Up, Up and Away

A long time ago, when I was eight, dad took me fishing. It was in April, the first day of fishing season in northern Quebec. And I didn’t care if it was cold, or if there was still snow on the ground. “Help me find my warm boots?” I asked. And he did. Then I helped dad make peanut butter sandwiches, my favorite. “Where’s my packsack?” I asked. Smiling patiently, he found it for me.

“This is how I’m going to get a fish,” I said. Holding my new fishing rod birthday gift full stretch, I saw its neat lines, tightly wound threads and shiny eyelets. Then swinging it around, smacked the water glass from the kitchen table. Good thing he helped me clean up all the bits and pieces.

Mom just stood and shook her head. I don’t think she was upset. Just glad her boys were going fishing together, anywhere out of the house. We loaded up our pickup truck. First my fishing rod was too long in the front. So I placed it in the back. Then I put our packsacks with sandwiches and water right beside it. Almost forgot our fishing box with some neat lures, but dad didn’t. He handed the green tin box to me.

The gravel road was full of loose stones. And they flew behind us as if fired from slingshots. But I couldn’t see much because of the dust. Then we hit a huge bump. “My fishing rod!” I yelled, as I watched it bounce from the truck. Dad put the brakes on so hard I flew across the seat and almost choked on the road dust that soon covered us. “I saw it fly across that ditch,” I said. Dad climbed down the side of the road. And stepped on some ice. “Don’t get wet!” I yelled. But, he did. Soon dad came back with my neat gift, scratched and covered in mud. The broken cork handle made it shorter than before. After starting on our way, I could now keep my fishing rod in my lap. And my tears had stopped.

It’s hard to try and be a man when your birthday present tries to take off like a crow then gets broken. At least it fit inside the front of the truck. “Does that mean I can’t go fishing? I ask. “No,” dad answered. “I’m going to show you another way to fish,” he said. “Just like my own dad showed me.” “At least we’re still going fishing!” I shouted. After a while, my hat blew off. Dad stopped the truck and this time I went along to help him find it. I tried not to notice him talking to himself.

“Keep it in your lap, under the tackle box,” he suggested. “This is where our hiking begins,” dad said when we finally stopped. The trail was full of icy ditches. He said, “Try not to get wet.” But I did.

It was fun jumping on the ice. Except when I broke through. It was like a freezing /waterfall splashing all over. Good thing he brought an extra pair of pants for me. He must know me really well by now.

Finally we reach the lake. It seems like we walked half way around the world. Most of the ice is gone. And some ducks are swimming. The water’s too cold for me though. I just want to fish.

I watch carefully as dad shows me my grandfather’s way to fish, without a fishing pole.

He finds a heavy rock, wraps some line around it then ties a knot. After that he makes a little circle with the rest of the line, in a pile beside his foot. And ties a neat silver spinner on the very end. Then he makes another knot keeping it fast to the strong black line.

Holding about three feet of line in front of him, he begins to twirl. He does that a couple of times and sends it flying over the water. It sure took off, making a heavy splash some distance away. I can’t wait for my turn.

“Do you want some help?” Dad asked.

“No, I want to do it all by myself.”

“Did you watch everything I did?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answer. “And I’m going to throw it farther than you!” I bragged loudly. I take my line and wrap it around another rock. Then I make a circle with the rest beside my feet. And knot my special gold spoon on the end I am going to throw.

After winding up like a baseball player, my first throw goes backwards and catches on a tree limb. But dad gets it down for me. I think he ripped his pants. Now I’m ready to begin twirling again. First, I do one big circle, then two, then three. And finally let go. My spoon, like a rocket, goes up and up. The sun makes it shine.

A lucky crow gets out of the way. The floppy bird might think it’s a truck…no, maybe a plane that flies. My line flies through the air, past a floating log. And over some ducks on the water.

It goes and goes and…Oh, oh. “Dad, I forgot to make a knot when I wrapped the line around my rock!”

I remember long ago how he shook his head. And smiled. Now I do too. I think he’s still out there on the lake. And he’s looking for a lost gold spoon for his little boy.

