THE TALE OF CURLY-TAIL

[Illustration]




[Illustration: _Daddy Do-Little Shook His Japanese Parasol_]




[Illustration]

                                _The Tale
                                    of
                               Curly Tail_

                      _TEXT BY LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH_

                                _AUTHOR OF
                 JOLLY POLLY and CURLY TAIL, TIDDLYWINKS
                      COMICAL ANIMAL STORIES, ETC._

                     “_The Child’s Book of Laughter_”

                    _ILLUSTRATED BY MAE H. SCANNELL._

                           “_JUST RIGHT BOOKS_”

                         _ALBERT WHITMAN COMPANY_

                               _PUBLISHERS_

                        _CHICAGO_      _ILLINOIS_




                          THE TALE OF CURLY-TAIL

                 Copyright, 1923, by Albert Whitman & Co.
                            Chicago, U. S. A.

                              [Illustration]

                            A JUST RIGHT BOOK

                           MADE IN THE U. S. A.




[Illustration]




PREFACE


The happy adventures of Curly-Tail and the fourteen Little Darling Dogs
are simply told in this book. They are instructive stories and are full
of humor and make enjoyable reading to all children.

Daddy Do-Little, the unusual Dog, and Pedro, the Parrot, are amusing
characters.

“A Visit to Mrs. Santa Claus,” is something new and original for
awakening the child’s attention. This book is of easy vocabulary and will
aid the child’s learning.




[Illustration]




CONTENTS


    A VISIT TO MRS. SANTA CLAUS      Page 9

    A HAPPY NEW YEAR                  ”  23

    TABLE MANNERS                     ”  42

    THE COOKIE DOG                    ”  57

    THE CIRCUS DAY PARADE             ”  70

    GARDEN DAYS                       ”  84




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


    Curly-Tail Jumped on a Rocking Horse                      Frontispiece

    Santa Claus                                                     Page 9

    Hurrah for Mrs. Santa Claus                                      ”  13

    The Bundle Flew Out the Open Window                              ”  21

    No One Was at the Door                                           ”  25

    And He Started Down the Road                                     ”  29

    The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs Came Trooping Down the Road     ”  31

    Daddy Do-Little Made Nice Moist Ginger Snaps                     ”  35

    The Snowmen Were Singing in the Moonlight                        ”  41

    They Danced Round and Round the Circle                           ”  45

    Over Hill and Dale They Went                                     ”  51

    It Jumped Suddenly Out of the Pan                                ”  55

    The Old Fellow Would Only Sit in His High Back Chair and Scold   ”  59

    The Sled Turned Them Head Over Heels in a Snow Drift             ”  63

    Sly Foot Bound Curly-Tail to a Chair                             ”  67

    What Should He See but a Circus Parade                           ”  71

    They Walked the Tight-Rope Together                              ”  75

    Pedro Threw Off the Dog Skin and Flew at Sly Foot                ”  79

    He Found Garden Seeds Everywhere                                 ”  87

    Curly-Tail Out in the Garden                                     ”  91

    He Danced Right Out of the Book                                  ”  95




[Illustration: _Curly-Tail Jumped On a Rocking Horse_]




THE TALE OF CURLY-TAIL

[Illustration]




A VISIT TO MRS. SANTA CLAUS

    Daddy Do-Little it is true,
    Wears a coat red, white, and blue,
    He’s happier than I can tell,
    The new coat fits him very well!


One December day, Curly-Tail, the dearest little dog in the world, jumped
upon his Rocking Horse and rocked away, away, away.

He said, “I will go to Santa Claus’ work-shop, perhaps I will find our
old Parrot.”

He rocked away all day, and when night came he found a little cave in the
woods. He went in and curled up and fell asleep.

Next day he woke up early and cried,

    “I’ve lost the right path, without fail.
    This is a joke on Curly-Tail!”

He rocked away, away, away, again, and soon he said, “Some one is coming
down the path, I hear the patter, patter of little feet.”

Then he set up a shout, for who should be coming to meet him but the
Fourteen Little Darling Dogs?

They all set up a shout, crying,

    “Ha, ha, ha, the lost is found,
    Rocking, rocking o’er the ground.”

Curly-Tail got down from the Rocking Horse and said, “I am going to Santa
Claus’ work-shop and this Rocking Horse knows the way, who will go with
me?”

“I will, I will, I will,” cried the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs in one
breath, so Curly-Tail got on the Rocking Horse and rocked away, away,
away, and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs ran on behind.

“I see a light ahead,” shouted the first Little Darling Dog. “I see a
light,” shouted the next, and the next.

They came to a little wee house in the woods.

Curly-Tail without waiting for an invitation rocked right in the open
door, crying, “Hurrah for Mrs. Santa Claus! Here we are, the whole
Curly-Tail family!”

