1.  There’s a merry brown thrush sitting up in a tree;
     “He’s singing to me! he’s singing to me!”
   And what does he say, little girl, little boy? 
     “Oh, the world’s running over with joy! 
       Don’t You hear?  Don’t you see? 
         Hush! look!  In my tree
   I’m as happy as happy can be!”

2.  And the brown thrush keeps singing, “A nest do you see,
     And five eggs hid by me in the juniper tree? 
   Don’t meddle! don’t touch! little girl, little boy,
     Or the world will lose some of its joy! 
       Now I’m glad! now I’m free! 
         And I always shall be,
   If you never bring sorrow to me.”

3.  So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree,
     To you and to me, to you and to me;
   And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy,
     “Oh, the world’s running over with joy! 
       But long it won’t be,
         Don’t you know?  Don’t you see? 
   Unless we’re as good as can be.”

Exercises.—­What is a thrush?  Why was the thrush so happy?  Do you think he would have been happy if the little boy or girl had robbed the nest?

XVII.  A SHIP IN A STORM. (55)

1.  Did you ever go far out upon the great ocean?  How beautiful it is to be out at sea, when the sea is smooth and still!

2.  Let a storm approach, and the scene is changed.  The heavy, black clouds appear in the distance, and throw a deep, deathlike shade over the world of waters.

3.  The captain and sailors soon see in the clouds the signs of evil.  All hands are then set to work to take in sail.

4.  The hoarse notes of the captain, speaking through his trumpet, are echoed from lip to lip among the rigging.  Happy will it be, if all is made snug before the gale strikes the vessel.

5.  At last, the gale comes like a vast moving mountain of air.  It strikes the ship.  The vessel heaves and groans under the dreadful weight, and struggles to escape through the foaming waters.

6.  If she is far out at sea, she will be likely to ride out the storm in safety.  But if the wind is driving her upon the shore, the poor sailors will hardly escape being dashed upon the rocks, and drowned.

7.  Once there was a ship in a storm.  Some of her masts were already broken, and her sails lost.  While the wind was raging, and the billows were dashing against her, the cry was heard, “A man has fallen overboard!”

8.  Quickly was the boat lowered, and she was soon seen bounding on her way over the mountain waves.  At one moment, the boat seemed lifted to the skies, and the next, it sank down, and appeared to be lost beneath the waves!

9.  At length, the man was found.  He was well nigh drowned; but he was taken on board, and now they made for the ship.  But the ship rolled so dreadfully, that it seemed certain death to go near her.  And now, what should they do?