Part 1

Chapter 12,223 wordsPublic domain

THE SUMMERS READERS

FIRST READER

BY MAUD SUMMERS

ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS AND MARION L. MAHONY

FRANK D. BEATTYS AND COMPANY NEW YORK

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks are due to the following publishers and authors for permission to reprint poems and to adapt stories on which they hold copyright:

CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS:

“The Swing” and “At the Seaside” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Educational Publishing Company:

“The Kind Old Oak” (Adapted) from “Little Flower Folks.”

Clayton F. Summy Company:

“The Song of the Mill-Stream” (Adapted) by Mildred and Patty Hill, from “Songs and Stories for the Kindergarten.”

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company:

“The Little Plant” by Emilie Poulsson from “Finger Plays.”

Kindergarten Magazine:

“The Little Red Apple” (Adapted).

CONTENTS

PAGE

THE LITTLE RED APPLE 5

THE WIND AND THE SUN 8

THE WIND 10

SOMETHING TO TELL 11

MOTHER TREE AND THE LEAVES 12

THE LITTLE PINE TREE 15

THE ANT AND THE DOVE 20

STOP, STOP, PRETTY WATER 23

THE BROOK 24

THE THREE BEARS 26

THE FOX AND THE CROW 34

CHICKEN LITTLE 35

THE SWING 43

THE KIND OLD OAK 44

IN THE WOODS 47

THE HONEST WOODMAN 48

AN OLD RHYME 53

AT THE SEASIDE 54

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 55

THE SONG OF THE MILL-STREAM 63

THE SAWMILL 64

THE LION AND THE MOUSE 66

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS 69

THE BOY AND THE NUTS 77

THE NEW MOON 78

THE CARPENTER 80

SOMETHING TO TELL 82

THE GINGERBREAD BOY 83

THE CITY MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE 89

THE CITY MOUSE AND THE GARDEN MOUSE 93

THE MINER 94

THE ENGINE 96

MAKING MAPLE SUGAR 97

THE WOODPECKER 102

LITTLE GOODY TWOSHOES 103

THE BRAMBLE BUSH AND THE LAMBS 109

MARY’S LITTLE LAMB 112

SOMETHING TO TELL 114

THE PET LAMB 115

THE HOUSE IN THE WOOD 118

THE LITTLE PLANT 128

WORK AND PLAY 130

THE THREE BROTHERS 137

THE LARK AND HER LITTLE ONES 147

MORNING SONG 150

ALPHABET 152

WORD LIST 153

“When the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worthy, lovely, and harmonious.”

JOHN DEWEY.

The north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will the robin do then? Poor thing!

He’ll sit in a barn, And keep himself warm, And hide his head under his wing, Poor thing!

THE WIND AND THE SUN.

One day West Wind blew the tops of the trees. He blew the corn in the fields. He blew the apples off the trees. Just then the bright sun came out. “I am stronger than you,” said West Wind. “No! I am stronger than you,” said the sun. Then West Wind said, “Do you see that man? He has on a warm coat. I can make the man take it off.” “Can you?” said the sun. West Wind blew, and blew, and blew. But the man did not take off his coat. “This is a cold wind,” he said.

“Now it is my turn,” said the sun. “I can make the man take off his coat.” “Do it,” said West Wind. The sun came out very hot. Soon the man took off his coat. “The sun is very hot,” he said.

Then the poor tree had no leaves. “Oh! What shall I do?” said the tree. “I do not like gold leaves. I wish I had leaves of glass.” Again it was night. The little pine tree went to sleep.

III

In the morning the tree had leaves of glass. “Now I am happy,” said the pine tree. Just then the wind blew the tree. It blew all the leaves off the tree. They fell down and were broken. “Oh! My pretty glass leaves,” said the poor tree. “See! They are all broken. I do not like leaves of glass. I wish I had green leaves.” Again night came. The little pine tree went to sleep.

In the morning the tree had pretty green leaves. “I am happy now,” said the pine tree. “I have green leaves like the other trees.” By and by a little goat came into the woods. Soon the goat ate all the leaves off the tree. Poor little pine tree! Again it had no leaves. “I wish I had my long green needles,” said the tree. “How happy I should be with needles!” Night came. Again the pine tree went to sleep.

In the morning it had long green needles. The pine tree was very happy. Two little birds flew into the tree. They made a nest in the long green needles. “I will never wish for leaves again,” said the pine tree. “A man took my gold leaves. The wind broke my glass leaves. A goat ate my green leaves. Needles are best for a little pine tree.”

STOP, STOP, PRETTY WATER!

“Stop, stop, pretty water!” Said Mary one day, To a bright, happy brook That was running away.

“You run on so fast! I wish you would stay; My boat and my flowers You will carry away.

But I will run after: Mother says that I may; For I would know where You are running away.”

So Mary ran on; But I have heard say, That she never could find Where the brook ran away. ELIZA LEE FOLLEN.

THE BROOK.

