Then she ordered her maid to fetch all three, and gave them to the doctor, and begged him to give them back to the soldiers; and the moment he had them safe he gave her a whole pear to eat, and the nose came right. And as for the doctor, he put on the cloak, wished the king and all his court a good day, and was soon with his two brothers, who lived from that time happily at home in their palace, except when they took airings in their coach with the three dapple-gray horses.

Spruce'ly (sproos'li), in neat and trim fashion.

STUDY HELPS

What plan did the soldiers decide upon after they had lost all their magic gifts?

Tell of the second soldier's adventure with the apples.

How did the others find him, and how did they try to help him?
What cure for "nose" did the little man find for them?

What plan did he suggest to them for getting back the lost articles?

Tell how the old soldier managed the affair.

Why did he play the part of the doctor?

Did the princess deserve the treatment she received?

Are you glad it all turned out so well for the old soldiers?

THE SPRING WALK

THOMAS MILLER

We had a pleasant walk to-day,
Over the meadows and far away,
Across the bridge by the water mill,
By the woodside, and up the hill;
And if you listen to what I say,
I'll tell you what we saw to-day.

Amid a hedge, where the first leaves

Were peeping from their sheaths so shy, We saw four eggs within a nest,

And they were blue as the summer's sky.

An elder branch dipp'd in the brook;
We wondered why it moved, and found
A silken-hair'd, smooth water rat

Nibbling and swimming round and round.

Where daisies open'd to the sun,

In a broad meadow, green and white,
The lambs were racing eagerly-
We never saw a prettier sight.

We saw upon the shady banks
Long rows of golden flowers shine,
And first mistook for buttercups
The star-shaped yellow celandine.

Anemones and primroses,

And the blue violets of spring,
We found whilst listening by a hedge
To hear a merry plowman sing.

And from the earth the plow turn'd up
There came a sweet refreshing smell,
Such as the lily of the vale

Sends forth from many a woodland dell.

We saw the yellow wallflower wave
Upon a moldering castle wall,

And then we watch'd the busy rooks
Among the ancient elm trees tall.

And leaning from the old stone bridge,
Below we saw our shadows lie,
And through the gloomy arches watch'd
The swift and fearless swallows fly.

We heard the speckle-breasted lark
As it sang somewhere out of sight,
And we tried to find it, but the sky
Was fill'd with clouds of dazzling light.

We saw young rabbits near the wood,
And heard a pheasant's wing go "whir";
And then we saw a squirrel leap
From an old oak tree to a fir.

We came back by the village fields,

A pleasant walk it was across 'em,

For all behind the houses lay

The orchards red and white with blossom.

Were I to tell you all we saw,

I'm sure that it would take me hours;

For the whole landscape was alive

With bees, and birds, and buds, and flowers.

Sheaths, coverings; cel'an dine (sěl'an din), a yellow-flowered plant; a něm'o ne, a kind of early spring flower; lily of the vale, same as the lily of the valley; rooks, black hoarse-voiced birds of the crow tribe; pheasant (fez'ant), a kind of game bird.

STUDY HELPS

At what time of year was this walk taken?

Where does the first stanza tell you that they went?
What did they see "amid a hedge"?

What is meant by the "first leaves peeping from their sheaths so shy"?

What did they see in the brook? in a broad meadow? upon the shady banks? while listening to a plowman? at the moldering castle? at the old stone bridge? near the wood? in the village fields?

Why are we not told all they saw?

Make a list of all the living things named, and tell what each was doing.

Make a list of all the flowers mentioned, with their colors. What "sweet refreshing smell" is mentioned? To what is it likened? Do you think these walkers saw more than people usually see when they take a walk? How do you explain it?

THE SUMMER SHOWER

THOMAS BUCHANAN READ

Before the stout harvesters falleth the grain,
As when the strong storm-wind is reaping the plain,
And loiters the boy in the briery lane;

But yonder aslant comes the silvery rain,
Like a long line of spears brightly burnished and tall.

Adown the white highway like cavalry fleet,

It dashes the dust with its numberless feet.
Like a murmurless school, in their leafy retreat

The wild birds sit listening the drops round them beat; And the boy crouches close to the blackberry wall.

The swallows alone take the storm on their wing,
And, taunting the tree-sheltered laborers, sing.

Like pebbles the rain breaks the face of the spring, While a bubble darts up from each widening ring; And the boy in dismay hears the loud shower fall.

But soon are the harvesters tossing their sheaves; The robin darts out from his bower of leaves; The wren peereth forth from the moss-covered eaves; And the rain-spattered urchin now gladly perceives That the beautiful bow bendeth over them all.

Loi'ters, lingers, waits about; täunt'ing, jeering at; dis māy', a sinking of the spirits; ûr'chin, a mischievous boy.

STUDY HELPS

Picture the scene given in the first stanza.

Describe the coming of the shower, and tell its effects on the wild birds, the boy, the swallows, and the laborers. Picture the scene when the shower had passed.

Find four comparisons in the poem.

What is the "beautiful bow" of the last line?

How many times is the boy mentioned? What is told of him on each occasion?

KING CANUTE

WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY

King Canute was weary hearted; he had reigned for years

a score,

Battling, struggling, pushing, fighting, killing much and robbing more;

And he thought upon his actions, walking by the wild seashore.

'Twixt the Chancellor and Bishop walked the King with steps sedate,