MRS. FOX OUTWITS DOG SPOT
: The Tale Of Tommy FoxPoor Tommy Fox! How he wished that he had obeyed his mother, and kept
away from Farmer Green's hen-house! Now Farmer Green's dog Spot was
chasing him. Tommy could hear him baying joyfully as he followed. But
you may be sure that Tommy was not joyful. He was terribly frightened.
He could think of nothing to do except to run, run, run! as fast as he
could go. He was headed straight for home, and he only hoped that he
wou
Now, Tommy was doing just about the worst thing he could do. He never
once jumped sideways, or ran around in a circle. And though he might
have waded a little way in the shallow brook in the meadow, where Spot
would have lost his trail, Tommy used the bridge to get across the
stream; so the dog Spot had no trouble at all in following him. And
Spot kept drawing nearer and nearer.
It happened that Mrs. Fox heard the baying of the dog. And she knew
what Spot was saying. He was crying--"I've almost got him! I've almost
got him!"
A shiver passed over Mrs. Fox; for she thought at once of Tommy. He
was not at home, and she wondered if by any chance he was in trouble.
She hurried through the field to see who it was that Spot was chasing.
And sure enough! pretty soon Mrs. Fox saw Tommy come tearing through
the field, panting hard, with his tongue hanging out, and a most
frightened look upon his face.
Mrs. Fox hastened to meet him. The dog Spot was then on the other side
of a low hill, and running along with his nose to the ground.
"Jump!" Mrs. Fox said to Tommy, as soon as he joined her.
Tommy remembered, then, what his mother had always told him. So he
gave a long leap to one side.
"Now make a big circle, and jump again. Then go home!" That was all
Mrs. Fox had time to say. She stopped just long enough to see Tommy
dash off; and then she started right in the opposite direction.
The dog Spot saw her and gave a yelp of delight. He did not know what
had been happening. He only thought that now he was going to catch the
fox, which was the stupidest fox he had ever chased, running as it
did, straight away, with never a leap or a circle, or any other sort
of trick to fool him. Little did Spot guess that old Mrs. Fox had not
the slightest idea of being caught. She had been followed by Spot
himself many times; and she knew exactly how to escape him. She just
lingered for a few moments, to make sure that Tommy was safe, and that
Spot was chasing _her_. And then how she did run! In no time at all
she left Spot far behind.
Now, Mrs. Fox knew that there was a ploughed field nearby, and that
was just what she wanted. She scampered towards it at great speed and
went straight across it. And when she had reached the other side of
the ploughed ground she sat down for a short breathing spell.
You see, Mrs. Fox was very wise indeed. She knew that in dry weather,
such as there was then, a ploughed field takes no scent at all. She
knew that when Spot reached that loose dirt Spot could not smell her
footsteps. And so she just sat there on her haunches, and caught her
breath again.
A grim smile crossed Mrs. Fox's face as she heard Spot barking away in
the distance. It was a very different bark from what she had heard
when he was chasing Tommy. This time Spot was saying, "Oh, dear! oh,
dear! I've lost him!" over and over again.
When Mrs. Fox reached home she found Tommy safe inside their house. He
was crying, because he was afraid he would never see his mother again.
And after his mother found out how Spot had happened to chase him,
Tommy cried some more--but for an entirely different reason.
Who can guess what the reason was?
More
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LITTLE SUNSHINE.
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If you ever go to the beautiful city of New Orleans, somebody will be sure to take you down into the old business part of the city, where there are banks and shops and hotels, and show you a statue which stands in a little square there. It is the ... MARGERY'S GARDEN
There was once a little girl named Margery, who had always lived in the city. The flat where her mother and father lived was at the top of a big building, and you couldn't see a great deal from the windows, except chimney-pots on other people's ro... MASTER SANDY'S SNAPDRAGON
There was just enough of December in the air and of May in the sky to make the Yuletide of the year of grace 1611 a time of pleasure and delight to every boy and girl in "Merrie England" from the princely children in stately Whitehall to the hum... MEDDLESOME MATTY
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... MISS DINAH MORRIS,
Care of Mrs. Lawrence Delaney, ... MOSES STRIKING THE ROCK.
