"Yes," said Mr. Duncan, "like all young things, he has much to learn, and his teachers must have a good deal of patience."
"Grandpapa," said Bessie, "are not lambs pretty good baby animals?"
"I rather think they are, Bessie. Perhaps their mammas sometimes find them troublesome; but we seldom or never hear of a lamb getting into mischief or naughty ways. So when a child is obedient and gentle, we say it is like a little lamb."
"Mamma taught us such a pretty hymn last week about a lamb," said Bessie.
"Can't you let me hear it?" said grandpapa. So Bessie repeated these verses:—
"Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and gave thee feed,
By the stream, and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,—
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice.
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
"Little lamb, I'll tell thee!
Little lamb, I'll tell thee!
He is callèd by thy name.
For He calls Himself a lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child.
I, a child, and thou, a lamb,
We are callèd by His name.
Little lamb, God bless thee!
Little lamb, God bless thee!"[A]
She said them slowly and carefully, not missing one word, and grandpapa was much pleased.
"That is indeed pretty, my darling," he said, "and grandpapa is much obliged to you. What a dear, good mamma you have, always teaching you something useful or pretty."