Cinderella, - [best interesting books to read txt] 📗

when they were

entertaining a caller, a stranger who seemed to have travelled

all over the world, and told in a very interesting manner of the

many wonderful things he had seen. “Why,” said the caller, “how

you can be contented to live as you do I cannot imagine, and to

bring up your children in such ignorance fills me with surprise.

They would learn more in one night prowling through the big house

to which this farm belongs than they will learn here for the rest

of their lives.”

 

After this caller had taken his leave, the young rat decided that

he would venture forth himself. He would that very night visit

the big house and see what was to be seen there. He pretended to

cuddle down on his own bed, and go sound asleep. He was really

watching his parents out of the corners of his wicked eyes, and

as soon as they were sound asleep, off he started. He found his

way to the house much more easily than he had expected; in short,

almost before he could believe it, he was in a fine great pantry.

A pantry whose shelves were covered with such good things to eat

as he had never seen. Rich cake, pies, cookies, and cheese such

as he had heard the caller describe. The first nibble fairly

melted in his mouth.

 

After he had eaten his fill he began looking about the pantry for

other means of amusement. Suddenly he saw a curious thing; it

seemed to be a little house or hut made of wire. Inside the hut

was a piece of cheese. “I really think I have eaten enough,” said

the young rat, “but if that cheese is so fine that it is kept in

a house by itself it must be very fine indeed.” With these words

he-crawled into the hole in the side of the hut and ate the

cheese, but when, later, he tried to get out he could not to save

his life.

 

Hours and hours he remained there until the night passed, and the

day came. Indeed he had fallen into a little nap when he was

awakened by a loud cry. Some one was shouting, “we’ve caught the

rascal at last, now we’ll drown him.”

 

The poor little fellow knew they were wrong; he could not be the

rascal they meant, for this was the first time he had ever been

in the house. At that moment a boy’s voice was heard to say. “Let

me see him. No, you shall not drown him. I will tame him if I

can.”

 

And so it came about that the young rat did see a good deal of

the world, but how? THROUGH THE BARS OF A CAGE.

 

THE BEARS’ FEAST.

 

A man had come to town with two tame bears. They were very clever

bears, and could climb posts and trees, dance and turn summersets

and do a great many other tricks besides.

 

One day the man was taken ill and had to stay in the house all

day. He thought the bears were locked up in the barn. But the

bears decided they would go for a walk by themselves. They

managed to get away without being seen and started in the

direction of the schoolhouse.

 

The children were at recess when they suddenly saw the bears.

They were frightened and ran screaming into the schoolhouse.

 

The bears were very tame and kind and wanted to make friends with

the children, so they followed them.

 

The children jumped on the desks screaming and crying and the

teachers were frightened too.

 

When the bears saw that they could not make friends or play they

began quietly walking about the school-room.

 

Finally they came to the dressing-room where all the dinner-pails

and baskets were hanging.

 

Smelling the food, they managed to knock some of the baskets down

and then such a feast as they had!

 

They sat on their haunches and ate sandwiches and fruit and

drank milk out of the bottles just as the children would do.

When they had eaten enough they quietly left the schoolhouse and

trotted down the road toward home.

 

After the bears were gone the children became calm again and

returned to their lessons.

 

The man and the bears disappeared the next day and were never

seen again.

 

PATTY-SAYINGS.

 

“I’ve been reading Bible stories,”

Patty said, “and I believe

That Adam’s name MEANT “Morning,’

Because his wife was ‘Eve.’”

 

BABIE’S CURLS.

 

Little Bessie Boothby

Had a little sister Sue:

And a baby brother,

Whom she thought the world of, too.

 

Only one thing troubled

These dear little girls;

‘Though baby Tom was pretty,

He hadn’t any curls.

 

They found a box of vaseline

And rubbed it on his head;

But even then no hair would grow:

It made his head quite red.

 

Bessie once was brushing

Dollie’s golden hair,

When off it fell, alas! and left

Poor dollie’s head quite bare.

 

Little Sue was frightened,

But to comfort, Bessie said,

“Susie dear, do listen,

‘Tis just like babie’s head.

 

“Let’s put the wig on baby Tom,

And then he’ll have some curls;

I would not even be surprised

If he looked just like us girls.”

 

When Mamma saw her baby boy

With all this growth of hair,

She laughed until she nearly cried,

At the naughty little pair.

 

THE RED APPLES.

 

One windy day in March Kitty Miller was on her way to school,

when she spied in a store window, a great pile of lovely red

apples.

 

“Oh”, she said, “how lovely! if Mamma could only have one!”

 

Kittie’s mother was very poor. She had been a dress-maker ever

since Mr. Miller died, and had worked so hard to earn a living

for herself and Kitty that she had become sick. She was obliged

to lie in bed all day, and when Kitty was away at school, the

house was very lonesome to the invalid.

