第1章 BOYS AND GIRLS

01

How Dandy Got Home

It was time to go home from the picnic,and the cars were waiting for the boys.Joe could not find Dandy anywhere.He called and called,but the little dog did not come.

All the other boys helped Joe look for Dandy.But no one could find the little black and white dog,and at last Joe had to go home without him.

"Maybe Dandy is not lost,"said one of the boys."Maybe he went home."

But Joe did not find Dandy at home.

"He may find his way home tomorrow morning,"said Joe's father.

Joe shook his head and said,"It is too far for a little dog like Dandy to find his way home.Oh,dear!I wish I had never let him go with us."

His mother and father were very sorry for Joe.

"Come and eat your supper now,"said his mother."We will all look for Dandy in the morning."

But Joe could not eat his supper.He was thinking and thinking about his lost dog.

"Poor Dandy!"he said."I did not take very good care of him.Maybe I'll never see him again."

Just then he heard the telephone and ran to answer it.A man was talking.

"Hello,"said the man."Do you people own a little black and white dog?A boy told me you had lost one."

"Oh,yes,"said Joe."His name is Dandy.I lost him today at the picnic."

"He is here at my house by the park,"said the man."I must go away now,and I don't know what to do with him."

"Wait a minute,please,"said Joe.

He called to his father,and they talked for a minute.

"I'll try it,"Joe told his father.Then he took up the telephone again.

"Hello,sir,"said Joe."Will you please take Dandy to the road near the school?I think he can find his way home from there.But I want to talk to him first.Can you put him up to the telephone?"

"Just a minute,"said the man.Then he called,"Here he is!"

"Hello,Dandy!"said Joe.

"Bow-wow,bow-wow!"answered Dandy.

"Come,Dandy,"said Joe."Come home!"

The man said,"Dandy heard you.He is trying to get out of the house.I'll take him right down to the road and start him home.Good-by."

Joe went to the window to watch for Dandy."I wonder if he will find the way,"he thought.

He waited and waited and watched the street from the window.

At last he saw something.A little dog was running down the street.

Yes,it was Dandy!

Joe ran to open the door.In a minute the tired little dog was in his arms.

"If you should get lost again,Dandy,"said Joe,"be sure to go to a place where I can telephone to you."

02

Molly's First Party

Molly had four nice pets to play with.Their names were Jumbo,Big Boy,Penny,and Quack.

Jumbo was a fat little pig who liked to dig holes with his nose.

Big Boy was a big white rooster who was very proud.

Penny was a little dog who could do tricks.And you can guess that Quack was a little yellow duck.

Molly had just come to town from the farm.She did not know any children in town,but she had a good time playing with her pets.

After school started,Molly made many new friends.All the children liked her and were very nice to her.

One day Betty Jane asked Molly to come to a party at her house on the next Saturday.

Molly had never gone to a party before.She was so happy that she ran all the way home to tell her mother about it.

Molly's mother was happy,too,when Molly told her about the party.

"I know that you will have a nice time,"she said."And you shall have a new dress for your first party."

Molly thought she could not wait for Saturday to come.

But Saturday afternoon came at last,and Molly was ready for the party.

When she went out into the yard,all the pets were there waiting for her.They wanted to go with her.

"Oh,dear!"said Molly."I wonder if the pets will try to follow me.If they do,they may get lost."

"Shut them up in the garage,"said her mother."Then they cannot follow you."

Molly put all her pets in the garage.

"Good-by,my dears,"she said."I am sorry to shut you in here.But I'll soon be back to play with you."

Molly went down the street with her head very high.She was proud because she was going to a party and because she had a new dress.

When she came near Betty Jane's house,Molly saw the children playing in the yard.She began to hurry,for she was afraid that she was late.

All at once Molly heard the children laugh.Then she saw that all of them had stopped playing and were looking at her.

Molly stopped.

"Oh,my!"she thought."Why are they looking at me?I wonder if my new dress looks queer.Oh,dear!I wish I had never come!"

Then Molly heard a little noise behind her.She turned around to see what it was,and she saw why all the boys and girls were laughing.

Penny,Jumbo,Big Boy,and Quack were all following Molly.

Penny,the dog,came first.Next came Jumbo,the pig.Big Boy,the rooster,walked behind Jumbo.Last of all came Quack,the little duck.

Molly could guess what had happened.Jumbo,like all pigs,was always digging holes.He had made a hole in the ground under the garage,and all the other pets had followed him out.

Penny had gone sniff,sniff along the ground after Molly.Then the others had followed Penny.

Poor Molly was angry at her pets.

"Go home!"she said to them."Go right back home,every one of you!"

But the pets would not go home.They stood very still and looked very sad.

Just then Betty Jane came running up."Don't make them go home,"she said."Let them come to the party,too.It will be fun to play with them."

"Please do,"said the other children.

So Jumbo,Big Boy,Penny,and Quack went to the party,too.

The children had a good time with the pets.Penny did all his funny tricks.And when the boys and girls had their ice cream and cake,all the pets had some,too.

When Molly got home,she said to her mother,"Oh,we had the best time!"

"We?"asked her mother in surprise.

"Yes,we!"said Molly."Big Boy,Quack,Jumbo,and Penny!All five of us went to the party."

03

Little

I am the sister of him,

And he is my brother.

He is too little for us

To talk to each other.

So every morning I show him

My doll and my book;

But every morning he still is

Too little to look.

04

How Tom Went to the Fair

Tom could hardly wait for the Fair.He had thought about it for weeks.On Friday a big airplane was coming to the Fair,and Tom was going to see it.

Everyone in the farmhouse got up early Friday morning.Mother and Father and the children did their work as fast as they could.

Before long all of them were ready for the ride to town.Away they went in the big car.

As they went along the road by the cornfield,Father stopped the car.

"Look,look!"he said."The cows are in the corn.I shall have to get them out and mend the fence."

Tom jumped out of the car.

"I'll do it,Father,"he said."You can take the others to the Fair.I'll mend the fence and walk to town."

Tom tried to hurry,but the cows did not want to hurry.At last he got them out of the cornfield and into the pasture.Then he mended the fence.

Poor Tom!How he wanted to see that airplane!

"I can never walk to town in time to see the airplane,now,"he thought."It took me too long to mend the fence."

Just then Tom heard a queer noise in the sky.Nearer and nearer it came.

Tom looked up.What was that high above the trees?It was much bigger than any bird he had ever seen.

"Oh,an airplane!An airplane!"Tom cried."It is coming down right in our pasture !"

Down,down came the big airplane.It ran across the pasture and stopped near the fence.A man got out.

"Hello!"he said."My airplane is out of gasoline.Does your father have any?""Oh,yes,"said Tom."We have a big can full of gasoline in our garage.I'll help you get some."

They got the gasoline,and Tom helped the man put it into the airplane.

They pulled the airplane back from the fence,so that it could get a good start.Then the man got in.

"You have helped me very much,"he said to Tom."Now I can get to the Fair.I am going to fly at the Fair Grounds today.Would you like to go with me?"

"Oh!"said Tom."I should like it more than anything."

"Get in,then,"said the man.

Tom climbed into the airplane,and they went rolling across the pasture.Before Tom knew it,they were off the ground.

Up,up they went.Tom looked down.The farmhouse,the barn,and the fields looked very small.

The horses and cows looked like tiny toys.Soon Tom could not see them at all.The fields were just spots of yellow,green,and brown.

Then the airplane stopped climbing,and they began to go like the wind.It was not a very long ride.All at once Tom saw that they were above the Fair Grounds.

All the people at the Fair Grounds were looking for the airplane.Suddenly they saw it coming.

Tom's family watched the airplane as it came down.They thought about Tom and how he had wanted to see it.

Mary said,"It would be more fun if Tom were here,too.He wanted to see the airplane so much."

"Poor Tom!"said Father."He stayed at home so that we could have a good time at the Fair."

"Tom always thinks of others,"said his mother."I wish he would get here in time to see the airplane."

The airplane was now on the ground and came rolling slowly across the field.As it came nearer and nearer,someone cried,"Oh,look!There is a boy in the airplane."

