The Apple Dumpling and Other Stories for Young Boys and Girls | Page 6

the wall. It was made by the sun
shining through a crack in the shutter. She began to sing softly this little
song, that she had learned in school,--
"What is it shines so very bright, That quick dispels the dusky night?--
It is the sun--the sun; Shedding around its cheerful light, It is the
sun--the sun."
Presently she looked round again, and saw her Mamma sleeping. She
said, in her soft little voice, "Mamma, Mamma! good morning, dear
Mamma!"
But her Mamma did not wake up. Then she crept over her to where her
Papa was sleeping, and said,--
"Papa, Papa! good morning, dear Papa!"
But her Papa was too fast asleep to hear her. So she gave her Papa a
little kiss on the end of his nose, and laid gently down between them.
In a few minutes, her Papa woke up, and said,--
"Why! what little monkey is this in the bed?" which made Annie laugh
very much. She then jumped out of bed, and put on her stockings and
shoes herself, as all little boys and girls of five years old ought, and
washed her face and hands, and put on her clothes; and her Mamma,
who was now awake, fastened them, and brushed her hair nicely. After
that, she said some little prayers that her Mamma had taught her, and
then ran down stairs, singing as gaily as a lark, and dancing as lightly

as a fairy.
After breakfast, her Mamma got her school basket (it was a cunning
little basket), and put in it a nice slice of bread and butter, and a peach,
and gave her a little bouquet of flowers to present to her teacher, whom
little Annie loved dearly; and then her Mamma said, "Good bye, my
darling!" and Annie made her such a funny little curtsey, that she
nearly tumbled over, and off she went to school with her Papa, who
always saw her safe to the door.
Annie staid in school from nine o'clock until two. When she came
home, her Mother kissed her, and said--
"Have you been a good little girl in school to-day?"
"I think I have," said Annie; "Miss Harriet said that I was very diligent.
What is diligent, Mamma?"
"To be diligent, my dear," answered her Mamma, "means to study your
lesson all the time, without thinking of play, or anything else, until you
know it perfectly."
Annie said she was glad it meant such good things, and added,
"Mamma, will you play I am a lady coming to see you, if you are not
too busy?"
Her Mamma said she would. So Annie got her two dolls. One was a
very pretty wax doll, with eyes that could open and shut. Her name was
Emily; and the other was not wax, but was larger. Her name was
Augusta. Annie put on their hats and shawls, and dressed herself in an
old hat, with a green veil, and came near her Mamma, and made
believe ring a bell, and said, "Ting a ling, ting a ling."
"Come in," said her Mamma.
Little Annie shook hands with her Mamma, and said, "How do you do,
Mrs. Browne?"

"Thank you, I am very well," said her Mamma. "Take a seat, my dear
Mrs. Frisby," that was Annie's name. "How are your children, Mrs.
Frisby?"
"Oh! they are very sick," answered Annie; "one has the toothache, and
the other has a little square hole in the back of her head, and it has
made her head ache."
"Dear me! Mrs. Frisby," said her Mamma, "I am very sorry to hear it;
you ought to go to the doctor with them."
Then Annie pretended to go to the doctor, and she took out of the
drawer a little bit of sugar for medicine. She ate the medicine up herself,
and said that it had done the dollies a great deal of good. In this
pleasant way she amused herself until dinner time.
After dinner, her Papa and Mamma took her to the Park, as it was a
pleasant day; and there Annie jumped about with other little girls, or
ran with her great hoop. She could roll the hoop very well.
Then she came skipping home, and had her tea; and after that her
mother undressed her and heard her say her prayers, and kissed her for
good night; and she jumped into bed, and in a moment was fast asleep.
Don't you think Annie was a happy little girl? I think she was, for all
her days passed in this pleasant manner. Some other time, perhaps, I
will tell you more about little Annie Browne.

THE THREE BEARS.[1]
[1] From "The Doctor," by Robert Southey.
Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a