The Paper Boy

A clump of hair smacked across Colin’s face. The wind even tried wrestling him to the ground. Instead of newspapers, it felt as if Colin’s news-bag was full of Nova Scotia potatoes. Maybe it had to do with the news dad read before Colin left the house. The morning headlines were full of the usual sad stories.

“For goodness sakes,” dad said. “No good news again!”

CAR ACCIDENTS! HOUSE BURNS! STORM DAMAGE!

Colin wished he could have been able to cheer up dad. He moved quickly from house to house leaving papers on the porch or in the mailbox. It helped being the fastest runner in the school and even wearing his new running shoes. Right now Colin wished he could bring only good news to his family, also to his friendly neighbors. “There’s that paper boy bringing sad news again,” they were probably saying.

“How could he make things better for everyone?” he wondered as he continued to deliver his papers. He met Nathan near Victoria Park. Colin really liked Nathan, even if his words sometimes got mixed up. Someone told him Nathan was mentally challenged. But Colin didn’t care. Nathan was his friend.

Colin noticed Alice coming. She was in his class. She only had one real eye. The other was made of glass. He liked Alice even if people called her, “Bionic lady,” behind her back. He didn’t realize how much It helped her, having a friend like Colin. The dog down the street barked loudly. Prince was lonely tied to his chain and Colin knew all he needed was a good friend. He always liked to pat the dog’s head.

Prince’s breath was warm as he licked Colin’s hand.

“It’s okay boy,” he told the dog.

Each time Colin left a paper by a customer’s door he felt bad, such sad news. How could he make some good news? He thought about it a lot, as he made his rounds. Colin gave his usual cheerful “Hi” to everyone on his route. Adults and children on both sides of the street yelled and waved back. His smile was like the rising sun. Someone was crying and he ran to where a little boy had fallen and hurt his leg. Colin calmed him down until the boy’s mother arrived. ”I’m glad you’re my paperboy,” she told Colin.

He continued on his route, still ten more customers to go. But, he didn’t feel tired. It was fun doing what he usually did, helping others.

Now, let’s see. What else could he do to cheer up people?

His best friend Donna came by to pick up her paper. It saved him from going all the way to the second floor. It was her way of saying ‘thanks’ for giving her a chance to earn money, helping him on Saturdays. She was saving money for Christmas presents. Besides, he liked Donna a lot.

Mr. Weatherby was such a grouch but Colin didn’t mind. His car was not working, again. And Mr. Weatherby’s lawn was all grown up, again. Colin would come later and cut the grass. No charge, again.

He raced up the street to his last customer. Colin had quite a bit of energy left, as he bounded up the stairs. Mrs. Williams saw him coming and had her usual snack waiting. She wondered why such a lively boy always had time to chat with an old lady. Lemonade and his favorite peanut butter cookies were a neat treat. After all, she had told him many times he was her favorite paperboy.

His own treat for his customers came from his little boy’s heart. Colin was so full of joy, and it made him many friends. Everyone looked forward to his daily trips with the newspaper, even if some of the news was sad. There were customers from all over. Some even came from China and Africa. Others had thick, wavy hair and some, no hair. Colin didn’t mind. He liked them all. Some of his customers were fat, others skinny. And some had customs and clothes, which were different. But it didn’t matter to Colin. He liked them all.

Colin did have much good news to share, even if he didn’t realize it. His smile and polite manners brought cheering-up news to all his customers. Yes, Colin was a very special paperboy.

At Red Rock

The red spool held in the boys’ hands twirled rapidly as the kite tugged.

“Let the line out slowly,” dad said. “You don’t want to use it all at once.”

“But dad,” Colin answered, “I want it to go higher and faster.” His face was sunburned as the sandy Red Rock on which they were standing. Two sparrows shared a branch above the pebbly ocean shore. “Up, up and goodbye,” they chirped.

“Careful Colin, don’t slip on the moss,” said Mom. She stepped carefully across the huge rock, almost the size of their car garage.

“Mom, I am being careful. LOOK! It must be a mile high.”

