His real name was Willy. But because he was always on the look-out for any fun or mischief, Father and Mother called him “Wideawake” as well.
One sunny day he and his little friends went out to play cricket.
“I'm going to make a hundred runs!” cried Willy, as he took up the bat. But when he had made ten, Freddy bowled him out, and the other boys were glad it was their turn to go in.
In the winter, father made a big slide, and Willy and the boys went down it as fast as they could go. When he fell half way down, Willy thought it great fun, and called to his snowman as he glided past, “Look at me old fellow! Don't you wish you could slide?”
On his birthday he had a party. It was a merry time. They played “Blind Man's Buff,” and “Puss in the Corner,” and Willy always managed to catch the little girls by their long curls.
It was spring when Wideawake Willy went exploring. He shot his Teddy Bear, and tied it up in a scarlet handkerchief, for he knew explorers ate bears. Then he stuck a long feather in his hat, and strode gaily down the road. Presently he came to a big house. The door was open, and a lady asked him to go in. She showed him all sorts of wonderful things. What he liked best was Chin Chan, the Chinese boy, whose long pig-tail touched the floor. The lady told Willy that in China he lived in a boat, and helped his mother look after the chickens.
After seeing other Chinese people, he went home and told his mother what strange things he had seen.
There was an old Woman,
And what do you think?
She lived upon nothing but
Victuals and drink;
And though victuals and drink
Were the chief of her diet,
This little Old Woman could never be quiet.
This little Old Woman (the story so goes)
Had nothing to wear but
Abundance of clothes.
And, oh, let me weep
At the dismal news,
She would have been barefooted, but for her shoes.
This Little Old Woman,
Twas always the case,
Never looked in the glass
But she saw her own face;
And what was still worse,
Yet, we vouch for its truth,
By growing so old, she had lost all her youth.
This Little Old Woman,
The tale too declares,
Had nothing to sit on
But sofas and chairs.
No place to repose in
At night but her bed;
No pillows, but those made of down, for her head.
This Little Old Woman,
We here may remark,
Had no house to live in,
But one in the park,
And none to wait on her,
Poor soul, but her maids,
With some livery servants of different grades.
This Little Old Woman,
I'm sorry to tell,
Had always bad health,
When she was not quite well.
And hard was her lot,
For they tell me that she
Was ever in want
When she wanted her tea.
This Little Old Woman,
On dying, we find,
Left nothing—except
A large fortune, behind.
So pity her fate,
Gentle reader, and say,
Such women are not to be found every day.
Quite an Adventure.
Mrs. Hen, one sunny day,
Took her chickens for a walk,
Dick, the youngest, strayed away
While his mother stopped to talk.
Then he saw the strangest sight,
'Twas a monster aeroplane,
But it gave him such a fright
That he scurried home again!
❀ ❀ ❀
Here's a number of funny toys
For good little girls and good little boys,
First comes Jackie all ready for fun,
After the animals see him run.
Next is a bird of colours gay,
If he spreads his wings he will fly away.
Poor Master Duckie cries “Quack, quack, quack!
To my farmyard pond please take me back.”
What a dear little doggie Bunty his name,
I am sure that he looks quite friendly and tame.
His bright eyes are gazing up in the air,
I wonder what ever he sees up there!
“Croak, croak, croak!” cries Mr. Green Frog,
“I really am quite afraid of that dog!”
And that dear little clockwork mouse on wheels—
I know if you pinch him hard he squeals!
C.M. Rutley.
There were seven froggies of Lee
Who were happy as happy could be,
Till a duck close by
Just winked his eye,
As he thought of his afternoon tea.
With a hop, and a skip, and a run,
He soon put an end to their fun,
For as they went past
He snapped up the last,
And that tells you my story is done.
Mr. and Mrs. Ostrich and their Children.
Frisk was a dear little dog. He belonged to Mistress Molly.
One morning Molly said, “Now Frisk, I am going to the town, and you must stay and look after the house, for Mother is going out too.”
Frisk sat down in his little chair, and held his walking stick between his paws.
“No one shall steal the dinner while I am here,” he said. “Bow, wow!”
On her way to the town, Molly saw her cousin Tommy leaning over a gate.
“Oh, Tommy!” she said, “If you are passing our house, please look in and see how Frisk is getting on.”
And Tommy ran off at once.
Frisk was glad to see Tommy, who gave him a good drink of water from a tub.
When Molly reached the town she went into the baker's shop to buy a loaf of bread.
But when she put her hand in her pocket she found her purse had gone!
“Don't cry, my dear,” said the baker.
And he left his shop, and went with Molly down the road.
Very soon they found the purse with all the money quite safe inside.
Then Molly saw a shop with “SALE” printed in the window, and went in.
“Good morning, ma'am!” said the shopman. “What can I get for you?”
“I want some stockings, please,” said Molly.
“How do you like these?” said the shopman. “They are only one shilling the pair, because it is sale time!”
“They are lovely!” said Molly, “And the scarlet stripes just match my dress! Please make them into a tiny parcel, and I will put them in my pocket.” Then she paid her money, and set off home.
And what had Frisk been doing all this time?
He soon grew tired of looking after the dinner, and spied his master's hat.
“Bow wow!” he said. “What fun!”