“That's very rude,” said old dame Duck, “Get off! quack, quack, quack, quack!”

"Tis close," said Dame Duck, shoving out
The egg-shells with her bill;
"Besides, it never suits young ducks
To keep them sitting still."

So, rising from her nest, she said,
"Now, children, look at me;
A well-bred duck should waddle so,
From side to side, do you see?"

"Yes," said the little ones, and then
She went on to explain:

"A well-bred duck turns in his toes As I do, try again."

"Yes," said the ducklings, waddling on: "That's better," said their mother; "But well-bred ducks walk in a row, Straight-one behind another.”

"Yes," said the little ducks again,

All waddling in a row:

"Now to the pond," said old Dame Duck. Splash, splash, and in they go.

"Let me swim first," said old Dame Duck, "To this side, now to that;

There, snap at those great brown-winged flies,

They make young ducklings fat.

"Now when you reach the poultry-yard,

The hen-wife, Molly Head,

Will feed you with the other fowls,
On bran and mashed-up bread.

"The hens will peck and fight, but mind,

I hope that all of you

Will gobble up the food as fast

As well-bred ducks should do.

You'd better get into the dish,
Unless it is too small;

In that case, I should use my foot,
And overturn it all.

The ducklings did as they were bid,
And found the plan so good,

That from that day, the other fowls
Got hardly any food.

-Aunt Effie

LITTLE JACK JELF

Little Jack Jelf

Was put on the shelf

Because he would not spell "pie;"
When his aunt, Mrs. Grace,
Saw his sorrowful face,

She could not help saying, "Oh, fie!"

And since Master Jelf

Was put on the shelf

Because he would not spell "pie,”
Let him stand there so grim!
And no more about him,

For I wish him a very good-bye!

-Mother Goose

A single sunbeam is enough to drive away

many shadows.

-St. Francis of Assisi

We may be as good as we please, if we please to be good.

Lullaby, oh, lullaby!

Flowers are closed and lambs are sleeping;

Lullaby, oh, lullaby!

Stars are up, the moon is peeping;
Lullaby, oh, lullaby!

While the birds are silence keeping,
Lullaby, oh, lullaby!

Sleep, my baby, fall a-sleeping,
Lullaby, oh, lullaby!

153

-Christina G. Rossetti