THE NURSERY _A Monthly Magazine_ FOR YOUNGEST READERS. VOLUME XXX.--No. 4. 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 Edith and the Chickens 291 How the Old Sparrow helped the Young One 293 Home, Sweet Home 294 The little Sailor 297 So Tired 301 Drawing-Lesson 305 The Doll that Fanny Found 306 All True 308 The Strange Man 310 A Knowing Dog 311 The Starling 313 Daisies and Clover 314 Helping Mother 316 IN VERSE. Popping Corn 290 In School and Out 296 The Crickets' Sociable 299 Lessons 302 On the Way to Slumberland 309 Mother's Caller 312 Curly-Head and Inquisitive Ned 315 The Squirrel 318 Roly-Poly (_with music_) 320 [Illustration] [Illustration: POPPING CORN. VOL. XXX.--NO. 4.] POPPING CORN. [Illustration] POUR the nice corn Out of the bowl, Into the popper, Over the coal,-- The bright glowing coal. Shake now, for your life, The fine golden grain; Now listen! what strife Goes on there amain! Hear it! Pop, pop! Pop, pop! Pop, pop! Now the popper is full, The shaking must stop. Bring the dish, little Rosie, Come, Jamie and Josie, And out we will pour Our nice puffy store. So crisp and so light, So tender and white! What were beads of gold When put in the hopper, Into flowers unfold,-- O magical popper! CAROLINE DEE. [Illustration] EDITH AND THE CHICKENS. "OH, tie on my hat quick, dear mamma, please," called Edith Gray, running up stairs as fast as her little feet would carry her; "for grandma says I may go with her to see the chickens." Edith was four years old, and had come the day before, for the first time in her life, to stay on a large farm. She had never seen young chickens, except in picture-books: so you can imagine how pleased she was at the thought of seeing real live ones.