Since Gary Shannon's website fiziwig.com
has gone blank, I figured I'd save the content of the two syntax practice pages he had here too, in case they disappear from archive.org or something.
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Conlang Syntax Test Cases
Created Jan 31, 2010
Last Modified Jan 31, 2010
The Purpose of this List
There are several collections of specimen sentences to translate into a conlang, including 1200 sentences on this web site. As a general rule the sources for these sentences have been elementary-level educational publications meant to provide a student with rote practise exercises. This means that the same sentence structure will appear many times with only slight variations in the nouns and verbs used. For example, these sentences from 1200 Graded Sentences for Analysis:
- A cheerful fire is blazing on the hearth.
- Seven little sisters were walking in a row.
- Some beautiful roses are blooming in our garden.
- The boys are playing in the lot.
- The little girl was playing with her kitten.
Granted, these sentences may use different conjugations of a verb, and different declensions of the various nouns and pronouns, but aside from those trivial difference, these sentences are essentially identical with respect to the syntactical features they are meant to test or demonstrate. That kind of repetition is fine for rote training, but it is not really necessary for testing a conlang. To serve that purpose there needs to be only one sentence of the type: "Roses are red."
What is necessary is a variety of unique sentences each of which tests some different aspect of the conlang. This collection was constructed by putting together several more repetative lists and culling out that larger collection, those sentences which duplicate syntactic principles already present earlier in the list.
Below are 218 sentences selected from a collection of 1200 sentences, with all those that are essentially duplicates removed.
Some sentences have been slightly modified to remove references to a specific culture or time, to make the sentence more "universal" for conlangs of any era or culture. For example "We went to London..." has been changed to "We went to the village...". In other sentences allowances will have to made for conlangs from cultures that don't have Mondays, windows, or snow. The important thing is whether the conlang being tested can handle the meaning of sentences of that general structure.
- The sun shines.
- The sun is shining.
- The sun shone.
- The sun will shine.
- The sun has been shining.
- The sun is shining again.
- The sun will shine tomorrow.
- The sun shines brightly.
- The bright sun shines.
- The sun is rising now.
- All the people shouted.
- Some of the people shouted.
- Many of the people shouted twice.
- Happy people often shout.
- The kitten jumped up.
- The kitten jumped onto the table.
- My little kitten walked away.
- It's raining.
- The rain came down.
- The kitten is playing in the rain.
- The rain has stopped.
- Soon the rain will stop.
- I hope the rain stops soon.
- Once wild animals lived here.
- Slowly she looked around.
- Go away!
- Let's go!
- You should go.
- I will be happy to go.
- He will arrive soon.
- The baby's ball has rolled away.
- The two boys are working together.
- This mist will probably clear away.
- Lovely flowers are growing everywhere.
- We should eat more slowly.
- You have come too soon.
- You must write more neatly.
- Directly opposite stands a wonderful palace.
- Henry's dog is lost.
- My cat is black.
- The little girl's doll is broken.
- I usually sleep soundly.
- The children ran after Jack.
- I can play after school.
- We went to the village for a visit.
- We arrived at the river.
- I have been waiting for you.
- The campers sat around the fire.
- A little girl with a kitten sat near me.
- The child waited at the door for her father.
- Yesterday the oldest girl in the village lost her kitten.
- Were you born in this village?
- Can your brother dance well?
- Did the man leave?
- Is your sister coming for you?
- Can you come tomorrow?
- Have the neighbors gone away for the winter?
- Does the robin sing in the rain?
- Are you going with us to the concert?
- Have you ever travelled in the jungle?
- We sailed down the river for several miles.
- Everybody knows about hunting.
- On a Sunny morning after the solstice we started for the mountains.
- Tom laughed at the monkey's tricks.
- An old man with a walking stick stood beside the fence.
- The squirrel's nest was hidden by drooping boughs.
- The little seeds waited patiently under the snow for the warm spring sun.
- Many little girls with wreaths of flowers on their heads danced around the bonfire.
- The cover of the basket fell to the floor.
- The first boy in the line stopped at the entrance.
- On the top of the hill in a little hut lived a wise old woman.
- During our residence in the country we often walked in the pastures.
- When will your guests from the city arrive?
- Near the mouth of the river, its course turns sharply towards the East.
- Between the two lofty mountains lay a fertile valley.
- Among the wheat grew tall red poppies.
- The strong roots of the oak trees were torn from the ground.
- The sun looked down through the branches upon the children at play.
- The west wind blew across my face like a friendly caress.
- The spool of thread rolled across the floor.
- A box of growing plants stood in the Window.
- I am very happy.
- These oranges are juicy.
- Sea water is salty.
- The streets are full of people.
- Sugar tastes sweet.
- The fire feels hot.
- The little girl seemed lonely.
- The little boy's father had once been a sailor.
- I have lost my blanket.
- A robin has built his nest in the apple tree.
- At noon we ate our lunch by the roadside.
- Mr. Jones made a knife for his little boy.
- Their voices sound very happy.
- Is today Monday?
- Have all the leaves fallen from the tree?
- Will you be ready on time?
- Will you send this message for me?
- Are you waiting for me?
- Is this the first kitten of the litter?
- Are these shoes too big for you?
- How wide is the River?
- Listen.
- Sit here by me.
- Keep this secret until tomorrow.
- Come with us.
- Bring your friends with you.
- Be careful.
- Have some tea.
- Pip and his dog were great friends.
- John and Elizabeth are brother and sister.
- You and I will go together.
- They opened all the doors and windows.
- He is small, but strong.
- Is this tree an oak or a maple?
