So I say,

“Dad, is that the city?“

And he says,

“That’s it.”

Then we reach the chimney and I see them baking crusty rolls.

“Please, Dad, buy me a roll,” I say

So he does and gives it to me.

Then I woke up, put on my sandals and gloves and went outside. I could see my friends on the Ice slides and sleds. I started to slide, too, and went on sliding until I was frozen stiff I had only just got back home and climbed on top of the stove, when I heard Dad back from town. That cheered me up.

I jumped down and said, “Hello, Dad, did you buy me a crusty roll?”

“I did,” he said, handing it over.

I hopped onto the bench and began to dance with joy.

DEW UPON THE GRASS

When upon a sunny summer’s morning you go to the woods or fields, you may find diamonds among the grass. Those diamonds all sparkle and glitter in the sun with different colors — yellows and reds and blues. As you come nearer and take a closer look, however, you see it is really dewdrops caught in triangular blades of grass, glittering in the sunshine.

On the inside the blade of grass is as mossy and fluffy as velvet, and the droplets roll down it without leaving a wet mark.

If you’re not careful in plucking a dewy blade, the droplet may cascade like a bright marble and disappear off the end of the stem before you notice it. Sometimes you can pick a tiny cup, put it slowly to your mouth, and drink the dew. That dew is sweeter than any drink in the world.

UNCLE JACOB’S DOG

Uncle Jacob was a watchman, that is to say he kept the village safe from wolves and bears. And he had a good helper in Old Bob — his shaggy dog with a white nose and large brown eyes.

Once, Uncle Jacob went into the forest for wood. Before leaving, he told his wife not to let the two children out of doors, for the previous night wolves had set upon and killed a neighbor’s dog.

Yet no sooner was their father gone and their mother’s back turned, than the children set to talking about the forest.

“I found a wild apple tree in a thicket yesterday,” said the boy “Its apples are so red and juicy. Let’s go and pick some.“

So they unlatched the door and slipped out unnoticed. Of course their poor mother was in despair when she found them missing. When Uncle Jacob came home he was very cross and hurried off into the forest in search of the children. He had not gone far when he heard the snarling of a wild animal and a soft whimpering. Quickly making for the spot, he soon arrived at an alarming scene.

There, huddled beneath a bush, were his two children, crying with fright. Uncle Jacob’s faithful dog, who had protected them, was now being mauled savagely by a huge gray wolf. Without losing a moment, the old watchman took his axe and killed the wolf Then he seized the children in his arms and quickly ran home before other wolves could attack.

The moment they were all safely inside the cottage, the door was bolted securely and the entire family sat down to supper. In his haste to save the children, however, the man had quite forgotten the brave old dog. And now, in the middle of the meal, there came a crying from behind the stout wooden door. Quickly unfastening the bolt, Uncle Jacob opened the door and there lay Old Bob, covered in blood and barely able to move.

Uncle Jacob brought him indoors and the children ran for some water and food, but the old fellow would take neither. He just licked their hands gratefully Then, closing his tired brown eyes, he lay on his side and whimpered no more. The children thought he had fallen asleep. But, in truth, Old Bob was dead.

WHY WOLVES ARE MEAN
AND SQUIRRELS FRISKY

A little red squirrel was skipping through the branches of a fir tree when — plop! — she fell right on the nose of a sleeping wolf

In an instant the wolf was on his feet, fierce and bad-tempered, ready to eat the little pest who had disturbed him.

But the squirrel begged, “Please spare me, Wolf, I did not mean to wake you.”

To tell the truth, the wolf had just had his dinner and was not very hungry

“All right,” he growled, “I’ll spare you this time. But on one condition: You must tell me something I’ve always wanted to know. What makes you squirrels so frisky? As for me, I’m always mean and miserable. Yet whenever I look at you, I see you playing and skipping, as though you hadn’t a care in the world.“

“First let me go,” replied the squirrel, “then I’ll let you in on our secret“

The wolf let her slip from his paws and the squirrel scampered to safety up a tree. From there she called down:

“You’re always so miserable because you’re so mean; your meanness blackens your soul. We’re always merry because we’re kind and do nobody any harm.”

THE ANTS

One day I went to the pantry for jam. As I picked up a jar from the floor I noticed it was covered with tiny black ants. They were everywhere: running down the sides of the jar, around the rim, and even in the jam itself.

Taking a spoon, I scooped out all the ants from the jam, brushed off the others from the jam jar, and placed it on the topmost shelf Next day when I entered the pantry I noticed the ants had crawled up to the shelf and were again swarming around the jam jar.

This time I took down the jar, cleaned it once again, tied a string around the rim, and hung it from a hook in the celling.