The Summers readers: first reader
Part 2
The wolf ran to the house. He knocked at the grandmother’s door, “Tap, tap, tap!” No one came to the door. He went into the house and looked all around. The grandmother was not at home. “Oh,” said the wolf, “I know what I will do!” He put the grandmother’s cap on his head. Then he lay down and covered himself with the bed-clothes. By and by Little Red Riding Hood came to her grandmother’s house. She knocked at the door, “Tap, tap, tap!” “Who is there?” said the wolf in a soft voice. “It is I, Little Red Riding Hood.” “Come in,” said the wolf. “Good morning, Grandmother,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “I have butter and a cake for you. Mother put them in my basket.”
“Put down your basket and come here, my dear,” said the wolf. Little Red Riding Hood went to the bed.
IV
“Oh, Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” “The better to see you, my dear. “What long ears you have, Grandmother!” “The better to hear you, my dear.” “What long arms you have, Grandmother!” “The better to hug you, my dear.” “Oh, Grandmother, what big teeth you have!” “The better to eat you, my dear.” But just then the woodmen came in. The grandmother was with them. The woodmen killed the wolf. Then they took Little Red Riding Hood home. When Little Red Riding Hood saw her mother she said, “Oh, Mother! I will never go out of the path again.”
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS.
A mother pig had three little pigs. Browny was a dirty pig. He liked to roll in the mud. Whitey was a greedy pig. She would eat and eat and then cry for more. Blacky was a good pig. He was bright and happy all day long.
II
One day the mother pig called the three pigs to her and said, “Browny! What kind of a house would you like?” “I should like to have a mud house, Mother dear,” said Browny.
“And you, Whitey! What kind of a house shall I make for you?” said the mother. “Oh, I should like a great big cabbage house, Mother!” said Whitey. “Blacky dear! What kind of a house would you like?” said the mother pig. “A brick house, please, Mother,” said Blacky. So the good mother pig made three houses. Then the three little pigs went to live in them. As they were going away the mother pig said, “If Mr. Fox comes to see you, do not let him in. He is not a friend.”
III
Browny was very happy in his mud house. One day there came a “Tap, tap!” at the door. A soft voice said, “Little pig! Little pig! Let me come in.” “Who are you?” said Browny. “I am a friend of your mother’s,” said the soft voice. “I want to see your pretty house.” “Oh, no!” said Browny. “You are not a friend. You are Mr. Fox. You can not come in.” Then Mr. Fox made a hole in the mud house. He put Browny into a bag and carried him away to his den.
IV
The next day the old fox went to Whitey’s house. Greedy little Whitey was eating the cabbage that her house was made of. “Tap, tap!” came a knock at the door. Then a soft voice said, “Little pig! Little pig! Let me come in.” “Who are you?” said Whitey. “A friend of your mother’s,” said Mr. Fox. “I have something good for you to eat.” “No, no! You can not come in. You are not a friend,” said Whitey. Then Mr. Fox ate a big hole in the cabbage house.
He put Whitey into a bag and carried her to his den.
V
The next day the fox went to Blacky’s house. “Tap, tap!” came a knock at the door. “Little pig! Little pig! Let me come in,” said a soft voice. “Who are you?” said Blacky. “I am a friend of your mother’s,” said Mr. Fox. “Oh, no! You are not,” said Blacky. “You can not come in. You carried away Whitey and Browny. You are not going to get me.” Then Mr. Fox tried to knock down the house. But he could not get into Blacky’s strong brick house.
VI
The next day Blacky went to town to get a big kettle. As he came back he saw Mr. Fox in the woods. “Oh, what shall I do!” said Blacky. He had just come to the top of a hill. At the foot of the hill he could see his strong brick house. Blacky got into the kettle. It rolled over and over down the hill. At the door of the brick house Blacky jumped out.
VII
Blacky ran into the house as fast as he could go. He put the kettle full of water over the fire. Mr. Fox was afraid when he saw the big black kettle rolling down the hill. When he saw Blacky jump out of the kettle he said, “O ho! I will have you now.” He ran down to Blacky’s house. He tried the door but he could not get in. Then he went down the chimney. He fell into the kettle of hot water. Then Blacky went to get Whitey and Browny. Mr. Fox had carried them to his den in the woods. After that they all lived together in Blacky’s strong brick house.
THE BOY AND THE NUTS.
Once there was a greedy little boy. He saw some nuts in a pitcher. He put his hand into the pitcher. “I will take a big handful,” he said. But he could not take out the handful of nuts. He did not wish to drop the nuts. At last he began to cry. Just then his mother came into the room. “Why are you crying?” she said. “I can not take this handful of nuts out of the pitcher.” “Take one nut,” said his mother. “Then you can get your hand out.”
THE GINGERBREAD BOY.
A little old man and a little old woman lived together in a little old house. The little old house was near a deep wood. One morning the little old woman was baking gingerbread cakes. She cut out some round gingerbread cakes. Then she said to the little old man, “See! I have cut out a cake to look just like a little boy.” Then she put The Gingerbread Boy in the oven to bake. Not long after the little old woman went to the oven to look at her cake. Out jumped The Gingerbread Boy. Away he ran as fast as he could go. The little old woman and the little old man ran after him, but they could not catch him.
II
The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on. At last he came to a barn full of threshers. As he went by the door he said, “I have run away from A little old woman, A little old man, And I can run away from you, I can, I can.” Then the threshers ran after him, but they could not catch him. The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on. Soon he came to a field full of mowers. As he passed the field he called out, “I have run away from A little old woman, A little old man, A barn full of threshers, And I can run away from you, I can, I can.” Then the mowers ran after him, but they could not catch him.
