Larynx and Voice Strengthening Exercises: What Is The Larynx?
Larynx and Voice Strengthening Exercises: What Is The Larynx?
Larynx and Voice Strengthening Exercises: What Is The Larynx?
Strengthening Exercises
Epiglottis
Larynx (cartilage covering top of larynx)
Why strengthen the larynx? Vocal Cords Esophagus
Larynx exercises help: Trachea (windpipe) to stomach
Exercises
Do these exercises _____ times each day as directed by your speech therapist.
Sustained Vowels
Sit on a firm chair for these exercises.
• Hold the vowels “e” and “a” for as long and loud as you can. Try to hold for 14 to 17
seconds. Be sure to stop voicing before your voice fades out. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
• Repeat the sounds, this time pushing down with your arms on the seat of your chair. Bear
your weight on your arms as you push. Make your voice as loud and smooth as you can.
Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Syllable Repetition
• Say “ah ah ah” as loudly and clearly as you can. Repeat 10 times.
2 patienteducation.osumc.edu
Glides
• Hold the vowel “e” and glide smoothly up in pitch. The word “whoop” can also be used.
Repeat 5 to 10 times.
• Hold the vowel “e” and glide smoothly down in pitch. The word “boom” can also be used.
Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
You use your diaphragm to breathe more deeply and easily.
• Sit in a chair or stand up straight.
• Place both hands on your stomach.
• Breathe in through your nose and push out your
stomach, so you feel your hands move.
• Let the air out slowly through you mouth and pull your
stomach back in. Repeat 5 times.
Your voice may fade because you are running out of air:
When you start to feel like you are running out of air or you
hear your voice getting softer, take another breath in with
your stomach.
Practice these breaths while you read out loud: Reading
out loud helps you learn to use this breathing when you are
talking to people.
Also try: You can also use pinwheels, balloons, and your incentive spirometer to practice
diaphragmatic breathing.
Good Posture
Good posture is needed for the best breath support for speech. It is harder to maintain breath
support when lying in bed or reclining in a chair.
Your speech language pathologist (SLP) can give you other activities to try.
Talk to your doctor or health care team if you have any questions about your care.
For more health information, contact the Library for Health Information at 614-293-3707 or
e-mail health-info@osu.edu.
© 2008 - December 29, 2017, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Assessing respiration-phonation
1. Maximum phonation time
§ Sustain “ah”
• Normal loudness
• As long as possible
§ Minimum of 8-9 seconds for ages 7-adult
• For adult length utterances
§ Optimal is 20+ seconds
Step 3: Syllables
Me me
May may
Ma ma
Mo mo
Moo moo
Step 3: Turning voice on and off
5 Ney -Ne y -Ne y-Ne y -----------N e y -Ne y-N e y –10 NehNe hNe hNe hNe hN e hhh
.meee
6 NaAh-naah-naah
Naa-Naa -N aah -Naah--------------Naa -Naa -Naa h --10 NiiiNiiiNiiiNiiiNiiiNiiiNiii
Expert village - Larissa
Legato: S m o o t h e ni n g of C o ns o na nt s : B oh - G o h - D o h -- B o h - G o h -Doh
Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma
-- B o h - G o h - D o h - B o h - G o h -Doh ( 1 - 3 -5 -3 -1)
Octa ve: Mi Me Ma Mo Mu
Gu-G u -G uG uGoo g pendatonic scale Dove Vocal Exercise
Ga-Ga -GaGaGaa g
Ma -Ma -M u mM u mM um ee yeh aah ooo vuu He HeY He HeY Huh Huh Huh