“Not really, son,” said mom. “You only have five hundred feet of string.”

“It’s really neat having our family picnic on top of Red Rock,” Colin said.

It was such a pleasant place on this finger of land poking into Cobequid Bay, Nova Scotia. The day was sunny and clouds white as ocean whitecaps danced against the shore. Colin’s waxed string held tightly to the climbing kite. A happy face on its plastic shape jiggled around, up and down. At times it teased the boy, plunging downwards. Colin pushed the spool forward, then pulled it back to his chest. This quick movement, made the kite climb with new energy.

“We must leave soon. Before the tide comes in,” Dad said. Colin wasn’t listening; eyes were fixed on the kite’s shimmer of red and white. Also busily munching on his turkey and mayo sandwich.

“We can finish our picnic on the shore,” suggested Mom.

She was first to step down from the sandstone rock. Colin’s dad also crossed the sandy beach and up wooden steps onto higher land.

They didn’t notice Colin had not followed. From their scenic view, the open water stretched to Maitland, fifteen miles on the other side of Cobequid Bay. Sea gulls flew in twists and turns.

ERK! ERK! Calls were more like warning cries from their long beaks.

So what if the tide came in? Colin thought. “Then I’ll have to spend all night here on this rock,” he chuckled.

Before long he realized his new problem was huge as Red Rock itself. It would take a while to retrieve his line, and began winding furiously. It seemed as if it touched those Cirrus clouds. Oh-mi-gosh it was getting dark. Was that the moon behind his kite? Now he realized Mom and dad were gone. He couldn’t hear their voices calling from shore. Tidewater began lapping at the base of Red Rock. But Colin was still determined to reel in his kite. It had been a birthday gift from uncle Lawrence.

“Mom! Dad!” he called, seeing them wave from shore. They couldn’t hear him either. Only shadows in the forest heard their frantic calls. The kite soared and dipped. And circled and climbed reluctant to leave its freedom in the sky. Trees rustled from the approaching wind. Stars came out. Colin held firmly onto his kite string, arms too tired to wind any further. Tidewater rose higher.

The Milky Way seemed so close. Planes flew by. Colin heard water sloshing in the darkness. Some water even splashed against his sneakers. Tired legs hoped the boy would sit down and rest. However, Colin waited for some kind of miracle. And, IT DID! A super gust of wind blew in from the ocean. With a mighty “WHOOSH!” his kite lifted high, dragging him along. Thankfully Colin didn’t eat his extra sandwich. He might have been too heavy.

The powerful wind blew the kite dragging Colin towards the shore. He held firmly onto his red spool. Stars blinked at the scene before them. Several planes flew high above. Before long, Colin was directly overhead his parents. Dad’s strong arms reached up grabbed Colin’s legs and pulled him down. Mom wrapped warm arms around her little man. In all the excitement, Colin forgot about his kite that carried him here. In fact, he still held tightly to the spool of string.

High above, the plastic kite with its smiling face continued to make circles. Suddenly there was a snap. Colin was not disappointed as he watched a trail of string follow his kite. He was also happy to be back on land with his parents. Besides, his kite was free to travel anywhere it wished.

Now when you look up at night, you’ll notice a few clouds, stars and planes, perhaps a few seagulls. if you’re lucky, you may even see an eagle. But if you look closely; you may see something quite different. It’s Colin’s red and white kite. And its smiling yellow face is looking for another friend.

Foolish Imitation

Long ago, a hawk lived on the top of a hill. At the foot of the hill there was a banyan tree on which a crow used to perch every day. The crow was very foolish. He would imitate everyone.

The hawk atop the hill would fly down every day in search of food. The crow watched the hawk circling in the air for long hours and swooping down when he saw his prey. The hawk gifted with eyes that could see long distances would spot his prey from the hill top and then fly down to pounce upon the prey.

The crow watched the hawk thinking, “Hunh! If the hawk can do that, I too can. What does he think? One day, I will show the hawk that I can do the same thing.”

