Tiger, Tiger

 Tiger, Tiger 
by William Blake and
The last verse interpolated by J. M.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Shaped thy fearful symmetry?

 

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And, when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Who can say? Which of us can

Comprehend His mighty plan?

Therefore let us rest content

Knowing Good is God's intent.

The Thieving Green Monkey

       The  Green  Monkeys  are  natives  of  Senegal,  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. They  are  often  seen  in  Europe  and  America,  owing  to  their  being  well adapted  to  our  rigorous  climate.  They  are  famous  for  the  beauty  of  their silky  fur.  They  are  not  liked  by  the  natives,  owing  to  their  thieving  habits. One  green  monkey  is  not  a  serious  thing,  but  a  number  will  work  fearful havoc  in  a  very  short  time.  They  destroy  ruthlessly,  tearing  down  more  than they  can  eat  or  carry  away. 

• Green monkey facts you'll never forget by Kidadl

Large troop of Green Monkeys.

Kids can learn to draw a cute little monkey portrait...

The Burrowing Chipmunk

A chipmunk cracks acorns for it's dinner.

        The  bright  little  Chipmunk  is another  burrowing  rodent.  It  is  very common  near  the  woods,  where  it  can be  seen  scampering  along  through the  undergrowth,  making  the  curious, chirping  noise  from  which  it  gets  its name.  It  is  almost  defenseless,  while its  coat  is  so  bright  and  pretty,  just the  sort  to  attract  prowling  enemies. All  the  summer  long  it  is  busy  storing up  food  in  the shape  of  nuts  and haws  for  the  winter.  The  chipmunk nearly  always  carries  four  nuts  in  its mouth  at  a  time,  which,  considering the  size  of  the  animal,  is  a  huge  load. When  out  looking  for  food  it  must leave  its  shelter,  and  is  thus  laid  open to  attacks  from  the  polecat  and  hawk. Nevertheless,  there  is  hardly  any  little  animal  which,  to  human  eyes,  seems  so completely  happy.  It  is  never  seen  except  it  is  whisking  its  tail  about  in  the liveliest  manner. 

• Chipmunks - a brief documentary by Abbott Productions
  
• Chipmunks are ferocious snake killers? by Animalogic

 

Kids can learn to draw a chipmunk eating an acorn.

The Gorilla is The Largest Ape

The angry gorilla misunderstood in the past.

Below is an account of the first meeting between a French-American zoologist, Paul Du Chaillu, and gorilla.  His biography.

       ''The  largest  and  most  formidable  of  the  ape  tribe  is  the  Gorilla.  The animal  is  black,  with  dark  gray  eyes.  For  many years  the  reports  of  these  terrible  beasts  had  reached  Europe,  giving  the  impression that  it  was  a  myth  or  legend  of  the  slave-traders.  Travelers  who returned  to  Europe  brought  news  of  a  gigantic  race  of  hairy  savages  living  on the  west  coast  of  Africa.  Then  Paul  Du  Chaillu,  the  great  explorer,  brought home  a  true  account  of  the  huge  ape,  which  evidently  some imaginative  natives  had taken  to  be  a  race  of  men;  but  even  then  the  truth  was  doubted.  At  last Du  Chaillu  brought  home  the  skin  and  skeleton  of  a  gorilla.  This  set  all suspicions  at  rest.  The  specimen  was  found  to  stand  nearly  six  feet  high,  with shoulders  three  feet  wide,  and  arms  that  reached  almost  to  the  ground ;  but, above  all  things,  stood  out  the  unsurpassed  strength  of  these  apes.