Mrs. Santa Claus was so surprised she cried,

    “Ha, ha, ha, ha, by my frilled cap,
    I surely must be taking a nap!”

She tried to count the Little Darling Dogs, but they danced about her so
fast, she never knew which ones she counted twice, and which ones she
never counted at all!

[Illustration: _Hurrah for Mrs. Santa Claus_]

Curly-Tail begged, “Please let us go into Santa Claus work-shop!”

Mrs. Santa Claus said,

    “This thing I will tell you true,
    Such an idea will not do.”

She said Santa Claus was not at home, and she never let any one go in his
work-shop.

Then the first Little Darling Dog sat down on the floor and began to
grumble, and the next Little Darling Dog began to weep, and the next
Little Darling Dog got a scowly face, and such a noise you never heard.

Only Curly-Tail kept good natured.

He rocked gently to and fro on his wonderful Rocking Horse and said, “You
make as much noise as Daddy Do-Little when he is lonesome.”

Mrs. Santa Claus said, “Who is Daddy Do-Little?”

Curly-Tail replied,

    “He’s the laziest animal in the woods,
    He always did little if he could.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs said,

    “If you could only hear him grumbling,
    You would think ’twas thunder rumbling.”

Mrs. Santa Claus said, “If the old fellow had a new coat, perhaps he
would not be so lazy or grumble so much. Here is my work basket, and some
cloth, go to work if you please.”

Mrs. Santa Claus opened a slide in the wall and disappeared!

“Ha, ha, ha,” cried the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs.

Curly-Tail cried, “Hurrah! hurrah, we will make Daddy Do-Little a new
coat out of this cloth.”

My, how busy they were!

One Little Darling Dog got a tape measure and measured the cloth.

One Little Darling Dog got a pair of scissors and went, “snip, snip,
snip.”

One Little Darling Dog began to unwind a spool of thread, and the other
Little Darling Dogs sat around in groups threading needles!

Curly-Tail skipped about giving directions.

Soon they were all sewing on Daddy Do-Little’s new coat!

“Oh, oh, oh,” cried the Little Darling Dogs, as they pricked themselves
on the needles.

Curly-Tail cried,

    “Cheer up, cheer up, we’re nearly through
    We’ll make a coat that just fits you.”

Then the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs began to sing a song and their
needles flew faster and faster.

They would interrupt one another by shouting, “Who has the thimble?
Who has the thread? Where is my needle?” and still the song sounded
beautifully.

Curly-Tail cried,

    “Where will we get buttons do you suppose
    To finish up this animal’s clothes?”

Then they heard thump, bump, down the chimney fell six little brass
buttons.

They sewed the brass buttons on the coat, and soon it was finished.

Then a voice cried,

    “Come into the chimney, ’tis large and wide,
    There’s room for the Curly-Tails side by side.”

They looked toward the chimney.

There, sure enough were little seats, and little tables. On each table
was a plate with a pie smoking hot.

How they all enjoyed their lunch!

They cried out,

    “We are happy now because,
    Of mince pie, Mrs. Santa Claus!”

Mrs. Santa Claus opened the panel in the wall and went back into the
house. She asked to see the coat, which they had tied up in a neat bundle.

The first Little Darling Dog began to untie the string which held the
bundle, and the bundle hopped about in the strangest way.

Then the next Little Darling Dog said, “Let me untie it,” and the next
one said, “I will untie it in a minute.”

At that very moment there, before their very noses, the bundle jumped out
of the window and was gone!

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs thought their work was all lost and they
began to weep and wail, but Curly-Tail said,

    “Cheer up, cheer up, for by the by,
    We had the nicest kind of pie!”

So, the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs all dried their eyes and went to the
door.

Curly-Tail jumped on his Rocking Horse.

[Illustration: _The Bundle Flew Out of the Open Window_]

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs rubbed their eyes for they saw fourteen
Rocking Horses standing in a row.

They shouted,

    “We are so happy now because,
    We have a present from Santa Claus.”

Curly-Tail said,

    “I hope each horse is trusty and good,
    We’ll rock away through the deep green wood.”

When they came to Daddy Do-Little’s house in the woods they all set up a
shout, for there he stood in the doorway with his new coat on!

He was happy you may be sure, and they all rocked round him on their
wonderful Rocking Horses.

[Illustration]




A HAPPY NEW YEAR

    In January as you know,
    We always make some men of snow,
    And if you study well each page,
    You’ll find the Parrot in his cage.


Little Curly-Tail called out one morning,

    “A Happy New Year, A Happy New Year,
    And January at last is here.”