After the Israelites left Egypt they crossed the Red Sea, whose waters divided so that they passed through on dry land. Then they travelled through the wilderness toward Mount Sinai. Passing onward, they wanted water and food; and forgetting the g... MOTHER GROUSE'S CHILDREN
The very next day after his first lesson in hunting, when his mother had brought home the live woodchuck, Tommy Fox went off into the woods alone. He had made up his mind that he would surprise his mother by bringing home some nice tidbit for dinn... MR. BLUFF'S EXPERIENCES OF HOLIDAYS
"I hate holidays," said Bachelor Bluff to me, with some little irritation, on a Christmas a few years ago. Then he paused an instant, after which he resumed: "I don't mean to say that I hate to see people enjoying themselves. But I hate holidays... MR. GRAY SQUIRREL'S MISTAKE
Mr. Gray Squirrel certainly was mistaken, when he thought that Tommy Fox was dead and came down out of the chestnut tree to look at him. Tommy wasn't even ill. You remember that he was very hungry? And that he had not been able to find anything to... MR. LISMORE AND THE WIDOW
Late in the autumn, not many years since, a public meeting was held at the Mansion House, London, under the direction of the Lord Mayor. The list of gentlemen invited to address the audience had been chosen with two objects in view. Spea... MRS. FOX OUTWITS DOG SPOT
Poor Tommy Fox! How he wished that he had obeyed his mother, and kept away from Farmer Green's hen-house! Now Farmer Green's dog Spot was chasing him. Tommy could hear him baying joyfully as he followed. But you may be sure that Tommy was not joyf... MRS. G. HALL.
... MY BED IS A BOAT
My bed is like a little boat; Nurse helps me in when I embark; She girds me in my sailor's coat And starts me in the dark. At night, I go on board and say Good night to all my friends on shore; I shut my eyes and sail away, And see a... MY KINGDOM
The little Louisa I told you about, who wrote verses and stories in her diary, used to like to play that she was a princess, and that her kingdom was her own mind. When she had unkind or dissatisfied thoughts, she tried to get rid of them by playi... MY NATIVE LAND
Sir Walter Scott Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, "This is my own, my native land!" Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd, As home his footsteps he hath turn'd From wandering on a foreign strand! ... MYSELF.
One little head so smooth and round, With soft hair covered, golden or brown, One little forehead smooth and white, Two little eye-brows dark or light. Two little eyes that we see through. See us looking, now, at you? Two little cheeks so plump a... NANNIE'S RUN
Can you imagine a beautiful oval-shaped bay, almost encircled by a long arm of sand stretching out from the mainland? In its deep water the largest vessels might ride at anchor, but at the time of my story a lonelier place could scarcely be found.... NATHAN REPROVING THE KING.
David was now King. He had great riches and honour, and a palace had been built for him. He had brought the ark from Kirjath-jearim, and placed it in the tabernacle prepared for it at Jerusalem, and he now reigned over all the people of Israel and... NATURE IN TRAVAIL.
"I say, professor?" "Very well, Waldo; proceed." "Wonder if this isn't a portion of the glorious climate, broken loose from its native California, and drifting up this way on a lark?" "If so, said lark must be roasted to a turn," declared th... NEW ORLEANS, LA.
If she can read what is on the outside of this box she can have what is inside. And as Dinah read every word plainly and quickly, of course she had for her very own the fine roller-skates the box held. And now sitting curled up in the sun, doin... NIGHT FLOWERS.
There are some flowers that never see the sun. One of the most curious is the "evening primrose." About six o'clock it suddenly bursts open, with a popping sound, and at six next morning closes. If you watch that pretty flower, and listen, you ca... NOSE!"
