The reply is:

"Oh surely, I will willingly do

Whatever I can to accommodate you."

The most indispensable helper becomes Needy Child next time; but, as it is usually impossible to decide which helper is most necessary, he is chosen by "counting out" the Helpers. If the Needy Child wants stockings or clothes all repeat:

"Little Willis wants new hose,
And a suit of nice new clothes."
Or,

"Alice needs some stockings new,
So she will choose her helpers true."
If bread,

"Alice is hungry, so she shall be fed; Where are the helpers to give her some bread?"

Helpers are chosen like the others and perform actions of whatever they repre

sent.

MERRY ELVES.

Oh, merry, merry elves are we,
Tripping o'er the grass;

With garlands gay we deck ourselves,
And thus the moments pass.

But hark! we hear a fearful sound,
A mortal doth draw near;
We'll hide ourselves down in the grass,
And then we'll have no fear.

The children, singing, skip around in a circle, first with hands on hips, then waving garlands. On "hark!" they stop and stand in listening attitude; on "hide" they scatter and drop upon grass. A blindfolded child approaches and repeats:

"I thought a fairy then I saw,
But it has flown away.

I'll see if I can find it now,
That pretty little fay."

He hunts about for fairies; first one touched is the mortal next time.

SWAPPING TAG.

Two children are chosen for sheriffs. The other children are seated. Two of them signal to each other that they wish to swap seats; as they run to do so, the

sheriffs run to catch them. As many of the children as wish may be swapping seats at the same time, but no child is allowed to take any other seat than the one for which he signaled, even to save himself from being caught. As soon as one is made a prisoner by the sheriff he is put in confinement, viz., either sits on platform or remains in his own chair. The game is to swap as many times as possible during play period without being caught.

PRANCING PONIES.

Prancing ponies all are we, Prancing ponies of high degree; Now our flowing manes we shake; And a springing leap we take; Now with dainty feet we paw, Better ponies you never saw.

Angry shouting now we hear,
See! a man is drawing near.
What's that he's holding in his hand?
Whip! Ah, now we understand.
Run, ponies, run! We'll never be
Whipped by any man, not we!

The children standing in groups prance, toss heads, jump, paw with foot, then stand still. One child, who has been chosen for coachman, approaches, shouting from the rear, children turn toward him as they sing "See!"; toss heads on "a whip!" When coachman reaches a certain distance all run until one is caught, and becomes coachman next time.

[From Youth's Companion. By permission.]

A great yellow sunflower grew so tall I It looked right over the garden wall. 2 "Bless me," cried he, What a marvellous sight! 3

Wonderful meadows to left and right, 4 And a hill that reaches up to the sky, 5 And a long, straight road where the folks go by. 6

'Twas lucky for me that I grew so tall 7 As to see the lands that lie over the wall. 8

I hadn't the faintest idea," said he, 9 How much of a place the world might be!" 10

1. Stand straight and stretch up neck. 2. Bend neck over front.

3. Lift both hands in surprise.

4. Point outward with open hand to left and right.

5. Reach both arms straight upward. 6. Hold hands, one foot apart, palms facing, in front of chest; then extend straight forward.

7. Clasp hands earnestly in front of body. 8. Open and carry outward to half sides, with palms upward.

9. Raise hands in surprise.

10. Turn arms and carry down at half sides to waist line, palms upward.

BUD-BABIES.

BY BERTHA LOUISA COLBURN.
On every tree in spring,

Bud-babies small and brown I
In tiny cradles swing. 2
Though March winds rave about,

In haste to blow them down, 3
They cling with courage stout;
Until they hear spring call: 4

"Throw off your wraps so warm,
Put on new garments all."
So out from blankets deep, 5

Which hid from wintry storm,
They take a timid peep. 6
But gone is every fear,

When sunlight warm they see, 7
And cheerful birdnotes hear.
Now each bud swells with pride, 8
And robing fast in glee,
Throws useless wrap aside. 9

1. Raise arms at sides above head, and shut palms, fingers pointing upward, to represent the bud. Hold till 5.

2. Feet apart, sway from side to side. 3. Put one foot slightly forward and sway forward and back.

4. Stand still and tip head slightly to side in listening attitude.

5. Open palms very slowly, lowering elbows until the upper arms are horizontal at sides on 6.

7. Tip head backward, looking up and smiling.

8. Forearms open out a little at sides to show swelling of bud.

9. Bring arms downward in front, and then to sides as if throwing off wraps. Joyful expression of face.

THE WEATHER-VANE.

BY MARY MAPES DODGE.

[From Rhymes and Jingles." By permission of author.]

There was an old weather-vane high on the shed, I

The wind came a-courting and turned his head; 2

And all it could utter for lack of a mouth Was-East and West and North and

South. 3

1. Tip head back and reach both arms up above head, palms front.

2. Turn head slowly around to right; then to left.

3. Arms extended at shoulder level;

twist trunk slowly to right until left arm points to normal front position; twist around to left until right arm points to normal front.

FROGS.

BY BERTHA LOUISE COLBURN.

