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Little Folks' Land
THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY
IN A BIG WORLD
BY
MADGE A. BIGHAM
Atlanta Free Kindergartens. Author of '^Stories of
Mother Goose Village" "Blackie, His Friends
and His Enemies,'" Etc.
ATKINSON, MENTZER & GROVER
Chicago Publishers BOSTON
Copyright, igoy
Bv Madge A. Bigham
Entered at Stationers^ Hall, London
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
LEWIE BIGHAM SMITH
THE DEAREST OF LITTLE MOTHERS
The Preface
THE story of Joe-Boy spun itself through the inspiration of a
merry band of kindergarten children who held the leading string
while the teacher followed and guided.
It was early in January that the author began the story to them,
thinking that in about four weeks' work we would cover, through
the principles of co-operation and interdependence, the building and
furnishing of a house, thereby impressing on the child mind something of
the true worth and dignity of labor as brought into actual contact with
his everyday life.
When the wee house had been built, however, and completely
furnished by eager and busy fingers, the children had become so inter-
ested in the Gipsy baby that they were unwilling to give him up.
Each morning the teacher was met with such questions as: "Will
you tell us more about Joe-Boy to-day?" "Did he ever grow large
enough to go to kindergarten?" "How many people helped to get his
clothes?" "His food?" "Did Joe-Boy have any pets?"
And so each day there was some new question arising, showing that
the children felt an incompleteness to leave the story just where we
had planned ā and justly so, since no life is complete that does not reflect
its threefold relationship to Nature, God, and man.
They were instinctively reaching out for clearness in the complexi-
ties of life's relationships, in regard to themselves, through the Gipsy
baby. His life was but the mirror reflecting their own life, and they
were longing to solve it.
Thus days passed into weeks and weeks into months as we fol-
lowed the Gipsy baby through the mineral, vegetable and animal king-
dom, and traced the laws of co-operation and interdependence, which
weave all of life's relationships into one grand sweet song.
We little dreamed as we passed from subject to subject that the
story would ever present itself in book form, but other kindergartners
asked for the basis of the program, primary teachers asked for the use
of the Nature stories, and even mothers wished to borrow them for bed-
time use, so, through these interested suggestions, the book finally took
shape.
Of course no kindergartner can follow with equal results another's
plan of work, but the subject matter of this program is of such universal
and vital interest that it can not fail to offer helpful suggestions. And
that is all that any program can justly do. While the subject matter
8 THE PREFACE
IS given in daily program form, do not attempt to follow it literally ā
time, environment and adaptability are all to be considered, bearing in
mind that the author began the use of the program in her own kinder-
garten early in January, hence the seasons fitted to the subject matter.
Should you begin the use of the program in September, it would
necessarily require a different line of progression. Perhaps the chief
charm of the program is found in its ready adaptability. While the
stories are all connected, they may be also separated, and used inde-
pendently, omitted and added to, without destroying their value: e. g.,
one teacher may wish to use only the division on domestic pets ; another
birds; another insects; and another plant life.
The interest of the children should be your guide as to how much
or how little time should be spent on a given subject. Necessarily,
environment will have much to do with the source of true interest, as
was illustrated through one class of children in the study of birds. Long
walks through beautiful woods, the finding of the real nest, seeing the
real eggs, and the real birds, supplemented in the schoolroom by fine
pictures in natural colors made the month of birds one of the happiest
of all the topics, and the children, seemingly, would have spent a much
longer time happily on the same subject, asking again and again about
the fifteen birds made familiar to them through the stories.
The gift and occupation work throughout the book was planned by
the pupils of the Atlanta Kindergarten Normal, of which Willette A.
Allen is principal, and suggests how the plan was illustrated in one
of the local kindergartens. Whenever possible, this work should be
supplemented by other ideas and the use of new kindergarten material
constantly being put on the market.
The songs were chosen from leading song books used in schools,
and should also be changed to better ones when possible.
Such occasions of the school year as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christ-
mas, Washington's Birthday, etc., were purposely omitted, so that
teachers may present these celebrations as best suited to their respective
environment and need.
Perhaps some prosaic people who do not live in childhood's fairy-
land, as I do, will wonder over the fact that the Gipsy parents were
rather ideal for their origin. This may be true, but it seemed necessary
to begin with such a family. And as they grew into the ideal, so we
hope every Gipsy will do, some day. MADGE A. BIGHAM
Atlanta, Georgia
The Table of Contents.
