“I'm going to make a hundred runs!” cried Willy, as he took up the bat. But when he had made ten, Freddy bowled him out, and the other boys were glad it was their turn to go in.

In the winter, father made a big slide, and Willy and the boys went down it as fast as they could go. When he fell half way down, Willy thought it great fun, and called to his snowman as he glided past, “Look at me old fellow! Don't you wish you could slide?”

On his birthday he had a party. It was a merry time. They played “Blind Man's Buff,” and “Puss in the Corner,” and Willy always managed to catch the little girls by their long curls.

It was spring when Wideawake Willy went exploring. He shot his Teddy Bear, and tied it up in a scarlet handkerchief, for he knew explorers ate bears. Then he stuck a long feather in his hat, and strode gaily down the road. Presently he came to a big house. The door was open, and a lady asked him to go in. She showed him all sorts of wonderful things. What he liked best was Chin Chan, the Chinese boy, whose long pig-tail touched the floor. The lady told Willy that in China he lived in a boat, and helped his mother look after the chickens.

After seeing other Chinese people, he went home and told his mother what strange things he had seen.

The Little Old Woman.

There was an old Woman,

And what do you think?

She lived upon nothing but

Victuals and drink;

And though victuals and drink

Were the chief of her diet,

This little Old Woman could never be quiet.

This little Old Woman (the story so goes)

Had nothing to wear but

Abundance of clothes.

And, oh, let me weep

At the dismal news,

She would have been barefooted, but for her shoes.

This Little Old Woman,

Twas always the case,

Never looked in the glass

But she saw her own face;

And what was still worse,

Yet, we vouch for its truth,

By growing so old, she had lost all her youth.

This Little Old Woman,

The tale too declares,

Had nothing to sit on

But sofas and chairs.

No place to repose in

At night but her bed;

No pillows, but those made of down, for her head.

This Little Old Woman,

We here may remark,

Had no house to live in,

But one in the park,

And none to wait on her,

Poor soul, but her maids,

With some livery servants of different grades.

This Little Old Woman,

I'm sorry to tell,

Had always bad health,

When she was not quite well.

And hard was her lot,

For they tell me that she

Was ever in want

When she wanted her tea.

This Little Old Woman,

On dying, we find,

Left nothing—except

A large fortune, behind.

So pity her fate,

Gentle reader, and say,

Such women are not to be found every day.

Quite an Adventure.

Mrs. Hen, one sunny day,

Took her chickens for a walk,

Dick, the youngest, strayed away

While his mother stopped to talk.

Then he saw the strangest sight,

'Twas a monster aeroplane,

But it gave him such a fright

That he scurried home again!

Funny Toys

❀ ❀ ❀

Here's a number of funny toys

For good little girls and good little boys,

First comes Jackie all ready for fun,

After the animals see him run.

Next is a bird of colours gay,

If he spreads his wings he will fly away.

Poor Master Duckie cries “Quack, quack, quack!

To my farmyard pond please take me back.”

What a dear little doggie Bunty his name,

I am sure that he looks quite friendly and tame.

His bright eyes are gazing up in the air,

I wonder what ever he sees up there!

“Croak, croak, croak!” cries Mr. Green Frog,

“I really am quite afraid of that dog!”

And that dear little clockwork mouse on wheels—

I know if you pinch him hard he squeals!

C.M. Rutley.

There were seven froggies of Lee

Who were happy as happy could be,

Till a duck close by

Just winked his eye,

As he thought of his afternoon tea.

With a hop, and a skip, and a run,

He soon put an end to their fun,

For as they went past

He snapped up the last,

And that tells you my story is done.

Mr. and Mrs. Ostrich and their Children.

Tinklebell Tales.

Frisk was a dear little dog. He belonged to Mistress Molly.

One morning Molly said, “Now Frisk, I am going to the town, and you must stay and look after the house, for Mother is going out too.”

Frisk sat down in his little chair, and held his walking stick between his paws.

“No one shall steal the dinner while I am here,” he said. “Bow, wow!”

On her way to the town, Molly saw her cousin Tommy leaning over a gate.

“Oh, Tommy!” she said, “If you are passing our house, please look in and see how Frisk is getting on.”

And Tommy ran off at once.

Frisk was glad to see Tommy, who gave him a good drink of water from a tub.

When Molly reached the town she went into the baker's shop to buy a loaf of bread.

But when she put her hand in her pocket she found her purse had gone!

“Don't cry, my dear,” said the baker.

And he left his shop, and went with Molly down the road.

Very soon they found the purse with all the money quite safe inside.

Then Molly saw a shop with “SALE” printed in the window, and went in.

“Good morning, ma'am!” said the shopman. “What can I get for you?”

“I want some stockings, please,” said Molly.

“How do you like these?” said the shopman. “They are only one shilling the pair, because it is sale time!”

“They are lovely!” said Molly, “And the scarlet stripes just match my dress! Please make them into a tiny parcel, and I will put them in my pocket.” Then she paid her money, and set off home.

