Part 3

One afternoon Mrs. Bruin was obliged to leave her cubs alone. She cautioned them not to go far from their cave while she was away.

They had their usual play together, rolling and tumbling and chasing each other. They ran farther and farther away from the cave, as no mother was there to call them back. They ran around trees and scrambled over logs; they climbed over rocks and stepped into bogs. Growing tired, they turned to go to their cave to rest.

Where was it?

They looked into one cave. That was not theirs. They looked into another cave. That was not theirs. They poked their noses into hollow trees, they sniffed around between the rocks. Had their cave moved away! Oh! where were they! No home! No mother!

Oh dear! Frightened nearly to death, these young cubs took to their heels. They did not know which way to go, but they ran. Splash! Splash! Into a stream that he didn’t see, tumbled one little cub. Such a howling as was set up, by the other little cub. And the howling was not in vain. It had a very familiar tone to Mrs. Bruin, who was walking home that way.

She hurried to the spot from which it came. She saw at once the plight of the cubs, and that they were her very own babies. She made a dash for the little one struggling in the water and pulled him out by the nape of the neck. Mrs. Bruin shook him pretty hard, perhaps to shake off the water, and perhaps to punish him a little. She was very much surprised to find them in this part of the woods all alone by themselves. She marched them off to their home. The walk was an instructive but not a jolly one.

THE BUNNY.

Box and Cox were twins. Griswold, their little master, was very fond of them. The dogs and the boy were always together.

Griswold let them play with some of his toys, but not with any they could hurt. Somebody gave Griswold a new toy-rabbit which he kept safely away from the dogs, except once. Then he left it on the floor while he went out to see a boy passing by.

Box examined the bunny, nosing and pawing it all over. Cox tried to get his nose or a paw on it, but Box kept him off. Suddenly, while Box was looking up, Cox grabbed bunny by the back and started to run. Box as soon as he could collect his wits ran too. Such a race! Over the toys, down the steps, out in the yard, around the house, they chased and they raced.

Cox held the bunny fast in his mouth, and kept the lead for a long time. Box finally got near enough to catch the bunny’s head in his mouth. Then came the tug of war. Cox pulled one way, Box the other. Cox tried to shake Box off, Box tried to shake Cox off. Cox growled, Box growled.

Griswold, coming back to his playthings, missed the dogs and the bunny, and feared something was wrong. Hearing some growls, he went to look for the dogs. His heart came into his mouth as he saw them jerking his bunny with all their might.

He got to them just in time to see poor bunny come apart. And he came apart so suddenly that Box, with the head in his mouth, keeled over one way, and Cox, still holding the back, keeled over the other way. This ending surprised them. Each dog sat down to think and to pant.

Griswold sat down to think and to cry. Griswold’s mother came to the rescue. She gathered up the remains of the rabbit, whipped Box and Cox, and consoled Griswold. She said the bunny’s head could be plastered on; but his expression would never be quite the same, for one eye was knocked in, and one ear was gone.

TOWZER’S FUN.

Tiger, Towzer, and Tip, although the pets of one household, were often jealous of one another.

Towzer and Tip were sometimes friendly from sympathy. Towzer was chained up and couldn’t run away, Tip had had his wings clipped and couldn’t fly away, while Tiger, the sly cat, was free to go his way.

Tiger took his after-dinner nap on top of the large square post near his kennel. One day, while he was resting up there, Tip examined the bones on his dinner plate. Tiger, lying on the steps, saw Tip picking the bones. He loved to tease Tip by springing at him, and Towzer loved to tease Tiger. Towzer thought he saw a chance for some fun.

Tip fastened his eyes on the bone; Tiger fastened his eyes on Tip; and Towzer fastened his eyes on Tiger. Tip picked the bone; Tiger tip-toed over the ground; Towzer wagged his stub of a tail.

“Caw-caw, meow-ow, bow-wow!” What a row! Towzer, Tiger and Tip all in a heap, clawing, scratching, and tumbling one over the other.

“Caw-caw, meow-ow, bow-wow!” What a row! Feathers and fur! Claws and paws!

“Sis-cat!” said a voice.