Curly-Tail curled his little tail up tighter and tighter, as he ran down
stairs three steps at a time, and he set the table and got breakfast,
before Daddy Do-Little had a chance to answer him.

Curly-Tail kept humming over and over, “A Happy New Year, A Happy New
Year.”

    “Hush, what is that?
    A-rap, a-tap,”

cried out Daddy Do-Little, suddenly.

Sure enough, there was a “rap, tap, tapping,” at the door, but when they
got to the door, no one was there.

    “Hard lines for one of any age,
    To lose a parrot in a cage.”

said Daddy Do-Little.

[Illustration: _No One Was at the Door_]

Just then, they heard a “rap, tap, tapping,” on the window pane.

They ran quickly of course to the window but could see no one.

They sat down to breakfast and Daddy Do-Little said, “More sugar, please.”

A voice spoke up, “More sugar, please.”

Curly-Tail said,

    “It must be the Parrot, I’ll leave the table
    And find him soon as I am able.”

He looked about in-doors and out-doors and still he could see no one.

Now Daddy Do-Little was a famous old cook, and he felt like cooking that
morning, but he called,

    “We are out of sugar, how do you suppose
    I can make ginger-snaps, goodness knows.”

At that, Curly-Tail got out his little red cap and cape and market
basket, and said, “I will go to the grocers and get the sugar.”

“Get the sugar,” repeated a familiar voice, and Daddy Do-Little said,

    “The Parrot is hiding, ’tis very true
    We’ll find him now, whatever we do.”

They searched one hour and sixteen minutes but could not find the Parrot.

Little Curly-Tail went out of the house, “click,” went the gate and he
started down the road.

Daddy Do-Little came to the door waving his red pocket handkerchief
frantically, and shouted,

    “A handkerchief for your little nose,
    You had better carry I suppose.”

Sure enough, Curly-Tail did have a cold, and so he came back good
naturedly, and got the handkerchief and started again to the grocers
after the sugar.

This time he did not even get as far as the garden gate when Daddy
Do-Little rapped on the window, crying,

    “It seems to me it’s rather funny,
    To go for sugar without money.”

[Illustration: “_And He Started Down the Road_”]

Curly-Tail laughed and came back with a hop and a skip and a bound.

Will you believe it? It took Daddy Do-Little three quarters of an hour to
find his rusty-hinged old pocket book, and when he found it, it only had
twenty-five cents in it.

Then they looked in the old cracker jar and found sixteen hundred pennies!

“Pennies will do, pennies will do,” called a merry voice, but they could
see no one.

Curly-Tail started again.

By this time it was snowing and blowing.

[Illustration: “_The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs Came Trooping Down the
Road_”]

“Click,” went the gate, he thought he was off in good earnest this time,
but Daddy Do-Little cried again,

    “Will you ask for white, or brown,
    When you come into the town?”

Then a very surprising thing happened.

A great shout was heard and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs came
trooping down the road.

Daddy Do-Little was thoroughly and entirely cross at this unlooked for
interruption, and he shouted,

    “Be it fairy tale or fable,
    To entertain them I’m not able.”

Curly-Tail danced up to him and whispered, “Snowmen, let the Darling Dogs
stay outside and make Snowmen.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs came on with a whoop and a bound, and
Daddy Do-Little shouted,

    “Make some Snowmen on the ground,
    Make some Snowmen jolly and round.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs went to work with a will, and Curly-Tail
started off saying, “I will really, truly get the sugar this time.”

Just as he was nearly out of sight of the house, he heard a great shout,
and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs ran after him and brought him back.

Daddy Do-Little said,

    “There are several kinds of sugar ’tis true,
    White, and brown, and red, and blue.”

It took them all forty-seven minutes to decide what kind of sugar they
wanted for their ginger snaps, and what kind of sugar to have on the
frosting.

All this time, the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs jumped up and down and
said, “Oh Daddy Do-Little are you really going to make nice, moist ginger
snaps? And can we all stay to lunch?”

[Illustration: _Daddy Do-Little Made Nice Moist Ginger Snaps_]

By and by Curly-Tail slipped off, and this time he went on safely to the
grocery store.

He got brown sugar to put in the ginger snaps and red sugar to put on for
frosting.

He went back home with a hop, and a skip, and a bound, and helped the
Fourteen Little Darling Dogs make Snowmen, while Daddy Do-Little made the
nice, moist ginger snaps.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were so cold they begged to come in and
warm their paws, so by and by they all shook off the snow and crept
quietly into the parlor and sat down in a semi-circle about the parlor
stove, and warmed their paws.

“A-kit-chew,” sneezed the First Little Darling Dog.

“A-kit-chew,” sneezed the second.

