Training For The Presidency
: LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY: Good Stories For Great Holidays
BY ORISON SWETT MARDEN
"I meant to take good care of your book, Mr. Crawford," said the boy,
"but I've damaged it a good deal without intending to, and now I want to
make it right with you. What shall I do to make it good?"
"Why, what happened to it, Abe?" asked the rich farmer, as he took the
copy of Weems's "Life of Washington" which he had lent young Lincoln,
and looked at the stained lea
had been out through all last night's storm. How came you to forget, and
leave it out to soak?"
"It was this way, Mr. Crawford," replied Abe. "I sat up late to read
it, and when I went to bed, I put it away carefully in my bookcase, as
I call it, a little opening between two logs in the wall of our cabin. I
dreamed about General Washington all night. When I woke up I took it out
to read a page or two before I did the chores, and you can't imagine how
I felt when I found it in this shape. It seems that the mud-daubing
had got out of the weather side of that crack, and the rain must have
dripped on it three or four hours before I took it out. I'm sorry, Mr.
Crawford, and want to fix it up with you, if you can tell me how, for I
have not got money to pay for it."
"Well," said Mr. Crawford, "come and shuck corn three days, and the book
's yours."
Had Mr. Crawford told young Abraham Lincoln that he had fallen heir to
a fortune the boy could hardly have felt more elated. Shuck corn only
three days, and earn the book that told all about his greatest hero!
"I don't intend to shuck corn, split rails, and the like always," he
told Mrs. Crawford, after he had read the volume. "I'm going to fit
myself for a profession."
"Why, what do you want to be, now?" asked Mrs. Crawford in surprise.
"Oh, I'll be President!" said Abe with a smile.
"You'd make a pretty President with all your tricks and jokes, now,
wouldn't you?" said the farmer's wife.
"Oh, I'll study and get ready," replied the boy, "and then maybe the
chance will come."
More
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Thumbkin
A woman was once stringing beans in her kitchen, and she thought to herself: "Oh, why have I not got a little baby boy; if I had only one as big as one of these beans or as big as my thumb I should be content. How I would love it, and dress it,... Thumbkin Pointer
Thumbkin, Pointer, Middleman big, Sillyman, Weeman, rig-a-jig-jig. ... Tiidu The Piper
Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had more children than bread to feed them with. However, they were strong and willing, and soon learned to make themselves of use to their father and mother, and when they were old enough they went out to ... Time For Everything
There's a time to run and a time to walk; There's a time for silence, a time for talk; There's a time for work and a time for play; There's a time for sleep at the close of day. There's a time for everything you do, F... Timid Agnes
Once there lived a poor girl whose wicked aunt treated her very cruelly. One morning, the aunt set out for a day of shopping and visiting to the neighboring town, after whipping her niece soundly (as she was in the habit of doing for exercise, ... Timothy Trundle
By FREDERICK MOXON. Oh! Timothy Trundle was bouncingly fat, As round as a robin was he; The jolliest babe ever sat on a mat To frolic and gurgle with glee! His father who tossed him now up and now down, Calle... Tingle Tangle Titmouse
"Come hither, little puppy-dog, I'll give you a new collar, If you will learn to read your book, And be a clever scholar." "No! no!" replied the puppy-dog, "I've other fish to fry; For I must learn to gu... Tiny Hare And The Wind Ball
... Tiny Tim
IT will surprise you all very much to hear that there was once a man who did not like Christmas. In fact, he had been heard on several occasions to use the word humbug with regard to it. His name was Scrooge, and he was a hard, sour-tempered man o... Tit For Tat
The proverb of tit for tat may perhaps be said to be going out of fashion, but it is still a universal favorite with children. When any one is ill-natured, and the sufferer wishes to hint his intention of retaliating at the first convenient opportun... Titty Mouse And Tatty Mouse
Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse both lived in a house. Titty Mouse went a-gleaning, and Tatty Mouse went a-gleaning. So they both went a-gleaning. Titty Mouse gleaned an ear of corn, and Tatty Mouse gleaned an ear of corn. So they both glean... To Market Ride The Gentlemen
To market ride the gentlemen, So do we, so do we; Then comes the country clown, Hobbledy gee, Hobbledy gee; First go the ladies, nim, nim, nim, Next come the gentlemen, trim, trim, trim; Then come the countr... To Market To Market
To market, to market, To buy a plum bun; Home again, home again, My journey is done. ... Toads And Diamonds
THERE was once upon a time a widow who had two daughters. The eldest was so much like her in the face and humor that whoever looked upon the daughter saw the mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proud that there was no living with them. ... Tobacco
Tobacco hic, Will make you well If you be sick. Tobacco was formerly held in great esteem as a medicine. Sickness was the old term for illness of any kind, and is no doubt the more correct expression. It may just be worth a ... Todgers
THIS is the story of a visit made by Mr. Pecksniff, a very pompous man, and his two daughters Miss Mercy and Miss Charity, to the boarding-house kept by Mrs. Todgers, in London; and a call while there on Miss Pinch, a governess or young lady teach... Toe-games
