Toots and His Friends Read online

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  TOOTS AND HIS FRIENDS

  By Kate Tannatt Woods

  Author Of "Twice Two," "Six Little Rebels," "Doctor Dick,""Out And About," Etc.

  Illustrated

  Cassell & Company, Limited New York, London And Paris

  1883

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  HOW TOOTS WENT TO BED.

  OOTS is our baby. He is a queer one too; up early, and always in dreadof bed-time. One morning, not long ago, we heard him singing, and onlooking for him, found the little rogue in the very middle of our bestbed in the guest chamber, where he was playing hand-organ with a longhairpin put through the pretty pillow covers which had just come homefrom the laundry. There he sat singing a droll medley of "Uncle Ned,""Blessed Desus," and "Down in the Coal Mine." He had been watching twosoldiers with a hand-organ, and Toots likes to do everything he seesdone. While we were putting the guest-room in order, Toots marched outas a blind man, with his eyes shut and a cane in his hand. This broughthim to grief, for he was picked up at the foot of the stairs with twolarge bumps on his pretty white brow. Toots was quiet then for a littlewhile, a very little while, for as soon as we decided that his boneswere all sound and a doctor need not be called, he "played sick," andasked for "shicken brof" and toast.

  One night mamma was imprudent, for she said to a visitor, who waspraising the little fellow, "Oh, yes, Toots is always lovely and gentleat bed-time." That very night while mamma was resting on the lounge, andher friend was chatting, both ladies heard a mysterious clicking. "Itcan't be Toots," said mamma; "his eyes were closed when I left him."Then the clicking came again louder than ever, and suddenly a crash asof breaking glass. Mamma sprang up at once, and there was Toots seatedon a bath-tub driving for dear life with two of his best sashes forreins. He had fastened one on each side of the mirror, and in hiseagerness to drive fast, had tumbled down toilet-bottles, cushions, andall the pretty things his mamma loved to see. Toots was playing circus.Barnum had been in town the day before, and Toots had made a grandprocession with chairs, books, bottles, pictures, and everything hislittle hands could reach. Such a happy, beaming face was never seenbefore. "Why, Toots, I thought you were asleep," said mamma. "No, I habtoo much to do, my 'cession is coming up street fast."

  When he was quite small, Toots used to spend hours in the garden safelyfastened into the standing stool which his grandpa had when a littleboy. The little fellow's face was so bright, and his large eyes so fullof innocent fun, that no one could be angry with Toots even when he didvery strange and unexpected things.

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  TOOTS AT THE KINDERGARTEN.

  |WHEN Toots was old enough to enter a little school, his mamma said hemust go to a Kindergarten, which, you all know, is a delightful placefor all children. Our good German friends first thought of it for theirlittle people, and here in America we have found it an excellent fashionto follow. Block building, song singing, and drawing with pretty thingsin needlework, and forms in clay, not only teach the children to thinkbut to do, and good thinking must always come before well doing, Toots'mamma knew a kind German lady who understood teaching the little ones,and after some delay a school was opened and Toots was a pupil. He criedhard at first. He was afraid of strangers, and he dreaded to speak aloudbefore them, although he was such a rogue at home. His mamma bought hima pretty lunch basket and put in it some little cakes for his lunch, andthen they rode away in the horse car to the schoolroom. After the firstday Toots was always ready to go. "It is only play," he said. But itwas more than play, for every night Toots had something new to tell;sometimes he had watered the plants in the school-room, sometimes hetalked of cubes and triangles, sometimes he sang a little song. Tootswas learning without knowing it, and all the time he was very happy. Noone was allowed to say a naughty word, no one was ever rude or unkind,and all the little eyes and hands were trained.

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  When Toots told his grandma about the seed germ of a plant and howit grew she said, "Ah, I wish I could have gone to such a school; thechildren are very fortunate now a days." One day Toots brought hisgrandma a pretty book-mark he had worked, and he could tell the names ofall the colors in it and the names of the stitches. Such pretty thingsas he made in clay, such dainty shapes and forms, it really was quitewonderful to see them and hear the little fellow in kilt skirts talkabout them. One day Toots did not come home from the Kindergarten asusual. His favorite car driver shook his head as he passed the house.Toots had not come out to ride home with him. Grandma was much worried."Never mind," said mamma, "he is quite safe, perhaps they are all outfor walk, or studying the trees or flowers in the garden; he will comein the next car, for his teacher always puts him on herself." When thenext car came, there was the little boy, smiling and happy. The childrenhad taken a long walk with their teacher, and when they returned Tootshad fallen asleep, so the kind teacher would not disturb him, and thelittle fellow was well rested.

  After dinner he had a long story to tell about the lungs of plantsand the edges of leaves, which were like little saws, and a prettypitcher-plant he had seen. When his story was complete he added, "All mychildren shall go to a Kindergarten, for it is the nicest place in theworld 'cept mamma's room."

  THE HAPPY HOUR.

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  VERY night just before bedtime Toots and his mamma had a happy hourtogether.

