There was once a man who had a hen that laid a golden egg every day. The man got a great deal of gold, but he wanted more. He thought he would kill the hen and get all the gold at once. But he found no gold and did not get any more golden eggs.

What is the title of the story? Study the title in this way:

The begins with a capital letter because it is the first word in a title.

Golden begins with a capital letter because it is an important word in a title.

Eggs begins with a capital letter because it is an important word in a title.

In a title the first word and other words that are important should begin with capital letters.

Some of the words that are not important and do not begin with capital letters in titles are a, an, and, the, for, in, of, to.

The letters I and O when used alone are always capitals.

What is the first sentence in the story of The Golden Eggs? What is the first word in the sentence? With what kind of letter does it begin? What punctuation mark is at the end of the sentence? Why?

Now study the sentences in the story in this way:

There was once a man who had a hen that laid a golden egg every day.

This is a sentence.

There begins with a capital letter because it is the first word in a sentence.

There is a period at the end of the sentence because it is a statement.

Study each of the other sentences in the same way. Can you think of any reason why we begin each sentence with a capital letter and put a punctuation mark at the end?

Go to the blackboard and copy the story of The Golden Eggs without capital letters or punctuation marks. Now can you tell the class why it is better to begin each sentence with a capital letter and to put a punctuation mark at the end?

Using Capitals and Periods

Copy the story, The Golden Eggs, exactly as it is printed. When you have finished copying the story, read each sentence carefully to see if it is exactly like the printed sentence in spelling, use of capital letters, and punctuation. Mark each error that you find.

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Class help. It is almost as important that your written work shall look neat and orderly as it is that the work shall be correct. Perhaps your classmates can tell you how to improve the appearance of your exercise.

When you have finished copying the story, your teacher will ask you to stand in front of the class and to hold your exercise so that all the pupils can see it. They will not be able to read it, but they can see how it looks. Your classmates will keep in mind three things:

1. Penmanship.

2. Blots.

3. Margin.

A Game It Isn't I

The teacher chooses a pupil to act as leader, and she asks the leader to leave the room.

teacher says to a pupil:

Philip, I am thinking of you.

Then the

The leader returns to the room, and the teacher tells him to find the pupil of whom she is thinking. This is the way the game goes:

Leader: Philip, is it you?
Philip: Yes, it is I.

Philip may now become the leader. If a pupil forgets and answers, No, it isn't me or It aint I, he is out of the game and must sit in another part of the

room.

If he can catch some other pupil making a mistake, he may come back into the game.

LESSON 7

A Letter Club

Should you like to form a letter club? If you have a letter club, you will write letters to the pupils in another school, and they will write letters

to you.

First you must choose a name for your club. