The Magic Speech Flower

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The Magic Speech Flower, by Melvin Hix

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Title: The Magic Speech Flower or Little Luke and His Animal Friends
Author: Melvin Hix
Release Date: March 15, 2005 [EBook #15367]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER
OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS ANIMAL FRIENDS

BY MELVIN HIX
AUTHOR OF "ONCE UPON A TIME STORIES," "UNITED STATES HISTORY FOR FIFTH YEAR," CO-AUTHOR OF "THE HORACE MANN READERS," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
* * * * *
COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
FIRST PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1912

THE PLIMPTON PRESS [W.D.O] NORWOOD. MASS. U.S.A
* * * * *
ONCE-UPON-A-TIME STORIES
By MELVIN HIX, B. Ped., Principal of Public School 9, Long Island City, New York City.
The aim of the author is to retell these familiar stories of childhood in such way as to give added interest to first and second grade pupils.
ELEVEN STORIES. ILLUSTRATED. 105 PAGES. PRICE, 25 CENTS.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., PUBLISHERS Fourth Avenue and 30th Street, New York LONDON, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
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THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER
OR LITTLE LUKE AND HIS ANIMAL FRIENDS

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CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.
THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER II. LITTLE LUKE AND THE BOB LINCOLNS III. THE STORY OF THE SUMMER LAND IV. BOB LINCOLN'S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE V. LITTLE LUKE MAKES FRIENDS AMONG THE WILD FOLK VI. LITTLE LUKE AND KIT-CHEE THE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER VII. WHY THE KIT-CHEE PEOPLE ALWAYS USE SNAKE-SKINS IN NEST-BUILDING VIII. LITTLE LUKE AND NICK-UTS THE YELLOWTHROAT IX. WHY MOTHER MO-LO THE COWBIRD LAYS HER EGGS IN OTHER BIRDS' NESTS X. THE STORY OF O-PEE-CHEE THE FIRST ROBIN XI. HOW THE ROBIN'S BREAST BECAME RED XII. HOW THE BEES GOT THEIR STINGS XIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST SWALLOWS XIV. LITTLE LUKE AND A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK XV. HOW A-BAL-KA GOT HIS BLACK STRIPES XVI. HOW A-BAL-KA THE CHIPMUNK HELPED MEN XVII. LITTLE LUKE AND MEE-KO THE RED SQUIRRELS XVIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST RED SQUIRRELS XIX. HOW THE RED SQUIRREL BECAME SMALL XX. LITTLE LUKE AND MOTHER MIT-CHEE THE RUFFLED PARTRIDGE XXI. WHY THE FEATHERED FOLK RAISE THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY DRINK XXII. LITTLE LUKE AND FATHER MIT-CHEE XXIII. THE STORY OF THE FIRST PARTRIDGE XXIV. WHY PARTRIDGES DRUM XXV. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD BOZE THE HOUND XXVI. MOTHER WA-POOSE AND OLD KLAWS THE HOUSE CAT XXVII. THE RABBIT DANCE XXVIII. WHY THE WILD FOLK NO LONGER TALK THE MAN-TALK XXIX. THE TALE OF SUN-KA THE WISE DOG XXX. HOW THE DOG'S TONGUE BECAME LONG XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG
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THE MAGIC SPEECH FLOWER

I. THE FINDING OF THE MAGIC FLOWER
It was June and it was morning. The sky was clear and the sun shone bright and warm. The still air was filled with the sweet odor of blossoming flowers. To little Luke, sitting on the doorstep of the farmhouse and looking out over the fresh fields and green meadows, the whole earth seemed brimful of happiness and joy.
From the bough of an apple tree on the lawn O-pee-chee the Robin chanted his morning song. "Te rill, te roo, the sky is blue," sang he.
From the lilac bush Kil-loo the Song Sparrow trilled, "Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, the air is sweet."
Over in the meadows Zeet the Lark fluttered down upon a low bush and sang, "Come with me, come and see," over and over. Then he dropped down into the grass and ran off to the nest where his mate was sitting on five speckled eggs.
Bob-o'-Lincoln went quite out of his wits with the joy of life. He flew high up into the air, and then came fluttering and falling, falling and quivering down among the buttercups and daisies. He was very proud of himself and wanted everybody to know just who he was. So he sang his own name over and over. With his name-song he mixed up a lot of runs and trills and thrills that did not mean anything to anybody but himself and his little mate nestling below him in the grass. To her they meant, "Life is love, and love is joy."
Old Ka-ka-go the Crow, sitting on the top of the tall maple, felt that on such a morning as this he, too, must sing. So he opened his beak and croaked, "Caw, caw, caw, caw." What he meant to say was, "Corn, corn, corn, corn." Sam, the hired