FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   >>  
," replied Mr. Maynard. "Right. Who was Pocahontas?" "A noble Indian Princess, who was born July 29th, 1563." "Very good. Ethel, describe the Battle of Bunker Hill." "I can't; I wasn't there." "You should have gone," reprimanded King, severely. "Didn't you read the newspaper accounts of it?" "Yes, but I didn't believe them." "Jack Bryant, can you describe this famous battle?" "Yes, sir. It was fought under the shadow of the Bunker Hill Monument. At sundown the shadow ceased, so they all said, 'Disperse ye rebels, and lay down your arms!' So they laid down their arms and went to sleep." "Very well done, Master Bryant. Now, we're going to speak pieces. Each pupil will speak a piece or write a composition. You may take your choice." "I'll speak a piece! Let me speak first!" exclaimed Cousin Ethel, jumping up and down. "May I speak now, Teacher!" "Yes, Ethel, dear," said Midget, kindly; "you may speak your piece first. Stand up here, by me. Make your bow." So Cousin Ethel came up to Marjorie, and acted like a very shy and bashful child. She put her finger in her mouth, and dropped her eyes and wriggled about, and picked at her skirt, until everybody was in peals of laughter. "Be quiet, children," said Midget, trying to control her own face. "Now, everybody sit still while Ethel Bryant recites." Cousin Ethel made a very elaborate dancing-school bow, and then, swaying back and forth in school-child fashion, she recited in a monotonous singsong, these lines: "MUD PIES "The grown-ups are the queerest folks; they never seem to know That mud pies always have to be made just exactly so. You have to have a nice back yard, a sunny pleasant day, And then you ask some boys and girls to come around and play. You mix some mud up in a pail, and stir it with a stick; It mustn't be a bit too thin--and not a bit too thick. And then you make it into pies, and pat it with your hand, And bake 'em on a nice flat board, and my! but they are grand!" Mrs. Bryant declaimed, with suitable gestures, and finally sat down on the floor and made imaginary mud pies, in such a dear, childish way that her audience was delighted, and gave her really earnest encores. "Do you know another piece, Ethel?" asked Marjorie. "Yes, ma'am," and Mrs. Bryant resumed her shy voice and manner. "Then you may recite it, as your little schoolmates seem anxious to have you do so." So again, M
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   >>  



Top keywords:

Bryant

 

Cousin

 
Marjorie
 

describe

 

Bunker

 
Midget
 

shadow

 
school
 
swaying
 

schoolmates


dancing
 

recites

 

elaborate

 

recite

 

singsong

 

queerest

 

pleasant

 

monotonous

 

fashion

 
anxious

recited
 

resumed

 

declaimed

 
suitable
 
gestures
 

finally

 

audience

 
delighted
 

childish

 

encores


earnest
 

imaginary

 

manner

 
battle
 

famous

 

fought

 

accounts

 

newspaper

 

Monument

 
rebels

sundown

 
ceased
 

Disperse

 
Indian
 
Princess
 

Pocahontas

 
replied
 

Maynard

 

reprimanded

 
severely