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[Transcriber’s Note:

Italicized text delimited with underscores and bold text delimited with
equal signs.]

[Illustration:
    _Once there was a little bird,_
      _With flashing wings of blue,_
    _Who told to me the stories, dears,_
      _Which I have told to you._]




THE ELIZABETH GORDON CHILDREN’S SERIES


  THE BUTTERFLY BABIES’ BOOK
  WATERMELON PETE AND OTHERS
  GRANDDAD COCO NUT’S PARTY
  DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE SEASHORE
  DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE CIRCUS
  DOLLY AND MOLLY AND THE FARMER MAN
  DOLLY AND MOLLY ON CHRISTMAS DAY




WATERMELON PETE




  WATERMELON PETE
  AND OTHERS

  _By_
  ELIZABETH GORDON

  _Author of_

  THE BUTTERFLY BABIES’ BOOK
  THE DOLLY AND MOLLY SERIES
  GRANDDAD COCO NUT’S PARTY

  [Illustration]

  _Pictured by_
  CLARA POWERS WILSON

  RAND McNALLY & COMPANY
  CHICAGO      NEW YORK

  Copyright, 1914,
  By RAND, MCNALLY & CO.




THE CONTENTS


                                                   PAGE

  WATERMELON PETE                                    11

  PIGGY’S THISTLE WHISTLE                            25

  LADY BUG GOES SHOPPING                             33

  LITTLE BABY ELEPHANT AND HIS NEW CLOTHES           36

  LITTLE BROWN HEN                                   55

  THE LITTLE BROWN DOG AND THE LITTLE WHITE CAT      64

  THE WOODPECKER BIRD AND THE OWL                    70

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




WATERMELON PETE


Once there was a little darky boy, and his name was Watermelon Pete.
They called him Watermelon Pete because his mouth was just the shape of
a _big_, slice of _ripe_ watermelon.

One night when old Mr. Moon was looking in Watermelon Pete’s window,
and shining so bright that he couldn’t go to sleep at _all_, all at
once he began to feel hungry. And he said, “Oh, dear, I wish I had a
nice _big_ piece of watermelon to eat!”

[Illustration]

And then a naughty little Blackie, who was sitting on Watermelon Pete’s
bedpost, just _hoping_ that he would want to get out of bed and get
into mischief, said, “I know where there are some watermelons. Farmer
Brown has some down in his watermelon patch.”

And Watermelon Pete _listened_ to what the naughty little Blackie
said, and then he _crawled_ out of bed, and ran, oh, so fast, down
to the fence, and _scrooged_ through a hole in the fence, and
ran--pitter-patter, with his little bare black feet--down the path to
the watermelon vines.

Then he ate, and he ate, and he _ate_, so many watermelons! And by and
by he went to sleep under a watermelon vine. And Mr. Moon went to bed.

Then pretty soon old Mr. Rooster woke up and said,
“Cock-a-doodle-doo-oo! Farmer Brown, I’m calling you-oo-o! It’s time to
get up!”

So Farmer Brown got up and dressed himself, and went out of doors.
And then Farmer Brown said, “Well, I guess I’ll go and see my
watermelons.” And when he got there he said, “Why!” just like that.
“Why, where are all my lovely watermelons?”

[Illustration]

Then little Mrs. Hoppy Toad came out from under a burdock leaf where
she lived, and said in her funny little way-up-high voice, “Farmer
Brown, I know who ate your watermelons!”

“Do you, Mrs. Hoppy Toad?” said Farmer Brown. “And will you tell me who
it is?”

“Oh, yes, Farmer Brown,” said little Mrs. Hoppy Toad, in her little
way-up-high voice. “Watermelon Pete ate your watermelons, and he is
asleep under your vines.”

[Illustration]

And then Watermelon Pete woke, and he was so _frightened_, because he
had been naughty, that he ran pitter-patter, pitter-patter, up the
path, and _what do you think_?

He was so full of watermelon that he could _not_ get back through the
hole in the fence, and Farmer Brown caught him! And the naughty Blackie
just sat on a fence post and _laughed_ because he had made Watermelon
Pete get into mischief!

[Illustration]

And Watermelon Pete said, “Please, Farmer Brown, please don’t punish
me, and I will _never_ eat your watermelons _any more_!”

And Farmer Brown said, “All right, Watermelon Pete, I will let you off
this time. But you must never listen to that naughty Blackie again. Now
go and get the cow and milk her, and then come to breakfast.”

And Mrs. Farmer Brown gave Watermelon Pete a whole plate full of
brown cakes for his breakfast, with crinkly cronkly sirup on them.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

But the naughty Blackie couldn’t have any.

[Illustration]




PIGGY’S THISTLE WHISTLE


    A funny little Piggy to the market went,
    To buy himself a whistle with a bright new cent.

    But the shop man said, “I have no penny whistle,”
    So Piggy made himself one from a prickly thistle.

    Piggy said, “This thistle whistle’s quite as good as any;
    I’ll buy an apple pie with my bright new penny.”

