A GOOD FAT HEN

(One of John's Games)

1. A good fat hen.

2. Two ducks.

3. Three plump pigeons.

4. Four squawking wild geese.

5. Five sorrowful kittens that lost their mittens.

6. Six cages filled with singing canaries.

7. Seven hundred soldiers with swords and guns ready for battle.

8. Eight white elephants going to see the king.

9. Nine chattering magpies flying from tree

to tree.

10. Ten boys and girls trying to remember what comes next.

John knew these lines by heart. He started the game by saying, "A good fat hen." Each child in turn said it after him.

Next John said, "Two ducks and a good fat hen." Each child in turn said that after him.

Then John said, "Three plump pigeons, two ducks, and a good fat hen."

Each child tried to remember it. Each tried in turn to say it just as John did. And so the game went on.

You see there are ten parts to remember. Any child who could not remember all that John said each time was out of the game.

Some of the children laughed so much that they forgot to think. But John said it all, without forgetting anything. anything. So he won the

game.

66

THE HAYMAKERS

I

Mother, may Jack and I cut the grass this morning?" said John, one day soon after the rain.

"And may we help?" said Mary and Alice. "May we help, too?" cried Frank, Kate, and Joe.

"Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Allan; "you may all help. The grass does need to be cut, and I think that you children can do it.

"John, you you and Jack may run the lawn mower. Mary and Alice may get the rakes.

"Frank, see if you can find John's express wagon in the barn. You can use that for your hay cart, and Kate and Joe will be your horses. Alice and Mary will rake the grass into piles. Then you can load the grass into your cart and your horses will draw it to the barn."

"Hurrah for our haying party!" shouted Jack. And away scampered the children as fast as they could go.

How they did work!

II

John and Jack took turns at pushing the lawn mower. Mary and Alice raked the grass into piles.

Frank loaded the hay cart again and again, and the fat little horses traveled to the barn and back many times.

Once they sat down to rest.

"Now let me be a horse," said Jack.

"I'll be one too," said John, "and Ned can be driver."

Ned was very happy to be driver. He climbed proudly up on the load of grass in the wagon, but his horses ran away.

"Whoa! Whoa!" he shouted to them, but they scampered about the lawn till they came to a nice big pile of grass. Then they spilled Ned out, right into the middle of it.

"Ha! ha! ha! Do it again!" laughed Ned when he had picked himself up.

"Take me!" cried little Nellie.

But the two horses were kicking their heels in the air and sticking their heads in the grass. It looked such fun to the other children that soon they were all tumbling about in the grass.

III

After a while John said, "We must make hay while the sun shines. Come on, let's get to work!" and off he ran to his lawn mower.