- Does the sky look blue or gray?
- Come with your father or mother.
- I am tired, but very happy.
- He played a tune on his wonderful flute.
- Toward the end of August the days grow much shorter.
- A company of soldiers marched over the hill and across the meadow.
- The first part of the story is very interesting.
- The crow dropped some pebbles into the pitcher and raised the water to the brim.
- The baby clapped her hands and laughed in glee.
- Stop your game and be quiet.
- The sound of the drums grew louder and louder.
- Do you like summer or winter better?
- That boy will have a wonderful trip.
- They popped corn, and then sat around the fire and ate it.
- They won the first two games, but lost the last one.
- Take this note, carry it to your mother; and wait for an answer.
- I awoke early, dressed hastily, and went down to breakfast.
- Aha! I have caught you!
- This string is too short!
- Oh, dear! the wind has blown my hat away!
- Alas! that news is sad indeed!
- Whew! that cold wind freezes my nose!
- Are you warm enough now?
- They heard the warning too late.
- We are a brave people, and love our country.
- All the children came except Mary.
- Jack seized a handful of pebbles and threw them into the lake.
- This cottage stood on a low hill, at some distance from the village.
- On a fine summer evening, the two old people were sitting outside the door of their cottage.
- Our bird's name is Jacko.
- The river knows the way to the sea.
- The boat sails away, like a bird on the wing.
- They looked cautiously about, but saw nothing.
- The little house had three rooms, a sitting room, a bedroom, and a tiny kitchen.
- We visited my uncle's village, the largest village in the world.
- We learn something new each day.
- The market begins five minutes earlier this week.
- Did you find the distance too great?
- Hurry, children.
- Madam, I will obey your command.
- Here under this tree they gave their guests a splendid feast.
- In winter I get up at night, and dress by yellow candlelight.
- Tell the last part of that story again.
- Be quick or you will be too late.
- Will you go with us or wait here?
- She was always, shabby, often ragged, and on cold days very uncomfortable.
- Think first and then act.
- I stood, a little mite of a girl, upon a chair by the window, and watched the falling snowflakes.
- Show the guests these shells, my son, and tell them their strange history.
- Be satisfied with nothing but your best.
- We consider them our faithful friends.
- We will make this place our home.
- The squirrels make their nests warm and snug with soft moss and leaves.
- The little girl made the doll's dress herself.
- I hurt myself.
- She was talking to herself.
- He proved himself trustworthy.
- We could see ourselves in the water.
- Do it yourself.
- I feel ashamed of myself.
- Sit here by yourself.
- The dress of the little princess was embroidered with roses, the national flower of the Country.
- They wore red caps, the symbol of liberty.
- With him as our protector, we fear no danger.
- All her finery, lace, ribbons, and feathers, was packed away in a trunk.
- Light he thought her, like a feather.
- Every spring and fall our cousins pay us a long visit.
- In our climate the grass remains green all winter.
- The boy who brought the book has gone.
- These are the flowers that you ordered.
- I have lost the book that you gave me.
- The fisherman who owned the boat now demanded payment.
- Come when you are called.
- I shall stay at home if it rains.
- When he saw me, he stopped.
- Do not laugh at me because I seem so absent minded.
- I shall lend you the books that you need.
- Come early next Monday if you can.
- If you come early, wait in the hall.
- I had a younger brother whose name was Antonio.
- Gnomes are little men who live under the ground.
- He is loved by everybody, because he has a gentle disposition.
- Hold the horse while I run and get my cap.
- I have found the ring I lost.
- Play and I will sing.
- That is the funniest story I ever heard.
- She is taller than her brother.
- They are no wiser than we.
- Light travels faster than sound.
- We have more time than they.
- She has more friends than enemies.
- He was very poor, and with his wife and five children lived in a little low cabin of logs and stones.
- When the wind blew, the traveler wrapped his mantle more closely around him.
- I am sure that we can go.
- We went back to the place where we saw the roses.
- "This tree is fifty feet high," said the gardener.
- I think that this train leaves five minutes earlier today.
- My opinion is that the governor will grant him a pardon.
- Why he has left the city is a mystery.
- The house stands where three roads meet.
- He has far more money than brains.
- Evidently that gate is never opened, for the long grass and the great hemlocks grow close against it.
- I met a little cottage girl; she was eight years old, she said.
An Adaptation of McGuffey's First Reader
For Use in Building Constructed Languages
by Gary J. Shannon
Created: Apr. 3, 2010
Last Revision: Apr. 3, 2010
[...]
Chapter One
[1] I see a boy.
[2] I see a girl.
[3] I see a boy and a girl.
[4] The boy can see the girl.
[5] I can see the girl and the boy.
[6] I can see the girl.
[7] See the man!
[8] See the boy and the man!
[9] The man has a hat.
[10] Has the boy a hat?
[11] The boy can run.
[12] Can the man run?
[13] The man can see the boy run.
[14] I have a hat.
[15] I have a doll.
[16] See my doll!
[17] Can the doll see?
[18] I can see my doll.
[19] Has the doll a hat?
[20] My doll has a hat.
[21] The girl has a doll and a hat.
[22] Can the boy play?
[23] The boy can run and play.
[24] The boy can play ball.
[25] Can the man play ball?
[26] The man may see the boy play.
[27] May the man take the ball?
[28] The boy may take the ball.
[29] Can the girl see the baby?
[30] Can the baby see the little girl?
[31] The baby has a big doll.
[32] The little girl has a ball.
[33] I can see the baby.
[34] Can the baby see my big hat?
[35] The baby may have my ball.
[36] Take the ball, baby!