PAGE
The Preface 7
The Prospectus 13
First Week
House Building
The Forest Home 15
Joe-Boy's House 16
The Architect's Help 17
The Material for the House 18
The Brickmason's Help 19
Second Week
House Building
The Carpenter's Help 29
The Painter's Help 30
Jo^Boy 30
The Bed Room 30
The Parlor 31
Third Week
House Furnishing
The Dining Room 31
The Kitchen 33
Joe-Boy's Room 34
The Completed House 36
Joe-Boy's Party 37
Fourth Week
Clothing
Farmer Green's Cotton Seed 41
Farmer Green Picks His Cotton 43
The Cotton at the Ginhouse 44
The Cotton at the Warehouse 45
The Cotton at the Factorj- 46
Fifth Week
Clothing
Joe-Boy's Birthday Dresses 49
Joe-Boy's Linen Picture Book 51
Father Gipsy's Surprise 52
Joe-Boy's Silk Present 54
The Wooden Ball's Story 56
9
10 THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sixth Week
Fuel and Lights PAGE
The Wooden Ball's Story 60
Why the Trees Slept ( Coal) 61
The Marble Palace {Gas) 63
Joe-Boy at Kindergarten ā 65
Joe-Boy's Cow 66
Seventh Week
Food
Lady Cow's Butter 70
The Little Sick Girl 72
Farmer Green's Grain 73
The Miller 74
The Kindergarten Lunch 76
Eighth Week
Civil Relationships
Joe-Boy's Letter {Postman) 79
How the Policeman Helped Joe-Boy 81
How Lady Cow Was Saved {Fireman) 83
Joe-Boy and the Doctor 85
Joe-Boy in Church {Preacher) 87
Ninth Week
Domestic Pets
Joe-Boy's Pets 92
Prince Charming {Horse) 95
Captain {Dog) 96
Snowball {Cat) 98
Silverlocks {Sheep) 101
Tenth Week
Animal Relationships
Pig-a-Wee 105
The Rabbits That Wore the Blue Ribbon 108
Mrs. Spider-Brown 109
Mrs. Spider-Brown's Children 113
Dimple and Dot {Fish) ā¢ 115
Eleventh Week
Animal Relationships
Hippity-Hop {Life History of Frog) 119
The Wonderful Eggs 121
Mrs. Speckle {Hen) 124
Buffy {Duck) 126
Buffy's Stepmother 128
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS 11
Twelfth Week
Bird Life PAGE
White-Wings (Pigeon) 132
The Little Pigeons Four 134
The Carrier Pigeon 135
The Return of the Bluebirds 137
The Birds' Store 139
Thirteenth Week
Bird Life
Jenny Wren ā . 1 43
The Gray- Swallows' Fright 145
The Baby Mockingbirds 148
How the Jaybirds Planted Trees 151
The Broken Twig (Oriole) 152
Fourteenth Week
Bird Life
The Little Robins Three 156
The Redbird's Story 157
Mrs. Bobwhite's Family 160
The Whippoorwill Twins 1"63
Little Kitty Catbird 165
Fifteenth Week
Bird Life
The Thrushes' Picnic 168
The Red-Headed Woodpecker 171
Billy Sanders' Canary 1 73
Dandy and the Sparrows 1 76
Billy's Christmas Tree to the Birds 179
Sixteenth Week
Plant Life
The Brown Bulb-Babies 1 83
Baby Lily 185
The Little Worm That Helped 187
The Merrj^ Merry Blossoms 190
The Little Worm's Visit 191
Seventeenth Week
Life History of Butterfly
The Princess 195
Bluette's Eggs 197
Bluette's Babies 200
Bluette's Smallest Baby 201
The Surprise of the Sassaf rass Bush 203
12 THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Eighteenth Week
Plant Life (Vegetables and Flowers) PAGE
The Children's Garden 208
How Prince Charming Helped 210
The Vegetable Beds 212
The Flower Beds 214
Peggy Rose's Garden 215
Nineteenth Week
Plant Life (Flowers)
Jack Beanstalk 220
The Pea-Pods 223
The Garden Party 225
The Red, Red Nasturtium 227
The Lady Petunia's Storj' 231
Twentieth Week
Flower Life
Baby Dandelion ā 235
Rosy Clover-Blossom-Boy 238
Pretty Daisy-Fair 240
Why the Sunflowers Hang Their Heads 242
The Awakening of the Princess 244
Twenty-first Week
Life History of the Bee
The Queen of the Bees 248
The Queens' Eggs j 250
Busy-Wings 253
Busy- Wings in Prison 256
Busy- Wings' Color Lesson 258
Twenty-second Week
Life History of Ants
Bright-Eyes 262
The Red Ants' Cows 265
Bright-Eyes and the Nut 267
The Ants' Bridge 269
The Red Ants' Secret 271
Twenty-third Week
The Camping Trip
Little Jimmy Lightning-Bug 275
Greenie June-Bug 277
Vacation Time 279
The Camping Trip, (I) 280
The Camping Trip, (II) 284
Little Folks' Land
THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY IN A BIG WORLD
The Prospectus
THE object of this kindergarten serial is to bring to the level of
the child's mind, a sense of man's social, moral and spiritual
relationships. Basing the plan on the principles of co-operation
and interdependence I begin with a unit, the child, and trace through
him the many other units necessary, that must act and interact between
nature and the various artisans of the world, ere the child's livelihood
be possible.