[i ee ye h aah vuu]
[zi-------- uuu -------------] YAWN+Warm-up Exercises
[zi ---u ---ee---u ---ee ---u ---ee ---u ---ee] Humming LipTrill
[ae---o ---ee ---o ---ee ---o ---ee ---o ---ee]
[zi ---u ---ee---u ---ee]
[ze---aah ---ye---aah ---ye] EEEEEE--UHUHUH--The Creek Vocal Exercise
[ze---o ---ye ---o ---ye]
ya --ya --ya --ya --ya --ya --ya --ya ------ya -ya -ya (11 ya 's)
bla-bla -bla -bla -bla -bla -bla --bla ------ bl a -bl a -bla
(Da ga ba) Dah ---- (Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) Da h
Unvoi ced:
(Pa Ta Ka) Pa h (Pa Ta Ka) Pah (Da ga ba) Dow ---(Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) DoW
(Pa Ta Ka) Paw
(Pa Ta Ka) Poo (Da ga ba) Doo --- (Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) Doo
(Pa Ta Ka) Pee (Da ga ba) Dee -- (Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) Dee
(Pa Ta Ka) Pa y
--- ---- -- -- -- -- - (Da ga ba) Da y -- (Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) Day
(Ta Pa Ka) Ta h ( Ta Pa Ka)( Ta Pa Ka) Ta h
(Ta Pa Ka) Ta w
(Ta Pa Ka) Too
(Ta Pa Ka) Te e
(Ta Pa Ka) Ta y
--- ---- -- -- -- -- --
(Ka Pa Ta) Ka h ( Ka Pa Ta)( Ka Pa Ta) Ka h
(Ka Pa Ta) Kaw
(Ka Pa Ta) Koo
(Ka Pa Ta) Kee
(Ka Pa Ta) Ka y
YAWN 10, 20, 30 times TAH VAH ZAH Tongue Trill
Oo -Moo noo loo (Moo noo loo)(Moo noo loo) Moo RUBEN: B ,D,G, M,N,L R,J, V,TH
Voi ced: BA DA GA
(Ba da ga) Ba h Be (Ba da ga)(Ba da ga) Ba h Lip Trill
(Ba da ga) Baw Bay (Ba da ga)(Ba da ga) Baw
1 bah dah gah pah dah gah ||
(Ba da ga) Boo Bah (Ba da ga)(Ba da ga) Boo
(Ba da ga) Bee (Ba da ga)(Ba da ga) Bee 2 boh doh goh poh doh goh ||
Boo
(Ba da ga) Ba y (Ba da ga)(Ba da ga) Ba y
Buu 3 boo doo goo poo doo goo ||
-- -- -- DA GA BA
(Da ga ba) Da h (Da ga ba) (Da ga ba) Da h 4 bee dee gee pee dee gee ||
(Da ga ba) Daw
(Da ga ba) Doo 5 bay day gay pay day gay ||
(Da ga ba) Dee gada.bada-gada.bada
(Da ga ba) Da y
--- ---- -- -- -- GA
- DA BA lalilooli..zipidoda b d g m n l,Ta,Th v z, R
(Ga da ba) Gah (Ga da ba) (Ga da ba) Gah sa.ka.se.fa.ra
(Ga da ba) Gaw pa.ka.se.fa.ra
(Ga da ba) Goo wa.ka.se.fa.ra
(Ga da ba) Gee da.ka.se.fa.ra
(Ga da ba) Gay
baj.ka.se.fa.ra
Conso nant s: Voiced Consonant s: t hat ca n be sung: - B,D,Z,G,J,L,M,N,R,V,TH
(Unvoied) F,P,T,S,K ,F,CH,TH
L, M, N, R, Wa nd Y Ot her s: ng, t h
L, T,D, K,G la la la la lala lala lala
lalala lalala lalala
ta ta ta ta tata tata tata MNL
tatata tatata tatata
da da da da JRZ
dada dada dada
dadada dadada dadada
ka ka ka ka kaka kaka kaka Now, now pump-pump-pump-pum-pum-pump-pump it up
kakaka kakaka kakaka
ga ga ga ga Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang
ga ga ga ga ga ga
Ba Ba Ba Ba Da Da Da Da Ph Ph Ph Ph Fa Fa Fa Fa
Ma Ma Ma Ma Na Na Na Na Th Th Th Th Ta Ta Ta Ta
Va Va Va Va Wa, Wa, Wa, Wa Sa Sa Sa Sa Sha Sha Sha Sha
Th Th Th Th Ng, Ng, Ng, Ng Ch Ch Ch Ch Ka Ka Ka Ka
Za Za Za Za Zsh Zsh Zsh Zsh B,D,Z,G,J,L,M,N,R,V,TH
file :///C|/ Users/sa id i/Des kto p /SDKARD/,,,,,,,,,,, 24h r_ To Go /Vo ca lDr ill.tx t[3/ 8/2 017 8:14 :32 PM] Woah woah woah Woah Woah [X4]
Drill #2 WIDE OPEN MOUTH 1. Ship the whole caught fire 2. All aboard, help:)
0
1 Ruben Voice Drill: B ,D,G, M,N,L R,J, V,TH
3. Stand Back, be gone 4. Away, away, Bounce
Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Bah 9. Sail on, sail on, Sail On and On
Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Baw 5. Whose there, stand hold
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Daw "Beware," the bee buzzed boistrously, "Beware the bitter brew."