      In  the  hunting-ground  Dr.  Chaillu  was  surprised  to  find  complete  silence over  everything.  Calling  to  mind  the  sayings  of  the  natives,  that  nothing could  live  near  the  gorilla,  he  found  no  birds  in  the  forest,  and  even  the  noisy tree-frogs  were  silent.  The  hunters  assured  him  that  these  signs  meant  that the  game  must  be  near.  After  walking  in  single  file  through  the  forest  for awhile,  they  stopped  to  consult,  and  noticed  that  the  gun-carrier,  who  was  the last  man  of  the  party,  was  missing.  Before  any  questions  could  be  asked,  the man's  dead  body  suddenly  fell  from  the  branches  far  above  them.  They  had passed  right  under  where  a  gorilla  was  sitting,  and  with  its  hind  foot  it  had gripped  up  the  last  man  and  killed  him.  This  proved  to  be  a  favorite  trick that  the  gorilla  plays  on  the  natives,  who  always  held  that  the  great  ape  was more  to  be  feared  than  the  lion.

      The  gorilla  in  this  instance  broke  cover  with  a  roar,  and  made  off  through the  branches  with  astonishing  speed,  in  spite  of  its  great  bulk  and  weight.

      A  female  and  young  one  were  found,  and  a  great  battle  began.  One hunter  had  his  gun  snatched  from  him  by  the  brute,  and  Du  Chaillu  was  astounded to  see  it  bent  and  twisted  in  the  creature's  hand  like  a  cane.  The female  showed  an  immense  store  of  vitality,  for  after being  shot  several  times she  still  fought.  When  at  last  she  could  not  rise,  the  young  one  threw  itself upon  its  mother's  breast  with  a  strangely  human  cry.     This  baby  gorilla  was brought  to England  and  caged  with  a  bull  terrier,  with  whom  it  made  great friends ;  but  in  spite  of  all  the  care  and  attention  it  died.

      Another  illustration  of  the  enormous  strength  of  the  gorilla  is  the  escape of  a  specimen  which  had  been  shipped  to  England,  and  placed  in  the  Zoological Gardens.  The  keeper  had  closed  up  for  the  night,  never  doubting  but  that his  charge  was  safe.  The  next  morning  he  was  astonished  to  find  that  the extra  strong  steel-bars  of  the  cage  had  been  wrenched  apart,  and  the  occupant was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  When  the  news  leaked  out  a  panic  ensued  in  the Garden; but  the  gorilla  was  found  in  the  tunnel  under  the  roadway.  The strong  cage  that  it  had  been  brought  in  was  still  handy,  and  the  huge  beast was  coaxed  into  it  once  more.''

We understand the gorilla so much more today because of the detailed accounts of Dian Fossey.

• ''Gorilla's In The Mist'' film
• Who murdered Dian Fossey?
• Biography of Dian Fossey
• Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
• International Primate Protection League

The ''King Of The Prairies''

"King" of the Western Prairies.

       The  Buffalo,  or  Bison,  has  been  called  the  "  King  of  the  Prairies,"  but, alas!  it  is  king  no  longer.  The  march  of  man  across  the  plains  has  driven  the buffalo  out  of  existence.  It  is  a  dull  and  stupid  animal,  which  accounts  for allowing  itself  to  be  so  easily  tracked ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  has  immense strength  and  great  speed.  The  Indian  found  that  the  buffalo  supplied  him with  almost  everything  he  needed :  hide,  wool,  fat,  and  meat.  Armed  only with  a  bow  and  arrow,  he  killed  but  few  of  the  vast  herds  which  roamed  the plains  north  of  the  Platte  River.  Then came  the  white  man  with  the  rifle,  and the  result  is  that  the  buffalo  has  vanished.  Not  a  single  wild  specimen  lives today.  In  a  few  shows,  notably  Buffalo  Bill's,  in  private  collections  both  in this  country  and  in  England,  and  in  the  Yellowstone  Park,  the  buffalo  still lives,  guarded  jealously  from  harm.  Thirty  years  ago  it  was  a  common  sight to  see  countless  thousands  of  these  mighty  creatures  together.  The  huge  collection of  skulls  and  bones  testify  to  what  their  numbers  must have  been. Many  methods  were  used  to  kill  the  buffalo  wholesale,  and  one  was  to  take advantage  of  the  large  ravines  through  which  the  western  rivers  run.  The herds  were  surrounded  on  three  sides,  leaving  the  only  avenue  of  escape  over the  precipice.  At  a  given  signal,  all  the  men  would  rush  in,  yelling  and waving  hats.  The  herd  would  promptly  rush  off.  As  soon  as  the  leaders reached  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  they  would  try  to  back  away,  but  the  numbers behind  would  force  them  on,  and  thus  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  wipe  out a  whole  herd.
       The  white  man  usually  hunted  the  buffalo  from  horseback.  This  method is  much  more  successful.  It  takes  pluck  to  enter  a  herd  and  separate  a  member and  shoot  it  down  while  going  at  full  speed.  In  spite  of  its  timid  nature, the  buffalo  is  a  terrible  foe  when  brought  to  bay. 

