nicely each day that he was looking almost like silk, and his mane and
tail were smooth and wavy as they used to be. I guess that was because
Charlotte Anne used to plait it up sometimes, and let it stay all night.
She and Joe-Boy just spent hours and hours playing with Prince Charm-
ing in the buttercup meadow ā Prince Charming thought that buttercup
meadow was the dearest spot on the earth! The first time Joe-Boy
turned him in there he was so happy he didn't know what to do, and he
hadn't seen any fresh green clover in such a long time that he did not
know whether to eat it or to smell it or to roll over in it, and so Prince
Charming did all three, while Joe-Boy and Charlotte Anne clapped
96 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
their hands in glee. Charlotte Anne loved him as much as Joe-Boy did,
and every day she vi^ould come over to bring him an apple or a lump of
sugar or something nice to eat, and Prince Charming would come to
the gate to meet her. He liked apples very much and would eat them
from her hand, bowing his head up and down while he chewed ā that
meant "Thank you," of course. Some days Charlotte Anne and Joe-
Boy would dress Prince Charming up in clover chains, and he would
hold his head very still while Charlotte Anne fastened it around his
neck, and tjien he would trot off around a big circle, with his head
lifted high ā just as he used to do in the circus ring, you know ā and
Charlotte Anne and Joe-Boy would laugh and clap their hands. That
would make Prince Charming think more and more about his circus
days and the painted lady. Don't you know it did ? And so the happy
days went by, and dear old Prince Charming was growing stronger and
better every day ā so strong that Charlotte Anne and Joe-Boy both
often rode on his back. But one day while they were riding something
very funny happened. They had ridden down the big road and back
again and were crossing the front lawn, when all at once Prince Charm-
ing heard Mother Gipsy playing a waltz on the piano. He stopped
right still and pricked his short white ears back and forth very quickly,
and theuj only think! ā Prince Charming began to waltz! Round and
round he went in a ring, with Charlotte Anne and Joe-Boy both on
his back ā just for the world as he used to do with the painted lady on
his back! Betty laughed until her fat sides ached, and Father Gipsy
laughed until his sides ached, and Joe-Boy and Charlotte Anne laughed
until they almost rolled off of Prince Charming's back! And then
Mother^JiHsy came out to see what was the matter with everybody, and
of couliWWeh*the music stopped, why, Prince Charming stopped, to.o!
Now, wasn't he the dearest horse that ever you heard about?
Captain
Wednesday
CAPTAIN was a great big shaggy dog, and he was another one
of Joe-Boy's playmates, and one of the best playmates. They
often ran races together, tumbled in the grass, played hiding,
and all sorts of games, and if Joe-Boy would throw his rubber ball away
out in the pond. Captain would jump into the water with a great splash
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND . 97
and swim after it. He liked to do this very much, and when he would
bring the ball back to Joe-Boy he would drop it at his feet, and then
wag and wag his tail, which meant, "Please throw it again, I like to
swim after it."
Once-upon-a-time, Captain had saved Joe-Boy's life, too, when he
was a baby. There was a tub of water on the back porch, that Betty
had left ā ^just for a minute ā and Joe-Boy tumbled into it, with his
head right down under the water, and he most surely would have
drowned had not Captain seen him and pulled him out by his dress. It
was then Father Gipsy said he would not take a bag full of gold dol-
lars for Captain, and he made him a new dog house, with a soft bed
inside ā all his very own. But then Captain was always doing some-
thing kind. He came from a very noble family of dogs called the St.
Bernards. Mother Gipsy told Joe-Boy many wonderful tales about
these dogs hunting for people who had been caught in the snow storms
on the mountains and almost frozen to death, when the dogs would find
them and dig them out from under the sno.w. Then they would howl
and howl, until somebody came to help them. But one of the smartest
things Captain did was to find Joe-Boy the time he got lost in the
woods, near their house. There was a white sandy path that stretched
through the buttercup meadow and twisted over the hills and through
the woods, and every time Joe-Boy saw that path he wanted to follow
it and see where it led to. So he started out one day all by himself, with-
out telling a single soul good-bye, and he walked and walked and walked
before anj'one missed him ; and when he couldn't find the end of the
little path, and turned around to come home ā well, he was lost, and
just couldn't find the way! There seemed to be two or three little
paths and Joe-Boy had forgotten which one he had taken. By and by,
when dinner-time came, there was a high chair at the dinner table, but
there was no boy in it, and Mother Gipsy called and called, and Betty
called and called, and Father Gipsy called and called, and then every-
body hunted and hunted and hunted, but no Joe-Boy could they find.
