H was a hat

Which was all on one side; Its crown was too high, And its brim was too wide. Oh, what a hat!

I was some ice

So white and so nice,

But which nobody tasted;

And so it was wasted.

All that good ice!

J was a jug,

So pretty and white,
With fresh water in it

At morning and night.
Nice little jug!

K was a kite

Which flew out of sight,

Above houses so high,

Quite into the sky.

Fly away kite!

L was a lily,

So white and so sweet!
To see it and smell it

Was quite a nice treat.
Beautiful lily!

R was a rabbit,

Who had a bad habit

Of eating the flowers
In gardens and bowers.

Naughty fat rabbit!

S was the sugar-tongs,
Nippity-nee,

To take up the sugar

To put in our tea.

Nippity-nee!

T was a tortoise,
All yellow and black:
He walked slowly away,
And he never came back.

Torty never came back!

U was an urn

All polished and bright,

And full of hot water

At noon and at night.
Useful old urn!

V was a veil

With a border upon it,

And a ribbon to tie it

All round a pink bonnet.
Pretty green veil!

W was a watch,

Where, in letters of gold,
The hour of the day

You might always behold.
Beautiful watch!

Y was a yew,

Which flourished and grew

By a quiet abode

Near the side of a road.
Dark little yew!

Z was the zebra,

All striped white and black;

And if he were tame,

You might ride on his back.
Pretty striped Zebra !

FIVE OUT OF ONE SHELL

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

This selection and others in the succeeding volume from the same author are by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish writer who was born in 1805, and died in 1879. He wrote tragedies and poems, but is most widely known as a writer of stories for children.

These tales have been translated into many languages. There are many editions in cheap form. You should own his fairy tales if possible. They are original, sweet, and pure. The selections given will give you a good idea of the style in which they are written.

THERE
HERE were five peas in one shell. They were

green, and the pod was green, and so they thought

all the world was green, and that was just as it should be. The shell grew and the peas grew.

The sun shone without and warmed the husk, and the rain made it clear and bright. It was mild in the bright day and in the dark night, just as it should be, and the peas as they sat there became bigger and bigger, and more and more thoughtful, for something they must do.

"I'm

"Are we to sit here forever?" asked one. afraid we shall become hard by long sitting. It seems to me there must be something outside." And weeks went by. The peas became yellow, and the pod also.

"All the world's turning yellow," said they, and they had a right to say it. Just then they felt a tug at the shell. The shell was torn off, passed through little hands, and fell down into the pocket of a jacket, along with other full pods.

"Now we shall soon be opened!" they said; and that was just what they were waiting for. "I should like to know who of us will get farthest!" said the smallest of the five. "Yes, now it will soon show itself." "What is to be will be," said the biggest.

"Crack!" the pod burst, and all the five peas rolled out into the bright sunshine. There they lay in a child's hand. A little boy was clutching them, and said they were fine peas for his pea shooter, and he put one in and shot it out.

CH. LIT. I. -8