Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 28

Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now, what from the egg shall we see?

A beautiful bird.

Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree has leaves, too.

Now, what on the bird may be?

A beautiful feather.

Feather on the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.

Now, what from the feather will be?

A beautiful bed.

Bed from the feather, Feather from the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg in the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree hath leaves, too.

Now, what in that bed may be?

A beautiful child.

Child in the bed, Bed from the feather, Feather from the bird, Bird from the egg, Egg from the nest, Nest on the twig, Twig on the branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground.

Out in the green, green meadow Standeth a fine pear tree, The fine pear tree hath leaves, too, And on it these things all be.

c.o.c.k-ALU AND HEN-ALIE

BY MARY HOWITT

In this tale is shown to you How large the boast of c.o.c.k-alu; But, when he comes to act, you'll see Small hope indeed for Hen-alie; And thus you clearly will perceive That who has great things to achieve Must not stand talking but must do, Else he will fail like c.o.c.k-alu.

For he who would perform the most Will utter no vainglorious boast; But still press onward, staunch and true, With but the honest end in view.

c.o.c.k-alu and Hen-alie sat on the perch above the bean-straw. It was four o'clock in the morning, and c.o.c.k-alu clapped his wings and crowed; then, turning to Hen-alie, he said: "Hen-alie, my little wife, I love you better than all the world, you know I do. I always told you so! I will do anything for you; I'll go round the world for you, I'll travel as far as the sun for you! You know I would! Tell me, what shall I do for you?"

"Crow!" said Hen-alie.

"Oh, that is such a little thing!" said c.o.c.k-alu, and crowed with all his might. He crowed so loud that he woke the farmer's wife, and the dog and the cat, and all the pigeons and horses in the stable, and the cow in the stall. He crowed so loud that all the neighbors' c.o.c.ks heard him and answered him, and they woke all their people; and thus c.o.c.k-alu woke the whole parish.

"I've done it rarely this morning!" said c.o.c.k-alu; "I told you I would do anything to please you!"

The next morning, at breakfast, as Hen-alie was picking beans out of the bean-straw, one stuck in her throat; and she was soon so ill that she was just ready to die.

"Oh, c.o.c.k-alu," said she, calling to him in the yard, where he stood clapping his wings in the sunshine, "run and fetch me a drop of water from the silver-spring in the Beech-wood! Fetch me a drop quickly, while the dew is in it; for that is the true remedy."

But c.o.c.k-alu was so busy crowing against a neighbor that he took no notice.

"Oh, c.o.c.k-alu, do run and fetch me the water from the silver-spring, or I shall die; for the bean sticks in my throat, and nothing but water with dew in it can cure me! Oh, c.o.c.k-alu, dear, run quickly!"

c.o.c.k-alu heard her this time, and set off, crowing as he went. He had not gone far before he met the snail.

"Where are you going, snails?" says he.

"I'm going to the cow-cabbage," says the snail; "and what urgent business may it be that takes you out thus early, c.o.c.k-alu?" says the snail.

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat," says c.o.c.k-alu.

"Oh," says the snail, "run along quickly, and get the water while the dew is in it; for nothing else will get a bean out of the throat. Don't stop by the way, for the bull is coming down to the silver-spring to drink, and he'll trouble the water. Gather up my silver-trail, however, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she'll soon be better!"

c.o.c.k-alu hastily gathered up the silver-trail which the snail left.

"This will make Hen-alie a pair of stockings!" said he, and went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met the wood-pigeon. "Good morning, pigeon," says he; "and which way are you going?"

"I am going to the pea-field," says the pigeon, "to get peas for my young ones; and what may your business be this morning, c.o.c.k-alu!"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat."

"I'm sorry to hear that," says the pigeon; "but don't let me detain you, for water with the dew in it is the best thing to get a bean out of the throat; and let me advise you to make haste, for the bloodhound is going to lap at the spring, and he'll trouble the water. So run along, and here, take with you my blue velvet neck-ribbon, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she'll soon be better."

"Oh, what a nice pair of garters this will make for Hen-alie!" exclaimed c.o.c.k-alu, and went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met the wild-cat. "Good morning, friend,"

says c.o.c.k-alu, "and where may you be going this morning?"

"I'm going to get a young wood-pigeon for my breakfast, while the mother is gone to the pea-field," says the wild-cat; "and where may you be traveling to this morning, c.o.c.k-alu?"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood," replied c.o.c.k-alu, "to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat."

"That's a bad business," says the wild-cat, "but a drop of water with the dew in it is the right remedy; so don't let me keep you; and you had better make haste, for the woodman is on his way to fell a tree by the spring, and if a branch falls into it, the water will be troubled; so off with you! But carry with you a flash of green fire from my right eye, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she'll soon be better."

"Oh, what a beautiful green light, like the green on my best tail-feathers! I'll keep it for myself; it's fitter for me than for Hen-alie!" said c.o.c.k-alu.

So he hung the green light on his tail-feathers, which made them very handsome, and he went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met with the sheep-dog. "Good morning, sheep-dog," says c.o.c.k-alu; "where are you going?"

"I'm going to hunt up a stray lamb for my master," says the sheep-dog, "and what brings you abroad?"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,"

says c.o.c.k-alu.

"Then why do you stop talking to me?" says the sheep-dog, in his short way; "your wife's bad enough, I'll warrant me; and a drop of water with the dew in it is the thing to do her good. Be off with you! The farmer is coming to lay the spring dry this morning. I left him sharpening his mattock when I set out. You'll be too late, if you don't mind!" and with that the sheep-dog went his way.

"An unmannerly fellow," says c.o.c.k-alu, and stood looking after him; "I'll not go at his bidding, not I!" So he clapped his wings and crowed in the wood, just to show that he set light by his advice. "And never to give me anything for poor Hen-alie, that lies sick at home with a bean in her throat! The ill-natured churl!" cried c.o.c.k-alu to himself, and then he stood and crowed again with all his might.

After that he marched on, and before long reached the Beech-wood, but as the silver-spring lay yet a good way off, he had not gone far in the wood before he met the squirrel.

"Good morning, squirrel," says he; "what brings you abroad so early?"

"Early do you call it, c.o.c.k-alu?" says the squirrel; "why, I've been up these four hours; I just stopped to give the young ones their breakfasts, and then set off to silver-spring for a drop of water while the dew was in it; I've got it here in a cherry-leaf. And pray you, what business may take you abroad, c.o.c.k-alu?"