THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET.
A dear little girl, named Elsie, was quite a singer, and very fond of an old song, familiar to most children, called "The Old Oaken Bucket." Elsie was taking lessons in drawing, which interested her very much. She drew pictures in all her spare time, and often teased mamma with the question,
"What shall I draw next, mamma?"
Mamma always suggested cows, or bears, or steam-engines, or trees, according to the first idea which came into her head. One day, in answer to Elsie's usual question, mamma replied:
"Draw the 'old oaken bucket,' Elsie. You are very fond of singing 'The Old Oaken Bucket.' Sit down and make a picture of it."
This was new. Elsie, with a deep satisfied breath, sat down and staid quiet about five minutes. At the end of that time she brought mamma this picture.
"What upon earth does this mean?" asked mamma. "It looks like a conundrum, Elsie; or like the sun, moon, and stars!"
Elsie looked at her design with great pride, and a little impatience at mamma's obtuseness.
"Why, don't you see, mamma?" she cried. "The first one is 'the old oaken bucket,' and the next one is 'the iron-bound bucket,' and the next is 'the moss-covered bucket that hangs in the well'!"
Then mamma laughed hard, leaning back in her chair, while she held Elsie's sketch at arm's-length to see it better, as artists always look at pictures.
"And what are all those little spots for, Elsie?"
"Why—those, mamma?" said Elsie. "Those are 'the spots that my infancy knew'!"