Just as Daddy Do-Little came to the door to scold, the Parrot came out
from his hiding place under the sofa and said,

    “It really puts me in a rage,
    To spend my life inside this cage.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs crowded around and said, “It must be a
magic cage, see it move.”

Curly-Tail said, “Where did you come from, Sir. I have looked for you
over hill and dale.”

“Poor old Polly,” said Daddy Do-Little.

This put the Parrot in a rage at once and he shouted,

    “It is, Sir, the greatest folly,
    To give a man, the name of Polly!”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs took out their fourteen little pocket
handkerchiefs and laughed until they cried, waving their handkerchiefs in
the air.

The sun had come out so bright and warm the Snowmen began to melt.

The Parrot cried,

    “If you’d take out a bucket of water or so
    It might freeze them up again you know.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs got fourteen little pails of water, and
carried out water to pour on their Snowmen.

Curly-Tail let the parrot out of his cage, and Daddy Do-Little finished
his moist ginger snaps.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs went happily homeward each with a moist
ginger snap, with red sugar upon it.

Late at night the Parrot called,

    “To tell my name I am afraid,
    Just listen to that serenade.”

The Snowmen were singing in the moonlight,

    “Happy New Year you hear us call,
    A Happy New Year to one and all,
    From Mexico the Parrot came,
    And little PEDRO is his name.”

“Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah,” cried Curly-Tail, “at last we know the Parrot’s
name,” they looked about, but the Parrot was nowhere to be seen!

[Illustration: _The Snowmen Were Singing in the Moonlight_]




TABLE MANNERS

    To learn some manners at the table,
    Every animal is able,
    To be polite, please do not fail,
    When entertained by Curly-Tail.


One day Daddy Do-Little called out,

    “Somebody is late, it makes me pale,
    To receive no answer from Curly-Tail.”

There was no answer sure enough.

The old clock struck twelve, and one, and still Curly-Tail did not come
home.

Daddy Do-Little got out his new yellow and green walking stick, and
started out to look for Curly-Tail.

Early that morning Curly-Tail had gone with a hop, and a skip, and a
bound into Farmer Brown’s garden to get an apple to roast for dinner.

“Click,” went a spring, and for the first time in his life Curly-Tail was
caught in a trap!

He said, “If I could only uncurl my tail, if I could only uncurl my tail
I would feel happier.”

His tail was caught in the trap.

He was wondering what he would do when he heard the “patter, patter,
patter,” of many little feet.

Then a most delightful thing happened!

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were coming into Farmer Brown’s garden
to get ripe, red, rosy apples to roast for dinner.

They came with a hop, and a skip and a bound, and suddenly stopped, for
they saw poor Curly-Tail caught in the trap.

It took them one hour and fourteen minutes to find out how to open the
trap, but at last the spring gave with a “click, click, click” and
Curly-Tail was free once more.

They all were so glad to set Curly-Tail free that they danced round and
round in a circle, and they all forgot to get the ripe, red, rosy apples
for dinner.

[Illustration: _They Danced Round and Round in a Circle_]

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs invited Curly-Tail to come to their home
for dinner, which he gladly did.

They all sat down at the table and the Darling Dogs made a great noise
eating their food.

Curly-Tail said, “If you will come to my little tent in the woods for
supper, I will teach you some table manners.”

Then he curled his funny little tail up tighter and tighter, and ran away
to his own little tent in the woods.

At exactly six o’clock the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs appeared at his
tent.

They cried, “Oh,” and “Ah” and “How very surprising.”

There was a table in the tent with fifteen little chairs around it.

On the table were plates, and knives, and forks, and spoons.

There was a cup and saucer for each one.

They all sat down at the table and began to talk at once, and drum with
their silver spoons.

Curly-Tail said,

    “It is not polite to make a noise,
    You act like careless girls and boys.”

He gave each one of them a little red and white checked napkin.

By this time they were so hungry and the food looked so good that they
began to smack their lips.

Curly-Tail said,

    “Eat with a spoon now if you please,
    Come, be polite and do not tease.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs took their fourteen little spoons and
began to eat their broth.

It was much too hot and burned their mouths and they began to weep and
wail.

Curly-Tail gave each one a sip of milk to cool their mouths, and at this
very minute, some one rapped on a tree outside saying,

    “Beside this little tent I’ll stay
    Alas, alack, I’ve lost my way.”

“Daddy Do-Little,” shouted the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs.

They ran outside and hugged the old fellow and Curly-Tail was pleased to
invite him into the tent.

The Darling Dogs forgot all about their table manners for Daddy Do-Little
carried a great basket of good things to eat, and they danced about the
basket and helped themselves.

By and by Daddy Do-Little grew tired of the noise and he whispered
something into Curly-Tail’s left ear and they went outside.

