The Beacon Second Reader | Page 9

her own home, and as she came into the farmyard,
a cock on the roof cried loudly:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Our golden lady has come home, too."
MOTHER FROST--II
When the stepmother saw the girl with her golden dress, she was kind
to her. Then the maiden told how the gold had fallen upon her.
The mother could hardly wait to have her own child try her luck in the
same way.
This time she made the idle daughter go to the spring and spin.
The lazy girl did not spin fast enough to make her fingers bleed.
So she pricked her finger with a thorn until a few drops of blood
stained the spindle.
At once she let it drop into the water, and sprang in after it herself.

The ugly girl found herself in a beautiful field, just as her sister had.
She walked along the same path until she came to the baker's oven.
She heard the loaves cry, "Pull us out! pull us out, or we shall burn!"
[Illustration]
But the lazy girl said to the brown loaves, "I will not. I do not want to
soil my hands in your dirty oven."
Then she walked on until she came to the apple tree.
"Shake me! shake me!" it cried, "for my apples are quite ripe."
"I will not," said the girl, "for some of your apples might fall on my
head."
As she spoke, she walked lazily on.
At last the girl stood before the door of Mother Frost's house.
She had no fear of Mother Frost's great teeth, but walked right up to the
old woman and offered to be her servant.
For a whole day the girl was very busy, and did everything that she was
told to do.
On the second day she began to be lazy, and on the third day she was
still worse.
She would not get up in the morning.
The bed was never made, or shaken, so the feathers could fly about.
At last Mother Frost grew tired of her and told her that she must go
away.
This was what the lazy girl wanted, for she felt sure that now she would
have the golden shower.
Mother Frost led her to the great gate, but she passed under it, a kettle
full of black pitch was upset over her.
[Illustration]
"That is what you get for your work," said the old woman, as she shut
the gate.
The idle girl walked home, covered with pitch.
When she went into the farmyard the cock on the roof cried out:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Our sticky lady has come home, too."
The pitch stuck so fast to the girl that, as long as she lived, it never
came off.
WILLIAM AND JACOB GRIMM

IF EVER I SEE
If ever I see, On bush or tree, Young birds in their pretty nest; I must
not, in play, Steal the birds away, To grieve their mother's breast.
My mother, I know, Would sorrow so, Should I be stolen away; So I'll
speak to the birds In my softest words, Nor hurt them in my play.
And when they can fly In the bright blue sky, They'll warble a song to
me; And then if I'm sad It will make me glad To think they are happy
and free.
LYDIA MARIA CHILD

[Illustration]
WHY THE BEAR'S TAIL IS SHORT
Did you ever go to a circus where there was a bear in a cage?
Did you notice how short his tail was?
I will tell you how the bear's tail came to be short.
One very cold day in winter, a fox saw some men taking home a load
of fish.
The fox jumped upon the wagon while the men were not looking.
He threw off some of the best fish until he had enough for his dinner.
Then Mr. Fox jumped from the wagon and began to eat the fish.
While he was eating the fish, Mr. Bear came along.
"Good morning," said Mr. Bear, "you have had good luck fishing
to-day. Those are very fine fish. How did you catch them?"
"They are fine fish," said Mr. Fox.
"If you will go fishing with me to-night, I will show you how to catch
even better fish than these."
"I will go with you gladly," said the bear. "I will bring my hook and
line too."
"You don't need a hook and line," said the fox.
"I always catch fish with my tail. You have a much longer tail than I,
and can fish so much the better."
At sunset the bear met the fox.
They went across the frozen river until they came to a small hole in the
ice.
"Now, Mr. Bear," said the fox, "sit down here on the ice and put your