Stories Pictures Tell Volume I Part 2

These four pretty kittens must be very happy, for they look as if they were well cared for. That first little kitten at the left-hand side of the picture seems happy. We suspect she is purring. That is the way she lets us know she is happy, just as children sing when they are happy. I am sure she would like to lie in your lap and let you pet her. She holds her head a little to one side, and her bright eyes seem to say, "I may be little, but I'm spry. Just roll a marble toward me, and see."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Four Little Scamps Are We_]

How very wise the second little kitten looks! Perhaps she is proud of her white collar and cuffs. I am sure she keeps them nice and clean.

Such a baby she is, to be so thoughtful! But she likes to play, too, no doubt. What do you suppose she is thinking about? Maybe she is thinking of a nice, soft red ball in a basket in the sewing room, and after her picture is painted perhaps she means to get that ball and surprise the other kittens. Then they will all roll over and over on the floor with it. Or maybe the mamma cat has told her she will show her how to catch a mouse. She will need to keep very quiet then, or the mouse will hear and run away.

The third little kitty is almost all white. She looks as if she saw a bird. We hope she is not such a naughty kitty as to try to catch our pretty birds. I am sure Mr. Adam will not want her to do that, and will teach her better. But, do you know, I believe it is a fly she sees, and I hope she will catch that. She surely does look as if she were planning some mischief as she crouches there ready for anything.

The last little kitten seems to say, "Oh, look at my pretty ribbon! I am the only one of us that wears a ribbon! Is it not fine?" No wonder he holds his head so high! His fur is striped, and he looks like a little tiger kitten.

With such bright eyes and such sharp ears it is no wonder cats hear and see the little mice that go about so quietly. Do you know why a cat has whiskers? They say that the whiskers are always as wide as the widest part of the cat's body, so that when she wants to go through a hole in the fence, or through any narrow place, she can tell whether the opening is large enough. If her whiskers just touch, she can go through all right; but if they are pushed back, then it is of no use for her to try, for there will not be room enough to pa.s.s.

Have you ever noticed the color of little kittens' eyes? They are nearly always blue when the kittens are very little, but turn yellow as they grow older. Their eyes are very different from ours, for they can see in the dark as well as in the daytime.

What soft little cushions they have on their feet! No wonder they can go about so quietly. When they like you, they keep their claws hidden in those cushions, and so they do not scratch when they play with you.

Did you ever watch a cat sharpen her claws? She usually sharpens them on the trunk of a tree, but sometimes she likes to sharpen them on the carpet or rug. Your mamma does not like that. Even little kittens have very sharp teeth and claws, and if you tease them, or they are afraid, they bite and scratch. These little kittens look as if they had never been teased or felt cross, and we would not be a bit afraid to pet them.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where do you suppose Mr. Adam put these kittens when he wanted to paint them? Why put them in a gla.s.s cage? Why have wire over the top? Why do the kittens like to stay in the cage? Which of the kittens has a ribbon around the neck? How does he seem to feel? What does the next kitten seem to be about to do? What color is she? What is the next little kitten doing? How does a kitten tell us that she is happy? Why does a cat have whiskers? How do a cat's eyes differ from ours? What have cats on their feet that help them to walk quietly? Of what use are their claws? What does a cat do when she is angry? How does she sharpen her claws? What does she do with them if she likes you?

=To the Teacher:= Allow the children to talk freely of their kittens at home. Have them draw a kitten with charcoal on manila paper. Even if the results are not much in themselves, their powers of observation will be quickened, as is always shown when the same drawing is attempted a few days later.

=The story of the artist.= We know that Mr. Adam must have been very fond of cats, because he has painted so many pictures of them; but that is all we really do know of him. One authority gives the first letter of his name as S., the dates of his birth and death as 1801 and 1867, and his birthplace, Italy. Another authority gives the same dates but the initial letter J. and the birthplace, France. The paintings are signed T. or J. Adam, but no record has been kept of the artist's life.

=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? Why do you think he must have liked cats?

MADONNA OF THE CHAIR

=Original Picture:= Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy.

=Artist:= Raphael Sanzio (rf[+a] el snzyo).

=Birthplace:= Urbino, Italy.

=Dates:= Born, 1483; died, 1520.

=Questions to arouse interest.= Whom do you see in this picture? Who is sitting in the chair? Who leans against the mother's knee? What is he holding under his arm? At whom is he looking? Why do you think he loves the baby? How many have a baby brother at home? What has the mother on her head? Around her shoulders? What makes you think the baby is not sitting very still? Who painted this picture?

=The story of the picture.= A long time ago a good old man whose name was Bernardo lived all alone in a little house in the woods. If people were lost in the woods, or tired, or hungry, they always came to him and he would help them. It was his work to take care of the trees and see that only the oldest and largest were cut down. But there was one large oak near his house he never would let the men cut. Its branches kept his house cool in summer with their shade, and in the winter they sheltered it from the bitter cold winds. Bernardo, living all alone and with no one to talk to, used to talk to the tree. And the big oak would nod its branches as if it understood every word.

All the trees belonged to a man who used the wood to make barrels. He made hundreds and hundreds of barrels, and though it took a great many trees to give him wood enough, he always spared the oak tree.

Sometimes when this man came out to see about his trees his little daughter Mary came with him. And so Bernardo and little Mary became great friends. In fact, the old man said he had only two friends, the oak to whom he talked and little Mary who talked to him.

One day there was a dreadful storm and Bernardo's little house shook so in the wind that he was afraid to stay in it. He looked at the oak tree, and it seemed to motion to him and tell him to come into its branches, where he would be safe. So he put some bread in his pocket, for he knew the storm would last a long time, and climbed up into the tree. It was a good thing he did so, too, for very soon his house was blown down. Hundreds of birds also hid among the branches of the big tree during the storm, which lasted three days.

