```He scratches and picks at his eyes,
``We fancy him quietly sleeping,
```But baby is watching the flies.=
``We give him a seat at the table,
```We make him a house of our chairs,
``And while the coach is preparing,
```The baby is tumbling down stairs.=
``The apples are thrown from the basket,
```His milk is spilled on the floor;
``Bread and butter sticks to the carpet,
``` And sugar sticks on the door.=
``We puzzle our brains to amuse him,
```We bow to his lordly will;
``But do what we may, the baby
```Is never a moment still.=
``Oh, what shall we do with baby--
```With his fun, and frolic, and fears?
``He charms us all with his mischief,
```And conquers us all with his tears.=
DADDY TOUGH.
9084]
T was a queer, very queer name, but the soldiers gave it to him, andwhen you hear how he conducted himself you will not wonder. Daddy Toughlived in a fort in the western country, and he belonged to the UnitedStates Government. On one side he had the letters "U. S." branded, inorder to keep people from stealing him. The children in the fort allcalled those letters "Uncle Sam," and everything with that mark on itwas said to belong to Uncle Sam, meaning the Government.
The children about the fort used to ride on his back in a sort of doublesaddle made of willow. One day the soldiers took him inside of a smallgate in order to remove some ashes from a cellar. The cart was backed inand Daddy stood with his head just outside of the gate. He looked likea droll picture in a frame. There he stood winking his eyes and shakinghis long ears. When the soldiers had the ashes all in the wagon theytold Daddy to go on, but he would not move; then they coaxed him but hedid not stir. His driver pelted and pulled, but Daddy winked and nevermoved a step.
"We must get him away somehow," said the soldiers, and at last theystruck him. Daddy looked at them in the most reproachful manner, but hedid not move an inch. For more than half an hour the poor soldiers triedto have him carry his burden away.
"We must be all cleared up before dress parade," said one.
"We must get him out of here somehow," said the other.
"Just think how the boys would laugh if they saw Daddy standing herewinking while the colonel was issuing his orders at dress parade."
"It will never do," said the driver. "Come, Daddy, you must move on oryou will disgrace the command."
Daddy looked knowing, but still stood firm. Other soldiers came andthey tried, but Daddy would not yield even after hard whipping. Thenthe colonel came out and told them what to do, but Daddy winked at thecolonel as if to say, "I like this place very much and I will not goeven for you."
When all efforts had failed the colonel's wife said,
"Let me try; we cure horses of ill-temper by feeding them sugar."
"Nothing will cure Daddy," said her husband, "but you may try."
The lady brought out some sugar and gave Daddy a taste. He shook hisears and made a sort of grunt. Then she patted him and held it fartheraway and at last he marched after her out of the gate and ran so fast heupset part of the ashes. After that when Daddy grew sulky a little sugarwould win him over.
0086]
BUTTON BLUE.
9087]
OOTS had a brother much older than himself, and never were two boysbetter friends. Nothing pleased Toots more than stories of his brother'spranks when he was small. Then Toots' parents travelled nearly all thetime, and their eldest boy saw a great deal of this busy world. All thesoldiers in his father's regiment called him "Button Blue," for whenthey first saw him he wore little dresses with a good many buttonson them. After that he had a jacket and pants, or, as he called them,"Bocker-nickers." He was a droll little fellow, and always managed totwist words about. The soldiers were very fond of Button, and made himmany presents. They taught him games of all kinds, and here we see himshowing the major's little daughter how to play cat's cradle.
0088]
One day Button Blue was lost and all the camp was astir. The black man,whose duty it was to care for him, said he left him at the sutler'slittle store, and the sutler said he saw him playing with a dog nearthe flag-staff just before the general's door. The general was away onhorseback and he had not taken the child, for some one had seen seen himriding away with one of his officers and their orderlies. The men werenearly wild over the lost boy, but Button's mother said she only fearedhis going to the river, and yet Button never went anywhere withoutpermission. The dinner hour came and went, but no boy answered to thesummons, and men were sent in different directions to find him. They hadnot returned when the general came up on horseback.
"We are in great trouble, sir," said the surgeon; "the colonel's boy islost."