[37] The man has a little dog.
[38] The boy has a big dog.
[39] See the little dog run!
[40] He has my ball.
[41] May the big dog have it?
[42] May he take it?
[43] The little dog may have the ball.
[44] He may run and play with it.
[45] See the little bird!
[46] May the baby have it?
[47] May she take it?
[48] She can not take it.
[49] The bird can fly.
[50] The baby can not have the bird.
[51] She can not fly.
[52] She may play with my doll.
[53] She may have my big hat.
[54] I see a man and a dog and a cow.
[55] The cow is with the man.
[56] The dog has a big hat.
[57] He is a good little dog.
[58] He may take the hat to the man.
[59] The man is good to the dog.
[60] The cow can run. She can not play.
[61] The baby can not have the bird.
[62] She can not fly and catch it.
[63] Can she catch the good little girl?
[64] Come, baby, come!
[65] Come and catch me.
[66] Catch me and my big doll.
[67] Catch me, and you may have the doll.
[68] You may have it to play with.
Review
[69] The boy has a big dog.
[70] You may see the dog play ball.
[71] Can he catch it?
[72] May I run and take it?
[73] The man with the big hat has a cow.
[74] The girl is good to the little baby.
[75] The baby may have my big doll.
[76] She can not catch the bird.
[77] She may come with me and see the bird fly.
Chapter Two
[78] Come with me, and see the boys.
[79] One little boy has a drum.
[80] Two boys have big hats.
[81] One boy has a ball.
[82] See the boys go!
[83] See the boys go with the drum.
[84] One, two; one, two; drum, drum!
[85] The girls have come to play with the baby.
[86] Two girls have little dolls.
[87] One girl has a red dress.
[88] The baby is glad to see the girls.
[89] The girl with the red dress is May.
[90] May is glad to see the good baby.
[91] She will take the baby to see the bird.
[92] Come with me, little May.
[93] We will go to the field.
[94] We will go and see the cows.
[95] The cows are in the field.
[96] My cow is red.
[97] Two cows are not red.
[98] One and two are three.
[99] We have three cows.
[100] Three birds are in the tree.
[101] One is a pretty red bird.
[102] You can not catch it.
[103] It is high in the tree.
[104] The red bird can see the boys with the drum.
[105] It can see the little girl with the red dress.
[106] It can see the good baby and the pretty doll.
[107] It can see the man in the field.
[108] Pretty birds, will you fly to me?
[109] The little boy has a red wagon.
[110] Is it not a pretty one?
[111] The boy will let little May ride in it.
[112] Come, May, come and see my wagon.
[113] You may get in it, and have a ride.
[114] I will take you with me to the fields.
[115] You may have a good ride.
[116] Is the drum in the wagon?
[117] Let me get it. Now we will go.
[118] See my pretty red apple!
[119] I have three good apples.
[120] One is red, and two are yellow.
[121] I will give you the red one.
[122] May I have a yellow one, too?
[123] Yes. if you are a good girl.
[124] I see a big red apple in the tree.
[125] Will you let me get it?
[126] Yes, you may if it is not too high.
[127] Frank and little May are in the field with the wagon.
[128] They have come to find flowers.
[129] May has a red flower.
[130] Frank has three yellow flowers.
[131] He will let May have them.
[132] She will take them to the wagon.
[133] She is glad to get the pretty flowers.
[134] Come here, girls! I see a nest.
[135] Little birds are in it.
[136] One, two, three.
[137] The little birds can not fly.
[138] They are not pretty.
[139] They will get pretty by and by.
[140] The big bird is not here now.
[141] She is high in the apple tree.
[142] She will come to them by and by.
[143] She will come and feed them.
[144] The boys like to go to the woods.
[145] Here they are now.
[146] Here are the horse and the wagon.
[147] And here is the boy with the drum.
[148] They like to play in the woods.
[149] They like to find pretty flowers.
[150] If they find little birds in a nest, they will not take them.
[151] By and by they will go home.
[152] They will ride home in the wagon.
[153] Will you let me ride home with you, Frank?
[154] Yes, May, you may sit by me in the wagon if you like.
[155] Get in, and give me the whip.
[156] I will not whip the good horse.
[157] Now, here we go!
[158] Here is the apple tree, but we can not see the nest in it.
Review
[159] Here are three boys and two girls by the big apple tree.
[160] One boy has a yellow drum and one has a whip.
[161] The boy in the red wagon is Frank.
[162] The girls are glad to see Frank.
[163] He will give them a ride.
[164] They like to go with him to the fields and the woods.
[165] May we ride with you, Frank?
[166] Yes, girls, get in! And you, too, boys!
[167] Sit by me and see the good horse go.
[168] Now we will go to the woods to find flowers and see the pretty birds.
[169] In one tree you can see a nest, but you can not see the little birds.
[170] You may see the big bird if she comes to feed the little ones.
[171] She has a pretty home high in the tree.
Chapter Three
[172] Do you see this? It is my kite.
[173] My father gave it to me.
[174] Is it not a pretty one?
[175] He gave me this drum, too.
[176] You may go with me and see me fly my kite.
[177] You may take the drum with you.
[178] Are you not glad my father gave it to me?
[179] Frank and John are in the field.
[180] They have come here to play.
[181] How high can you jump, Frank?
[182] Can you jump as high as this?
[183] I can not jump high, John, but I can jump far.
[184] See! I can jump as far as to the big apple tree.
[185] Now, John, let me see you jump.
[186] Here is May with her kitten.
[187] Her mother gave the kitten to her.
[188] She is kind to the pretty kitten.
[189] She likes to see it jump and play.
