English

Why Pigs Have Curly Tails THERE was once a fairy who fell into a bramble-bush. It was a very closely grown bush, and she could not get out. She was sadly scratched, and the thorns caught her tiny delicate wings and tore her pretty frail dress into shreds. The bramble-bush formed part of a hedge which ran along the side of an orchard, and presently a horse came sauntering up to the hedge. “Oh, please help me, sir,” said the fairy. “I’m caught in a bramble-bush, and can’t get out.” The horse came and looked at her. “That’s a nasty place to be in,” he said.

This story is called The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese, a story from the Netherlands by William Elliot Griffis. This is a LibraryCall adaptation and recording. Klaas was a Dutch boy who lived on a farm where cows were plentiful. His appetite was always good and his mother declared his stomach had no bottom. His hair was of a color half-way between a carrot and a sweet potato and it was as thick as reeds in a swamp. He wore a pair of wooden shoes that made an awful rattle when he ran fast to catch a rabbit, or scuffed slowly to school over the brick road of his village.

SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two rose-trees, and one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red. They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world were, only Snow-white was more quiet and gentle than Rose-red.

THE TALE OF MRS. TIGGY-WINKLE ONCE upon a time there was a little girl called Lucie, who lived at a farm called Little-town. She was a good little girl—only she was always losing her pocket- handkerchiefs! One day little Lucie came into the farm-yard crying— oh, she did cry so! "I've lost my pocket-handkin! Three handkins and a pinny!