to make them smooth.

3. To make them hard, the needles are made white-hot, and put into cold
water until quite cool. They are then cleaned and polished.

4. They must be very dry before put into packets, or they will rust.

5. Many boys and girls, as well as men and women, work in
needle-factories.

_Write and learn:_

Needles are--
Smooth.
Bright.
Pointed.

Needles have--
Eyes.
Shanks.
Points.

Needles are used--
For sewing.
For darning.
For other work.

THE KNIFE. [_Page 80._

1. A knife is most useful for cutting. The blade is made of steel; the
handle of ivory, bone, or wood.

2. The blade and handle are fastened together by a long, thin piece of
iron which goes into the handle. The blades have to be heated as needles
are, to make them hard.

3. A knife is blunt on one edge; sharp on the other. The grinder
sharpens it on a huge stone which goes round and round. The blades are
polished before being put into the handles, as well as after.

4. There are many kinds of knives. Pocket-knives have a spring to make
them shut tightly. A table-knife is rounded at the end; the
carving-knife has a sharp pointed blade.

_Write and learn:_

Knives are--
Sharp.
Bright.
Useful.

Knives have--
Blades.
Handles.
Springs.

Knives are made--
In Sheffield.

THE HEN. [_Page 83._

1. The hen is a domestic bird. Some are white; some black; others many
colours. The hen finds much of its own food in the fields. It is fed
with barley, bread, potatoes, and other things from the house.

2. The hen has a small head with eyes at the sides. Its bill is strong
and sharp.

3. The hen sleeps on a perch on one leg. It never falls off; its foot is
made for grasping.

4. Hens are useful for the eggs they give us; and they are also good for
food. Their feathers, too, are useful.

_Write and learn:_

The hen has--
A small head.
A strong bill.
A grasping foot.

The hen is--
A domestic bird.
A percher.
Useful.

The hen gives us--
Eggs.
Food.
Feathers.

THE SPARROW. [_Page 86._

1. The sparrow is a small bird with brown and gray feathers. It builds
its nest on our houses, and sometimes in the pipes which carry the rain
off the roof. A sparrow's nest is seldom found in a tree. It lays five
or six eggs which are spotted wit