Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans | Page 8

the string that he held in his hand was a silk ribbon, which was tied to the hemp string of the kite. E-lec-tric-ity will not follow silk.
One night when there was a storm coming, he went out with his son. They stood under a cow shed, and he sent his kite up in the air.
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After a while he held his knuckle to the key. A tiny spark flashed between the key and his knuckle. It was a little flash of lightning.
Then he took his little bottle fixed to hold e-lec-tric-i-ty. He filled it with the e-lec-tric-i-ty that came from the key. He carried home a bottle of lightning. So he found out what made it thunder and lighten.
After that he used to bring the lightning into his house on rods and wires. He made the lightning ring bells and do many other strange things.

FRANKLIN'S WHISTLE.
When Franklin was an old man, he wrote a cu-ri-ous letter. In that letter he told a story. It was about some-thing that happened to him when he was a boy.
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Here is the story put into verses, so that you will re-member it better. Some day you can read the story as Franklin told it himself. You will hear people say, "He paid too much for the whistle." The saying came from this story.
TOO MUCH FOR THE WHISTLE
As Ben with pennies in his pocket Went strolling down the street, "Toot-toot! toot-toot!" there came a whistle From a boy he chanced to meet,
Whistling fit to burst his buttons, Blowing hard and stepping high. Then Benny said, "I'll buy your whistle;" But "Toot! toot-toot!" was the reply.
But Benny counted out his pennies, The whistling boy began to smile; With one last toot he gave the whistle To Ben, and took his penny pile.
Now homeward goes the whistling Benny, As proud as any foolish boy, And in his pockets not a penny, But in his mouth a noisy toy.
"Ah, Benny, Benny!" cries his mother, "I cannot stand your ugly noise." "Stop, Benny, Benny!" says his father, "I cannot talk, you drown my voice."
At last the whistling boy re-mem-bers How much his money might have bought "Too many pennies for a whistle," Is little Benny's ugly thought.
Too many pennies for a whistle Is what we all pay, you and I, Just for a little foolish pleasure Pay a price that's quite too high.

JOHN STARK AND THE INDIANS.
John Stark was a famous gen-er-al in the Rev-o-lu-tion. But this story is not about the Rev-o-lu-tion. It is about Stark before he became a soldier.
When he was a young man, Stark went into the woods. His brother and two other young men were with him. They lived in a camp. It was far away from any houses.
The young men set traps for animals in many places. They wanted to catch the animals that have fur on them. They wanted to get the skins to sell.
The Indians were at war with the white people. One day the young men saw the tracks of Indians. Then they knew that it was not safe for them to stay in the woods any longer. They began to get ready to go home.
John Stark went out to bring in the traps set for animals. The Indians found him, and made him a pris-on-er. They asked him where his friends were.
Stark did not wish his friends to be taken. So he pointed the wrong way. He took the Indians a long way from the other young men.
But John Stark's friends did not know that he was a pris-on-er. When he did not come back, they thought that he had lost his way. They fired their guns to let him know where they were.
When the Indians heard the guns, they knew where the other hunters were. They went down to the river, and waited for them. When one of the men came down, they caught him.
Then John Stark's brother and the other man came down the river in a boat. The Indians told Stark to call them. They wanted them to come over where the Indians were. Then they could take them.
John knew that the Indians were cruel. He knew that if he did not do what they told him to, they might kill him. But he wished to save his brother. He called to his brother to row for the other shore.
When they turned toward the other shore, the Indians fired at them. But Stark knocked up two of their guns. They did not hit the white men. Then some of the other Indians fired. Stark knocked up their guns also. But the man that was with his brother was killed.
John now called to his brother, "Run! for all the Indians' guns are empty."
His brother got away. The Indians were very angry with John. They did not kill him.