He wasn't at the barn and he wasn't in the meadow, and he wasn't on
the lawn, and he wasn't at Charlotte Anne's house, and none of the other
neighbors had seen him, though they all came over to help hunt, and even
the big fat policeman looked, too, and he couldn't find Joe-Boy. Then
Mother Gipsy thought about Captain, and she said, "Oh, why didn't
I think about that first! Captain will find him, I feel very sure!"
Then she took Joe-Boy's red cap from the rack and called, "Here, Cap-
98 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
tain, here!" And when Captain came running up she patted him on
the head and held out the cap for him to see and smell, and then she
said, "Joe-Boy ā gone ā go bring!" Captain looked up at Mother Gipsy,
watching her very closely, and his tail went wag, wag, wag, as it always
did when he listened, and I'm sure he understood, because he darted off
like a flash, with his nose right close to the ground, and guess which
way he went? Right down that very same little path that twisted over
the hills, to be sure, and he ran so fast that nobody could begin tQ keep
up with him! Father Gipsy got on Prince Charming and galloped
off after him, and pretty soon he heard Captain give a long, glad bark,
and he knew Joe-Boy had been found. When he got to them, there
sat Joe-Boy on a log and Captain was licking the tears away from his
cheeks, with his long pink tongue.
"Oh, father, father," said Joe-Boy, "I thought you never would
come, and this little path just twists everywhere and has no end !"
"Well, well," said Father Gipsy, "we'll soon be home again now,
and the next time you start out to find the end of a little, twisting path,
you must invite somebody to go with you ā don't you think so? Why,
I don't know what we should have done without Captain today." Joe-
Boy cuddled up close to Father Gipsy on Prince Charming's back and
off they trotted home, with Captain following, after. Mother Gipsy
ran out to met them, and I tell you he was a happy, happy boy to get
back home once more.
Captain had a very fine dinner that day, and everyone patted and
hugged him so, he was glad to trot off to his house for a nap. Mother
Gipsy said he was the dearest dog in all the world, and you know Joe-
Boy thought so!
Snowball
Thursday
THE pet kitten's name was Snowball, but, my, me! you never
would have thought she looked like a snowball if you had seen
her the first day Joe-Boy got her. Why, she was as black as
black could be ā ^with dirt. You see, it happened this way. Joe-Boy
got her from the trash man ā and, do you know, that trash man didn't
have any more sense than to think that kitten was trash ? Why, I never
,heard of such a thing ! One morning he came with his cart to Joe-Boy's
house to get the trash, and right on top of his cart, mixed up with all the
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 99
dirt and rags and paper, was this poor little kitty, crying "meow, meow,
meow!"
Captain was the first one to hear her, and he ran up to the cart,
wagging and wagging his tail ā he knew something was wrong. Then
Joe-Boy heard the kitty crying "meow, meow, meow!" and he ran up to
the cart, too, and there was the little kitty, just as black and dirty as
she could be.
"Oh-o," said Joe-Boy, "a dear little kitty! What are you going to
do with her, Mr. Trashman?" But the trash man must have gotten
out of the wrong side of his bed that morning, because he didn't even
stop his cart long enough to give a polite answer. He just said, "Throw
her in the trash pile, of course! Get alone there, mule!" and then he
started off down the lane.
"Wait a minute, please, Mr. Trashman, I want that kitty, and
I'll give you all the pennies in my red bank if you won't carr>' her to
the trash pile, too."
"Whoa, mule!" said the trash man, as he held out his hand, "Here,
take the kitten! I'm glad to get rid of the little old squalling thing!
Where's your pennies? Be in a hurry!"
"I'll bring them in just a minute," said Joe-Boy, as he flew into
the house for his bank, and then when he came back he shook every one
of the pennies out into the trash man's hand. And then the old trash
man said, "Get along there, mule," and away he rolled down the lane.
But he he didn't have any little kitty in his cart then ; no, indeed,
because Joe-Boy had that, you know, and the little kitty was so glad to
hear a kind voice once more, and to feel a soft hand rub and pat her on
her head. Captain tried his very best to lick her with that tongue of his
that made such a good wash-rag ā I guess he thought she needed a wash-
ing, don't you? Well, Joe-Boy thought she needed something to eat,
so he carried her up to the pantry, and gave her a saucer of Lady Cow's
fresh milk. But the kitty would not drink the milk, she only cried and
cried, and she couldn't stand up either. Joe-Boy looked at her very sor-
rowfully for a minute, and then his face brightened as he said, "If kit-
tens won't eat a nice, dainty breakfast like that, why, something's wrong,
and the best thing I know what to do is to send for the doctor ā that's
a sick kitty."