 

When Kitty reached the school that day her thoughts were full of

her sick mother and the lovely apples.

 

She was usually a good scholar, but to-day she made so many

blunders that the teacher looked at her in surprise. The little

girl could only sit at her desk, with her book before her, and

dream of those red apples. When school was dismissed, Kitty

started slowly homeward. She had gone only a short distance when

she saw a gentleman in front of her drop his purse. Running

quickly forward she picked it up. It felt quite heavy in Kittie’s

little hand.

 

“There must be a good deal of money in it,” thought Kitty. “How

I wish I could keep it. Then I could buy Mamma a red apple and so

many other things she needs.”

 

But she knew this would not be right, so she hurried after the

gentleman. Touching him on the arm, she said, “Please, Sir, you

dropped your purse.”

 

“Thank you, dear,” said the gentleman taking the purse.

 

Then noticing how poorly dressed she was, he said, “Why did you

not keep the purse, my child?”

 

“Because that would be stealing,” replied Kitty. “But,” she

continued honestly, “before I thought I must give it back to

you, I did wish I could keep it, for then I could buy Mamma a

red apple.”

 

The gentleman smiled kindly and said, “You are a good little

girl to return my purse. I would like to give you a little

present and then you can buy a red apple.”

 

He handed her a silver dollar and then bade her good-by.

 

Kitty was so surprised that she started hastily for home,

forgetting all about the red apples until she stood in front of

the store.

 

The store-keeper happened to look out and saw the same little

girl who stood looking so longingly in at his window in the

morning. He quickly picked out the biggest, roundest, reddest

apple he could find and taking it out to Kitty said, “Would you

like this, my dear?”

 

She took the apple, looking so pleased and thanking him so

prettily, that the good man thought of it for many a day. When

Kitty reached home with her treasures she found her mother

fast asleep. So she put the apple and silver piece on a plate

where her mother could see them when she awoke.

 

When Mrs. Miller was told the wonderful story, she kissed her

little daughter and said, “You see, dear, it always pays to be

honest and truthful.”

 

BUBBLES.

 

“Now, Tommie, what will you do while I write letters this

morning?”

 

“Blow soap bubbles, Mamma, please,” and Tommie jumped up and

down, clapping his hands for pleasure.

 

“Well, run and get me your pipe and bowl and I will mix you some

suds.”

 

The soap-suds were soon ready, and Tommie took his favorite

position on the broad window-sill with the bowl in his lap.

 

Mamma, writing in the next room, could hear the Oh’s and squeals

of delight, as the bubbles grew larger and rounder.

 

“Why is Tommie in all the bubbles?” asked the little boy at last.

 

“Because, said Mamma, “the bubbles are like a mirror, and when

my little boy is near enough to look at them, he will be

reflected in them, just the same as when he looks in Mamma’s long

mirror.”

 

“But the mirror doesn’t break like the bubbles,” said Tommie.

“Where do they go when they break, Mamma?”

 

“They evaporate, dear; that is a big word for my little boy.

Spell it after Mamma and then perhaps you will remember.

E-v-a-p-o-r-a-t-e evaporate.”

 

“What does evaporate mean,” asked Tommie bringing out the long

word with a jerk.

 

“Do you remember, dear,” answered Mamma, “that early in the

morning when the grass is all wet with dew, my little boy cannot

run in it without his rubbers? But before long it is all dry and

then my little boy takes off his rubbers and does not get his

feet wet. The sun and the air absorb or suck up the water and

carry it off to their homes. Now, the bubbles are made of a

little water and a little air. The water is on the end of the

pipe, and Tommie blows the air into the pipe, and the bubble

grows big and round. When it breaks, the air sucks up the water,

which was the outside of the bubble, and the air which was inside

mixes with the air in the room.”

 

“Now do you suppose you can tell Papa all about it, when he comes

home to dinner?” asked Mamma.

 

“Of course I can,” said Tommie, proudly. “Haven’t you just told

me all about it?”

 

A HORSE WHO WORE SNOW SHOES.

 

Mr. Brown had to go to his camp at Pine Tree Valley, which is in

the midst of the mountains in California.

 

His men were cutting down the giant trees, and piling them in

readiness for the Spring freshet, or floods of the river, when

the snows melted. Then they would slide them down the mountain

sides to the little villages below.

 

There was a great deal of snow on the mountains, and Mr. Brown

knew it would be hard work climbing to the camp, but Lady Gray

was strong, and used to it.

 

Lady Gray was Mr. Brown’s pet horse, and carried him everywhere.

She was always happy when her master was in the saddle.

 

But to-day the snow was very deep and soon Mr. Brown had to get

off, throw away the saddle, and lead her. They had to stop very