In·Summer Time
Reading edition
46
47
SUMMER IS COMING
Summer is coming! Summer is coming!
How do you think I know?
I found some pussy willows,
So I know it must be so.
Summer is coming! Summer is coming!
This I know very well,
For I found a sweet blue violet,
And that is how I tell.
pus sy wil lows this (gr ound)
sweet vi o let (t ell) f ound
do think w ell very
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PUSSY WILLOWS
Summer is coming.
I know it is.
How do you think I know?
To-day I found some pussy willows.
Pussy willows come to tell us winter is over.
All winter they were asleep.
But now they are awake.
They are peeping out.
How glad they look!
They know winter is over.
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So I know that summer is coming.
Pussy willows say, “Summer is coming!
Winter is over!”
I love the summer.
And I love the dear little pussy willows.
50
was
THE PUSSIES
It was a glad spring morning.
Some little pussies were out playing.
They were playing beside the old willow tree.
Two little birds were in the tree.
They were singing a glad song.
They were singing, “Spring is come!
Be glad! Be glad! Be glad!”
It was a sweet, sweet song.
It made the boys and girls glad.
But do you think it made the pussies glad?
Little cared they for the sweet song!
51They said, “Now we have found some breakfast.
We will get the little birds.”
Up into the tree they jumped.
They ran from bough to bough.
The little birds saw them.
They flew away.
“We can have no breakfast here,” said the pussies.
“We must look for some other birds.
We will jump to the ground.”
But what do you think!
They could not get away.
They were growing fast to the tree!
They were no longer pussies.
They were pussy willows!
52
(f all) (gl ad) (long er)
c all ed h ad long ed
came tired been
LITTLE VIOLET
Little Violet was fast asleep.
She had been asleep all winter.
All winter she had been sleeping under the snow.
Blue-bird was flying from tree to tree.
He flew to the tree over Little Violet.
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He was singing, “Dear Little Violet, come out, come out!
Get up! get up!
Are you not tired of winter?
Summer is coming! Summer is coming!
I am tired of winter! Tired of winter!
I love the summer! I love the summer!
Come, Little Violet, come up! I will sing to you.”
Little Violet was tired of winter.
She was tired of the snow.
54She longed for the summer.
She longed for the sweet singing of the birds.
She was so glad when Blue-bird called.
She awoke. She came out. She grew.
Blue-bird and Violet were so glad.
Winter was past; summer was here.
55Dear little baby, close your eye,
Close your eye so blue,
Mother will sing to you, “Rock-a-bye,
Baby and birdies, too.”
All little babies should be asleep,
For the stars are shining through,
And into the nest of all they peep,
Babies and birdies, too.
close (ba by) (c ould)
stars ba bies sh ould
eye shin ing through
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MOTHER’S SONG
It is night.
The stars are shining.
They are shining through the night.
They are shining into Robin’s nest.
The baby birds are asleep.
The baby squirrels are asleep.
Now the stars peep in at Baby.
Baby is going to sleep, too.
She is so tired!
She has been playing all day.
She should be asleep now.
Mother is singing to Baby.
Baby likes mother’s sweet song.
I think you will like it, too.
57Here is the song.
“Rock-a-bye, baby.
Now go to sleep.
Mother will sing of little sheep.
The little sheep run round and round.
The little sheep jump over the ground.
They run to the haycock.
What do they see?
Little Boy Blue.
Who is he?
Rock-a-bye, baby.
Are you asleep?
Mother is singing of little sheep.”
Now mother’s song is over.
Baby’s blue eyes close.
She is fast asleep.
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(as) gave (h ide) thank
h as bread s ide time
BABY
Baby has been playing in the meadow.
She has been playing there all day.
She has been playing hide and seek.
She likes to hide.
She likes to seek.
All day Blue-bird has been singing.
She has been singing in the meadow.
Playing and singing, singing and playing!
What a good time Baby and Blue-bird have had!
They have been glad all the day long.
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Blue-bird was singing to her little ones.
Baby said she was singing to her, too.
