Once Upon a Time
Reading edition
THE CATERPILLAR
ugly
push
(w ise)
r ise
I creep upon the ground, and the children say, “You ugly old thing!” and push me away. I lie in my bed, and the children say, “The fellow is dead; we’ll throw him away.” At last I awake, and the children try To make me stay, as I rise and fly.
WHO IS STRONGEST?
(age)
c age
(f ellow)
b ellow
(high)
s igh ed
breathes
bear
(h ouse)
m ouse
(sp eak)
cr eak
squ eak
climbed
roared
Tum tol lo
(ice)
m ice
(b ox)
ox
(th ink)
dr ink
uprooted
bur rowed
Once upon a time Tumtollo climbed a tree.
The wind blew hard and uprooted the tree.
Tumtollo was thrown to the ground.
“Oh, oh, oh!” he cried with pain, “oh, oh, oh!”
“My, isn’t the tree strong!” cried he; “it can throw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“You are wrong,” creaked the tree. “I am not strong. If I were, could I be uprooted by the wind?”
“Ah, I see,” said Tumtollo, “it is the wind that is strong.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“No, friend, you are wrong,” sighed the wind. “If I were strong, could I be stopped by the hill?”
“Oh, I see now,” said Tumtollo, “it is the hill that is strong.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“Wrong again,” said the hill. “I am not strong. If I were, I should not be burrowed by mice.”
“Oh,” said Tumtollo, “then it is the mouse that is strong.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“Still wrong,” squeaked the mouse. “It is not I who am strong. If I were, could the cat catch me?”
“Well, then, it is the cat that is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“No, Tumtollo, I am not strong,” mewed the cat. “If I were, could the dog frighten me?”
“Then it is the dog who is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“It is not I who am strong,” barked the dog. “If I were, would the ox hook me with his horns?”
“Then it must be the ox who is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“No,” bellowed the ox, “I am not strong. If I were, would the bee sting me?”
“Ah, ha! it is the little bee that is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“No, no!” buzzed the bee, “it is not I who am strong. If I were, would the bear steal my honey?”
“Indeed, then it is the bear who is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The bear robbed the bee.
The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“You are wrong, Tumtollo,” growled the bear.
“If I were strong, could the lion drive me away from my dinner?”
“Very well, then it is the lion who is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The lion drove away the bear.
The bear robbed the bee.
The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“It is not I who am strong,” roared the lion.
“If I were, could the rope bind me?”
“Just as you say,” said Tumtollo, “then it is the rope that is strong.”
“The rope bound the lion.
The lion drove away the bear.
The bear robbed the bee.
The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“It is not I, indeed, that am strong,” said the rope. “If I were, could the fire burn me?”
“Well, well, then the fire must be strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The fire burned the rope.
The rope bound the lion.
The lion drove away the bear.
The bear robbed the bee.
The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“No, no, Tumtollo,” snapped the fire, “I am not strong. If I were, could the water put me out?”
“The water it is, then, that is strong,” said Tumtollo.
“The water put out the fire.
The fire burned the rope.
The rope bound the lion.
The lion drove away the bear.
The bear robbed the bee.
The bee stung the ox.
The ox hooked the dog.
The dog frightened the cat.
The cat caught the mouse.
The mouse burrowed the hill.
The hill stopped the wind.
The wind uprooted the tree.
The tree threw Tumtollo to the ground.”
“You are still wrong, Tumtollo,” sang the water in a spring near by. “I am not strong. But I will tell you who is truly strong. It is Man.
Man drinks the water.
Man lights the fire.
Man makes the rope.
Man cages the lion.
Man tames the bear.
Man eats the bee’s honey.
Man drives the ox.
Man keeps the dog.
Man feeds the cat.
Man kills the mouse.
Man digs the hill.
Man breathes the wind.
Man fells the tree.
Man rises when he is thrown to the ground.”
Tumtollo rose, drank deeply from the sweet spring, and went on his way.
LAMBIKIN
(who)
who m
mor sel
curled
(pl ant)
can’t
wad dle
reached
(t ip)
sk ip
(s eed)
gr eed y
(j ump)
h ump
pl ump
joy
(g ate)
ate
(out)
ab out
(cr ied)
d ied
mouth
breath
Once upon a time there was a wee, wee Lambikin.
He frolicked about on his tottery legs from morning to night.
He was always happy.
One day Lambikin set off to visit his Granny.
He was jumping with joy to think of the good things he would get.
As he frisked along, he met but a wolf!
The wolf howled, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat YOU!”
But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,
“No, no, To Granny’s house I go, Where I shall fatter grow, Then you can eat me so.”
The wolf thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.
Away frisked Lambikin.
He had not gone far, when whom should he meet but a bear!
The bear growled, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat YOU!”
But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,
“No, no, To Granny’s house I go, Where I shall fatter grow, Then you can eat me so.”
The bear thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.
Away frisked Lambikin.
He had not gone far when whom should he meet but a lion!
The lion roared, “Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat you!”
But with a hop and a skip, a hump and a jump, Lambikin said,
“No, no, To Granny’s house I go, Where I shall fatter grow, Then you can eat me so.”
The lion thought this wise and so let Lambikin go.
Away frisked Lambikin.
At last he reached his Granny’s house.
“Granny dear,” he cried, all out of breath, “I have said I would get fat. I ought to keep my word. Please put me in the corn-bin at once.”
“You are a good Lambikin,” said his Granny.
And she put him into the corn-bin.
There the greedy little Lambikin stayed for seven days and seven nights.
