THE FLOOD OF RICE.
The mother was soon so well and strong that she could go to her work again. Every day she and her daughter had rice porridge for breakfast. When they had eaten their breakfast the mother always put the pot away on a shelf and said, “Now, little daughter, be a good girl. Take care of the house and do not touch the little pot while I am gone. When I come home we shall have some more of the porridge you like so much.”
And the little girl kissed her mother and promised to obey her. This happened for many days. But one day the little girl said to herself, “Dear me, I am very hungry. How good some of that rice porridge would taste. I am sure I wouldn’t break the little pot. I would be so very careful.”
She said this many times to herself. At last she stood upon a chair and reached up to the high shelf where her mother had put the little pot. She took it down and set it on the hearthstone. Then she said, “Little Pot, Cook!” The little pot heard and began to cook. The little girl got a plate and spoon and taking some rice sat down to eat.
But she forgot all about speaking to the little pot and it went on cooking. The child was so busy eating that she never noticed what was happening. The wonderful pot was still cooking and the rice porridge began running over. When the little girl saw it, she called out, “Here, that is enough!” But the little pot did not stop and the rice porridge poured out over the floor.
The little girl was frightened. She called out very loud, “That is enough! Cook no more! Halt! Halt!” It was all of no use. She had forgotten the right words to say and the little pot kept on cooking. The rice porridge was still pouring out into the room. Soon the chairs and the table were standing in it. The little girl was more frightened than ever. She opened the door and ran out into the yard and rice porridge came streaming out after her.
How the other children of the neighborhood laughed and shouted when they saw the stream of rice porridge! They came running with spoons in their hands and began to eat it. All the older people laughed and wondered, too.
But soon the people became anxious. They said, “This rice porridge will get into our houses and we shall all be drowned in it.” So the people and their children ran into their houses and shut all the doors and windows to keep out the rice porridge. The streets were full of it. It rose up higher and higher. It covered up the windows so that their houses were as dark as night.
Suggestions.
Who else was disobedient in the stories we have had? What trouble did they have?
V.
Preparation.
The valley in which this child lived filled up.
Narration.