TOMMY BECOMES BOASTFUL
: The Tale Of Tommy FoxWhen Johnnie Green turned Tommy Fox loose, out in the meadow, in the
moonlight, Tommy hurried across the fields as fast as he could go. You
remember that he heard a fox barking, near the foot of Blue Mountain,
and he thought it sounded like his mother. So Tommy barked, too. And
as he ran he could hear that other fox coming towards him. Pretty soon
they met, and such a joyful meeting you never saw in all your life.
For
she licked him all over with her tongue, and looked at him carefully,
to see if he was hurt anywhere. Mrs. Fox had never expected to see
Tommy again. But there he was, bigger than ever, and altogether _too_
fat, for Johnnie had fed him well; and then, there were those two hens
that Tommy had stolen.
Tommy Fox was very glad indeed to see his mother once more. He frisked
about her, and yelped, and jumped up and down. And when she saw that
Tommy had come back safe and sound Mrs. Fox danced a little bit, too.
And then she took Tommy home.
You remember that when Farmer Green caught Tommy in a trap, right at
the door of his mother's house, Mrs. Fox had been obliged to move. Her
new home was not far away from the old one. It was snug and cozy, and
on the whole was a pretty nice sort of house, though the dooryard was
not quite so sunny as she would have preferred, for the branches of a
big tree shaded it.
Tommy had to answer a great many questions. His mother wanted to know
everything that had happened to him. She was astonished when she found
that he had been in the village, right in the daytime. He was the only
fox she knew of who had ever been there. And when she heard of Tommy's
friendship with the dog Spot Mrs. Fox was more surprised than ever.
She couldn't understand it. And she shook her head over and over again
as Tommy told her what good times he and Spot had had together. Mrs.
Fox actually began to think that Tommy was telling stories.
The other forest-people, too, thought that Tommy was fibbing when he
bragged about his strange adventures. And old Mr. Crow began to cry
"Stop, liar!" after him, instead of "Stop, thief!" as he used to do.
But Tommy Fox didn't mind that very much. He knew that he was telling
the truth. And he more than half guessed that old Mr. Crow was jealous
of him, because he had so many wonderful things to tell.
Though the forest-people always listened to Tommy's stories, they
disliked him more than ever. For he was always going about boasting of
what he had seen, and what he had done, and what _his_ friend, the dog
Spot, said.
"If you're such good friends with old dog Spot, why don't you go down
to the farm-yard and see him?" Mr. Crow said to Tommy one day. This
was long after Tommy had come back to live with his mother. In fact,
it was quite late in the fall, and the weather was growing cold.
"All right! I will!" Tommy said. He was not going to let old Mr. Crow
get the better of him. "I'll go now," Tommy said. And with that he
started down the valley toward Farmer Green's buildings.
More
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THE UGLY DUCKLING
Hans Christian Andersen It was glorious out in the country. It was summer, and the cornfields were yellow, and the oats were green; the hay had been put up in stacks in the green meadows, and the stork went about on his long red legs, and chatt... THE UNDER-WORLD
"How dark it is here, and how difficult for one to make his way through the thick atmosphere!" so thought little Alba, as he pushed and pushed slowly into the soft mud. Presently a busy hum sounded all about him; and, becoming accustomed to the da... THE UNFRUITFUL TREE.
A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, but found none. Then he called to the gardener who attended to his vineyard, and said to him, "Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tr... THE UNJUST STEWARD.
See where the steward, worldly wise, With wicked cunning in his eyes, Shows his lord's debtors how to cheat His master of his oil and wheat. "A hundred measures dost thou owe Of oil? My friend, 'tis scarcely so: He... THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
A certain King took account of his servants and began to reckon what they owed him. And there was brought to him one that owed him nearly _ten million dollars_. But as he had not the money to pay, the King commanded that he should be sold, togethe... THE UNSOCIABLE WALLABY
Willie spied a wallaby hopping through the fern-- Here a jump, here a thump, there a sudden turn. Willie called the wallaby, begging him to stop, But he went among the wattles with a flip, ... THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then came a peasant woman down the street, crying, "Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!" ... THE VENTURESOME RAT.
