THE
NURSERY
A Monthly Magazine
For Youngest Readers.
BOSTON:
THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY,
No. 36 Bromfield Street.
1881.
THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
IN PROSE.
| PAGE | |
| Lucy | 97 |
| The Savoyard | 100 |
| A Bear’s Story | 102 |
| Take Care | 108 |
| Letter from China | 109 |
| Drawing-Lesson | 113 |
| The Bird who has no Nest | 114 |
| A Shrine | 115 |
| Susie’s Dancing-Lesson | 117 |
| The Deserted House | 122 |
| Dame Trott and her Son | 124 |
| Bossy’s Fright | 125 |
IN VERSE.
| PAGE | |
| A Merry Go-round | 99 |
| Secrets | 105 |
| Going to School | 106 |
| Kings and Queens | 110 |
| Good-Night | 116 |
| Five Little Sparrows | 119 |
| Dobbin’s Complaint | 121 |
| Tommy Tucker | 123 |
| A Bluebird’s Song | 127 |
| The Bird’s Return (with music) | 128 |
VOL. XXIX.—NO. 4.
LUCY.
UCY is three years old. She is one of the happiest
little girls that I know, and one of the sweetest
too. That is saying a good deal; for I know a
great many very charming little girls.
You would not suppose that such a little tot could be
left to herself a great while. But often, when she is tired
of running about, her mother seats her in the great arm-chair,
and there, with her doll in her arms, she sits and
amuses herself for hours.
Jip the dog is very fond of Lucy, and very jealous of the
doll. If he comes in and sees Lucy and her doll in the arm-chair,
he begins to whine.
Then Lucy says in her baby-way (for she cannot yet talk
plain), “Come here, Jip!”
Jip jumps up into the chair. Lucy puts her arm round
him and pats him fondly. Jip looks up in her face, as much
as to say, “Don’t you love me, Lucy? Am I not as good
as the doll? Why don’t you pat me?”
Lucy knows what he means just as well as if he said it in
words. “Yes, Jip, you good little dog, I do love you,” she
says, “and Dolly loves you too. You will take good care
of us; won’t you, Jip?”
And Jip seems to know what Lucy says; for he answers
by another loving look, “Yes, Lucy, I will take care of you.
Nobody shall harm you while I am here. I will be your
watch-dog. But don’t forget to pet me as well as your doll.
I like to be petted.”
Then Lucy pats him, and says, “Good little Jip, I will
never forget you!” That makes him happy; and so they
are both happy together.
A MERRY GO-ROUND.
Not a ghost of a sound
As the snowflakes dance and spin:
Won’t the wind play the flute,
Now the birds are all mute,
And the crickets have stopped their din?
The brook would be glad
To tinkle like mad,
[100]If the snowflakes would only wait
Till the season is June,
And its voice is in tune
For their service, early and late.
Then the brown bee would hum,
And the frogs beat the drum,
And robin would lead the band:
Such a merry go-round,
To such a sweet sound,
Was ne’er known in snowflake-land.
THE SAVOYARD.
HIS boy, as you may see by his looks, is not one of
our American boys. He is a native of Savoy, and
is dressed in the costume of the peasants of that
country.
Savoy is in the eastern part of France, just south
of the Lake of Geneva. You will easily find it on the map.
It is a fertile country, but there are many poor people there
who live chiefly upon chestnuts and potatoes.
Though fond of their birthplace, many of them leave it
during the winters, and go to Italy, Spain, and other parts
of France in search of work.
Carl, the boy in the picture, is one of this class. His[101]
parents are too poor to support him, and he is sent out to
seek his own living; but he is not a beggar. He earns
something by raising guinea-pigs, which he sells to boys
and girls for pets. He carries them, as you see, in a box
slung from his neck. But they are so tame that he takes
them out and lets them run up on his shoulders.
The guinea-pig, when full-grown, is not much bigger than[102]
a large rat. In shape it is a good deal like a fat pig. When
hungry it grunts like a pig. In color it is white, spotted
with orange and black. It is a native of Brazil.
Guinea-pigs serve very well for pets. Some children are
very fond of them. But old folks like me prefer pets of
another sort.
A BEAR’S STORY.
