Merry Tales

Ada M. Skinner, Eleanor L. Skinner

Merry Tales

EAN 8596547217329

DigiCat, 2022

Contact: DigiCat@okpublishing.info

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FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE

THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE

THE FISHING PARTY

THE FOREST BAILIFF

BRUIN AND REYNARD PARTNERS

THE THREE WISHES

THE PIGTAIL

THE STONE LION

THE STORY THAT HAD NO END

THE KING’S RABBIT KEEPER

THE LEAPING MATCH

THE CLEVER TURTLE

ROBIN GOODFELLOW

MERLIN’S CRAG

THE STORY OF LI’L’ HANNIBAL

HOW TIMOTHY WON THE PRINCESS

THE OVERTURNED CART

CHANTICLEER

THE JACKAL AND THE ALLIGATOR

FINN AND THE FAIRY SHOEMAKER

MAKING THE BEST OF IT

THE BROWNIE OF BLEDNOCK

HOW OLAF BROUGHT THE BROWNIE BACK

THE POOR LITTLE TURKEY GIRL

MEADOW FIDDLERS

CASTLE FORTUNE

A LITTLE DUTCH GARDEN

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

FOREWORD

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From a knowledge and love of children both extending through many years, I wish to speak of the pleasure and profit they will derive from reading and possessing Merry Tales.

To keep children sane and sweet they must be given bright and cheery stories to read. They will find them in Merry Tales. Early in life they should learn something of myths and folklore. These tales are founded on these old treasures, but are charmingly adapted to the understanding of present-day children. I have read few books for children possessing such literary value and yet using words that children can master without difficulty, thereby being able to enjoy their own reading.

I hope that Merry Tales will find a place not only in the schoolroom for that time of delight in a well-taught school,—the period for supplementary reading,—but that parents may find the book out to place it in the child’s own library, a thing that a child must have if it is ever to have in later life the joys of a genuine booklover.

MARGARET W. SUTHERLAND,

Principal of the Columbus Normal School.

PREFACE

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The stories in this collection have been chosen, first, because they are stories children have always loved, and second, because they are free from much of the grewsome or grotesque which figures in so many of the folk tales and fables of the past. Although there are elements of surprise and danger in the adventures of the various characters, yet each story ends happily. The little book is intended as a supplementary reader for children in the third or fourth year of school and the vocabulary has been carefully graded to meet that need. Some of the stories have dramatic qualities and will be found to lend themselves readily to dramatization.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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For permission to reprint, or to use in adapted form, certain copyrighted and valuable material in this volume, the following acknowledgments are made:

To Carolyn Sherwin Bailey and the publishers of Good Housekeeping, for The Story of Li’l’ Hannibal, reprinted by permission of Good Housekeeping;

To the Grolier Society, publishers of The Book of Knowledge, for How Olaf Brought the Brownie Back;

To George H. Doran Company, for The Overturned Cart from Cap O’Yellow, by Agnes Crozier Herbertson;

To Frances Fox and The Outlook Company, for Making the Best of It;

To Elizabeth Grierson and Frederick A. Stokes Company, publishers of Scottish Fairy Tales, for The Brownie of Blednock;

To F. Cushing and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for The Poor Little Turkey Girl from Zuñi Folk Tales; and

To T. Fisher Unwin for True Friendship.

THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE

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It is no use trying to live here any longer, thought the monkey, looking down, from his home in the tree, at a big crocodile sleeping on the sunlit bank of the river. Whenever that creature opens his great mouth, I shudder to think what might happen if I were near.

Just then the crocodile yawned. Wider and wider and wider he opened his mouth. Away whisked the monkey to the topmost branch of the tree.

This very day I shall move farther down the river! he said.

So the monkey slipped away to a tree about half a mile distant. There he lived peaceably for some time. He was delighted with his new home. The water was cool and clear. In the middle of the stream was an island covered with fruit trees.