And they “scatted.” There sat Towzer in front of his kennel, looking as though nothing had happened. Tiger and Tip were nowhere to be seen. By the contented wag of his stub of a tail, Towzer showed he had had some fun. He winked and he blinked as he glanced at some fur and a feather or two at his feet.

HIS FIRST CIGAR.

“Please, mister, give me a cigar!”

The request was made by Tolomeo, but was not granted by the person addressed. Tolomeo had seen men smoking. They seemed to enjoy it. He wished to smoke too. His income as a news-boy was not large enough to buy cigars, so he had never smoked.

While he was wishing for a cigar, he saw a man throw away the one he was smoking. It was quite a large piece, and Tolomeo ran for it. He felt very grand as he thrust one thumb into his trousers and held the cigar just as he had seen men hold theirs. He drew the smoke into his mouth, then let it out, trying to form little rings. He did not know how, exactly, but he tried to learn, feeling like a big man.

His attention was presently called from his smoking to a queer feeling in his mouth and stomach. There was trouble all along the line between the two, and Tolomeo was miserable. The stump of the cigar was forgotten. He only knew about his dreadful feelings.

“Hello, old fellow, what’s the matter?” A voice in his ears and a thump on his back, showed the presence of a friend.

“I’m sick!”

“Seems to me I smell smoke. I say Tolomeo have you been making a chimney of yourself?”

Tolomeo did not answer.

“That’s what’s the matter; you’ve been smoking.”

“I guess smoking don’t make fellows sick.”

“Don’t it though. Tried it before?”

“I can’t say, I have.”

“Ha-ha, ha-ha” laughed the friend.

“Keep quiet will you. Men wouldn’t smoke if it made them feel as I do.”

“Don’t you make a mistake. Most of them have just such a time at first.”

Tolomeo was amazed. He wondered how anybody could get enough fun out of smoking to pay for such bad feelings. He didn’t try again although he was told if he smoked often enough he would feel all right. “What’s the use any way?” he said. “If I grew to like smoking, I’d buy cigars and have less money for clothes than I have now. Besides I want to save enough to go to the ball-game. I want my money for lots of things more fun than smoking.”

PRUDENT PUSS.

Bold Joe and Jim, and terrier Tim, Went out to chase their prey; They chased her hard across the yard, And then she got away.

The ducks in vain expressed disdain Of Pussy’s coward flight; They were three to one, so she chose to run, And I think she did quite right.

The dogs outside implored, defied; Puss answered not a word; When they’d gone in despair, she came out of her lair, And laughed in her sleeve and purred.

FLOY’S PICTURE.

They were arranging the holly to trim the parlors for Christmas.

“Mamma, may I put a big bunch over Floy’s picture?” asked Eloise.

“Certainly, my dear, I was just thinking about it myself.”

The mother’s eyes filled with tears as she spoke. Eloise climbed the step-ladder carefully and placed a beautiful branch of holly over the picture. Then she sat down on the top of the ladder. She could not visit with Floy, for Floy had gone to heaven. This picture was so like her that to sit near it was something like sitting by Floy herself. She imagined Floy’s smile grew sweeter and sweeter.

“I’m very lonely without you,” she said to the picture. “I haven’t any little sister to play with now. I wish you could put your arms around my neck and hug me as you used to. I wish you could come down from heaven once in a while any way, so we could have some more good times together; so we could play with our dolls, or look at our picture books, or romp. Your Cinderella is just where you left her. She doesn’t have anybody to play with. I don’t play with her much because it makes me cry. I don’t play with my Maleen much neither. I let her sit beside Cinderella to comfort her. Jennie came over the other day to play and broke one of your dishes. It made me cry, and Mamma too, so I put your dishes all away in a box. Mamma has put all your clothes away too. She is going to give them to some poor woman who has a little girl about as big as you, because you’ll never need them any more. I suppose you have wings now. Do you ever fly down to earth, and can you see me? I can’t see you; I wish I could.”

“Eloise, I want the ladder!” shouted Carl.

Eloise laid her face against the picture and said, “Good night, little sister, I wish you could kiss me. You won’t forget to love me, will you?”

