The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-02-20
DCYyIV[NDN
.AIRY TALL 01
THE ALPHABET LETTERS.
~ MARY GRAHAM BONNER


"My story is very sad and sorrow
full one. If tell it to you it will make
you cry" said the letter 2.
Alphabet letters don't cry" said the
letter S. "Tears are shed over us, but
we don't cry ourselves. So tell us your
sad and sorrowful story, Mr.. a."
"Tell us the sad and sorrowfu
story" repeated the other alphabet let
terS.
sit shows 1 have a good disposition
said the letter 2. "I'm neither angry
nor Cross
There, there" said the letter S
'You used me twice in that last WORD
which was all very well, but you need
not have brought in that word angry
for angry and cross mean the same"
"All right" said the letter 2. Il dc
SO little work these days that / really
feel as If / didn't know anything"
"Poor letter T." the other letters all
said.
"Tell us your story" said the letter
S.
Il will,' agreed the letter q.
pray do" the others urged.
"It's the letter S which has caused
the trouble" said the letter 2.
The letter wiggled and wriggled
and twisted and turned and said:
Il beg your pardon, letter q. am
cure I have meant no harm"
None at ALL" said the letter q. 81
know you have meant no harm. And
you needn't beg my pardon, for it isn't
your fault. You can't rule teachers
and parents and writer's and students.
You do what you can for them, that is
all.
"But think about it, letters, and you
will understand. Just think of the
number Of words which used to need
my letter in them and now they have
put the letter s in instead"
eyes," said the letter M, "that is
true, and we can think about these
things now, for it is recess time"
think of all the words which end
with the letters fse.' They used to end
with the letters ize.'"
"True," said the alphabet letters ;
perfectly true"
you're sure you are not angry with
mel" asked the letter s, wriggling
nervously.
"Quite true" said the letter 2. "As
said before, 1t is not your fault. But
isn't my tale sad and sorrowful
one?"
"It is" said the other letters.s
But just then up spoke the letter :
and the letter and the letter e.
Letter a." they said, "come and
join us or we won't be a word. We
need you. letter q; we must have you."
So the letter 2 joined these three
letters and they all Jumped around as
the word SIZE appeared, as you have
doubtless already guessed.
you're all very good to me-" said
the letter z as it played around with
the letters s and ] and e. Each one
kept it's own place in the word, but
sometimes they made themselves look
very big and sometimes they made
themselves look very small and some
times they made themselves look just
about medium size. For, as they made
up the WORD size, and as size can be
small-small size, you know-or big,
they did everything they could and
played all the games they could.
Then other letters formed other
words and they played around, just
as they should have played to show
folks what they meant. You can imag-
inc what a wonderful time the letters
and u aud N had. They most GER
tainly did have fun.
But recess was soon over and tie
children were going back to their
class rooms.
Hurry, hurry" said the letter ..
"All the big letters and all the little
letters. Hurry to the class rooms. =
II don't have to hurry much," said
the letter q, shut will either live to
a very old age from being lazy and do
ing nothing to tire myself, or else I'll
be forgotten entirely."t
ooh, mo, you won't be forgotten, =
said the other alphabet letters.
"We'll see to that" said the letters
A and B and G. "We have a great
deal TO do with schools and lessons,
you know, and we will keep you with
us, never fear"
"Thank you, thank you," said the let
ter z, as it twisted itself slowly back
into the school rooms.
And the letter S said "Thank you
for not being angry with me. You're