Harry Whistle, Tommy Thistle, Harry Whible, Tommy Thible, And little Oker-bell. A game with the five toes, each toe being touched in succession as these names are cried. "This song affords a proof of the connexion between the E... Tom Hickathrift
[Tom Hickathrift belongs to the same series as Jack the Giant-killer, one of the popular corruptions of old northern romances. It seems to allude to some of the insurrections in the Isle of Ely, such as that of Hereward, described in Wright's Essays... Tom Thumb
In the days of King Arthur, Merlin, the most learned enchanter of his time, was on a journey; and being very weary, stopped one day at the cottage of an honest ploughman to ask for refreshment. The ploughman's wife, with great civility, immediatel... Tom Thumb
A poor woodman sat in his cottage one night, smoking his pipe by the fireside, while his wife sat by his side spinning. 'How lonely it is, wife,' said he, as he puffed out a long curl of smoke, 'for you and me to sit here by ourselves, without any c... Tom Thumb
RETOLD BY LAURA CLARKE Have you ever heard about Little Thumb, or Tom Thumb as he was sometimes called? Such a queer little fellow, and such adventures, you surely must become acquainted with. 'Way back in the days of the good King Arthur, th... Tom Thumb
[Thumb stories are common in German and Danish, and the English tale comprises much that is found in the Northern versions. A writer in the Quarterly Review, xxi. 100, enters into some speculations respecting the mythological origin of Tom Thumb, an... Tom Was A Piper's Son
Tom, Tom was a piper's son, He learned to play when he was young, And all the tune that he could play Was "Over the hills and far away." Over the hills, and a great way off, The wind will blow my top-knot off. ... Tom-tit-tot
Once upon a time there was a woman and she baked five pies. But when they came out of the oven they were over-baked, and the crust was far too hard to eat. So she said to her daughter: "Daughter," says she, "put them pies on to the shelf and lea... Tommy And His Sister And Their New Pony-cart
BY DEWITT CLINTON FALLS Tommy took his sister out in their new pony-cart for a ride. They met a little friend very soon, and asked her to ride, too. Then Billie came along and of course they had to invite him. But they had forgotten how fat... Tommy Linn
Tommy Linn is a Scotchman born, His head is bald and his beard is shorn; He has a cap made of a hare skin, An alderman is Tommy Linn. Tommy Linn has no boots to put on, But two calves' skins, and the hair it w... Torre Jeppe
In a church-nave a specter sat night by night, and the specter's name was Torre Jeppe. He was a dried-up corpse that could not decay. One night three tailors were working at a farmstead in the neighborhood. They were laughing and joking, and among... Totems
<p>A Totem is a simple form used as the emblem or symbol of a man, a group of men, an animal, or an idea; it does not use or refer to words or letters, so it is the same in all languages. Unlike the blaze it does not depend on its position for part o... Touch And Sight
Twist the forefinger over the middle finger and touch a small ball with them, so that it may roll between the two fingers, and shut your eyes. You will think that there are two balls. Open your eyes,--and you will see that it is one ball. The fing... Tracks And The Stories They Tell
<div> <img src="/images/i155.png" alt="Tracks, and the Stories They Tell" title="Tracks, and the Stories They Tell" height="400" width="284" /> Tracks, and the Stories They Tell </div> <p>Sometimes, in town, just after rain, when the gutters are wet, a... Trade-last
BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS "My frock is green." "My frock is blue." "You look pretty." "So do you." ... Training For The Presidency
BY ORISON SWETT MARDEN "I meant to take good care of your book, Mr. Crawford," said the boy, "but I've damaged it a good deal without intending to, and now I want to make it right with you. What shall I do to make it good?" "Why, what happened ... Travels Of A Fox
ADAPTED BY CECILIA FARWELL The Fox was digging under an old tree and found a bumblebee. He gathered it up and put it into his bag and tied the string. Then he went to the first cottage at the end of the village street and said: "Good morning, G... Tritill Litill And The Birds
Once upon a time there lived a princess who was so beautiful and so good that everybody loved her. Her father could hardly bear her out of his sight, and he almost died of grief when, one day, she disappeared, and though the whole kingdom was search... Trot And Cap'n Bill
"Nobody," said Cap'n Bill solemnly, "ever sawr a mermaid an' lived to tell the tale." "Why not?" asked Trot, looking earnestly up into the old sailor's face. They were seated on a bench built around a giant acacia tree that grew just at the ... Trot Lives To Tell The Tale
Aquareine was thoughtful for a time. Then she drew from her finger a ring, a plain gold band set with a pearl of great value, and gave it to the little girl. "If at any period of your life the mermaids can be of service to you, my dear," she sa... Trot Trot The Baby Goes
BY MARY F. BUTTS Every evening Baby goes Trot, trot, to town-- Across the river, through the fields, Up hill and down. Trot, trot, the Baby goes, Up hill and down, To buy a feather for her hat, ... Trotty Veck And His Daughter Meg
"TROTTY" seems a strange name for an old man, but it was given to Toby Veck because of his always going at a trot to do his errands; for he was a ticket porter or messenger and his office was to take letters and messages for people who were in too... Trusty John
Once upon a time there was an old king who was so ill that he thought to himself, "I am most likely on my death-bed." Then he said, "Send Trusty John to me." Now Trusty John was his favorite servant, and was so called because all his life he had ... Truth and the Traveler
