THE GINGERBREAD BOY AND JOYFUL JINGLE PLAY STORIES

Big Brother Beaver and Chatter-box Dance a Hornpipe

PREFACE

The first three stories contained in the book found great favor with the reading public, having been published in the Woman’s Home Companion.

All the stories are wholesome and have good influence upon the little readers. In Danny Do-Little, work is made delightful through play. In Old Mother Bear’s Christmas Stocking, the selfishness of the animals is dwelt upon, but also their kindness of heart, and the saying brought out that, “One good turn deserves another.” The little Birthday story will be interesting to read at school and children’s parties, for who among the little ones does not occasionally have a birthday?

Catchy little jingles run throughout the stories. An enthusiastic parent in Massachusetts said: “My children are very much pleased with Laura Rountree Smith’s Jingle Books, and must have a story before bed-time each night. I think her books mighty clever.”

The book contains stories which can easily be read by the children themselves.

Peter Nibbled His Toes, Polly Nibbled His Fingers and Baby Stood By and Clapped

Polly Makes Gingerbread Cookies

The Gingerbread Boy

Polly and Peter had to stay home one Saturday when mother was ill.

Mother said, “Polly, take my place in the kitchen, please, and, Peter, you must amuse the baby.”

10Polly went down stairs, put on her little all-over apron, and sat down on the kitchen stool.

She sighed: “Oh dear, something always happens on a sunny Saturday—when I want to play! We have to miss the school picnic to-day; but I will smile, and smile, and something nice will surely happen.”

With that, the dimples began to play hide and seek upon her face, and she heard an airy, fairy voice calling:

“Who are you?” cried Polly.

11She looked high and low, but no one was to be seen.

Polly smiled again, and said: “I have a new apron that I was going to wear to the picnic.”

“The better to cook with my dear,” said a sugary voice.

Polly looked about, but could not see the Gingerbread Boy, though she felt sure he had spoken.

Polly said: “I will make some gingerbread cookies, and see what comes of it.”

As Polly mixed the cookies a sugary voice cried:

12Then the most wonderful thing happened!

The little rolling-pin that Polly was using turned to gold; and how it did roll out those gingerbread cookies! Then the cutter turned to gold, and cut them out into queer shapes and sizes.

The currants jumped upon the cookies making funny faces upon them.

They leaped into the pans, and all Polly had to do was to set them into the oven to bake.

She was so happy, she swept the kitchen and washed the dishes, and would have forgotten the cookies, I am sure, if she had not heard a voice calling:

Sure enough, Polly heard a rapping, tapping, and when she opened the oven door she heard the cookies call in a happy chorus:

As Polly took the cookies out of the pan, she saw one was shaped like a regular boy, and before she could say a word, out he jumped and sat down on the ice box, fanning himself with a geranium leaf.

14Polly said, “I must go and call Peter. I must introduce him to the Gingerbread Boy!”

Peter had been thinking about the picnic, but he tried to amuse the baby by playing ball, and at this very minute in came Polly to tell about the Gingerbread Boy.

To their surprise the Gingerbread Boy said,

“Oh, oh,” cried the children, “It would not be polite to eat you!” But all this time they crept nearer and nearer.

15The Gingerbread Boy said:

Peter nibbled the toes and Polly nibbled the fingers, while the baby stood by and clapped his hands with delight.

The Gingerbread Boy said;

The children nibbled away until only the Gingerbread Boy’s voice was left, but he sang gaily:

So he was all gone!

16All this time the gingerbread cookies looked out of their large currant eyes, and Fairy Help-You-Out came into the kitchen and whispered into Polly’s ear and Peter’s ear and the baby’s ear something about a picnic.

The children clapped their hands with delight as three little baskets sailed down on the kitchen floor.

Each basket was full of good things to eat, and the baby’s basket had a bottle of milk in it, of course!

They were having the finest kind of a picnic right at home, in their own kitchen, when a voice called:

Three Little Baskets Sailed Down on the Kitchen Floor

18The children rubbed their eyes to see if they were awake, and the Gingerbread Boy jumped in the window and sat on the ice box, fanning himself with a nasturtium leaf.

He laughed until his sides shook, saying:

Fairy Help-You-Out faded away, because she was no longer needed. For all I know, the Gingerbread Boy is with the children yet.