• The Story of A Buffalo

 

Kids can learn to draw an American Buffalo at Thrifty Scissors.

Fairyland Index

Fairies dance in the moonlight.

       In a charming  play  of  Peter  Pan ,  when  Peter  advances  to  the  footlights  and  says  appealingly, ''Do  you  believe  in  fairies?''  grown  people  as well  as  children  cry,  ''Yes!  Yes!''  and  mean  it, too.  For  the  moment  they  do  believe  in  fairies - the  little  beings  are  too  beautiful,  too delightful  not  to  be  real.  To  children  at  certain  stages  of  their  experience  they  are  the most  enticing,  the  most  important  inhabitants of  the  earth.  Every  flower  cup  may  be  a fairy's bedroom;  every  mushroom  is  a  fairy's dining-table.  The  gauzy-winged  butterflies  are the  fairies'  airships,  and  very  often  in  the woods  and  fields  of  a  summer's  morning  may be  seen  the  rings  where  their  tiny  feet  have danced  all  night.  True,  the  most  watchful child  has  never  caught  a  glimpse  of  one,  but almost  every  child  has  felt  many  a  time  that he  might  have  seen  one  had  he  turned  about just  a  little  more  quickly.  As  the  little  girl  in the  song  says:

I  know  whenever  fairies  pass,

Because  they  lightly  bend  the  grass;

I  never  see  them,  so  I  think,

They  must  go  by  just  when  I  wink.

       Fairies  do  not  like  the  cold,  so  they  are  not  to be  found  in  the  fields  in  the  winter,  but  there is  one  place  where  they  can  always  be  found, and  ready  indeed  are  they  at  all  times  to come  out  and  play  with  the  delighted  children. From  between  the  covers  of  the  favorite  fairy tale  book  they  glide,  and  with  a  wave  of  their wands  carry  the  children  with  them  to  wonderful  countries  - that  never  were  on  land  or sea.  There  is  Cinderella's  fairy  godmother; she  does  not  look  much  like  a  fairy,  but  what a  powerful  one  she  is,  with  her  wand  that  can turn  pumpkins  into  chariots!  And  Jack's fairy  that  he  met  at  the  top  of  the  beanstalk; the  beautiful  lady  with  the  star-tipped  wand; what  could  he  ever  have  done  without  her advice?  Sometimes  the  fairies  in  these  wonderful  tales  carry  away  a  child  from  its  wicked selves;  sometimes  they  bear  away  to  their fairy  home  some  man  who  deserves  punishment,  and  there  make  his  life  a  burden  to him;  or  they  make  it  possible  for  a  poor  little girl  who  is  out  tending  the  goats,  and  never has  enough  to  eat,  to  spread  for  herself  each day  a  fairy  table  with  everything  on  it  that she  likes  the  most.  One  thing  may  be  depended  on, the  true  fairies  are  always  found assisting  the  good  people,  and  no  one  who  is cruel  or  cross  or  greedy  ever  need  look  for any  help  from  them.  If  the  moral  of  these tales  be  very  obvious,  the  children  do  not mind;  that  is  the  way,  it  seems  to  them,  that the  world  should  be  managed.