The airplane stopped.A man got out and then helped a boy out.

What a surprise for Tom's family!They could hardly believe their own eyes.It was Tom!

They were very proud of him.And he was proud,too.He was the only boy who had ever come to the Fair in an airplane.

05

The Surprise Pie

The Magic Pots

Polly and Betty were at the window watching for Grandmother.Every year she came to see them on her birthday.

When Grandmother came,she had two packages.The girls ran to help her.

"Don't let them fall,"she said."They have magic in them,and the magic will not work if you let them fall."

"What is in the packages?"asked Polly and Betty.

"Wait and see,"said Grandmother.

After dinner Grandmother said,"Now we will open the packages."

Out of each package came a flower pot full of black dirt.Each pot had three letters tied to it with strings.

"Here is a magic pot for each of you,"said Grandmother."Each pot has three letters that tell you how to make the magic work.Open the first letter now,the next one in four weeks,and the last one on Valentine Day."

Polly and Betty read their first letters.Each letter said,"Give your magic pot some water,and put it in a dark place in the cellar."

Grandmother said,"Do just what the letters tell you,and some day your pots will give you a big surprise."

"Thank you,Grandmother,"said the girls.Then they gave their flower pots some water and ran to put them in the cellar.

Four weeks after Grandmother had gone,each girl read her next letter.

It said,"Give your pot another drink.If you see any magic,put it in a north window and give it a little drink every day."

Betty found something in her magic pot that made her very happy.A tiny plant was coming up.

"Look,look,Polly!"cried Betty."My magic has started."

But Polly could not see anything in her own flower pot."My magic is slower than yours,"she said.

Betty put her flower pot upstairs in a north window.Soon they could see little green leaves on the plant.

The two girls looked in a book about flowers and learned that Betty's plant was an Easter lily.

On Valentine Day the girls read their last letters.

Each letter said,"Put your pot in the sunshine and give it a drink every day."

So Betty put her lily in the sunshine.

When Easter came,Betty's plant had five pretty white flowers on it.

"How beautiful they are!"said Polly."I am glad that your magic worked."

Polly's Surprise

Poor Polly!It looked as if there would never be anything in her flower pot.

"Mine is a magic pot,too,"she said."I am sure that something will grow in it if I put it in the warm sunshine."

Mother whispered to Father,"The lily in Polly's flower pot did not come up.Something must have happened to it.Don't you think we should get another plant for her?"

Just then Polly ran out of the room,and Father said to Mother,"I'll tell you a secret.I found some garden seeds and planted them in her flower pot.Maybe something will come up."

"Oh,look,Mother!"cried Polly one day."There is something green in my magic pot.I'm going to have a lily,too."

Mother looked at the little plant and said,"It is not a lily,but your magic pot is going to give you a big surprise."

The little plant began to push out its green leaves very fast.Soon it was too big for the flower pot.

"Your plant must have more room to grow,"said Father.And he took it out of the pot and planted it in the garden.

"What kind of plant is it?"Polly asked.

"That is a secret,"answered Father."Just wait and see."

Polly's little plant grew bigger and bigger.Soon it had big yellow flowers.After the flowers had gone,Polly found a little green ball on the plant.

She watched the little green ball every day.First it was as big as her doll's head,then as big as her own head,and soon bigger than Father's head.At last the big ball began to turn yellow.

"Oh,now I know what it is,"Polly cried one day."It is a pumpkin."

"It is a fine big pumpkin,"said her father."And it will be ripe soon."

"Oh,Mother,"said Polly,"I know a good surprise for Grandmother's birthday this year.Let's make her a pumpkin pie.She still thinks my pumpkin was a lily."

When Grandmother came to visit them again,there was a fine birthday dinner.

When it was almost over,Polly ran to the kitchen and brought in a fine big pumpkin pie.

"Here,Grandmother,"she said."Here is my Easter lily.The magic pot turned it into a pumpkin pie."

After dinner Grandmother laughed and said,"That was the best Easter lily I ever ate!"

06

The Bear and the Children

Once a man had a pet bear that he took with him from town to town.

People gave the man money to see the bear do tricks.He could stand on his hind feet and walk like a man.He could catch a ball,too,and it was fun to see him dance.

