, and Jack brought the rose-bush.

How bright and cheerful the plants made the room look!

The children stayed an hour and played games with Mary.

They played "hide the thimble" and one or two guessing games, because Mary could not run around the room with them.

Then they had some little cakes and cookies which Mary's mother had made for them.

When it was time to go home they left a very happy little girl.

"Good-bye," said Mary, "I hope you will come very often.

"Thank you for the lovely plants. My table looks like a flower garden."

"Yes, Mistress Mary," said Jack, "we'll come to see how your garden grows. You ought to have some silver bells and some cockle shells."

In a few weeks Mistress Mary, as every one called her now, came back to school.

She could run and play as well as any of the children.

But she did not forget her garden, and she often brought some of her flowers to school.

When the spring came she made a garden out of doors for her plants.

And what do you think she put all around the flower bed?

She put a splendid row of little white shells.

Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper. What shall he eat? White bread and butter. How can he cut it without any knife? How can he marry without any wife?

TOMMY TUCKER

One summer Mary went to make Grandma Hall a visit.

Grandma's little girls were all grown up now, and Grandma and Grandpa lived alone on the farm.

Mary liked to go there to visit because Grandma could tell such splendid stories, and there were always so many things to do.

It was Saturday and Mary had been busy all the morning helping Grandma make cookies, and pies, and cakes.

After dinner Grandma and little Mary took their sewing and sat out under the old apple-tree in the garden.

Grandma was making a cap, and Mary was making a white apron for her mother.

They had been sitting there only a little while when Mary saw a ragged boy coming down the road towards the house.

Running along close behind him was a ragged little dog.

The boy had a violin in his hand.

When he saw the little girl and her grandmother he stood still and began to play.

As he played, the little dog stood up on his hind legs and tried to sing.

"Bow--wow, wow!" he barked, and oh he did look so funny!

"Please ask the boy to bring that funny dog over here, Grandma," said Mary.

"Come here, little boy," said Grandma. "What is your name?"

"My name is Tommy," said the boy, "and this is my dog Rags."

"Run and get Tommy and the dog some cookies, Mary," said Grandma, "I guess they are both hungry."

Tommy looked so tired that Mrs. Hall asked him to sit down and rest.

"Where do you live?" she asked.

"I don't live anywhere," replied Tommy, "I just have my dog Rags, and he and I sleep wherever we can."

"Well," said Grandma, "you must both stay here to-night. We can find a place for a boy and a dog somewhere in this big house."

I can't tell you how happy Tommy was.

Rags seemed happy, too.

He did all the tricks he knew, and for every trick he got a big, sweet cookie.

After supper Tommy wanted to help, so he went out to the barn with Grandpa Hall.

Rags trotted along behind him, wagging his tail and barking at everything he saw.

"What can you do, Tommy?" asked Grandpa.

"I can play my violin and sing," said Tommy. "That is all I know how to do."

"Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper.

"I think we shall have to call you 'Tommy Tucker'," said Grandpa.

But Tommy could do many things besides sing and play.

He helped Grandpa Hall feed the hens and chickens.

He gave them fresh water and found all the eggs.

Then he brought in some wood for Grandma's fire.

There are a great many things for a boy to do on a farm.

That night, after the children had gone to bed, Grandpa said,

"I wish Tommy could live here with us all the time.

"I would like a good boy to help me."

"That is a good idea," said Grandma.

"It is lonely now that all our children are gone.

"And Tommy is just the kind of a boy I like."

So the next morning Grandma asked Tommy if he would like to live with them.

"Could Rags stay here, too?" asked Tommy.

"Of course he could," said Grandma.

"You could help Grandpa in the summer, and in the winter you could go to school."

What do you think Tommy did?

He couldn't say a word.

He threw his arms around Grandma's neck and kissed her.

"Bow-wow," said Rags, jumping up beside them and barking as hard as he could.

"Bow-wow, this is a good home, Tommy."

And Tommy thought so too.

This little pig went to market, This little pig stayed at home, This little pig had bread and butter, This little pig had none, This little pig cried, "Wee, wee, wee! I can't find my way home!"

FIVE LITTLE PIGS

Tommy Tucker and Mary had been busy all day helping Grandpa Hall pick apples.

