on the blackboard, what have we drawn?
Is a plan the same as a picture? What is the use of a plan? Mention some
things of which plans can be drawn.

NOTE.--It is wrong to teach that the _top_ of a map or plan is _always_
north; as often as not, the bottom is north, in plans especially.

LESSON X.

GOD MADE THEM ALL.

[Illustration: "THE PURPLE-HEADED MOUNTAIN, THE RIVER RUNNING BY."]

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The good God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The morning and the sunset,
The twinkling stars on high;

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden--
He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who hath made all things well.

LESSON XI.

PLAINS.

The floor of our schoolroom is level. The playground is almost, if not
quite, level. As you look away from the school, is the land nearly
level? Did you ever see a broad extent of nearly level land?

Let us imagine that we are out on a piece of nearly level land, many,
many times larger than our playground. Such a broad, nearly level
stretch of land is called a _plain_.

[Illustration: "SUCH A BROAD LEVEL STRETCH OF LAND IS CALLED A PLAIN."]

If this plain were covered with rich green grass and beautiful flowers,
we should call it a _prairie_. In the summer it is a vast sea of waving
grass. On the prairie we might find herds of wild horses and cattle,
which feed upon the rich grass. If it were late in the summer, when the
grass is dry and crisp, it might catch fire, and we might then see a
grand sight--a prairie on fire.

We now come to another plain, miles and miles long, miles and miles
wide. No rain falls here, and therefore we see no grass, nor flowers,
nor cattle, nor horses, nothing but dry, burning sand, rocks, or gravel.
We are in a _desert_. But we are so thirsty and tired!

No water to drink, no shade from the burning sun! Suddenly, in the midst
of the desert, we come to a beautiful grassy spot. There is a cluster of
date-palm trees, and, better still, a well or a spring of fresh water.
This pleasant spot in the desert is called an _oasis_.