Part 48

Then Tommy Perkins, making a bow, Right in front of everybody, Took down his book and his slate as well, And began to explain to everybody Just what the little black bears should do To read and to cipher like everybody.

"Sit up quite straight, and mind your stops; Say, 'A, B, C,' for everybody." "A, B, C," said the three little bears, All in one voice, to everybody. "A, B, C! What fiddle-dee-dee!" Was whispered aloud by everybody.

"I want to count," said one little bear. "One! Two! Three! Four!" shouted everybody. "We're not at all deaf!" said the three little bears. "Oh! I beg your pardon!" said everybody.

"We'd like to learn manners," said the three little bears; "And we'd like to learn from everybody, But every one hasn't fine manners," they said. "Some have very bad manners," said everybody.

"What manners you have may be better than ours," Said the three little bears to everybody, "For we live in the wood--which no manners requires." "Then how did you learn?" said everybody.

"For when you came in you were quite as polite As Tommy Perkins," said everybody. "You bowed and you danced, while we all sat entranced, So sweet were the notes," said everybody.

"You wanted to learn to say, 'A, B, C,' Like good little bears," said everybody. "And when we exclaimed, 'Such fiddle-dee-dee!' No notice you took," said everybody. "And when we all shouted out, 'One! Two! Three! Four!' Instead of roaring," said everybody, "You gently reminded us all that in school We must not be noisy," said everybody.

"If you won't teach us manners, We're going back home," Said the three little bears to everybody. "For after the night falls it won't do to roam; So we'll say our farewells to everybody."

Then they stood up and bowed, and held out their paws, And shook hands all round with everybody.

"We'll dance all the way, for we know how to play," Said the three little bears to everybody. "And with our best compliments we wish you good day."

"Good day and good luck!" said everybody.

THE SNOWMAN

BY W. W. ELLSWORTH

One day we built a snowman. We made him out of snow; You'd ought to see how fine he was-- All white from top to toe!

We poured some water on him, And froze him, legs and ears; And when we went indoors to bed I said he'd last two years.

But in the night a warmer kind Of wind began to blow, And winter cried and ran away, And with it ran the snow.

And in the morning when we went To bid our friend good day, There wasn't any snowman there-- Everything'd runned away!

#ANIMAL STORIES#

TINY HARE AND THE WIND BALL

A STORY FOR VERY LITTLE FOLK TO READ. NO WORD IN IT HAS MORE THAN FOUR LETTERS

BY A. L. SYKES

"I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare to his Mama one day, as he ran to the door of his home.

"What do you want to do, my dear?" she said.

"I do not know, but I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare.

"You may run out a wee bit of a way, and run and jump and play in the sun," said his Mama.

"I do not want to run and jump and play. I want to do just as I like," said Tiny Hare.

"You may eat the good food that you can find near our home," said his Mama, "but if you go far MAN may get you, or DOG may eat you, or HAWK may fly away with you."

"I do not want to eat the good food that I can see here. I want to do just as I like."