pump has given me nice, clear water, and the
woodpile has given me clean, white chips, and the cow has given me warm,
rich milk, and the hen has given me a new-laid egg for dear little Ray;
will you give me a pretty, red apple?"

And the tree was willing.

So mamma took the apple and the egg and the milk and the chips and the
water to the house, and there was Baby Ray in his nightgown looking out
of the window.

And she kissed him and bathed him and dressed him, and while she brushed
and curled his soft, brown hair, she told him the Wake-Up Story that I
am telling you.

The good old pump by the orchard path
Gave nice, clear water for the baby's bath.
The clean, white chips from the pile of wood
Were glad to warm it and cook his food.
The cow gave milk in the milk-pail bright;
The top-knot Biddy an egg new and white;
And the tree gave an apple so round and so red,
For dear little Ray who was just out of bed.

[G] Used by permission of _The Youth's Companion_.

#FIRST STORIES FOR VERY LITTLE FOLK#

ABOUT SIX LITTLE CHICKENS

BY S. L. ELLIOTT

[Illustration: "A LITTLE GIRL CAME OUT WITH SOME CORN-MEAL IN A DISH."]

A Mother Biddy sat on her nest, with what do you think in the nest? Six
smooth white eggs! After she had sat there quite a long time till she
was very tired, what do you suppose happened to one of those eggs? There
was a noise that went "snick, snick," and out of the shell stepped
something like a little fuzzy ball, but with two bright eyes, and two
bits of feet to walk on. What do you think it was? A little chicken?
Yes, and Mother Biddy was so glad to see it, and she called it "Fluffy."
And Fluffy said "Peep, peep! I have some brothers and sisters in the
shells; if you call them, I think they will come." So Mother Biddy said
"Cluck, cluck!" and something said: "Peep, peep!" and out came another
chicken, as black as it could be, so Mother Biddy called it "Topsy."
"Are there any more?" said Mother Biddy. "Yes. Peep, peep! We're coming;
wait for us," and there came four more little chickens as fast as they
could run. One was as white as snow, and Mother Biddy called it
"Snowball." The next was yellow and white, and she named it "Daisy."
Then there was a yellow one with a brown ring around its neck, and that
was called "Brownie." And what do you think! one was all black, only it
had a little white spot on the top of its head that looked like a