II
One day the dove was in a tree near her nest
A man came into the woods with a gun.
He tried to shoot the dove.
The ant passed by and saw him.
“Oh, the poor dove!” said the ant.
“How can I help her?”
She ran to the man and bit his foot.
“Oh, my foot! My foot!” said the man.
Then he ran out of the woods.
“Thank you,” said the dove.
“You have helped me, little friend.”
STOP, STOP, PRETTY WATER!
“Stop, stop, pretty water!”
Said Mary one day,
To a bright, happy brook
That was running away.
“You run on so fast!
I wish you would stay;
My boat and my flowers
You will carry away.
But I will run after:
Mother says that I may;
For I would know where
You are running away.”
So Mary ran on;
But I have heard say,
That she never could find
Where the brook ran away.
Eliza Lee Follen.
THE BROOK.
One day some raindrops fell out of the sky.
They went running down a hillside.
By and by they came to a bright, happy brook.
“Stop, stop, pretty water!” said the raindrops.
“Where are you going?”
“I am going to the sea,” said the brook.
“I can not stop. I have work to do.
I water the grass and the flowers.
The cows come here to drink.
I make a home for the fishes.
The birds like my pure cold water.
The boys and the girls come here to play.
There are other little brooks.
They all go my way, so we run on together.”
“We will go with you, too,” said the raindrops.
So away they went with the bright, happy brook.