girls? What do they wear? Most of
the boys run around without shoes or stockings. But some of them wear
little red shoes turned up at the toes, and others wear small sandals.
They also wear loose trousers and jackets and little red caps. The
girls commonly wear cotton dresses that are made very plain. Sometimes
they have veils over their heads. In the country places the girls do
not wear veils.

[Illustration: Arab Girl with Veil.]

Only the boys go to school. Before they enter the school they must
take off their sandals. They have no seats in their schools. They all
sit on the floor. Their lessons are not like your lessons. They have
only one book. It is called the Koran. The Koran is the Arab Bible.
The Arab boys must learn the Koran by heart. At school, they all shout
out together when they are learning their lessons.

[Illustration: A School in Arabia.]

But the Arab boys learn many things at home. They learn to read and to
write. They also have plenty of time to play. They play ball. They
fly kites. They ride ponies. Often they play with old guns and
swords. Thus they learn to be soldiers.

The Arab girls do not go to school. But they do not play very much.
They must help their mothers do the work at home. The mothers grind
corn to make bread. They spin and weave cloth for clothes. They grind
the corn with two flat stones. One of these stones is placed on top of
the other. There is a hole in the middle of the upper stone. They
pour the corn into this hole. The upper stone is then turned round by
a handle. So the corn is ground between the two stones. The girls
often have to turn the stone around. They must also take care of the
baby. They help to carry home water from the well. They carry the
water in earthen jars.

[Illustration: Arabs Grinding Corn.]

You will say, then, that the Arab girls have a hard time. But they do
not work always. They have some time for play. They have very funny
dolls. Would you not laugh if some one gave you two sticks joined like
a cross, and told you it was a doll? That is the kind of doll the Arab
girls have. And they are very fond of their dolls. They dress them,
and take great care of them.

The Arabs are very fond of tales and stories. Perhaps you have heard
of a book called the "Arabian Nights." It is full of wonderful stories
about kings and giants and witches, and other strange things. This
book came from Arabia. When you