WAS born in the wild woods of Michigan, and my
home was in a large hollow tree which stood near
the Muskegon River. There I lived with my mother
and sister.
I was a careless young cub, and one day, when at
play on the river-side, I went too near the steep bank, fell
over it, and went down splash into the water. It was very
deep, and there was a strong current. I had never been
taught to swim. I was in such a fright that I could not
even cry for help.
The water was choking me, and I was nearly drowned,[103]
when a kind log came floating by to my rescue. It seemed
like a friend sent from home. I scrambled to the top of it,
bade good-by to my sister, who stood crying on the bank, and
went drifting down the river.
Before long two queer-looking objects came toward me,
paddling along in a sort of hollow log. Seeing plainly that
they were not bears, I felt much afraid of them. My
mother had often talked to me about some fierce creatures
called “men,” and had told me always to keep out of their
way.
I felt sure that these were men; but how could I get out
of their way when I was adrift on a log? They came right
down upon me, and there I sat, whining and crying and
trembling. “What were these dreadful men made for?”
thought I. “Why can they not leave us poor bears in
peace?”
I fully expected to be killed. But, instead of killing me,
one of the men took me in his arms, and held me till we
came to the shore. Then I wanted to go back to my
mother, and I tried to get away. But he held me all the
tighter, and after a while he tied my feet together. I could
do nothing but cry, and at last I cried myself to sleep.[104]
When I awoke I found myself in this town, called “Big
Rapids,” and here I have been ever since. It seemed to me
very strange at first not to be in the woods, but in the midst
of queer-looking white objects called “houses.”
I started to take a walk, hoping to fall in with some bear
of my acquaintance; but a hard thing fastened to my neck
held me back. It is what men call a “chain,” as I have since
learned, and it compels me to stay in one place all the time.
I am no longer a cub, but am a full-grown bear. This
kind of life does not suit me very well, but I have got used to
it. One can get used to almost any thing. I have even got
used to the society of men and women.
Their cubs (called boys and girls) often play with me, and
sometimes they tease me. Once, when a boy was teasing
me, I gave him a scare which will be apt to teach him better
manners. I will tell you how it was.
The boy held out an apple, and, just as I was about to
take it, he pulled it away. This mean trick he played three[105]
times. He tried it once more, and then I gave such a spring
that my chain broke.
The boy dropped his apple, and ran. You ought to have
seen that boy run! He didn’t dare even to look back. But,
if he had looked back, he would have seen me munching his
apple with great relish.
I didn’t want to hurt a cub like him; but some bears that
I know wouldn’t have been so for-bear-ing.
SECRETS.
“I’m sure I don’t know!”
“Don’t tell anybody!”
“Oh, no! oh, no!”
GOING TO SCHOOL.
That keenly creaks, it is frozen so:
What does he care if the wind does blow?—
Sturdy lad, with his face aglow,
He likes the sound of his ringing heel,
And loves to feel, as he tramps along,
He is conquering something: it makes him strong,—
Robert, the miller’s boy.
What does he conquer? Wind and frost.
Hands in mittens, and tippet crossed
Over his ears, and backward tossed
Like a crimson banner that leads a host,
Well indeed may the lad feel bold
To battle the cold, and fight his way
Early to school, and every day,—
[107]Robert, the miller’s boy.
He’ll sing and whistle, he’ll run and shout,
To keep him warm; but he’ll never pout:
If the frost creeps in, he whips it out,
With his two hands thrashing his shoulders stout;
While on he goes, and the keen snow rings
To the song he sings, for his sturdy feet
The changing time of that music beat,—
Robert, the miller’s boy.
You need not think to find him low
When the busy classes stand in row;
You need not think to find him slow
When play-time comes, and the trampled snow
Makes a path for his “lightning” sled:
The boy at the head is the conquering lad
Who makes his way if the road is bad,—
Robert, the miller’s boy.
TAKE CARE.
Young Tom mounts his old
horse and takes a ride. He
sits up like a bold
dragoon. The horse
is not a gay one.
He will not shy. He
will not run away.
But he has one fault:
he may take it into his head to
roll. Tom must take care.
Young Bob climbs a
rope hand over hand. He
holds on tight, and climbs
up quite high. He is a
bold boy. It is a good
plan to climb. But take
care, or you may fall. Do
not let go with one hand
till you get hold with the other.
