[Tuxnes-devel] Pty-Dumpty who fell down stairs, and yet married a princess. "Ah, yes! so

[Lichtig <st...@we...>]

She let Gretchen feed the little bird with a few moist crumbs. Later in
the day Gretchen carried the fresh, green boughs to the old sick man by
the mill, and on her way home stopped to enjoy the Christmas toys of
some other children that she knew, never once wishing they were hers.
When she reached home she found that the little bird had gone to sleep.
Soon, however, he opened his eyes and stretched his head up, saying just
as plain as a bird can say: "Now, my new friends, I want you to give me
something more to eat." Gretchen gladly fed him again, and then, holding
him in her lap, she softly and gently stroked his gray feathers until
the little creature seemed to lose all fear of her. That evening Granny
taught her a Christmas hymn and told her another beautiful Christmas
story. Then Gretchen made up a funny little story to tell the birdie. He
winked his eyes and turned his head from side to side in such a droll
fashion that Gretchen laughed until the tears came. As Granny and she
got ready for bed that night, Gretchen put her arms softly around
Granny's neck, and whispered: "What a beautiful Christmas we have had
today, Granny. Is there anything more lovely in all the world than
Christmas?" "Nay, child, nay," said Granny, "not to such loving hearts
as yours." [*] Reprinted by permission of the author from her
collection, "Christmastide." Published by the Chicago Kindergarten
College. THE LITTLE SHEPHERD[*] By Maud Lindsay The shepherd was sick
and the shepherd's wife looked out from her door with anxious eyes. "Who
will carry the sheep to the pasture lands today?" she said to her little
boy Jean. "I will," cried Jean, "I will. Mother, let me." Jean and his
father and mother lived long ago in a sunny land across the sea, where
flowers bloom, and