Now the supper dishes were done and the lamp was lighted.

"Tell us a story, Grandma," they begged.

"What shall I tell you?" said Grandma. "Shall I tell you about 'The Three Bears,' or 'Tom Thumb,' or 'Red Riding Hood'?"

"Tell us a new story, please," said Mary.

"Well, I will tell you the story of the 'Five Little Pigs'."

"What five little pigs?" the children asked at the same moment.

"You know," said Grandma.

"This little pig went to market, This little pig stayed at home, This little pig had bread and butter, This little pig had none, This little pig cried, 'Wee, wee, wee! 'I can't find my way home!'"

"Is there a story about those little pigs?" asked Mary. "I know I should like that."

So Grandma Hall told the children this story:

Once upon a time there was a mother pig and she had five little pigs.

They were the very prettiest little pigs you ever saw.

They were every one white, with pretty pink noses and very curly tails.

Perhaps the mother pig tied each little tail up at night to make it curl more tightly.

Curly and Whitey, Pearly and Twisty, and Baby, were the names of the five little pigs.

One day the mother pig said to Curly: "You must go to market to-day, my son. I want a nice big cabbage for my soup."

So this little pig went to market.

The market was not very far away,--just down the road and across the field to Grandpa Hall's cabbage patch.

"Be sure and get a good large one," said the mother pig, as Curly trotted away.

"Oh, Mother," said Whitey, "may I go to market with Curly?"

"No, Whitey," said his mother, "I want you to stay at home and take care of Baby.

"I shall be very busy all the morning.

"You may take Baby out into the yard and play with her."

So this little pig stayed at home.

Whitey took Baby and went out into the yard.

Pearly and Twisty were out there, but they were not playing.

I am sorry to have to say that they were quarrelling, for one little pig had some bread and butter and the other little pig had none.

After a while the two little pigs stopped quarrelling, and then they all began to play together.

First they played tag, then they played hide and seek.

"Oh, there is Curly!" said Whitey.

"See what a big cabbage he has!"

Sure enough, Curly was coming down the road with a cabbage as big as his own head.

Mother Pig took the cabbage and put it into her soup.

Oh, how good the dinner did smell to the hungry little pigs!

"Come to dinner, children," called their mother at last; and then what a scampering there was!

One, two, three, four little pigs.

They almost fell over each other, they were in such a hurry.

"Where is Baby?" cried Mother Pig.

Then all the pigs were so frightened that their noses turned white.

Where was she, indeed?

They had forgotten to watch her while they were playing hide and seek.

Where could she be?

They all ran out of the house faster than they ran in.

"Perhaps she ran after me and got lost," thought Curly, and he ran down the big road.

Pearly thought she would go to the woods behind the barn.

Twisty ran across the big meadow.

Mother Pig walked slowly up the road, looking behind all the trees and under all the bushes.

"Baby, Baby, Baby!" you could hear them all calling.

As Twisty ran along beside the brook, she thought she heard a noise.

"Baby, Baby!" she called.

"Wee, wee, wee!" cried Baby Pig, "I can't find my way home."

When Twisty heard this she ran so fast she nearly fell into the brook.

There sat Baby Pig on a stone, wiping the tears out of her eyes with an oak leaf.

"Oh, Baby!" said Twisty, giving her sister a good hug, "what made you run away?"

"I didn't run away, I got lost," said Baby, "and I want to see my mother."

So Twisty and Baby ran home as fast as they could.

There were all the little pigs looking very sad because they had not found Baby.

When they saw her coming they ran to meet her, and Curly carried her into the house "pig-a-back."

Then they ate their cabbage soup, an it tasted all the better for waiting.

Jack and Jill Went up the hill, To get a pail of water. Jack fell down And broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.

JACK AND JILL

Tommy Tucker and Mary had many good times together that summer.

They fished in the brook at the end of the meadow.

They went berrying and took their dinner with them.

They rode to market in the big wagon with Grandpa Hall.

In fact, they did everything that boys and girls who live on a farm like to do.

But they did not always play alone.

In the very next house lived another little boy and girl.

This little boy and girl were twins, and they looked as much alike as two green peas.