[190] See it run with May's ball!
[191] It does not run far with it.
[192] If May can get the ball she will not take it.
[193] She will give it to the kitten to play with.
[194] This is little Lucy.
[195] Her home is far away.
[196] She has come to see Frank and May.
[197] All the little girls love Lucy.
[198] They are kind and good to her, and she loves them.
[199] Frank will let her ride with him in the big wagon.
[200] He will give her the whip, and the horse will go fast.
[201] The horse will go fast and far, but he will not run away.
[202] Look, Frank! See my pretty flowers.
[203] Mother gave them to me.
[204] She gave them to me this morning.
[205] Do you not think they are pretty?
[206] How many flowers have I?
[207] Here are three my mother gave me.
[208] My father gave me two red ones.
[209] How many are three and two?
[210] I will keep the red flower.
[211] I will give all my yellow flowers to Lucy.
[212] She will like them.
[213] She will take them home with her.
[214] Good morning, little bird.
[215] Good morning, kind Lucy.
[216] How pretty your nest is, little bird!
[217] May I look at the little ones in it?
[218] Yes, you may look at them, but you must not take them away.
[219] How many birds have you?
[220] Let me see. One, two, three, four.
[221] I do not think they are pretty.
[222] They may not be pretty now, but I love them, little girl.
[223] Frank has gone to the field with his kite.
[224] He likes to play with it.
[225] It is the kite his father gave him.
[226] He will run and the kite will fly.
[227] He can run very fast, and the kite can fly very high.
[228] John does not like to run with a kite.
[229] He likes to play on his drum.
[230] He will play on his drum, and Frank will run with his kite.
[231] Oh, mother, come here!
[232] See this pretty flower.
[233] I think it is a rose.
[234] Is it not a yellow rose?
[235] Yes, May. It is a yellow rose.
[236] If you will come with me,
[237] I will give you some red roses.
[238] May I have them to keep, mother?
[239] You may keep some of them, but you must give some to Lucy.
[240] Oh, yes! I will give her four red roses, and one yellow rose.
[241] I will give her some to take home to her mother, too.
[242] Do you like yellow roses, mother?
[243] Yes, May, I think they are very pretty.
[244] John was a good boy this morning.
[245] His mother gave him a pretty book.
[246] He was very glad.
[247] Oh, mother, he said, "how kind you are to give me this book! I think it is very pretty."
[248] You must take good care of it, said his mother.
[249] Yes, mother, said John, "and I will let Lucy and May look at it too.
[250] They like to look at pretty books."
[251] "The girls will think you are a very kind little boy.
[252] They will take good care of your book."
[253] All the boys and girls are going to school this morning.
[254] You can see them as they go.
[255] Little Lucy is not with them.
[256] She has gone to her home, far away.
[257] But I see May and some other girls.
[258] John has his new book.
[259] Some of the other boys have books, too.
[260] I do not see Frank, but I think he will come soon.
[261] Look at this picture.
[262] It is the picture of my pet kitten.
[263] Do you not think she is a pretty pet?
[264] One morning as I was going to school, I found this kitten.
[265] She was by a tree in the woods.
[266] After school I took her home.
[267] Mother, I said, "see this pretty little kitten.
[268] May I keep her as a pet?"
[269] Mother said, "You may keep her if you will take good care of her."
[270] I am kind to my kitten.
[271] I feed her and she loves me.
Review
[272] My mother gave me a new book.
[273] I took it to school one morning, to let the girls see the pictures.
[274] Soon after this I found my pet kitten and took her home with me.
[275] I like to play with my pet kitten.
[276] I will do as mother says.
[277] I will take good care of the kitten.
[278] I love little Lucy.
[279] But now she has gone far away to her home.
[280] I like to see John run with his kite.
[281] He can run as fast as the other boys, but he can not jump far.
[282] He does not like to look at books and pictures, but he can play on a drum.
[283] One morning I gave my father four red roses.
[284] He said, "Oh, how kind you are to give me so many roses! I will keep this big one; but you must not give me all your flowers."
Chapter Four
[285] The name of this little girl is Rose.
[286] Do you think she looks like a rose?
[287] Do you think Rose is a pretty name?
[288] Rose goes to school.
[289] She can read and write.
[290] At home, she likes to read to her mother.
[291] She likes to look at the pictures, too.
[292] Tell me, Rose, how well you can read.
[293] Can you read well in your book?
[294] I think you can write very well.
[295] Can you write your name?
[296] Can you tell me the name of this pretty little bird?
[297] It is so little it can not fly very far.
[298] Some of the boys found it in the woods, as they were going to school one day.
[299] It was not in a nest.
[300] Frank said; "I will take the little bird home with me.
[301] It will be a good pet."
[302] So Frank took it as he said.
[303] He is kind to it and feeds it. but he will not keep it.
[304] Some day it can fly well.
[305] Then Frank will let it go.
[306] It will fly away with the other birds.
[307] Come, girls let us play with our dolls.
[308] We will play school.
[309] Our dolls will be the children.
[310] Our dolls are as good as some children are.
[311] They have their books, and I think, they will learn very fast.
[312] Soon we shall see how well they can read.
[313] This doll is not so good as the others.
[314] She does not like to go to school very well.
[315] She must sit by me and look at her book.
[316] As soon as she can read well, she may go home and play.
[317] She goes to school day after day, but she does not learn.
[318] She can not write at all.
[319] She can not tell her name.
[320] This is my little doll.
[321] Her name is Lucy.
[322] Do you think she is pretty?
[323] How tall you are, Henry!