Branching from these principles as exemplified in the social life,
the same laws are traced through the animal and vegetable kingdoms,
impressing on the child's mind the striking analogy between man and
the world of Nature, and thereby reflecting the Divine law of unity ā
God the one life of all.
Outline
Basic thought ā Life and its relationships.
Principles ā Co-operation and interdependence.
Subjects :
1. The child's home.
2. The child's livelihood.
J. The child's environments.
4. The child and Nature.
Illustration ā Serial storj^ Little Folks' Land.
Points developed ā Co-operation and interdependence, traced as follows:
/. The building of a house.
2. Furnishing of the house.
13
14 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
3. Clothing.
4. Fuel and lights.
5. Food.
6. Civil relationships.
7. Animal relationships ā domestic, birds, insects.
8. Plant life.
Incidental points ā Form, size, number, color, dimension.
Study from The Mother Play ā The Family, Target, Carpenter, Joiner,
Mower, Pat-a-cake, Fish in the Brook, The Light Series, The Nest,
The Flower Garden.
Texts
1. The highest and first law of the universe, and the other name
of life is Help.
2. We gain in abundance of life by understanding and fulfilling
the requirements of its relationships.
J. He careth for all.
Notes: {a) It will greatly increase the interest of the children in the
kindergarten, if they be allowed to build and furnish Joe-Boy's
house. If large building blocks for this purpose cannot be obtained,
substitute a dry goods box and divide into the necessary rooms, fur-
nishing them as directed. The children will then get the benefit of
the completed whole.
{b) The stories connected with each day's work should not
usually be told until after the preparatory circle talk, when the
subject for the day has been thoroughly discussed, and all possible
information drawn from the children through conversation. We
do the child a great injury when we tell him a fact that he might
have thought out for himself, and one of the gravest errors made
in education to-day is that of teachers who are so busy thinking for
children, they are never given time to think for themselves, and
consequently the child goes through life depending on others for
the most important of all the mind's faculties ā thinking.
{c) These stories were not written so much to give the child
information, but, rather, to arrange in a logical order his own
knowledge, thereby aiding his mind in the power of retention.
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 15
The First Week
The Forest Home
Monday
ONCE-UPON-A-TIME there were two Gipsies.
They are people, you know, who travel about a great deal
and like to sleep and eat in the woods, where they can be
near the tall forest trees, the wild flowers, the rocks and moss and the
sparkling waters. Gipsies do not like to live in houses like you and
me. No, no indeed, they would much rather live in tents, which can
be quickly packed up and moved with them from place to place. I can
show you with my hands how they look ā so.
Now, isn't that a queer little house? and do you think you would
like to live in it?
Well, anyway, these two Gipsies I am telling you about liked it
very much. Why, when Mrs. Gipsy wanted to cook dinner, she did
not need a stove. She would make a fire under the trees near the creek,
and then she would hang her pot over it, and boil all kinds of nice
things to eat. Then when she and Mr. Gipsy wanted water to drink
they would go to the cool spring, where the ferns grew thickest. They
did not sleep in beds either, like you and me, but they would sleep on
a pallet under the tent, or in fine weather swing a hammock under
the trees and sleep in that. So you see how happy they were. But
they were happier than ever at this time I am telling you about, because
they knew a great big secret. Something was going to happen to them!
You see, somebody told them they were soon to receive a wonderful
present ā one they had longed for ever so many times ā and now if they
were only willing to wait cheerfully, the present was really to be theirs.
Now, what do you suppose it was? No, and I am afraid you will
never guess! When Mr. and Mrs. Gipsy first saw it, why it was all
wrapped up in a shawl, lying on the pallet under the tent. And when
they peeped under the shawl, Mrs. Gipsy said: "Oh, isn't he sweet!
