est!

[Illustration: NEST [hands cupped sideways to form circle]]

Home went hungry Mrs. Puss
And her kittens four;
Found their dinner on a plate
By the kitchen door.

[Illustration: PLATE [thumbs and index fingers touching to form
circle]]

As they gathered round the plate,
They agreed 'twas nice
That it could not run away
Like the birds and mice!

[Music: MRS. PUSSY'S DINNER.

EMILIE POULSSON.

C.C. ROESKE.

1. Mrs. Pussy, sleek and fat,
With her kittens four,
Went to sleep upon the mat
By the kitchen door.]

2. Mrs. Pussy heard a noise--
Up she jumped in glee:
"Kittens, maybe that's a mouse!
Let us go and see!"

3. Creeping, creeping, creeping on,
Silently they stole;
But the little mouse had gone
Back within its hole.

4. "Well," said Mrs. Pussy then,
"To the barn we'll go;
We shall find the swallows there
Flying to and fro."

5. So the cat and kittens four
Tried their very best;
But the swallows flying fast
Safely reached the nest!

6. Home went hungry Mrs. Puss
And her kittens four;
Found their dinner on a plate
By the kitchen door.

7. As they gathered round the plate,
They agreed 'twas nice
That it could not run away
Like the birds and mice!

[Illustration: XIV. HOW THE CORN GREW.]

XIV.--HOW THE CORN GREW.

There was a field that waiting lay,
All hard and brown and bare;
There was a thrifty farmer came
And fenced it in with care.

[Illustration: THE FIELD. [two children facing each other with their
arms extended onto each other's shoulders]]

Then came a plowman with his plow;
From early until late,
Across the field and back again,
He plowed the furrows straight.

[Illustration: THE PLOW. [hands together sideways, thumbs extended
slightly upward]]

The harrow then was brought to make
The ground more soft and loose;
And soon the farmer said with joy,
"My field is fit for use."

[Illustration: THE HARROW. [palms downward, fingers curved and
separated]]

For many days the farmer then
Was working with his hoe;
And little Johnny brought the corn
And dropped the kernels--so!

[Illustration: THE HOE. [palm downward, fingers together and bent at
knuckles]]

[Illustration: DROPPED THE KERNELS--SO! [palm downward, fingers
curved]]

And there they lay, until awaked
By tapping rains that fell,
Then pushed their green plumes up to greet