HOW THE BEAN GOT ITS BLACK SEAM
- (ea gle)
- ea ger
- (h ush)
- cr ush
- mo ment
- quar rel
- coun try
- (r ope)
- h ope
- (m ean)
- b ean
- gur gling
- four
- pour ing
- sew ed
- hul lo
- cru el
- tor rent
- both er
- a las
- in stant ly
Once upon a time there was a poor old woman living in a village of a far country. She had gathered some beans and was making ready to cook them. She built a fire of sticks, but, as these were damp, they did not burn well. So she thrust in a handful of dry straw. Now the flames leaped up, and the sticks snapped and crackled in the blaze.
A live red coal flew out of the fire, fell on the ground beside a straw, and lay there smoking. Just then a bean dropped from the pot which the old woman was filling, rolled away, and came to rest close to the coal and the straw.
“Hullo, Mr. Coal,” said the straw. “How you smoke! Are you frightened? Where did you come from?”
“I just sprang out of that fire,” answered the coal. “Had I not jumped just as I did, I should now be nothing but ashes. My, look at that blaze!”