You, see, Joe-Boy remembered the very thing that Father Gipsy
had said to him, the morning he waked up sick and couldn't eat any
100 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
breakfast, when Mother Gipsy fixed it up with the pink rosebud, and
what do you suppose he did? Why, he picked up that kitty and went
right oĀ£E to the doctor's office, with Captain trotting on behind. And
there was the doctor, just stepping out of his buggy, and when he saw
Joe-Boy and the kitty, he said, "Why, this is my little friend, I do be-
lieve ! ā Is the little miller sick again ?"
"No, no," said Joe-Boy, "my little miller is well, I thank you, but
this little kitty's miller is sick, I am afraid, because she can't eat any-
thing."
"Ah," said the doctor, with his same old twinkle, "I'm sorry to
hear that! Just bring her into the office here, and let us see about that.
Lay her over there on that leather lounge, while I get my gloves off
ā poor little thing! she can't stand up; maybe it's her leg and not her
miller that is out of fix. Let me see." So the doctor felt the right front
leg, and that was all right; then he felt the left front leg, and that
was all right; then he .felt the right hind leg, and that was all right;
and then he felt the left hind leg and the kitty said "M-e-o-w!" That
meant, "it hurts," you know.
"Ah," said the doctor, "it is just as I thought; that kitty has a
broken leg! She is sick in her left hind leg, and there is nothing wrong
with her little miller. I do not think she has a fever, so we need not try
the thermometer. I will set her leg, and then by and by you must
give her a gentle, warm bath, and in a few days she will even be well
enough to go to a party!"
That tickled Joe-Boy very much, and he held the kitty while
the doctor fixed her leg. First he bathed it with some medicine, to take
the pain away, and then he took two pieces of soft thin pine and bound
it on each side of the kitty's leg, to hold it still until the bone grew to-
gether again. And he did it all so very gently that the little kitty for-
got to cry!
"There, now," said the doctor, as he patted her on the head, "you
are all right now,' little kitty," and then he said to Joe-Boy, "You may
take her home now, and put her to bed, and if she isn't all right in a few
days, just let me know!" And then his eyes twinkled some more. Of
course, Joe-Boy knew that doctors had to be paid for their work just like
any other workmen, but 5^ou know he had given all the money in his
bank to the old trash man for the kitty, so he didn't have any left to
pay the doctor.
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 101
"Never mind," said the doctor, "that's all right! It seems to me
if you loved the kitty enough to buy her out of her trouble, why, I
ought to love her enough to set her leg for her, so I won't charge any-
thing."
Well, sure enough, that kitty did get well, and when Mother
Gipsy and Joe-Boy bathed her with soap and warm water, ā why, she
wasn't a black kitty any more, but looked so white and fluffy that Joe-
Boy named her Snowball right away, and she got so fat ā my! Some-
times she wore a blue ribbon around her neck ā Charlotte Anne thought
she looked beautiful that way ā and everybody learned to love her.
Even Captain would let Snowball take a nap between his shaggy paws.
I think that was kind ā don't you?
Silverlocks
Friday
SILVERLOCKS came to live with Joe-Boy when she was only a
wee, wee lambkin, and couldn't say a thing but "B-a-a," all the
time. But that was when Silverlocks was a baby ; of course, she did
not cry when she grew up into a big sheep. She stayed in the butter-
cup meadow most of the time, so she knew Lady Cow and her brown
baby, and Prince Charming and Snowball and Captain, and all the
others. Joe-Boy and Charlotte Anne liked to play with Silverlocks be-
cause she was so gentle, and would follow them all around the meadow
ā just like Mary's little lamb that you've heard about. Only Silver-
locks always wore a pretty silver bell around her neck that went "tinkle,
tinkle, tinkle," ever step she took. That helped them to find her when
she got lost among the bushes ā and, dear me! Joe-Boy would not have
had Silverlocks lost, not for anything, because she was to give him the
wool for his first pair of trousers. He had begged to wear them from
the first day he started to kindergarten, but Mother Gipsy said, "No,
let's wait until you grow a little bit larger; three years old is most too
young for trousers."
And, do you know, the very next day Joe-Boy said, "Now, mother,
I'm a little bit larger. May I have some trousers?"
And that is what he said almost every day, so at last Father Gipsy
said: "I'll tell you what we will do about those trousers. Just as soon
as Silverlocks can give you a bag full of wool to make them out of, why,
102 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
you may have your trousers, so you had best go down and talk to her
about it!"