The old man wished he had brought more bread to eat, for the ground was covered with water so deep he did not dare leave the tree. Just as he began to think he would starve, Mary and her father came in search of him and took him to their home. Little Mary had been thinking of him all the time, and just as soon as they could they had come for him. So you see his two friends, Mary and the oak, had saved his life, and Bernardo loved them more than ever. He prayed that in some way his two good friends might always be remembered together.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Madonna of the Chair_]

Many years after, Bernardo died. By that time the oak was so old it seemed as if it would fall over and break the other trees near it, or maybe hurt somebody. So it was cut down, and Mary's father had it made into fine new barrels. By this time the little Mary had grown up, was married, and had two fine boys of her own. She was sitting out on the nice big porch of her home one day, holding the baby in her arms, when the older boy came running to her to show her a stick which one of the workmen had carved into a cross. And who should happen to be pa.s.sing the house at that very moment but the great artist, Raphael.

When he looked up and saw the lovely mother and her children, he thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. He was on his way home after a long walk, and did not even have his paints with him. But he saw the empty barrels in the yard, and choosing one with a nice smooth head, he drew on it, with a piece of charcoal, a picture of Mary and her children. He took the drawing home with him and painted this great picture. So the old man's wish came true, for this barrel end made from the old oak tree, with the picture of Mary and her children upon it, has become famous over all the world.

Such a round-faced, healthy, happy-looking baby, held tight in the loving clasp of his mother's strong arms! Perhaps he is getting tired of sitting so long for his picture, and wants to go down and see what the artist is doing. His chubby little arms and feet make us think he is not sitting very still. His lovely mother bends her head toward him. Her head is covered with a handkerchief, and there is such a beautiful shawl around her shoulders. The older boy looks with love and adoration at his sweet baby brother, who is looking toward us.

What a beautiful old carved chair they must have been sitting in!

The mother's face was so good and kind, and she looked so lovely there on the porch with her children, that she reminded Raphael of that other mother, Mary, the mother of the baby Jesus. The elder brother looked like the little St. John adoring Jesus. So Raphael painted a halo around their heads and called the picture the "Madonna of the Chair." This halo is a ring of light which artists often paint around the heads of angels and saints. Raphael wanted to make us think loving and tender thoughts about the baby Jesus, Mary, and St. John.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Who was Bernardo? Where did he live? What did he do? Why did he not cut down the oak tree near his house? To whom did he talk? How did the oak tree seem to answer him? Who was Mary? Tell about the storm. How long did it last? Who came in search of Bernardo? Why did he pray that his two friends might be remembered together? What became of the oak tree?

of Mary? Who painted her picture? Where was she? On what did the artist paint the picture? why? Why is the picture round? How did this make Bernardo's wish come true? Of whom did Mary and her children make the artist think? Why did he paint the halo around their heads? What is a halo? Why is the picture called the "Madonna of the Chair"? Of whom did the artist want to make us think?

=To the Teacher:= Have the children retell the story of the picture.

=The story of the artist.= Raphael's father was a painter, and belonged to a family of painters. Perhaps there never was a more fortunate little boy born to more loving parents. And perhaps that, too, is the reason he grew up with such pleasant ways and such a sweet nature that every one who knew him loved him. It made people happy just to be with him.

Raphael's father taught him how to mix paints, and showed him how to wash and care for his brushes. He gave him his first lessons in drawing and painting. Raphael's mother died when he was only eight years old, but he had a stepmother who was very good to him indeed, and helped him all she could. A few years later his father died, and so it was through the help of a generous uncle that he was sent to the studio of the great artist, Perugino, to study. The artist-teacher was very fond and very proud of Raphael, whose work soon became even better than his own.

Raphael was never jealous or unkind toward others who did things better than he could do them. And he made those who could not do so well as he feel kindly toward him and be glad of his success. He did all he could to help poor artists, and was never too busy to see them.

Whenever he went to court to see the king and queen he was just like a prince in a fairy story. About fifty of these poorer artists and friends always went with him to show everybody how much they loved and admired him. It was just like a parade.

One day the Pope--Pope Julius--sent for him and told him that he wanted him to paint some good pictures on the walls of four of the rooms in his palace, the Vatican. On these walls pictures had been painted which the Pope did not like, and he thought Raphael would know just what to do to make his palace the most beautiful in the world.

Raphael worked very hard, for he wanted to please the Pope. Many of the pictures had to be painted on the ceilings, and he had to lie flat on his back on a large board placed across two ladders. You may be sure he grew very tired.

Some days he took long walks in the country. It was when returning from one of these long walks that he painted the "Madonna of the Chair." He painted over forty Madonnas. This Madonna is seated in a chair, and that is why it is called the "Madonna of the Chair," or "_Madonna della Sedia_." Most of his paintings are of stories told in the Bible. He painted over two hundred eighty-seven pictures. The artist's last name was Sanzio, but people have always called him by his first name, Raphael.

=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? What kind of a boy was he? Why did people like him? Who taught him to draw and paint?

Who else helped him? What happened when he went to see the king and queen? What did the Pope ask him to do? How did he paint the ceiling?

Where did he like to walk? How did he happen to paint this picture?

What kind of pictures did he usually paint? How many Madonnas did he paint? How many pictures all together?

MISS BOWLES

=Artist:= Sir Joshua Reynolds (renuldz).

=Birthplace:= Plympton, Devonshire, England.

=Dates:= Born, 1723; died, 1792.