A few days later, as the hawk was circling in the air, the crow decided to do the same. Suddenly a baby rabbit came out of the bushes. The hawk saw it and the crow too saw the rabbit.

Before the crow could move, the hawk swooped down, caught hold of the rabbit in his strong sharp talons and flew away. “Swoosh!” was all the crow heard as the hawk disappeared in the sky with his prey. “Hmmph! That is no great skill,” thought the crow, angrily.

Next moment he spotted a big fat mouse coming out of a hole. Without wasting time, the crow swooped down. Like the hawk he tried to catch the mouse in his claws.

But the mouse saw the crow and moved away, the crow crashed against the hill. “Eeeaaa!” cried the crow in pain.

Just then the hawk came flying down. “I hope, now you know it is not easy to hunt and it is not easy to imitate, either,” said the hawk and flew away.

Thereafter, the crow never imitated any one in its life. It lived happily with the God-given abilities.

The little bird who was afraid to fly

Once upon a time there was a little bird named Birdie and she was afraid to fly. She would hide all day and all night in the bushes, mostly because there were these big bully crows that would land on the ground in front of Birdie they would scare her and tease her by squawking “you can’t flyyyy your afraid to flyyyy” and the little bird would be soooo scared she would hide in the dark underbrush of these bushes.

One wonderful sunny day a very funny little squirrel named Quirk scurried by and saw the little bird and he asked her “what’s your name and why are you hiding in these bushes”.

The little bird replied “My name is Birdie and I am hiding because I’m afraid to fly and those big bully crows tease me”.

So the squirrel said “would you like to go sit in the tree” the little bird said “yes very much!” so the squirrel sat down and said “hop on my back and I will take you up the tree.”

So he did, and everyday since then the squirrel would come by the bushes and the little bird would hop on his back and he would take her up the tree and Birdie would sit on the branch all day long. Quirk would spend the day scurrying and playing around the branches and up and down all the trees in the forest. Birdie would just watch wishing she could play too. Then when it began to get dark the squirrel would bring the little bird back down the tree and would leave her in the dark shelter of the bushes so she could go to bed.

On this particular day the little bird said “Quirk would you stay here on this branch with me so we can laugh and play and be friends forever.” The squirrel happily said “yes, I would like that!” so that is exactly what they did they laughed and played, they had been having so much fun. Then the crows noticed the little bird was in the tree and they swooped down and started teasing the little bird squawking, “you can’t flyyyy your afraid to flyyyy you can’t flyyyyy”.

Well the little bird was so upset that she started flapping her wings and frantically saying “I can too fly, I’m not afraid to fly, I can fly if I wanted to fly, I can Fly If I want too!!!” Quirk couldn’t believe his eyes he was stunned looking at the little bird he exclaimed “Birdie you’re flying, you’re flying!”…the little bird had flapped her wings so hard that she had begun to fly “I’m flying?” she said “I am flying!” she was so happy she flew looped deedoos then up and down and in and out of all the branches. Then she saw it, the tallest tree in all the forest and she flapped her wings as hard as she could and flew all the way to the tippy top of that tallest tree and she sat there so proud and so brave. Birdie wasn’t afraid of flying anymore and she was never bothered by those big bully crows ever again.

Everyday the squirrel would scurry up the tallest tree in all the forest to meet the little bird and they would laugh and play throughout the whole forest, in and out of all the branches, and up and down all the trees having so much fun, Quirk and Birdie remained best friends forever.

Jumbo The Little Elephant

This story reminds us that you should always be careful about who you make friends with. You will meet some good friends in as well as some who are there to make fun of you or make use of you. And always remember that mom’s advise can never be wrong.

Once upon a time a baby elephant named Jumbo used to live in a forest. He always used to dream that one day he would be able to swim. His mother tried hopelessly to make him believe that he is very heavy in weight that’s why he could not swim. But he never listened. He would reach by the river and happily look at his glance in it.

Once he slept early and then he dreamed that he was swimming deep in the river. He was swimming here and there and frolicking happily. He made friendship with some small but harmless fishes. He even found a place to take rest in nights. He was very happy. He could see the colors of different lights that were flickering ceaselessly. The lights were coming out from some fishes that were very beautiful and colorful.

