WORK AND PLAY.

Once there was a little girl named Amy. She liked to play in the garden and hear the birds sing. She said the flowers and birds talked to her. One day her mother said, “Amy, you are a large girl now. You must help me a little. Every day I will give you something to do.” “Oh Mother!” said Amy, “I do not like to work. Please let me go into the woods and play.” “Yes,” said her mother. “You may go and play. I have no work for you to do just now.” So away Amy ran through the pleasant garden into the woods.

She saw a pretty squirrel and said, “Dear squirrel, do you play and eat nuts all day long? You do not work, do you?” “Not work?” said the squirrel. “Why, I am busy now. I must put these nuts in my nest to eat next winter. I can not stop to play with you.” Just then a bee flew by. “Tell me, bee!” said Amy. “Have you work to do?”

“Buzz! Buzz!” said the bee. “I am busy now getting honey from the flowers. I can not stop to play with you. Amy walked through the woods. By and by she met an ant with a piece of sugar. “I wish you would come and play with me,” said Amy. “I am too busy to play with you,” said the ant. “I must carry this sugar home for the little ants to eat.”

Amy sat down under a tree to think about it. “The squirrels, the bees, and the ants work from morning till night,” said Amy. “I will ask the flowers if they have to work.” So she ran into the garden. “Do flowers have to work?” she said to a pretty red clover. “My dear Amy,” said the red clover, “the flowers must all work. We are busy now making honey for the bees. That is why we are so happy.” Amy ran home to her mother and said, “I have come back to help you, Mother dear. The squirrels, the bees, the ants and the flowers all have work to do. I should like to work, too.” “You may help me sew,” said her mother. “Then you will be happy, like the squirrels, the bees, the ants, and the flowers.”