Mother Goose in Prose | Page 6

of his reception, and filled with many misgivings, His
Majesty cried,
"Sirrah! how came you to think of putting live birds in the pie?"
The cook, fearing that the King was angry, answered,
"May it please your Majesty, it was not my thought, but the idea of the
boy who stands behind your chair."
The King turned his head, and seeing Gilligren, who looked very well
in his new livery, he said,
"You are a clever youth, and deserve a better position than that of a
butler's lad. Hereafter you shall be one of my own pages, and if you
serve me faithfully I will advance your fortunes with your deserts."
And Gilligren did serve the King faithfully, and as he grew older
acquired much honor and great wealth.
"After all," he used to say, "that sixpence made my fortune. And it all
came about through such a small thing as a handful of rye!"

The Story of Little Boy Blue
The Story of Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn. The sheep 's in the meadow, the
cow 's in the corn; Where 's the little boy that minds the sheep? He 's
under the haystack, fast asleep!

There once lived a poor widow who supported herself and her only son
by gleaning in the fields the stalks of grain that had been missed by the
reapers. Her little cottage was at the foot of a beautiful valley, upon the
edge of the river that wound in and out among the green hills; and
although poor, she was contented with her lot, for her home was
pleasant and her lovely boy was a constant delight to her.
He had big blue eyes, and fair golden curls, and he loved his good
mother very dearly, and was never more pleased than when she allowed
him to help her with her work.
And so the years passed happily away till the boy was eight years old,
but then the widow fell sick, and their little store of money melted
gradually away.
"I do n't know what we shall do for bread," she said, kissing her boy
with tears in her eyes, "for I am not yet strong enough to work, and we
have no money left."
"But I can work," answered the boy; "and I 'm sure if I go to the Squire
up at the Hall he will give me something to do."
At first the widow was reluctant to consent to this, since she loved to
keep her child at her side, but finally, as nothing else could be done,
she decided to let him go to see the Squire.
Being too proud to allow her son to go to the great house in his ragged
clothes, she made him a new suit out of a pretty blue dress she had
herself worn in happier times, and when it was finished and the boy
dressed in it, he looked as pretty as a prince in a fairy tale. For the
bright blue jacket set off his curls to good advantage, and the color just
matched the blue of his eyes. His trousers were blue, also, and she took
the silver buckles from her own shoes and put them on his, that he
might appear the finer. And then she brushed his curls and placed his
big straw hat upon them and sent him away with a kiss to see the
Squire.
It so happened that the great man was walking in his garden with his

daughter Madge that morning, and was feeling in an especially happy
mood, so that when he suddenly looked up and saw a little boy before
him, he said, kindly,
"Well, my child, what can I do for you?"
"If you please, sir," said the boy, bravely, although he was frightened at
meeting the Squire face to face, "I want you to give me some work to
do, so that I can earn money."
"Earn money!" repeated the Squire, "why do you wish to earn money?"
"To buy food for my mother, sir. We are very poor, and since she is no
longer able to work for me I wish to work for her."
"But what can you do?" asked the Squire; "you are too small to work in
the fields."
"I could earn something, sir, could n't I?"
His tone was so pleading that mistress Madge was unable to resist it,
and even the Squire was touched. The young lady came forward and
took the boy's hand in her own, and pressing back his curls, she kissed
his fair cheek.
"You shall be our shepherd," she said, pleasantly, "and keep the sheep
out of the meadows and the cows from getting in to the corn. You
know, father," she continued, turning to