how to tell stories to children-第25章

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Margery　flew　back　to　her　mother；　to　say　that　the　first　seeds　were　up。　　And　her　mother；　nearly　as　excited　as　Margery；　came　to　look　at　the　little　crack。

Each　day；　after　that；　the　row　of　radishes　　grew；　till；　in　a　week；　it　stood　as　high　as　your　finger；　green　and　sturdy。　　But　about　the　third　day；　while　Margery　was　stooping　over　the　radishes；　she　saw　something　very；　very　small　and　green；　peeping　above　ground；　where　the　lettuce　was　planted。　Could　it　be　weeds？　　No；　for　on　looking　very　closely　she　saw　that　the　wee　leaves　faintly　marked　a　regular　row。　　They　did　not　make　a　crack；　like　the　radishes；　they　seemed　too　small　and　too　far　apart　to　push　the　earth　up　like　that。　　Margery　leaned　down　and　looked　with　all　her　eyes　at　the　baby　plants。　　The　tiny　leaves　grew　two　on　a　stem；　and　were　almost　round。　　The　more　she　looked　at　them　the　more　it　seemed　to　Margery　that　they　looked　exactly　as　the　radish　looked　when　it　first　came　up。　　〃Do　you　suppose；〃　Margery　said　to　herself；　〃that　lettuce　and　radish　look　alike？　　They　don't　look　alike　in　the　market！〃

Day　by　day　the　lettuce　grew；　and　soon　the　little　round　leaves　were　easier　to　examine；　they　certainly　were　very　much　like　radish　leaves。

Then；　one　morning；　while　she　was　searching　the　ground　for　signs　of　seeds；　　Margery　discovered　the　beets。　　In　irregular　patches　on　the　row；　hints　of　green　were　coming。　　The　next　day　and　the　next　they　grew；　until　the　beet　leaves　were　big　enough　to　see。

Margery　looked。　　Then　she　looked　again。　Then　she　wrinkled　her　forehead。　　〃Can　we　have　made　a　mistake？〃　she　thought。　〃Do　you　suppose　we　can　have　planted　all　radishes？〃

For　those　little　beet　leaves　were　almost　round；　and　they　grew　two　on　a　stem；　precisely　like　the　lettuce　and　the　radish；　except　for　the　size；　all　three　rows　looked　alike。

It　was　too　much　for　Margery。　　She　ran　to　the　house　and　found　her　father。　　Her　little　face　was　so　anxious　that　he　thought　something　unpleasant　had　happened。　　〃Papa；〃　she　said；　all　out　of　breath；　〃do　you　think　we　could　have　made　a　mistake　about　my　garden？　　Do　you　think　we　could　have　put　radishes　in　all　the　rows？〃

Father　laughed。　　〃What　makes　you　think　such　a　thing？〃　he　asked。

〃Papa；〃　said　Margery；　〃the　little　leaves　all　look　exactly　alike！　every　plant　has　just　two　tiny　leaves　on　it；　and　shaped　the　same；　they　are　roundish；　and　grow　out　of　the　stem　at　the　same　place。〃

Papa's　eyes　began　to　twinkle。　　〃Many　of　the　dicotyledonous　plants　look　alike　at　the　beginning；〃　he　said；　with　a　little　drawl　on　the　big　word。　　That　was　to　tease　Margery；　because　she　always　wanted　to　know　the　big　words　she　heard。

〃What's　‘dicotyledonous'？〃　said　Margery；　carefully。

〃Wait　till　I　come　home　to…night；　dear；〃　said　her　father；　〃and　I'll　tell　you。〃

That　evening　Margery　was　waiting　eagerly　for　him；　when　her　father　finished　his　supper。　　Together　they　went　to　the　garden；　and　father　examined　the　seedlings　carefully。　　Then　he　pulled　up　a　little　radish　plant　and　a　tiny　beet。

〃These　little　leaves；〃　he　said；　〃are　not　the　real　leaves　of　the　plant；　they　are　only　little　food…supply　leaves；　little　pockets　to　hold　food　for　the　plant　to　live　on　till　it　gets　strong　enough　to　push　up　into　the　air。　　As　soon　as　the　real　leaves　come　out　and　begin　to　draw　food　from　the　air；　these　little　substitutes　wither　up　and　fall　off。　　These　two　lie　folded　up　in　the　little　seed　from　the　　beginning；　and　are　full　of　plant　food。　　They　don't　have　to　be　very　special　in　shape；　you　see；　because　they　don't　stay　on　the　plant　after　it　is　grown　up。〃

〃Then　every　plant　looks　like　this　at　first？〃　said　Margery。

〃No；　dear；　not　every　one；　plants　are　divided　into　two　kinds：　those　which　have　two　food　leaves；　like　these　plants；　and　those　which　have　only　one；　these　are　called　dicotyledonous；　and　the　ones　which　have　but　one　food　leaf　are　monocotyledonous。　Many　of　the　dicotyledons　look　alike。〃

〃I　think　that　is　interesting；〃　said　Margery。　　〃I　always　supposed　the　plants　were　different　from　the　minute　they　began　to　grow。〃

