ant by "fluttering" down? They came
down slowly, moving from side to side, and
turning over and over as they fell. (This could
be shown in the class-room quite easily.)

Which line in the first stanza corresponds in
meaning with the third line of the second? The
second line.

What makes the fields "brown"? It is the end of
the summer, and the grass and the plants have
dried up.

What colours have the fields at other seasons
of the year? Green in the spring, golden in the
summer, white in the winter.

What are "the soft little songs" of the leaves?
The rustling sounds they make as they are blown
about by the wind.

Why do we not understand their songs? For the
same reason that we do not understand the call
of the wind--their language is not ours.

"Winter had called them." What is the voice of
winter? The cold winds that roar and whistle.

What is meant by "content"? The leaves were
quite glad to answer the call.

Why were they content? The work that they had
been doing all summer long was done; they were
tired and sleepy and glad to go to bed.

When may it be said that the leaves are "fast
asleep"? When they lie quietly on the ground,
no longer blown about by the wind.

How were they kept warm during their long
sleep? The snow came and covered them up
warmly, like a "blanket".

What does the whole lesson describe? The
falling of the leaves.

What does the first stanza speak of? The call
of the wind.

The second? The answer of the leaves.

The third? The leaves asleep.

Tell the story of the poem in your own words.

PIPING DOWN THE VALLEYS WILD

(First Reader, page 52)

AIM

To enable the pupils to appreciate the pretty pictures and the music,
and to learn how their pretty songs were written.

PREPARATION

In far-away countries there are many sheep, and
they require shepherds. These shepherds, as
they can rest while their sheep feed, sometimes
amuse themselves by cutting oat straws and
making them into little flutes. They cut holes
in the straws, just as you see holes in flutes
or in tin whistles. They learn to play very