When this announcement was made, Mother Goose rose from her comfortable seat by the side of the Misses Pea Fowl and Guinea, and flew to a seat beside Mr. Owl. The audience cheered again more loudly than before.
SAMMY RABBIT WAS THE FIRST OF THE CLASS TO SPEAK.
Sammy Rabbit was the first of the class to speak. Leaping to the front of the platform, he faced his audience, and, with a profound bow, read as follows:
SOME QUEER CREATURES I HAVE SEEN.
One day our teacher sent us out to study Nature. She said that we should observe the simplest things, for often they were the most instructive.
My friend, Puss Snowball, went with me. Both of us were anxious to improve our time. We animals are fast friends.
Three merry little ferrets darted across our pathway. We followed them, but finally gave up the chase. Snowball’s fur was filled with briers and thistles; I was covered with mud, and had to bathe in the brook. How we laughed! At last we decided that we would study the smallest and simplest things, as our teacher had told us to do.
We found some earthworms in the soft loam. These little creatures burrow into the soil when the first frost comes. They spend the winter deep in the ground, where the cold cannot reach them. They do not mind if it blows and snows.
We saw a katydid. He was of a pale green color. His gauzy wings had little covers that looked like drums. He rubbed the drums briskly, and the music that he made was very cheerful. Did you ever hear the katydid’s shrilling? The katydid, however, is very small.
We saw two interesting spiders in the brook. Spiders have eight legs, while true insects have only six. One of these little creatures had made a silken diving-bell that resembled a tiny silver globe. The other had made a raft of weeds, fastened together with silken threads. Then they went slowly downstream to catch insects that might fall into the water. Spiders, although quite tiny, are very clever. When spiders sleep, they sleep soundly; when they work, they work industriously; when they fight, they fight fiercely.
Ants, bees, and wasps are interesting. The fly, too, is worthy of study. It has four thousand small eyes. Observe it carefully.
Nature is full of wonderful, beautiful things—but I shall not have time to tell any more about the queer creatures I have seen.
Sammy’s composition was much appreciated. He had chosen a simple, familiar subject and kept it plainly in mind.
Winkie Weasel met with less favor, for he had undertaken to write about something that was beyond his understanding. One can imagine how much a little weasel would know about “The Growth of Intellectual Perspicuity.” He stumbled over the long words in a way that made all the little prairie dogs in the front row titter in a very impolite manner. Weenie Mouse became so much frightened that he scampered away, long before it was time for him to recite, and caused quite a panic amongst the members of the Hen family.
The other compositions were well written, although Puss Snowball’s was spoiled by a singsong delivery.
Occasionally, the frog orchestra, from their green lily pads close by, would play a spirited air; and Jenny Wren, a nervous little body, who twitched every time she reached a high note, sang “Happy Woodlands.”