He ate, and ate, and ate, and he ate until he could hardly waddle.
“Come, Lambikin,” said his Granny, “you are fat enough. You should go home now.”
“No, no,” said cunning little Lambikin, “that will never do. Some animal would surely eat me on the way, I am so plump and tender.”
“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried old Granny in a fright.
“Never fear, Granny dear,” said cunning Lambikin. “I’ll tell you what to do. Just make me a little drumikin out of the skin of my little brother who died. I can get into it and roll along nicely.”
So old Granny made Lambikin a drumikin out of the skin of his dead brother.
And cunning Lambikin curled himself up into a round ball in the drumikin.
And he rolled gayly away.
Soon he met the lion, who called out,
“Drumikin! Drumikin! Have you seen Lambikin?”
Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,
“Fallen into the fire, and so will you! On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”
“Too bad, too bad,” sighed the lion, as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.
So away rolled Lambikin, laughing gayly to himself and sweetly singing,
“Tum-pa, tum-too; Tum-pa, tum-too!”
Soon he met the bear, who called out,
“Drumikin! Drumikin! Have you seen Lambikin?”
Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,
“Fallen into the fire, and so will you! On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”
“Too bad, too bad,” sighed the bear, as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.
So away rolled Lambikin, laughing gayly to himself and sweetly singing,
“Tum-pa, tum-too; Tum-pa, tum-too!”
Soon he met the wolf, who called out,
“Drumikin! Drumikin! Have you seen Lambikin?”
Lambikin answered sweetly as he rolled along,
“Fallen into the fire, and so will you! On, little Drumikin! Tum-pa, tum-too!”
“Oh, ho, little Lambikin, curled up snug in your little drumikin,” said the wolf, “you can’t fool me. I know your voice. So you have become too fat to hop and to skip, to hump and to jump. You can only roll along like a ball.”
And the wolf’s mouth watered as he thought of the sweet, fat morsel of a Lambikin.
Little Lambikin’s heart went pit-a-pat, but he cried out gayly,
“Hark, hark! Hear the dogs bark! Faster, roll faster, my little Drumikin!”
The wolf was frightened and stopped to listen for the dogs.
And away rolled cunning Lambikin faster and faster, laughing to himself and sweetly singing,
“Tum-pa, tum-too; Tum-pa, tum-too!”
THE ANT AND THE MOUSE
(h oney)
m oney
(th is)
m iss
pieces
sharp
(w ish)
f ish
(r ob)
c ob
lost
buy
(c arry)
m arry
(r each)
p each
roost er
hur ried
There was once an ant.
While sweeping her house one day, this ant found three pieces of money.
“What shall I buy?” said she.
“Shall I buy fish?”
“No, fish is full of bones. I can’t eat bones. I’ll not buy fish.”
“Shall I buy bread?”
“No, bread has crust. I can’t eat crust. I’ll not buy bread.”
“Shall I buy peaches?”
“No, peaches have stones. I can’t eat stones. I’ll not buy peaches.”
“Shall I buy corn?”
“No, corn grows on a cob. I can’t eat cobs. I’ll not buy corn.”
“Shall I buy apples?”
“No, apples have seeds. I can’t eat seeds I’ll not buy apples.”
“Shall I buy a ribbon?”
“Yes, that’s just what I want. I will buy a ribbon.”
And away ran Miss Ant to the store and bought her a bright red ribbon.
She tied the ribbon about her neck and sat in her window.
An ox came along and said, “How pretty you are, Miss Ant! Will you marry me?”
“Sing,” said the ant, “so I may hear your voice.”
The ox was very proud of his voice and he bellowed with all his might.
“No, no,” cried the ant, “I’ll not marry you, Mr. Ox. Your bellow frightens me. Go away.”
Soon a lion came that way and said, “How pretty you are, Miss Ant! Will you marry me?”
“Sing,” said the ant, “so I may hear your voice.”
The lion was proud of his voice and he roared with all his might.
“No, no,” cried the ant, “I’ll not marry you, Mr. Lion. Your loud roar frightens me. It shakes the very hills. Go away.”
The lion had not been gone long when a proud rooster came strutting along that way.
“How pretty you are, Miss Ant! Will you marry me?” said the rooster.
“Sing,” said the ant, “so I may hear your voice.”
The rooster was very proud of his shrill voice and he crowed with all his might.
“No, no,” cried the ant, “I’ll not marry you, Mr. Rooster. Your shrill crow frightens me. Go away.”
The rooster was hardly out of sight when a big dog came trotting that way.
“How pretty you are, Miss Ant! Will you marry me?” said the dog.
“Sing,” said the ant, “so I may hear your voice.”
The dog was very proud of his voice and he barked with all his might.
“No, no,” cried the ant, “I’ll not marry you, Mr. Dog. Your sharp bark frightens me. Go away.”
After a time a wee little mouse came frisking that way.
“How pretty you are, Miss Ant! Will you marry me?” said the mouse.
“Sing,” said the ant, “so I may hear your voice.”
Now the wee little mouse was not at all proud of his voice. But he squeaked as sweetly as he could, “Wee, wee, wee!”
“Yes, yes,” cried the ant, “I’ll marry you, dear Mouse. Your sweet little voice pleases me. Come right in.”
In scampered the mouse.
The ant gave him two pieces of money, for she had spent only one for her ribbon.
He hurried away to the store, and came quickly back bringing apples and bread.
Mrs. Ant Mouse now sat down to a feast.
Mr. Mouse ate the crusts and the seeds, so nothing was lost.