So at last the Gnat flew out from the Lion's nostril and went back to his waving grass-blade, while the Lion slunk away into the depths of the forest with his tail between his legs--_beaten_, and by a tiny Gnat! "What a fine fellow am I, to be sur... O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Walt Whitman O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has wether'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and dar... OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE THREE BROTHERS AFTER THE VISIT OF SOUTHWEST
Southwest Wind, Esquire, was as good as his word. After the momentous visit above related, he entered the Treasure Valley no more; and what was worse, he had so much influence with his relations, the West Winds in general, and used it so effec... OLD BLACK JACKO
Old Black Jacko Smokes tobacco In his little pipe of clay. Puff, puff, puff, He never has enough Though he smokes it all day. But his lubra says, "Mine tink dat Jacky Him shmoke plenty too much baccy." ... OLD FATHER CHRISTMAS
"The custom of Christmas-trees came from Germany. I can remember when they were first introduced into England, and what wonderful things we thought them. Now, every village school has its tree, and the scholars openly discuss whether the present... OLD IRONSIDES
Oliver Wendell Holmes Ay, tear her tattered ensign down! Long has it waved on high, And many an eye has danced to see That banner in the sky; Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon's roar;-- The meteor of the ocean air ... OLD MR. CROW IS PLEASED
There was a very good reason why Mrs. Fox did not come home that day when the dog Spot chased Tommy Fox into his house. She had heard old Spot barking in the field and she had hurried toward home as fast as she could, to see what was the matter. ... OLIVER HERFOLD.
... ON THE GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET
John Keats The poetry of earth is never dead: When all the birds are faint with the hot sun, And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead; That is the grasshopper's--he takes the lead In summer... OPPORTUNITY
Edward Rowland Sill This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:-- There spread a cloud of dust along a plain; And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banne... OR,
... OUR COUNTRY AMERICA
Samuel Francis Smith My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty; Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims' pride,-- From every mountain side Let freedom ring. My native country, thee, Land of the noble fr... OUR COW
Down by the sliprails stands our cow Chewing, chewing, chewing, She does not care what folks out there In the great, big world are doing. She sees the small cloud-shadows pass And green grass shining under. If she does think, what does s... OUR STREET
In our street, the main street Running thro' the town, You see a lot of busy folk Going up and down: Bag men and basket men, Men with loads of hay, Buying things and selling things And carting things away. The butcher is a funny... PATTY-SAYINGS.
"I've been reading Bible stories," Patty said, "and I believe That Adam's name MEANT "Morning,' Because his wife was 'Eve.'" ... PAUL'S DISCOURSE ON CHARITY
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, ... PAUL'S DISCOURSE ON CHARITY
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, ... PAYING A CALL ON A FRIEND
Mr. Crow had dared Tommy Fox to go down to pay a call on his friend dog Spot, at Farmer Green's place. And Tommy was trotting along across the fields. He was quite near Farmer Green's house when he heard a dog bark not far away. "There's Spot n... PENETRATING GRIM SECRETS.
Bruno caught an imperfect view of moving figures at no great distance ahead, but ere he could fairly decide just what they might be, his red-skinned guide swiftly whispered: "More come look. You don't say. Ixtli fool 'em--easy!" Making not th... PETER AND THE TRIBUTE-MONEY.
It was a part of the Jewish law that all strangers passing among the Jews should pay to the priests of the Temple an offering to the Lord, or tribute-money as it was called. Soon after our Lord's Transfiguration He came to Capernaum, together w... PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER CURED.
After Jesus had left the Centurion He went to the house of his disciple Peter, and there He saw Peter's wife's mother, laid on a bed, sick with fever. And He took her by the hand and lifted her up. The fever left her and she was cured. She rose up... PICCOLA
Poor, sweet Piccola! Did you hear What happened to Piccola, children dear? 'Tis seldom Fortune such favour grants As fell to this little maid of France. 'Twas Christmas-time, and her parents poor Could hardly driv... PIPING DOWN THE VALLEYS WILD
Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me:-- "Pipe a song about a lamb:" So I piped with merry cheer. "Piper, pipe that song again:" So I piped: he wept to hear.... PLAYING ON THE HARP BEFORE SAUL.
We are not told much in the Bible concerning the early life of David. He was born in Bethlehem. We have seen who his father was, but I do not find that his mother's name is given. His own name means "beloved." What a happy name! He must have been ... PLOUGHING IN CANAAN.
In Scripture frequent mention is made of the husbandman and his work. Ploughing the land, sowing the seed, reaping the harvest, and winnowing the grain are often referred to. Our picture shows an Eastern husbandman ploughing. How different it is t...