RHYME 8 (277). 1. After the pupils have studied the rhyme by copying, studying aloud or silently the spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, or after they have written it from memory, dictate as follows:

This little pig said, "I went to market." "I stayed at home," cried this little pig. This little pig said, "I had roast beef." "I had none," cried this little pig.

2. Let the pupils make up stories with these titles:

(a) Why the First Little Pig Went to Market

(b) Why the Second Little Pig Stayed at Home
(c) Why the Third Little Pig had Roast Beef
(d) Why the Fourth Little Pig had None

(e) How the Fifth Little Pig got Lost

Let each pupil select one of the above subjects and make up the story about it.

RHYME 9 (278). After the rhyme has been learned, ask such questions as:

What do you think of a boy who would eat a Christmas pie alone? Why did he go off into a corner by himself? (That no one might see him and ask for a piece?) What do you think of his manners? (He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum.) Was he a great boy? What kind of a boy was he? (A greedy, rude boy.)

Now let the pupils tell or write the story of Jack Horner, the Greedy Boy.

Once there was a little boy named Jack Horner. He was a very greedy boy. One time he had a fine Christmas pie given to him. It was a big pie, just full of juicy plums.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USING STORIES AND RHYMES 267

What did he do? What did he say? Was he punished for being so greedy and so rude? How?

10 (278). The Fable of the Wolf and the Goat.

1. Study aloud for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization; or have pupils study alone, perhaps copying.

2. Dictate after study.

3. If (1) and (2) are omitted, dictate to test the pupils' knowledge of the language forms used in the fable.

4. Have the fable reproduced, either orally or in writing, after one reading.

5. Have the children make original fables containing the same teaching, using this fable as a type form. Here are a few suggestions:

(a) THE CAT AND THE ROBIN

Robin looking for insects in tree; cat tells him to come down, as there are many good fat worms in the grass; robin answers, "I would rather have little insects than be eaten by you."

(b) THE FOX AND THE HEN

Hen roosting high on a dead tree; fox tells her the wind is strong and cold; asks her to come into his warm den. Finish by telling hen's answer.

(c) Have the children find other titles and make original fables from them.

6. Change the stories, having the robin listen to the cat, the hen to the fox. Let fables be

"It would

finished with some such expression as, have been better to rest in safety on the cold bough than to be eaten by a fox in his warm den."

11 (278). The Fable of the Boys and the Frogs.

1. The suggestions for the treatment of fable 10, The Wolf and the Goat, apply equally here.

2. Have pupils write or tell these stories:

(a) The story of a particular frog who had a child or a wife killed by a stone.

(b) The story one of the boys told his mother on his return, ending with the resolve of the boy never to stone frogs again.

(c) The story of a dream one of the boys had — that he was a frog stoned by some boys.

12 (278). The First Forget-Me-Not.

For ways in which this story may be used see 1, 2, 3, 4, under 10 (p. 267).

Give pupils the story in the form of the poem.

POEMS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK

269

This poem may be memorized by the children, then written from memory.

Tell any other stories

you may know of the origin

of the forget-me-not.

II. Poems for Additional Work

The following carefully selected list of poems furnish varied and excellent material for use on many occasions and for different purposes. It is thought best not to attempt any definite directions for the use of these poems. You, the teacher, will be the best judge of this matter. What poems do you especially like? Which ones do Which ones do you think your children would appreciate? Which one especially fits in with the work or the occasion? Your answer to these and similar questions will determine the use that you will make of this material.

Determining your course in this way you will probably make thorough study with the children of a considerable number of these poems; many of them the children will commit to memory. Perhaps, first and last, you will at least read all of them to your class. They contain a wealth of literary material which may enrich the thought, the imagination, the sentiments, and the choice vocabulary of pupils or of any one who will live with them sympathetically.

The following brief and imperfect analysis and partial classification of these poems in accordance

with several purposes which they may be made to serve will perhaps be of assistance.

1. Poems of information. A few of the poems may be read on appropriate occasion for the sake of the information which they contain. For examples, 12 in connection with history lessons; 15 when studying boy life among the Indians. The poetic form conveys the spirit as well as the mere fact.

2. Story-telling poems. Every one of the first fifteen poems tells a story. The children may reproduce these stories in prose, either orally or in writing. If they are to write them, they should first study the printed or written poem, that they may master the spelling and any other forms that they may need to use. Poems that cannot be put before the children in books may be written on the blackboard, or hektograph copies may be made.

3. Poems that may serve as the basis of original work, such as 1, 3, 10, 11, 17. For example, after hearing 10, pupils may tell or write stories that the ghost fairies might tell.

4. Nature poems. The poems 16-31 may be used in connection with many phases of nature study.

5. Character-building poems, or poems that teach moral lessons. There will be no lack of occasions when some one of the following poems can be used to advantage: 2, 4-9, 14, 15, 38-42.

6. Poems for dramatizing. Several of the nar