Harry's Ladder to Learning Part 11

JUNE.

What noise is that? It is the mower in the field whetting his scythe. He is going to cut down the gra.s.s. And will he cut down all the flowers too? Yes, everything. Now we must make hay. Where is your fork and rake?

Spread the hay. Now make it up into c.o.c.ks. Now tumble on the hayc.o.c.k.

There, cover Harry up with hay. How sweet the hay smells! Oh, it is very hot. No matter; you should make hay while the sun shines. You must work well. See! all the lads and la.s.ses are at work. They must have some beer, and bread and cheese. Now put the hay in the cart. Will you ride in the cart? Huzza!

It is a pleasant evening. Come here, Harry: look at the sun. The sun is in the west. Yes, little boys say he is going to bed. How pretty the sun looks! We can look at him now; he is not so bright as he was at dinner-time, when he was up high in the sky. And how beautiful the clouds are! There are crimson clouds, and purple and gold-coloured clouds. Now we can see only half of the sun. Now he is gone.

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JULY.

It is very hot, indeed, now, and the gra.s.s and flowers are all burnt, for it has not rained a great while. You must water your garden, else the plants will die. Where is the watering-pot? Let us go under the trees. It is shady there: it is not so hot. Come into the arbour. There is a bee upon the honey-suckle. He is getting honey. He will carry it to the hive.

Will you go and bathe in the water? Here is the river. It is not deep.

Pull off your clothes. Jump in. Do not be afraid. Pop your head in. Now try to swim. Do you see that little frog? You should swim just as the little frog swims.

Now you have been in the water long enough. Come out, and let me dry you with this towel.

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AUGUST.

Let us go into the corn-fields to see if the corn is almost ripe. Yes, it is quite brown; it is ripe. Farmer Diggory! you must bring a sharp sickle and cut down the corn; it is ripe. Now it must be tied up in sheaves. Now put a great many sheaves together, and make a shock.

There is a poor old woman picking up some ears of corn; and a poor little girl with her. They are gleaning. Give them your handful, Harry.

Take it, poor woman, it will help to make you a loaf.

Look, there are black clouds. How fast they move along! Now they have hid the sun. There is a little bit of blue sky still. Now it is all covered with black clouds. It is very dark, like night. It will rain soon. Now it begins. What large drops! The ducks are very glad, but the little birds are not glad; they go and shelter themselves under the trees. Now the rain is over. It was only a shower. Now the flowers smell sweet, and the sun shines, and the little birds sing again, and it is not so hot as it was before it rained.

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SEPTEMBER.

Hark! somebody is letting off a gun! They are shooting the poor birds.

Here is a bird dropped down just at your feet. It is all b.l.o.o.d.y. Poor thing! how it flutters! Its wing is broken. It cannot fly any further.

It is going to die. What bird is it? It is a partridge. Are you not sorry, Harry? It was alive a little while ago.

Bring the ladder, and set it against the tree. Now bring a basket. We must gather apples. No, you cannot go up the ladder; you must have a little basket, and pick up apples under the tree. Shake the tree. Down they come. How many have you got? We will have an apple-dumpling. Come, you must help to carry the apples into the apple-chamber. Apples make cyder. You shall have some baked pears and bread for supper, and some cyder. Are these apples? No, they are quinces; they will make marmalade.

Do not be in such haste, little boy; you shall have some cyder directly.

You must not drink much.

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The leaves are falling off the trees now, and the flowers are all gone.

No, here is an African marigold, and a China-aster, and a Michaelmas daisy. And here are a few roses left.

Will you have any nuts? Fetch the nut-crackers. Peel this walnut. I will make you a little boat of the walnut-sh.e.l.l, and you can swim it in a pan. We must get the grapes, or else the birds will eat them all. Here is a bunch of black grapes. Here is a bunch of white ones. Which will you have? Grapes make wine.

What bird have you got there? It is dead, but it is very pretty. It has a scarlet eye, and red, and green, and purple feathers. It is very large. It is a pheasant. He is very good to eat. We will pull off his feathers, and tell Betty Cook to roast him. Here is a hare too. Poor puss! the hounds did catch her.

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NOVEMBER.

How dark and dismal it is! No more flowers! no more pleasant sunshine!

no more haymaking! The sky is very black: the rain pours down. Well, never mind it; we will sit by the fire, and read, and tell stories, and look at pictures. I wonder what poor little boys do that have no fire to go to, and no shoes and stockings to keep them warm, and no victuals to eat? Here is a halfpenny, Harry, and when you see one of those poor boys you shall give it to him. He will say, "Thank you, you are very good!" and then he will buy a roll.

Where are Billy, and Harry, and Betsy? Now tell me who can spell best.

Good boy! Now you shall all have some cake. That is right, Jane, shut the cupboard door.

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DECEMBER.

Christmas is coming, and Betty is very busy. What is she doing? She is paring apples, and chopping meat, and beating spice. What for, I wonder?