An Elementary Spanish Reader

FIRST ASSISTANT IN MODERN LANGUAGES IN THE COMMERCIAL HIGH SCHOOL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
GINN AND COMPANY BOSTON—NEW YORK—CHICAGO—LONDON ATLANTA—DALLAS—COLUMBUS—SAN FRANCISCO COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY E. S. HARRISON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 917.6 The Athenæum Press GINN AND COMPANY—PROPRIETORS BOSTON—U.S.A.
The increasing study of Spanish in high schools and colleges has made necessary the preparation of a text of a simpler character than those now in common use.
In the present text, especially in the first selections, the language has been simplified so that reading may be begun at a very early stage in the pupil's work. It has not been considered necessary to supply notes, as the matter is simple and the vocabulary furnishes all necessary information. All verb forms occurring in the text, whether regular or irregular, are given in the vocabulary.
There is constant repetition of common words and expressions, so that comparatively long lessons may be assigned and the pupil may be enabled to acquire an extensive knowledge of useful every-day Spanish and become familiar with the structure of the Spanish sentence at an earlier period than has been possible heretofore.
Selection XII is taken from Tradiciones y leyendas españolas by Don Luciano García de Real (Barcelona, 1898). Selections IV, VI, IX, X, XIII, are taken from the Biblioteca de las tradiciones populares españolas (Madrid, 1886). The remaining selections are taken from various sources or adapted from English or German.
Many changes have been made in all the selections, except in the fables of Iriarte and the story by Fernán Caballero, in order to render the material suitable for beginners.
E. S. H.
EL RICO EXTREMEÑO Y EL EXTRANJERO
Un día un pollo entra en un bosque. Una bellota cae en su cabeza. El pobre pollo cree que el cielo ha caído sobre él. Corre para informar al rey.
En el camino encuentra una gallina.
—¿A dónde vas?—pregunta la gallina. 5