He was a fine young rat and lived with his father and mother, and brothers and sisters in a farm-cellar. Now this young rat was not of a very quiet disposition. In fact he was quite gay, and thought the life in the farm-cellar was very dull and s... THE VIOLET
Down in a green and shady bed A modest violet grew, Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, As if to hide from view. And yet it was a lovely flower, Its color bright and fair; It might have graced a rosy bower Instead of hiding there. ... THE VOYAGE OF THE WEE RED CAP
It was the night of St. Stephen, and Teig sat alone by his fire with naught in his cupboard but a pinch of tea and a bare mixing of meal, and a heart inside of him as soft and warm as the ice on the water-bucket outside the door. The tuft was ne... THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER
The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might; He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright-- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night. The moon was shining sulkily, Because she thought the ... THE WAY TO BE HAPPY
How pleasant it is at the end of the day, No follies to have to repent, But reflect on the past and be able to say, My time has been properly spent! When I've done all my business with patience and care, And been good, and obliging, and kind... THE WEDDING GARMENT.
There was a certain King who gave a great feast upon the occasion of his son's wedding. And he sent out his servants to bring in those that had been invited, but they would not come. Then he sent forth other servants, saying, "Tell them which were... THE WHOLE DUTY OF CHILDREN
A child should always say what's true And speak when he is spoken to, And behave mannerly at table; At least as far as he is able. ... THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.
One day when the priests and elders of the Temple were asking questions of Jesus, He told them this parable. There was a certain man who had a vineyard which was hedged or walled round, and had a tower. But he was going away into a country far o... THE WIND
Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I But when the leaves hang trembling The wind is passing by. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I But when the trees bow down their heads The wind is passing by. ... THE WIND
I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies' skirts across the grass-- O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind, that sings so loud a song! I saw the different things you d... THE WIND AND THE SUN
A dispute once arose betwixt the North Wind and the Sun about the superiority of their power; and they agreed to try their strength upon a traveler, which should be able to get his cloak off first. The North Wind began, and blew a very cold blast,... THE WIND'S TALE
... THE WISE GOAT AND THE WOLF
Once upon a time, many, many wild Goats lived in a cave in the side of a hill. A Wolf lived with his mate not far from this cave. Like all Wolves they liked the taste of Goat-meat. So they caught the Goats, one after another, and ate them all but ... THE WISE MEN'S VISIT.
The birth of Jesus Christ was announced by two remarkable events: the coming of wise men from the East, and the appearance of angels to some shepherds at Bethlehem. The wise men were probably astronomers; and in watching the stars they had seen... THE WOLF AND THE STORK
The wolves are prone to play the glutton. One, at a certain feast, 'tis said, So stuffed himself with lamb and mutton, He seemed but little short of dead. Deep in his throat a bone stuck fast. Well for this wolf, who could not speak, That... THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.
Jesus came unto the borders of Tyre and Sidon, where the people were not Jews, but Gentiles. And there came to Him a woman of Canaan, who cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with ... THE WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES
One day, as the crowds pressed round Him to hear the Word of God, Jesus came to the Lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats drawn up on the shore. Now one of these belonged to a man named Simon Peter, who was at the water's edge washing his nets. Jes... THE WOODPECKER AND THE LION
One day while a Lion was eating his dinner a bone stuck in his throat. It hurt so that he could not finish his dinner. He walked up and down, up and down, roaring with pain. A Woodpecker lit on a branch of a tree near-by, and hearing the Lion, ... THE WOODPECKER, TURTLE, AND DEER
Once upon a time a Deer lived in a forest near a lake. Not far from the same lake, a Woodpecker had a nest in the top of a tree; and in the lake lived a Turtle. The three were friends, and lived together happily. A hunter, wandering about in th... THE WORLD TURNS WHITE
After he outwitted the strange dog, Tommy Fox became more of a braggart than ever. He thought that he knew just about all there was to know. But with the coming of winter Tommy found that he had many things to learn. It was almost like living in a... THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow It was the schooner _Hesperus_, That sailed the wintry sea; And the skipper had taken his little daughter, To bear him company. Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, Her cheeks like the dawn of day, And h... THE WRONG BLACK BAG
It was the eve of Good Friday. Within the modest parlour of No. 13 Primrose Terrace a little man, wearing a gray felt hat and a red neck-tie, stood admiring himself in the looking-glass over the mantelpiece. Such a state of things anywhe... THERE IS NO FUN UNTILL I CUM.
The other man, nothing loath, raised the mug to his lips, and drank on and on and on, till a curious blueness overspread the countenance of the shepherd's wife, who had regarded with no little surprise the first stranger's free offer to the second o... THOR GOES A-FISHING
Hamilton Wright Mabie Midway between Niflheim and Muspelheim lay Midgard, the home of men, its round disk everywhere encircled by the ocean, which perpetually rushed upon it, gently in still summer afternoons, but with a terrible uproar in wi... TIMOTHY AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE.