[324] "Yes, father, I shall soon be a man. I am as tall as the table, now."
[325] What can you see on the table?
[326] I can see your big book, father.
[327] What do you see by the book?
[328] "Oh, I see some pictures. Two pictures are by the book, and two are not by the book."
[329] How many are two and two, Henry?
[330] Two and two are four.
[331] "You do well. If you learn fast, you may soon go to school. Then you can learn how to read and write."
[332] Oh, mother, come and look at this funny picture.
[333] What do you see in the picture Lucy?
[334] I see two children in the picture.
[335] I see a tall boy and little girl.
[336] How fast they run!
[337] They are going up hill, too.
[338] The boy has a pail.
[339] I think he is going to get a pail of water for his mother.
[340] How very funny it must be to run up hill!
[341] Will they find water on the hill?
[342] Oh, yes, I see a well up there.
[343] They must be good children to go so far after a pail of water.
[344] There must be good water in the well.
[345] Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To get a pail of water;
[346] Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
[347] Our mother says we may go and see little Lucy.
[348] We are going some day in June, soon after our school is out.
[349] We do not have school in June.
[350] Lucy's home is far away.
[351] We shall ride there in the big wagon with father and mother.
[352] Father says it will take all day to go so far.
[353] Mother says I must be sure to take Lucy some of our good apples.
[354] I will take her a book, too.
[355] I am sure Lucy will be glad to see us.
[356] She will run out to the wagon and tell us so.
[357] What do you think she will say?
[358] She will say, "Oh, May, I am so glad you have come."
[359] Violets sweet, violets sweet!
[360] Who will buy my violets sweet?
[361] Violets sweet, violets sweet!
[362] I will buy your violets sweet.
[363] See this funny little tree!
[364] What kind of tree is it?
[365] It is not a tree, it is a vine.
[366] It is not so tall as some trees.
[367] It looks like a wild rose vine.
[368] Will it have roses on it?
[369] Yes, I think some roses will grow on it; but I am not sure.
[370] Wild roses come in June.
[371] Some of them are very sweet.
[372] My roses are not wild.
[373] They do not grow on a vine.
[374] They grow on a bush.
[375] A bush looks like a little tree.
[376] Little Henry went to school this morning.
[377] All the children were glad to see him as he came down the street.
[378] He is a funny little boy, and I am sure you would like him.
[379] He says he will grow very fast and soon be a man.
[380] He likes to go to school.
Review
[381] One day Henry took a pail with him and went up the hill.
[382] Do you think he went to get a pail of water? I do not think so.
[383] He went to find violets and wild flowers in the woods.
[384] After a little he came down; but he would not let me look in his pail.
[385] He would not tell me how many flowers were in it.
[386] Who will buy my wild roses? he said.
[387] "Who will buy my sweet violets? I came down the street to sell my flowers. But now I must say they do not sell very well."
Chapter Four
[388] Do you know the name of this big yellow flower?
[389] What kind of flower is it?
[390] Oh, I know.
[391] It is a sunflower.
[392] Does it look like the sun?
[393] It likes the sun.
[394] Do you know what sunflowers are good for?
[395] Yes, they are good to look at.
[396] If you will go to the field on the hill, you may see many of them.
[397] They are not sweet flowers, like your violets and some others.
[398] If you will give me one of your pretty roses, you may have all the sunflowers I can find.
[399] I like roses and sweet violets.
[400] I like to see big, yellow sunflowers, too; but I do not care to take them home with me.
[401] Do you?
[402] Come here, Henry, and sit by me at the table.
[403] Your mother has gone out to buy a new book for you.
[404] She says you must learn to read.
[405] I am sure you will try to learn.
[406] Then you can read about the pretty birds, and the tall sunflowers, and good children at school.
[407] Soon you may take your book to school.
[408] See this picture, Henry.
[409] It is a picture of a little bird.
[410] I think it is a yellow bird.
[411] The bird has a pretty nest in the woods.
[412] Would you not like to see the little ones in it?
[413] By and by, they will come out and try to fly.
[414] Very soon you may see them as they fly from bush to bush.
[415] I have a book.
[416] I learn to read in it.
[417] I can write my name.
[418] We fly about from flower to flower.
[419] We sing as we work.
[420] Would you like to know what we sing?
[421] We sing, "Buzz, buzz."
[422] You will say, "What a funny way to sing!"
[423] But we do not care what you say.
[424] We are too busy to think about it.
[425] You must not keep us from our work.
[426] What is as busy as a bee?
[427] All day it sings as it works, "Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
[428] How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour?
[429] It gathers honey all the day
From every bud and flower.
[430] One morning when the sun was warm these children went out to take a walk.
[431] Do you know who they are?
[432] I see May and Rose and little Lucy.
[433] There are two other girls with them, but I do not know their names.
[434] They took a little wagon with them, and went up the hill.
[435] They went to the field on the hill to find some violets.
[436] They found some sunflowers in the field, but violets do not grow there.
[437] They saw a wild rose, but a busy bee was on it.
[438] Now, said Lucy, "let us go to the well and see if it has water in it."
[439] Yes, said one of the other girls, "the sun is too hot here.
[440] But if we go to the well, you must take care not to fall in."
[441] Oh, I will not fall in, said Lucy.
[442] I will look at the water far down in the well; but I will not fall.
[443] The girls will go home when the sun goes down.
[444] I see you, little star.
[445] Do you see me?
[446] I am in the garden.
[447] My name is Lucy.
[448] I see you far up in the sky.
[449] How very high you are!
[450] If you will look down, you can see me.
[451] You can see the flowers, too.
[452] If you would come in the day time, you could see all the children.