III
The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on, till he came to a cow. He called out to the cow, “I have run away from A little old woman, A little old man, A barn full of threshers, A field full of mowers, And I can run away from you, I can, I can.” Then the cow ran after him, but she could not catch him. The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on Soon he met a fox and called out, “I have run away from A little old woman, A little old man,
A barn full of threshers, A field full of mowers, A cow, And I can run away from you, I can, I can.” Then the fox ran after him.
IV
Now a fox can run very fast. On and on ran the fox until he caught The Gingerbread Boy. Then the fox began to eat him. “Dear me!” said The Gingerbread Boy “Here I am a quarter gone. Now I am half gone. I am three-quarters gone. Oh, dear! I am all gone.” And he never spoke again.
Just then a man came into the room. The mice jumped down and ran into a hole. “Do not be afraid,” said the city mouse. “The man can not find us.” By and by the man went away.
Then the mice ran out of the hole and again began to eat.
III
Soon a cat came into the room. “The cat! The cat!” said the city mouse. Away ran the mice as fast as they could go. Poor little country mouse! She said to the city mouse, “Good-by, my friend, I am going home. In the country I am not afraid. You have a beautiful house and good things to eat. But I like my corn better than your cake.”
THE CITY MOUSE AND THE GARDEN MOUSE.
The city mouse lives in a house; The garden mouse lives in a bower; He’s friendly with the frogs and toads, And sees the pretty plants in flower. The city mouse eats bread and cheese; The garden mouse eats what he can; We will not grudge him seeds and stalks, Poor little timid, furry man. CHRISTIANA G. ROSSETTI.
“We will carry them down to the maple trees.” Father made a hole in one of the trees. He put a spout in the hole. Then he hung a pail under the spout. Soon the sap began to run out. Drop by drop it ran into the pail. “It looks like water,” said John. “It tastes like water with a little sugar in it,” said Mary.
II
Father said, “I will tell you the story of the sap. All winter the maple trees were asleep. When spring came the warm rain ran down to the roots of the trees. ‘Awake!’ said the rain, ‘It is time to grow.’ The bright sun looked down and said to the trees, ‘Awake! It is time for the sap to run.’ Sap helps the little buds to grow. In the spring the maple tree has more sap than it needs. So we make a hole in the tree and the sap runs out. Maple sugar is made from the sweet sap of the maple tree.”
III
Near the maple trees there was a log house. The next morning father made a hot fire in the log house. “Now we will go to the trees and get the sap,” said father. He hung a big kettle over the fire. They put the sap into this big kettle. After a long time the sap was brown and thick. “Here is some good maple syrup,” said father. He put the syrup into pans. There were big pans and little pans and middle-sized pans. “Here is a little pan for you, Mary. This one is for you, John,” said father. “When the syrup is cold and hard it will be maple sugar.”
THE WOODPECKER.
One day John was lying on the grass under a big maple tree. All at once he heard some one tap on the tree. “Tap, tip-y, tap, tap, tap! Tap, tip-y, tap, tap, tap! John looked all around. Then he looked up in the tree. He saw a woodpecker making a hole in the tree. That is the way a woodpecker builds his nest. Some chips fell on the grass beside John. “Tap, tap!” went the busy little carpenter. How happy he was at his work!
Goody Twoshoes put down the letters like this:-- b d f h k m o q s u w y z a c e g i l n p r t v x j. Billy picked them up and gave their names. Then he put the letters like this:-- a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. Goody Twoshoes put down the large letters like this:-- B D F H K M O Q S U W Y Z A C E G I L N P R T V X J. Billy picked them up and gave their names. Then he put them like this:-- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.
IV
Then she went to Sally’s house. Sally ran to her and said, “Good morning, Goody Twoshoes.’ “Good morning, Sally,” said Goody Twoshoes. “Can you read for me?” “Yes, I can read for you,” she said. Sally took the letters out of the basket. Then she made words like this:-- Book, read, school, sing. She made other words from the letters. Then Goody Twoshoes went to other houses. All the children were glad to see their little teacher.
SOMETHING TO TELL.
Was Mary’s lamb white or black? Where did the lamb go with Mary? What did the children ask? What did the teacher reply? What did the children do? What did the teacher do? What did the lamb do? What would you do if a lamb came to school?
Do you live in the city or the country? Do you go to school? What is your teacher’s name? Have you a book? Can you read in it? What book do you like best? What story do you like best?
THE PET LAMB.
Lucy lives on a farm. One day she and Father went to look at the sheep. “Oh, Father!” she said. “What a pretty lamb! May I have him?” “Yes!” said Father. “You may.” Lucy named him Lambkin. Every day she came and fed him. Lambkin loved her for she was kind to him. He followed her all over the farm. She did not like his dirty coat. So Father washed Lambkin in the brook. Now “its fleece was white as snow.” All summer Lambkin was Lucy’s playmate. What fun they had!
II
The next spring Father said, “I must cut off Lambkin’s wool. He is too warm.” Lucy watched Father cut off the pretty white fleece.
“I wish I could have something made from Lambkin’s wool,” she said. “I will make you some mittens,” said Grandma. Mother made the wool into soft yarn. Then Grandma got her knitting needles and went to work at once. How the needles flew! So Lucy had her wish. She had some warm mittens made from Lambkin’s wool.
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