LETTER FROM CHINA.
OT long ago I read in “The Nursery” a story about
“Emperor Frank,” and how he ruled a whole family.
I know a family that is ruled by two emperors
instead of one. They live in Pekin in far-off North
China.
There are four boys and three girls. The two youngest
boys, Dwight and Louis, are twins. They are the emperors.
Their reign began nearly three years ago. Master Ted,
the next elder brother, who was then emperor, had to give
way to them, and very sweetly he did it. It was hard for
him to see his dear old Chinese nurse transfer her love and
care to any one else; and even now, when he hears her call
one of the emperors her “little pet,” he says to her, “But
you know you have a big pet too.”
Thus far the twin-emperors have had none but loyal subjects;[110]
but, as they grow out of their babyhood, there are
signs of rebellion. The three sisters rebel because Emperors
Dwight and Louis will not let them practise their music-lessons
in peace. Ted says, “Do find me a place where I
can pound nails alone;” for the emperors will insist upon
helping him.
The emperors have already learned to walk, though they
talk only in a language of their own. When they begin to
talk plainly in the language of their subjects, I fear that
their reign will come to an end.
The picture shows you how ten-year-old brother Ned takes
his three little brothers to ride on his donkey.
KINGS AND QUEENS.
The earliest robin sing;
I wished, what never will come true,
That I could be a king;
For, if I only were a king,
I know what I would do:
I’d have plum-cake, instead of bread,
To eat the whole year through;
Great heaps of oranges would be
Upon my palace-floors,
And fountains full of lemonade
Spout up beside its doors.
You’re such a greedy thing!
We’re glad you are not over us:
You should not be our king.
A new dress every day;
No princess in a fairy-tale
Would have such fine array;
With golden lace and glittering gems
My robes my maids would deck,
And diamonds large as pigeons’ eggs
Would hang about my neck.
How fond of being seen!
We’re glad you are not over us:
You should not be our queen.
In every thing my way;
My servants would stand waiting round,
My wishes to obey;
And I would do just what I pleased,
[112]And say just what I chose,
And not a soul in all the land
Would dare my will oppose.
What troubles you would bring!
We want no tyrant over us;
You should not be our king.
I would put on my crown,
And through the country everywhere
Go walking up and down;
And all the old folks, sick, and poor,
I would have warmed and fed,
And every houseless little child
Should home with me be led;
And I would love them all, and try
To do the best I could
To make the sorry people glad,
The naughty people good.
That ever yet was seen;
And, if we had a queen at all,
Then you should be our queen.
DRAWING-LESSON.
VOL. XXIX.—NO. 4.
THE BIRD WHO HAS NO NEST.
HIS is the cuckoo. She and her mate
have no home of their own; but that
does not seem to trouble them. They peep
here and there among the leaves, until they
find the nest of some other bird,—a lark,
perhaps, or a thrush, or a yellow-hammer;
and, if the owner of the nest is away, Mrs. Cuckoo leaves
within it a small egg.
There are some birds that can take care of themselves
almost as soon as they are born; but Mrs. Cuckoo never
leaves her eggs in their nests. Oh, no! she chooses a nest
in which the young birds are well cared for by their mothers,
and fed with food on which the young cuckoos thrive best.
Why she is too idle to build her own nest, no one knows.
Some people say it is because she stays so short a time in
the same country, that her young ones would not get strong
enough to fly away with her, if she waited to build her nest.
Others think it is because she is such a great eater, that she
cannot spend time to find food for her children.
But the kind foster-mothers, the larks and the thrushes,
care for the egg that the cuckoo leaves in their houses,
although, if any other bird leaves one, they will take no care
of it at all, but roll it out upon the ground.
The Scotch word for cuckoo, gowk, means, also, a foolish
person. But I think they ought rather to have named it a
wicked person; for the young cuckoo is so ungrateful and
selfish, that he often gets one of the other little birds on his
back, and then, climbing to the top of the nest, throws it over
the edge. These are the English cuckoos of which I
have been telling you. I am glad to say that their American
cousins take care of their own children.
A SHRINE.
N countries where the Roman-Catholic religion prevails,
a shrine signifies a box or case containing an
image of the Virgin Mary, or some relics regarded
as sacred.
