THE NURSERY _A Monthly Magazine_ FOR YOUNGEST READERS. VOLUME XXIX.--No. 3. BOSTON: THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY, NO. 36 BROMFIELD STREET. 1881. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1881, by THE NURSERY PUBLISHING COMPANY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. [Illustration: JOHN WILSON & SON. UNIVERSITY PRESS.] [Illustration: Contents.] IN PROSE. PAGE Telling a Story 65 Turtles 71 Feeding the Swans in Winter 72 Two Friends 74 The Swallows' Nest 76 Drawing-Lesson 81 The Faithful Sentinel 86 Bruce and Old Sheepy 88 Elfrida's Present 92 "Parley-voo" 93 IN VERSE. PAGE To the Snowdrop 69 Rather Bashful 72 Bird, Lamb, Baby 75 The Gentleman in Gray 78 The Little Scholars 80 The Three Dolls 82 "Right of Way" 91 Winter (_with music_) 96 [Illustration: VOL. XXIX.--NO. 3.] TELLING A STORY. DREAR and cold is the winter outside; but within there is a bright fire on the hearth. Jane and Susie, and Charles and John, and their elder sister Ann, are all seated comfortably in front of it. And now the children call on sister Ann to tell them a story; and this is what she tells them:-- "When I was a girl, and wanted to hear a story, and the grown-up people didn't feel like telling me one, they would say,-- "'I'll tell you a story about Jack O'Nory; And now my story's begun. I'll tell you another about Jack and his brother; And now my story's done.' "Now, every time this was said to me, I would think that I really should hear the story about Jack O'Nory, or the other one about Jack and his brother. But it was always the same; just as I thought the story was coming, I would hear, instead, 'And _now_ my story's done.' "One day, when I begged for one of the stories, my aunt told me that I couldn't hear about Jack O'Nory or his brother, because Mother Goose never told the stories about them; that she just began, and then thought better of it. After that I didn't ask any more; but I said to myself, 'If ever I get big, I'll find out those stories.' And so, sure enough, I did. And I am going to tell one of them now,--the one about Jack O'Nory himself.