pricked fin'gers whis'tle hare sieve this'tle pricked Simple Simon went to see If plums grew on a thistle; He pricked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon Simple Simon went a-hunting, He rode a goat about the street, But could not find one there. He carried water in a sieve, But soon it all ran through; And now poor Simple Simon Must say good-bye to you. ROB'S GIFT planned broth'er its washed bet'ter toy to'ward clapped mag'net wand wher ev'er The rain was falling, falling, out of doors. Kitty stood by the window, watching the big drops splashing down. She thought of her playhouse out under the trees. She had planned to have tea out there in the shade. "Dear me!" said the little girl at last. "I wish the sun would shine." 66 Why, Kitty," said big brother Rob, "don't you want the world to have its face washed? Don't you want the flowers to have a drink?" "I want to have tea in my playhouse," said Kitty. "I know something better than tea," said Rob. "Have you ever seen my fairy ducks?" "Fairy what?" asked Kitty, turning from the window to look at Rob. 66 Fairy ducks," said Rob. "They are in a box in my room. Come and see." Rob opened a box, and in it lay four toy ducks. "Those are not fairy ducks," said Kitty. "Wait and see," said Rob. "Bring the box to the kitchen, and I will fill a basin with water. When the ducks touch the water, they will be fairy ducks." Rob put the basin on the table, and Kitty set the ducks on the water. Rob took a little piece of steel out of his pocket and held it out toward the ducks. They turned around and moved toward the steel. Kitty clapped her hands with joy. "They are fairy ducks, after all," she said. "The ducks swim toward the thing in your hand. What is it, Rob?" "The "This is a magnet," said her brother. magnet is the fairy wand. When I wave the wand, the ducks swim wherever I wish.” "Please let me wave the fairy wand. I want to show the ducks where to swim," said Kitty. "You may have the wand and the ducks for your own," said Rob. "Don't you think that this is better than playing tea under the trees?" "Oh, yes," said Kitty. "Thank you, Rob. I shall play with the fairy ducks every day it rains." Do you think she did? think she did? I cannot tell you, but I know that she forgot all about having tea in the playhouse. She forgot all about the rain, too. Kitty's lamb was down in the meadow nipping grass and daisies. Kitty and her father were watching it from the shade of a big elm. "We are going to shear the old sheep to-day," said father. "Shall we shear the lamb, too?" "His woolly fleece is not so thick as the old sheep's," said Kitty. "Bob "But it is soft and fine," said father. would like a lamb's-wool coat next winter." "What would the poor lamb do when the winds are blowing?" asked Kitty. His coat would grow again," said father; "but it would not grow very fast. Yes, Kitty, he might be chilly when the wintry winds blow. I think we will not shear him to-day." "Little lamb! Little lamb!" called Kitty. "Father says you may keep your woolly coat!" |