Since “Little Ferns” was published, I have had many letters, and messages, from little children all over the country, asking me “to write them soon another little book of stories.” Here is one that I have prepared for you and them: I hope you will like it; for some of you, it will be too young a book; for some of you, too old; those for whom it is too young, will perhaps read it to little brothers and sisters; those for whom it is too old now, can look at the pictures and learn to read, little by little, by spelling out the words in the stories. I call it “The Play-Day Book;” because I made it to read when you are out of school, and want to be amused. If, while you are looking only for amusement, you should happen to find instruction, so much the better.
Fanny Fern.
CONTENTS.
| Page | |
| A Rainy Day | [7] |
| The Boy who wanted to see the World | [25] |
| The Journey | [35] |
| A Peep out of my Window | [61] |
| The Circus | [64] |
| What every little Child may see | [70] |
| A Story for Boys | [72] |
| Katy’s First Grief | [76] |
| Our new dog Dash | [87] |
| Fun and Folly | [89] |
| History of a Family of Cats | [96] |
| The Poor-Rich Child | [102] |
| The Hod-Carrier | [107] |
| The Tom-Boy | [120] |
| The Little Musician | [124] |
| Lions | [128] |
| The Cripple | [133] |
| Bessie and her Mother | [145] |
| Red-Headed Andy | [150] |
| Little Napkin | [155] |
| The Spoiled Boy | [160] |
| Puss and I | [166] |
| Lucy’s Fault | [169] |
| Untidy Mary | [176] |
| A Lucky Irish Boy | [183] |
| The Child Prince and the Child Peasant | [191] |
| The Wild Rose | [194] |
| Jenny and the Butcher | [204] |
| The Two Babes | [212] |
| The Little Sisters | [215] |
| Ours; or, a Look Backward | [220] |
| Children’s Troubles | [224] |
| The Vacant Lot | [230] |
| “Foolish Ned” | [233] |
| Greenwood | [235] |
| Bed-Time | [242] |
| Soliloquy of Overgrown Fifteen | [248] |
| A Temperance Story | [250] |
| All about Horace | [256] |
| A Walk I took | [269] |
| Susy Foster | [273] |
| “Feed my Lambs” | [276] |
| Two Live Pictures | [280] |
| A Riddle | [282] |
| Thanksgiving | [284] |
A RAINY DAY,
AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
“Oh, dear, I knew it would rain to-day, just because I didn’t want to have it; every thing is so dark, and cold, and gloomy; drip—drip—drip—oh, dear! had I made the world, mother, I never would have made a drop of rain.”
“What would the cattle have had to drink, then?”
“I am sure I don’t know; I don’t see why they need drink. I could drink milk, you know, mother.”
“But if it didn’t rain the grass would all dry up, and then the cows would give no milk.”
“Well, I don’t know any thing about that. I know I don’t like rain, any how; do you like a rainy day, mother?”