The Nursery, May 1881, Vol. XXIX A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

FOR YOUNGEST READERS.

VOLUME XXIX.--No. 5.

BOSTON: THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY, NO. 36 BROMFIELD STREET. 1881.

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1881, by THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

& SON.

UNIVERSITY PRESS.]

IN PROSE.

PAGE The Bold Soldier-Boys 129 Papa Robin 132 Carlo and the Ducks 135 Picking Oranges 139 Mary and Jenny 144 Drawing-Lesson 145 Piggy's Spoon 146 Bouncer 148 Harry and John 154 "Inches" 155

IN VERSE.

PAGE The Army of Geese that Came over the Lea 131 The Naughty Cat 136 The May-Queen 141 Sing, Pretty Birds 143 The Traveller 147 The Mouse-Trap 151 One Cat and Two Pigs 152 Small Beginning 157 Jenny Wren 159 Daddy Frog (with music) 160

THE BOLD SOLDIER-BOYS.

"FORWARD, my brave boys!" shouted Colonel Bob, rising in his stirrups, and waving his sword. "You see the enemy before you. Charge!"

There stood the enemy in stern defiance,--four chairs, one table, and a sofa,--there they stood, with a plastered wall in their rear, and calmly awaited the attack.

The fiery steed of Colonel Bob reared and plunged, as if eager to dash upon the foe. The roll of the drum made a fearful sound. The standard-bearer waved his flag. The army came rushing on. Snap the dog barked furiously. But above all the din was heard the shout of Colonel Bob, "Forward, my brave boys!"

Not a picture started from its frame. Not a chair moved. But all of a sudden the door opened, and a face looked in. It was Colonel Bob's papa.

"What's all this noise about, Robert?" said he. "This is not the place for such games. Go out of doors if you want to play soldier. I can't have such a drumming and shouting in the house."

This was rather a damper on Colonel Bob's military zeal; but what came next was still worse.

"Do any of you boys know where to-day's 'Advertiser' is?" asked papa.

Colonel Bob came down from his high horse, threw aside his plume, took off his chapeau, and handed it to his papa.

There was the "Advertiser" of that very day, folded up as a soldier-cap.

"Well, that's pretty business," said his papa, laughing. "Please give me a chance to read the papers before you use them in this way." And he went out and shut the door.

Colonel Bob stood leaning on his horse as if in deep thought. At last he said, "Boys, this movement has failed. We must change our base. Follow me." And he led the army out into the back garden.

UNCLE SAM.

THE GEESE THAT CAME OVER THE LEA.

WE talked and we laughed As we went to the sea, When an army of geese Came over the lea, With a cack, cack, cackle, And a pat, pat, patter; And, oh, what a fright We were in, all three! Which were the greater geese,-- Just we three, Or the army of geese That came over the lea?

E. N. G.

PAPA ROBIN.

ONE summer morning Elizabeth sat on the doorstep, reading. But she looked up often to see the birds fly about, or to watch the butterflies go sailing past.

By and by she heard a shrill chirping. "Poor little bird," she thought, "where can it be? Is it hurt?" She went out into the yard, and looked about her.

There, under a tree, was a baby-bird that had fallen out of its nest. Elizabeth took it up gently. As it lay in her hand, it looked like a soft ball. It chirped as loud as it could, and fluttered.

"Poor birdie," said Elizabeth, "I will try and take you home." And she looked up into the tree. She could see the nest the fledgling had tumbled out of; but she was not tall enough to reach it: so she stood on a knot in the trunk of the tree, and put the nestling in its home.

She saw the father and the mother-bird in the tree, and said to herself that they would take care of the little one. Then she went back to her reading.

Pretty soon she heard the chirping again. This time she knew where to look, and there was the baby-bird on the ground, crying and fluttering as before.

"Papa and mamma Robin ought to take care of you, birdling," she said. But she stepped on the knotted tree-trunk, and put back the bird a second time.

Then she sat down on the doorstep, and watched to see what the parent-birds would do. They flew here and there about the nest, and sang a few notes that Elizabeth knew must be bird-talk. She wondered if they were trying to find a better place for their baby.

But as she was thinking how much care they were taking of it, out tumbled the little one a third time. "You stupid old robin!" she cried. "Do you expect some one to be putting back your birdie for you all day? Why don't you keep it in the nest?"

She picked up the birdie, and was about to put it back a third time, when, as she held it, a strange thing happened; for down flew the robin, and gave her a sharp peck on the forehead.

Elizabeth stood still. She didn't know what to make of this. But soon she began to laugh; and then she put the baby-bird gently on the ground, and went away. She at last understood what papa Robin meant to say to her by his peck. This is it: "Don't interfere when I'm teaching my child to fly. You are very big, and perhaps you know a great deal; but you don't seem to know that it's not right to keep birds in the nest all summer. They would never find out what their wings are for."

FRANCES C. SPARHAWK.

CARLO AND THE DUCKS.