stories to tell to children-第22章

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this　is。〃　　He　stuck　his　head　over　the　top　of　the

nest；　and　lookedstraight　into　the　wicked　eyes

of　a　great　big　snake。　　〃Mammy；　Mammy！〃

screamed　Raggylug。　　〃Oh；　Mammy；　Mam〃

But　he　couldn't　scream　any　more；　for　the　big

snake　had　his　ear　in　his　mouth　and　was

winding　about　the　soft　little　body；　squeezing

Raggylug's　life　out。　　He　tried　to　call　〃Mammy！〃

again；　but　he　could　not　breathe。



Ah；　but　Mammy　had　heard　the　first　cry。

Straight　over　the　fields　she　flew；　leaping　the

stones　and　hummocks；　fast　as　the　wind；　to　save

her　baby。　　She　wasn't　a　timid　little　cottontail

rabbit　then；　she　was　a　mother　whose　child　was

in　danger。　　And　when　she　came　to　Raggylug

and　the　big　snake；　she　took　one　look；　and　then

hop！　hop！　she　went　over　the　snake's　back；　and

as　she　jumped　she　struck　at　the　snake　with　her

strong　hind　claws　so　that　they　tore　his　skin。

He　hissed　with　rage；　but　he　did　not　let　go。



Hop！　hop！　she　went　again；　and　this　time　she

hurt　him　so　that　he　twisted　and　turned；　but　he

held　on　to　Raggylug。



Once　more　the　mother　rabbit　hopped；　and

once　more　she　struck　and　tore　the　snake's　back

with　her　sharp　claws。　　Zzz！　How　she　hurt！

The　snake　dropped　Raggy　to　strike　at　her；　and

Raggy　rolled　on　to　his　feet　and　ran。



〃Run；　Raggylug；　run！〃　said　his　mother；

keeping　the　snake　busy　with　her　jumps；　and

you　may　believe　Raggylug　ran！　　Just　as　soon

as　he　was　out　of　the　way　his　mother　came　too；

and　showed　him　where　to　go。　　When　she　ran；

there　was　a　little　white　patch　that　showed

under　her　tail；　that　was　for　Raggy　to　follow；

he　followed　it　now。



Far；　far　away　she　led　him；　through　the　long

grass；　to　a　place　where　the　big　snake　could　not

find　him；　and　there　she　made　a　new　nest。　　And

this　time；　when　she　told　Raggylug　to　lie　low

you'd　better　believe　he　minded！







THE　GOLDEN　COBWEBS＇1＇



A　STORY　TO　TELL　BY　THE　CHRISTMAS　TREE



＇1＇　This　story　was　told　me　in　the　mother…tongue　of　a　German

friend；　at　the　kindly　instance　of　a　common　friend　of　both；

the　narrator　had　heard　it　at　home　from　the　lips　of　a　father

of　story…loving　children　for　whom　ho　often　invented　such

little　tales。　　The　present　adaptation　has　passed　by　hearsay

through　so　many　minds　that　it　is　perhaps　little　like　the

original；　but　I　venture　to　hope　it　has　a　touch　of　the　original

fancy；　at　least。





I　am　going　to　tell　you　a　story　about　something

wonderful　that　happened　to　a　Christmas

Tree　like　this；　ever　and　ever　so　long　ago；　when

it　was　once　upon　a　time。



It　was　before　Christmas；　and　the　tree　was

trimmed　with　bright　spangled　threads　and

many…coloured　candles　and　（name　the　trimmings

of　the　tree　before　you）；　and　it　stood

safely　out　of　sight　in　a　room　where　the　doors

were　locked；　so　that　the　children　should　not

see　it　before　the　proper　time。　　But　ever　so

many　other　little　house…people　had　seen　it。

The　big　black　pussy　saw　it　with　her　great

green　eyes；　the　little　grey　kitty　saw　it　with

her　little　blue　eyes；　the　kind　house…dog　saw

it　with　his　steady　brown　eyes；　the　yellow

canary　saw　it　with　his　wise；　bright　eyes。　　Even

the　wee；　wee　mice　that　were　so　afraid　of　the

cat　had　peeped　one　peep　when　no　one　was　by。



But　there　was　someone　who　hadn't　seen　the

Christmas　tree。　　It　was　the　little　grey　spider！



You　see；　the　spiders　lived　in　the　corners；

the　warm　corners　of　the　sunny　attic　and　the

dark　corners　of　the　nice　cellar。　　And　they　were

expecting　to　see　the　Christmas　Tree　as　much

as　anybody。　　But　just　before　Christmas　a　great

cleaning…up　began　in　the　house。　　The　house…

mother　came　sweeping　and　dusting　and　wiping　

and　scrubbing；　to　make　everything　grand　and

clean　for　the　Christ…child's　birthday。　　Her　broom

went　into　all　the　corners；　poke；　poke；and　of

course　the　spiders　had　to　run。　　Dear；　dear；　HOW

the　spiders　had　to　run！　　Not　one　could　stay

in　the　house　while　the　Christmas　cleanness

lasted。　　So；　you　see；　they　couldn't　see　the