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Doo Crying came the crone creeping from the cold cafe.
Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Dee Doubting Dan decided daring do's don't save the day.
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Goo Harry's hurting heart healed whole, he hands his heart to Hilda.
Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Poo Myrtle made moist, Mango muffins mostly meant for Mina.
MOON.NOON.ROOM.WOOM
MOW.NO.ROW.LOW
MOAN.KNOLL.ROLL.LOAN
Continuing With Resonance Therapy Drills
Moo
Moo moo
Mow
Moo moo moo
Mow Mow
Moon
Mow mow mow
Moon moon
Moan
Moon moon moon
Moan moan
Noo
Moan moan moan
Noo Noo
No
Noo Noo Noo
No No
Noon
No No No
Noon Noon
Knoll
Noon Noon Noon
Roo Knoll Knoll \
·~. Knoll Knoll Knoll
Roo Roo ~~~~~
Row
Roo Roo Roo
Row Row
Room
Row Row Row
Room Room
Roll
Room Room Room
Roll Roll
Roll Roll Roll
Woo
Woo Woo
Low
WooWooWoo
Low Low
Woom
Low Low Low
WoomWoom
Loan
Woom Woom Woom
Loan Loan
Loan Loan Loan
Continuing With Resonance Therapy Drills
d. Mixed Phoneme Sentences Reading 4-7 syllable mixed phoneme sentences Then increase the length (as
indicated in your goal!) Obviously mixed phonemes are more functional than controlling the phonemic content.
4-6 Syllables:
I. No one knows me
2. We aJJ know you
3. Leave me alone
4. When will you know?
5. What will you need?
6. Where is it now?
7. What time is it?
8. Where is William now?
9. What will you name me?
10. Where are you going?
11. Nine million men
12. What's new with you?
13. When will you talk?
14. When will you all know?
15. Lean on me when you need me
16. When will you talk to me?
17. When you need me
18. Wear my new ring
19. What's new with you Mary?
20. What time is it now?
Stretch the words 4 Articulation
<
0
FOR BEST RESULTS DO NOT CO MBINE PRACTICE WITH ANY OTHER TA SK (TV, mus ic, washin g
"dishes, laundry etc. .. ) This will allow you to listen and feel each so11nd and retraifl
yourself to use healthier vocal patterns. PRACTICE 10 MINUTES 3-5 X DAllY until next
vi sit.
m
~
A. Slowly connect the following 3 words in one breath. Toke a new !Jreatl! for eoch line .
~ ~
MOON
MOON MQON MOON MOON MOON
-a NOON·
ROOM
NOON
ROOM
NOON
ROOM
MOAN
MEAN
MOAN
MEAN
MOAN
MEAN
-< WOMB
LOOM
YOU
WOMB
LOOM
YOU
WOMB
LOOM
YOU
MAIN
MINE
MEN
MAIN
MINE
MEN
MAIN
MINE
MEN
-o B. Now SLOWLY using the ElACT SAIJE FEELING AND SOUND, sov the following:
~
HO ONE MAN AND WOMAN WHEN WILL WE KNOW
NEW YEAR WILLIAM AND MARY NO o-NE REALLY KNOWS ME
MANY MEALS WOiRY NO MORE NINE MILLION MEN AND WOMEN
RARE WINE HEARL Y NOON LEAN ON ME WHEN YOU'RE NEAR ME
0 NO ONE KNOWS
MARILYN MONROE
WE UN NINE MILES
HEARL Y NINE YEARS
WILliAM WILL KNOW
NO ONE KNOWS MAYOR MORAN
LAUREN WORE MY NEW RING
NO ONE REALLY KNOWS MY NAME
-t
LAWN MOWER
WILL YOU LEAVE NEARLY NO MEMORY WOW, YOU LOOK MARVELOUS!
()
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--·-···-··-··--· ... --·· ··· -·----·- ··- ---·- ·- --------·-·-·-----------·--·-...____ ... __ ......... _.., ...... .
..... , , • I
,
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. . .. ...
.' ·.
