Page images
PDF
EPUB

3. When the dinner was put up for school, the cow gave the cheese and the butter that was spread upon the bread. In the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating the curds and whey " which the old cow gave her.

4. This morning Johnny's hair was in a snarl, and mamma got it out with the help of the old cow, who gave the horn to make the comb.

5. When we

go out in wet weather, the cow gives her hide to be made into the leather out of which our coarse boots are made; and the calf gives its hide for our fine boots and shoes.

6. When our new room was plastered, a little while ago, the cow gave the hair to mix with the mortar, so that the plaster would stick together and stay on the wall.

7. Before we get our chairs and tables, the cow takes off her hoofs and gives us the glue with which they are put together. Then Santa Claus could not bring Johnny his white-handled knife till the old cow had given a bone for the handle.

8. "Sleepy-head goes to bed" at night, and the candle he carries is another present from the old cow. The flesh of grown cattle that we eat we call beef, and the flesh of calves, veal.

[merged small][graphic]

1. We will now take a look at our friend, the sheep. See it stand there, looking so kind, and harmless, and innocent!

2. The sheep is much smaller than a cow, and in size is like a large dog. Its nose is more pointed, and its ears are smaller, than those of a cow. It has small, cloven hoofs, and it eats grass and chews its cud in the same way that a cow does.

3. Its jaws are like those of a cow, with no teeth in its upper jaw in front, and with broad, flat chewing teeth back. Like a cow, it feeds upon

grass in the summer, and upon hay and grain in

the winter.

4. The rams have large horns that twist about in a very curious way. Lambs are playful, like kittens, and they hop and

[graphic]

frisk about, and they sometimes have great games with old Rover or with the cat. 5. Sheep are covered with a

thick coat of

wool, and this keeps them warm, so that they can live out-of-doors in the coldest weather. In summer their "fleece" of wool is sheared off, The wool is made into cloth, and the cloth is made up into clothes for folks to wear, so that the coat of a sheep makes the coat for a boy.

Head of Merino Ram.

6. Besides our clothes and blankets, the sheep gives us fine, thin leather to bind books and make gloves, and tallow to make candles and soap. The flesh of sheep, which we eat, is called mutton.

[merged small][graphic]

1. SHEEP appear very helpless, but when they run wild they know how to take care of themselves very well.

2. They butt with their heads, and the large, old rams will run very fast, and strike a fearful blow.

781669A

3. When a flock of wild sheep is feeding, one is placed at some distance out on each side, to keep watch.

4. If an enemy is seen, the guards give a kind of whistle, and the whole flock scuds away to the rocks on the mountain.

5. If they can not get away, they place the lambs in the center of the flock, and the old sheep face outward, the biggest rams in advance.

6. When the fox or the dog are within a few yards, the rams rush at him, and they are nearly always successful in killing or driving him away.

7. The ewe has so strong a love for her lamb, that she will face any danger to protect it.

8. One day a shepherd saw a fox in a high, rocky place, trying to get a young lamb; but the old ewe kept her head toward the fox, and gave him no chance.

9. At last the fox made a spring and seized the lamb, and at the same time the ewe struck him with her head, and they all went over the rocks and were killed.

10. A kind of sheep in South Africa have tails so large and fat, that the people tie them to small carts so that the sheep can get about. The fat is used for butter.

« PreviousContinue »