"Button, our little Button; it is impossible. Have you sent out men tosearch? Have you looked in all the men's quarters? Why, bless you, Ikissed the little rogue good-bye the last thing before starting; we hada grand romp together. I will go myself to search for him." The generalsprang off his horse and unlocked the door of the little house known ashis headquarters. He threw his gloves on the table and said aloud in ananxious tone:
"Why, I love that rascal like one of my own. He must be somewhereabout."
"We have searched everywhere, sir, and no trace can be found. Even thecolonel is discouraged, but his mother will not give up. She says hewill be found."
"Found! found! of course he will," replied the general. "Why, thereisn't a man or boy that doesn't love Button."
"Here I am, General," piped a boy's voice; and there, just waking upfrom a sound sleep, was the boy who had slipped in as the general'sservant locked the door, and then, tired with play, threw himself on alounge behind a screen where his friend the general had often rested.
THE STORY OF THE CUCKOO.
0090]
T was a dreary, rainy day, and Toots and his cousins were gathered inthe library, where a cheerful open fire made them forget the chillingrain outside.
"Auntie," said May, "please tell me why you keep that pretty bird alwayssitting above your desk?"
"Toots has something to do with that. It is his bird, and perhaps youwould like to hear about it; wait one moment until I get you a dish offruit, and I will tell you how the pretty bird came here:
"One summer when Toots was quite small and not very strong, our familydoctor said, 'Couldn't you go and camp out in the pine woods somewherefor a few weeks?' At first it seemed quite impossible to take all thefamily, but Button Blue was so active and helpful, and the cook said shewould like the fun of it, so at last we went, taking care to be neara house where we could get pure water. We had two tents. One was ourparlor by day and the boys' bedroom by night; the other held my bed andan easy camp cot for Toots. We were very cosey and happy. The birds sangover our heads all day, and at night we could hear the whip-poor-will'snote only a few feet from our tent door."
"What did you do when it rained?" asked one of the boys.
"We drew the tent curtains close, made little ditches outside to carryoff the water, and read, played games, or told stories. One day a partyof gentlemen came to our camp. They were out hunting, and one of themhad in his game bag a pretty cuckoo he had just killed. Poor Toots feltterribly when he saw it. Only the day before he had heard its prettynote, 'Cuckoo! cuckoo!' and we had told him that its name was given itbecause it made that peculiar song."
"I think he was wicked to shoot it," said Toots.
"We all felt very sorry," said his mother, "and I think the hunters did,too, for they promised to keep away from our camp and avoid shooting anyof our pets. When they left us, they told Toots he would hear from themagain, but we forgot all about it until one day a small box was broughtto our house by the expressman. It was directed to Toots and marked'with care.' On opening it we found our little friend the cuckoohandsomely stuffed and mounted on a branch. Toots w
as very muchpleased and it has stood where it now is ever since it came."
"I wish he could fly once more, and say 'Cuckoo, cuckoo,' as he used to,"said Toots.
0092]
MAJOR AND BENJAMINA.
9093]
KIND lady and dear friend of Toots and his mother owns a bright littledog named Benjamina. Its mother was blind and lame when the little puppywas born, and the good lady thought it was the child of the dog mother'sold age; so she called it Benjamina, and a very cunning, wise littlecreature she is.
Benjamina likes to curl up on a sofa pillow and take life easy. Nearlyevery day she takes a walk with her mistress and frisks about here andthere. Once when they were out walking, naughty Bennie ran too near thehorse car and was kicked by one of the horses. She lay quite still fora moment, and all who saw her feared she was dead. Before any one couldreach her, a large, strong dog who belonged to a neighbor sprang acrossthe street and carried her to her mistress. Poor doggie had a bad cutin her side which the doctor sewed up, and it was so very sore that shecould not lie down for many days. It was quite pitiful to see it walkaround and around in a circle, trying to go to sleep. Old Major cameevery day to see her, and when he was allowed to come into the room hewould sit down gravely and look at her. He evidently wanted to say, "Iam very, very sorry for you and shall be glad to see you out again."