       Fairies  may  be  of  almost  any  size  or  appearance;  indeed,  they  can  look  like  anything they  choose,  changing  between  one  moment and  the  next.  A  favorite  device  of  a  fairy who  wants  to  find  out  about  the  worthiness  or unworthiness  of  a  person  is  to  appear  as  a poor  old  woman  seeking  aid,  and  then,  when she  has  found  out  all  she  wants  to  know,  to throw  off  her  disguise.  The  Irish,  who  seem to  know  the  most  about  fairies,  declare  that they  prefer  to  appear  as  tiny  men  and  women, the  men  in  charming  attire  of: green  jacket,  red  cap and  white  owl's  feather; the  little  ladies  in  gauzy  gowns  and  bonnets made  of  flower  petals.  Long  after  children have  ceased  to  believe  that  there  actually  are fairies  they  love  to  read  of  their  marvelous doings  and  to  satisfy  their  inborn  sense  of justice  by  gloating  over  the  way  the  fairies always  reward  the  good  and  punish  the  evil in  the  end.

       Should  Fairy  Tales  Be  Told?  There  are people  who  do  not  believe  in  telling  fairy stories  to  children,  but  the  weight  of  opinion is  all  in  the  other  direction.  Educators  hold that,  besides  giving  pleasure,  such  stories  perform  a  real  service  in  stimulating  the  imagination.

Fairies For Coloring:

• Snow White coloring pages at our blog here
• Little Red Riding Hood coloring pages here 
• Cinderella coloring pages on this blog
  

Fairies and Fairylands for Crafting:

• 12 Magic Changeling Paper Dolls
• Fairy Fall Feast on this journal lesson
• How to make an enchanted fairy doll...
• Craft a doll' fairy wand for play...
• Foxglove Fairy Caps For Fun!
• Fairy Friends paper cuts

Short Fairy Stories:

• Raggedy Ann and The Fairies' Gift by Johnny Gruelle 
• The Fairy Queen by 9 year old Margaret Matthews

Classic Fairy Tales:

• Cinderella - ''There was once a rich man whose wife lay sick, and when she felt her end drawing near she called to her only daughter to come near her bed, and said...
• The Sleeping Beauty - ''In times past there lived a King and Queen, who said to each other every day of their lives, "Would that we had a child!" and yet they had none...

Fairly Good Fairy Tunes for Kids:

• ''Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo'' from Disney's Cinderella - Also known as ''The Magic Song''
• ''Let Me Be Your Wings'' from Thumbelina
• ''Fly to Your Heart'' Tinkerbell Tribute by Disney

Read Aloud About Fairies for Young Students:

• ''Mister Fairy!'' read aloud at Vooks
• ''Thumbelina'' read aloud at Little Cozy Nook
• ''The Cloud Fairy's Friend'' read aloud at Toadstool and Fairy Dust
• ''A Birthday Fairy Tale'' read aloud by Bedtime Stories with Dessi!
• ''Lola the Lollipop Fairy'' read aloud by ABC Read to ME
• ''Camilla the Cupcake Fairy'' read aloud by The Storytime Channel
• ''How to Trick The Tooth Fairy'' read aloud by KidTimeStoryTime

Fairy Poems:

• Grandmother's Garden by Marjorie Barrows
• The Elf and The Dormouse illustrated poem
• A Winter Artist by Clara R. Bete 
  

September

 September by Frank Dempster

Here's  lyric for September,
Best of all months to remember;
Month when summer breezes tell
What has happened wood and dell,
Of the joy the year has brought,
And the changes she has wrought.
She has turned the verdure red;
In the blue sky overhead,
She the harvest moon has hung,
Like a silver boat among
Shoals of stars, - bright jewels set
In the earth' blue coronet;
She has brought the orchard's fruit
To repay the robin's flute
Which has gladdened half the year
With a music, liquid clear;
And she makes the meadow grass
Catch the sunbeams as they pass,
Till the autumn's floor is rolled
With a fragrant cloth of gold.