A WAYFARING MAN, traveling in the desert, met a woman standing alone and terribly dejected. He inquired of her, "Who art thou?" "My name is Truth," she replied. "And for what cause," he asked, "have you left the city to dwell alone here in the wil... Twelfth-night
The following verses are said to be in some way or other connected with the amusements of this festival. They refer probably to the choosing the king and the queen on Twelfth-night: Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green, When... Twins
BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS Here's a baby! Here's another! A sister and her infant brother. Which is which 'tis hard to tell, But "mother" knows them very well. ... Two Hero-stories Of The Civil War
BY BEN LA BREE (ADAPTED) I. BRAVERY HONORED BY A FOE In a rifle-pit, on the brow of a hill near Fredericksburg, were a number of Confederate soldiers who had exhausted their ammunition in the vain attempt to check the advancing column of Hooker... Two In A Sack
What a life that poor man led with his wife, to be sure! Not a day passed without her scolding him and calling him names, and indeed sometimes she would take the broom from behind the stove and beat him with it. He had no peace or comfort at all, ... Two Little Blackbirds
There were two blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Little pieces of paper perched on forefingers.) One named Jack, the other named Jill. Fly away, Jack; fly away, Jill. (Fingers soar gently in the ... Two Little Hands
Two little hands so soft and white, This is the left--this is the right. Five little fingers stand on each, So I can hold a plum or a peach. But if I should grow as old as you Lots of little things these hands can do.... Two Little Plants
Look at this lovely little plant with its pretty bright leaves and beautiful pink blossoms. Well may we ask what makes the little plant so healthy, strong, and pretty. It is a delight to the eye. Now here is another little plant. It belongs to t... Two Little Windows
In every house there is a window. Some houses have many windows to let in the bright sunshine and the pure fresh air, and to let us see from within the glorious world on the outside. I am going to tell you of some houses that have only two windo... Two Mills
Come, children, listen to the story Uncle Ned told to me. It was the story of a long time ago when Uncle Ned was a little boy. One day his mother took him on her knee and said, "Ned, do you know that your mouth is like a little mill?" It is. The m... Udea And Her Seven Brothers
Once upon a time there was a man and his wife who had seven boys. The children lived in the open air and grew big and strong, and the six eldest spent part of every day hunting wild beasts. The youngest did not care so much about sport, and he o... Umbrellas And Rubbers
Umbrellas and rubbers You never forget, Whenever it's raining Or snowy or wet; But if it should clear up, While you are away, Please bring them back home For the next rainy day. ... Uncle Jerry Chuck
Soon Jimmy Rabbit's friends arrived at his party in throngs. And soon Nimble Deer's antlers bristled with hats and coats of many kinds and colors. "I must look like a Christmas tree," Nimble thought. "I wish Jimmy Rabbit and his friends would c... Up To The Ceiling
Up to the ceiling, down to the ground, Backward and forward, round and round; Dance, little baby, and mother will sing, With the merry chorus, ding, ding, ding! ... Uraschimataro And The Turtle
From the Japanische Marchen und Sagen, von David Brauns (Leipzig: Wilhelm Friedrich). There was once a worthy old couple who lived on the coast, and supported themselves by fishing. They had only one child, a son, who was their pride and joy, a... Urashima
Urashima was a fisherman of the Inland Sea. Every night he plied his trade. He caught fishes both great and small, being upon the sea through the long hours of darkness. Thus he made his living. Upon a certain night the moon shone brightly, m... Valentine's Day
In the western counties, the children, decked with the wreaths and true-lover's knots presented to them, gaily adorn one of their number as their chief, and march from house to house, singing-- Good morrow to you, Valentine! Curl your... Valor
BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS. There isn't any giant Within this forest grim, And if there were, I wouldn't be A bit afraid of him! ... Vasishta And The Four Queens
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there ruled a king who had four wives. They were always quarrelling over the housework; so, in order to get some peace at home, the king himself divided the work between them. To the first queen ... Vervain
The herb vervain was formerly held of great efficacy against witchcraft, and in various diseases. Sir W. Scott mentions a popular rhyme, supposed to be addressed to a young woman by the devil, who attempted to seduce her in the shape of a handsome y... Viggo And Beate
Translated by Mrs. Gudrun Thorne-Thompson THE DOLL UNDER THE BRIER ROSEBUSH There was once a girl, and her name was Beate. On her birthday her father had given her a beautiful straw hat. Her mother had given her a pair of yellow shoes and the... Violette
Ourson at eight years of age was tall and strong, with magnificent eyes and a sweet voice; his bristles were no longer stiff but his hair was soft as silk, and those who loved him could embrace him without being scratched, as Passerose had been th... Violette's Sacrifice
When the dinner hour came, Violette arose, dressed herself and entered the dining-room where Agnella and Passerose were awaiting her. Ourson was not there. "Ourson is not with you, mother," said Violette. "I have not seen him," said Agnella. ...