December 1912 A long time ago, there lived a wonderful king. Each day this king came in his golden chariot, bringing light, heat, and happiness to all the people. Each day he passed from his palace in the east to his throne in the west. He never missed a day, for he wanted to make sure that everyone had a share of his gifts. For everybody, he had the birds sing and the flowers bloom. For everybody, he showed beautiful pictures, which changed every hour. The king had many beautiful daughters. They were often called swan maidens, because they rode upon beautiful white swans. When the swan maidens were with their father they wore soft white or gray dresses. Sometimes the king saw that the grass was brown, or the buds were not coming out. Then he said, "Swan maidens, who will go and work to-day?" Almost before he was through speaking, many of them had rushed away. Sometimes more of them came than could work upon the grass and buds. Then some of them ran off to play. But the best of them went down to feed the roots and the worms. They worked out of sight. But they always went back to their father, the king. Now it is very hard work to catch a swan maiden on her way back home. A boy is sure he saw one of them on a ring in the tea-kettle steam. How many of them get away is a secret. When the king saw the flowers shiver in the fall, he called the bravest swan maidens to him. He told them that they must go away for a long time. Then each swan maiden put on a beautiful white dress, and came softly down, down to earth, with a warm blanket. These blankets they spread over the flowers and seeds. Every little flower went to sleep under the blanket. At last the king smiled, and their work was done. They slipped away home so softly that nobody missed them, but the boys and girls who loved the snow. Tuesday Adapted Children tell "A Cloud Story" in their own words. Wednesday Write about the life of Alfred Tennyson. Friday Write, in complete sentences answers to the following questions: How is the sea to blow? Where is the wind to go? Where is the wind to come from? What is the blowing of the wind to do? Children write the cloud story. THIRD WEEK Monday Wind of the western sea! Over the rolling waters go; Monday Come from the dying moon and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps. The Sun was up. THE SUNBEAMS The sky in the east had told that he was on the way, for it had turned red and gold as he came near. He looked down on the earth, and there was a new day. So he sent out his beams to wake everybody from sleep. A beam came to the little birds in the trees, and they rose at once They flew about, singing as loudly as they could. Then a beam came and waked the rabbit. He gave his eyes a rub and ran out into the green field to eat grass. Another beam came into the hen house. The rooster flapped his wings and crowed. The hens flew out into the yard to see what they could find to eat. A beam came to the beehive. A bee came out of the hive. He flew off to the fields to drink honey from the flowers. The beam that came to Johnny's bed awakened Johnny, but the boy would not get up. He went to sleep once more, though all the animals were up, and hard at work. - Adapted December 1912 Have the first half of the poem copied. Tuesday Have the rest of the poem copied. Wednesday Have the children commit to memory the first two stanzas of the poem. Talk with the little folks about Christmas, its meaning, Thursday and the beauty of giving. Children commit to memory the second two stanzas of the poem. Friday Thursday Children recite the poem. Write a list of the nouns in the poem. Monday To be committed to memory: Friday A long time ago, there lived a wonderful king. Each day this king came in his golden chariot, bringing light, heat, and happiness to all the people. Each day he passed from his palace in the east to his throne in the west. He never missed a day, for he wanted to make sure that everyone had a share of his gifts. For For everybody, he had the birds sing and the flowers bloom. everybody, he showed beautiful pictures, which changed every hour. The king had many beautiful daughters. They were often called swan maidens, because they rode upon beautiful white swans. When the swan maidens were with their father they wore soft white or gray dresses. Sometimes the king saw that the grass was brown, or the buds were not coming out. Then he said, "Swan maidens, who will go and work to-day?" Almost before he was through speaking, many of them had rushed away. Sometimes more of them came than could work upon the grass and buds. Then some of them ran off to play. But the best of them went down to feed the roots and the worms. They worked out of sight. But they always went back to their father, the king. Now it is very hard work to catch a swan maiden on her way back home. A boy is sure he saw one of them on a ring in the tea-kettle steam. How many of them get away is a secret. When the king saw the flowers shiver in the fall, he called the bravest swan maidens to him. He told them that they must go away for a long time. Then each swan maiden put on a beautiful white dress, and came softly down, down to earth, with a warm blanket. These blankets they spread over the flowers and seeds. Every little flower went to sleep under the blanket. At last the king smiled, and their work was done. They slipped away home so softly that nobody missed them, but the boys and girls who loved the snow. - - Adapted Tuesday Children tell "A Cloud Story" in their own words. Wednesday Write about the life of Alfred Tennyson. Friday Write, in complete sentences answers to the following questions: How is the sea to blow? Where is the wind to go? Where is the wind to come from? What is the blowing of the wind to do? Children write the cloud story. Thursday Children write five sentences about snow. Friday Tuesday Children write what they did on Christmas Day. Wind of the western sea! Over the rolling waters go; Come from the dying moon and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps. Sleep and rest, sleep and rest, Father will come to thee soon. Rest, rest on mother's breast, Father will come to