1 THERE was sleet and rain on the window-pane,

But all within was warm,

When a little bird the children heard,

Chirping amid the storm.

3 No food I find; the wintry wind

Has blown the seeds away;

And I must freeze beneath the trees
If longer here I stay.'

102

LARK AND HER YOUNG.

4 His life to save, they welcome gave
With opened window-pane ;
Their feathered guest secure may rest
Till bright days come again.

LITTLE TOT'S ALBUM.

(By permission of Messrs. Partridge & Co.)

1. A LARK once built her nest in a field of

corn.

LARK AND HER YOUNG.

103

2. The corn was ripe before the young ones could fly, and each day when the mother went in search of food she told them to listen, and tell her all the news they heard.

3. One day when the old lark came home her young ones told her that the farmer had been to the field, and had said that he should ask his friends to help him reap the corn at once, as it was nearly ripe.

4. The old lark said, 'If he trusts to his friends we need not be in a hurry to move.'

5. The next day the farmer came with his son, and finding the corn quite ripe, he said, 'As our friends have not come to help us, you must go and ask your uncles and cousins. to come to-morrow.'

6. The young larks in great fear told their mother what they had heard.

7. Do not be afraid,' said the mother, 'his relations have got their own corn to cut, but be sure you let me know what you hear next time.'

8. On the third day the farmer came again, and finding the corn over-ripe, he said, 'We can not wait any longer for our friends and

104

THE FLAX-FLOWER.

relations. To-morrow we will begin to cut the corn ourselves.'

9. When the young larks told their mother this, she said, 'We must move at once then, for when a man makes up his mind to do his work himself, instead of leaving it to others, you may be sure that he will set to work in earnest.'

10 the little flax-flower,

It groweth on the hill,
And let the breeze awake or sleep,
It never standeth still.

2 It groweth, and it groweth fast,
One day it is a seed,

And then a little blade of grass,
Scarce better than a weed;

3 But soon comes out the flax-flower,
As blue as is the sky;

And "Tis a dainty little thing!

We say, as we go by.

WHITTINGTON.

4 It is a dainty little thing;
It groweth for the poor,

And many a mother blesses it,
Beside her cottage door.

5 It seemeth all astir with life,
As if it loved to thrive;
As if it had a merry heart
Within its stem alive!

6 Then blessings on the flax-field,
And may the kindly showers

Give strength unto the shining stem,
Give seed unto the flowers!

105

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.

PART I.

1. ONCE upon a time there lived a little boy named Dick Whittington, whose father and mother died when he was very young.

2. As he was not old enough to work for