[453] You could see us going to school.
[454] But it is time for me to go in now.
[455] Take care, little star, and do not fall.
[456] What do you think we found in the woods this morning?
[457] We found many pretty violets.
[458] Frank found some of them under a green bush on the hill.
[459] They grow in the shade.
[460] Rose found three little yellow flowers.
[461] They are not so pretty as the violets.
[462] I think that all wild flowers are pretty, said Rose.
[463] Well, then' said Frank, "you may have these violets that I found.
[464] In June I will find you some roses."
[465] Thank you, said Lucy.
[466] "I will take them home and give them some water. Then I will plant them in my garden."
[467] These boys have been in the field all the morning.
[468] What do you think they do in the field?
[469] They do not go out there to play.
[470] They go to the field to work.
[471] They help their father plant corn.
[472] They are now on their way home.
[473] One of the boys rides on the horse.
[474] The other two walk behind.
[475] Do you think that these boys like to work?
[476] They will like to play when their work is done.
[477] Do you know what corn is?
[478] Would you like to see how it grows in the field?
[479] This is the way it looks.
[480] It is very green and pretty.
[481] It grows to be as tall as a tall man.
[482] Do you know what corn is good for?
[483] Would you like to buy some apples to-day?
[484] I have some very good ones here.
[485] How much do you want for your apples, Frank?
[486] I will sell you the green ones for three cents each.
[487] But I must have more for these yellow ones.
[488] They are sweet apples.
[489] I think I must have four cents each for these.
[490] Oh, Frank! You want too much for your apples.
[491] We can not buy them to-day.
[492] We can not give so much.
[493] Well, then, children, I will tell you what I will do.
[494] I will give you as many apples as you want.
[495] Thank you, Frank.
[496] You are very kind.
[497] Will you give one of your sweet apples to each of us?
[498] Yes, here are three apples for each of you; and I have four to take home to mother.
[499] Can you tell how many apples Frank has?
[500] Is he not a good, kind boy to give all his apples away?
[501] Come, Henry, let us take a walk this warm morning.
[502] Where would you like to go?
[503] Shall we go to the green woods?
[504] Or shall we go down to the field and help the boys plant corn?
[505] Tell me which way we shall go.
[506] Oh, let us go out where the wild flowers grow.
[507] Then we can see the birds in the trees, and the bees at their work.
[508] Why do the bees fly from flower to flower?
[509] Do they like to work when the sun is warm?
[510] Tell me why the bees are so busy all the day.
[511] I will tell you all about them when we have found one at work.
[512] But come now, let us walk out to the green woods.
[513] These four children have gone out to see the sun set.
[514] The sun is high in the sky now.
[515] By and by it will set behind the hills.
[516] The sun shines in the day time.
[517] It helps to keep us warm.
[518] It gives us light.
[519] When it goes down we have night.
[520] Then the stars come out and shine.
[521] The moon shines at night, too.
[522] But it is not so bright as the sun.
[523] On some nights the moon does not shine at all.
[524] Do you like to see the moon?
[525] Yes, I like to see it.
[526] I like to see its pretty light.
[527] We can look at the moon; but we can not look at the sun.
[528] It is too bright for us to look at.
[529] Let us sit here in the shade under our old apple tree.
[530] You can look up and see the green leaves and the little green apples.
[531] I should like to have one of the apples.
[532] I wish you would get it for me, Frank.
[533] Why do you want it?
[534] It is not ripe.
[535] All the apples on the tree are green, and you must not eat them.
[536] Do you see how little they are?
[537] But the bright sun will shine on them day after day.
[538] They will grow and grow; and after a time they will be ripe, and yellow, and good to eat.
[539] Then we will come and sit here in the shade, and you may have as many apples as you can eat.
[540] Come here, Lucy, and listen.
[541] What do you hear in this flower?
[542] Oh, mother! I hear a bee.
[543] It goes buzz, buzz, buzz!
[544] I wonder how it came to be shut up in the flower?
[545] It went into the flower for some honey, and then the flower shut it in.
[546] Shall we let it out, Lucy?
[547] Oh yes, mother; then it can go to the other flowers and get honey.
[548] Little Robin Redbreast sat on a tree,
[549] Up went Pussy Cat, down went he;
[550] Down came Pussy Cat, away Robin ran;
[551] Said little Robin Redbreast, "Catch me if you can!"
[552] One warm day in June, Frank's father said to him: "Frank, I think I will go down to the river and catch some fish."
[553] Oh, father, said Frank, "I wish I could go too.
[554] Will you let me go and help you?"
[555] "Yes, Frank.
[556] Run and; get your hook and line."
[557] Thank you, father, I am so glad that I may go.
[558] Here is Frank at the river, with his hook and line.
[559] How bright the sun shines on the water!
[560] I wonder where all the fish have gone.
[561] Frank can not see them.
[562] The fish are far down in the water.
[563] Frank has let his hook down, and he wishes that a big fish would come and take it.
[564] But the fish do not wish him to catch them to-day.
[565] They will not come near the hook.
[566] What a bright day this is!
[567] The sky is as blue as it can be.
[568] Lucy and her mother are in the woods.
[569] They have found a good place under a green tree.
[570] They sit in the shade of the tree and listen to the birds that are singing above them.
[571] Robin Redbreast is in the tree.
[572] Lucy sees him as he jumps about among the leaves.
[573] By and by he will fly away to his nest.
[574] Lucy wonders where it is.
[575] John has a new boat.
[576] His father gave it to him.
[577] It is blue, with a bright red line near the water.
[578] He keeps it in the river, not far from the road.
