Produced by Emmy, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. Music by Linda Cantoni. THE NURSERY _A Monthly Magazine_ FOR YOUNGEST READERS. VOLUME XXI.--No. 1. BOSTON: JOHN L. SHOREY, No. 36 BROMFIELD STREET, 1877. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by JOHN L. SHOREY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. FRANKLIN PRESS: RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY, 117 FRANKLIN STREET, BOSTON. [Illustration: Contents.] IN PROSE. PAGE Work and Play 1 Billy and Tom 5 The Wise Hare and her Pursuers 6 Gentle Jessie and the Wasp 8 Friends in Need 10 The Bear that put on Airs 14 Drawing-Lesson 17 What you do, do well 20 In the Winter 23 A Letter to Minnie 26 The Hedgehog 27 The Little Scissors-Grinder 30 [Illustration] IN VERSE. PAGE Bumble-Bee 4 Gretchen 9 A Noonday Lullaby 12 A Squeak 18 My Little Sister 25 Little Black Monkey 29 The Old Year and New (_with music_) 32 [Illustration] [Illustration: WORK AND PLAY. VOL. XXI.--NO. 1.] WORK AND PLAY. "[Illustration: D]O you want your sidewalk shovelled?" This was the question asked of Mr. Prim, as he sat reading his newspaper, one New Year's morning. The question came through a servant who had just answered the door-bell. Mr. Prim looked out of the window. The snow was still falling. So he sent out word, "No shovelling wanted till the storm's over," and went on with his reading. By and by there was another ring at the door; and in a moment the servant-girl came in, saying, "The snow-shovellers are here again, sir, and they want to see you." Mr. Prim stepped out into the entry, where he found two rough-looking boys, both of whom greeted him at once with, "Wish you a happy new year! Please, sir, it's done snowing now." "That means," said Mr. Prim, "that you both want the job of clearing off the sidewalk; but which am I to give it to?" "Oh, sir!" said the bigger boy, "we are partners. I shovel, and Mike sweeps." "And what are your names?" "Mine is Tom Murphy, and his is Mike Flynn." "Then," said Mr. Prim, "the firm is 'Murphy & Flynn.'" "That's it," said both boys with a grin.