And that is just what Joe-Boy did. He got his cap and went to the
meadow and when he found Silverlocks he told her all about the new
trousers, while he stroked her wool, to see how thick it was. Silverlocks
did not say anything, but she rubbed her head against Joe-Boy's shoulder
and then trotted away with a very happy look on her face, so I believe
she understood. Anyway, Joe-Boy would not let Captain run any
more races with Silverlocks, because he was afraid she would run
through the briars and pull some of her wool out, and he needed it,
every bit, you know, for those trousers. Well, every day Silverlocks'
wool grew thicker and thicker, and all that time Joe-Boy was growing
bigger and bigger, but he was so busy thinking about Silverlocks, why,
he forgot all about himself, and didn't know how large he was getting.
That tickled Betty a great deal; she laughed and laughed over Joe-Boy
and Silverlocks. Of course, the kindergarten teacher and all the children
knew about the trousers, too, ā they had heard all about it, over and over
again, and were just as anxious about Silverlocks' wool as Joe-Boy was.
And when the day came to shear Silverlocks, why, the kindergarten
teacher herself did that ā and all the children helped. They sat in a line
on the banks of the meadow brook, while Silverlocks had her wool
washed. One by one, they each had a turn at the scrubbing, and Silver-
locks behaved most beautifully ā but then they did not wash her ears,
only her wool ā and when she was just as clean as clean could be, Joe-
Boy led her out on the grass and the sunbeams and another scrubbing
soon got her dry. Her wool was as soft and white as any Farmer Green
had ever had, and Silverlocks did not seem one bit afraid as she stood in
the center of the circle with the children gathered all around her. Joe-
Boy and Charlotte Anne held the bag open while the kindergarten
teacher took the big shears and clip, clip, clip, went all of Silverlocks'
wool into the bag, while everybody watched to see that none was wasted.
They were so afraid there wouldn't be a bag full, you know. But the
bag was full ā and full to the very top ā and the children couldn't help
laughing just a little at Silverlocks, because she did look too funny with
all her wool shingled off. But she didn't care, she was glad to get rid
of it, because it was getting too warm, so after licking salt and meal
from the children's hands, Silverlocks switched her tail and walked
off, as happy as you please. Well, of course, you know what had to be
LITTLE FOLKS' LAND 103
done with the wool next ā you heard the woolen balls tell all about that.
And so Silverlocks' wool was sent to the big factory, too, and spun and
woven into cloth, and dyed a most beautiful red, which was the color
Joe-Boy liked best. After that the cloth was cut and sewn into a pair
of trousers, just to fit a little boy four years old ā do you know who
that boy was? And there was a Russian blouse to match, and a white
kid belt with a most beautiful buckle on it. And one morning what do
you suppose was in a box on a chair right by the side of Joe-Boy's bed
when he waked up? His trousers, to be sure! And he could hardly
wait long enough for Mother Gipsy to buckle his belt! And he didn't
want a mouthful of breakfast! He wanted to run and show them to
Charlotte Anne and to all the neighbors. Then he went down to the
barn to show them to Lady Cow and Prince Charming; and then he
skipped all the way to the buttercup meadow to show them to Silver-
locks, while he hugged her and hugged her, because he was so proud of
his trousers! When he went to the kindergarten, all of the children
said, "Oh, oh, oh, here is Joe-boy in his trousers!" And everybody
wanted to sit by him, and when the time came to skip, everybody wanted
to skip with him! After kindergarten, Mother Gipsy had his picture
taken in them, and that night, when bed-time came, Joe-Boy wanted to
sleep in his trousers! Now, what do you think of such a boy?
Program for Ninth Week ā Pets
Joe-Boy's Pets
Monday
Circle talks, songs and games: Did you ever see a horse that could
march in time to music ? What else have you seen them do ? Do
you suppose they knew how to do these things without being taught?
Did you ever see how the trainers pet and feed their ponies after
they have done well ? Joe-Boy had a pet horse all his very own.
I must tell you about it.
Game: Training of ponies and horses. Galloping, trotting and step-
ping.
Gift: Fifth. Barn, feeding box, etc.
Occupation: Modeling, "Prince Charming." Folding, feeding box.
104 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
Prince Charming
Tuesday
Circle talk J songs and games: Where do you think Joe-Boy kept Prince
Charming? Do you suppose in the same stall with Lady Cow?
Did Prince Charming like the same things to eat as Lady Cow?
What kind of food will make her fat?
Play: "Training horses."
Gift: Sixth. A double stall with a window between, where Prince
Charming and Lady Cow bowed "Good morning."
