A wee little nut lay deep in its nest
Of satin and down, the softest and best;
And slept and grew while its cradle rocked,
As it hung in the boughs that interlocked.

Now the house was small where the cradle lay,
As it swung in the wind by night and day;
For a thicket of underbrush fenced it round,
This little lone cot by the great sun browned.

The little nut grew, and ere long it found
There was work outside on the soft, green ground;
It must do its part, so the world might know
It had tried one little seed to sow.

And soon the house that had kept it warm
Was tossed about by the winter's storm;
The stem was cracked, the old house fell,
And the chestnut burr was an empty shell.

But the little seed, as it waiting lay,
Dreamed a wonderful dream from day to day,
Of how it should break its coat of brown,
And live as a tree to grow up and down.

Conversation:

Talk over the picture in each stanza.
Try to see the pictures.

Tell just what you see.

Was the nest really made of satin and down?
Was it really a cradle?

Why does the poet use these words?

See if you can think of any other picture words that you could use in talking about the nuts. Does the poem teach any lesson?

Expressive Activities:

Illustrate the poem in color.

Illustrate on the blackboard a party in the woods chestnutting.

Did you ever go chestnutting?

Tell where you went, how you gathered the nuts, what kind of day it was, and all the interesting things that happened.

Make your description of the day's experiences so clear that any one listening to it might paint it.

Written Exercise:

Write the story of your going nutting as fully as you can, in paragraphs following this outline: Who went.

Where you went.

How you went.

What happened by the way.

How many trees there were.

How you got the nuts from the trees.
How many you got.

Observe its size and shape; the color of the bark, whether it is rough or smooth; the color and shape of the leaves; the way the branches grow, whether spreading or upward; whether the wood is soft or hard; where the nut grows.

Describe the bur, outside and inside. Tell why the outside is prickly; whether the shell is thick or thin; the color when unripe, when ripe.

Written Exercise :

Write a paragraph describing the chestnut tree and one describing the nut and its coverings.

Powhatan was chief of a powerful tribe of Indians near the James River in Virginia.

John Smith was the ablest and greatest man among the white people who came from England and settled at Jamestown, not far away from Powhatan's camp. The following story about him has come down to us.

One day Powhatan with his braves is in his camp. Suddenly a runner comes with a message from Powhatan's brother. The great white leader has been taken prisoner, and will soon be here.

The Indians are greatly excited. Powhatan puts on his royal robe of raccoon skins and seats himself before the fire. The braves all stand about him, wearing their feathers and war-paint. The women of the camp, dressed in bright-colored blankets, with strings of beads about their necks, come forward and stand behind the chief.

Soon the prisoner comes. All the Indians give a shout of triumph, for he has been their most dreaded foe. A council is held. It is decided that Smith must die. Two large stones are placed before the fire, and Smith is told to place his head upon them. Just as the Indians are about to strike, Pocahontas, the chief's little daughter, runs to the prisoner, throws herself upon him, places her head on his head, and begs her father to spare the white man's life.

Powhatan hesitates, then consents.

Tell this story in class.

(2)

Smith is saved.

Find out and tell all that you can about John Smith, following this outline: -

1. A soldier when sixteen years old.

2. Thrown overboard from a vessel and rescued

by a pirate.

3. Fighting against the Turks.

4. Sold as a slave.

5. Escapes and returns to England.

6. Goes to Virginia.

7. The leader of the colony.

8. Saved by Pocahontas.

Select any of the above topics and write one or two paragraphs upon it. Write together a story of John Smith, following the outline above.

(3)

Come, Came, Has Come

Copy all the sentences in the story in which you find the words come, came, comes, has come.

If you can find the same words in your readers, copy the sentences containing them.

Write sentences of your own containing come, came, comes, has come.

LXIII

WISE SAYINGS

Words that Describe

(1)

Memorize:

1. Do you know what fairy palaces you may build

of good thoughts?

-JOHN RUSKIN.