.. '
··. {'!. •
PAGE H/0
WHERE ARE MY KEYS? YOU ARE DOING GREATI KEEP THE PITCH UP
WHAT TIME IS IT? YOU SOUND AWESOME CA N YOU FEEL IT STILL?
WHAT DID YOU SAY? VOICE MOV ES UP AND DOWN PLACE THE FORWARD TONE
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? MM HMM REALLY HELPS FEEL THE TON E BUZZ
WHERE DID SHE GO? MY THROAT IS FREE HOW PUT YOU TONE IN FRONT
WHAT'S NEW WITH YOU? NOBODY'S HOME FORWARD TONE NOW
WHAT HAPPENED HERE? MUSIC TO MY EARS TRUST THE LOW BREATH
WHAT ON EARTH FOR? NEVER SAY NEVER SOFT BELLY BREATHING
WHEN IS IT DUE? WATCH YOUR VOCAL PIT CH HOW DO YOU FEEL?
WHEN IS PAY DAY? lET GO OF THE BREATH HAPPY MELODY
WAIT A MINUTE! RElEASE THE CHEST A MEDIUM BREATH
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? LET YOUR BODY GO A RELAXED BREATH
WHERE IS THE TONE? YOU SOUND WONDERFUL ANYONE CAN DO IT
WE LIVE AND LEARN YOU ARE DOING WELL EVERY BREATH IS SOFT
WHEN CAN YOU COME? KEEP ON TRYING NOW YOU ARE FREE
MONEY BURNS A HOLE IN MY POCKET WILL YOU MIX ME A SCOTCH AND WATER
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY GOOD MOVIES LATELY? YOU'RE MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEH ILL
lYNN'S IN THE MOOD FOR SEAFOOD TONIGH T WORKING OUT HAS GOT TO TAKE A PRIORITY
WH EN WILL YOU GIVE ME A STRA I GHT ANSWER WHAT ARE YOU DOING AFTER WORK TOMORROW?
V/HERE ARE WE GOING TO HAVE DINNER TONIGHT? WE GOT IN AT THREE IN THE MORNING
WHERE 00 YOU WANT ME TO MEET YOU TONIGHT?
YOU 'll NEVER KNOW HOW GOOD YOU ARE UNTIL YOU TRY
YOUR LEFT HAND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING
Nasal words and sentence stimuli
On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner commented on what is now considered the most
famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called it a
"monumental act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long
remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he
said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech."
Four Score And Seven Years Ago Our Fathers Brought Forth On This Continent, A New
Nation, Conceived In Liberty, And Dedicated To The Proposition That All Men Are
Created Equal.
Now We Are Engaged In A Great Civil War, Testing Whether That Nation, Or Any
Nation So Conceived And So Dedicated , Can Long Endure. We Are Met On A Great
Battle-Field Of That War. We Have Come To Dedicate A Portion Of That Field, As A
Final Resting Place For Those Who Here Gave Their Lives That That Nation Might Live.
It Is Altogether Fitting And Proper That We Should Do This.
But, In A Larger Sense, We Can Not Dedicate -- We Can Not Consecrate --We Can
Not Hallow-- This Ground. The Brave Men, Living And Dead , Who Struggled Here,
Have Consecrated It, Far Above Our Poor Power To Add Or Detract. The World Will
Little Note, Nor Long Remember What We Say Here, But It Can Never Forget What
They Did Here. It Is For Us The Living, Rather, To Be Dedicated Here To The
Unfinished Work Which They Who Fought Here Have Thus Far So Nobly Advanced. Jt
Is Rather For Us To Be Here Dedicated To The Great Task Remaining Before Us--
That From These Honored Dead We Take Increased Devotion To That Cause For
Which They Gave The Last Full Measure Of Devotion-- That We Here Highly Resolve
That These Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain -That This Nation, Under God, Shall
Have A New Birth Of Freedom- And That Government Of The People, By The People,
For The People, Shall Not Perish From The Earth.
TOWNE-HEUER PASSAGE
If I taka a trip this August, I will probably go to Austria. Or I could go to Italy. All of the places of Europa
are easy to get to by air, rail, ship or auto. Everybody I have talked to says he would like to go to Europe also.
Every year there are varieties of festivals or fairs at a lot of places. All sorts of activities, such as, foods to
eat, sights to see, occur. Oh, I love to eat ices seated outdoors! The people of each area are reported to like us--
the people of the U.S.A. It is said that that is true except for Paris.