Timothy was a youthful and earnest disciple of Jesus Christ, whom Paul loved dearly. Paul had found him during one of his missionary journeys, and, discovering how highly he was esteemed as a Christian, had selected him as his assistant. Afterward... TO A WATERFOWL
William Cullen Bryant Whither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of days, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee ... TO LUCASTA, ON GOING TO THE WARS
Richard Lovelace Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind, That from the nunnery Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind, To war and arms I fly. True, a new mistress now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith embrace A ... TO THE FRINGED GENTIAN
William Cullen Bryant Thou blossom bright with autumn dew, And colored with the heaven's own blue, That openest when the quiet light Succeeds the keen and frosty night. Thou comest not when violets lean O'er wandering brooks and springs uns... TOINETTE AND THE ELVES
The winter's sun was nearing the horizon's edge. Each moment the tree shadows grew longer in the forest; each moment the crimson light on the upper boughs became more red and bright. It was Christmas Eve, or would be in half an hour, when the su... TOMMY BECOMES BOASTFUL
When Johnnie Green turned Tommy Fox loose, out in the meadow, in the moonlight, Tommy hurried across the fields as fast as he could go. You remember that he heard a fox barking, near the foot of Blue Mountain, and he thought it sounded like his mo... TOMMY CHASES MR. WOODCHUCK
Tommy Fox went up into Farmer Green's back-pasture, which, lay even nearer Blue Mountain than the field where Tommy and his mother lived. He skulked along among the rocky hummocks, and the old stumps which dotted the pasture thickly. His ears and ... TOMMY ENJOYS HIMSELF
Tommy Fox was having a delightful time. If you could have come upon him in the woods you would have been astonished at his antics. He leaped high off the ground, and struck out with his paws. He opened his mouth and thrust his nose out and then cl... TOMMY FOX IN TROUBLE
A few days after Tommy Fox caught old Mr. Woodchuck, something happened that set him thinking. Perhaps I should say _"a few nights"_ instead of _"days."_ For one night his mother came home with a fat hen slung across her shoulders. She had been do... TOMMY FOX IS HUNGRY
Tommy Fox kept a sharp look-out to see what he could capture to eat. But he could discover nothing at all. To be sure, there were birds in the trees, and birds' nests too, and Tommy was very fond of birds' eggs. But he couldn't climb trees. The bi... TOMMY FOX LEARNS A NEW TRICK
Now, there was a road that ran through the valley, along the bank of Swift River. And when Mrs. Fox reached it, with Tommy close behind her, she turned again--this time to the left--and ran along in the beaten track which the horses and sleighs ha... TOMMY FOX LEARNS TO HUNT
Tommy Fox was hunting crickets in the field near his mother's house. Being a young fox, not much more than half-grown, Tommy knew very little of hunting. In fact, crickets were about the only thing he could hunt and _catch_. Of course, any one can... TOMMY FOX MAKES A STRANGE FRIEND
There was one thing, especially, that surprised Tommy Fox. And I think it surprised the dog Spot even more. Tommy and Spot became friends. At first, whenever Spot came near, Tommy would run into his hole, as far as his chain would allow him. But... TOMMY FROST SEES A BEAR.
Tommy Frost was making his first visit in the country. He was enjoying it very much. He liked to ramble about in the woods close by the house of his aunt, Mrs. Drew. Tommy had never even seen any birds before this, but pigeons and sparrows. That is,... TOMMY GROWS TOO CARELESS
By the time summer was nearly over, Tommy Fox was much bigger than he had been in the spring. So many things had happened, and he had learned so much, that he began to be quite bold. And he had grown so saucy that his mother often had to scold him... TOWSER TALKS.
I am not a big dog and I don't know very much, but I know more than I used to. The reason why I know more than I used to is because I asked Carlo some questions once. I asked him what made him so gaunt and thin and why he had such an enquiring expre... TWO LITTLE RIDDLES IN RHYME
There's a garden that I ken, Full of little gentlemen; Little caps of blue they wear, And green ribbons, very fair. (Flax.) From house to house he goes, A messenger small and slight, And whether ... TWO STRANGE SIGHTS.
"Oh come into the dining-room!" Cries Fred, "come, grandma, dear. For something very strange indeed Is going on in here!" And sure enough, when grandma comes, Perhaps at first with fright, She stands quite still, astonished at An unexpected sigh... UPON THE ROAD TO ROCKABOUT
Upon the road to Rockabout I came upon some sheep-- A large and woolly flock about As wide as it was deep. I was about to turn about To ask the man to tell Some things I wished to learn about Both sheep and wool as well, When I beheld a rou... VIOLA ROSEBOROUGH
... WALDO GOES FISHING.