It was very easy to reach the little island. One leap from his tree brought the monkey to the end of a large rock which jutted out into the river; another leap brought him to the island, where he could get a fine feast and frisk about all the day long. In the evening he went back to his home in the great tree on the river’s bank.

One day he stayed later than usual on the island. When he came to the water’s edge, he looked and blinked and looked and blinked! How strange that rock looks! he said to himself. Surely it was never so high before! What can be the matter with it? Suddenly the monkey’s heart beat very fast. The crocodile was lying on the top of that rock!

Oho! Mr. Crocodile, thought the monkey, I see I must put my wits to work very, very quickly indeed if I am to escape from you!

Good evening, Big Rock, he called.

The crocodile lay very still.

This is a fine evening, Big Rock! called the monkey.

The crocodile lay very, very still.

What is the matter, Big Rock? You have always been a good friend of mine. Why are you so silent this evening?

Then the crocodile thought, Now I see I must pretend to be the rock, or the monkey may not come this way to-night. So with his mouth shut he mumbled as best he could, Good evening, Mr. Monkey.

Oh! Is that you, Mr. Crocodile? said the monkey, pleasantly. I’m afraid I have awakened you!

Never mind that, said the crocodile, raising his head. Come, make your leap! You cannot escape me this time.

No, I’m afraid not, said the monkey, meekly.

And all the time he was thinking, Crocodiles shut their eyes when they open their mouths wide.

Come along and make haste, Monkey, said the crocodile.

I’m caught, that is sure, for I must leap your way. Well, as you say, I cannot escape you, Crocodile. Open your mouth. Oh, wider than that, please, if I am to leap into it. Wider! There! Here I go! Ready!

Before the crocodile knew what was happening, the monkey gave three bounds—first to the top of the crocodile’s head,—then to the bank,—then to his tree. Away he whisked to the topmost branch.

Thank you, Mr. Crocodile, he called.

THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE

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One day a hillman knocked at the door of a selfish housewife.

Can you lend me a saucepan, good mother? said he. There’s a wedding in the hill, and all the pots are in use.

Is he to have one? asked the servant girl who had opened the door.

Ay, to be sure, said the housewife. But when the maid was taking a saucepan from the shelf, the housewife whispered slyly to her, Do not lend him a good pan; get the old one out of the cupboard. It leaks, and the hillmen are so neat and such nimble workers that they are sure to mend it before they send it home. So one does a good turn and saves sixpence from the tinker.

The maid fetched the old saucepan which had been laid by till the tinker’s next visit and gave it to the dwarf, who thanked her and went away.

The saucepan was soon returned neatly mended and ready for use. At supper time the maid filled the pan with milk and set it on the fire for the children’s supper, but in a few minutes the milk was so burned and smoked that no one could touch it. Even the pigs would not drink the wash into which the milk was thrown.

Ah, you good-for-nothing girl! cried the housewife as this time she filled the pan herself. Your careless ways would ruin the richest. There’s a whole quart of milk spoiled at once.

A quart of milk costs twopence! cried a queer small voice from the chimney corner.

The housewife had not left the saucepan for two minutes when the milk boiled over and was all burned and smoked as before.

The pan must be dirty, cried the housewife in a rage; and there are two full quarts of milk as good as thrown to the dogs. Oh, what dreadful waste!

Two quarts of milk cost fourpence! cried the queer small voice.

After a long scrubbing, the saucepan was once more filled with milk and set on the fire, but in a little while the milk was burned and smoked again.

The housewife burst into tears at the waste, and cried out, Never before did such a thing happen to me since I kept house! Three quarts of milk burned for one meal.

Three quarts of milk cost sixpence! cried the queer small voice. You didn’t save the tinker after all!

Then the hillman himself came tumbling down the chimney and went off laughing through the door. But from that time the saucepan was as good as any other.

THE FISHING PARTY

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One clear, warm evening about sunset Brother Rabbit was walking down a road which led to the old mill. He was saying to himself: It has been a week or more since I have had any fun. I do wish something would happen to make times a little livelier. I’m—

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