This box is attached to a stone pillar or other
fixed monument, and thus marks a place at which the
pious Catholics kneel to offer up their prayers.
In Italy and Spain shrines are very common, not only in
the churches, but at the roadsides. The picture shows us[116]
one with a little girl holding a bunch of flowers in front
of the sacred image which she sees in it.
In this country they are to be seen only in churches; but
we often speak of any hallowed place as a shrine.
And see how I’ve tied up my curls!
Dolly and I are both going
To bed now, like wise little girls.
She sleeps on my pillow, the darling;
Not once does she wake in the night;
And, when the first sunbeam is peeping,
We both get up, rosy and bright.
How quiet she is, and how patient,
As she waits till the breakfast-bell rings!
She never is greedy or fussy,
Never pouts, never breaks my nice things.
For “good-night” to the folks, and “by-by!”
Ah! she’s tired with playing, poor Dolly,
And so, my own mother, am I.
SUSIE’S DANCING-LESSON.
HEN Susie is fretful and peevish,—which, I am
glad to say, is not often,—there is nobody who
can put her in good humor so quickly as her grown-up
sister Ann. She knows just how to deal with
the little girl.
Thus Ann will say, “What is the matter, Susie? Are[118]
you hungry? No. Are you sleepy? Not a bit of it. Do you
want me to tell you a story? No. Are you tired? No.
I have it: you want a good dose of exercise. That is the
very thing you need. Come here now, and I’ll give you a
dancing-lesson.”
She takes Susie’s hands, and whirls her out on the floor[119]
before she has time to say a word. Then Ann begins to
sing,—
And here we go down, down, down-y;
Here we go this way and that,
And here we go round, round, round-y,”
in such a lively way, that the child has to laugh in spite of
herself. Susie soon gets in great glee, and always wants to
have another dance.
“What!” says Ann. “Haven’t you had dancing enough?
Well, then, how would you like a fancy dance? Mind your
steps now. Do as you see me do. Keep time with the
music.
Hop and skip, and away we go;
Round and round, and jump Jim Crow:
Oh, won’t we dance the polka!”
So the little girl is danced about until she has to stop to
take breath; and by that time she is so full of fun, that
there is no room for a frown on her pretty face.
FIVE LITTLE SPARROWS.
Under a bench, in the darkness and the snow,
Homeless and cold in the lonesome city square:
[120]What are the little birdies doing there?
Huddled up close in a wretched little heap,
Uttering only a soft and plaintive “cheep,”
Crowding together to keep each other warm,—
Poor little birdies hiding from the storm!
Are their pretty houses with straw and feather-beds:
Why do the birdies leave their shelter warm
To cuddle on a snow-bank, and shiver in the storm?
But, in the morning when the sun came out,
Then we could see how the trouble came about:
Several saucy squirrels, the very day before,
Had moved into their houses, and turned them out of door!
DOBBIN’S COMPLAINT.
So long at the tavern across the way?
I’ve waited and watched an hour and more,
And there he stands at the tavern-door.
“I’ve stamped my foot, and champed my bit;
And this musty post, I’ve gnawed at it;
I’ve pawed the ground, I’ve shaken my mane,
And neighed and snorted again and again.
“I’m tired and dusty and hungry too;
I want my dinner! I’m getting blue!
Its ten long miles we have yet to go,
And that my master must surely know.
“‘Tis time for us to be on our way;
I want my oats and my clover-hay;
I want a roll on the smooth barn-floor.
Ah! here comes master, I’ll say no more!”
THE DESERTED HOUSE.
HIS house has no roof, no chimney, no windows,
no front-door, no back-door. Yet it
was once the home of a happy family; and,
if you went near it, you would hear their
sweet low voices from morning till night.
Such was this little house when I visited
it one fine day last summer.
To-day I called again. All was still. Not a voice did I
hear. The roofless house was filled with snow. The walls
looked dark and sad. The leaves that once cast lovely
shadows about them were gone.
As I stood looking at the empty house, Ethel, who is very
young but very wise, exclaimed, “The family have gone
south for the winter, but are sure to come back in the
spring. There will be gay times here pretty soon.”
Just then a sharp gust of wind came, and the old house
shook as if about to fall. Ethel stood ready to catch it.
