HOW LITTLE TWO-SHOES BECAME A TROTTING TUTORESS, AND HOW SHE TAUGHT HER YOUNG PUPILS
It was about seven o'clock in the morning when we set out on this important business, and the first house we came to was Farmer Wilson's. Here Margery stopped, and ran up to the door, tap, tap, tap. "Who's there?" "Only Little Goody Two-Shoes," answered Margery, "come to teach Billy." "Oh! Little Goody," says Mrs. Wilson, with pleasure in her face, "I am glad to see you Billy wants you sadly for he has learned his lesson." Then out came the little boy. "How do, Doody Two-Shoes," says he, not able to speak plain. Yet this little boy had learned all his letters; for she threw down this alphabet mixed together thus:
b d f h k m o q s u w y x f a c e g i l n p r t v z j,
and he picked them up, called them by their right names, and put them all in order thus:
a b c d e f g h i j k i m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
The next place we came to was Farmer Simpson's.
"Bow, wow, wow," says the dog at the door. "Sirrah," says his mistress, "what do you bark at Little Two-Shoes? come in, Madge; here, Sally wants you sadly, she has learned all her lesson." "Yes, that's what I have," replied the little one, in the country manner: and immediately taking the letters she set up these syllables:
ba be bi bo bu, ca ce ci co cu,
da de di do du, fa fe fi fo fu,
and gave them their exact sounds as she composed them.