Rigmarole

Rigmarole.

There is a land where bunnies dance

While foxes play the flute,

Where puppy-dogs in polkas prance,

And bear-cubs swiftly shoot

In sledges o'er the slipp'ry ice,

Which isn't safe, though very nice.

There on their hind-legs kittens walk,

And elephants steal jam,

There lions sit at tea and talk,

As gentle as a lamb,

There rats at school long copies write,

While bears are put to bed at night.

And if you don't believe it, look

At all the pages in my book!

The Rain Regiment

The Rain Regiment

by Mathilda Schirmer

Across the city's many roofs

Comes a sound of heavy hoofs...

The Regiment of Rain

That beats the windowpane;

That floods each country lane;

That tramples the farmers' grain;

That tangles the horse's mane;

That teases the weather vane,

And angers the raging main!

There are none who can refrain

From admiring the Regiment of Rain.

Pillow-Time!

Pillow-Time!

Pillow-time!

Friendly, bright stars

Gleaming out

In the dark sky,

Above quiet trees

A jolly moon

For Company;

And to lure one

Far into sleepy-land,

Thee beguiling

Pillow-time tales

About other children's

Dream adventures.

Why, pillow-time

Is the happiest time

Of all the day!

Autumn

Autumn

by Albert Laighton.

The world puts on its robes of glory now;

The very flowers are tinged with deeper

dyes;

The waves are bluer, and the angels pitch

Their shining tents along the sunset

skies.

Fireman's or woman's badge for playtime.

         Below are fireman's badges that teachers and parents may print, cut and laminate in order to give away to young children for play time after they have been visited by the local fire department. You can adhere special safety pins to the back side of the badges. I found a large pack at Amazon for little ones here. You could probably find them in your local craft store as well if you prefer.

        Individual graphics are included for parents who only need one or two. Four graphics are included on one sheet of badges for easier printing in the classroom. Enjoy!
       Fire Departments feel free to pass out these crafted fireman's badges too, if you would like. They are free from kathy grimm!

A fireman's badge including an "engine house" number.

A fireman's badge including an eagle.

A fireman's badge with a blank ribbon for teachers who wish to include a name.

A fireman's badge including the symbolic tools of the trade.

All four fireman's badges on one png. for those who need to print multiple quantities.

Animal Intelligence

       It is generally known that many animals possess in a greater or less degree the same senses that we ourselves have: sight, hearing, smell, touch, temperature and so on and that many of them experience such emotions as: anger, grief and joy; but it is not by any means so certain that they have even the elements of reason as we understand that term.

       The sense of touch in man is keenest in the finger tips, the lips and the tip of the tongue. In the lower animals the regions of greatest sensitiveness are often different, and in some animals special and very delicate touch organs have been developed; as, for example, the whiskers of the eat and the long hair on the rabbit's lip, by means of which these animals can readily find their way in the densest darkness. The wing of the bat is also very sensitive to touch.

       In man the sense of taste is keen and resides in the taste bulbs which cover the tongue and palate. In birds and reptiles the sense of taste is not very well developed. Insects recognize the difference between sweet and bitter, but do not seem to be affected by other flavors. Many animals show an instinctive dislike for certain foods, but it may be more from the sense of smell than from taste, for the two are very closely allied.

       In some animals the sense of smell is exceedingly acute. The dog can track his master through the crowded street; the deer recognizes the presence of an enemy very quickly. But birds have little sense of smell, and reptiles also are dull in this respect. Fish differ; it is said that the shark is almost entirely dependent on his sense of smell for his food. In insects this sense is most keenly developed.

       Most of the mammals and the birds have a keen sense of hearing. The astonishing manner in which some birds will imitate the songs of other birds testifies to the accuracy of their hearing; but fishes hear little, though it has been proved that they can hear to some extent. Certain insects hear and can distinguish sounds that are pitched higher than the human ear is able to recognize.

       The keenness of vision possessed by birds is most remarkable. The swift, flying high through the air, detects on the ground its minute food. The eagle sees his prey from long distances entirely beyond the range of the human eye. Some animals, such as frogs and toads, have keen vision only at short range, and fish seem to be entirely unable to distinguish prey at any great distance from themselves. It is known that certain insects distinguish between colors.

       That the higher animals have memory is very certain; a puppy, having been stung by a bee, will ever after avoid the insect, and may even flee at the sound of its humming. Dogs are known to have recognized their masters after years of absence, and they have been known to show strong resentment after many years against an individual who mistreated them.

       Animals certainly draw inferences from what they see, but apparently in purely instinctive manner. The best writers seem to doubt whether an animal can put together different facts and establish a conclusion. The extent to which the intelligence of animals goes in this direction, however, is a subject of dispute. Some writers maintain that animals really teach their young; others protest that nothing of the sort is ever done - that the actions of a bird in throwing her young from the nest are purely instinctive, and not with any thought of the young birds' welfare. Many modern writers have taken a different stand and have written exceedingly interesting accounts and imaginative histories of many animals.

• How Smart Are Animals? 
• What makes an animal clever? Research shows intelligence is not just about using tools
• Of all the animals on the Earth, these 15 are the smartest...

A letter about Grandpa's childhood

Dear Children,

       Well, here I am again, writing a letter to Grandpa's Grandchildren. This time I am going to write about horses. Some little girls do not care very much for horses, but all boys love horses and dogs. Long years ago I was a little boy. My Papa had an old-fashioned pair of leather saddlebags. My Father attended to a large herd of cattle, and he salted these cattle every week, and counted them to see if any had got out of the pasture. Sometimes I would ride behind until I would fall asleep, and then he would place me around in front, and hold me on his lap. At one time after he had emptied all the salt out of one side of the saddlebags, he put me in the empty bag and covered me up. Then he rode up in front of our home, and Mother came out to see her little boy; but no little boy could be found. It was a hot summer day, and I began to feel about as warm as a setting hen. Mother was scared; yes, excited at the loss of her first-born little boy. I could see the tears streaming from her eyes, as I peeped through a small crack in the old saddlebags.

       Mother was crying and, at the same time, telling Father that he was cruel to punish her in that way. I couldn't stand it a minute longer; young as I was, I felt that a little fellow like me could have no better friend than Mother. Papa saw that I had poked my head out of the bag and was turning the horse around, so Mother could not see me; but the old Dollie mare seemed to almost understand the trick, and in turning around, made more of a turn than Papa expected, and I was brought squarely around in full view, and there I was right in full sight of Mama, sitting down in the old saddlebags, with my little black head just above the cover. Papa lifted me up, and I didn't wait to be helped any farther, but just jumped into Mother's arms. The next day Father was mowing the yard, and I was wearing my first pants. Down at the back end of the yard was a small pond of water, with a mud bottom. My Papa waded into it to show me that the water was not deep, and in this way got me to try my new breeches. I waded out and back again a few times until the water became very muddy. Finally, I fell down in the middle of the pond, and went clear under, and how much farther, I could not tell. I was not old enough to swim, but I was a wriggler, and I wriggled out, but Oh! such a sight. I was the color of mud, and my new pants! Both Father and Mother gathered me up, and I was put through some kind of a fresh-water scrubbing, and that night Mother sat up until a late hour, making me a new pair of pantaloons. I started out in this letter to write you something about horses, but I got to thinking of some things that happened to me when I was a little boy.

       I believe I am getting to be like some preachers, who always take a text, but never preach from it.

Love, Grandpa.