thee soon. Father will come to his babe in the nest; Silver sails all out of the west, Under the silver moon; Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep! - Alfred Tennyson Monday O The Visiting Dolls JENNIE REBECCA FADDIS NE day in visiting a second grade room, I found the eyes, looked up shyly on finishing a paragraph over which she had struggled, and with a little sigh, as if she had not done justice to a good subject. To put her at ease, I began to manifest an interest in dolls and aroused quite a conversation in the class. Little Blue-eyes looked and listened, but did not volunteer to express herself. At last I turned to her and asked how she would like to see my doll, for as we talked, I remembered that among my stored-away things was Albertina, the doll that had made many hearts glad while I was a teacher of little children. The blue eyes grew brighter as I told the children of my "truly" doll with real hair and promised to find her so that she might come to see them. On my next visit to this room, I faced some animated questions marks, which I did not at first understand, and each time after that Little Blue-Eyes and others repeated the question with their upturned faces, until one day I had to confess that although I had found Albertina she could not yet come to see them as she had no suitable dress to wear, but that I had sent her measurements to my mother. In a short time the doll, arrayed in a pretty creamcolored dress with pink trimmings, went to these children. Thus Albertina began to visit and to make a large circle of friends among the first and second grade children of the city, the first grades often keeping her long enough to have many reading and language lessons about her and to make clothes, furniture, etc., for her. A great many interesting letters and exercises from the children indicate the pleasure and benefit derived from these visits. One first grade wrote individual papers about "Our Visitor," as they called Albertina: Illustration 2 shows Albertina in the hammock wearing the kimona made by these little girls, and in Illustration 3, are a chair and a chiffonnier made at home by boys who labored hard indeed to make something for Albertina worthy of the admiration of their schoolmates. Many articles were made or begun at home and brought to the doll; and now and then busy groups of little workers were found in the school-rooms, before school, at rainy recesses and during seat work periods, fashioning all kinds ofclothing for Albertina, who, as the months passed, accu December 1912 mulated a good-sized wardrobe. She took her clothes and furniture with her from building to building, to the delight of the children, who at once adopted her as a little playmate for whom they must care. In one first grade, where the children, not surfeited with dolls at home, were particularly happy over the doll visitor, much of their reading work for several weeks was based on the seat work which was done in Albertina's interest. At the left, in Illustration 5, is the pretty raffia hat upon which diligent little fingers worked by turns, the bunch of pink flowers being a special pride. Albertina, we are going to make you a hat. Do you want a summer hat, or do you want a winter hat? Your dress is a summer dress. you. We cut them eight inches long. We wound the raffia around the wires. We are going to trim Albertina's hat. We will make some pink flowers. The way to make the flowers: Use crepe paper. We used pink crepe paper. Cut it in strips about one inch wide. You must be careful or it will tear. Once Albertina appeared in a dainty white dress, made at one of the homes (Illustration 4), and on the occasion of a Hallowe'en celebration in a lively first grade they dressed her as a little witch in black gown and tall hat. (Illustra tion 10.) A second grade boy put his best efforts on a doll's sunbonnet of woven raffia, with red cape, and another made a raffia school bag. With these and the pink flowered dress made by first grade children, Albertina looked a veritable small school girl. (Illustration 9.) To the great glee of forty little people, I failed one day to recognize the doll dressed for "a party," which they gave in her honor and about which they wrote an interesting co-operative account with drawings of the event. Albertina came to visit us. We wanted her to have a pleasant time. So we gave her a party. Frank brought sod for the sand-pan. We used big twigs for trees. Ruth hemmed a table-cloth. wear. We invited some doll friends. Mildred, Mabel and Martha came, and some others. Everyone enjoyed the party. After Albertina had visited for more than a year and at Christmas time, when a certain first grade "surprised" me with Albertina in a Red Ridinghood suit (Illustration 3), I had a surprise for them in my long box. They had furnished a little corner in the school-room for the doll, with rugs, bed, etc. (See quilt of their piecing in Illustration 3) and were loath to let the doll go. I asked the children to close their eyes so they would not see me take Albertina from her corner. Then in a moment I told them to open their eyes to say good-by to the doll. Imagine their joy as their eyes turned from one hand to another and they cried, "O, another doll! A boy doll!" (Illustration 8.) I wrote on the blackboard for them to read: This is Albertina's brother. His name is Donald. My mother made his gray suit and sent him to see you. My mother is an old lady. She likes boys and girls, and boys and girls like dolls. The dolls are separated for most of their visiting, but are often brought together for a short time, to the great satisfaction of the children, who almost imagine that Albertina and Donald become lonesome for each other, inclined as children are to think of their dolls as real personalities. Many little letters follow the dolls on their rounds, inviting them to return to their old friends, telling what the children are doing at school and what they will do for the pleasure of their guests. One tiny girl used much of her box of Christmas stationery on laborious efforts to express her longing for Albertina. Albertina: We miss you. MARGARET. |