I

Farmer Brown had two fine pigs. One was a big pig. One was a little pig.

One day the big pig said,

"Farmer Brown wants us to get fat. I know what that means. I shall run away. I want a home of my own. Will you go with me, little pig?"

"No," said the little pig, "I will stay with Farmer Brown."

"Then I'll ask the ram," said big pig.

"Friend Ram," said the pig, "Will you run away with me? I want a home of my own. I will let you live with me."

"How will you get through the gate?" asked the ram.

"You can push it open with your horns," said the pig.

So the ram pushed the gate with his horns and broke it. Then away to the woods ran the ram and the pig.

II

As they were running, they met a duck.

"Good morning, friends," she said. "Why are you running away?"

"We are going to the woods to build a house," said the pig. "The ram is going with me. We want a home of our own."

"I would like to go with you," said the duck.

"You may if you can help build the house," said the pig.

"Oh, I can do that," said the duck. "I can pick up leaves with my beak and stuff  them into the cracks. Then the house will be warm."

"You're a good duck," said  the ram. "Come along."

III

So the pig, the ram, and the duck went on.

Soon they met a mouse.

"Good morning, friends," said the mouse. "Why are you run­ning away?"

"We are going to the woods to build a house," said the pig. "The ram and the duck are going with me. We want a home of our own."

"May I go with you?" asked the mouse.

"You may if you can help," said the pig. "What can you do?"

"I can gnaw pegs with my teeth. The ram can pound them into the wall with his horns."

"That will help," said the ram. "You may come with us."

IV

So the pig, the ram, the duck and the mouse ran on.

Then they met an old dog.

"Good morning, friends," said the dog. "Why are you run­ning away?"

"We are going to the woods to build a house," answered the pig. "The ram, the duck and the mouse are going with me. We want a home of our own."

"I would like a home, too," said the dog. "May I go with you?"

"What can you do to help build the house?" asked the ram.

"I cannot build," said the dog. "But I can bark and keep the foxes away."

"That is fine," said the ram. "You may come with us."

V

So the pig, the ram, the duck, the mouse and the dog ran on.

After a while they came to the woods. They found a fine place for the house.

The pig cut down the trees. The mouse gnawed the pegs. The ram pounded the pegs into the wall. The duck stuffed the cracks with leaves. The dog barked to keep the foxes away.

Soon they were safe and happy in their house.

They all said, "How fine it is to have a home of our own."

 

SWEET AND LOW

Sweet and low, sweet and low,

Wind of the western sea,

Low, low, breathe and blow,

Wind of the western sea!

Over the rolling waters go,

Come from the dying moon and blow,

Blow him again to me;

While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,

Father will come to thee soon,

Rest, rest, on mother's breast,

Father will come to thee soon;

Father will come to his babe in the nest,

Silver sails all out of the west

Under the silver moon;

Sleep my little one, sleep my pretty one, sleep.

 -- ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

THE TWO FRIENDS

I

A pig lived near a camel. They were good friends.

The pig was small. He was very proud of his little curly tail.

The camel was tall. He thought nothing was so fine as his hump.

One day the camel said to the pig, "I wish you would grow. To be tall is the best thing in the world."

"I do not think so," said the pig. "It is better to be short than tall."

"Come with me," said the camel. "I'll show you that it is better to be tall than short. If I do not, I will give you my fine hump."

The camel took the pig to a garden. There was a wall around it. The camel could look over the wall. There was no way for the pig to get in. The camel put his head over the wall and ate all he wanted. The poor pig could not get a bite.

"What a fine dinner I have had," said the camel. "You see now that it is better to be tall than short."

"Not so fast," said the pig. "I will show you that it is better to be short than tall, If I do not I will give you my beautiful curly tail."

The pig took the camel to another garden. The camel could look in, but the good things were too far away. He could not get them. The pig ran in through a small gate. He ate and ate and ate.

When the pig came out he said, "Now you see it is better to be short than tall."

"Well," said the camel, "some­times it is better to be short; sometimes it is better to be tall. I will keep my hump."

"Right," said the pig. "And I will keep my beautiful curly tail."

So the friends ran home, saying,

"To be as we are is the best thing in the world."

THE MOUSE SISTERS

I

Tit Mouse was Tat Mouse's sister. Tat Mouse was Tit Mouse's sister. So they both had a sister.

Tit Mouse lived in a house. Tat Mouse lived in a house. So they both lived in a house.

Tit Mouse was hungry, and Tat Mouse was hungry. So they both were hungry.

Tit Mouse stole an ear of corn. And Tat Mouse stole an ear of corn. So they both stole an ear of corn.

Tit Mouse made corn broth. Tat Mouse made corn broth. So they both made corn broth. Tit Mouse put her broth on the fire. She up-set the broth and burned herself to death. So Tat Mouse sat down and wept.

There was a little stool near. The little stool said,

"Tat, why do you weep?"

"Oh," said Tat, "Tit is dead and so I weep."

"Then," said the stool, "I'll hop."

So the stool hopped.

There was a broom in the room. The broom said,

"Little stool, why do you hop?"

"Oh," said the stool. "Tit is dead and Tat weeps. So I hop."

"Then I'll sweep," said the broom.

So the broom swept.

II

The door saw the broom sweep. So the door said,

"Broom, why do you sweep?"