A dozen frogs, who sat on logs, I
Around a shallow pool, 2
Were seen with joy by a cruel boy
Coming home from school.

A stone he threw, 3 and hit one too,
The cruel, wicked lad;

Then threw another, 3 and hit his brother.
Was ever boy so bad? 4

Then all the frogs who sat on logs, I
Dove into the shallow pool; 5

And they had need to swim with speed, 6
To escape the boy from school.

1. Bend trunk slightly forward from hips, and hold arms down in front at an angle of thirty degrees with body, palms down and parallel to floor, chin lifted high-to represent sitting frog.

2. Arms raised to mid-line, elbows bent and palms in-to indicate the round pool. 3. Motion of throwing.

4. Hands raised in astonishment.

5. Bring palms together and shove them forward, bending neck forward, in diving movement.

6. Spread arms to sides; together; and out again, with swimming movement.

OUR SON.

BY ELIZABETH LINCOLN GOULD.

[From Youth's Companion. By permission.]

Our son has been a grocer,

With tea and spice to sell, I
He's been a scissors-grinder, 2
With klinking, klanking bell; 3
For weeks he was a milkman,
A-calling "milk" below; 4
Then he became a farmer,
With many seeds to sow. 5
And next he was a butcher,
With beef and mutton-chops; 6
And next he was a toy-man

With balls and singing-tops. 7
He's been a stage-coach driver,
With prancing, coal-black steeds; 8
He's been a traveling peddler,
With pocket-combs and beads; 9

He's been a gallant soldier
In battles not a few; 10
He's been a ship's commander,
And sailed the ocean blue. II
Just now he is a doctor, 12

And says he likes it best.
The cause of all his changes
Perhaps you may have guessed.

His father thinks he'll settle
Before it is too late;

For this small son of ours

As yet is not quite eight! 13

I. Point to "tea" on right, and "spice" on left.

2. Work pedal of grindstone with right foot and extend arms, holding scissors against stone.

3. Wave right arm up and down, as if ringing bell.

4. Turn head to sides and look up at houses.

5. Hold a measure against chest with left arm and make motion of putting right hand in, then swinging arm out to side and forward, sowing seed.

6. Make motion of cutting through a bone with cleaver.

7. Hold hands together as if enclosing ball. Bend trunk slightly forward, point fingers to floor and move hand in quick circles with wrist movement.

8. Extend arms in front as if driving. 9 Make motion of combing hair. Point with both hands to beads around neck.

10. Stand erect; then step forward and fire gun.

II. Hold spyglass up to eyes.

12. Hold out left hand; find pulse in wrist with right.

13. Extend both arms at mid-front line toward "son;" then raise slightly, and lower, farther to sides, in affirmation.

THE FOURTH OF JULY.

BY BERTHA LOUISE COLBURN.

Hurrah! Hurrah! The Fourth of July! 1
Great day of freedom's birth,
Run up our banner; let her fly 2

In triumph o'er the earth. 3

The bells are rung from twelve to one, 4
To usher in the day;

They ring again to greet the sun,
And herald its first ray.

THE MOSQUITOES,

BY BERTHA LOUISE COLBURN.

On a little round placid-faced pond
Softly floated a tiny white raft; I
Built of hundreds of eggs, 2 you'll agree
'Twas a very queer kind of a craft. 3

On this calm little rush-grown pond,
For two days it floated about; 4
Then from under each tiny gray egg,

Lo! a little dark wriggler crept out. 5

They all wriggled around in the pond, 6 Swiftly darting about here and there, 7 Eluding the fierce, cruel nymphs, 8 Going up to the top after air. 9

So much swimming about in the pond, Made their clothing become far too tight;

So the old they thrice changed for new, 10 Much more suited for swift, easy flight. 6

But they floated ere-long on the pond, II Grown too lazy to do aught but breathe, Till the signt of some dread, waiting nymph,

Sent them hurrying down far beneath. 12

Now thus floating one day on the pond, II In new chrysalis clothes tightly dressed, With such queer, breathless feelings of pain

Were the little fat wrigglers oppressed. 13

And each shuddered with fear on the pond, 14

At the sound of a queer, rending crack; For eacn felt that his chrysalis coat Had split all the way down the back! 15

So with trembling upon the still pond, From their old ragged coats they crawled out, 16

Dried their weak, crumpled wings in the

sun;

Then mosquitoes gay flew about. 17

move

6. Palms together vertically; hands from side to side with wrist movement.

7. Wriggle hands to one side with wrist and arm movement.

8. Move them downward.
9. Move them upward.

10. From position of palms together close fingers and open hands with a downward turning movement, and shut backs of hands together. Reverse movement. II. Hands in 6th position, held upward in front.

12. Wriggling movement downward. 13. Hold hands up to throat and show feeling by facial expression. 14. Shake with fear.

15. From 6th position, open palms from above.

16. From 15th, separate hands, moving them horizontally to sides.

17. Float arms up and down at sides above shoulder level.

18. Both arms reaching up in front to show height of giants; bend slightly forward on "alert;" show fierceness in facial expression.

19. Short, quick slap of one hand upon back of other.