The School Speaker and Reader

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900. Excerpt: ... Part V. HUMOR AND REFLECTION. THE BOY TO THE SCHOOLMASTER. Edward J. Wheeler. You've quizzed me often and puzzled me long, You've asked me to cipher and spell, You've called me a dunce if I answered wrong, Or a dolt if I failed to tell Just when to say lie and when to say lay, Or what nine-sevenths may make, Or the longitude of Kamchatka Bay, Or the I-forget-what 's-its-name lake. So I think it 's about my turn, I do, To ask a question or so of you. The schoolmaster grim he opened his eyes, But said not a word for sheer surprise. Can you tell where the nest of the oriole swings, Or the color its egg may be? Do you know the time when the squirrel brings Its young from their nest in the tree? Can you tell when the chestnuts are ready to drop, Or where the best hazelnuts grow? Can you climb a high tree to the very tiptop, Then gaze without trembling below? Can you swim and dive, can you jump and run, Or do anything else we boys call fun? The master's voice trembled as he replied, You are right, my lad; I'm the dunce, he sighed. % HOW MR. RABBIT LOST HIS FINE BUSHY TAIL.1 Joel Chandler Harris. one day Brer Rabbit wuz gwine down de road shakin' his long, bushy tail, w'en who should he strike up wid but ole Brer Fox gwine amblin' long wid a big string er fish! W'en dey pass de time er day wid wunner nudder, Brer Rabbit, he open up de confab, he did, en he ax Brer Fox whar he git dat nice string er fish, en Brer Fox, he up 'n' 'spon' dat he kotch um, en Brer Rabbit, he say whar'bouts, en Brer Fox, ' he say down at de baptizin' creek, en Brer Rabbit he ax how, kaze in dem days dey wuz monstus fon' er minners, en Brer Fox, he sot down on a log, he did, en he up 'n' tell Brer Rabbit dat all he gotter do fer ter git er big mess er minners is ter go ter de creek at...