〃Indeed；　no；〃　said　father。　　〃Even　some　of　the　trees　look　like　this　when　they　first　come　through；　you　would　not　think　a　birch　tree　could　look　like　a　vegetable　or　a　flower；　would　you？　　But　it　does；　at　first；　it　looks　so　much　like　these　things　that　in　the　great　nurseries；　where　trees　are　raised　for　forests　and　parks；　the　workmen　have　to　be　very　carefully　trained；　or　else　they　would　pull　up　the　trees　when　they　are　　weeding。　　They　have　to　be　taught　the　difference　between　a　birch　tree　and　a　weed。〃

〃How　funny！〃　said　Margery　dimpling。

〃Yes；　it　sounds　funny；〃　said　father；　〃but　you　see；　the　birch　tree　is　dicotyledonous；　and　so　are　many　weeds；　and　the　dicotyledons　look　much　alike　at　first。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　know　that；　father；〃　said　Margery；　soberly。　　〃I　believe　maybe　I　shall　learn　a　good　deal　from　living　in　the　country；　don't　you　think　so？〃

Margery's　father　took　her　in　his　arms。　〃I　hope　so；　dear；〃　he　said；　〃the　country　is　a　good　place　for　little　girls。〃

And　that　was　all　that　happened；　that　day。



THE　TALKATIVE　TORTOISE＇1＇

＇1＇　Very　freely　adapted　from　one　of　the　Fables　of　Bidpai。


Once　upon　a　time；　a　Tortoise　lived　in　a　pond　with　two　Ducks；　who　were　her　very　good　friends。　　She　enjoyed　the　company　of　the　Ducks；　because　she　could　talk　with　them　to　her　heart's　content；　the　Tortoise　liked　to　talk。　　She　always　had　something　to　say；　and　she　liked　to　hear　herself　say　it。


After　many　years　of　this　pleasant　living；　the　pond　became　very　low；　in　a　dry　season；　and　finally　it　dried　up。　　The　two　Ducks　saw　that　they　could　no　longer　live　there；　so　they　decided　to　fly　to　another　region；　where　there　was　more　water。　　They　went　to　the　Tortoise　to　bid　her　good…by。

〃Oh；　don't　leave　me　behind！〃　begged　the　Tortoise。　　〃Take　me　with　you；　I　must　die　if　I　am　left　here。〃

〃But　you　cannot　fly！〃　said　the　Ducks。　〃How　can　we　take　you　with　us？〃

〃Take　me　with　you！　take　me　with　you！〃　said　the　Tortoise。

The　Ducks　felt　so　sorry　for　her　that　at　last　they　thought　of　a　way　to　take　her。　〃We　have　thought　of　a　way　which　will　be　possible；〃　they　said；　〃if　only　you　can　manage　to　keep　still　long　enough。　　We　will　each　take　hold　of　one　end　of　a　stout　stick；　and　do　you　take　the　middle　in　your　mouth；　then　we　will　fly　up　in　the　air　with　you　and　carry　you　with　us。　　But　remember　not　to　talk！　　If　you　open　your　mouth；　you　are　lost。〃

The　Tortoise　said　she　would　not　say　a　word；　she　would　not　so　much　as　move　her　　mouth；　and　she　was　very　grateful。　　So　the　Ducks　brought　a　strong　little　stick　and　took　hold　of　the　ends；　while　the　Tortoise　bit　firmly　on　the　middle。　　Then　the　two　Ducks　rose　slowly　in　the　air　and　flew　away　with　their　burden。

When　they　were　above　the　treetops；　the　Tortoise　wanted　to　say；　〃How　high　we　are！〃　　But　she　remembered；　and　kept　still。　　When　they　passed　the　church　steeple　she　wanted　to　say；　〃What　is　that　which　shines？〃　　But　she　remembered；　and　held　her　peace。　　Then　they　came　over　the　village　square；　and　the　people　looked　up　and　saw　them。　　〃Look　at　the　Ducks　carrying　a　Tortoise！〃　they　shouted；　and　every　one　ran　to　look。　　The　Tortoise　wanted　to　say；　〃What　business　is　it　of　yours？〃　　But　she　didn't。　　Then　she　heard　the　people　shout；　〃Isn't　it　strange！　　Look　at　it！　　Look！〃

The　Tortoise　forgot　everything　except　that　she　wanted　to　say；　〃Hush；　you　foolish　people！〃　　She　opened　her　mouth；　and　fell　to　the　ground。　　And　that　was　the　end　of　the　Tortoise。

It　is　a　very　good　thing　to　be　able　to　hold　one's　tongue！



ROBERT　OF　SICILY＇1＇


＇1＇　Adapted　from　Longfellow's　poem。


An　old　legend　says　that　there　was　once　a　king　named　Robert　of　Sicily；　who　was　brother　to　the　great　Pope　of　Rome　and　to　the　Emperor　of　Allemaine。　　He　was　a　very　selfish　king；　and　very　proud；　he　cared　more　for　his　pleasures　than　for　the　needs　of　his　people；　and　his　heart　was　so　filled　with　his　own　greatness　that　he　had　no　thought　for　God。

One　day；　this　proud　king　was　sitting　in　his　place　at　church；　at　vesper　service；　his　courtiers　were　about　him；　in　their　bright　garments；　and　he　himself　was　dressed　in　his　royal　robes。　　The　choir　was　chanting　the　Latin　service；　and　as　the　beautiful　voices　swelled　louder；　the　king　noticed　one　particular　verse　which　seemed　to　be　repeated　again　and　again。　　He　turned　to　a　learned　clerk　at　his　side　and　asked　what　those　words　meant；