[579] He has some good oars, too.
[580] He keeps the oars at the house.
[581] His home is near the river.
[582] He likes to row up and down the river in his boat.
[583] Sometimes little May goes out in the boat with him.
[584] The water is not deep, and the children will not fall out of the boat.
[585] They like to row here and there on the river.
[586] John takes the oars, and May sits in her place and tells him where to go.
[587] Sometimes each takes an oar.
[588] Then the boat goes very fast.
[589] John has a hook and line.
[590] But when May is with him he does not try to catch any fish.
[591] Shall I tell you why?
[592] He knows that May does not like to see a fish on a hook.
[593] Here are all the boys coming up the road.
[594] I wonder where they are going to-day.
[595] Each boy has a hook and a line, and one has some light oars.
[596] I think they are going to get into John's new boat and row out on the river.
[597] Can you tell which of these boys is John?
[598] They will get in the boat and row far out on the water.
[599] When they get to a deep place they will try to catch some fish.
[600] I wonder if any of the fish will come near the boat.
[601] Little Robin Redbreast has a nest in our garden.
[602] If you listen any time in the day, you can hear him sing.
[603] On warm days he likes to sit in the shade among the green leaves.
[604] He can see the busy bees when they fly to the flowers to get honey.
[605] He sees the green apples about him, but he does not like them.
[606] He would not eat them if they were ripe and sweet.
[607] At night he can look up from his place in the tree and see the bright stars in the sky.
[608] Sometimes he can see the moon, too, as it shines above him.
[609] Sometimes the Pussy Cat comes under his tree and looks up at him; but she can not get him.
[610] She sits under the tree and wishes that she could catch him.
[611] Do you know why she wants the bird?
[612] Do you know what she would do if she could get him?
[613] One day Henry went out to the field behind the garden.
[614] He went out to see his father plant corn.
[615] He sat down by a tree and said, "Father, shall I help you work? I have been in the house all day."
[616] Thank you, my little boy, said his father.
[617] "I want some help very much.
[618] What can you do?"
[619] "I should like to plant some corn. How much will you give me?"
[620] "I will give you four cents a day if you work well. But now the sun is about to set, and we must go home."
[621] What is that? said Rose as she went down the garden walk.
[622] She saw Frank at work under the apple tree.
[623] It is a little boat, Rose, said Frank.
[624] What do you think of this boat?
[625] "Oh, I think it is very pretty. Where did you get it, Frank?"
[626] "I made it, Rose. I made it all."
[627] "How glad I am that you made it! Will it float in the water?"
[628] "I think so. All it wants now is the sail. I will soon put that on."
[629] "How I should like to see it sail! Does mother know that you have made it?"
[630] "Not yet; but I will take it to her as soon as I have put the sail on it. Then, if she will let us, we will take it down to the river. We will put it in the water and see it float. We will see how fast it can sail."
[631] Soon Frank and Rose were on their way to the river.
[632] Frank said that if the boat sailed well, he would give it to Rose.
[633] She will let her doll sail in it.
[634] Listen, mother, do you hear that?
[635] "Yes, Henry, it is the wind. We can hear it blow about the house; but we can not see it. If you should go out of the house, you could feel it blow in your face."
[636] "See how it blows the leaves about! How fast Frank's little boat would sail with this wind!"
[637] Do you know when summer comes?
[638] When summer comes the days are warm and bright.
[639] Green leaves are on the trees.
[640] Flowers bloom in the woods and in the gardens.
[641] The wind blows soft; the sky is blue; the sun shines bright
[642] In the summer the corn grows tall and green.
[643] It is then that the children play in the woods.
[644] I like the summer time very much.
[645] I wish my baby doll would wake.
[646] Wake up, baby! Wake up!
[647] Do not sleep so long.
[648] It is morning, and all good little dolls should be up.
[649] Oh, baby, what a care you are!
[650] Will you not wake up?
[651] I do not know of any doll that sleeps so long as you do.
[652] Now jump up, and see what a bright morning it is.
[653] See how the sun shines.
[654] Wake up, baby!
[655] Do you wish to know where I have been, baby doll?
[656] I have been down in the meadow with Frank and Rose.
[657] Shall I tell you what we saw?
[658] Well, we saw birds and bees and green leaves and pretty flowers.
[659] Then we went to the river and saw Frank's little boat sail on the water.
[660] Little Boy Blue, Come blow your horn.
[661] The sheep's in the meadow, The cow's in the corn!
[662] Where is the little boy That looks after the sheep?
[663] Oh, here he is! Here he is, fast asleep!
[664] Will you wake him? No, not I;
[665] For if I do, I know he will cry.
[666] Fly away, little bird, fly away home!
[667] If you are not a little bird, why did you come?
[668] What will come when summer is over and gone?
[669] Oh, I can tell you.
[670] After the summer is gone, fall will come.
[671] When fall comes, the days begin to grow cold.
[672] Then the leaves fall from the trees.
[673] Some of the leaves turn red, some turn brown, and some turn yellow as gold.
[674] In the fall we have ripe apples to eat.
[675] The corn is ripe then, too.
[676] All the children are glad when fall comes.
[677] Do you know why?
[678] Play time is over, and school begins.
[679] "I wish, mother, you would tell me where the rain comes from. Does it come from the sky?"
[680] Are the leaves and the flowers and the grass glad when the rain falls on them?
[681] This is what Lucy asked her mother one day. Her mother said:
[682] "The rain makes the grass look green and fresh. It helps the flowers grow. The corn which we plant in the field could not grow if there was no rain."
[683] But, mother, said Lucy, "I do not like the rain very well.