Occupation: Drawing, dancing horse; or, paper cutting, barn window.
Captain
Wednesday
Circle talk, songs and games: Have j'ou a dog at home? Do you ever
play "hide-and-seek" with him? How can he find you when he
has not seen you hide ? Did your dog ever find you, when you were
lost? Relate story.
Game: Fox and hound (following scent).
^Gift: Fifth (one-third for each child). Make a kennel for Captain.
Occupation: Folding, a red cap. Or, parquetry, half circle, and obtuse
angled triangle, to represent cap.
Snowball
Thursday
Circle talk, songs and games: Guess what other pets Joe-Boy had?
Did a stray cat ever come to your house? Did you feed her? Did
you find her soft cushions and her sharp claws? Listen, while
I tell you about Joe-Boy's kitty named Snowball.
Game: "Five little mice." "Mrs. Pussy."
Gijt: Modeling, a cat.
Occupation: Drawing cat.
Silverlocks
Friday
Circle talk, songs and games: What is your jacket made of, Ben? Is
your coat made of cotton, too? What else have you that is made
LITTLE FOLKS'. LAND 105
of wool? Do you know where the wool comes from? Have you
ever seen mother sheep and baby lambs? Shall we go and see one
now ?
Note: ā If a pet lamb can not be brought to the kindergarten for the
children to observe, they should be carried to a farm where sheep
are kept. ,
Game: "Sheep."
Gift Period: Fourth, Barn, water trough, hay rack. (Use song from
Poulsson book.)
Occupation: Folding and cutting. Trousers.
Tenth Week ā Animal Relationships ā Pets
Pig-a-Wee
Monday
WHICH would you rather have, a little fat pig, or a fat little
pig? Well, one of the funniest pets Joe-Boy had was a fat
little pig named Pig-a-wee, and he was so fat and so round
and so slippery that you couldn't hold him very well, after you caught
him, and he had the curliest of little curly tails, that turned all around
in a circle ā so. But do you know Pig-a-wee did not like to bathe any-
where but in a mud-puddle? Joe-Boy and Charlotte Anne thought
that was most dreadful, and every time they caught Pig-a-wee in the
mud-puddle they would drive him out and into the clean water of the
meadow brook, and then Joe-Boy would hold him and Charlotte Anne
would scrub him, and Pig-a-wee would squeal and squeal and squeal ā
because he did not like to be bathed. And then just as soon as they
would turn him loose, what do you suppose he would do? Go right
straight back to that mud-puddle and wallow over and over again, with
the very happiest little grunt that ever you heard !
"Mercy me!" Charlotte Anne would say, "Pig-a-wee will never
stay clean long enough to wear a pretty blue ribbon around his neck, like
Snowball's, and I have kept one in my apron pocket for him two or
three days!"
"Maybe he will, when he gets older," said Joe-Boy, "he is only a
baby now, and doesn't know any better."
"Oh, I'll tell you what let's do," said Charlotte Anne. "Tomor-
row I am going out to grandfather's to spend a week; s'pose you let
106 LITTLE FOLKS' LAND
Pig-a-wee go with me? There isn't any mud-puddle in grandfather's
meadow, and so Pig-a-wee will have to keep clean, and then maybe
when he finds out how nice it feels, why, he will want to keep clean all
the time, and then he can wear the blue ribbon."
"All right," said Joe-Boy, "but you must be sure to bring him
back again,"
So they washed Pig-a-wee one more time and penned him up in
the barn until time to start, because, of course, they did not want Pig-a-
wee to go visiting to the country dirty ā that would never do!
Well, the next day when Charlotte Anne's grandfather came for
her, she climbed into the buggy by his side, and then she said, "Now,
grandfather, drive by Joe-Boy's house, and get Pig-a-wee; he's going,
too.
"What? Who? Which?" said Grandfather Ray. "A little
p-i-g, you say ? Why, I never had a pig visit me before, my dear ; I hope
he isn't very big?"
"Oh, no," said Charlotte Anne, very gravely, "Pig-a-wee isn't
big; he is only a little fellow, but he hasn't much sense yet, and bathes
in mud-puddles all the time, so Joe-Boy and I want to break him of
it. We just thought we would send him off to the country for a while
until he forgets all about it, you know."
And then Charlotte Anne showed him the pretty blue ribbon in her
apron pocket, which Pig-a-wee was to wear as soon as he had sense
enough to keep clean.
"Well, s-i-r!" said Grandfather Ray, as he shook the reins over
old Dobbins' back, "if that don't beat all! But if Pig-a-wee is really