See what tiny pink fists all doubled up! What a queer little mouth
just like a rosebud, and ā my, my, my, not a single tooth and not a hair
of hair on his pretty bald head! But we don't care for that, he is the
sweetest, prettiest thing in all the wide, wide world!"
Then they almost smothered the wonderful present with kisses.
16 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
And what do you think? It began to cry. Of course you know now
what the present was. Why, to be sure, a baby boy for Mr. and Mrs.
Gipsy, and they were so proud of it they didn't know what to do.
"We shall name him Joe for you, Father Gipsy," said Mother
Gipsy with a smile, "that is the prettiest name that I know ā and we
will call him Joe-Boy, so that he will not get mixed up with you."
At first Joe-Boy slept nearly all the time and his mother couldn't
tell what kind of eyes he had. But then he was growing, you know,
and getting so fat he was almost too heavy to lift.
Joe-Boy's House
Tuesday
ONE day Mother Gipsy said, "Do see here, Fa:ther Gipsy, Joe-
Boy has his eyes open to-day. They are large and black like
mine and merry and glad like yours. And he is growing so
fast ! I think we shall have to stop living in tents now, and build a real
truly true house to live in, just like what the town people have. If
we do not, I am afraid Joe-Boy will get cold and sick when the winter
time comes."
"Yes, yes," said Father Gipsy, "I have been thinking about that
very thing myself, but then, I knew how much you loved our pretty
gipsy tent here in the woods and I thought you would not wish to
leave it."
"Oh yes," said Mother Gipsy, "we both love our tent home very
much, but we love Joe-Boy more. When he grows larger he will have
to go to Kindergarten, you know, and there is none in the woods. And
when he gets to be a big boy he will have to go to school and when
he gets to be a great big boy, why he will have to go to college. So
you see we will have to build a house in the town for Joe-Boy if he is
to grow into a strong, wise man."
"That is true," said Father Gipsy, "but I can't build a house all
by myself, so I must find someone to help me, and the new house will
be ready for Joe-Boy when the cold winter time comes."
"You can find plenty of helpers, I am sure," said Mother Gipsy,
"and we will pay them some of our money for helping us work. First
we must find an architect to give us a plan for the house and then
some carpenters and stone cutters and brick masons to build it for us."
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 17
"How many rooms do you think we should have in the new house?"
said Father Gipsy.
"Not very many," said Mother Gipsy, ā "let me see; a kitchen, a
dining room, a parlor, a bed room and a play room for Joe-Boy, all
his very own, so that when he grows large enough to have toys and
other things he will have a nice place to keep them in. Then, of course
there must be a broad porch all around the house, for when the weather
is bright we shall stay out there a great deal ā close to the air and sun-
shine and the beautiful, beautiful woods, that we love so much."
"All right," said Father Gipsy, "it shall be just as you wish, and
to-morrow I will find the workmen who are to do the building ā the
very best ones that can be found, because we want Joe-Boy to have a
strong, well-built house to live in."
Then Mother Gipsy smiled and Father Gipsy smiled, and I am
sure Joe-Boy would have smiled too, had he only known how much
they loved him. But he only closed his pretty black eyes, nestled up
close to Mother Gipsy's heart, and went fast asleep.
The Architect's Help
Wednesday
THE next morning while Mother Gipsy was bathing Joe-Boy,
she told him all about the new house she and Father Gipsy
were going to build for him, and Joe-Boy laughed and crowed
and jumped just as if he understood every word.
"Yes," said Mother Gipsy, finding a new dimple to kiss, "we are
building this house for you, sir, because we love you so, and right this
very minute. Father Gipsy is on his way to town to buy a pattern to
make it by!"
Then she laughed to think of a pattern to make a house by. But
dear me, don't you have to have patterns to make dresses by? Then
how could you make a house without a pattern, I'd like to know? Only
we would call them plans, and not patterns, as Mother Gipsy did. Well,
sure enough, while she was talking, Father Gipsy was walking very fast
down the street, and by and by he came to an office in the town, with
"Architect" written over the door.
"This must be the place," said Father Gipsy, "because architect
means a man who makes plans to build houses by. I shall go right in
and see him about Joe-Boy's house."
18 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
Sure enough there sat the architect at a big table, busily drawing
the pictures of houses. There were ink and pens and pencils and paper
all over his table, and he was as busy as busy could be.
"Oh yes," he said to Father Gipsy, "I draw plans for houses ā large
ones and small ones, brick houses, plank houses and stone houses ā let
me show you some."
