THE VALLEY FILLED UP.
The little girl’s home was down in a valley. High up on the mountain there stood a beautiful house. Rich persons lived there, and the little girl’s mother often went to work for them. This very day, when the little girl had been so disobedient, her mother was working in the house away up on the mountain.
When the little girl saw the rice porridge streaming out into the streets and filling up the valley, she ran up the mountain’s side as fast as she could to tell her mother all that had happened. As soon as she saw her mother, she called out, “O mother, I took down the little pot and told it to cook. When I wanted it to stop I forgot what to say. It won’t stop cooking, and the whole valley is full of rice porridge.”
The mother called out softly “Little Pot, Stop!” and the little pot heard her and stopped. But still the whole valley was full of rice porridge. It covered the houses. It was up even to the church steeple.
When the milkmen came in the morning they saw it. They called out, “What is this?” The people shouted back, “It is rice porridge. If you want to come to us, you must dig your way through.” And it was so. Whoever wanted to go into that valley had to dig his way through the sweet rice porridge that filled it.
For many days the people were busy eating rice porridge. As for the little girl who had caused all this trouble, she felt very sorry and ashamed, and I am sure was never disobedient again.
Suggestions.
Recall mention of mountains in other stories. Talk about mountains and valleys. Illustrate by pictures or, if possible, by moulding in clay or sand.
Emphasize the thought of obedience. Compare with previous stories.
