The Beacon Second Reader | Page 5

Tom.
But when Tom's mother came out, she could see no one.
She began to be afraid.
"Where are you, Tom?" she cried.
"Here I am in the horse's ear. Please take me down," said Tom.
His mother lifted him gently down, kissed him, and gave him a
blackberry for his supper.
Tom's father made him a whip out of a straw.
Tom tried to drive the cows, but he fell into a deep ditch.
There a great bird saw him and thought he was a mouse.
The bird seized Tom in her claws and carried him toward her nest.
As they were passing over the sea, Tom got away and fell into the
water, where a great fish swallowed him at one mouthful.
Soon after this the fish was caught, and it was such a big one that it was
sent at once to King Arthur.
When the cook cut open the fish, out jumped Tom Thumb. Tom was
brought before the king, and his story was told.
TOM THUMB--IV
The king grew very fond of Tom and his wise sayings. He took Tom
with him wherever he went.
If it began to rain, Tom would creep into the king's pocket and sleep
until the rain was over.
The king had a new suit made for Tom, and gave him a needle for a
sword.
A mouse was trained for Tom to ride.
The king and queen never tired of seeing him ride his queer little horse
and bravely wave his sword.
One day, as they were going hunting, a cat jumped out and caught
Tom's mouse.
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Tom drew his sword and tried to drive the cat away.
The king ran to help poor Tom, but the little mouse was dead, and Tom
was scratched and bitten.
Tom was put to bed, but he did not die.

No indeed! he was soon well again, and fought many brave battles and
did many brave deeds to please the king.
English Fairy Tale

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SUPPOSE
wouldn't pouring earnest lady
Suppose, my little lady, Your doll should break her head, Could you
make it whole by crying Till your eyes and nose are red? And wouldn't
it be better far To treat it as a joke, And say you're glad 'twas Dolly's,
And not your head that broke?
Suppose you're dressed for walking, And the rain comes pouring down,
Will it clear off any sooner Because you scold and frown? And
wouldn't it be nicer For you to smile than pout, And so make sunshine
in the house When there is none without?
Suppose your task, my little man, Is very hard to get, Will it make it
any easier For you to sit and fret? And wouldn't it be wiser Than
waiting like a dunce, To go to work in earnest, And learn the thing at
once?
ALICE CARY

[Illustration]
CINDERELLA--I
Once upon a time there lived a maiden named Cinderella.
Her mother was dead, and she had to work very, very hard in the
kitchen.
She had two older sisters, but they were cross to little Cinderella.
They made her stay among the pots and the kettles and do all the hard
work about the house.
Sometimes, to keep warm, she crept in among the cinders.
That is why she was called Cinderella.
One day the sisters came dancing into the house. "We have been
invited to the king's ball," they cried.
At length the day of the great ball came, and the two sisters rode away
in their fine silk dresses.

Poor Cinderella, who had to stay behind, looked at her old ragged
clothes, and burst into tears.
"Alas," she cried, "why should I always have to stay in the kitchen
while my sisters dress in silks and satins?"
Hardly had she spoken when there stood before her a dear little old lady
with a golden wand in her hand.
"My child," she cried, "I am your fairy godmother, and you shall go to
the ball, too.
First go into the garden, Cinderella, and bring to me the largest
pumpkin you can find."
When Cinderella had done this, the fairy waved her golden wand over
the yellow pumpkin.
In a flash, it was not a pumpkin at all, but a beautiful yellow coach.
"Now bring me four white mice, two large ones and two small ones."
In a moment Cinderella brought a trap full of mice into the room.
The fairy waved her golden wand, and the two largest mice were turned
into two snow-white horses.
Two small mice became two men, one a coachman, the other a
footman.
"But how am I to go in these clothes?" said Cinderella.
"Ah, let me see," said the fairy, and she slowly waved her wand over
the maiden's head.
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