Mary called them Jack and Jill, but I don't know what their mother called them.

Jack and Jill lived in a little house at the top of the hill.

In the winter, when the snow was on the ground, it was fine coasting down that long hill.

The twins had new red sleds that Santa Claus had left them on Christmas morning.

Jack's sled was named "Racer," and Jill called hers "Lady Bird."

Their father had to paint the names on the sleds, for the sleds were twins, too.

After school and on Saturday you could often find Jack and Jill, with "Racer" and "Lady Bird," coasting down the hill together.

But this story is not about coasting in the winter.

It is about a slide Jack and Jill took one day in summer.

Mary and Tommy Tucker went to Jack's house one morning to play with the twins.

Jill saw them coming and ran out to meet them.

"Come down to the sand-bank," she cried. "We've got something new down there. Papa gave it to us."

So they all took hold of hands and ran down the hill.

"Be careful, Jack," said Tommy.

"Don't fall down and break your crown."

When they reached the sand-bank, what do you think they found?

There was an old stove with a great big oven.

Some of the covers were gone, and there was no funnel. But the oven was all right, and that was what Mary needed.

"Let's make our oven full of cakes and pies," said Mary.

"I'll build the fire," said Jack.

"And I'll help you get the wood," said Tommy.

How the boys worked to get some dry leaves and sticks!

Of course they could not light the fire but it was almost as much fun.

The little girls went to work at once getting out their table and dishes.

The table was a long board, and their dishes came from everywhere.

The pie plates were pretty, round shells that Mary had brought from the seashore.

Grandma Hall had given them some small tins to make cakes in.

Then there was a cracked bowl and a teapot without a handle.

Plenty of dishes, you see, for a morning's baking.

"What shall we bake this morning?" said Mary.

"Oh, let's make some plum cake and blueberry cake.

"Then we can make some blueberry pies and some apple pies."

"Oh yes!" said Mary, "and I'll make some apple turnovers."

By this time the boys had the fire laid and the wood-box filled with wood.

"What can we do now?" said Tommy.

"You can get us some blueberries for our cakes and pies," said Jill.

So the boys took the cracked bowl and filled it with little round seeds they called blueberries.

"I know where I can get some apples," said Mary, and away she ran across the field.

She was back again in a few minutes with her apron full of little green apples.

"You know, Jill," she said, "green apples make very good pies."

Just then the boys came back with the berries and the baking was begun.

After a dozen pies had been put into the oven, Jill said, "Oh, Jack! we must have some more water.

"Will you run up to the house and get some?"

"Yes," said Jack, "if someone will go with me."

Tommy had gone for more apples and Mary was mixing her cake.

"I will go with you," said Jill. "Here is our pail."

So Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail of water.

Their mother let them fill their pail.

Then she gave them four cookies that she had just taken from the oven.

When they started down the hill, Jack began to run.

"Oh, do be careful, Jack!" said Jill, "or you will--"

But she didn't say any more.

For down went Jack, down went Jill, and down went the pail.

Tommy and Mary saw them fall and ran to help them.

"Oh, Jack!" said Mary, "did you break your crown?"

"No," laughed Jack, "but Jill came tumbling after."

"We ought to have known better than to let Jack and Jill go for a pail of water," said Tommy.

"I've broken the cookies," said Jill.

"Let's go and ask Mamma for some more."

So they all went up the hill for more water and cookies.

This time Mary and Tommy carried the water down the hill.

The pies were baked, and the cakes ready to put into the oven in a very few minutes.

When Jill's mother called the children to dinner, there was a long row of cakes and pies and, cookies.

"We ought to eat our dinner here," said Mary.

"I like mother's pies and cookies best," said Jack.

So Jack and Jill ran up the hill once more, and Mary and Tommy climbed over the fence and ran across the garden to see what Grandma Hall had for their dinner.

Little Jack Homer Sat in a corner, Eating his Christmas pie; He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And said, "What a big boy am I!"

JACK HORNER'S PIE

I am going to tell you about another one of Boy Blue's friends.

His name was Jack Horner.

At least, Boy Blue called him Jack Horner.

And I'll tell you why he called him Jack Horner, too.