After seeing him, the colorful fishes went to him and they asked his name. He said his name was Jumbo and from the very next day he became friends with them. Now they would daily play hide and seek together. But in the meanwhile Jumbo could not realize the mischievous plan of those fishes. The fishes actually were very amused at the look of Jumbo. They wanted to make his big ears there home. They thought how would it like be if they play hide and seek in Jumbo’s big fans like ears and his mouth.

One day when Jumbo was fast asleep after playing, all those colorful fishes arrived and entered his mouth and making exit from his ears. They were playing and making fun of Jumbo. When Jumbo woke up he realized that he made a big mistake by making friendship with them. He cried but nobody came for his help. At last his mother woke him up from his dream. Seeing his mother in front of him, Jumbo cried inconsolably and promised that he would never ever think of swimming in future. That made his mother happy and she served him hot delicious food.

http://www.bedtime.com/html/jumbo_the_little_elephant.html

Alone

You should always remember one thing kids, never open the door to any stranger especially when your parents are not home. Make sure you check to see who it is or take a peek and if you don’t know them just lock the door and stay inside. 

My mother and father had just left the house to go to the movies.

I was baby-sitting my two little sisters when the doorbell rang. I knew that I shouldn’t answer the door for obvious reasons, but something drew me to open it.

I saw a man at the door and said, “Can I help you?” He looked at me and stared, as if he didn’t hear me the first time. I repeated myself several times, but he just stared. I remembered that he might be deaf, and taking three years of sign language, I signed ‘Can I help you?’ He nodded, heavily and then pushed me aside and stepped in. I signed ‘Do I know you? Do my parents know you?’ He nodded again. And then stared at the back wall with the picture of a strange figure that came with the house.

My father wanted to throw it away, but my mother said it would go with her new wallpaper. Anyway, back to the story.

He automatically sat at the kitchen table, like he knew where everything was in the house. I asked him what his name was and he shook his head no. I asked him again and he shook his head no, more seriously this time. I started to get scared for myself and my two baby sisters in the house. I told him to wait there and I would be back later. I ran into the next room and picked up the phone to call the police. But when I picked up the phone, I didn’t hear a dial tone; I heard breathing … deep breathing.

I hung up the phone and stared into the kitchen. The man was still sitting there, he hadn’t moved. I called the kids upstairs and I locked them in my room so he wouldn’t hurt them or whatever he planned to do. Then I ran into my parents room to get the cordless, so I could peek into the kitchen to see if he picked up the phone. When I went downstairs, I looked into the kitchen. ‘Good,’ I thought. ‘He’s still sitting down. Now I can call.’ But when I clicked the phone, I heard breathing, even though he was sitting down. I screamed and hid behind the wall.

I didn’t like this. When I looked to see if he heard me (I screamed so loud that even a deaf man could hear me) he was gone. I don’t know what happened, but when I looked at the picture on the wall, there was the man; he was staring at me and occasionally he would blink.

I told my parents and they didn’t see the man there. Only I could see him. I don’t know why, but I am never alone anymore.

http://www.bedtime.com/html/alone.html

The Candle

This is a spooky story about how Shayla and her cousin, discovered what was actually hiding in the storm shelter behind our house all along. Well it must have been a horrible experience for them at their age of 11 but I’m sure they learnt their lesson. Remember kids if there is something you are not sure about, ask your parents about it before going off exploring alone. It might be really dangerous you know.

I was in the basement of my grandma’s house when my grandma called for me to come upstairs. I ran up and she said she was leaving, but my cousin Shayla was coming over. Well my grandma left and I stayed upstairs watching TV for a bit until Shayla came. My grandma had just moved in to the house, so we weren’t familiar. We only knew that there was some mysterious storm shelter in the backyard that was bolted shut.

