own face in this wonderful stream. He had never seen his likeness before, and he was so pleased with the pretty picture that he looked, and looked, and looked at it in the water, and forgot all about his sheep. 5 The sheep waited for a long time near the stream, but at last they wandered away without the shepherd and were lost. Jupiter, the great god of that country, was very angry with Narcissus for forgetting his sheep, and 10 made up his mind to punish him. So when Narcissus had looked at himself long enough and turned to go after his flock, he found that his feet had taken root in the earth. He could not move He could not lift his from the side of the stream. head, but must keep it bent down as when he was 5 looking at the reflection of his face in the water. Little by little, he changed into the flower that we know so well, the narcissus. Now do you see why it is that we find this dainty flower growing on the bank of a stream and always with its pretty 10 head hung down? -A Greek Legend. Nar cis'sus, won'der ful, strange; re flec'tion, image or picture. What was Narcissus? (A shepherd boy.) Where did he live? (In Greece.) From what did his sheep stop to drink? (A little stream.) What did Narcissus see in this stream? (His own face.) What did he think of it? (Very beautiful.) What did he forget? (His sheep.) What did the sheep do? (They wandered away.) What became of them? (They were lost.) Into what was Narcissus changed? (A flower.) By whom was he changed? (Jupiter.) Why did Jupiter do this? (To punish him for losing his sheep.) Write the answers to the questions above, making full statements. 28 LITTLE WHITE LILY LITTLE White Lily Sat by a stone, Drooping and waiting Till the sun shone. Little white Lily Sunshine has fed; Little white Lily Is lifting her head. Little white Lily Dressed like a bride, Little white Lily Droopeth with pain, Waiting and waiting For the soft rain. Little white Lily Holdeth her cup; Little white Lily To have nice rain; Heat cannot burn me, Little white Lily Smells very sweet; Rain at her feet. Thanks to the rain, Little white Lily Is happy again. - GEORGE MACDONALD. droop, to hang over, as in pain or weakness; thirs'ty; vein (vane). Read a line that rhymes with the second line. Read one that rhymes with the sixth line. How many lines in each stanza? How did Lily look when she drooped? What two things did she need to make her happy? How did she look when she was happy? Why do we say that Lily was dressed like a bride? Read the two lines that tell this. Read a line that tells us Is there anything that something about the shape of the lily. DANCE to the beat of the rain, little Fern, And say, "Tho' the sun Hath my vesture spun, He had labored, alas, in vain, But for the shade That the Cloud hath made, And the gift of the Dew and the Rain." All your fronds, little Fern, And rejoice in the beat of the rain ! -JOHN B. TABB. 1 By courtesy of Small, Maynard and Company. 5 10 |