The bear looked so fierce that most people were afraid to go near him.But he was not fierce at all.

One day the man stopped at a house to get his dinner.He tied the bear to the fence and went into the house to eat.

Upstairs in the house three little boys were playing soldier.The biggest boy had a drum,and the other children had toy guns.They were marching.

Suddenly the door of the room flew open,and in walked a big black bear.

How fierce the bear looked!The boys were so frightened that they ran around the room and tried to hide.

But the bear could smell the children.Sniff,sniff,sniff he went,under the bed and behind the door.In a minute he had found every one of them.But he did not hurt them.

"Don't be afraid,"the biggest boy said to his brothers."This is just a big dog.He will not hurt us."

So the boys came out and began to pet the bear.He lay down on the floor.The baby climbed on his back and tried to tickle him.

Soon the biggest boy got his drum and began to play it again.The bear stood up and danced on his hind feet.

"He wants to march with us,"cried the children."Let's play soldier again."

The children got their toy guns and gave the bear a gun,too.He tried to hold it just as the boys held theirs.

The biggest boy started to play on the drum.Tumpa-tum,tumpa-tum it went.Round the room they all marched.Left,right,left,right,left,right!

What a great noise they made!

Suddenly the door opened,and in came the children's mother.

"Look,look,Mother!"cried the boys."We have found a new playmate."And on they marched.

But the mother was frightened.She ran to a window and called out,"Help,help!There is a bear up here with my children!"

The man who owned the bear heard her call,and came running up the stairs.

"Don't be frightened,"he said."This is a pet bear.He won't hurt the boys."Then the man took the bear downstairs and started away with him.

The three boys were sorry to see their new playmate go away.

"We like to play with the big dog,"said the baby."Bring him here again."

07

My Shadow

I have a little shadow

That goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him

Is more than I can see.

He is very,very like me

From the heels up to the head,

And I see him jump before me,

When I jump into my bed.

08

The Magic Word

The children were all ready for a ride in the new pony cart.

"Get up,Billy,"called Jim.

But Billy,the little black and white pony,would not go.

Down jumped the four children from the cart.Jim and Tom ran in front and began to pull.Betty and Nancy ran to the back of the cart and began to push.

But Billy would not go.

Just then Grandfather came along.

He watched the children trying to make Billy go.Then he laughed.

"Get into the cart again,"he said."I think I can make Billy go."

Grandfather went to the pony.He put his mouth right up to Billy's ear and whispered something.

Billy jumped,and went galloping down the road.

"Thank you,Grandfather!"shouted the children.

When the children came home,Jim ran to find Grandfather.

"Grandfather,"he said,"what secret did you whisper in Billy's ear?"

Grandfather laughed."I whispered a magic word to Billy,"he said."The word was PLEASE."

"The next time Billy won't go,try this magic word.But be very sure to whisper it right in his ear,just as I did."

For a long time after that,Billy was a good little pony.

One day when the children were going along a new road,they came to a bridge.Billy had never seen a bridge like this,and he did not want to go across it.

"Get up,Billy,"they all shouted.

Billy began to run.Trip-trap,trip-trap went his feet on the bridge.

Suddenly he stopped.

Poor Billy!He was frightened by the noise of his feet on the bridge.

The children did not know that he was frightened.Out they jumped.They shouted at Billy.Though they pulled him and pushed him,he would not go.

Soon there were many cars waiting behind them.What a noise they made!

"Oh,dear,"said Betty,"look at all the cars behind us.What shall we do?"

"I'll try the magic word,"thought Jim.So he told the other children to get into the cart.

Then he put his mouth right up to Billy's ear and whispered,"PLEASE!"as loud as he could.

What do you think happened then?Billy started.Jim hopped into the cart,and they went galloping over the bridge.

That evening Jim told Grandfather how he had tried the magic word.

Grandfather said,"You see that PLEASE is a magic word.People will always try to help you when you say it.But I will tell you a secret about Billy."

"When you whisper in his ear,that tickles him,and he cannot stand still."

After that Jim always knew what to do when the little pony did not want to go.