We went outside to find the keys because we were 11 and didn’t know what to do. We found a locket, a key and 3 jellybeans in a box that was buried. We tried the key. It was too big, so we put everything back except the locket. Then Shayla went into the shed and brought out a huge shovel. She started smacking the shelter door with it. After about 3 minutes of her smacking and me picking open the locket, a huge hole was in the shelter door. We couldn’t see anything in there because it was too dark outside.

We went in to get a flashlight when we heard a big “BOOM” coming from outside. Shayla ran outside to find the whole entire shelter door caved in. I brought the flashlight and shined it in there. Shayla went to get a camera but I wasn’t sure why. I looked in but right when I turned on the flashlight, it went dead. So, Shayla got another. She shined the flashlight and I just couldn’t believe what I saw, but I knew it was true, and real. Shayla snapped some pictures and we got out as quickly as possible.

When grandma came home, we weren’t there. We were at the neighbor’s house. We went back to grandma’s and she said, “I was looking for you two. Where were you?” “At Joey’s house” I said with fear in my voice and eyes as I looked outside at the shelter.

Shayla and I ran outside and guess what?….. The shelter door was back on, bolted shut, and everything was perfectly in place how it was before. Shayla tried to tell grandma what happened, but grandma seemed mad about us snooping around. Grandma said “I cannot believe what you girls are saying. I just can’t. I mean it looks like you didn’t break the door or anything.”

At that point I knew it was all a dream; the dead man in the shelter, the locket, the jelly beans, the key.

Everything!!!

But then Shayla pulled out her digital camera and showed it to grandma. It was a disturbing picture and I puked. Sorry, I would put a picture of it on here but I don’t have it.

Lindsey

http://www.bedtime.com/html/the_candle.html

The Flying Unicorn

This is a lovely short fairy tale of Sara the Unicorn. Unicorns are lovely in nature and they are friendly to all humans. They especially love children and making friends with them. Find out more about what happened to Sara the Unicorn in the story below!

Sara was a unicorn. She was a very special unicorn, and her tribe considered her one of the greatest creatures in the world, for Sara had wings, and she could fly. Great big gossamer wings the color of moonlight, could take her soaring into the air above, her white body gleaming in the sun at day, and sparkling in the moon-and star-light at night.

She was a happy and good-natured animal and made friends with everyone, even humans. She liked little children, who always stared at her in wonder and delight. One little girl was her special friend. She lived just outside of the forest that Sara lived in. Her name was Minnie and she loved Sara with all her heart.

One day when they were walking in the forest, Minnie asked Sara, “Dear Sara, would you please, please, take me up with you into the great big sky? I want to see the world from up there. Please, Sara?”

“Of course, I will, my little friend. Would you like to go now?” Sara asked, looking down at Minnie.

“Yes please,” Minnie shouted, jumping up and down in excitement.

And so, with Minnie on her back, Sara flew off into the air, climbing higher and higher, with the little girl screaming in delight. She held on tightly to Sara and looked down at the ground that seemed so very far away. The houses and trees looked like toys. The river looked like a blue line drawn on one of her drawing pages. Birds flew past her chirping a friendly greeting and she waved at them in return. Soon it was time to return to the ground, and when she landed she hugged Sara tightly and said, “Thank you so much, dear friend. That was lovely.”

http://www.bedtime.com/html/the_flying_unicorn.html

The Little Red Hen

This story reminds us that we should always work for what we want and not wait for something good to come. If you don’t work hard for what you want, you will never get it.

The little Red Hen was in the farmyard with her chickens, when she found a grain of wheat.

“Who will plant this wheat?” she said.

“Not I,” said the Goose.

“Not I,” said the Duck.

“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen, and she planted the grain of wheat.

When the wheat was ripe she said, “Who will take this wheat to the mill?”

“Not I,” said the Goose.

“Not I,” said the Duck.

“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen, and she took the wheat to the mill.

When she brought the flour home she said, “Who will make some bread with this flour?”

“Not I,” said the Goose.

“Not I,” said the Duck.

“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen.

When the bread was baked, she said, “Who will eat this bread?”

“I will,” said the Goose.

“I will,” said the Duck.

“No, you won’t,” said the little Red Hen. “I shall eat it myself. Cluck! cluck!” And she called her chickens to help her.

My Shadow

My Shadow is a very nice poem about the something that will always be beside you. That is your shadow. It can sometime be mischievous and even makes fun of you. It’s sometimes really big and sometimes you can’t even see him!

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow–

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,

And he sometimes goes so little that there’s none of him at all.

He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close behind me, he’s a coward you can see;

I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

The Larks in the Cornfield

The Larks in the Cornfield is a very good moral story which teaches us something very important in life, that is, if we ever want something to be done, make sure we do it ourselves. Because if we wait for others to do it, it will never happen.

There was once a family of little Larks who lived with their mother in a nest in a cornfield. When the corn was ripe the mother Lark watched very carefully to see if there were any sign of the reapers’ coming, for she knew that when they came their sharp knives would cut down the nest and hurt the baby Larks. So every day, when she went out for food, she told the little Larks to look and listen very closely to everything that went on, and to tell her all they saw and heard when she came home.

One day when she came home the little Larks were much frightened.

“Oh, Mother, dear Mother,” they said, “You must move us away to-night! The farmer was in the field to-day, and he said, `The corn is ready to cut; we must call in the neighbors to help.’ And then he told his son to go out to-night and ask all the neighbors to come and reap the corn to-morrow.”

The mother Lark laughed. ”Don’t be afraid,” she said; “if he waits for his neighbors to reap the corn we shall have plenty of time to move; tell me what he says to-morrow.”

The next night the little Larks were quite trembling with fear; the moment their mother got home they cried out, “Mother, you must surely move us to-night! The farmer came to-day and said, `The corn is getting too ripe; we cannot wait for our neighbors; we must ask our relatives to help us.’ And then he called his son and told him to ask all the uncles and cousins to come to-morrow and cut the corn. Shall we move to-night?”

“Don’t worry,” said the mother Lark; “the uncles and cousins have plenty of reaping to do for themselves; we’ll not move yet.”

The third night, when the mother Lark came home, the baby Larks said, “Mother, dear, the farmer came to the field to-day, and when he looked at the corn he was quite angry; he said, `This will never do! The corn is getting too ripe; it’s no use to wait for our relatives, we shall have to cut this corn ourselves.’ And then he called his son and said, `Go out to-night and hire reapers, and to-morrow we will begin to cut.’”

“Well,” said the mother, “that is another story; when a man begins to do his own business, instead of asking somebody else to do it, things get done. I will move you out to-night.”

My Bed is a Boat

This is a short poem about a little boy’s bed and how it became a boat whenever he goes to bed.

My bed is like a little boat;

Nurse helps me in when I embark;

She girds me in my sailor’s coat

And starts me in the dark.

At night I go on board and say

Good-night to all my friends on shore;

I shut my eyes and sail away

And see and hear no more.

And sometimes things to bed I take,

As prudent sailors have to do;

Perhaps a slice of wedding-cake,

Perhaps a toy or two.

All night across the dark we steer;

But when the day returns at last,

Safe in my room beside the pier,

I find my vessel fast.

The Fox and the Crow

The fox and the crow tells us a story about how sly a fox can be when it comes to getting their food. The moral of the story as you read is that you should not trust flatterers. They are just there to flatter you and they don’t mean what they say.

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.

“That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.

“Good-day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.”

The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.

“That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future:

“Do not trust flatterers.”

An Old man and his Five Sons

This story tells about an old man and how he managed to discipline his five sons to work together. The moral of the story is if you stick together as a family, no one will ever be able to break through your strong bonds and ties.

In a small village far away from the town, there lived an old man and his five sons. His wife was no longer around so he did not have a lot of time to take care of his sons and discipline them. He had to work in the farm and gather enough food and sell to get money to buy food and clothes for his sons.

As a result, his sons grew up to become very mischievous and they were always fighting every single day. The old man was becoming older and he knew that he would soon be gone and will not be able to take care of his sons.

He was very worried about how they would survive without him as they would be fighting every day.