The picture seemed to smile sweeter than ever. Eloise climbed down the ladder, feeling that heaven could not be far away as dear little Floy seemed so near.

DOBBIN’S CHRISTMAS DINNER.

Now after this dinner of oats and of hay, I’ll feel like a colt that is frisky and gay. A horse they call handsome am I, and not old, But many a time I’ve been bought and then sold.

My heels would go up, and my head would go down; The young men would laugh and the old men would frown; When bars I jumped over, the women would run; The boys called it tricky, but I called it fun.

The mistress I now have is gentle and fair; She always will give me the very best care; I ought not to be frisky, her peace to destroy, But a horse is as risky, alas, as a boy.

The dogs and the ducklings, the pretty white doves, Are cared for by Horace, whom each of us loves. Our mistress and master, and other friends dear, We wish a bright Christmas and jolly New Year.

“UNEARTHED.”

The master’s three dogs were privileged to come into the house. One day when they entered they knew at once there was something new in the house, though nobody said so, and nothing was seen. Dogs are very wise about some things.

These dogs were sure they were right, and they meant to prove it by finding this new thing. They smelled of the chairs and the floor, and trotted about through the house. In less time than could you or I, they found the door that led to the room that contained the box that held the new thing they were in search of. They pushed open the door; they walked in; they looked at the box; they wagged their tails. By their manner, one knew they were thinking, “I told you so! Our noses are better than some people’s brains.”

The box was large; the cover was off. Nothing could be seen except a lot of paper, but they knew there was something there besides paper. They smelled of the paper, they smelled of the box. The odor excited their nerves. They could stand it no longer. They tore off the paper and threw it about.

One grew so excited he jumped in the box. His legs went round something, he couldn’t tell what. It seemed like a creature that he must drag out. He pulled with all his might, when up from the box there rose, like a ghost, the head of a fox. His eyes were wide open and so was his mouth, his ears stood straight and his tongue hung out. Such barking and jumping! Trip couldn’t let go, for then the fox at once dropped below.

And this was their plight when the master walked in. All were surprised. The master looked queer. Scold them he wouldn’t; in fact he felt proud. His dogs, without bidding, had “unearthed” the fox.

THE LITTLE TEACHER.

“Now, Pussy-diddle, you have eaten your dinner and it’s time you were taught how to spell. And Doggie-dibble, you have taken your recess, it is time you were taught how to read. Come, Pussy-diddle, spell ‘purr.’”

“Pur-r-r-r.”

“That isn’t the way to spell ‘purr;’ you have put in too many r’s. Try again.” “Pur-r-r, meow!”

“I didn’t ask you to spell ‘meow.’ Put down your paw and sit up straight. Now try once more to spell ‘purr.’”

“Pur-r!”

“That is right. Come here, Doggie-dibble, and sit by my side and look at this paper with me. Here’s a page of very fine ladies, and a page of beautiful birds. Oh, here is the lesson for you. Turn your head this way, Doggie-dibble, you surely can tell about this. You mustn’t read to yourself, Doggie-dibble, ’cause then I can’t tell when you are wrong. Now, sir read aloud.”

“Bow-wow!”

“He is a bow-wow, that is right. Go on.”

“Wow-wow!”

“Good dog! Now, Pussy-diddle, you have learned your lessons for to-day, and so have you, Doggie-dibble, and now you may both go to play.”

THE HUNGRY DOGS.

“We can’t stand it much longer.”

“That is so. We are pretty thin now.”

“I should say so. Look at my sides. You can see my ribs so plainly anybody would suppose I had buried all my old bones there, instead of in the ground.”

“I don’t suppose master means to starve us.”

“Probably not. But that thought does not fill the hole in my stomach. We’ve not had a square meal for three days.”

As Zip and Jerry were talking, the master came in to prepare his meal. He lived alone with his two dogs. He was a good master, but was inclined to be stingy, and was growing worse. Zip and Jerry lay close together to sympathize.

They watched the master put the bread and meat on the table. They saw him begin to eat. They could hardly stand it, they had such queer feelings about their ribs.