One day some raindrops fell out of the sky. They went running down a hillside. By and by they came to a bright, happy brook. “Stop, stop, pretty water!” said the raindrops. “Where are you going?” “I am going to the sea,” said the brook. “I can not stop. I have work to do. I water the grass and the flowers. The cows come here to drink. I make a home for the fishes. The birds like my pure cold water. The boys and the girls come here to play.

There are other little brooks. They all go my way, so we run on together.” “We will go with you, too,” said the raindrops. So away they went with the bright, happy brook.

III

Golden Locks saw three chairs. There was a big chair. That was for Father Bear. There was a middle-sized chair. That was for Mother Bear. There was a little chair. That was for Baby Bear. She sat in the big chair. It was too hard. She sat in the middle-sized chair. It was too soft. She sat in the little chair. But the little chair broke, and Golden Locks fell down.

Then Golden Locks saw three beds. There was a big bed. That was for Father Bear. There was a middle-sized bed. That was for Mother Bear. There was a little bed. That was for Baby Bear. She lay down on the big bed. It was too hard.

She lay down on the middle-sized bed. It was too soft. She lay down on the little bed. It was just right. So she fell fast asleep.

Soon the three bears came home. Father Bear said, in a big voice, “=SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK.=” Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK.” Baby Bear said, in a little voice, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN TASTING MY MILK, AND IT IS ALL GONE.”

Then Father Bear said, in a big voice, “=SOME ONE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR.=” Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR.” Baby Bear said, in a little voice, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR, AND HAS BROKEN IT.”

VII

Then Father Bear said, in a big voice, “=SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED.=” Mother Bear said, in a voice not so big, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED.” Baby Bear said, in a little voice, “SOME ONE HAS BEEN LYING ON MY BED, HERE SHE IS, FAST ASLEEP.”

VIII

Just then Golden Locks sat up in bed. She saw the three bears looking at her. She jumped off the bed. Then she ran out of the house. She ran home as fast as she could.

“I will go with you,” said Henny Penny. So Chicken Little and Henny Penny ran, and ran, and ran. At last they met Cocky Locky.

III

“Where are you going?” said Cocky Locky. “Oh, oh! The sky is falling,” they said. “We are going to tell the king.” “I will go with you,” said Cocky Locky. So Chicken Little and Henny Penny and Cocky Locky ran and ran. When they came to some water, they saw Ducky Lucky.

“Where are you going?” said Ducky Lucky. “The sky is falling,” they said. “We are going to tell the king.” “I will go with you,” said Ducky Lucky. “We must run fast.” So Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky ran, and ran. At the top of the hill they met Turkey Lurkey.

“Where are you going?” said Turkey Lurkey. “The sky is falling,” they said. “We are going to tell the king.” “I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey.

So Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, and Turkey Lurkey, ran down the hill.

Foxy Loxy heard them and ran out of his den.

“Where are you going?” said Foxy Loxy. “Oh, oh! The sky is falling,” they said. “We are going to tell the king.” “Come with me,” said Foxy Loxy. “I will take you to the king.” So Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, and Turkey Lurkey, went with Foxy Loxy. He took them into his den, and they never saw the king.

THE SWING.

How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue? Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide, Rivers and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown-- Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down! ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

IN THE WOODS.

Here are some woodmen. They are in the deep woods. Two woodmen are cutting down a tree. How fast they work! See the ax go up and down. Soon the tree will fall. See! Down it comes! Other woodmen cut off the boughs. Then they cut the tree into logs. By and by they will take the logs to the water. They will put the logs on the ice. In the spring the warm sunshine will melt the ice. Then the water will carry the logs down to the sawmill.

“Oh, thank you!” said the happy woodman. “That is my ax. Now I can work.” “Yes,” said the fairy, “this is your ax, but it is a steel ax. Did you not like the gold ax and the silver ax?” “This is my ax,” said the woodman. “The gold ax was not mine, and the silver ax was not mine.” “You are an honest woodman,” said the fairy. “You would take only what is yours. So I will give you the gold ax and the silver ax.” The woodman carried home the gold ax, the silver ax and the steel ax. He was very, very happy.

AN OLD RHYME.

If all the seas were one sea, What a great sea that would be! If all the trees were one tree, What a great tree that would be! If all the axes were one ax, What a great ax that would be! If all the men were one man, What a great man that would be! And if the great man took the great ax, And cut down the great tree, And let it fall into the great sea, What a great splash that would be!

Little Red Riding Hood sang as she went along. When she came to the wood she met a wolf. Some woodmen were at work near by. The wolf was afraid of the woodmen. So he said to Red Riding Hood, “Good morning, little girl. Where are you going?” “I am going to see my grandmother,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “I have butter and a cake for her.” “Where does your grandmother live?” said the wolf. “She lives on the other side of the wood,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “The house is near three big trees.” “I will go to see your grandmother, too,” said the wolf. He went beside Red Riding Hood for a little way. Then the wolf said, “Little Red Riding Hood, see the pretty flowers all around us. Why do you not pick some of them?” “Grandmother loves flowers,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “I will pick some to put in the basket with the cake and butter.” So Little Red Riding Hood went out of the path to look for flowers. But the wolf ran through the wood as fast as he could go. He saw the grandmother’s house near three big oak trees.

III