“Besides, if we all went to live in the city how would the magazine ever get published? And without a magazine you would have no way to pay that donation.”
“It seems to me, that everything is arranged wisely and well, so there is no need for Blue Birds or Bobolinks to wish they were in other birds’ nests,” added Flutey.
CHAPTER XV
MISS MARTIN’S LITTLE STORIES OF GREAT PEOPLE
The Blue Birds and Bobolinks had only a few days more to stay at Happy Hills, and they all wanted to make the most of them. They were at camp from early morning till late at night, and in that time they became better acquainted with the lives and hopes of their Little Citizens than years of casual visits would have accomplished.
Miss Martin had formed a daily story-telling class for anyone who wished to sit and listen. But she was most determined about interruptions. If you wanted to hear the story you were welcome, but you must not scuffle across the Refectory floor when the tale was half finished, and once you came quietly in to listen, you must remain till the end!
So it became a custom for many of the Little Citizens to so manage their play and work that they might have the noon hour to spare for the story-telling.
The day after the circus, Miss Martin pleased her hearers by saying:
“The theme of the story today, friends, is about some famous people. But they will be such short stories that it will be necessary for each one to look up the longer story and history of my heroes and heroines in the large book here on this table. I will leave it for Jinks or Ned to read from if anyone wishes to hear the full account of the famous ones I shall mention.
“My first story will be of a poor little peasant boy who became a great poet.
“It was a cold night in winter, and in the old-time kitchen of an English abbey, a number of servants were seated about a blazing fire.