Daddy Do-Little spread out his magic red cotton handkerchief, they
stepped upon it and sailed away, away, away.

Over hill and dale they went and sailed right into Daddy Do-Little’s
front yard and landed on his door step.

Curly-Tail went into the kitchen and put on a blue and white checked
apron, and made a good fire.

Daddy Do-Little sat still saying,

    “I made some doughnuts goodness knows
    Some animal stole them, I suppose.”

Curly-Tail was all this time measuring and sifting and mixing. By and by
he got out a rolling pin and rolled out some wonderful cookies.

[Illustration: “_Over the Hill and Dale They Went_”]

He took the cookie cutter and cut out cookies shaped like animals.

Soon he had a plate full of cookies to take to Daddy Do-Little.

Daddy Do-Little was delighted, he said,

    “Little Curly-Tail, by my eyes,
    You surely take me by surprise,
    Did you use a spoon? Did you use a book?
    Tell me how did you become a cook?”

Curly-Tail noticed that one cookie was larger than the rest and stuck to
the pan.

It grew larger, and larger and larger, crack, crack it jumped suddenly
out of the pan and came and stood in the doorway, shouting,

    “I’m a cookie animal ho, ho,
    Very funny and made of dough,
    With a leap and a bound and scarce a sound,
    You’ll see me hop, skip across the ground,
    I’m a cookie animal ho, ho,
    I’ll make my bow before I go.”

This funny cookie animal made a low bow and bounded out of the window.

Daddy Do-Little laughed until he cried.

Curly-Tail ran down the road after the cookie animal.

The cookie animal shouted,

    “I am ahead in the race,
    Don’t bite the nose from my face.”

Curly-Tail came nearer, and nearer, and the cookie animal cried out,

    “Don’t bite my paws, don’t bite my ears,
    Can’t you see I’ve shed some tears?”

Curly-Tail came so near that the cookie animal felt his hot breath and he
whispered,

    “I have some feelings, I’m growing pale,
    Don’t come any nearer Curly-Tail.”

Then the cookie dog jumped into a hole in a hollow tree, and though
Curly-Tail stood and coaxed for an hour he would not come out.

When Curly-Tail got back he found Daddy Do-Little nodding by the fire.

[Illustration: “_It Jumped Suddenly Out of the Pan_”]

Just as he remarked that he thought they would see the cookie dog no
more, “rap-a-tap,” was heard at the window-pane, and there stood the
cookie dog singing,

    “I really wonder how you are,
    May I sleep to-night in your cookie jar?”

Curly-Tail opened the window and the cookie dog jumped into the cookie
jar and fell asleep.

Daddy Do-Little complained,

    “Of a cookie dog I never heard,
    The whole thing now seems quite absurd.”

They went to bed, and in the morning, the cookie dog was gone.

[Illustration]




THE COOKIE DOG

    If you are lonesome where you are,
    Just go to meet your cookie jar,
    Then cook a little if you’re able,
    And roll out cookies on your table.


One day Daddy Do-Little went into the kitchen early scolding,

    “I may be deaf and rather old,
    But still you see that I can scold.”

He looked into his cookie jar and his doughnut jar, and his cracker jar,
and his ginger snap jar, and he found though they had been cooking to
fill them up for days and days, they were all empty!

Curly-Tail tried to get breakfast and make Daddy Do-Little forget his
troubles, but the old fellow would only sit in his high backed chair and
scold.

By and by Curly-Tail said, “I have no doubt but Sly Foot, the old Wolf,
knows where your cookies and crackers, and doughnuts, and ginger snaps
are, and I will go and visit him to-day.”

Daddy Do-Little said,

    “You’re a cunning fellow and ought to thrive,
    But you’ll never come back from there alive.”

Curly-Tail laughed as he put on his new coat and cap and mittens, but
Daddy Do-Little said, “He will make mince meat of you in a minute.”

[Illustration: _The Old Fellow Would Only Sit in His High Backed Chair
and Scold_]

Though it was spring time, there had been a light fall of snow, and so
Curly-Tail went down hill on his sled.

Daddy Do-Little was so sorry to see him go that he cried real tears into
his new pocket handkerchief.

Curly-Tail rode away, away, away, until he came to Sly Foot’s den, then
he stopped, for Sly Foot was within and roared.

Old Sly Foot said,

    “Growling and thunder, who is there?
    Is it a doggie? Is it a bear?”

Curly-Tail replied in a terrible voice,

    “Growling and thunder I’m hearty and hale
    And my name, if you please, Sir, is Curly-Tail.”

Old Sly Foot was so surprised to see his visitor when he came out of the
den that he had not a word to say, so Curly-Tail continued,

    “Your doughnut jar I’ve come to borrow
    Either to-day, or else to-morrow.”

