Beginners' Book in Language Part 9

Peter smiled at them. "I will," he shouted back as loud as he could, so as to be heard above the noise of the machinery.

"When you finish planing," the painters called to him next, "come and help us."

"I will," Peter replied. "I like to paint, anyway."

Now he pa.s.sed the bakers. They tossed him a cooky. "When you finish painting," they said, "perhaps you will come and help us."

"That I gladly will," answered Peter in his pleasantest tone. It was quieter here, and he did not need to shout.

At last he reached the double swinging door. Through this he had seen basket after basket disappear before him. Here was the storeroom. It was even larger than the workroom. The walls were lined with shelves, on which were placed the Christmas things. This was an interesting place, but Peter had no time to stay. He was eager to help at the machine saws, at the planing machines, at the workbenches, and in the bakeshop. So he hurried back to these. He did first one thing, then another, as he was needed. He was used to work and liked to help.

The fairies were careful workers and jolly comrades. Now and then they sang as they worked. Then the machines themselves, like the fingers and arms and legs of the workmen, seemed to move faster and the work to be easier.

Suddenly a loud but very pleasant whistle sounded through the mighty workshop. It was the signal for a recess. The machines stopped. The fairies laid down their tools and brushes. All was quiet for a time. Now another kind of fun began. The fairies started various games. They formed rings and danced round and round as they sang:

"Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!

As the light-hearted fairy? heigh ho, Heigh ho!"

They played at guessing riddles. These were about toys.

"You see," whispered a fairy who explained everything to Peter, "when the snow comes, and Christmas is near, we leave our homes in the woods and spend our winters making toys for all the good children in the world. Sometimes we cannot make all the toys we need, but we do not wish a single child anywhere to be without a Christmas."

Peter soon learned that the fairies took pride in speaking correctly. Those who sometimes made mistakes played special games to help themselves get over bad speaking habits. At one place they stood like soldiers in a row and p.r.o.nounced words that were printed on the board.

"Don't you sometimes wish for the woods and moonlight nights?"

asked Peter.

He could not hear the answer. At a signal the machinery had started again. The fairies were hurrying back to their places. Peter took his place with the rest. He worked steadily at one job and another.

The time flew by. Another whistle blew, and it was time to stop for the day. Then the strange little old man appeared.

"It's time for you to go back home," he said. "Should you like to be here always?"

"Oh, yes," answered Peter. "But I have pleasant work to do at home too."

The strange little old man took a ring from his pocket and held it up before the boy's eager face.

"You are the kind of boy I like," he said. "You are willing to help and work. Take this ring home with you. I give it to you. It is a magic ring. Wear it on Christmas Day. On that day wish any one thing you please. The ring will get it for you."

While he was talking they had walked to the main door of the building. Peter had put on his cap and coat. Now the door stood open, and they said good-bye. Peter walked slowly down the steps, staring at the magic ring on his finger. When he reached the last step, he turned and looked back. In the doorway stood the strange little old man, watching him. Peter thought he looked different.

Yes, he seemed taller and stouter than before. He seemed jollier.

Peter glanced at the red cap, red coat, and leather leggings he wore. He noticed the laughing face, the twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and white beard.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Can this be Santa Claus?" he thought.

Instantly the great workshop disappeared. Peter found himself, as before, not far from his father's house. His parents and brother caught sight of him as he came out of the forest, and they ran out to meet him. They listened in astonishment to what he told them he had seen. They could not admire enough the magic ring on his finger.

=Oral Exercise.=[34] 1. What interested you most as you read the story about Peter? What kind of picture should you make with colored crayons for the part of the story you liked best? Draw the picture after you have told your cla.s.smates about it.

2. Do you remember what kind of boy Peter's brother, Joseph, was? What do you think he would have done if he, instead of Peter, had been in that workshop? What might have happened to him?

3. Play the part of the story about Peter that tells of Peter and the fairies as they worked together in the great toyshop. Who shall be Peter? Who shall be the fairies at the saws? Who shall be the bakers?

Who shall be the painters? What toys and things will you make?

4. Play the same part of the story but as it would have happened if Joseph had been there instead of Peter.

5. Make believe that, as you awoke one Sat.u.r.day morning, you found a letter on your pillow. When you read it, you learned that it was from a fairy. This fairy invited you to meet him at the old tree near the school-house. When you met him there, you and he went off into the woods. Tell your cla.s.smates what happened. It may be that your story will be somewhat like that of Peter. Still, you may have seen and heard and done things that were very different.

=25. Making Riddles=

You remember that during the recess in Santa Claus's workshop some of the fairies made riddles. Peter said that these were about toys. Here are two they might have made:

It has two arms, two legs, and a head, like a human being, but it cannot walk or work or talk. What is it?

I spend most of my life in a little wooden box. I press against its cover day and night. I want to get out. Oh, how I leap when some one opens the box! Oh, how frightened little girls and boys look when they first see me! What am I?

=Oral Exercise.= 1. Of course you have guessed the first of these two riddles. But can you guess the second one?

2. Make riddles for your cla.s.smates to guess, about toys and other things that are suitable for Christmas presents.

=26. Making Riddles Better=

A schoolgirl once made this riddle:

It makes beautiful colors. Children like it. What is it?

The answer is, a box of crayons.

=Oral Exercise.= Do you think this riddle can be made better? Is anything important left out? Is it bright enough? Try to make a better riddle about the box of crayons.

A schoolmate changed the riddle of the box of crayons. He thought this was better:

We are twelve little men in a little tight box. Each one of us writes his name in a different color. What are we?

=Oral Exercise.= Which of the two riddles do you like better? Can you tell why? Does the first riddle say anything about the box? Does it tell that anything is in a box?

Three other schoolmates made up other riddles about the box of crayons.

Here they are: