So for a fortnight the war went on. Only such deer andboar as were required for food were killed; but the wolves were slain without mercy, and at the end of the operations that portion of the country was completely cleared of these savage beasts, for those that had escaped the beating parties had fled far away through the forest to quieter quarters.
Altogether over four thousand wolves were slain, and all those whose coats were in good condition were skinned, the skins being valuable for linings to the huts, for beds, and for winter mantles.
From Beric the Briton, by G. A. Henty
Author.-George Alfred Henty (1832-1902), writer of adventure and historical stories, was born in England near Cambridge. He served in the Crimean war as a soldier and later as a war correspondent. Thereafter he served elsewhere in Europe as a correspondent in almost every European war between 1859 and 1876. When wars were not offering he did other journalistic work in many parts of the world. At the age of 45 he began to write the books, at the rate of three or four a year, that were to make him famous. With Clive in lndia, The Lion of the North, Redskin and Cowboy-these give an idea of the range he covered.
General Notes.-What period of history does the story describe?
What do you learn from the story about the people of the time-their looks, their dress, their houses, their weapons, etc.?
Lesson 44
HIAWATHA"S CHILDHOOD
At the door on summer evenings Sat the little Hiawatha;Heard the whispering of the pine-trees, Heard the lapping of the waters, Sounds of music, words of wonder; "Minne-wa-wa!" said the pine-trees, "Mudway-aush-ka!" said the water.
Saw the moon rise from the water, Rippling, rounding from the water, Saw the flecks and shadows on it, Whispered, " What is that, Nokomis?" And the good Nokomis answered:
" Once a warrior, very angry,
Seized his grandmother, and threw her Up into the sky at midnight;Right against the moon he threw her;
" Tis her body that you see there."
Saw the rainbow in the heaven, In the eastern sky, the rainbow,Whispered, "What is that, Nokomis?" And the good Nokomis answered:
" "Tis the heaven of flowers you see there; All the wild-flowers of the forest,All the lilies of the prairie,
When on earth they fade and perish, Blossom in that heaven above us."When he heard the owls at midnight, Hooting, laughing in the forest, "what is that?" he cried in terror, "what is that," he said, "Nokomis?" "That is but the owl and owlet, Talking in their native language, Talking, scolding at each other."Then the little Hiawatha
Learned of every bird its language, Learned their names and all their secrets, How they built their nests in summer, Where they hid themselves in winter, Talked with them whene"er he met them, Called them "" Hiawatha"s Chickens."Of all the beasts he learned the language, Learned their names and all their secrets, How the beavers built their lodges, where the squirrels hid their acorns,How the reindeer ran so swiftly, Why the rabbit was so timid,Talked with them whene"er he met them, Called them " Hiawatha"s Brothers."From The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry W. LongfellowAuthor.-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), an American poet, wrote many beautiful and simple poems. He is often called the "Children"s Poet."General Notes.-This poem is part of a longer poem called The Songof Hiawatha, which is based on the legends of the North American Indians. It tells of the life of Hiawatha, a miraculous person sent among the Indians by the gods to clear the rivers, forests, and fishing-grounds,and to teach them the art of peace. Nokomis was Hiawatha"s oldgrandmother. What did she teach him?
Suggestions for Verse-speaking.-Divide the class into two parts. All speak the first five lines, and then divide for the lines about (a) the pine trees and (b) the water. The next three verses can each be divided : (a) What Hiawatha saw and said, (b) what Nokomis answered. The last two verses can be spoken almost line by line in turn by the two parts, the last two lines in each of these verses being spoken as a refrain by the whole class.
Lesson 45
uNCLE JIm"S QuEER STORy
Uncle Jim has just come from Australia and nothing pleased his nephews and nieces more than the stories he told them about that strange land.
"Now uncle, a story, please," was the cry one afternoon.
"True or fairy, fact or fiction?" he asked. "A " once upon a time" story," said Jennie.
"Yes, yes. Once upon a time, uncle," shouted the chorus.
So he began a tale-fiction in the main, but here and there some fact.
Once upon a time then, ages and ages and ages ago, when Australia was just made, and the birds and animals were being fitted on-what did you say, Jack? Yes, " fitted on" will serve the purpose as well as any other expression; you will see soon what I mean. Well, when this was being done, one little animal was very discontented. He could not make up his mind what he would be. At last, the good fairy who was fitting the animals said, "Now, tell me quickly what it is you want-legs, fins, wings, fur, wool? I have a large assortment, all in the newest fashion.""Well, really," said the animal, "I hardly know. You couldnot let me have some things on trial, could you, and change them if they did not suit?""No. What you choose you must keep for life.""You see, the trouble is this. I don"t want to be a fish, because it limits one"s travels to keep always in the water; and I should feel nervous about being a bird, flying around like that with nothing to hold on to--""Perhaps you would like to go and look round a little at the other animals," interrupted the fairy. "Really, I cannot waste any more time with you."So the little animal strolled away, and the first creature he met was a duck, waddling proudly along in her new costume.