Aid is easy to gat because the officials are helpful. Aid is always available if trouble arises. It helps to
have with you a list of offices or officials to call if you do require aid. If you are lost, you will always be helped to
locate your route or hotel. The local police will assist you, if they are able to speak as you do. Otherwise, a phrase
book is useful.
I have had to have help of this sort each trip abroad. However, it was always easy to locate. Happily, I
hope, lass help will be required this trip. Last trip avery hotel was occupied. I had to ask everywhere for flats. Two
On second thought, I may want to travel in autumn instead of in August. Many countries can be
November and December can make fine months for entertainment in many European countries. There may be
concerts and musical events more often than during the summer. Milan, Rome, and Hamburg, not to mention
Berlin, Vienna, and Madrid are most often mentioned for music.
Most of my friends and I wouldn't miss the chance to try the exciting, interesting, and appetizing menus at
most continental restaurants. In many European countries food is inexpensive and interestingly prepared.
Servings may be small but meals are taken mora often so that there is no need to go hungry.
Maritime countries make many meals of seafood, such as mussels, clams, shrimp, flounder, and salmon
or herring. Planning and making your own meals cannot be dona evan in most small, inexpensive hotels. One
must eat in the dining room or in restaurants. Much fun can be had meeting the local natives during mealtimes.
Many of them can tell you whereto find amusing and interesting shops and sights not mentioned in tour manuals.
Reprinted with permission from Heuer R, Towne C, Hockstein N, et al: The Towne-Heuer reading passage -A
reliable aid to the evaluation of voice, Journal of Voice 14(2):236-239, 2000.
The Rainbow Passage
When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act as a prism and form a rainbow.
The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the
shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently
beyond the horizon. There is , according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end.
People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his
reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Throughout the centuries people have explained the rainbow in various ways. Some
have accepted it as a miracle without physical explanation. To the Hebrews it was a
token that there would be no more universal floods. The Greeks used to imagine that
it was a sign from the gods to foretell war or heavy rain. The Norsemen considered
the rainbow as a bridge over which the gods passed from earth to their home in the
sky. Others have tried to explain the phenomenon physically. Aristotle thought that
the rainbow was caused by reflection of the sun's rays by the rain. Since then
physicists have found that it is not reflection, but refraction by the raindrops which
causes the rainbows. Many complicated ideas about the rainbow have been formed.
The difference in the rainbow depends considerably upon the size of the drops, and
the width of the colored band increases as the size of the drops increases. The actual
primary rainbow observed is said to be the effect of super-imposition of a number of
bows. If the red of the second bow falls upon the green of the first, the result is to give
a bow with an abnormally wide yellow band, since red and green light when mixed
form yellow. This is a very common type of bow, one showing mainly red and
yellow, with little or no green or blue.
From Fairbanks, G. (1960). Voice and articulation drillbook, 2nd edn. New York:
Harper & Row. pp124-139.
Comma Gets a Cure
A Diagnostic Passage for Accent Study (Draft September 7, 2000)
by Jill McCullough & Barbara Somerville
Edited by Douglas N. Honorof
Comma Gets a Cure and derivative works may be used freely for any purpose without special
permission provided the present sentence and the following copyright notification accompany the
passage in print, if reproduced in print, and in audio format in the case of a sound recording: Copyright
2000 Douglas N. Honorof, Jill McCullough & Barbara Somerville. All rights reserved.
Well, here's a story for you: Sarah Perry was a veterinary nurse who had been
working daily at an old zoo in a deserted district of the territory, so she was very
happy to start a new job at a superb private practice in north square near the Duke
Street Tower. That area was much nearer for her and more to her liking. Even so, on
her first morning, she felt stressed. She ate a bowl of porridge, checked herself in the
mirror and washed her face in a hurry. Then she put on a plain yellow dress and a
fleece jacket, picked up her kit and headed for work. When she got there, there was a
woman with a goose waiting for her. The woman gave Sarah an official letter from
the vet. The letter implied that the animal could be suffering from a rare form of foot
and mouth disease, which was surprising, because normally you would only expect to
see it in a dog or a goat. Sarah was sentimental, so this made her feel sorry for the
beautiful bird.