  Sometimes a friend or two would share the pleasures of this eveninghour, and Toots enjoyed it much more if Bessie or Flossie, or some ofhis mates, could hear mamma's stories or verses written expressly forchildren. When Toots was quite small he was rude enough one day tostrike his nurse, and after mamma had heard all the story, she readthese lines about

  JOHNNIE'S TROUBLES.

  ``My mamma's sorry, now, she is;

  ```I don' know what I'se done;

  ``S'pec' she feels sorry jess bekause

  ```I slapped old nurse like fun.=

  ``Old nurse she digs and shates me too;

  ```I wish I went to stool;

  ``Teacher won't set me down so hard,

  ```An' call me "little fool."=

  ``She pinches awful! dess I know,

  ```My arms is black an' blue;

  ``She says she "hopes to do to Heaven

  ```I hope I shan't do too.=

  ``I don't like nurses--do you now?

  ```Dey is dest as mean as dirls;

  ``When I dits big I'll let'em know

  ```Dey musn't pull my turls.=

  ``My mamma she's real dood, she is;

  ```On most the days I play

  ``With her jess like she was a boy,

  ```She hugs me every day.=

  ``My mamma she don't stold me none,

  ```I dess she don't know how;

  ``But nurse, oh, my! she spoke so loud;

  ```Hush, she is toming now!=

  ``No, dat ain't nurse, an' ain't I glad?

  ```I jess know what I'll do,

  ``I'll do tell mamma I was bad,

  ```An' I feel sorry too.=

  ``I dess Dod made my mamma sure,

  ```She is so sweet and nice;

  ``But who made nurse, s'pose you know?

  ```I'll ask my Drandma Rice.=

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  ELFIE.

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  MONG Toots' friends was a little girl whose name was Elfie. She livedjust across the way, and her papa's garden joined that of Toots' mamma.There was a large gate, between the gardens, and the children went backand forth in the summer. They seldom quarrelled, and both children wereglad to share their playthings. When Toots had the scarlet fever andwas
shut up in a room with his mamma and nurse, Elfie cried to have thefever too, so she could see him. It was summer time when Toots was sick,and sometimes when he was tired and restless he would moan so Elfiecould hear him in the garden. One day when it was very warm and everyone was tired and cross, Auntie bathed Elfie and put her on the bed, butshe did not stay there long; she began to think of Toots--how warm hemust be, how tired of the bed and that ugly dark room. Suddenly Elfieremembered that people used to bring her mamma pretty flowers when shewas ill.

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  Perhaps she might carry Toots some flowers; her auntie was fast asleepand the nurse was out. Yes, she would go into the garden and get theprettiest flowers there for poor Toots. She had no shoes--auntie had putthem away--and no stockings; but it would not matter; plenty of childrennever had shoes or stockings, and it could not hurt very much, for theycould run.

  Just then a low moan was heard and that decided Elfie; she sprang up andran down stairs; no one was in sight but Touser, and he was such a gooddog, he only lapped her bare feet with his tongue, so little Elfie wentinto the garden and began to gather flowers.

  Presently she heard another moan from the sick-room, and she ran as fastas she could through the gate and up to the door. One of the servantswas just coming out. "Why, little Elfie!" said she, "you will hurt thosepoor bare feet and you must not come here now, did any one send you?"

  "No, I runned away,'coz I wanted Toots to have some flowers, and I wishI could have the fever too, and be sick with him."

  "Poor child!" said the maid, "Master Toots shall have your flowers andhe is better to-day, only the great heat makes him moan; wait here a bituntil I send them up to his room and then I will take you home."

  The flowers were carried to the sick-room and Toots smiled when theytold him what his little friend said. "Tell her not to wish for thefever," he said, "for I feel as if I were on fire, and there is no coolplace in the bed; but when I am well again we will play together at thefountain and keep our store as we used to." Elfie was very happy whenshe heard this message, and after that she sent flowers to the sick boyevery day.

  PAUL BROWN.

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  HEN Toots first went to the Kindergarten he met there a little boy whosename was Paul Brown. He was a very bright little fellow, but he couldnot talk as well as Toots; some of his words were cut short and itsounded very cunning, for Paul did his best and the Kindergarten teachertold the boys and girls that no one could do better than his best. Oneday a little baby sister came to Paul's house and this is the story hetold his grandpa when the old gentleman came in to see the stranger:

  PAUL'S REMARKS AT FOUR YEARS OF AGE.

  ``"Fink I don't know what dat fing is,

  ```All wrapped up in gwanma's lap?

  ``I does; nurse told me so to-day,

  ```It's my sisser tatin' a nap.

  ``"She's only a piece of a day old now,

  ```But she _looks_ like any fing;

  ``Wight out of her great eyes all boo,

  ```An', ganpa, she can sing:=

  ``"There, don't you hear her, naughty dirl?

