Over in the meadow,

In the soft summer even, Lived a mother-firefly

And her little flies seven. "Shine!" said the mother; "We shine," said the seven: So they shone like stars

In the soft summer even.

Over in the meadow,

By the old mossy gate, Lived a brown mother-lizard And her little lizards eight. "Bask!" said the mother;

"We bask," said the eight: So they basked in the sun On the old mossy gate.

Over in the meadow,

Where the clear pools shine, Lived a green mother-frog

And her little froggies nine. "Croak!" said the mother; "We croak," said the nine: So they croaked and they splashed Where the clear pools shine.

Over in the meadow,

In a sly little den, Lived a gray mother-spider And her little spiders ten. "Spin!" said the mother; "We spin," said the ten: So they spun lace webs In their sly little den.

90

-Olive A. Wadsworth

LITTLE HALF CHICK

I.

Once there was a hen that had ten chickens. Nine of the chickens were fine little fellows, but the youngest was not like his brothers and sisters. He was only half as large as a chicken should be, so his mother called him Little Half Chick.

Little Half Chick's feet were not just right either. When he walked he went with a queer little hop and a kick. This made his mother feel very sad.

She said, "My youngest child will never grow up to be tall and fine looking like his brothers. They will go out and make their way in the world, but poor Little Half Chick will always have to stay at home with me."

Little Half Chick's mother soon found that he was not willing to stay at home

under her wing. He often hopped far away, and when his mother called him he pretended that he did not hear.

As Little Half Chick became older he

became worse.

He was often very rude to

his mother and to the other chickens.

One day he went up to his mother with a hop and a kick. He cocked one eye at her and said, "Mother, I am tired of this

dull life. I am going off to the palace in Madrid to see the King."

"To the palace, Little Half Chick!" said his mother. "Why, my dear, that would be a long way even for me to go. A A poor little thing like you would be tired before he went half the way. Stay at home with me. Some day when you are bigger, we shall take a nice long walk together."

But Little Half Chick had made up his mind to go and he would not listen to his mother. So away he went with a hop and a kick.

"Be kind and polite to every one you meet," his mother called after him.

II.

Little Half Chick was in such a hurry he did not stop to answer his mother. He went on his way and soon came to a little stream. The stream was filled with weeds