8. Let the class read softly in unison, the frogs' speeches in sections 35, 37, 39, 48, 54, 59, and 61, as the teacher beats time. How do these speeches differ? Practice cutting off each syllable sharply.

9. Assign parts for sections 35-48, and practice the speeches. See who enunciate most clearly. Let the groups of three and six frogs get together after school and practice speaking so that they sound each syllable together. 10. Practice reading aloud sections 49-66 in the same way. II. Make the last speeches die out faintly. 12. Conversation and discussion: The life of a frog. out the play for a Friday afternoon performance. Write an invitation to another class to hear the play.

13. Act

(Manual.) 14.

THE CAMEL AND THE PIG

A Hindoo fable adapted by

P. V. RAMASWAMI RAJU (rä' mä swä' mĩ rä' jū)

Read the following selection silently, as fast as you can, but get the meaning from what you read:

1 A CAMEL said,

66

Nothing like being tall!

See how tall I am!"

A Pig who heard these words said, "Nothing like being short! See how short I am!"

2 The Camel said, "Well, if I fail to prove the truth of what I said, I will give up my hump." "If I fail to prove the truth of

The Pig said, what I have said,

311 Agreed!"

I will give up my snout."

said the Camel.

"Just so!" said the Pig.

4 They came to a garden inclosed by a low wall without any opening. The Camel stood on this side the wall, and, reaching the plants within by means of his long neck, made a breakfast on them. Then he turned jeeringly to the Pig, who had been standing at the bottom of the wall, without even

having a look at the good things in the garden, and said, "Now, would you be tall or short ?"

5 Next they came to a garden inclosed by a high wall, with a wicket-gate at one end. The Pig entered by the gate, and, after having eaten his fill of the vegetables within, came out, laughing at the poor Camel, who had had to stay outside, because he was too tall to enter the garden by the gate, and said, "Now, would you be tall or short?"

Then they thought the matter over, and came to the conclusion that the Camel should keep his hump and the Pig his snout, observing,

"Tall is good, where tall would do;

Of short, again, 't is also true!"

I. Read aloud the dialogue. 2. Think of other ways in which each animal could prove himself right. 3. Were the hump and the snout of great use to these animals? How? 4. Apply the rhyme at the end to tall and short people.

5. Class composition: Make up the dialogue for section 6, the teacher writing on the board the sentences selected as the best.

THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF NILS + A story from Sweden by SELMA LAGERLÖF (lä′ gẽr lûf)

The boy in this story was just a plain boy, like any mischievous young American. He was a Swedish boy, however, and lived in a land where the simple country folk still believed in elves and such queer fairy people. This story begins at the point where something terrible has happened to Nils.

As you read silently, put yourself in his place. If such a thing happened to you, how would the animals about your home treat you?

+ From Wonderful Adventures of Nils, copyrighted, 1910. Used by permission of the publishers, Doubleday, Page & Co.

1

I. SOMETHING HAPPENS TO NILS

In the glass he saw plainly a little, little creature

who was dressed in a hood and leather breeches.

2 "Why, that one is dressed exactly like me!" said the boy, and clasped his hands in astonishment. But then he saw that the thing in the mirror did the same thing. Then he began to pull his hair and pinch his arms and swing round; and instantly he did the same thing after him; he, who was seen in the mirror.

3 The boy ran around the glass several times, to see if there was n't a little man hidden behind it, but he found no one there; and then he began to shake with terror. For now he understood that the elf had bewitched him, and that the creature whose image he saw in the glass was he, himself.

4 The boy simply could not make himself believe that he had been transformed into an elf. "It can't be anything but a dream- a queer fancy," a queer fancy," thought he. "If I wait a few moments, I'll surely be turned back into a human being again."

5 He placed himself before the glass and closed his eyes. He opened them again after a couple of minutes, and then expected to find that it had all passed over -- but it had n't. He was and remained just as little. In other respects, he was the same as before. The thin, straw-colored hair; the freckles across his nose; the patches on his leather breeches and the darns on his stockings, were all like themselves, with this exception that they had become diminished

No, it would do no good for him to stand still and wait, of this he was certain. He must try something else. And he thought the wisest thing he could do was to try and find the elf, and make peace with him.

prayed and Nevermore never again

"And while he sought, he cried and promised everything he could think of. would he break his word to any one; would he be naughty; and never, never would he fall asleep again over the sermon. If he might only be a human being once more, he would be such a good and helpful and obedient boy. But no matter how much he promised - it did not help him the least.

8 Suddenly he remembered that he had heard his mother say, all the tiny folks made their home in the cowsheds; and, at once, he concluded to go there, and see if he could n't find the elf. It was a lucky thing that the cottage door stood partly open, for he never could have reached the bolt and opened it; but now he slipped through without any difficulty.

9 When he came out in the hallway, he looked around for his wooden shoes; for in the house, to be sure, he had gone about in his stocking feet. He wondered how he should manage with these big, clumsy wooden shoes; but just then, he saw a pair of tiny shoes on the doorstep. When he observed that the elf had been so thoughtful that he had also bewitched the wooden shoes, he was even more troubled. It was evidently his intention that this affliction should last a long time.

10 On the wooden board-walk in front of the cottage, hopped a gray sparrow. He had hardly set eyes on the boy before he called out: "Teetee! Teetee! Look at Nils goosey-boy! Look at Thumbietot! Look at Nils Holgersson Thumbietot!"

11 Instantly, both the geese and the chickens turned and stared at the boy; and then they set up a fearful cackling. "Cock-el-i-coo," crowed the rooster, good enough for him! Cock-el-i-coo, he has pulled my comb." "Ka, ka, kada, serves him right!" cried

the hens; and with that they kept up a continuous cackle. The geese got together in a tight group, stuck their heads together and asked: "Who can have done this? Who can have done this?"

12 But the strangest thing of all was that the boy understood what they said. He was so astonished that he stood there as if rooted to the doorstep, and listened. "It must be because I am changed into an elf," said he. "This is probably why I understand bird-talk."

13 He thought it was unbearable that the hens would not stop saying that it served him right.° He threw a stone at them and shouted: "Shut up, you pack!"

before, that he

hens need fear.

14 But it had n't occurred to him was no longer the sort of boy the The whole henyard made a rush for him, and formed a ring around him; then they all cried at once: "Ka, ka, kada, served you right!"

15 The boy tried to get away, but the chickens ran after him and screamed, until he thought he'd lose his hearing. It is more than likely that he never could have gotten away from them, if the house cat had n't come along just then. As soon as the chickens saw the cat, they quieted down and pretended to be thinking of nothing else than just to scratch in the earth for

worms.

16 Immediately the boy ran up to the cat. "You dear pussy!" said he, "you must know all the corners and hiding places about here? You'll be a good little kitty and tell me where I can find the elf.”

17 The cat did not reply at once. He seated himself, curled his tail into a graceful ring around his paws and stared at the boy. It was a large black cat with one white spot on his chest. His fur lay sleek and soft,