McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey (classic reads txt) 📖

in the woods.

3. But how did Patty teach them to be so tame? Patty came to the woods often, and was always so quiet and gentle that the squirrels soon found they need not be afraid of her.

4. She brought her bread and milk to eat under the trees, and was sure to leave crumbs for the squirrels.

5. When they came near, she sat very still and watched them. So, little by little, she made them her friends, till, at last, they would sit on her shoulder, and eat from her hand.

6. Squirrels build for themselves summer houses. Those are made of leaves, and sticks, and moss. They are nice and cool for summer, but would never do for the winter cold and snow.

7. So these wise little people find a hollow in an old tree. They make it warm and snug with soft moss and leaves; and here the squirrels live all through the long winter.

LESSON XXVII.

fright'ened int end' wheat Thom'as com plains' plums

choose shock'ing spar'row rip'est rob'bing

break'fast plen'ty share treat tales wait

[Illustration: Sparrow perched on snow-covered branch.]

THE SPARROW.

1. Glad to see you, little bird;
   'Twas your little chirp I heard:
   What did you intend to say?
   "Give me something this cold day"?

2. That I will, and plenty, too;
   All the crumbs I saved for you.
   Don't be frightened—here's a treat:
   I will wait and see you eat.

3. Shocking tales I hear of you;
   Chirp, and tell me, are they true?
   Robbing all the summer long;
   Don't you think it very wrong?

4. Thomas says you steal his wheat;
   John complains, his plums you eat—
   Choose the ripest for your share,
   Never asking whose they are.

5. But I will not try to know
   What you did so long ago:
   There's your breakfast, eat away;
   Come to see me every day.

LESSON XXVIII.

aft'er noon sup'per deep length car'riage threw hedge stood tru'ly road few sad

[Illustration: Woman and boy riding in carriage pulled by horse.
Man in foreground holding gate open for carriage.]

SAM AND HARRY.

1. One fine summer afternoon, Sam was walking home from school. He went along slowly, reading a book.

2. Sam had spent all his money for the book, but he was a happy boy.

3. At length he came into the highroad, where there was a gate. A blind man stood, holding it open.

4. The poor man said, "Please give me a few cents to buy some bread!" But Sam gave him nothing.

5. What! did Sam give the poor blind man nothing? Yes; for, as I told you, he had spent all his money.

6. So Sam walked on, very sad. Soon after, a fine carriage came up, and in it were Harry and his mother.

7. The blind man stood, and held out his hat. "Let us give the poor man something," said Harry to his mother.

8. His mother gave him some cents. Harry took them, but did not put them into the man's hat.

9. He threw them into the hedge as far as he could. The poor man could not find them, for, you know, ho was blind.

10. Sam had turned back to look at the fine carriage. He saw Harry throw the cents into the hedge; so he came back at once, and looked for the money until he found it all for the blind man.

11. This took so long a time, that he almost lost his supper.

12. Which of the boys do you think was truly kind to the poor man?

13. I know which he thanked most in his heart.

LESSON XXIX.

rip'pling fringe stray thou mill

vil'lage brink clear wild hill

course bathe tiny pool rill

THE LITTLE HILL.

1. Run, run, thou tiny rill;
   Run, and turn the village mill;
   Run, and fill the deep, clear pool
   In the woodland's shade so cool,
   Where the sheep love best to stray
   In the sultry summer day;
   Where the wild birds bathe and drink,
   And the wild flowers fringe the brink.

[Illustration: Mill, with mill pond in foreground.]

2. Run, run, thou tiny rill,
   Round the rocks, and down the hill;
   Sing to every child like me;
   The birds will join you, full of glee:
   And we will listen to the song
   You sing, your rippling course along.

LESSON XXX.

has'tened pos'si ble bal'ance Ed'gar save

boat'man dan'ger quick'ly move trip

stretched sev'er al start'ed folks fell

THE BOAT UPSET.

1. "Sit still, children. Do not move about in the boat," said Mr. Rose to the young folks he was taking for a trip on the water.

2. The boat was a large one, and could not easily be upset. There were in it Mr. and Mrs. Rose, the boatman, and several little boys and girls.

3. "Keep still, please, young gentlemen," said the boatman, when Edgar Rose and Thomas Read began to move from one side to the other.

