WHAT BOBBY AND BETTY FOUND IN THEIR BOOKS
When the story hour came, Bobby and Betty took their books from the bookcase.
“See, Father,” said Bobby. “See the man with the chickens.”
Father looked at the picture in Bobby’s book.
“What is the man going to do with the chickens?” asked Bobby.
“He is going to sell them,” answered Father.
“I know where he is going,” said Betty. “He is on his way to the meat market.”
“No, dear. The chicken man used to sell chickens from his basket on the street.”
“Does he do it now?” asked Betty.
“No, Betty,” answered Father. “It was a long time ago that the chicken man sold chickens on the street.”
“We saw chickens today,” said Bobby. “They were in a cage just outside the meat market.”
“We saw a rabbit, too,” said Betty.
Just then Betty turned a page in her book and came to the picture of a rabbit woman.
“See,” said Betty. “The woman has rabbits on a pole.”
“She has geese, too,” added Bobby.
“Who is she?” asked Betty. “What is she doing?”
“She’s a rabbit woman,” said Father. “She is going down the street selling rabbits and geese.”
“Is there a rabbit woman on our street?” asked Betty.
“No, dear,” answered Father. “The rabbit woman lived a long, long time ago.”
“Now we buy rabbits at the meat market,” said Bobby.
“Did the people have markets long ago?” asked Bobby.
“Yes,” answered Father. “They had markets. But they also had men and women who sold their wares on the streets.”
For study and play:
Chick, chick, chatter man,
How much are your geese?
Chick, chick, chatter man,
Five cents apiece.
Chick, chick, chatter man,
That’s too dear.
Chick, chick, chatter man,
You get out of here.
A COUNTING-OUT RIME
R was a rabbit,
Who had a bad habit
Of eating the flowers
In gardens and bowers.
Naughty fat rabbit.