The Easter Bunny

Mother Tiny-Tail sat in her little red plush rocking chair rocking to and fro singing:

He Went to the Little Brown Hen Who Lives in the Lane

Just then a Funny Bunny came by with a hop, and a skip, and a bound 20and said, “Oh, Mother Tiny-Tail, no eggs for Easter, no eggs for the Tiny-Tails? That will never do!” So saying, he borrowed Mother Tiny-Tail’s market basket, and went hippety-hop to the Little Brown Hen who lives in the lane, saying:

The Little Brown Hen said:

Then Funny Bunny went with a hop, and a skip, and a jump to the little old Farmer who lived in the field and said:

21The Farmer replied:

Please Give Me Corn

Funny Bunny went with a pitter, patter, pitter, patter, until he came to the Miller, and said:

The Miller laughed until his old fat sides shook and answered:

22Then Funny Bunny sat down on a stone to think.

How was he going to get some money?

It was getting dark, and the Little Hill Men came out one by one, digging for fairy gold.

When Funny Bunny saw them he cried:

Now, the Little Hill Men did not want to give something for nothing, so they shouted:

23Of course, the Little Hill Men never dreamed that he would do it, so they went on digging for fairy gold.

Funny Bunny was in real earnest, for he thought of Mother Tiny-Tail rocking sadly to and fro in her red plush rocking chair, so

My! how fast his legs could carry him!

He came back singing:

The Little Hill Men were so surprised he had answered their question that they all stopped digging and 24crowded around Funny Bunny. “Click, click, click,” they dropped gold into his market basket.

Then he ran with a hop, skip and jump to the Miller and bought a bag of meal. He took the meal to the Farmer and bought the corn. Then he took the corn to the Little Brown Hen, who lived in the lane, and she counted out one dozen, two dozen, three dozen, four dozen, five dozen beautiful white eggs. They filled the market basket Funny Bunny was carrying.

When he got home he set the market basket down in front of Mother Tiny Tail, saying:

Click! Click! They Dropped Gold Into His Basket

Mother Tiny-Tail stopped rocking to and fro; but before she could say, “Thank you,” Funny Bunny was hippety-hoppety, off and away.

Mother Tiny-Tail painted the Easter eggs and hid them everywhere.

On Easter morning, all the Tiny-Tails cried, “Oh” and “Ah,” for they found the Easter Eggs in their shoes, in their oatmeal bowls, and in the most unexpected places.

Just at that very minute Funny Bunny peeped in the window and cried, as he held up a wonderful sugary egg:

27Funny Bunny was always so kind to the Little Tiny-Tails that the Hill Men remembered him.

Funny Bunny Went Hippety-Hoppety, Off and Away

Then, with a twinkle of nose, and a dancing of toes, Funny Bunny went hippety-hoppety, off and away, singing:

Old Woman Work-Away

Old Woman Work-Away was always spinning. In the fall of the year she began to think about Thanksgiving, singing:

Just as she was thinking about her Thanksgiving dinner, “Rap, a, tap,” sounded on the door, and in came Tinkle Bell, the fairy elf. The little bell on his cap went “Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” and he said:

Just as She Was Thinking of Her Thanksgiving Dinner, in Came Tinkle Bell

The Old Woman replied:

Tinkle Bell took off his cap and shook it.

Out came a pile of fairy gold. He went off with the woven cloth and the little bell on his cap tinkled all the way.

The Old Woman was thinking now she had money enough to buy cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner, when “Rap, a, tap” was heard on the door, and in came Tiny-Tail, the rabbit, shivering with cold. He sang:

The Old Woman Sent Tiny-Tail Home with a Bag Full of Money

The Old Woman made him warm his paws by the fire. She could see he needed a new fur coat for winter sure enough. By and by she counted out all her fairy gold, and sent him home with a bag full so he could buy a winter coat.

32The Old Woman went back to her spinning wheel singing:

She soon had a pretty mat woven, and in came Tinkle Bell and paid her as before. She felt sure she would have plum pudding for Thanksgiving dinner, when, “Rap, a, tap,” sounded on the door, and Bushy-Tail, the old squirrel, came limping in. He said:

33The Old Woman knew as well as you or I that overshoes cost money, but she loved all the animals in the woods so she let Bushy-Tail help himself to her fairy gold, and he went off to buy overshoes.

Bushy-Tail Goes Off to Buy Overshoes

The Old Woman began to spin as before, singing:

34When she had a pretty mat made Tinkle Bell came and bought it as before, and she said, “Now, I have my cake for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Rap, a, tap,” sounded on the door and in walked Hug-Me-Tight, the bear, saying, as he brushed the snow from his fur and whiskers:

The Old Woman knew he wanted to sleep all winter and she thought how cold his ears would get, so she let him have money for a brand new night-cap.

The Old Woman began to spin so hard that her spinning wheel went 35“Whir, whir, whir!” She had given away all her fairy gold, and Thanksgiving was coming nearer and nearer and she sang:

Tinkle Bell came and bought the mat and left a pile of gold as before. The Old Woman thought if she had no more visitors she could buy a fat turkey.

