English

TROUBLE WHEN ONE'S YOUNG The Story of a Maid's Choice Long ago there lived a beautiful maiden whose name was Clarinha. She had been betrothed to a prince whom she had never seen. When at last he should be old enough to receive the rule of the kingdom he was coming to claim her as his bride. Clarinha lived in a magnificent palace surrounded by a beautiful garden.

How Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to Dinner One day Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the most distant Stars you see far up in the sky) waited alone for her children's return. Now both Sun and Wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them, without a thought of saving any of it to take home to their mother—but the gentle Moon did not forget her.

THE MAGPIE'S NEST All the birds of the air came to the Maggie Magpie and asked her to teach them how to build nests. For the magpie is the cleverest bird of all at building nests. So she put all the birds round her and began to show them how to do it.

THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES There was a brood of young Larks in a field of corn, which was just ripe. The mother of the Larks looked every day for the people who would come harvest the corn. Whenever she went out in search of food, she told her young chicks that they should tell her all the news they heard. One day, when she was absent, the farmer came to look at his field. “It’s time,” said he, “to call in my neighbors and get my corn harvested.” When the mother Lark came home, the young ones told her what they had heard and begged her to move them at once. “Time enough,” said she.