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LESSON 4
A BOY was one day sitting on the steps of a door. He had a broom in one hand, and in the other a large piece of bread and butter, which somebody had kindly given him. While he was eating it, and merrily
humming
a tune, he saw a poor little dog quietly sleeping not far from him. He called out to him, “Come here, poor fellow!”
The dog, hearing himself kindly spoken to, rose, pricked up his ears, and wagged his tail. Seeing the boy eating, he came near him. The boy held out to him a piece of his bread and butter. As the dog stretched out his head to take it, the boy hastily drew back his hand and hit him a hard rap on the nose. The poor dog ran away, howling most dreadfully,
while the cruel
boy sat laughing at the mischief
he had done.
A gentleman, who was looking from a window on the other side of the street, saw what the wicked boy had done. Opening the street door, he called him to cross over; at the same time holding up a sixpence between his finger and thumb.
“Would you like this?” said the gentleman.
“Yes, if you please, sir,” said the boy, smiling; and he hastily ran over to seize
the money.
Just at the moment that he stretched out his hand, he got so severe
a rap on the knuckles, from a cane which the gentleman had behind him, that he roared out like a bull!
“What did you do that for?” said he, making a very long face, and rubbing his hand. “I didn’t hurt you, nor ask you for the sixpence.”
“What did you hurt that poor dog for just now?” said the gentleman. “He didn’t hurt you, nor ask you for your bread and butter. As you served
him I have served you. Now, remember
dogs can feel as well as boys, and learn to behave kindly towards dumb animals in future.
”
What did the dog think he was going to get? What did the boy do to him? How was the boy punished? What did he say? What did the gentleman tell him to remember?
eat´-ing fel´-low smil´-ing be-tween´ to´-wards
qui´-et-ly has´-ti-ly o´-pen-ing be-have´ an´-i-mals
laugh´-ing six´-pence knuck´-les kind´-ly gen´-tle-man
The following are all the words required in this Exercise.
glit´-ters need´-y may per-form´
com-mand´ quar´-rel num´-ber tongue
IT takes two to make a __________.
All is not gold that __________.
Be slow to promise, but quick to __________.
A young man idle, an old man __________.
Do what you ought, come what __________.
Keep good company, and be one of the __________.
Better to slip with the foot than with the __________.
Command your temper, lest it __________ you.
LESSON 5
UNDER the shade of a tree, at the end of one of the twigs, hangs a tiny little nest. It swings in the air, and is as light as a feather; for it is made chiefly of moss and down.
It is very snug; and within it lie two tiny eggs, of the size of peas, and as white as snow.
Watch a moment, and we shall see what bird it is that has built the nest; for she has only gone to have a sip of honey. It is a lovely place to watch in. Flowers scent
the air. Yonder is a deep wood; and strange flowers of every shape and size grow all about. Some are like monkeys, some like bees, some like butterflies. These flowers are called orchids. They grow in England, only not nearly so large as in warm countries.
Hark! the bird is coming. It is the smallest bird in the whole world. Its body is no bigger than a hazel-nut. But its feathers are more lovely than I can describe.
It has a green crest on its head, which sparkles
like a little star. The colours on its body are green, and gold, and purple. You can scarcely tell where one ends and another begins.
If you look about, you will see more of these little creatures. They are called humming-birds, and live in hot countries, —in India, as well as in America. The woods and groves are alive with them. They flash about here and there, clad in all the colours of the rainbow. The eye is never tired of watching them.
The humming-bird in the picture is sitting on its eggs, to hatch its young ones. When the mother bird is tired, her mate
comes and takes her place. Then up she springs, and darts away into the woods, where she chooses
some flower that has honey in it.
As she hovers
in the air, she moves her wings about so quickly that you can hardly see them. Her wings make a humming sound as she hovers over the flower; and it is from this that she gets her name.
But she is thinking now about the insects.
There are a great many of these, hidden at the bottom of the fl ower. She soon spies them out, and she darts her long tongue into the midst of them. Some insects stick to it; for the tongue is sticky, as if it had been rubbed with glue. The insects are drawn into her mouth; she swallows them, and then darts out her tongue for more.
All this time, she is hovering over the flower, and humming with her wings. When she has had enough of insects, she sips a little honey, and fl ies back to her nest.
Of what is the nest of the humming-bird made? Where does it hang? What is the size of the bird? In what kind of countries do they live? What is the humming-bird in the picture doing? Who takes her place when she is tired? What causes the humming? What do these birds feed upon?
feath´-er monk´-eys scarce´-ly rain´-bow hid´-den
chief´-ly but´-ter-fl ies crea´-tures pic´-ture swal´-lows
flow´-ers or´-chids col´-ours quick´-ly e-nough´
LESSON 6
THE humming-bird! the humming-bird!
So fairy-like and bright;
It lives amongst the sunny flowers,
A creature of delight!
In the radiant
islands of the East,
Where fragrant
spices grow,
A thousand thousand humming-birds
Go glancing
to and fro.
Like living fires they flit about,
Scarce larger than a bee,
Amongst the broad palmetto
leaves,
And through the fan-palm
tree.
There builds her nest the humming-bird,
Within the ancient
wood,
Her nest of silky cotton-down,
And rears her tiny brood.
She hangs it to a slender
twig,
Where it waves light and free,
As the campanero
tolls his song
While rocks the mighty tree.
All crimson is her shining breast,
Like to the red, red rose;
Her wing is the changeful green and blue
That the neck of the peacock shows.
Thou happy, happy humming-bird,
No winter round thee lowers;
Thou never saw’st a leafl ess tree,
Nor land without sweet fl owers:
A reign of summer joyfulness
To thee for life is given;
Thy food the honey from the fl ower,
Thy drink the dew from heaven!
—MARY HOWITT
fai´-ry-like thou´-sand change´-ful sum´-mer spic´-es
sun´-ny crim´-son pea´-cock joy´-ful-ness liv´-ing
isl´-ands shin´-ing leaf´-less hon´-ey hap´-py