Christmas　Tree。



Spiders　like　to　know　all　about　everything；

and　see　all　there　is　to　see；　and　these　were　very

sad。　　So　at　last　they　went　to　the　Christ…child

and　told　him　about　it。



〃All　the　others　see　the　Christmas　Tree；　dear

Christ…child；〃　they　said；　〃but　we；　who　are　so

domestic　and　so　fond　of　beautiful　things；　we　are

CLEANED　UP！　　We　cannot　see　it；　at　all。〃



The　Christ…child　was　sorry　for　the　little

spiders　when　he　heard　this；　and　he　said　they

should　see　the　Christmas　Tree。



The　day　before　Christmas；　when　nobody　was

noticing；　he　let　them　all　go　in；　to　look　as　long

as　ever　they　liked。



They　came　creepy；　creepy；　down　the　attic

stairs；　creepy；　creepy；　up　the　cellar　stairs；

creepy；　creepy；　along　the　halls；and　into　the

beautiful　room。　　The　fat　mother　spiders　and

the　old　papa　spiders　were　there；　and　all　the

little　teeny；　tiny；　curly　spiders；　the　baby　ones。

And　then　they　looked！　　Round　and　round　the

tree　they　crawled；　and　looked　and　looked　and

looked。　　Oh；　what　a　good　time　they　had！　　They

thought　it　was　perfectly　beautiful。　　And　when

they　had　looked　at　everything　they　could　see

from　the　floor；　they　started　up　the　tree　to　see

more。　　All　over　the　tree　they　ran；　creepy；

crawly；　looking　at　every　single　thing。　　Up　and

down；　in　and　out；　over　every　branch　and　twig；

the　little　spiders　ran；　and　saw　every　one　of　the

pretty　things　right　up　close。



They　stayed　till　they　had　seen　all　there　was

to　see；　you　may　be　sure；　and　then　they　went

away　at　last；　QUITE　happy。



Then；　in　the　still；　dark　night　before　Christmas

Day；　the　dear　Christ…child　came；　to　bless　the

tree　for　the　children。　　But　when　he　looked　at

itWHAT　do　you　suppose？it　was　covered　with

cobwebs！　　Everywhere　the　little　spiders　had

been　they　had　left　a　spider…web；　and　you　know

they　had　been　everywhere。　　So　the　tree　was

covered　from　its　trunk　to　its　tip　with　spider…

webs；　all　hanging　from　the　branches　and　looped

round　the　twigs；　it　was　a　strange　sight。



What　could　the　Christ…child　do？　　He　knew

that　house…mothers　do　not　like　cobwebs；　it

would　never；　never　do　to　have　a　Christmas

Tree　covered　with　those。　　No；　indeed。



So　the　dear　Christ…child　touched　the　spider's

webs；　and　turned　them　all　to　gold！　　Wasn't

that　a　lovely　trimming？　　They　shone　and　shone；

all　over　the　beautiful　tree。　　And　that　is　the　way

the　Christmas　Tree　came　to　have　golden　cob…

webs　on　it。





WHY　THE　MORNING…GLORY　CLIMBS＇1＇



＇1＇　This　story　was　given　me　by　Miss　Elisabeth　McCracken；

who　wrote　it　some　years　ago　in　a　larger　form；　and　who　told

it　to　me　in　the　way　she　had　told　it　to　many　children　of　her

acquaintance。





Once　the　Morning…Glory　was　flat　on　the

ground。　　She　grew　that　way；　and　she　had

never　climbed　at　all。　　Up　in　the　top　of　a　tree

near　her　lived　Mrs　Jennie　Wren　and　her　little

baby　Wren。　　The　little　Wren　was　lame；　he

had　a　broken　wing　and　couldn't　fly。　　He　stayed

in　the　nest　all　day。　　But　the　mother　Wren　told

him　all　about　what　she　saw　in　the　world；　when

she　came　flying　home　at　night。　　She　used　to

tell　him　about　the　beautiful　Morning…Glory　she

saw　on　the　ground。　　She　told　him　about　the

Morning…Glory　every　day；　until　the　little　Wren

was　filled　with　a　desire　to　see　her　for　himself。



〃How　I　wish　I　could　see　the　Morning…

Glory！〃　he　said。



The　Morning…Glory　heard　this；　and　she

longed　to　let　the　little　Wren　see　her　face。

She　pulled　herself　along　the　ground；　a　little　at

a　time；　until　she　was　at　the　foot　of　the　tree

where　the　little　Wren　lived。　　But　she　could

not　get　any　farther；　because　she　did　not　know

how　to　climb。　　At　last　she　wanted　to　go　up　so

much；　that　she　caught　hold　of　the　bark　of　the

tree；　and　pulled　herself　up　a　little。　　And　little

by　little；　before　she　knew　it；　she　was　climbing。



And　she　climbed　right　up　the　tree　to　the

little　Wren's　nest；　and　put　her　sweet　face　over

the　edge　of　the　nest；　where　the　little　Wren

could　see。



That　was　how　the　Morning…Glory　came　to　climb。





THE　STORY　OF　LITTLE