HEN the corn begins to sprout, out. When the leaves are fresh and green, A slender stalk shoots up between. While the stalk keeps on to grow, The tiny ears begin to show. When the ears are long and thin, The pretty silk begins to spin. When the pretty silk is spun, When the summer sun is gone, It's time to gather in the corn. * Adapted from "Youth's Companion," by permission of Lothrop & Co. village grand moth er sweet'ly 1. FAR away in a pleasant village lived a little girl. She was one of the prettiest and best children you ever saw. 2. Her mother loved her dearly, and so did her grandmother, who lived in a little house all by herself. Grandma had given the dear child a little hood of red velvet, and so everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood. 3. One day her mother said to Little Red Riding Hood, "Take this cake and pot of jam to grandma, for I hear she is ill in bed." So Little Red Riding Hood took the things on her arms, and off she went. The village where grandma lived was on the other side of a thick wood. 4. Little Red Riding Hood had to pass through this wood; and, just as she came to the dark part of it, what should she meet but a great ugly wolf! The wolf would have liked to eat her up then and there; but there were some wood-cutters at work near by, and he was afraid they would kill him if he touched her. 5. So the wolf trotted up to the little girl and began to talk sweetly to her. He said: Wolf. Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood. Good morning, Mister Wolf. 6. Wolf. Where are you going so early? Little Red Riding Hood. I'm going to Grandma's house. She is sick. 7. Wolf. And where does she live, my pretty maid? Little Red Riding Hood. Down by the mill, through the wood. Wolf. Well, I should like to see her, too. Do you take the path through the wood, I will go round about: let us see who will be there first. 1. AWAY went the wolf as fast as he could go. In less than no time he stood at the cottage door, and asked in a small, child-like voice to be let in. He called out to the old lady that he was Little Red Riding Hood. He said, Grandma, I have brought you some cake and jam from mother." 66 66 2. Lift the latch, my child, and the bolt will fall," cried out the grandmother from her bed. So in went the great ugly wolf. He crept softly up to the bed, fell on the poor old woman, and quickly gobbled her up. 3. The wolf then latched the door again, put on the grandmother's night-cap and night-gown, jumped into the bed, and with his head buried in the pillow, lay waiting for Little Red Riding Hood. 4. All this while Little Red Riding Hood was walking along through the wood, happy and singing as she went. Now and then she would stop to pluck a wild-flower, or pick some nice blackberries for her grandma. But soon she thought it was time to be going on. So she picked up her basket and set off. |