Baby saw Blue-bird’s nest.
Three little birds were in the nest.
She gave them some bread for breakfast.
“Peep! peep! Thank you! thank you!” said the little birds.
They were glad, but they longed to fly.
They wanted to fly over the tree-tops.
60Baby found some pussy willows.
They were growing in the meadow.
She found a sweet blue violet, too.
Pussy willows and violet were growing there side by side.
They peeped at Baby as she came up.
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Baby gave the violet to her mother.
“Thank you, my dear,” said mother.
“I love the sweet violet.
I love my baby, too.
Violet tells me summer is coming,
Summer, and the summer sky, so blue.”
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n ight (sing ing)
t ight (shin ing)
l ight (sleep ing)
m ight (peep ing)
r ight (play ing)
br ight (rock ing)
(morn ing)
BABY ASLEEP
Baby is tired, so tired.
She has played all the day long.
Mother will rock her; Mother will sing her to sleep.
Rock-a-bye, baby, close your eyes.
Close your sweet blue eyes, Baby dear.
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Sleep, my Baby, sleep.
You are so tired, Baby.
You have played all day.
Now you must rest.
Blue-bird is asleep.
Little blue-birds are asleep in their nest.
Pussy willow and Violet are sleeping, too.
You should sleep, baby.
You should sleep and rest.
Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye,
Close your sweet blue eyes,
Close your sweet blue eyes, baby dear.
The little stars are shining.
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High up in the sky, they are shining through the night.
They are peeping into Blue-bird’s nest.
They see the little birds sleeping there.
They peep in at mother, rocking and singing to baby.
65They want to see baby sleeping, too.
Baby does not see them.
Baby’s sweet blue eyes are closed at last.
Good-night, Baby.
Good-night,
Sleep tight,
Wake up bright,
In the morning light,
To do what’s right,
With all your might.
66
(s ing) Tom did
str ing kite went
THE NEW KITE
Tom has a new kite.
Who do you think made it?
Tom made the kite all alone.
It is a blue kite.
It has a long string.
To-day the wind is blowing.
“I will take my kite to the meadow,” said Tom.
“I will fly it there.”
Tom went out with his new kite.
He ran up and down.
But the kite did not fly well.
67Soon Tom grew tired.
“I do not want to play with my kite.
It does not fly well,” he said.
“The wind is not strong to-day.
I think the string should be longer.
I will go home now.
I will get a longer string.
Some day the wind will be stronger.
I will come again to the meadow.
I will bring Baby with me.
I will fly my kite for her.”
Tom ran home.
He found a new string.
It was a good long string.
In the morning he will go again to the meadow.
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( at) (see) (m other) (long)
h at see ms br other a long
TOM AND THE WIND
Tom is Baby’s brother.
Tom loves Baby.
He likes to play with her.
Tom likes to play with the wind, too.
And the wind seems glad to play with Tom and Baby.
To-day they were in the meadow.
All three were playing there.
They ran up and down.
How fast they ran!
The wind blew Tom’s hat away.
How it flew over the meadow!
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The wind made the leaves fly round and round.
They flew high and low.
They looked like little birds.
The wind blew them east.
The wind blew them west.
They found no place to hide.
They found no place to rest.
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Tom made a kite.
Along came the wind.
Up went the kite!
High, high up over the tree-tops it flew!
Then down, down, down it came.
71Up, up, up, again it went.
Tom said, “It is flying to the sky.
It will fly right out of sight.”
As he said this, he let go the string.
Away went the kite.
And away went the wind with it.
Then Tom and Baby went home.
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loud
THE SONG OF THE WIND
You-oo-oo! I blow! I blow!
I blow the tall trees.
I rock the birdies in their nest.
I sing to the flowers.
I sing a sweet song to them.
Winter is coming; snow is coming.
Sleep, little flowers, sleep.
Some days I sing a loud song.
I sing, Come, little snowflakes!
Cover the cold bare ground.
“O I am the wind and I come very fast;
Through the tall trees I blow a loud blast.”
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