Old Sly Foot was so upset at the mention of the stolen doughnut jar that
he turned a backward somersault in the snow crying,

    “Ha, ha, ha, the jar will stay
    With me to-morrow and yesterday.”

Curly-Tail cried,

    “Better take back what you have said,
    But first come riding on my sled.”

Old Sly Foot was so surprised that Curly-Tail was not afraid of him, he
sat down on the sled with pleasure and the first thing, the sled turned
them head over heels in a snow drift.

Curly-Tail laughed and said, “Will you give up the doughnut jar, and the
cookie jar, and the ginger snap jar, and the cracker jar?”

“Growling and thunder, I’ll not give them up for that one little bump,”
said Old Sly Foot.

[Illustration: “_The Sled Turned Them Head Over Heels in a Snow Drift_”]

So, they dragged the sled up hill together, when the most surprising
things began to happen!

The sled stood up on end, and began to chase Sly Foot down hill, it beat
him too, at every step of the way.

“Help, help,” he cried, “will this sled never stop beating me?”

The sled chased him back into his den and he stood there growling,

    “I’m black and blue, ’tis very true,
    Here are the empty jars for you.”

Curly-Tail saw it was no use to mince matters, so he went into the woods
to think.

He dressed up as a peddler and went back to Old Sly Foot’s den and began
to sell his wares.

Suddenly Sly Foot said, “Those don’t look like a peddler’s feet, those
don’t look like a peddler’s hands.”

Then his voice rose to a shriek and he said, “Those don’t look like a
peddler’s ears,” and he pulled off Curly-Tail’s cap and saw he had been
fooled.

Curly-Tail only wanted to get into the den to see where Old Sly Foot had
hidden the cookies, and doughnuts, and crackers, and ginger snaps.

Old Sly Foot bound Curly-Tail to a chair and set a kettle over the fire
to boil, saying,

    “I will boil you very truly,
    For you seem to me unruly.”

Curly-Tail blew a little silver whistle and in trooped the Fourteen
Little Darling Dogs, to his rescue.

As they could not find anything Sly Foot had taken, they all hastened
away to the grocers, rattling their pennies in their pockets.

Soon they bought doughnuts, and cookies, and crackers, and ginger snaps
to fill up Daddy Do-Little’s jars.

As they came to his house they heard the old fellow saying,

    “There’s something to worry me without fail,
    I wonder what happened to Curly-Tail.”

[Illustration: _Sly Foot Bound Curly-Tail to a Chair_]

When he saw Curly-Tail and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs with their
little bags of cookies and doughnuts, and ginger snaps, and crackers, he
was so pleased, he forgot he was old and cross and ran out smiling to
meet them.

They went inside and began to eat out of their paper bags, and Daddy
Do-Little told such funny ghost stories that the hair rose on their backs
a couple of inches!

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were afraid to go home in the dark, so
Daddy Do-Little said.

    “I have made hammocks for fourteen years,
    They’ll be useful too, it now appears.”

He went to a big box and got out fourteen little hammocks, and strung
them up on hooks for the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs to occupy.

They were pleased you may be sure.

Curly-Tail went up stairs to occupy his own little bed.

He cried out, when he woke in the night,

    “The doughnut jar’s empty still I suppose,
    We ate them all up, as every one knows.”

Sure enough, they all ate up the contents of their little paper bags,
while Daddy Do-Little told ghost stories.




THE CIRCUS DAY PARADE

    If you are bound on merriment,
    Just step inside a Circus Tent,
    The Clown tells jokes so very funny,
    You’ll find it’s always worth the money.


One bright spring morning Curly-Tail got up early and crept down stairs
very softly so he would wake no one.

He went into the kitchen and packed a little red and white basket with a
lunch, and soon he was off, and away.

He was going to find Pedro.

He said, “Daddy Do-Little is so lonesome, I will never come back until I
can find Pedro to keep him company.”

[Illustration: _What Should He See but a Circus Parade_]

He sang merrily as he went tripping along through the woods that led to
the town.

It was now nine o’clock.

What should he see but a Circus Parade.

He came up to the band wagon and began to spin around after his curly
little tail, and the Band Master said,

    “Ha, ha, ha, don’t be afraid,
    Come, join our Circus Day Parade.”

“Do you mean it?” asked Curly-Tail.

The Band Master replied,

    “I talk quite straight, not like a riddle,
    Ha, ha, ha, can you play the fiddle?”

Curly-Tail was glad to be helped up on the band wagon.

He was in a real Circus Day parade.

The Clowns danced and threw colored candies to the crowd.

The Band played and played.

The horses pranced.

The elephants walked in a long line, and all was very splendid indeed.

The Band Master said,

    “To do your tricks you must not fail,
    I hope you’re a dancer, Curly-Tail.”