"Oh," said the broom, "Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and the stool hops, and so I sweep."

"Then I'll shut," said the door.

So the door shut.

Then the window heard the door shut. And the window said,

"Door, why do you shut?"

"Oh," said the door, "Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and the stool hops, and the broom sweeps, and so I shut."

"Then I'll creak," said the window.

So the window creaked.

There was an old bench near the house. The bench said,

"Window, why do you creak?"

And the window said,

"Oh, Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and the stool hops, and the broom sweeps, and the door shuts, and so I creak."

"Then I'll run around the house," said the bench.

So the bench ran around the house.

A robin in the tree saw the bench running.

So the robin said,

"Bench, why do you run around the house?"

And the bench said, "Oh, Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and  the stool hops, and the broom sweeps, and the door shuts, and the window creaks, and so I run around the house."

"Then I'll shed my feathers," said the robin.

So the robin shed all his feathers.

"Robin, why do you shed all your feathers?" And the robin said,

"Oh, Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and the stool hops, and the broom sweeps, and the door shuts, and the window creaks, and the old bench runs around the house, and so I shed all my feathers."

"Then I'll drop my apples," said the tree.

So the tree dropped all her apples.

Then the wind blew through the tree. And the wind said,

"Tree, why do you drop all your apples?"

And the tree said,

"Oh, Tit is dead, and Tat weeps, and the stool hops, and the broom sweeps, and the door shuts, and the window creaks, and the old bench runs around the house, and the robin sheds all his feathers, and so I drop all my apples."

"Then I'll blow," said the wind.

So the wind blew the tree against the house, and over the old bench, and upset the door, and broke the window, and the house fell down.

And the stool and the broom and poor Tat Mouse were never seen again.

CRADLE SONG

What does little birdie say

In her nest at peep of day?

Let me fly, says little birdie,

Mother, let me fly away.

Birdie, rest a little longer,

Till the little wings are stronger,

So she rests a little longer,

Then she flies away.

What does little baby say,

In her bed at peep of day?

Baby says like little birdie,

Let me rise and fly away,

Baby, sleep a little longer,

Till the little limbs are stronger,

If she sleeps a little longer,

Baby, too, shall fly away.

From Sea Dreams. ALFRED TENNYSON.

THE RABBIT AND THE NUT

A fox once told a timid rabbit that sometime the sky would fall.

After that, whenever the rabbit heard a big noise he was afraid and when he heard a little noise he was afraid.

One day he was under a nut tree. A big nut fell on some sticks.

Away the rabbit ran, shout­ing, "Run, run, the sky is fall­ing!"

Soon all the rabbits were run­ning and calling, "Run, run, the sky is falling!"

Then the pig, the goat, the bear and the camel heard the cry. They ran, too, and shouted, "The sky is falling!"

The wise lion heard the cry.

"What is all this shouting about?" he asked.

"The sky is falling!" they all cried.

"Why do you think so?" asked the lion.

"I think so because the bear told me," said the camel.

"And I think so because the goat told me," said the bear.

"And I think so because the pig told me," said the goat.

"And I think so because the rabbits told me," said the pig.

"But who told the rabbits?" asked the lion.

"Oh, I did," said the timid rabbit. "I heard a noise under the nut tree."

"We will go and see," said the lion. "Get on my back. Show me the tree."

Away they ran to the nut tree.

"Foolish little rabbit," said the lion. "Do you see that nut? It fell on the sticks and made the noise. Run back and tell the other animals."

So the timid rabbit ran back and told the others that the sky was not falling.

If the lion had not been wise, the animals might be running still.

Moo-oo! moo-oo! I did not," said the cow. "I gave you a bit of hay to help make your nest. I would not steal from you."

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Listen to me. Who took my nest? And the little eggs I laid? Now I have no home. Who did it?"

"Bow, wow! bow wow! Not I," said the dog. "I would not be so mean. I gave hairs to line your nest. Do you think I would take it? Not I"

III

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Listen to me. Who stole my nest and my four little eggs ? Now I shall have no home and no baby birds. Who stole them?"

"Baa! baa! baa! I would not do such a thing," said the sheep. "Oh, no! I gave wool to help line the nest. And can you think I would take it? Oh, no!"

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Listen to me. Who stole my eggs and my pretty nest? What shall I do without my home and my little eggs? Who stole them?"

"Cluck! cluck! cluck!" said the hen. "Why do you ask again? I haven't a little chick that would be so mean. We gave you some feathers to make your nest soft. I know how a mother bird feels about her eggs. Cluck! cluck! Don't ask me again!"

 

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Listen to me. Who stole my beautiful  nest? Who stole my four little eggs? Did you know they were my little baby birds? Who stole my nest and eggs?"

"I would not rob a bird," said Alice. "I never heard of any­thing so mean."

"It was very cruel, too," said Mary. "Think how sad the mother bird feels."

But John hung his head and hid behind the fence. For he knew who stole the nest.

OUR MOTHER

Hundreds of stars in the clear blue sky,

Hundreds of shells on the shore together,

Hundreds of birds that go sing­ing by,

Hundreds of bees in the sunny weather,

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,

Hundreds of lambs in the purple clover,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the wide world over.

ANONYMOUS.

This list comprises the new words used in Book One. Words which have already been used in the Primer are not included. The words are grouped under the name of the story in which they first appear.