[Illustration:  Arab Woman and Child.]

[Illustration:  An Arab Sandal.]

But what about the Arab boys and girls?  What do they wear?  Most of the boys run around without shoes or stockings.  But some of them wear little red shoes turned up at the toes, and others wear small sandals.  They also wear loose trousers and jackets and little red caps.  The girls commonly wear cotton dresses that are made very plain.  Sometimes they have veils over their heads.  In the country places the girls do not wear veils.

[Illustration:  Arab Girl with Veil.]

Only the boys go to school.  Before they enter the school they must take off their sandals.  They have no seats in their schools.  They all sit on the floor.  Their lessons are not like your lessons.  They have only one book.  It is called the Koran.  The Koran is the Arab Bible.  The Arab boys must learn the Koran by heart.  At school, they all shout out together when they are learning their lessons.

[Illustration:  A School in Arabia.]

But the Arab boys learn many things at home.  They learn to read and to write.  They also have plenty of time to play.  They play ball.  They fly kites.  They ride ponies.  Often they play with old guns and swords.  Thus they learn to be soldiers.

The Arab girls do not go to school.  But they do not play very much.  They must help their mothers do the work at home.  The mothers grind corn to make bread.  They spin and weave cloth for clothes.  They grind the corn with two flat stones.  One of these stones is placed on top of the other.  There is a hole in the middle of the upper stone.  They pour the corn into this hole.  The upper stone is then turned round by a handle.  So the corn is ground between the two stones.  The girls often have to turn the stone around.  They must also take care of the baby.  They help to carry home water from the well.  They carry the water in earthen jars.

[Illustration:  Arabs Grinding Corn.]

You will say, then, that the Arab girls have a hard time.  But they do not work always.  They have some time for play.  They have very funny dolls.  Would you not laugh if some one gave you two sticks joined like a cross, and told you it was a doll?  That is the kind of doll the Arab girls have.  And they are very fond of their dolls.  They dress them, and take great care of them.

The Arabs are very fond of tales and stories.  Perhaps you have heard of a book called the “Arabian Nights.”  It is full of wonderful stories about kings and giants and witches, and other strange things.  This book came from Arabia.  When you are older you will read the “Arabian Nights.”  In it you will learn many more things about Arabia and the Arabs.

KOREA.

What funny hats they wear in Korea!

But, you will ask, where is Korea?  It is near Japan, a country you have read of in this book.