In July we lazy grow,
August hours are quite as slow.

But September school days are fleet!
In October nuts grow sweet;
Sad November's friends are few,
But, December, we love you,
For you bring Saint Nick!"

THE TOOTHBRUSH BRIGADE

The toothbrush brigade is a happy club
We boys and girls have made,
We try to care for our teeth
So they'll not be decayed.
And so we have promised one and all,
At morning and at night,
To brush them clean and white.

First across we'll brush them,
Well then up and down we go,
Then open wide the mouth you see,
And do just as before.
So carefully we'll rinse them, too,
You'll see a healthy sight.
Our teeth so clean and white.

[Illustration: TOOTH BRUSH BRIGADE]

And now my friends a word to you
Before we leave the stage,
If your teeth you would preserve,
Down to a nice old age,
Go get your toothbrush and water, too,
And start this very night
To brush them clean and white.

CHORUS

Happy, healthy, little children,
Happy, healthy, little children,
Happy, healthy, little children,
In our toothbrush brigade.

--_M. E. Stokes._

MR. FLY AND MRS. MOSQUITO

One day in the summer, Mr. Fly and Mrs. Mosquito stopped to rest on the
window pane of a house in the country.

[Illustration]

Mr. Fly, after sitting for some time rubbing his nose with his front
feet, looked up and said, "Good morning."

"Mr. Fly," replied Mrs. Mosquito, "I do not believe that we have met
before."

"No," said Mr. Fly, "but I am glad to meet you to-day. I have long
wanted to do so. May I ask where you live?"

"Ah me, Mr. Fly," replied Mrs. Mosquito, "I have been having a rather
hard time lately. You have heard of my family, and know that with a
number of brothers and sisters, I was hatched in a small pond near the
meadow. Life went well with us for a while. But one afternoon I heard
footsteps coming nearer and nearer. I could not understand what
terrible beast was coming down to the pond to drink. I shivered with
fear and darted as fast as I could to the bottom of the pond. However, I
soon had to come to the top again to