Sing "Lovely May" from Hubbard's Song Book.
May Song, Plan Book.

of various shapes and sizes.

Drawing-Draw May baskets made. Draw other baskets Pose boy or girl, basket in hand or on arm, and let the pupils draw. Write on the paper, "I go a-Maying."

MAY DAY IN SWEDEN.

ESTHER S. JACOBSON.

I wonder how many little boys and girls can tell me anything about Sweden, that country which is called the "Land of the Midnight Sun"; that country where May day is kept as the holiday, by the old Maypole dance.

In the fresh month of May, when Spring buds into beauty and wild flowers, every boy and girl goes to the woods and meadows to gather wild flowers. They hear the birds and feel the Spring air and smell the wood odors; but their eyes are busier than all these, spying out the flowers, and feet running hither and yon, and hands plucking the beauties are busiest of all.

On the 23d day of June-Midsummer's eve-you will see in every village a Maypole standing straight and tall on the village green. It is fifty or sixty feet high, and is covered from ground to towering top with wreaths, flowers, birch leaves, and green sprays, and floating off from the very tip is the blue and yellow flag of Sweden.

The village folks gather around the Maypole, and with music, song, and dance have a jolly time all the night long. But you would hardly call it night, for it is not dark at all, but just a glorious twilight. It is light enough all night to distinguish the faces of friends at a glance, and that is the reason it is called the "Land of the Midnight Sun," as you have heard your mothers tell you, perhaps.

As the sun goes down the country folks light bonfires on the hilltops. If you were walking down in the valley about

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this time, and turned to look back, you would see the hillsides ablaze with beacon lights.

Is it not strange that the Swedish people put up Maypoles. in June? I will tell you why they gave them this name. The Swedish word for May-Maj-means green leaf. It would be quite as proper to call them "green-leaf poles," and these are just as proper for June as for May.

I wish your mamma would visit Sweden some Springtime and take you with her, and then join the villagers in the Midsummer's eve dance. I know it would be one of the jolliest days, or rather nights, in your whole life.

LANGUAGE.

-Child Garden.

The May Flower or Trailing Arbutus, or the May Apple.In some localities it is not possible to secure the trailing arbutus, and in these cases the flower or fruit of the May Apple may be used instead.

Recall the story of the Landing of the Pilgrims, the first hard, long winter in the new country and their gladness at the return of the spring. The Trailing Arbutus was the first flower that greeted them, and they gave to it the name of their brave ship, The Mayflower. It reminded then of this because it too had braved the cold and storm.

Let them observe the May Flower. Notice the green cup that holds the flower; give its name, calyx. The little pink star, the corolla. Show how, in the buds, the calyx hides the corolla and protects it from cold.

LITERATURE.

Legend of the Trailing Arbutus in the Child World, Emily Poulsson.

BLACK BOARD READING.

THE MAY FLOWER OR ARBUTUS.

See this little pink flower.
How fragrant it is!

It comes early each April.

It is a May Flower.

The Pilgrims called it that.

It was named for the ship Mayflower.

It has another name.

Some people call it Trailing Arbutus.
Do you know why?

The May Flower is an evergreen.
See its thick green leaves.
They look rough and rusty.
They hide under the dry leaves.

The flowers are pretty, I think.

THE INDIAN LEGEND OF THE ARBUTUS.

BY HELEN M. PERKINS.

Many, many moons ago, they say, there lived an old, old man all alone in his wigwam among the dark pines and firs. His long hair and beard were white as the snow that covered everything, and he was dressed in the skin of the bear to keep him warm, for all the world was Winter then. The little brooks were locked fast with Jack Frost's strongest chains; the wind moaned through the trees, and not even a squirrel or a blue jay dared venture out.

none.

The old man went about searching everywhere for some bits of wood to keep a fire in his wigwam, but he could find Then in despair he went back, and called to the Great Spirit to send him some warmth that he might not die. And as he sat there, stretching out his hands over the few coals that were left of his fire, the door of his tent was pushed aside and in came the most beautiful maiden! Her cheeks looked as if the pinkest wild roses were blooming there, her eyes were dark blue like clear skies at twilight, and shining like stars, and her hair was brown as the October chestnuts, and it touched the ground as she walked. Her dress was made of

sweet grasses and ferns, and on her feet she wore the most beautiful white satin slippers in the world, for they were made of a shining white lily. Her breath was like the south wind when it blows over a field of clover, and it made the tent as warm and fragrant as a June day.

The old man said to her, "My daughter, I am glad to see you; but tell me who you are, that you come to my lodge dressed so strangely? Sit here and tell me of your country and your nation, and I will tell you of my wonderful deeds."

So the maiden sat down upon a mat of rushes, and the old man began: "I am all-powerful. I breathe, and the rivers and lakes are locked fast in icy chains."

"I breathe," said the maiden, "and the violet, the windflower, and all the lovely sisterhood spring up to greet me." "I shake my white locks," said the old man, "and snow covers the ground."

"I shake my curls," said the maiden, "and from the clouds falls the warm rain, each little drop bringing freshness from heaven to the tiny roots that are waiting for it."

Then the old man said: "As I walk through the trees, at my command each leaf falls to the ground, the squirrels and beavers hide away in their holes, and from the lakes and rivers wild ducks and geese leave their nests among the reeds and rushes, and fly southward."

The maiden said: "At my coming the flowers lift up their heads, the trees put on their dresses of tender green, the little brooks sing as they ripple over the pebbles, and the robins and blue birds and merry voices of children join in their song."

So they talked until, as it grew warmer and warmer in the tent, the old man's eyes grew heavy and at last he slept. Then the maiden knelt beside him and waved her hands gently above his head, and he began to grow smaller. A tiny stream of water flowed from his mouth, and soon there was nothing but a small moss on the ground and his clothing had

all turned to green leaves. Then the maiden took from her dress the most lovely white flowers and hid all about under the green leaves. As she breathed on them she said: "I give thee my most precious treasures and my sweetest breath, and all who would pick thee must do so on bended knee." Then the maiden floated away through the woods and plains, and wherever she touched the ground sprang up these flowers. -Child Garden.

MAY THE SECOND.

On the day following the May walk, let pupils tell you during the morning exercises what they saw during the walk of the evening before.

What color was the sky?

What animals did they see in the air? Any insects? Any birds? Name them. What were they doing? How did they look? What trees were in bloom? What trees were in full leaf? What flowers did you find?' What animals did you see on the ground? What were they doing? Did you see any water? Was it standing still or moving? What do we call water that stands still like that? (Ditch or pond.) What other body of water did you see? What do we call water that runs as that did? (Brook or river.) What did you see in the pond, river or brook? Did you see any animals? What were they doing?

Did you see any people during your May walk? What were they doing?

DRAWING.

Draw a picture (or paint it), showing these things seen during the May walk, or picturing the children who went.

LANGUAGE (WRITTEN).

Write a description of the May walk, telling where you went, what you did and saw.