The master left the room a minute. Zip and Jerry looked into each other’s eyes, as much as to say, “We’ll have to do it.” They arose, walked to the table, and tried to help themselves. They did not get many mouthfuls, for the tablecloth slipped, and everything else came down with a crash and a crack. The master hurried back, and in great rage stamped his feet and clinched his fists.

Zip was so frightened he turned to run, but Jerry, with his tail between his legs, stood his ground. He raised his head and barked.

“What are you about you rascals?”

“Bow-wow!”

“Don’t you know any better than to do such a thing?”

“Bow-wow, bow-wow!”

“Crack my plates and make such a mess!”

“Bow-wow-wow, bow-wow-wow.”

“What do you mean by barking?”

Jerry whined and tried to wag his fallen tail. He tried to explain as well as he could in dog language. He wished to say, “You wouldn’t give us enough to eat, and we were so hungry we had to help ourselves.”

The master sat down to think. His dogs had never done such a thing before. Perhaps they were hungry. He remembered that he hadn’t over-fed them for some time, and that very day they had asked for food and he had forgotten to give it. Although he was still pretty angry about his broken dishes, he felt a little ashamed of himself. After that day, he gave his dogs better food, and enough of it.

THE LITTLE PEDDLER.

This fine-looking boy is going home from his work. His mother is poor. He helps her by selling on the streets the buns that she makes. He calls to the passers-by that he has buns to sell, “Fresh buns! Fresh buns!”

He makes the most money at the railway stations. He goes to the trains and asks the passengers to buy. “Fresh buns! Fresh buns!” They like to buy of him, because he has such a pleasant face and manners, and is always so clean. He sells many more buns than he would if his hands or clothes, or baskets were soiled. He sells many more than he would if he looked cross and was crabbed.

You can see that his baskets are empty. He has sold every bun that he had; now he is taking home to his mother all the money he received for the buns. He is a great comfort to his mother. Every little boy can be that, but I am afraid there are some little boys who are not.

URSULA AND HER DOVES.

The doves are not afraid of Ursula. They know she loves them, for she feeds them every day, and is always kind.

Do you see that one at her feet? He is looking up into her face. He wishes to stand on her hand and eat from it; but one dove already covers her hand, and there is not room for another.

The dove that has just taken a drink from the water-lily bowl is looking at her too. He will hop on to her shoulder pretty soon. He knows she often has a little piece of bread in her mouth, and if he gives her a kiss—the kind doves give—he will find a bit of bread in his bill.

Sometimes a dove will fly to the top of Ursula’s head and peck at her hair. That is their way of giving love-pats. They stay near her as long as they can. When she leaves them, they fly to their dove-cots.

When they hear her voice in the garden, they fly to her, even if she does not call. And whenever she calls they always come. If Ursula were not kind and good to them, the doves would not love her.

EVA’S PEACH TREE.

One day Eva was eating a nice ripe peach. She thought she would plant the stone in a flower-pot and see what would come of it. Fred filled the pot with nice soft earth, and Eva kept it in a warm place all winter. Once in a while she would dig up the stone to see how it looked, and one day she found the stone split in two and a root starting from it. Oh, how pleased she was! and how eagerly she watched for the first green shoot to push its way through the soil!

In a month or two the peach-tree had grown quite tall, and when warm weather came Fred told Eva he would set it out of doors, for there was not room for it in the flower-pot. It would never be a tree if it had not space to spread its roots.

Fred made a lovely place for it in the garden. He marked out a circle, and edged it with pretty conch shells. Then he took his trowel, and dug a deep hole in the centre of this plot in which he put Eva’s peach tree. Then he packed the earth around its roots, and raked the ground smoothly, and sprinkled it with water from his watering-pot.

Inside the conch-shells Fred will set out a row of plants, and do his best to make them and the peach-tree thrive.

Eva has promised that Fred shall have the first ripe peach that she finds on her tree, for he is good and kind to her, and she loves him very dearly. But she will have to wait some time yet, for the tree is too young to bear fruit.

JAMIE’S COMFORTERS.

“Ma-a-a-ow! Ma-a-ow!”

“What’s that?” asked Donna.

“Why it sounds very much like my little brother crying,” answered June.

“I wonder what’s the matter with him.”

“Ma-a-a-ow! Ma-a-a-ow!”

Both the girls ran fast, thinking he must be very much hurt from the noise he made. They soon found him, and did not have to ask what the matter was. His knees and one hand were covered with dirt.

“I fa-a-a-alled dow-ow-own!” cried Jamie.

“Don’t cry, Jamie dear,” said June as she put her arms around him.

“It’s too bad, but never mind,” said Donna as she kissed him.

“Ma-a-a-ow! ma-a-a-ow!”

The girls brushed off the dirt and wiped away the tears, but still he cried “Ma-a-a-ow.”

“I wouldn’t cry any more,” urged the girls, for they found that he wasn’t hurt. But he did cry more, and I’ll tell you why if you won’t tell. I think he was afraid that if he stopped crying, they would stop kissing and petting.

NETTIE’S PLANS.

Dear Mamma is going to have company; A lady is coming to-day; And now she is out in the garden, Picking a great big bouquet.

The lady has two little children, A nice little girl and a boy; She wrote us the boy’s name was William, Her daughter, she said, was called Joy.

And I, too, am picking some flowers, So both of the children can see How nicely I’ve trimmed up my play-house; Their visit, of course, is to me.

The girl she can play with my dollies; There’s one that could once shut her eyes, But now the poor thing hasn’t any, So she can’t shut them up though she tries.

Then William can play with the dolly That has only one leg and no head, For surely he can’t hurt _her_ any— Boys break things so, somebody said.

They’ll play with my dishes and sea-shells, My wagon and rocking-horse too, Perhaps smash them or lose them; Mamma says Polite I must be if they do.

I guess I’ve enough of the flowers; Now into the house I will run, To see that my things are all ready— Oh, I’m sure we shall have lots of fun!

A FUNNY LITTLE FROG.

Once a little Frog Sat a-croaking on a log, Oh, a very funny frog was he! For he longed to be a tar And go journeying afar, Seeing wonders on the deep blue sea.

One night—oh, it was dark!— A bit of birchen bark Went a-drifting slowly down the stream; And in this light canoe Lay the little froggie, who Imagined he was floating through a dream.

But my! when he awoke, His astonishment he spoke In language that all froggies understand; His mouth he opened wide And he cried, and cried, and cried, Although he wasn’t out of sight of land.

The journey soon was o’er, And the froggie jumped ashore, As happy and as frisky as could be; And on a mossy log, Sits that now contented frog, And never, never, wants to go to sea!

THE PLAYTHINGS.

An old German woman came to stay at the mill, and she used to tell Patty and Susan about the children in Germany.

She said, “I knew a little girl called Lina, and a boy named Carl; and on Christmas Eve their mother had a fine Christmas-tree, with gold and silver balls, and sugar cherries, and all kinds of pretty things hanging on its branches. It was lighted up with a hundred tiny wax tapers, so that there was quite a blaze in the room; and on the table beside it were many presents for all the people in the house, and a great number of playthings for Carl and Lina.

“They were just the toys they wished for most. Carl had a donkey on wheels, and a whip, and Lina a doll, with a box of clothes, and also a set of tea things.

“They were very happy children, and never quarreled, but lent each other their toys. It was very pleasant to see them playing together, for they were so kind and obliging.

“Their mother had taught them a little verse, which she told them to say over every day; it was—

‘Be to others kind and true, As you’d have others be to you.’”

The old German woman had a picture of Carl and Lina, which she showed to Patty and Susan. In it was Lina with her doll, and Carl putting a basket on his donkey.

GRANDMAMMA’S SERMON.

“O-o-h, o-o-h, my hand! my hand!”

“What is the matter, Bessie?”

“Grandmamma, Kitty has scratched me so dreadfully. Cross old thing, I hate her.”

“Fy, fy, Bessie. Only this morning I heard you say that you loved her better than anything in the world.”

“Yes, but she was good then. Just listen, grandmamma. I wanted Amanda Malvina to take a ride, so I just tied Kitty in front of her carriage for a horse, and what should she do, but kick Amanda out, and when I gave her a little tap, she clawed me.”