His real name was Jack Horne.

Jack was a very jolly boy.

He had round red cheeks and twinkling eyes, and he was always running and jumping about and laughing at everything.

One morning when he waked up he was happier than ever.

In fact, he was the happiest boy in town.

I know he was, for he said so, and he ought to know.

His birthday was coming.

Indeed, it was the very next day.

And the very next day was Christmas, too.

Think of having a birthday and Christmas on the same day!

How would you like that?

Jack was going to have a birthday party.

Or was it a Christmas party?

Jack couldn't tell which it was.

All the children were coming,--Boy Blue, and Mary, and Alice, and Tommy Tucker, and ever so many more.

There was a secret about the party.

Jack's mother had told him, but he would not tell.

Boy Blue tried to guess.

"Is it a Christmas tree, Jack?"

"Are we going to make candy?"

"Is Santa Claus coming?"

"Are we going on a sleigh-ride?"

"No, no, no!" said Jack. "You will never guess."

At last Christmas Day came.

Jack could hardly stop to look at all of his presents.

He was thinking of the party and of getting the secret ready.

At two o'clock the children came to the party.

They each brought Jack a present.

Mistress Mary brought him some roses.

"They grew on the rose-bush you gave me," she said.

At first the children played games.

They played "blind man's buff," and "hide the thimble," and "button, button, who has the button."

At four o'clock Jack's mother came into the room.

"I think you must all be hungry by this time," she said.

"Will you come and see what I have for you?"

So the children followed Mrs. Horne through the long hall into the dining-room.

Oh, there were such good things for hungry children!

There were pretty little cakes with pink and white frosting, and oranges, and nuts, and raisins, and apples, and candy.

Boy Blue's father had heard about the party and had sent the apples from the farm.

Boy Blue's mother had sent some candy made of maple sugar and nuts.

Oh, it was so good!

When each one had eaten some of the cakes, and some of the nuts, and some of the candy, Mrs. Horne went out into the kitchen.

Jack began to laugh and his eyes looked very big and wise.

"The surprise is coming!" cried Boy Blue. "The surprise is coming!"

And sure enough! In came Mrs. Horne, carrying a huge pie in her hands.

"This is Jack Horner's pie," she said. "I think it is full of plums."

Then she put it on the table in front of Jack.

He stood up and said:--

"Little Jack Horner Stood near a corner Cutting his birthday pie. He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And said, 'What a big boy am I!'"

How the children laughed!

Jack had cut the paper crust of his birthday pie.

Then he had put in his hand and pulled out something.

It was surely too big for a real plum.

"For Boy Blue," said Jack, giving him the package.

Boy Blue took off the white paper and there was a tiny horn, tied with a blue ribbon.

Then Jack pulled out another plum.

It was a book about flowers for Mistress Mary.

Tommy Tucker had a knife.

"That's to cut your bread with," said Jack Horner.

Mary found a woolly lamb in her plum.

The lamb's head would come off, an inside was a tiny bottle of cologne.

Jack and Jill each had a little pail filled with candies.

Jack's plum was in the very bottom of the pie.

It was a dear little watch.

"Now, I shall not be late to school again," he said.

It was Jack, you know, who let Mary's lamb into school.

He was late that morning and did not shut the door.

When it was time for the children to go home Mr. Horne packed them all into his big sleigh.

"Good-bye, Jack!" they cried.

"Good-bye, Jack Horner, we have had a lovely time!"

There was an old woman Who lived in a shoe, She had so many children She didn't know what to do, She gave them some butter Without any bread; Then she spanked them all soundly, And sent them to bed.

THE OLD WOMAN IN THE SHOE

You remember I told you that Boy Blue lived on a big farm.

In the winter Boy Blue could not go to school because the school-house was so far from his home.

So Mary's mother said, "Boy Blue can spend the winter with us and go to school with Mary."

Of course the children thought that would be fine.

Mary didn't have any brothers or sisters, and sometimes she was rather lonely.

So Boy Blue went to spend the winter with Mary.

He was sorry to leave Fire-cracker and his eight white Snowballs.

"I shall be back in the spring," he said. "John will have to take care of you this winter."

Boy Blue had never seen such a large school in all his life.