“Rap, a, tap,” sounded and in came Foxy-Loxy, the friendly Fox saying:

Foxy-Loxy Counts Out Her Gold

Now, the Old Woman did not want to give away all her fairy gold; but her own eyes were growing dim and she had to wear spectacles, so she felt sorry for Foxy-Loxy and let him count out her gold, and take it all away.

37The Old Woman set the spinning wheel in the corner. She was tired spinning. Her head went nid, nid, nodding and she fell asleep.

At this very minute Tiny-Tail, Bushy-Tail, Hug-Me-Tight, and Foxy-Loxy met Tinkle Bell in the woods, and they showed their new possessions.

They all shouted, “We are so thankful!”

Tinkle Bell rang the tiny bell on his cap to bring them to order, saying:

Those comical little animals jumped up and down and Tiny-Tail said:

Bushy-Tail said:

Hug-Me-Tight said:

Foxy-Loxy said:

At that, they all laughed for they knew he meant to send the Old Woman a fine, fat turkey.

Tinkle Bell said:

He bought cranberries, cake and plum pudding.

When She Got There She Found a Basket Full of Good Things

40Old Woman Work-Away heard a “Rap, a, tap” on the door by and by, and as she was still half asleep, she was slow to open the door. When she got there, she found a basket full of good things.

She might never have known where it came from, if she had not found a tiny card on which was written:

She looked about to see who was hiding in the bushes.

She could see no one, but she heard a tiny bell ring, “Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.”

Bobby Bright Eyes’ Birthday Party

Once upon a time Bobby Bright Eyes was sitting on the door step crying, when an airy, fairy voice sang:

Bobby was so surprised he looked around to see where the voice came from, but the Fairy was well hidden as she sang again:

Bobby Bright Eyes dropped into verse too, in his excitement and said:

Then the fairy sailed away.

Some time after, Bobby Bright Eyes sat on the door step looking very sad for soon he would be five years old, and he was thinking that he had never had a Birthday Party in his life.

At this very minute a ringing, singing voice cried out:

Bobby Bright Eyes replied:

So time went on, and one day the Fairy danced in a tree overhead in plain sight, singing:

Bobby Was Sitting on the Doorstep Crying When——

Bobby Bright Eyes answered:

The Birthday Fairy knew then that Bobby Bright Eyes was nearly five years old, so she kissed him on both cheeks and followed him about all day singing:

Bobby had such bright eyes he was always seeing something to be done, without being told. So he ran on out to the barn and gave Pussy Whiskers, the Cat, a drink of milk.

45Then Bobby ran on to the neighbor who baked beautiful birthday cakes and carried a letter for her to the Post Office, and,

Then Bobby ran errands for the big fat grocer, and,

Then Bobby shared an apple with the boy next door, and,

Then Bobby helped a Limpy-Lame Old Man across the street and,

46Now every hour Bobby Bright Eyes grew nearer and nearer five years old, and the Birthday Fairy at last said,

At last Bobby replied, clapping his hands:

Then the Birthday Fairy danced right down beside him replying:

And before Bobby had time to say he was too poor to have a Birthday Party, pitter-patter, pitter-patter came Pussy Whiskers, carrying a small black kitten in her mouth for a Birthday present. She purred softly:

Bobby Bright Eyes was happy you may be sure.

Then, the neighbor who baked beautiful birthday cakes came saying:

It was a wonderful cake with pink and white icing upon it.

Then the big fat grocer came puffing along and cried:

Sure enough, he had five candles to put on the Birthday cake and when they were lighted they glittered like gold.

48Then the little boy from next door ran over and threw a bouncing ball to Bobby Bright Eyes, saying:

Just as they were beginning to play ball the Limpy-Lame Old Man came, saying:

The Birthday Fairy had kept her secret well, so they all had the merriest kind of a time, and Bobby Bright Eyes had a Birthday Party after all. The Birthday Fairy was the merriest one of all for she sang as they cut the Birthday Cake:

“I Am Happy To-day and Happy To-morrow”

The Happy Hare

sang the Happy Hare one misty morning.

50As he was walking along he chanced to meet the Croaking Crocodile who greeted him saying:

The Crocodile shed real tears and the Happy Hare said:

So, they went on a journey to find the Weather Man, and they met many animals as they passed along the Winding Road for half of a half of a quarter of a mile.

51They bowed to all the animals they met and inquired what kind of weather they wanted.

The Croaking Crocodile said:

So, Pussy Whiskers followed on behind, but Old Web-Foot the Duck had heard her remark, and as she thoroughly enjoyed wet weather she said:

The Happy Hare skipped on ahead but the Croaking Crocodile invited Old Web-Foot to go with them, and they 52went on for half of a half of a quarter of a mile, until they met Chatter-Box, the monkey, who said:

He was glad to go on the journey to the Weather Man. Next they met Snowball, the Polar Bear sighing:

Before the Croaking Crocodile could make a remark

Just at this very minute they met a little old man in a little old brown suit, carrying a little old brown umbrella.

