was Nokomis, and sometimes Belle was Hiawatha, sometimes May."

"And it was such fun, Grandma," went on Belle. "There is a pine forest near the farm house where we stayed. We used to play in it a great deal. Here's a game the other children and ourselves used to play: "

4

1. We are play - ing 2. Can you tell

me,

to-gether, We are happy and gay, dear play-mates, Who is lost from the ring?

We don't care for
And

66

if you

the weath-er, We don't care for the day. can guess her, We'll clap and we'll sing.

Yes," went on May, who was anxious to say something, "and we saw fireflies and rabbits and squirrels."

“Didn't you do anything but play in the woods, Ben?" inquired Grandma.

"Oh, yes, Grandma, there was always plenty of fun. While Belle and May were taking care of the chickens, I was learning to pitch a spit ball."

"From whom?" asked Grandma.

66 And, Grandma, he was such a jolly man," said Belle.

66

The second day he was there, the hired man met him early in the morning and said: 'Been out to hear the haycock crow, I pose?'

sup

out tying a knot in a cord of wood'."

"Well," said Grandma, " that was a good joke on the hired man."

"That joke is not so good as something that happened in school to-day, Grandma," said Ben. "Just listen to this:

66

During our arithmetic lesson our teacher said: 'Now, boys and girls, in order to add or

subtract, it is necessary that things should always have the same name. For example, we couldn't take three oranges from four apples, or add nine horses to two cows.'

"Pudgy raised his hand and began to wriggle around in his seat.

"What is it?' asked our teacher.

"Why, ma'am,' replied he, standing up, 'can't you take ten quarts of milk from two cows?' Just then the bell rang for recess, so we didn't get any answer."

66

Grandma laughed and said: Well, May, I haven't heard from you yet. Tell me something you learned in the country."

66

O, Grandma, I had a little lamb all my own up there. I took care of it. And the farmer's wife used to sing me to sleep with

THE SLEEPY SONG.

As soon as the fire burns red and low,
And the house up-stairs is still,

She sings me a queer little sleepy song,
Of sheep that go over the hill.

The good little sheep run quick and soft,
Their colors are gray and white;
They follow their leader nose and tail,
For they must be home by night.

And one slips over and one comes next,
And one runs after behind,

The gray one's nose at the white one's tail,
The top of the hill they find.

And when they get to the top of the hill
They quietly slip away.

But one runs over and one comes next-
Their colors are white and gray.

And over they go, and over they go,
And over the top of the hill,

The good little sheep run quick and soft,
And the house up-stairs is still.

And one slips over and one comes next,
The good little gray little sheep!
I watch how the fire burns red and low,
And she says that I fall asleep.

-Josephine Daskam Bacon,

-Courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons.

When May had finished, Ben said: "Now, Grandma, tell us about yourself."

"It is too late to begin to-night. Let us wait until to-morrow. Good-night to you all."