Before long, that itchy goose began to strut around the office like a lunatic, which
made an unsanitary mess. The goose's owner, Mary Harrison, kept calling, "Comma,
Comma," which Sarah thought was an odd choice for a name. Comma was strong and
huge, so it would take some force to trap her, but Sarah had a different idea. First she
tried gently stroking the goose's lower back with her palm, then singing a tune to her.
Finally, she administered ether. Her efforts were not futile. In no time, the goose
began to tire, so Sarah was able to hold onto Comma and give her a relaxing bath.
Once Sarah had managed to bathe the goose, she wiped her off with a cloth and laid
her on her right side. Then Sarah confirmed the vet’s diagnosis. Almost immediately,
she remembered an effective treatment that required her to measure out a lot of
medicine. Sarah warned that this course of treatment might be expensive—either five
or six times the cost of penicillin. I can’t imagine paying so much, but Mrs.
Harrison—a millionaire lawyer—thought it was a fair price for a cure
The North Wind and the Sun
The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveller
came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first succeeded in
making the traveller take his cloak off should be considered stronger than the other.
Then the North Wind blew as hard as he could, but the more he blew the more closely
did the traveller fold his cloak around him, and at last the North Wind gave up the
attempt. Then the Sun shone out warmly, and immediately the traveller took off his
cloak. And so the North Wind was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of
the two.
Arthur the Rat
Once upon a time there was a rat who couldn't make up his mind. Whenever the other
rats asked him if he would like to come out hunting with them, he would answer in a
hoarse voice, "I don't know." And when they said, "Would you rather stay inside?" he
wouldn't say yes, or no either. He'd always shirk making a choice.
One fine day his aunt Josephine said to him, "Now look here! No one will ever care
for you if you carry on like this. You have no more mind of your own than a greasy
old blade of grass!" The young rat coughed and looked wise, as usual, but said
nothing.
"Don't you think so?" said his aunt stamping with her foot, for she couldn't bear to
see the young rat so coldblooded.
"I don't know," was all he ever answered, and then he'd walk off to think for an hour
or more, whether he would stay in his hole in the ground or go out into the loft.
One night the rats heard a loud noise in the loft. It was a very dreary old place. The
roof let the rain come washing in, the beams and rafters had all rotted through, so that
the whole thing was quite unsafe.
At last one of the joists gave way, and the beams fell with one edge on the floor. The
walls shook, and the cupola fell off, and all the rats' hair stood on end with fear and
horror.
"This won't do," said their leader. "We can't stay cooped up here any longer." So
they sent out scouts to search for a new home.
A little later on that evening the scouts came back and said they had found an old-
fashioned horse-barn where there would be room and board for all of them.
The leader gave the order at once, "Company fall in!" and the rats crawled out of
their holes right away and stood on the floor in a long line.
Just then the old rat caught sight of young Arthur - that was the name of the shirker.
He wasn't in the line, and he wasn't exactly outside it - he stood just by it.
"Come on, get in line!" growled the old rat coarsely. "Of course you're coming too?"
"Why, the idea of it! You don't think it's safe here any more, do you?"
"I'm not certain," said Arthur undaunted. "The roof may not fall down yet."
"Well," said the old rat, "we can't wait for you to join us." Then he turned to the
others and shouted, "Right about face! March!" and the long line marched out of the
barn while the young rat watched them.
"I think I'll go tomorrow," he said to himself, "but then again, perhaps I won't - it's so
nice and snug here. I guess I'll go back to my hole under the log for a while just to
make up my mind."
But during the night there was a big crash. Down came beams, rafters, joists - the
whole business.
Next morning - it was a foggy day - some men came to look over the damage. It
seemed odd that the old building was not haunted by rats. But at last one of them
happened to move a board, and he caught sight of a young rat, quite dead, half in and
half out of his hole.
Thus the shirker got his due, and there was no mourning for him.
The Grandfather Passage
You wished to know all about my grandfather. Well, he is nearly ninety-three years
old; he dresses himself in an ancient black frock coat, usually minus several buttons;
yet he still thinks as swiftly as ever. A long, flowing beard clings to his chin, giving
those who observe him a pronounced feeling of the utmost respect. When he speaks,
his voice is just a bit cracked and quivers a trifle. Twice each day he plays skilfully
and with zest upon our small organ. Except in the winter when the ooze or snow or ice
prevents, he slowly takes a short walk in the open air each day. We have often urged
him to walk more and smoke less, but he always answers, “Banana oil!” Grandfather
likes to be modern in his language.