"Yes, very much."

"Well, then, you must come farther over here, so that the schoolmaster
may not hear."

He changed his place, and then she recited a little piece of a song
three or four times over, so that the boy learned it.

"Up with you, youngsters!" called out the schoolmaster. "This is the
first day, so you shall be dismissed early; but first we must say a
prayer, and sing."

Instantly, all was life in the school; they jumped down from the
benches, sprung over the floor, and talked into each other's mouths.

"Silence! you young torments, you little beggars, you noisy boys! be
quiet, and walk softly across the floor, little children," said the
schoolmaster; and now they walked quietly, and took their places, after
which the schoolmaster went in front of them, and made a short prayer.
Then they sung. The schoolmaster began in a deep bass, all the children
stood with folded hands, and joined in. Oeyvind stood farthest down by
the door with Marit, and looked on; they also folded their hands, but
they could not sing.

That was the first day at school.

#Happy Days#

WHAT THE CAT AND HEN DID

Four little children were playing in their garden one day. There were
Mollie and Jamie and Betty and Teddy.

[Illustration: "THEY WERE SO BUSY MAKING MUD-PIES THAT THEY DID NOT SEE
'MRS. TOMKINS.'"]

They were so busy making mud-pies that they did not see "Mrs. Tomkins,"
the old cat, when she came and mewed, and mewed, and put up her paw, and
touched Mollie and Jamie and Betty and Teddy--first one and then the
other, as much as to say, "Do come, some of you, and help me! Do come,
_please_!"

By and by the children's mama came out of the house and saw how queerly
the cat was acting, and said: "Children, Mrs. Tomkins is trying to get
you to go with her and see if her babies are all right."

So the children left their play, and said: "Come, Mrs. Tomkins, we will
go with you now."

The old cat gave a thankful "m-i-e-o-u," and started down the walk
leading to the barn. Every now and then she looked back to see if the
children were really coming. When she got to the stable, she ran and
jumped up on the manger, and looked down into it, and gave a quick,
sharp "m-i-e-o-u," as if to say, "What do you think of that?" And the
children looked in and saw a hen sitting upon the old cat's kittens and
trying to keep them all covered up! When the cat tried to go near them,
the hen would peck at her and drive h