So Father Gipsy sat down by the table, and the architect took down
a big book full of houses and told him to look for the one he liked the
best. There were so many pretty ones, though, that Father Gipsy
could hardly tell which one he did like the best, but at last he found
the very thing. A pretty cottage with a porch all around it and five
rooms ā a kitchen, a dining room, a parlor, a bed room and a play room
for Joe-Boy.
So Father Gipsy took out his big leather pocket book and gave some
of his dollars to the architect for the house plan, and then he hurried
to the tent to show it to Mother Gipsy and see how she liked it.
"Why, it's just the thing," said Mother Gipsy, "all the rooms and
the porch just as I wished. How nice it is to have architects to help us
build our houses. I'm sure I thank this one very much, for drawing
such a beautiful plan for the other workmen to look at while they
build Joe-Boy's house. Now I will tell you what I am going to do,
Father Gipsy. I shall take this piece of paper and tack it to the tree
by the tent door, and then I shall write on it the names of every work-
man that helps us build Joe-Boy's house. Isn't that a good way not to
forget our helpers?"
"There now!" said Mother Gipsy, laughing, "that will help us to
remember." Then they went into the tent to tell Joe-Boy about it.
The Material for the House
Thursday
* *'\ ^ T^ELL," said Father Gipsy, "the next thing for us to do, is
to buy the things we need to build Joe-Boy's house with.
Just get a pencil and paper. Mother Gipsy, and I will
write them down as we think of them. First, there must be brick for
the chimneys and for the foundation; and there must be sand to make
the mortar; and there must be glass for the windows, and iron for gas
and water pipes; and then there must be a great lumber pile. It will
W
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 19
take ever so many planks to build Joe-Boy's house ā broad planks and
narrow planks, thick planks and thin planks, long planks and short
planks, and all very strong."
"Yes," said IVIother Gipsy, "our straight, tall forest trees will give
us all the planks we need ā they, too, will help to build the house."
So Father Gipsy wrote all the things down in his little book and
then went away to buy them.
For many days after that, the big wagons loaded down with the
lumber and brick and sand rolled down the big road to the place where
the house was to be built. Mother Gipsy watched the things go by
with a happy heart, and sometimes she would take Joe-Boy in her arms
to watch the men unload the wagons.
It was then she would pat the tired horses on their heads and stroke
them very gently. That was the way she said "Thank you" to them
for helping to build Joe-Boy's house. "For who would draw the heavy
wagons loaded with lumber and other things, were it not for you, kind
horses?" she said. Then, she would take Joe-Boy's soft hand in hers,
and show him how to say thank you, too ā just as she had done.
The Brickmason's Help
Friday
AT LAST everything that was needed to build the house had
been hauled, and now it was time for the workmen to begin
building.
"What workman will j^ou get first?" asked Mother Gipsy, as they
sat on a log in the moonlight, talking.
"A brickmason," said Father Gipsy, "because he is the man who lays
the foundation, and that is the very first thing to be done on a house."
"Foundation," said Mother Gipsy, slowly, "what a great long
word !"
"Yes," said Father Gipsy, "that is the part of a house that rests
on the ground and holds the house up. Sometimes it is made of stone,
and sometimes it is made of brick or something else very hard and
strong. Indeed, it should be the very strongest part of a house, because
one without a strong foundation, would be sure to tumble down."
"Dear me!" said Mother Gipsy, "how dreadful! Let us be very
20 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
sure to have the foundation to Joe-Boy's house made very strong. I
would not have it fall down on us for anything."
Father Gipsy kissed the little frown away from her eyebrows, and
then he said:
"Do not be afraid, my dear, for ours shall be very strong, and I
shall find the best brickmason that can be found ā one who will do his
very best work on Joe-Boy's house."
And so he did, and the very next day four brickmasons went to work
on the foundation. They sifted sand and mixed it with water and
lime and made the mortar. Then they took trowels, smoothed the
mortar over the bricks and placed them one above the other, pressing
each one firmly in place. All day they worked, until by and by the
strong brick wall was finished.
"Well," said Father Gipsy, "that looks like a strong foundation, and
we thank you very much, kind brickmasons. To-morrow we should
like to have you make the chimneys to Joe-Boy's house, because you do
such good work."
The brickmasons went home to rest, very tired but very happy.
They were happy because they did good work, and because Father
Gipsy had given them money for building the foundation to Joe-Boy's
house.
"Now," they said, "we will take this money and buy dresses and