LESSON 1 COUNT TEN

COUNT TEN

aunt care-less cor-rect count

flow-ers hasty my-self vexed

1. One day Fred's aunt sent him a new spade and a small box of seeds.

2. As soon as he got them, he went out to his own bit of ground at the back of the house to plant the seeds.

3. Jane went with him; and as he dug she stood near him and talked with him. She held the box of seeds in her hand.

4. As Jane stood by Fred and talked, she let the box of seeds fall on the ground. The lid of the box came off, and all the seeds fell out.

5. Poor Jane was a good, kind girl. She was much vexed, and said so to Fred. But Fred did not speak to her.

6. "O Fred!" cried she, "why don't you speak to me?"

I wished, said Fred, "to wait till I could count ten."

7. "Count ten!" said Jane. "What do you mean? Why did you wish to count ten?"

Oh, said Fred, "aunt once told me to count ten before I spoke, if ever I felt angry. I know that I am often hasty to you, Jane; and I want to correct myself."

8. "O Fred, how good you are! It was very careless of me to let the box of seeds fall; but see, I have picked them all up again. Here they are."

9. The seeds were put into the ground, and day by day Fred and Jane came to watch them grow up. At last a lot of small green blades peeped above the ground. They soon grew up, with pretty flowers, to the great joy of the children.

10. Before you speak a hasty word, —Count ten;

　And if still you angry be, —Count again.