A Child's Story Garden

NOTE
These selected stories have been used by teachers of the kindergarten and primary grades in the Indianapolis Schools. This little book has been compiled for mothers and teachers with the purpose of meeting a demand for children's literature that will not only add to the child's literary culture, but will also suggest high ideals through the story form. For material used we gratefully acknowledge our indebtedness to: Rev. Neil McPherson, Sarah L. Kirlin, Leonore D. Eldridge, Martha A. Gill, Bessie Brown Adkinson, Edith D. Wachstetter, Grace Erskine DeVere, Fords Hulburt Publishing Co., for the selections, The Anxious Leaf and Coming and Going from Henry Ward Beecher's, Norwood.
ELIZABETH HEBER
Primary Teacher School No. 4 Indianapolis,—Indiana
CONTENTS

Siegfried was the son of the good King Siegmund. He lived in the great palace with his father and the gentle queen, his mother.
Siegfried had everything his heart could desire. He was loved by every one about the palace. He had many servants to wait upon him, and beautiful clothes to wear at all times. More than this, the stables of the great palace were full of horses, and Siegfried could ride or drive whenever he wished to do so.
Now, the king was as wise as he was good, and he knew that if Siegfried would grow to be a good king he must learn to work with his hands. The king and queen talked of it, and, although they disliked to part with their son, they decided to send Siegfried to Mimer, the wonderful blacksmith.
Mimer was a queer little man. His back was bent and his hair was long and white. He had a long white beard and two very sharp, black eyes. Mimer's shop was out in the great, dark forest, and many boys came to learn of this wonderful master, for Mimer, you must know, was the best blacksmith in all the king's country.
To this shop Siegfried was sent. At first he was very lonely and unhappy. There were no servants now to wait upon him. His soft, beautiful clothing had been exchanged for a suit of the coarsest material and a huge leather apron. There was no soft bed waiting for him at night, only a pile of straw in the corner. But Siegfried was a brave boy, and lost no time complaining. He worked patiently at his anvil, day after day, learning from his master to make strong chains of iron, as well as dainty chains of gold and silver, for the queen to wear. One day Mimer came into the shop and sat down beside Siegfried's anvil. The boys could see that he was troubled, and they left their anvils and came to the master, begging him to tell them what troubled him.