She lov-ed to see the lit-tle birds Come flut-ter-ing to the win-dow pane, In answer to the gen-tle words With which she scat-ter-ed crumbs and grain.

She gla-red up-on the lit-tle-man who she sup-po-sed had giv-en that great knock, with sur-prise and as-to-nish-ment; and then, in a voice like a ve-ry hoarse ra-ven, she cri-ed "How dar-ed you to knock like that at my door, you lit-tle var-let?

"I suppose you're right, and I guess I've been getting a lee-tle bit nosey; but I'm pretty nearly old enough to be your mother.

Two lit-tle girls, named Anne and May, Came by with mirth and laugh-ter ring-ing, Anne ran to seize the in-sect gay May fol-low-ed fast and ceased her sing-ing.

As the moon rose, it found him safe-ly land-ed and snug under the roof of a good farm-er who had pro-mi-sed him workay, e-ven as much as he could do: but the farm-er did not know the trea-sure he pos-sess-ed, for the next morn-ing lit-tle Wil-lie was work-ing in his shirt-sleeves in the corn-field reap-ing and shear-ing as much as two men, and stout ones too, could do in a long day.

In our lit-tle boat to glide On the wa-ter blue and wide, While the sky is smooth and bright, What could give us more de-light?

It seemed to Paul as if the great clock in the hall took this up, and went on saying, "how, is, my, lit-tle friend?

[Illustration] Here are a num-ber of lit-tle tots, and what do you think they are do-ing?

Why, Ro-ver, is quite good and tame You need not be a-fraid; He on-ly wants to have a game, You sil-ly lit-tle maid!

But one sad morn, when Minnie came, Her pre-ci-ous lit-tle pet she found, Not hop-ping, when she call-ed his name, But ly-ing dead up-on the ground.

The sweet, bal-my air of ear-ly day cool-ed his throb-bing brow, and his tears gra-du-al-ly ceas-ed to flow; but his lit-tle breast heav-ed now and then with sobs as the storm of grief sub-si-ded.

[Illustration] One day, all in the sweet spring weather, Two lit-tle folk went out to-geth-er.

At last the lit-tle gate was swung wide o-pen, and Wil-lie step-ped bold-ly forth.

[Illustration: When the fell Rat-tle-snake slides near, The In-dian may its rat-tle hear.]

You, Tom, must in the mid-dle stand, And mark the time, with stick in hand; You, bro-ther Ben, the tongs must take, For they will good tri-an-gles make; Hal clicks the 'bones,' and Em-me-line Will beat her lit-tle tam-bour-ine, And cous-in Fred will drum a-way, And Kate the con-cer-ti-na play.

They had been on the cart, all hid-den un-der the hay in or-der to play a lit-tle joke on Miss Gray.

Puss feared her lit-tle kits would drown, And did her best to get them out; While Lil-lie dipped them up and down, And splashed the wa-ter all a-bout.

Laid on his bed, com-pos'd, though sad, With bro-ken leg and in-jured back, We find a lit-tle pa-tient lad, A-las, no long-er "Mon-key Jack!"

Then he said sadly, "Dear me, I wish my lit-tle lass could run a-bout like that.

To cure my lit-tle dar-ling here, Pray, doc-tor, use your ut-most skill.

If your mam-ma ate too much cake, She would be very poor-ly too, And nas-ty phy-sic have to take; And, lit-tle dol-ly, so must you.

[Illustration: The Kan-ga-roo a poc-ket wears, In which her lit-tle ones she bears.]

Round the May-pole, on the grass, Mer-ry lit-tle foot-steps pass; In the mid-dle Bes-sie stands, With the May-pole in her hands; While her play-mates dance and sing Round her in an end-less ring.

Along the hedge-row's mossy bank, Where ivy green is creep-ing, We see through weeds and net-tles rank The dark-blue vi-o-let peep-ing.

[Illustration: When the fell Rat-tle-snake slides near, The In-dian may its rat-tle hear.]