In the little country school there were only ten children.

In Mary's school there were fifty boys and girls in one room, and there were ten rooms in the school-house.

Now it was winter, and there was snow on the ground.

The children had been to school three months.

Every afternoon they had great fun coasting down the long hill behind the school-house.

One day Miss Smith said, "Children, do you know what month this is?"

"Yes, yes!" they all said. "This is December."

"Christmas comes this month," said one little girl.

Then they all talked at once.

Oh, how they liked Christmas, and Santa Claus and Christmas trees!

They hoped Santa Claus would bring them many presents.

At last Miss Smith said, "Shall we have a Christmas tree this year in school?"

Of course they all wanted one.

"I know something better than a Christmas tree," said Miss Smith.

"Something better than a Christmas tree!" said Mistress Mary. "What can it be?"

"I must tell you about it," said Miss Smith. "You know I have told you about Mrs. Brown."

"Yes," said Boy Blue, "she is the 'Old Woman in the Shoe.'"

Miss Smith laughed. "Is that what you call her?" she said.

"Yes," said Mary, "you know she has a great many children."

"Well, Tommy and Betty Brown have been sick a long time.

"Mrs. Brown has had to work very hard to get food to eat.

"I am afraid they will not have a happy Christmas.

"I think we might have a Christmas box, and fill it with all kinds of good things.

"We can put things to eat and wear in the box, and you can bring some toys, too.

"Then on Christmas day we can send the box to Mrs. Brown.

"That would make her happy, and it would make us happy, too."

The children all thought this was a very good idea.

Jack said, "I think it would be great fun if we could have a box the shape of a big shoe. I know my father could make us one. I will ask him to-night."

So Jack's father made a big wooden shoe, and the boys helped him paint it black.

When the shoe was finished, the children began to fill it.

In the toe of the shoe Jack put two large squashes.

Mary brought a bag of potatoes and some big red apples.

Boy Blue wrote a letter to his mother and told her about the Christmas shoe.

So Mrs. Snow sent a roasted chicken, a dozen eggs, and some fresh butter that she had made.

I cannot tell you all the things that found their way into that wooden shoe.

There was everything that hungry little boys and girls like to eat.

There were games and toys for the boys, and dolls with pretty dresses for the girls.

And there was a fine new dress for Mrs. Brown, too.

The day before Christmas the shoe was ready and Mr. Horne came for it with a big wagon.

Miss Smith put a card in the shoe.

It said:--

"A Merry Christmas to Mrs. Brown and all the little Browns, from Maggie's and Tommy's schoolmates."

"Look, Mamma!" said little Maggie Brown. "What is that wagon stopping here for, and what is that funny thing in it?"

Mrs. Brown came to the window just as Mr. Home took the shoe out of the wagon.

"Why, it is a big shoe," laughed Mrs. Brown. "I guess it is for me to keep you all in."

Tommy, and Katie, and Mary, and Alice, all ran to see.

Oh, they were so happy when the shoe was brought in and they found it was something for them!

Mrs. Brown was happy, too, to think that her children would have such a merry Christmas.

She told Mr. Horne to wish all the children who sent the shoe a very, very happy Christmas.

"And tell them," she said, "to come and see 'the Old Woman in the Shoe' and her children!"

Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey; There came a big spider And sat down beside her, And frightened Miss Muffet away.

MISS MUFFET

It was the Christmas vacation and Boy Blue and Mary were at home every day.

Boy Blue wished to go to his own home on the farm in his vacation.

He wished to see his father and mother, and little sister, and fire-cracker, and his eight Snowballs.

But one night he had a letter from his mother.

Of course he could read it himself, because he was seven years old and had been to school two years.

When he read the letter he danced up and down for joy.

He danced right through the hall into the dining-room and showed his letter to Mary.

Then she danced, too, because the letter said that Boy Blue's father and mother were coming to see him the very next day.

And, best of all, Little Sister was coming to stay two weeks.

When it was time to go to the station to meet Little Sister and her mother. Boy Blue could hardly wait for the train.

At last it came, bringing the two dearest people in all the world, and Boy Blue laughed, and cried, and asked questions, all in the same minute.

"Where is Papa?