[684] It makes me stay in the house when I want to go and play.
[685] See how fast it rains!
[686] I shall have to stay at home all day."
[687] It is evening, and the sun is about to set.
[688] The day will soon be gone.
[689] Let us sit here on the soft grass and look at the bright clouds in the west.
[690] Do you think there is any rain in those little clouds?
[691] Oh, no! Those are not rain clouds.
[692] See how pretty they are!
[693] Some of the clouds are red, and some are as yellow as gold.
[694] It is the light of the sun that makes them look so bright.
[695] Soon they will all fade away in the blue sky.
[696] Soon it will be night, and the moon and stars will shine for us.
[697] Here are four little girls who live near the sea.
[698] They have gone down to the beach with their father.
[699] They like to play in the sand.
[700] Sometimes their mother goes with them, and they stay there all day.
[701] They like to look at the ships as they sail far away on the blue sea.
[702] Do you think you would like to sail far away on a ship?
[703] Sometimes these little girls find pretty shells in the sand.
[704] I think all children like to play on the beach when the sun is warm, and the wind does not blow.
[705] What does the man say?
[706] He says, "Good sweet apples, only two cents each! Ripe, sweet apples, yellow as gold!
[707] Who will buy my apples this warm summer morning?"
[708] You can hear him as he goes down the road.
[709] Who wants to buy a nice red apple?
[710] The apples are in the wagon.
[711] The man walks in the road, behind the wagon, and tells every one that he has apples to sell.
[712] His little dog rides in the wagon and looks at the horse.
[713] Is he not a funny driver?
[714] The horse does not go very fast.
[715] He knows that his driver can not use a whip.
[716] Oh, who wants to buy some good apples this bright summer morning?
[717] Do you know these three boys?
[718] The tall boy in the wagon is Frank Brown.
[719] The little boy is Henry.
[720] He is Frank's brother.
[721] The boy on the horse is John Day.
[722] See how well he can ride!
[723] Frank is a good driver.
[724] He sits in the wagon, and the horse goes just as he is told.
[725] Frank has a whip in his hand, but he does not use it.
[726] Henry's little dog runs behind.
[727] Sometimes he has to run very fast to keep up with the wagon.
[728] Do you know where the boys are going?
[729] I think they are going to town.
[730] I wonder what they will buy in town.
[731] Henry says he will buy a book with pretty pictures in it.
[732] He can not read very well, but he likes to look at books.
[733] John wants to ride down to the river and look at the boats.
[734] He would buy a new boat if he could.
[735] But he has only one cent, and what can he buy with that?
[736] Frank says they will not stay in town long.
[737] They must go home very soon.
[738] It is time to start to school.
[739] Rose is at the door with her book in her hand.
[740] Come, Frank! she says.
[741] "Let us go. We must not stay so long. School will soon begin."
[742] Yes, sister, says Frank.
[743] "We must run fast. Then we shall get to school in good time. But we must not stop on the road."
[744] In this picture you can see the children going to school.
[745] You can see the school house and the teacher.
[746] The teacher is at the door to see the children as they come.
[747] She says, "Good morning, boys and girls!"
[748] She is glad to see the children; and all the children are glad to see her.
[749] They are glad that school begins to-day.
[750] The name of this little boy is Robert.
[751] He is a busy boy.
[752] He lives in a big town, and he does not often see the fields and the green woods.
[753] Yet he is just as happy as Frank and John and little Henry.
[754] He lives in a tall house not far from the river.
[755] In the summer time he can see the ships as they sail up the river.
[756] His father has a boat, and sometimes Robert goes sailing in it.
[757] One day Robert saw a man with bows and arrows to sell.
[758] How much do you ask for your arrows? he said.
[759] Only three cents each, said the man.
[760] Would you like to buy one?
[761] Robert did not buy an arrow.
[762] He went home and made one that was just as good.
[763] Do you think he can use it?
[764] His teacher says that he must make a bow now.
[765] What does the summer bring?
[766] Green leaves, pretty flowers, busy bees, and birds of many kinds.
[767] It is then that we play in the woods and by the sea.
[768] When winter comes, the days are short and the nights are long.
[769] Then the cold north wind blows over the fields and woods.
[770] It blows over the meadow and the river and the high hills.
[771] It brings snow and ice.
[772] It makes our hands and faces cold.
[773] We do not like the north wind.
[774] All children are happy when winter comes.
[775] They like to see the snow.
[776] They like to play on the ice.
[777] They do not care if the north wind does make them shiver.
[778] Those who are dressed warm do not feel the cold very much.
[779] Sometimes the snow is so deep they can not go to school.
[780] In the evening, they sit in the warm house and read and play.
[781] It is very cold to day, but the snow is not deep.
[782] All the boys and girls are at school.
[783] The school room is warm and bright, and the children are happy.
[784] You can see them at their places in the school room.
[785] They look out of the window and see the snow falling.
[786] How soft and white it is!
[787] The teacher has been showing the children some pictures in her new book.
[788] Now she is telling them a story that is found in it.
[789] The children look and listen.
[790] They do not think how cold it is out of doors.
[791] Can you tell what time it is?
[792] Look at the clock, and then tell me.
[793] The clock has a round face.
[794] It has two hands.
[795] We call the long hand the minute hand, for it tells the minutes.
[796] We call the short hand the hour hand, for it tells the hours.
[797] How many hours are there in a day?
[798] How many minutes in an hour?
[799] If you listen, you can hear what the clock says. Tick, tack, tick, tack.
[800] Our clock at school tells us many things.
[801] It tells us when to work and when to play.