    When he bought his apple pie, said the baker, “Here’s another,”
    And Piggy took them home to his dear old mother.

[Illustration]

    And his father and his mother, and his little sister Wee,
    Were very, _very_ happy with apple pie for tea.

    After supper all the Piggies came in from ’cross the way,
    To see Piggy’s thistle whistle, and ask him if he’d play.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

    Piggy whistled gayly a good old-fashioned dance,
    And every little Piggy began to sing and prance.

    And oh, such fancy dancing, until Mother Piggy said,
    “The Piggy sandman’s coming.” So they all went home to bed.

[Illustration]




LADY BUG GOES SHOPPING


    Mosquito was strolling one day through the town,
      Enjoying the balmy spring air,
    When whom should he meet, with her two little babes,
      But dear little Lady Bug fair.

    “Lady Bug, Lady Bug, what do you seek
      In the streets of the busy town?”
    “Sir, I’ve been to the spiders to buy me a web,
      For my polka-dotted gown.”

    “Lady Bug, Lady Bug, fly away home,”
      Said old Mr. Grasshopper Gray,
    “The town crier fears that your children will burn;
      Your house is on fire, they say.”

    “Your story is old, Mr. Grasshopper Gray,”
      The Lady Bug said, “for you see
    My cottage is standing, my children are safe,
      For I took them shopping with me.”

[Illustration]




LITTLE BABY ELEPHANT AND HIS NEW CLOTHES


Once there was a Daddy and a Mammy Elephant, and they had a little Baby
Elephant.

When Daddy Elephant came home one day he found his dear little Baby
Elephant crying great big tears!

And Daddy Elephant kissed him, and said, “Why, what’s the matter with
my little Baby Elephant?”

[Illustration]

And Baby Elephant said, “Why, Daddy, I’ve worn my stockings all out,
and I haven’t any more to put on.”

“Is _that_ all?” said Daddy Elephant. “Well, come along, and we will go
and see if we can find some stockings for you.”

So they went a _long_ way, through the Jungle, until they came to Mrs.
Lion’s store, and they went in.

“Good morning, Mrs. Lion,” said Daddy Elephant, very politely. “Have
you some stockings that you will sell me for my little Baby Elephant?”

[Illustration]

“Well, now, Daddy Elephant,” said Mrs. Lion, “I don’t believe I have
any that would fit him; they are all so small. But if you’ll take a
seat, I will ask my little Lions to make him some.”

So she called four of her little Lions, and asked them if they would
make some stockings for Baby Elephant. They said they would be pleased
to do it, and so they got some balls of wool and began knitting so
busily with their shiny knitting needles, click, click! click, click!
that pretty soon there they were, four nice long new stockings, one for
each foot.

[Illustration]

Then Daddy Elephant paid for the stockings and put them on Baby
Elephant. And Baby Elephant said, “These are perfectly lovely new
stockings, Daddy, but now, do you know, I believe I ought to have some
new shoes, so I won’t spoil my nice new stockings.”

And Daddy Elephant said, “Why, what a funny little Baby Elephant you
are! Just as soon as you get one thing you think of something else.
But come along, and we will see if we can find you some shoes.”

[Illustration]

So they went a long, _long_ way through the Jungle, until they came to
Mrs. Tiger’s store.

“Good morning, Mrs. Tiger,” said Daddy Elephant, very politely indeed.
“Have you some shoes that you could sell me for my little Baby
Elephant?”

“Why, no, Daddy Elephant,” said Mrs. Tiger, “I haven’t any big enough
for him. But if you will take a seat and wait, I will call my Tiger
shoemakers, and have some made for him.”

[Illustration]

So they waited patiently while the Tiger shoemakers made some shoes.
“Tip-a-tap, tip-a-tap, tip-a-tap-too!” went the hammers, until pretty
soon there they were, four nice new red shoes with one for each foot.

Then Daddy paid Mrs. Tiger for them, and put them on and buttoned them
up, and Baby Elephant said, “My! These are lovely new shoes, Daddy, and
I thank you, but now I look so nice, shouldn’t I have a hat?”

[Illustration]

And Daddy Elephant laughed and said, “Well, you _are_ a funny little
Baby Elephant. But come along, and I will see if I can find a hat for
you.”

So they walked and _walked_ a _long_ way through the Jungle, and after
a while they came to Mrs. Monkey’s millinery store.

And Daddy Elephant said, oh, _very_ politely, “How do you do, Mrs.
Monkey? Have you your new spring hats in? My little Baby thinks he’d
like a hat.”

[Illustration]

And Mrs. Monkey said that she didn’t believe she had a hat that would
quite fit Baby Elephant, because they were very small this season, but
that she would make him one. So she sent her little Monkeys out into
the Jungle, and pretty soon they came back with some palm-tree leaves.
And she sewed them into the prettiest hat you ever saw.

But Baby Elephant wanted trimming on his hat. So she found some ribbon
grass, and made some bows, and rosettes, and put them on and Daddy
Elephant paid her for it, and they started out again.