0094]
After a time poor Benjamina grew well enough to sit in a chair at thewindow, and Major would sit outside on the piazza and look at her. Theyreally seemed to understand each other perfectly. If anything went wrongin the street Major would run down the steps and attend to it, and thencome back to his station before the window. At last Bennie was takenout for a drive and Major ran all the way by the side of the carriage,barking with pleasure.
Once Bennie's mistress found a large bone put on her piazza, which Majorhad brought for his friend's breakfast, and great was the good fellow'sdelight when it was carried to Bennie.
Major went to church every Sunday and sat in the porch until his mastercame out; he tried very hard to go inside but was never allowed to doso. When the sexton went out to open the doors Major would shake himselfand take his position on the steps. Once he came on Sunday and tried tocoax Bennie out, but her mistress said no. When I last saw Bennie shewas sitting in her mistress' lap while she wrote some letters. Major isstill the same faithful friend and visits her every day.
THE COMMODORE'S GUESTS.
9096]
OW happy the little people were at the seashore! There was so much tosee and so much to do that the long days ran quickly away.
Toots and his friend learned many things. They caught hermit crabs, andwere told how they stole shell houses to live in. They found star fish,and horse-shoe crabs, and beautiful sea anemones, and sometimes a kindold sailor would tell them about trawls, lobster traps, nets, and thequeer tricks of the various fish they caught.
Away out on a point of rocks near the water lived some very brightlittle boys who often came to play with Toots. One day their parentswere invited to visit a beautiful yacht lying in the harbor. The ladiesand gentlemen were much pleased, and when they returned from their visitthey told the children all about it. Two little boys, Philip andHarry, who lived in the cottage at the point, heard the story with muchpleasure; so did Toots, who wished he could see it. One morning whenthe wind blew hard and the water was covered with white caps, Philip'smother missed both her little boys. "Perhaps they have gone over toToots'," she said. Their sister inquired, but Toots was swinging in thehammock with another little friend. He had not seen Philip or Harry allthe morning. Then the nurse and all the family began to look, but noboys could they find.
At last an old sailor said, "There's a little boat a-bob-bing up anddown out there, and I think it has two little chaps in it."
The ladies took a glass, and there indeed were the two little roguesliable to be drowned at any moment; but two kind sailors went after themand brought them safe on shore.
"Where were you going?" asked their mamma.
"To visit the Tommodore's pretty water-house."
Both boys were very small and could not speak distinctly.
"But how strange! you were not invited," said their mother.
"Oh, yes, I 'vited 'Ilip and 'Ilip Vited me!"
"What would you have done if you had reached the yacht?"'
"I was going to 'duce 'Ilip to the Tommodore and 'Ilip was going to'duce me."
"But you must not introduce people anywhere unless you are welcomeyourself and invited. When the Commodore invites my little boys, I willtake them out to his yacht and introduce them myself. Besides, the wateris very rough and you are too young to row a boat so far."
"We could do it;'cause 'Ilip rowed one oar and I rowed the other. Welike it."
Their mother was very glad to get them back again, and the goodCommodore never knew what funny little guests he missed seeing thatsummer morning.
0098]
HARVEST FESTIVAL.
9099]
RAIN, plenty of grain,
`Sang the birds in the harvest field;
`Grain, plenty of grain;
```H ow grandly it doth yield!=
``Grain, plenty of grain,
```Eat, and chirp, and sing;
``Come one and all to the harvest field,
```Each with buoyant wing.=
``Grain, plenty of grain,
```The reapers are out to-day;
``And every bird from far and near,
```Must sing a roundelay.=
``Grain, plenty of grain,
```And not a farmer near;
``Chirp, chirp, how glad are we,
```To find this harvest here!=
``Over the top of the stack,
```Down on the bundle bound;
``Swoop and pick, and sing your songs;
```Such a feast is seldom found.=
0100]
``Chirp, chirp, chirp,
```Sing with all your might,
``The glorious day will soon be done,
```And the harvest ends to-night.
``Grain, plenty of grain,
```Eat your fill, my friends;
``Let us gladly, cheerfully take,
```The food the dear God sends.
"I think," said Toots, "that every song you read is the best one, and Iwish birds could talk.
"They certainly talk to each other," said his mother, "and the robins inour apple-tree try very hard to answer me when I talk to them."
0101]
0105]
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