It was with stronger forebodings than he dared acknowledge even to himself, that Professor Featherwit watched the two young men out of sight in the early gloom, and scarcely had his nephew passed beyond hearing than uncle Phaeton would gladly have ... WATER-LILIES
The stream that crept down from the hills, three miles away, has worn a smooth bed for itself in the gravel; has watered the farmer's fields, and turned the wheel of the old grist-mill, where the miller tends the stones that grind the farmer's cor... WEEPING
"Well, Hermod, what did she say?" asked the AEsir from the top of the hill as they saw him coming; "make haste and tell us what she said." And Hermod came up. "Oh! is that all?" they cried, as soon as he had delivered his message. "Nothing can ... WHAT HAPPENED CHRISTMAS EVE.
It was Christmas Eve and the frost fairies were busy getting ready for Christmas Day. First of all they spread the loveliest white snow carpet over the rough, bare ground; then they hung the bushes and trees with icicles that flashed like diamonds... WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SNOW QUEEN'S PALACE AND AFTERWARDS
<table><tr><td><img src="/images/plate08-th.jpg" alt=""></td> <td>The Snow Queen sat in the very middle of it when she sat at home</td></tr></table> The Palace walls were made of drifted snow, and the windows and doors of the biting winds... WHAT IS IT?
What is that ugly thing I see Which follows, follows, follows me, Which ever way I turn or go? What is that thing? I want to know. If I but turn to left or right It does the same with all its might; It looks so ugly and so black When o'er my s... WHAT THE FROST GIANTS DID TO NANNIE'S RUN
... WHAT WAS THE END OF THE HEROES
And now I wish that I could end my story pleasantly; but it is no fault of mine that I cannot. The old songs end it sadly, and I believe that they are right and wise; for though the heroes were purified at Malea, yet sacrifices cannot make bad ... WHICH DEALS WITH A MIRROR AND ITS FRAGMENTS
<table><tr><td><img src="/images/plate02-th.jpg" alt=""></td> <td>One day he was in a high state of delight because he had invented a mirror with this peculiarity, that every good and pretty thing reflected in it shrank away to almost nothing</td>... WHO KILLED THE OTTER'S BABIES?
Once the Otter came to the Mouse-deer and said, "Friend Mouse-deer, will you please take care of my babies while I go to the river, to catch fish?" "Certainly," said the Mouse-deer, "go along." But when the Otter came back from the river, wit... WHY DID MAMMA CHANGE HER MIND?
Mamma Miller told Fay and Lonnie that they might have a party, so they tried to get ready for it. But the party was very different to what they expected. It always happens so about everything, if we pay no regard to one another's wishes. Mrs. Mil... WHY THE EVERGREEN TREES KEEP THEIR LEAVES IN WINTER
One day, a long, long time ago, it was very cold; winter was coming. And all the birds flew away to the warm south, to wait for the spring. But one little bird had a broken wing and could not fly. He did not know what to do. He looked all round, to ... WHY THE MORNING-GLORY CLIMBS
Once the Morning-Glory was flat on the ground. She grew that way, and she had never climbed at all. Up in the top of a tree near her lived Mrs Jennie Wren and her little baby Wren. The little Wren was lame; he had a broken wing and couldn't fly. He ... WHY THE SEA IS SALT
Once there were two brothers. One was rich, and one was poor; the rich one was rather mean. When the Poor Brother used to come to ask for things it annoyed him, and finally one day he said, "There, I'll give it to you this time, but the next time yo... WINDY NIGHTS
Whenever the moon and stars are set, Whenever the wind is high, All night long in the dark and wet, A man goes riding by. Late in the night when the fires are out, Why does he gallop and gallop about? Whenever the trees are crying aloud, ... WOOLLOOMOOLOO
Here's a ridiculous riddle for you: How many o's are there in Woolloomooloo? Two for the W, two for the m, Four for the l's, and that's plenty for them. * * * I wonder what the Jacks have got to laugh and laugh about I'm sure the wor... YOU AND I
They say the eagle is a bird That sees some splendid sights When he soars high into the sky Upon his dizzy flights: He sees the ground for miles around Our house, and Billy Johnson's; But we cannot be eagles, for That would, of course, be nonsen... YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM
"You are old, father William," the young man said "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?" "In my youth," father William replied to his son, "I feared it ... YOUNG LOCHINVAR
Sir Walter Scott Oh young Lochinvar is come out of the west, Through all the wide Border his steed was the best; And save his good broadsword he weapon had none; He rode all unarm'd, and he rode all alone. So faithful in love, and so dauntless...