Beginners' Book in Language Part 8

"This is my workshop," said the strange little old man, as he jumped out of the sleigh. "Some day I shall take you inside. You are the kind of boy I like. I know how you help your father and mother. To-day you have helped me. Here is a little present to take home with you."

He placed something in Peter's hand. Then he hurried up the broad stairs and into the workshop. The big door slammed shut behind him, and at that very moment the sleigh, the reindeer, and the workshop itself suddenly disappeared. Much to his surprise Peter found himself alone in the woods and not far from his father's hut.

He wondered whether he had only dreamed all that had happened. No, that could not be, for he still held in his hand a small leather bag, the present from the little man. Holding this tightly, he hurried to his home.

You may imagine the surprise of his parents and his brother when he told his story. They asked him to tell it again and again. Each one examined the small leather bag. There were two beautiful gold coins in it. Peter gave these to his father and mother.

His father patted him on his curly head.

"We shall spend these for Christmas," he said.

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Which part of this story do you like best? Tell your cla.s.smates what sort of picture you would make with colored crayons for this part of the story. Explain exactly what will be in the picture.

Then make the picture.

2. Why did the strange little old man help Peter? Do you know any story in which a fairy helps good people?

3. Think of the fairy stories that you have heard or read. What is the name of the one you like best? Would it not be fun for each pupil to tell the cla.s.s his favorite fairy story? When you tell yours, do not let it be too long. Tell only the important parts of it.[22]

=Group Exercise.= After each story, you and your cla.s.smates should tell the speaker what you liked in his story and in his telling of it. Then tell what you did not like.

=23. Study of a Poem=

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Tell your cla.s.smates how you think fairies look. How tall do you think they are? What kind of clothes do they wear? After you have answered these questions, draw on the board or on paper, with colored chalks or crayons, a picture of a fairy.

2. Do fairies always walk or run, or can they fly, or have they tiny horses and wagons?

3. Can you see the picture of the fairies in the following lines? What do those lines tell you about fairies that you did not know before?

Their caps of red, their cloaks of green, Are hung with silver bells, And when they're shaken with the wind Their merry ringing swells.

And riding on the crimson moths With black spots on their wings, They guide them down the purple sky With golden bridle rings.

ROBERT M. BIRD, "The Fairy Folk"

4. Where do you think the fairies live? What do they eat? The following poem gives one answer to these questions, and tells us still more about fairies. What is the name of the poem? The child that sings it is afraid of fairies. Do you know any other children that are afraid of them?

[Ill.u.s.tration: "AND RIDING ON THE CRIMSON MOTHS"]

A CHILD'S SONG

Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feather!

Down along the rocky sh.o.r.e Some make their home, They live on crispy pancakes Of yellow tide-foam; Some in the reeds Of the black mountain-lake, With frogs for their watchdogs, All night awake.

Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feather!

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM (Abridged)

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Let us make sure that we understand every line of this pretty poem or song. In the first line, why is the mountain called _airy_? A _rushy glen_ is a narrow valley in which many rushes or swamp reeds grow. Have you ever seen such a place? Draw a picture of a rushy glen.

2. Which lines in the first part of the poem tell about fairies? These fairies go in a troop or band or company. Which line tells us that? With colored crayons draw a picture of a fairy wearing a green jacket, a red cap, and a white owl's feather.

3. The second part, or stanza, of the poem tells where some of these fairies live. What do some of them do all the night? As they watch, who keeps them company?

4. When you read this poem, does it seem to be a song? Do you like the way it reads? Which part do you like best? Draw with colored crayons a picture for this part. Before you draw, explain how the picture looks in your mind. Perhaps you will draw a picture of a troop of fairies, or of a fairy in the reeds with fairy watchdogs near by.

=Memory Exercise.= Which do you like better, this poem you have just studied or the part of another poem about fairies that is printed before this? Read aloud, several times, the one you like better, until you can say it without once looking at the book.

=24. More Telling of Fairy Stories=

PETER VISITS THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN'S WORKSHOP

Over a week had pa.s.sed since Peter's ride in the strange little old man's sleigh, but the little man had not come again. Peter was beginning to fear that he might never return. One afternoon, however, just as the early winter twilight began to darken the great forest, the jingling of sleighbells was heard in front of the toymaker's hut.

"Whoa, Dasher! Steady, Dancer! Whoa, Prancer!" was what Peter heard as he pressed his face against the windowpane. Yes, there were the reindeer, and there, bundled up to his chin in furs, was the strange little old man. He saw Peter at once and made signs to the boy to come along with him. Peter could not put on his cap and coat fast enough. In less than a minute he had climbed into the sleigh, tucked himself in snugly, and was flying over the frozen, snow-covered ground by the side of his strange companion. Soon they had left the lighted hut far behind them and were making their way through the woods on an old logging road that Peter knew. After a while, however, they reached parts of the forest that Peter had never seen. Here grew trees whose names he had never heard. Now and then he caught glimpses of animals that were unlike any of those with which he was familiar. Peter was so much interested in these that he hardly noticed the great building, the little man's workshop, until the sleigh had stopped before the main door of it.

But then he forgot everything else. The big shop was brightly lighted in every story, and the steady hum of machinery filled the evening air.

"We're working overtime now," explained the little man. "You see, Christmas is near."

The humming grew louder and the lights seemed a great deal brighter, as they entered the building. Peter was much excited.

When the inner doors were opened, and Peter stood in the great roaring workshop itself, he could hardly believe his eyes. Before him, in long rows, he saw a thousand pounding and buzzing machines, all running at full speed. Ten thousand workbenches stood in orderly rows beyond the machines. The unending room fairly swarmed with busy workmen, like a hive over-flowing with bees. And such workmen! Each wore a green coat and a red cap, decorated with a white owl's feather. Each was no higher than Peter's knee. They were fairies.

As he stood there, trying to understand it all, troop after troop of the fairies pa.s.sed him. They were pushing long, high baskets, that stood on wheels. Down the long room they rolled these and through a great double swinging door at the other end. These baskets were filled to the top with playthings. Some held dolls, some sleds, some drums. Others were full of various kinds of musical instruments. Still others gave forth the pleasantest smells. They contained cookies and ginger snaps and all sorts of Christmas goodies.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Why, they are all Christmas things!" cried Peter in great surprise, turning to the strange little old man at his side. But the strange little old man was gone, and Peter stood alone in the doorway of this wonderful Christmas workshop.

Before he could decide what to do, a group of little workmen called him by name, as pleasantly as if they had known him all his life.

"Peter, come and help us with this basket!"

"I will," answered Peter.

He was glad to join in the work. Hanging coat and cap on a near-by hook, he put his shoulder against one of the heavy baskets. Soon he had it rolling merrily down the long aisle. Past machines that sawed boards he pushed it, past planing wheels, past long rows of benches where the workers were hammering or gluing or painting, past wide ovens where the little bakers were busy over hundreds of pans of frosted gingerbread--on and on, down the great room he pushed it so fast that his wee comrades were almost left behind. As he pa.s.sed machines and benches and ovens, the workmen looked up from their work an instant. They smiled at the newcomer.

"When you get through with that," shouted the workmen at the saws, "come and help us with these boards."

"All right, I will," said Peter as he moved along with his basket.

"When you get through with the sawing," cried the planers, "come and help us."