The Nursery, March 1873, Vol. XIII.

Mr. Prim sat on the bank from twelve o'clock till four:

He caught one fish—he caught a cold—and then—caught nothing more.

KITTY AND THE BEE

There were no mice for kitty, and what could she do? She could not sit still. She saw the little soft white chickens running about in the grass, and she thought she would try to catch one.

So she crouched down, and, without making a bit of noise, was getting ready for a spring.

But the chickens had a dear mother who loved them. When she saw kitty creeping along, she knew that they were in danger: so she flew at kitty, and made a dreadful noise that scared her away.

Then kitty saw a great butterfly flying along in the air. By and by it flew down upon a flower. Kitty sprang and caught it in her mouth.

Then she saw a pretty bird on a bush, singing as hard as he could sing. Kitty crept along under the bush, like a sly little rogue. But the bird saw her coming, and flew away.

One day a bee was coming home with honey. Kitty saw the bee, and caught it in her mouth. I think she will not try to catch any more bees. Can you guess why?

W. O. C.

MINDING BABY

Nurse

 
Rock the cradle
Just a minute;
Rock it gently,
Baby's in it.
If he's sleeping,
Do not wake him;
If he rouses,
Nurse will take him.
 
 
Sing him now
Some little ditty,
Sweet and bird-like,
Low and pretty.
He will hear it
In his slumbers,
And will feel
Its soothing numbers.
 
 
Sound and sounder
He'll be sleeping
In the angels'
Holy keeping;
For they always,
Darling Carrie,
Near to infants
Watch and tarry.
 

Carrie

 
Baby, baby,
Stop your play now,
And to sleep-land
Go away now.
As the bee's rocked
In the lily,
I will rock you,
Little Willy.
 
 
As the May-bough
Rocks the nest-bird,
I will rock you,
Mother's best bird.
Boys, at play there,
Hush your clatter!
Don't wake baby
With your chatter!
 
 
In the garden
Do not play now:
Go and frolic
On the hay-mow.
I am minding
Baby-brother;
For, you see, I'm
Little mother.
 

George Bennet.

LITTLE MISCHIEF

VIII

Bessie went into the parlor one day, and noticed that the clock did not tick. "I must wind it up," thought she. "It must be very easy, for you only have to turn the key round and round."

So Bessie began to turn the key. At first it would not move; but then she tried it the other way, and it went round and round quite easily. She was determined to do it thoroughly while she was about it: so she went on winding and winding, and was charmed to hear it begin to tick.

But all at once it made a noise,—burr-r-r-r,—and then it stopped ticking.

IX

The hands, too, that had been going so fast, stood still. What could be the reason of it? Had it really stopped? Bessie put her ear quite near, and listened. Yes, there was not a sound.

She began to feel frightened, and to think that perhaps, after all, she had better have left it alone. Her mother came into the room and said, "What are you doing, Bessie? You must have broken the mainspring of the clock."

"I saw it was not going, mamma, and so I wound it up," sobbed out Bessie: "I did not mean to break it." That was all she could say.

DEEDS, NOT WORDS

 
Benny says he'll be a soldier:
He will march to fife and drum,
With a musket on his shoulder;
Never stouter heart nor bolder,
Where the shots the thickest come.
(Yet I've seen the speckled hen
Put to rout brave Captain Ben!)
 
 
Willie longs to be sailor:
He will cross the farthest seas;
'Mid the terror and commotion
Of the dark, tempestuous ocean,
He will pace his deck at ease.
(Storms are certain when we scrub
Willie in his bathing-tub.)
 
 
Nellie hears with awe and wonder
Of the perils they will seek;
Weeps at thought of cruel slaughter;
Prays for seamen on the water;
Blushes for her courage weak:
(Yet the best thing, Nellie dear,
Is to do the duty near.)
 

A. D. W.