4. They kept quiet for a short time only. Edgar soon wanted a stick which Thomas held in his hand. He lost his balance in trying to get the stick, and fell into the water.

[Illustration: Overturned boat, people clinging to boat and debris.
Another boat approaching.]

5. Mr. and Mrs. Rose both started up, and stretched out their arms to save him; but in so doing, they upset the boat.

6. Every one fell into the water, and all were in the greatest danger of being drowned.

7. Another boat was near, with but one man in it. He hastened to them as quickly as possible, and saved them from drowning.

8. Children should always be careful and quiet when they are in a boat on the water, and should obey what older people tell them.

LESSON XXXI. MARY'S LETTER.

[Illustration: Script Exercise:

Forest Hill, June 25, 1878 My Dear Fanny: This morning while out rowing, we all came near being drowned. Brother Ed, in trying to take a stick from Tom Reed, tripped and fell out of the boat. Papa and Mamma caught at him to save him, and before we knew it we were all in the water. The boat upset and how we were all saved I can hardly tell. A man in another boat which was near, picked us up. Had it not been for this, you would to-day have no cousin. Mary Rose.

]

LESSON XXXII.

li'on bod'y stripes de light' Eng'lish

prey ti'ger col'lar ti'gress fright'ful

seize chain un like' swift'est an'i mals

roar gi'ant slight'est of'fi cers whisk'ers

[Illustration: Tigress carrying cub away from tent.
Playing card scattered on ground.]

THE TIGER.

1. The tiger is a giant cat. His body is nearly covered with black stripes.

2. Unlike the lion, he runs so fast that the swiftest horse can not overtake him. He goes over the ground by making bounds or springs, one after another.

3. By night, as well as by day, the tiger watches for his prey. With a frightful roar, he will seize a man, and carry him off.

4. Have you ever thought what use whiskers are to cats? Lions have great whiskers, and so have tigers and all other animals of the cat kind.

5. Whenever you find an animal with whiskers like the cat's, you may be sure that animal steals softly among branches and thick bushes.

6. By the slightest touch on the tiger's whiskers, he knows when there is anything in his road.

7. A few years ago, some English officers went out to hunt. When coming home from their day's sport, they found a little tiger kitten.

8. They took it with them and tied it, with a collar and chain, to the pole of their tent. It played about, to the delight of all who saw it.

9. One evening, just as it was growing dark, they heard a sound that frightened them greatly. It was the roar of a tiger.

10. The kitten pulled at the chain, and tried to break away. With a sharp cry, it answered the voice outside.

11. All at once, a large tigress bounded into the middle of the tent. She caught her kitten by the neck, and broke the chain which bound it.

12. Then turning to the door of the tent, she dashed away as suddenly as she had come.

LESSON XXXIII.

then u'su al cous'in fire'side sew'ing (so-)

Ka'tie bet'ter crac'kle knit'ting per haps'

Jane rea'son to-night' hap'pi er in struct'ive

THE FIRESIDE.

1. One winter night, Mrs. Lord and her two little girls sat by a bright fire in their pleasant home. The girls were sewing, and their mother was busy at her knitting.

[Illustration: Mother and two girls sewing under a lamp.]

2. At last, Katie finished her work, and, looking up, said, "Mother, I think the fire is brighter than usual. How I love to hear it crackle!"

3. "And I was about to say," cried Mary, "that this is a better light than we had last night."

4. "My dears," said their mother, "it must be that you feel happier than usual to-night. Perhaps that is the reason why you think the fire better, and the light brighter."

5. "But, mother," said Mary, "I do not see why we are happier now than we were then; for last night cousin Jane was here, and we played 'Puss in the corner' and 'Blind man' until we all were tired."

6. "I know! I know why!" said Katie. "It is because we have all been doing something useful to-night. We feel happy because we have been busy."

7. "You are right, my dear," said their mother. "I am glad you have both learned that there may be something more pleasant than play, and, at the same time, more instructive."

LESSON XXXIV.

dew'drops hop'ping la'zi est bends sung

pa'tience in stead' dar'ling ought rest

slum'ber my self ' re ply' miss lose

BIRDIE'S MORNING SONG.

1. Wake up, little darling, the birdies are out,
   And here you are