About the Author.-Charles KinGsley (1819-1875), born in Devon, spent nearly all his life as a clergyman in Hampshire, but in his later years was a professor of history at Cambridge and was for a time chaplain to Queen Victoria. He wrote many fine novels-Alton Locke, Yeast, Two Years Ago, Westward Ho!, Hereward the Wake, The Water Babies, Hypatia, etc.
About the Story.-Tom was a little London chimney-sweep who ran away from his cruel master. He had wonderful adventures under the sea with all the sea creatures. Which animal was Tom"s friend? Why did the lobster not let go?
Lesson 16
WHAT THE BIRDS SAy
Do you ask what the birds say?
The sparrow, the dove, The linnet, and thrush say,"I love and I love! "
In the winter they"re silent, The wind is so strong; What it says I don"t know;But it sings a loud song.
But green leaves and blossoms, And sunny, warm weather,And singing and loving All come back together.
Then the lark is so brimful Of gladness and love-The green fields below him,
The blue sky above-
That he sings and he sings And forever sings he,"I love my love,
And my love loves me. "
-Samuel Taylor ColeridGe
About the Author.-Samuel Taylor ColeridGe (1772-1834), son of a Devonshire clergyman and schoolmaster, was a poet who lived in the Lake country in England. Among his friends were Robert Southey, William Wordsworth, and Charles Lamb. His best-known poem is the "Ancient Mariner".
About the Poem.-What is the word that is repeated in every verse but the second? What birds are mentioned? What verse describes winter? What other pictures are there? When you say the poem, speak lightly and happily, just like a bird"s song. Make a list of all the songs and poems about birds that you know.
Lesson 17
THE ORIGIN OF THE SpIDER
Arachne (ah-r?k"-n?) was a beautiful maiden, and the most wonderful weaver that ever lived. Her father had great skill in colouring, and he dyed her wools in all the colours of the rainbow.
People came from miles around to see her wonderful work. They all agreed that surely no one but Athena, the goddess, could have been her teacher.
But Arachne proudly said that no one had taught her to weave. She even said that she would be glad to weave with Athena, to see which had the greater skill.
In vain her father told her that perhaps the goddess, unseen, guided her hand. Arachne would not listen, and would thank no one for her gift, believing only in herself.
At last one day, as she was boasting of her skill, an old woman came to her and begged her to insult Athena no more. She warned her that no mortal could hope to equal a goddess, and advised her to accept humbly her heaven-bestowed gift.
But Arachne scorned her advice, and said again thatnothing would please her so much as to weave with the goddess.
" I f I f a i l , " s h e s a i d , " I w i l l g l a d l y t a k e t h e punishment; but Athena is afraid to weave with me. "Then the old woman threw back her cloak and said, "Athena is here. Come, foolish girl, she will try her skill with yours. "Each went quickly to work, and for hours their shuttles flew swiftly in and out. Athena used the sky for her loom, as usual, and in it she wove the palace of Alkinoos. In one place you could see the great king doing his unselfish work for others.
But Arachne"s work, though her colours were as beautiful and the weaving wonderfully fine, was full of spite and selfishness. At last the work was finished, and Arachne lifted her eyes and looked at the work of the goddess. Instantly she knew that she had failed, and, ashamed and miserable, she tried to hang herself in her web.
But Athena saw her, and said in pity : "No; you shall not die. Live; and do the thing you are best fitted for. You shall be the mother of a great race which shall be called spiders. You and your children shall be among the greatest spinners and weavers on earth. "As she spoke, Arachne felt herself becoming smallerand smaller, until she was scarcely larger than a fly.
And, from that day to this, Arachne and her family have been faithful spinners, but they do their work so quietly and in such dark places that very few people know what wonderful weavers they are.
From Nature Myths and Stories, by Flora J. CooKe.
About the Author.-Flora J. CooKe is a modern English writer. The lesson is from her book Nature Myths and Stories, published by GeorgeG. Harrap and Co., London. The story is retold from an old Greek myth.
No one knows who first set it down in writing.
About the Story.-Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was known to the Romans as Minerva. Have you seen her picture with her "snaky-headed Gorgon shield"? Al-kin"-o-os, or Al-cin"-o-us, was king of one of the lands visited by Ulysses in, his wanderings. He had a beautiful daughter Nausicaa, who found Ulysses shipwrecked on the shore and led him to her father"s court.
Lesson 18
THE CuNNING LITTLE JACKALS
Once upon a time, in a great jungle, there lived a great lion, who was king of all the country round. Every day he used to leave his den in the deepest shadow of the rocks and roar with a loud, angry voice. When he roared the other animals in the jungle ran here and there in great fright; and King Lion would pounce upon them and kill them and gobble them up for his dinner.
This went on for a long, long time, until at last there were no living creatures left in the jungle but two little Jackals.
A very hard time of it the poor little Jackals had, running this way and that to escape the terrible King Lion. Every day the little Mrs. Jackal would say to her husband, "I am afraid he will catch us to-day. Do you hear how he is roaring? Oh dear! Oh dear! " And Mr. Jackal would say, "Never fear, I will take care of you. Let us run on a mile or two. Come, come, quick, quick, quick. " And they would both run away as fast as they could.