Curly-Tail was never so proud before in his life, he danced round and
round after his tight little tail, as he rode on top of the Band Wagon,
and the crowd cheered, and said “What a comical little fellow.”

By and by they came to a big tent and if you guessed fourteen years you
could never guess who was walking outside on the tight-rope!

It was his cousin Tangle-Tail, who was a famous tight-rope walker.

When Tangle-Tail saw Curly-Tail, he got down off the tight-rope in the
twinkling of an eye and whispered something to him, then they both swung
up together and walked the tight-rope together, their funny little tails
curling and twisting tighter, every step of the way.

[Illustration: _They Walked the Tight-Rope Together_]

The crowd cheered, and every one wanted to go inside the big tent, of
course.

Curly-Tail had a wonderful afternoon.

He rode on the horse’s backs in the ring, and he walked the tight-rope
and danced on a big drum, but his most delightful adventure was still to
come.

When the Circus was over, he went near one of the little side-show tents,
and heard some one call out,

    “To be a prisoner is not jolly,
    And don’t you dare to call me ‘Polly’.”

Curly-Tail was so excited he did not know what to do. He ran into the
tent and cried, “Pedro, our dear lost Pedro.”

Pedro could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Curly-Tail, but he cried,

    “Tho’ you know my name’s not Polly,
    To talk loudly would be folly.”

They began to talk and plan about getting Pedro home.

Just then Tangle-Tail came into the tent, and said they must get a cage,
and there was no time to lose as the Circus people were coming into the
tent.

Then Tangle-Tail thought of an old dog-skin he had. He said they would
wrap it around Pedro, and take him in it down the road.

They did this, Pedro scolding all the while.

All would have gone well I am sure, if they had not met Sly Foot.

He cried, “Ha, ha, ha, I see my Sunday dinner right here before me.”

Tangle-Tail was never so puzzled before in his life, and Curly-Tail did
not know what to do either, and all the time Sly Foot was coming nearer
and nearer.

He came so close, they could feel his hot breath on their cheeks, and he
shouted, “By my whiskers and tail I will have a fine Sunday dinner!”

[Illustration: _Pedro Threw Off the Dog Skin and Flew at Sly Foot_]

At this very minute, Pedro threw off the dog-skin and flew at Sly Foot,
making a terrible noise, he said,

    “Sly Foot, if you are not wise,
    I’ll peck out both your big, black eyes.”

Sly Foot cried, “Let me go, Sir, let me go, Sir, I really meant no harm
whatever, it was just my little joke.”

Then Pedro flew on top of his head, and shouted in his ear,

    “You may be a joker, wherever you are,
    But don’t you forget the doughnut jar.”

Then Sly Foot howled, “Let me go, Sir, let me go, Sir.”

Pedro said,

    “Will you leave the Curly-Tails alone,
    And be content with a turkey bone?”

Sly Foot promised, and Pedro gave him a little peck on his head as he let
him go.

By and by when Sly Foot had run away, Curly-Tail set up a shout, for the
Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were coming to meet them.

They cried,

    “Hurrah, hurrah, this is very jolly,
    Hurrah, hurrah, for our own dear Polly.”

Pedro replied,

    “I will bite off your ears, you little dears,
    And peck out the eyes of the next one who cries, ‘POLLY’!”

Curly-Tail had once been to school, and learned a real yell, so he cried,

    “What’s the matter with Pedro?
    He’s all right,
    Who’s all right?
    Pedro.
    Who says so?
    WE ALL SAY SO.
    PEDRO.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs said when they got near the house,

    “Daddy Do-Little is fast asleep,
    Let us creep in and quiet keep.”

Pedro flew in the open window.

His cage door was open.

He jumped up on his perch and began soon to swing to and fro on his
little swing.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs sat down in their fourteen little green
rocking chairs, and began to rock to and fro, to and fro.

Curly-Tail went after his tail and then Daddy Do-Little woke up saying,

    “I had a very pleasant dream,
    I thought I heard old Pedro scream.”

Then they all laughed and made a great noise until Daddy Do-Little shook
his Japanese Parasol, and pounded on the floor with it to bring the whole
company to order.

Once again they all shouted, “Hurrah, hurrah!”




GARDEN DAYS

    If you ever plant a garden,
      This thing you should know,
    Plant some little magic seeds,
      To make your garden grow.


Daddy Do-Little was not very fond of work.

He woke up one morning scolding,

    “I must grumble, oh yes, indeed,
    I haven’t a single garden seed.”

This happened at breakfast, and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs laid
down their fourteen little spoons, and Curly-Tail and Tangle-Tail called
in one breath, “We will plant your garden, we will wish for Magic seed.”

