The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-11-07
4 BEDTIME STORY FOR LITTLE
FOLK.

4 BEDTIME sIOkf Foh LII Ii
FOLK.
"Oh. dear, wish l wasn't little
) boy" said Rob. And what do you
think made him say II? II was be-
cause his mamma had just told him
/ TO put away his blocks and TO take
Prince to the stable and give him
some oats. Prince ia his rocking
| horse. and the stable il the corner
| between the rockingham and the
south window. Every night Rob ties
! Prince to the chair, and holds sau-
! Ger OF birdseed under his nose till he
has eaten as much supper as rock
ing-horse ought to eat. It doesn't
take long, and he likes TO feed his
pony: but he knows his bread and
milk are ready by that time, and his
! bedtime has come. That Is why he
said, "Oh, dear!"
"Why, what should do II l hadn't
any little boy:" said mamma, land
! what would you do II you hadn't any
! little bed?"
Rob thought minute, and then
Sdlu. IL was q AAkSAS VA ~
shouldn't want one. o mamma, may
| play / am bird?"
His mamma said: Eyes, you may
be a robin" So he began to hop
about on the floor tapping his arms
for wings. When he was tired OF
doing that, she told him to stand on
one foot, and put his head down on
one side and go to sleep.
/ "Why, mamma" he said, 81 can't
sleep in that way. Besides, I am
hungry"
Are you?" said his mamma.
"Well, here are some crumbs left
from a cookey my little boy had.
You may eat them; but, If you are a
robin you must sleep as robins do"
Rob stood on one foot for two min
utes. He thought it was an hour,
he was so tired; and then he said he
would rather be a cat, because he
could lie down. His mamma poured
the floor, and said, Come, kityt, kit
ty"; but he couldn't drink it as pussy
did, and he tipped it over before he
mad tasted a drop. Then he lay down
On the rug before the fire. He tried
to cur! himself up in little ball;
but he bumped his head, and he
couldn't lie still and purr, though he
tried very hard.
; In a few minutes he jumped up,
and said: Mamma, l don't want to
!, be little boy yet. What else can |
| be- Mamma smiled, and said: do
you want TO be f1ower?'
, "Oh, yes" said Rob. II will be a
/ morning-glory. He had heard his
mamma call his baby sister her little
morning glory as she lay cooling in
J her crib, and he thought it was a
: very sweet name.
WELL" said mamma, 1.-The morn
, ing-glories have all gone to sleep by
t this time. So you must come and
t stand by me, and go to sleep, too"
Rob went to her, and stood very
2 still to show he was on stem. Nam
( ma put his arm through hers. because
3 that flower always put out little run
3 ners to hold on by. Then she told
/ him how it twists itself up when its
early bedtime comes, Rob shup his
eyes SO tight and puckered his lips
D close that his little face was as red
r as rose.
Just then nurse came into the
4 room with bowl of bread and milk
: and mamma said: "Shall l sprinkle
9 my flower with water or shall l give
3 my little boy his support"
r ''Oh, I'll eat my supper" said Rob
!" Pd rather you'd be my mamma than
Q anything else"
t So he sat in his mammals lap while
r he ate his bread and milk, and she
g told him he was her little robin.
d And then she washed his face anc
t hands, and called him her little kit
b ten, because the mother Away
/, washes her kittens.
And, when she put on his night
o gown, she said he was her little flow
I er and wore a white dress, like tn,
d other flowers
And then she kissed him, and said
n my darling little boy; and that wa
g the best of all. When he had said
IL Nov I lay me- and the praye
# mamma made for him, he asked II b
might say one more. Mamma smiled
Yes; and he said, Dear Heavenl
} Father, thank you for making me
2. little boy"
n Then he shut his eyes, and in tw
10 minutes he didn't know whether b
e was bird or boy or kitten or
'r morning glory.-Selected