“I Come From a Cold Country, As You Know, How I Enjoy the Ice and Snow.”

54They all bowed politely and said:

To this, the little old man bowed politely and said:

The Happy Hare said, in reply:

The Weather Man smiled and remarked:

Then all the animals began to shout together:

The Happy Hare landed on his feet after he had been blown half of a half of a quarter of a mile saying:

The Croaking Crocodile remarked:

Pussy Whiskers and Web-Foot and Chatter-Box and Snowball sat down in a circle and tried to get their breath and they remarked in concert:

56Now, if one ever notices a day half rain and half sunshine, half hot and half cold, one will know that the animals have gone to visit the Weather Man,

Perhaps if one wears Fairy Spectacles, one can see the Happy Hare peeping out of his wee little house in the woods, and one may hear him singing, as I did once,

“Hello, Little Boy, in the White Night Gown”

The Road to Sleepy-Town

Little Boy Blue went to visit Uncle Phil on the farm and when night came he lay all alone in a big bed upstairs.

He missed his mother’s tucking in and good night kiss.

58He thought of all the sleepy things mother had told him to think about. He tried counting sheep going over a fence. He hummed a lullaby song, but his eyes were still wide open when Fairy Moonlight peeped in and sang:

Little Boy Blue answered in a sing-song kind of way:

Fairy moonlight danced right into the room at that, and danced beside a picture that hung on the wall, as she sang:

The picture showed a long road with houses on each side.

Fairy Moonlight Danced Beside a Picture That Hung on a Wall

60Suddenly the most surprising thing happened!

Stars shone out in the sky in the picture, and began to twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.

Lights came out in the windows of the houses; they began to twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.

Fairy Moonlight said:

No sooner said than done.

They were on the road to Sleepy Town.

As Little Boy Blue looked back one hundred and six children also stepped over the picture frame and he saw all his little friends following him.

61There was Betty with her new doll snuggled up close and Bobby with his Teddy Bear, Little Mary came drawing her cart behind her.

A sleepy old man was lighting lamps all along the road singing:

They saw a sleepy old wind-mill turning round and round, round and round, and the wind-mill sang:

At that very minute Betty sat down and fell asleep under the wind-mill.

All the rest of the children trooped on. They could see the lights of Sleepy-Town twinkle, twinkle, twinkle in the distance.

62They heard the sleepy little birds twittering in the trees.

At that very minute Billy sat down under the trees and fell asleep, while the other children went hurrying on.

They passed by a sleepy little brook that went singing over the stones:

At that, all the children but Little Boy Blue sat down and began to throw pebbles into the brook and soon their heads went nid-nid nodding and they were fast asleep.

Fairy Moonlight sang:

63Sure enough, there was the sleepy old Sandman rocking to and fro in a hammock.

So He Fell Asleep

Little Boy Blue was so tired he crept in beside him and so he fell asleep right there on the road to Sleepy-Town.

64The lights went out in the streets and houses one by one, and every one went nid-nid nodding.

“Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” rang a bell and Little Boy Blue looked about. The Sandman was gone. Fairy Sunshine cried:

Little Boy Blue woke up sure enough in the great big bed, and soon he ran down stairs with a hop and skip and bound.

Uncle Phil said:

Little Boy Blue replied:

65The most surprising part of the most surprising part of the story is still to come.

When Uncle Phil took Boy Blue home that evening in the old buggy he put a mysterious box with a mysterious paper and string covering it, into the old buggy.

When they arrived he handed Boy Blue the box.

In the box were little paper houses, and little paper street lamps, and windmills, and trees, and under one tree was a hammock for the Sandman.

It took Boy Blue exactly one hour to set the little town up, and Uncle Phil attached a cord and Boy Blue cried out with delight as from every house and every street lamp there shone a 66light that twinkled, twinkled, twinkled.

Uncle Phil said:

Boy Blue thanked Uncle Phil and had many happy hours playing with his new toy town.

Fairy Moonlight peeped in the window and sang as she watched Boy Blue at play:

Her voice was so sleepy, sleepy, sleepy as she sang that even Uncle Phil, who was telling this story, fell asleep, and

Old Mother Bear’s Christmas Stocking

Old Mother Bear sat in her red rocking chair knitting and singing:

She was finishing a stocking to hang up by the chimney for Santa Claus to fill.

At this very minute she heard, “Rap, a, tap” on the door and she sang:

Charley Chatter-box

Old Shaggy Brother

In came Charlie Chatter-Box, the monkey, saying: