Buttercup Gold | Page 6

fair and sweet, As she trips among
the grasses That kiss her dainty feet; Her arms are full of flowers, The
snow-drops, pure and white, Timid blue-eyed violets, And daffodillies
bright.
She loves dear Mother Nature, And wanders by her side; She beckons
to the birdlings That flock from far and wide. She wakes the baby
brooklets, Soft breezes hear her call; She tells the little children The
sweetest tales of all.
Her brow is sometimes clouded, And she sighs with gentle grace, Till
the sunbeams, daring lovers, Kiss the teardrops from her face. Well we
know this dainty maiden, For April is her name; And we welcome her
with gladness, As the springtime comes again.

Mr. Frog's Story
Down in the garden is a pretty brook, and something funny happened
one day as I was sitting watching the tadpoles and minnows playing tag
and hide-and-goseek. All at once something gave a jump out of the
water and with a loud "kerchunk," landed on a stone near by. It was Mr.
Frog, and as "kerchunk" in frog language means "how do you do?" I
replied politely and inquired for his health.
He assured me that he was well and happy, and went on talking. "Did
you know that I was once a tadpole just like those little creatures in the
brook?
"I have heard people say that you were," I answered. "You would not
believe it to look at me now, would you?"
"No," I said, for certainly he did not look at all like the queer little
animals I was watching.
"Yes," he continued, "once I was a tiny black egg in a globe of clear
white jelly, and floated around along the bank of this same brook. Soon
I grew into a wee tadpole, and freed myself from the globe of jelly, and
found I could swim about. I had a long flat tail which I used as a paddle
to help me swim. I had no feet nor legs then, but I grew very fast, and
soon two legs came out near my tail, and by and by two front ones

came, and I did not need my tail any more, so it disappeared. Then I
discovered that I had a long, slender tongue to catch insects with. My
skin, too, had changed, and is now covered with beautiful spots, and if
you look at my eyes you will see how bright they are.
"I live beside this brook with my family, and my cousins, the toads; and
in the spring and summer evenings we sing to our little tadpole children,
and tell them of the time when they, too, will grow up and be toads and
frogs."
Here Mr. Frog paused, and before I could thank him for his interesting
story, he gave a loud "kadunk," which means "good-by," and with a
splash he was off for a swim in the brook.

The Robin
One day, while walking home from the Kindergarten, I met some
travellers coining from the South. They did not come on the car or the
boat, but they travelled very quickly. As they passed me I fancied I
heard them say, "How do you do? We are glad to see you again. Are
there plenty of houses to rent this Spring? You will have a great many
more visitors by and by, for our friends are coming North as soon as
the weather gets a little warmer."
"Yes," I replied, "some of the houses you occupied last spring are
waiting for you, and you will find pleasant places on which to build
new ones in Crab Apple Lane, Woodbine Walk, Maple Park, and Apple
Tree Avenue."
"Thank you," they called, and hurried on, leaving me to wonder what
sort of a journey they had. All day long I saw them flying to and fro,
carrying loads of straw and mud.
Just at twilight there came a rap at my window, and there stood Mr.
Robin Redbreast, looking in as saucily as you please. "I thought you'd
be there," he chirped; "and if you will look out a minute, I'll show you
my house."
Sure enough, there was a tiny home on Apple tree Avenue, just at the
corner of Branch Alley. There was a cellar of mud, and the rest of the
cottage was neatly woven of straw. "How do you like it?" he chirped.
Of course I admired it, and asked him if he was all ready to go to
housekeeping. "All but the beds," he replied, "but if you will give me
some hair and a few feathers, I will soon have a soft place for our eggs

to rest on."
I threw some out, and in a short time the nest was lined. Then Robin
flew off, returning the