Then the funniest thing happened.

Daddy Do-Little turned up his cup, and there inside, lay a package of
garden seed.

He took up his saucer, there lay another package of seed.

He looked in his oat-meal bowl, there lay another package of seeds.

He said,

    “I’m surprised indeed to-day,
    In the merry month of May!”

Under everything he picked up was a package of garden seeds, a present
from his little friends.

Suddenly he remembered that he did not like to work very well, so he said,

    “I am too stiff for rake and hoe,
    I cannot plant seeds in a row.”

Then the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs slipped out of the house and took
up their fourteen little rakes and hoes and spades, and began to make a
garden.

Curly-Tail and Tangle-Tail dropped in the seeds.

[Illustration: _He Found Garden Seeds Everywhere_]

Daddy Do-Little called,

    “Too many beans and too many peas
    Plant some cabbage and lettuce please.”

“Cabbages and lettuce,” shouted Pedro, “and don’t forget my sunflowers,
how I do like sunflower seeds!”

They worked all day with rake, and spade, and hoe, and wheelbarrow, and
Daddy Do-Little and Pedro shouted directions from time to time.

    “Make a wide path, don’t make it narrow,
    Come this way with the old wheelbarrow.”

The sun shone warm and bright, and then patter, patter, patter fell the
rain in a sudden shower.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs took up their fourteen little rakes and
went merrily homeward, shouting,

    “To make a good garden we always try,
    Daddy Do-Little good bye, good bye.”

Daddy Do-Little waved his new red handkerchief in farewell, and shouted,

    “I am so lazy, I wonder why,
    You always have to call good bye.”

Tangle-Tail then made his best bow and said,

    “I’m a tight-rope walker, I make confession
    I have to go follow my profession.”

As he went off down the road Daddy Do-Little began to weep, but
Curly-Tail cried,

    “I’m not going away, I promise to stay,
    A year, a week, a month and day.”

Then Pedro said,

    “If what Parrots say is ever true,
    I’ll NEVER say good bye to you.”

Then Daddy Do-Little felt cheered up you may be sure. He said to the
Parrot,

    “You’ll have to behave, Sir, for one of your age,
    I’d really expect you to stay in your cage.”

Turning to Curly-Tail he said,

    “’Tis time for bed, oh goodness me,
    Each hour grows later as you see.”

They all went merrily to bed.

When the moon came out Curly-Tail crept down stairs and went out into the
garden, singing little songs like these,

[Illustration: _Curly-Tail Went Out in the Garden_]

    “Little seeds you must grow, grow, grow,
    For we have been making a garden you know.”

Then the little seeds sent their roots down into the earth and they sent
their green shoots up.

They grew very fast, for they were magic seeds of course.

Curly-Tail danced up to bed and fell asleep dreaming happy dreams.

In the morning Pedro got breakfast and Daddy Do-Little was so happy to
have company that he just sat in the corner and forgot to look out at his
garden all day.

When evening came, Curly-Tail said,

    “Daddy Do-Little nobody knows,
    As well as I, how your garden grows.”

They went out together and Daddy Do-Little rubbed his eyes, for
everything was coming up in even rows.

At that very minute Curly-Tail set up a shout, for the Fourteen Little
Darling Dogs came trooping along, and they all had picnic baskets! They
sang,

    “A surprise party’s well if it doesn’t fail,
    A happy birthday to Curly-Tail!”

Sure enough, it was Curly-Tail’s birthday and the funny part of it was,
nobody knew how old he was.

They had the picnic on the porch and Daddy Do-Little said,

    “I am very happy, I’m hale and hearty,
    I always enjoy a birthday party.”

Curly-Tail danced so hard round, and round, and round, after his little
tightly curled up tail, that I think he danced right out of the book, if
you really want to know what became of him,

    Just send him a letter through the mail,
    And address it to Little Curly-Tail.


_FINIS_

[Illustration: _He Danced Right Out of the Book_]




ALBERT WHITMAN’S EASY READING JUVENILE LIBRARY

“JUST RIGHT BOOKS”


Profusely illustrated in colors; reinforced cloth binding; printed in
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    The Tiddly Winks
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    Real Out-of-Door Stories
    Fifty Funny Animal Tales
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    Child’s Garden of Verses
    The Treasure Twins
    Open Air Stories
    Gingerbread Boy
    Doll Land Stories
    Tale of Curly Tail
    Reading Time Stories
    Knowledge Primer Games
    Jolly Polly and Curly Tail
    Flower and Berry Babies
    Little Boy France
    Busy Fingers Drawing Primer
    Happy Manikin in Manners Town
    The Vegetable and Fruit Children
    The Dinner That Was Always There
    Six Tiddly Winks and the A to Zees

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