[Illustration]

Then Baby Elephant laughed. “Daddy, don’t I look funny with my
stockings and shoes and nice new hat, and no coat on?”

And Daddy said, “Oh, you funny baby! Well, come along, and we’ll see
if we can find you a coat.” And they walked _and_ walked, and _nobody_
could make a coat until they came to where the Tailor Bird lived. And
he said he could make a coat, “Just as _easy_!”

[Illustration]

So he took a big piece of cloth, and spread it on the ground, and laid
Baby Elephant down on it, and cut a coat just like him, but he got it a
good deal too big, and it has wrinkled ever since.

But Baby Elephant liked it, and was very proud of his pretty new
things, and promised his Daddy he would keep them all very nice. And
when he got home he ran and kissed his Mammy Elephant, who had just
begun to wonder where he and Daddy had been all day.

And then they all had supper.




LITTLE BROWN HEN


    Little Brown Hen, one warm spring day,
    Made a nest in the barn, in the clover hay.

    Said Little Brown Hen, "Eggs are so dear,
    The Farmer Boy might come in here,

    “So I really believe it may be wise,
    To hide my nest from his bright blue eyes.”

    The Bossy-calf saw her very well,
    But she knew the Bossy-calf wouldn’t tell.

    And every day when the clock struck ten,
    With a cheerful song that Little Brown Hen

[Illustration]

    Laid an egg in the nest in the clover hay,
    Until she had twelve eggs hidden away.

    In that nest, which was almost out of sight,
    Sat Little Brown Hen, both day and night;

    And the Bossy-calf knew her secret well,
    But the Bossy-calf would never tell.

[Illustration]

    And the little gray mice came there to play,
    To amuse the Little Brown Hen all day,

    Till one morning, oh, such a pretty sight,
    Out in the sunshine warm and bright!

    Little Brown Hen--proud, happy dame--
    With twelve little fluffy chickens came!

[Illustration]

    Said Baby Fritz, with a joyous shout,
    “Look, Buddie, the chicks are all popped out!”

    You should have seen the Farmer Boy!
    His eyes were all bulged out with joy.

    But the Bossy-calf didn’t see, alas!
    He was out in the meadow, eating grass.

[Illustration]




THE LITTLE BROWN DOG AND THE LITTLE WHITE CAT


    The Little Brown Dog had a little cold nose,
        O me, O my!
    The Little White Cat had pins in her toes,
        O me, O my!
    The Little Brown Dog poked his little cold nose
    Too near the pins in the little Cat’s toes!
    Said the Dog, “Woo, ow!” Said the Cat, “Meouw!”
        O me, O my! O me, O my!

[Illustration]

    Said the Little White Cat, “I did not know,
        O me, O my!
    That my sharp little pins could hurt you so.
        It makes me sigh!”
    Said the Little Brown Dog, “If you didn’t know,
    That makes it well, so let it go.”
    Laughed the Dog, “Bow-wow!” Laughed the Cat, “Meouw!”
        O me, O my! O me, O my!

[Illustration]

    Said the Little Brown Dog to the Little White Cat,
        “O me, O my!
    There’s a bowl of cream on the kitchen mat.
        O me, O my!”
    They ate the cream, and after that,
    The best of friends were the Dog and Cat,
    And the Cat sings, “Meouw!” and the Dog, “Bow-wow!”
        O me, O my! O me, O my!

[Illustration]




THE WOODPECKER BIRD AND THE OWL


    Said the woodpecker bird,
        "I have just overheard
            Wise Owl telling how to be happy.

    “You must sing your own song,
        Stay where you belong,
            And play fair with every chappie.”

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




A WRITER FOR LITTLE TOTS


Elizabeth Gordon’s sympathetic understanding of the child mind has
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  DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE SEASHORE
  DOLLY AND MOLLY AT THE CIRCUS
  DOLLY AND MOLLY AND THE FARMERMAN
  DOLLY AND MOLLY ON CHRISTMAS DAY

=35 cents net each=




DOTTY DOLLY’S TEA PARTY

By MARGUERITE L. and WILLARD C. WHEELER


  With 28 illustrations in color by the authors
  Square 16mo, boards. 80 pages. =50 cents net=

Very young people, for whom the book is gotten up, cannot fail to enjoy
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WRITE FOR OUR CATALOGUE OF JUVENILE BOOKS ILLUSTRATED IN COLOR


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THE BUTTERFLY BABIES’ BOOK

By ELIZABETH GORDON


With illustrations in color by M. T. (“PENNY”) ROSS 80 pages. Boxed.
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The idea of the verses, in such simple form that they can easily be
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By ELIZABETH GORDON


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[Illustration]

    _I begged him for another, but_
      _He flapped his wings of blue_
      _And wouldn’t say another word,_
      _But laughed--and off he flew._

[Illustration]





End of Project Gutenberg's Watermelon Pete and Others, by Elizabeth Gordon