And what had Frisk been doing all this time?

He soon grew tired of looking after the dinner, and spied his master's hat.

“Bow wow!” he said. “What fun!”

He poked his head into the hat, and though it came right down on to his shoulders he didn't mind a bit.

He hopped into the garden on his hind legs, and when the birds saw him they thought it was a scarecrow come to frighten them away!

“Bow wow!” said Frisk. “I'm hungry!” He went back indoors, pushed the lid off the pot, and dragged out a bone. How good it was!

Then a tiny mouse scampered past, and Frisk pounced on it and killed it.

“Oh, Frisk, Frisk!” cried Molly, when she came home. “You naughty dog! I shall never be able to leave you in charge again!”

“Bow, wow!” cried Frisk. “Bow, wow! I'm very glad. For I'd much rather go to the town with you!”

Holiday Time.

Jack always said he should be a sailor when he grew up.

No toy ever pleased him so much as a boat, and he was constantly imitating the ways of sailors, from dancing a hornpipe, down to floating about in a big round tub on the little stream which ran at the end of the garden.

“Wouldn't it be too lovely for words,” he said on one occasion when he was taking his sisters for a voyage in his tub-ship, “if we could go in a real big boat, and sail away across the sea?”

And that is exactly what they did do! For one summer day, Father and Mother and the children, Elsie, Doris and Jack, all went on board a big boat and steamed across the channel to France for a long holiday.

Oh! what a glorious time they had! What fun the bathing was, undressing in the little rocky caves and running down the firm sand, and then tumbling into the water with shouts of joy. Then afterwards they paddled and dug in the sands, and searched for shells and seaweed, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves the whole day long.

There was so much to interest them, too, in the little French village, and they were delighted with the quaint dresses of the peasants.

One girl came to bring them fruit and vegetables, and the children thought how pretty she looked in her snowy cap, coloured skirt and wooden shoes, as she lifted her little sister to look for father's boat.

Jack, of course, was just in his glory, and never tired of watching the fishing boats sailing out to sea.

Sometimes he went on the water himself, and soon learned to row, tho' the first time he tried, his oar swung round and knocked him head over heels into the bottom of the boat.

This, Father explained, was called “catching a crab!”

Afterwards they made a huge sandcastle, and Jackie sat at the top of it, singing: “I'm the King of the Castle!” at the top of his voice.

Presently he began to examine some shells and treasures which he had been collecting in his pail, and was so intent on this, that he did not notice how quickly the tide had come in.

When he looked up he found, somewhat to his horror, that he was quite surrounded by water.

The castle was soon washed away; but not before the “King” was rescued from his perilous position.

Father waded out, and pick-a-backed him safely ashore.

That was the little sailor's first adventure at sea!

The last time for Jackie to sail his boat came all too soon for him, and the next day the children found themselves back in old England once more.

But they hope some day to return for another delightful holiday to the dear little French fishing village where they spent such a pleasant time.

Constance M. Lowe.

The Twins.

There lived some twins named Joan and Jack,

And they were eight years old;

Jack's curly hair was black as black,

While Joan's was fair like gold.

Their mother said to them one day—

“Dears, walk to Russett Hall

And take these eggs to Mrs. Gray,

Mind, don't you let them fall.”—

The children started off with pride,

The basket was so big,

That carefully each held a side,

Until they met a pig.

“Why, he's escaped from Farmer Brown,”

Cried Jack, “that's very wrong!”

And so they put the basket down,

To chase the pig along.

And when they'd sent him back again,

Joan found a pretty flow'r,

Then off they wandered down a lane,

And played for half an hour.

On, on they walked, and looked around.

An orchard was near by,

With apples lying on the ground,

And others hanging high.

They scrambled through the fence, alas!

T'was very wrong 'tis true,

But Farmer Brown soon chanced to pass,

And roared “Be off, you two!”

They rushed away, just like the wind,

Then Joan exclaimed “Oh, dear,

We've left the basket far behind,

It will be gone, I fear!”

They hurried back with all their might,

“Hurrah! it's here,” Jack cried,

Yes, it was safe, to their delight,

With all the eggs inside!

The Five Little Frogs.

Five little frogs were sent to school

Upon a winter day,

Their shoes were light and their pinafores white,

And their hearts were bright and gay;

And their mother stood by the door to watch,

And said, “Don't stop to play.”

So the five little frogs ran merrily off,

Till they had gone far from home;

When one said, “Brothers, do as you like,

But I do not mean to come;

I don't want to sit in school and croak,

When in sunshine I can roam.”

So the four little frogs ran off to school,

They would not stay to play;

Our Story BookJINGLES, STORIES and RHYMESforLITTLE FOLKS

CONTENTS

Wideawake Willy.

The Little Old Woman.

Quite an Adventure.

Funny Toys

Tinklebell Tales.

Holiday Time.

The Twins.

The Five Little Frogs.

Our Story Book
JINGLES, STORIES and RHYMES
for
LITTLE FOLKS