What, a child catch a falling house, as if it were a baseball!
What if the timbers should strike her? Ah! but
this house was a very light building. Snow and all, it was
not much heavier than a handful of roses.
Now you know what I mean. Vine Street runs from the
floor to the top of the piazza. The swallow homestead is[123]
just at the head of that street. The timbers are sticks and
straw. The roof is the sky. And, as to the happy little
family of Mr. and Mrs. Swallow, if you come here in the
month of May, I will show them to you in their home.
TOMMY TUCKER.
Whose mouth was in a pucker,
Crying for his supper,
A little while ago.
But, now that Tommy Tucker
Has had a hearty supper,
He looks as bright and happy
As any boy I know.
DAME TROTT AND HER SON.
In this little house lives good |  |
 | John is just ten years old.
D. E. F. |
BOSSY’S FRIGHT.
LD Bossy had been on the farm many years. She
was a very fine cow in her prime; but as she grew
old she learned some bad tricks. Although gentle
and kind in the stable, she would push down fences,
and open every gate on the farm. She would get
into the cornfields, make herself at home in the wheat and
oats, and do a great deal of mischief.
Some check had to be put upon her. So one day she[126]
went to the pasture with her head tied down to her foot by
a strong rope. In about three hours a man came running
up to the house, to tell us that old Bossy had fallen over a
log, and was lying on her back.
Now, if a cow gets down on her back, in this way, in
a place where she cannot turn over, she is in great danger.
It is called being “cast.” This man said, “Come quickly,
for old Bossy is cast.” Every one ran to the pasture, and
by much pulling and lifting got the cow up. She looked
very happy to be on her feet once more; but as soon as the
rope was cut she was at her old tricks again.
The very next day she was found quietly eating down a
neighbor’s corn. Something must be done. We did not
like to tie her head down again: so we concluded to put a
board over her eyes.
The board was brought, and fastened with cords to her
horns. She stopped chewing her cud at once and stood still.
The men left her in the lane that led to the pasture, and
went to their work. She did not move. I don’t think she
even whisked her tail to drive away the flies.
When the men came home to dinner, they were surprised
to see her still standing in the very place where they left
her. They patted her kindly, took the board off, and saw
on her forehead a spot as large as a man’s hand, where the
hair had turned grayish-white. There was not a bit of white
on her forehead before the board was put on. The poor
thing had begun to turn gray from sheer fright.
We all felt sorry for her; and the board was never again
tied to her horns. After a time she began to chew her cud,
and seemed all right; and she went on pushing down the
fences, and opening the gates, just as often as before. This
is a true story.
A BLUEBIRD’S SONG.
 | There’s a glad merry voice, children, calling to you, A gay burst of song from a wee bit of blue, Poised daintily there on the maple-twig now, Like a bright little blossom upon the bare bough,— “Tu-ra-la, tu-ra-lee, We’re coming, you see: I’m building my nest in the old apple-tree. “To you, little children, this message I bring, “Hark! the shy little brooklet is humming a song |
THE BIRD’S RETURN.
and a larger image
of the music sheet may be seen by clicking on the image.]
1 “Where have you been, little birdie,
Where have you been so long?”
“Warbling in glee,
Far o’er the sea,
And learning for you a new song.
My sweet,
Learning for you a new song.”
2 “Why did you go, little birdie,
Why did you go from me?”
“Winter was here,
Leafless and drear,
And so I flew over the sea.
My sweet,
And so I flew over the sea.”
3 “What did you see, little birdie,
What did you see each day?”
“Sunshine and flowers,
Blossoms and bowers,
And pretty white lambkins at play.
My sweet,
Pretty white lambkins at play.”
4 “Who kept you safe, little birdie;
Who kept you safe from harm?”
“The Father of all,
Of great and of small:
He sheltered me under his arm.
My sweet,
Under his dear, loving arm.”
Transcriber’s Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
The original text for the January issue had a table of contents
that spanned six issues. This was divided amongst those issues.
Additionally, only the January issue had a title page. This page
was copied for the remaining five issues. Each issue had the number
added on the title page after the Volume number.
Page 106, the final line of the first stanza of “Going to School”
was indented to follow the pattern of the remaining stanzas.