to the fruit. They are thirsty and
hot, poor things!

8. 'And there would be no corn, if the birds did not kill the
wheat-fly's grubs.'

9. When Harry heard all this, he made up his mind not to throw stones at
the sparrows, as Jack wanted him to do.

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY.

but'-ter-flies
mer'-ry
gath'-ered
broth'-er
flow'-ers
o-bliged'
roamed
scoured
pleas'-ant
cheese
hedge
ease
brook'-let
crys'-tal
thrush
mus'-ic

1. Where the bees and butterflies
Skim the grassy down,
Four merry little children
Gathered from the town;

2. Ragged little Johnnie,
And his brother Ben,
With wild-flowers are laden,
These merry little men.
Kate and Mat have posies
Of colours bright and gay,
For Tim, their tiny brother,
At home obliged to stay.

3. They have roamed the meadow,
They have scoured the wood,
Seeking nuts and blackberries,
For their pleasant food.
With their nuts and blackberries
And bits of bread and cheese,
On a mossy hedge-bank,
Now they take their ease.

4. Drinking from the brooklet
'Neath the hawthorn tree,
Clear it runs as crystal,
Fresh and bright and free.
And the thrush sings loudly
On the hawthorn spray,
And the brooklet ever
Makes music on its way.

[Illustration]

SOME HERBS.

stream
through
grav'-el
mar'-ket
tea
lett'-uce
tongue
mus'-tard
pow'-der
sprin'-kled
flan'-nel
car'-ried
pars'-ley
thyme
herbs
sage

1. A little stream ran through one of the farmer's fields. The water was
so clear that you could see the sand and gravel at the bottom, and in it
there grew plenty of water-cress.

[Illustration: Water-cress.]

2. Harry went one afternoon to help Johnny and Tom to pick it for
market, and brought a big bunch home for tea.

3. His mother had picked a lettuce from the garden, and some mustard and
cress, and they were all put on one plate.

'They bite my tongue,' said Dora, 'all but the lettuce. I like it best.'

4. 'And I like the biting,' said Harry. 'Why is this called mustard,
mother?'

'Because the yellow mustard comes from it. The seeds are ground to
powder.'

'And we eat