One day, the old man had an idea to teach his sons to stop fighting and work together. He told his sons to go out and gather wood for the fireplace. They did as they were told and they went out to gather wood. Some of them had more wood than the others and when they went back home, they were fighting among themselves to get more wood.

Then the old man came and asked his sons to take a stick of wood each and break them into half. It was very easy and they broke it easily.

Next the old man asked each of his sons to take two sticks of wood and break them into half. It was a little harder but they broke it as well.

Lastly, the old man took five sticks of wood and asked them to break it. One by one, his sons tried to break it but they could not.

The old man then told his sons, “This wood is like you. If you are alone, someone else can break you and attack you easily. But if the five of you stick together as one, then no one will ever be able to break you.”

From that day on, his sons were always united and they worked hard together and they lived happily ever after.

The Bad Girl

This is a little adventure story about a little bad girl who, with the help of nature around her, came to realize what is right and grew to love the people who were around her.

She was always called the bad girl, for she had once, when she was very little, put out her tongue at the postman. She lived alone with her grandmother and her three brothers in the cottage beyond the field, and the girls in the village took no notice of her. The bad girl did not mind this, for she was always thinking of the cuckoo clock.

The clock stood in one corner of the cottage, and every hour a door opened at the top of its face, and a little cuckoo came out and called its name just the same number of times that the clock ought to have struck, and called it so loudly and in so much haste that the clock was afraid to strike at all.

The bad girl was always wondering whether it was worse for the clock to have a cupboard in its forehead, and a bird that was always hopping in and out, or for the poor cuckoo to spend so much time in a dark little prison. “If it could only get away to the woods,” she said to herself, “who knows but its voice might grow sweet, and even life itself might come to it!” She thought of the clock so much that her grandmother used to say—

“Ah, lassie, if you would only think of me sometimes!” But the bad girl would answer— ”You are not in prison, granny dear, and you have not even a bee in your bonnet, let alone a bird in your head. Why should I think of you?”

One day, close by the farm, she saw the big girls from the school gathering flowers.

“Give me one,” she said; “perhaps the cuckoo would like it.” But they all cried, “No, no!” and tried to frighten her away. “They are for the little one’s birthday. To-morrow she will be seven years old,” they said, “and she is to have a crown of flowers and a cake, and all the afternoon we shall play merry games with her.”

“Is she unhappy, that you are taking so much trouble for her?” asked the bad girl.

“Oh, no; she is very happy: but it will be her birthday, and we want to make her happier.”

“Why?”

“Because we love her,” said one;

“Because she is so little” said another;

“Because she is alive,” said a third.

“Are all things that live to be loved and cared for?” the bad girl asked, but they were too busy to listen, so she went on her way thinking; and it seemed as if all things round—the birds, and bees, and the rustling leaves, and the little tender wild flowers, half hidden in the grass—answered, as she went along— ”Yes, they are all to be cared for and made happier, if it be possible.”

“The cuckoo clock is not alive,” she thought. ”Oh, no; it is not alive,” the trees answered; “but many things that do not live have voices, and many others are just sign-posts, pointing the way.”

“The way! The way to what, and where?”

“We find out for ourselves;—we must all find out for ourselves,” the trees sighed and whispered to each other. As the bad girl entered the cottage, the cuckoo called out its name eleven times, but she did not even look up. She walked straight across to the chair by the fireside, and kneeling down, kissed her granny’s hands.

The Tortoise and the Hare

This classic tale of the tortoise and the hare teaches us a very important point to remember, that is, slow and steady wins the race. It does not mean that if you are slow in doing something then you can never do it. Just remember to be patient because you will eventually reach your goal!

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. “I have never yet been beaten,” said he, “when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me.”

The Tortoise said quietly, “I accept your challenge.”

“That is a good joke,” said the Hare; “I could dance round you all the way.”

“Keep your boasting till you’ve beaten,” answered the Tortoise. “Shall we race?”

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, believing that the Tortoise could never catch him, lay down by the wayside to have a nap. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.

When the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post. The Hare ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. He saw the Tortoise had reached the goal.

Then said the Tortoise:

“Slow and steady wins the race.”