With tears in his eyes, King Midas thanked the fairy. He took a pitcher in his hand and ran to the river. He bathed in the sunny water and carried a pitcher full to the palace. He ran to the dining room as fast as he could go. Sprinkle, sprinkle, went the water on Marygold's head and on the flowers she held. The little girl was his own little daughter once more! The flowers were as fresh as if they had just come from the garden. He sprinkled the eggs and the bread and the butter. He sprinkled the glass of water and the cup of coffee. Then they sat down to breakfast. How cool was the water! How hot was the coffee! the eggs! King Midas thought that he had never seen so beautiful a morning. He was sure that his daughter had never been so beautiful before. And never was there such a breakfast as this! THE SECRET cher'ry course best built shan't laid min'ute I'll whole We have a secret-just we three, The robin and I and the cherry tree. The bird told the tree, and the tree told me; And nobody knows but just us three. Of course the robin knows it best, Because she built there-I shan't tell the rest And laid the four little somethings in it. I'm afraid I shall tell it every minute! But if the birds and the tree don't peep, But, of course, when the little birds fly about, -Selected. Ed'win hooks BUTTONS pup'py is 'n't spools sew'ing Edwin came into the room where his mother was sewing. With him came a fat little puppy, rolling and falling as he tried to run. "Look, mother!" called Edwin. you 66 think of that? Isn't he fine?" "What do Why, Edwin," said his mother, "where did you get him? Whose is he?” "He's mine," said Edwin, taking his ball from the table and starting to play with the puppy. "Grandpa gave him to him to me. What shall I call him, mother?" By this time the puppy was jumping about the room, playing with Edwin. Another jump, and he knocked the workbasket from the low chair by mother's side. "O you naughty dog!" cried Edwin, as spools of thread, hooks and eyes, needles and buttons flew all around. "You might call him Spool," said father, laying down his paper to help Edwin pick up the things. "Call him Hooks and Eyes," said Uncle Fred, dropping some into the basket. "He seems to be a sharp little puppy. You might name him Needles," said father. "Here he comes with the button bag in his mouth," said mother. Why not call him Buttons?" 66 "Thank you, mother," said Edwin. "I shall name him Buttons. Here, Buttons! Tell mother you did not mean to knock over her basket." "Buttons must play in the yard,” said mother. "I cannot let him play in the house." "Buttons has a house of his own," said Edwin. "Come, Buttons, and see your new house in the yard." Holland is a country across the sea. It is a strange country. It is lower than the sea. The people have had to build great banks to keep the sea out. These banks are called dikes. They are made of stone and earth, and their sides are covered with grass. They are so wide that their tops are used for roads. But the dikes alone could not keep the land dry. So great windmills are built along the dikes to pump water from the land. The windmills pump the water into wide ditches, or canals, that carry it to the sea. At the end of each canal is a great gate, called a sluice. The sluices are opened to let the canal water out, and then are closed again to keep the sea from coming in. |