  ``She skuled dat way--because

  ``I feeled her foots, to see if 'em gowed

  ```Like mine or pussy's claws.=

  ``"Sissers ain't nice to sing dat way,

  ```And gwanma holds her snug;

  ``I wouldn't cuy if her holded me,

  ```All up in dat pwetty rug.=

  ``"Oh, yes, me knows, she's a sisser, she is,

  ```An' I'm jess a boy, dat's all;

  ``Sissers ain't dood for much, I fink,

  ```Why, her couldn't hold my ball.=

  ``"Dess if I was made a piece of a day,

  ```I would know some more dan dat;

  ``No, ganpa, sissers ain't dood for much,

  ```I'll do and find my cat."=

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  PAUL'S VIEWS AT EIGHT YEARS OF AGE.

  |WHEN Paul grew older and the little sister could go with him to schoolhe changed his mind about her value. Sometimes, I am sorry to say, heled her into mischief, and once they were lost a whole day in the woodsbecause Paul wanted to show her how the flowers grew and the trees sang,but after all the little girl made him a better boy as we shall see.=

  ``What's that you say? "She's only a girl?"

  ```Well, so much the better for that;

  ``Her eyes are the prettiest I ever saw,

  ```Just peep at them under her hat.=

  ``She talks in the funniest broken way,

  ```Just as I did once! Well, who cares?

  ``I never could smile the way she does,

  ```Or pit-a-pat on the stairs.=

  ``I wonder at girls, I do, Jim Pool,

  ```Let me try as hard as I will,

  ``To put my feet down easy and soft,

  ```They will pound and thump down still.=

  ``And I never yet tried to close the door

  ```As gentle as sister pan do,

  ``That it doesn't go bang and shake the house,

  ```"That's queer; it's just so with you."=

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  ``Well, Jim, we are boys, only boys you see,

  ```And apt to be noisy and rough;

  ``But my little sister, she just teaches me,

  ```One look of her eyes is enough.=

  ``I can't tell just why, but as true as you live,

  ```I am better since she came here;

  ``"She's only a girl!" Yes, I know, Jim Pool,

  ```And I'm only a boy, that's clear.=

  ``My mother was once a girl like her,

  ```And she's just as good as gold;

  ``What's that? oh, nonsense, I know, Jim Pool,

  ```My mother won't ever "grow old."=

  ``What's that? False hair and teeth for her?

  ```Go home, Jim Pool, I won't play

  ``With a boy who says my mother dear

  ```Will ever be "ugly and gray."=

  ``But never mind, Jim, you ain't to blame,

  ```You've no sister or mother, you see;

  ``If mine grows ugly, and wrinkled, and lame,

  ```She will still be mother to me.=

  MAX THE MEDDLER.

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  AX was not one of Toots' "really truly friends," so Toots said, butmamma and cousin Hattie were kind to Max. He needed friends badly. Hehad no mother, and his father was a cruel, wicked man. One day whenToots and his mother were spending the day with cousin Hattie, thelatter said, "I have some very bad news to tell you. Some wicked boy hastorn down my little bird-house which papa put in the maple tree for me,and my dear little birds have gone away."

  "How cruel!" said Toots.

  "Who could climb over your high wall?" asked his mamma.

  "I cannot guess," replied cousin Hattie, "but my roses are trampled, andpapa says it must be a boy, as he measured the footsteps."

  "You had better watch for the thief, and, perhaps, we can coax him tobehave better in future." Miss Hattie and the servants watched in vainfor a week, but one day while the ladies were reading in the library theservant knocked to say that a queer-looking boy had just slid down thefence, and perhaps he was the thief.

  The ladies went out at once and found him. He looked ragged andneglected, but his face was a good one if it had only been clean andhappy.

  "I am sorry you climbed over that way," said cousin Hattie; "wheneveryou would like to see my garden you shall come in if you will ring thebell." The boy looked very much ashamed. "Please tell me your name."

  "Max," was the brief reply.

  "It is a very nice name," said cousin Hattie. "Now Max, if you will comewith me into the kitchen I will find some lunch for you." Max followedher in, but he could not eat much; the cook looked at him sharply.

  "I know him, miss," said she, "he is called Max the Meddler. He neverlets a poor bird or cat have any rest where he is, and he is pryingabout everywhere. I am sure he took your bird-house."

  Cousin Hattie said, "Never mind, cook; he wi
ll never do it again;perhaps he will earn a new name and a better one." After he had eatenhis lunch the young lady took him out into the garden and told him thestory of her birds--how much she loved them, how her papa put up theirhouse, and how sorry she was to have them disturbed. Max looked morethan ever ashamed. At last he said: "I will never do so again, lady, andif you will let me come and work in your garden I will pay you for thelittle house, which I sold to another boy."

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  OUR MAY.

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  ITTLE MAY is Toots' own cousin, and one of the dearest little girls youever knew!

  She is a tender-hearted child, and, like Toots, very fond of pets. Onceon a cold winter day she found a poor little dead bird which the snowstorm of the night before had killed. She brought it to cousin Toots,and together they buried it under a snowbank in the garden. One nightduring the "Happy Hour" May said "I wish you wrote some truly versesabout me, dear auntie," and the very next night auntie did, and herethey are:=

  ``In the early summer light,

  ``Trampling down the red and white,

  ``Eating clover, sweet and fair,

  ``Happy child with floating hair;

  ``Not a thought of injured hay.

  ```That's our darling,

  ```That's our May.=

  ``In the garret, on the stair,

  ``Climbing haymows, everywhere;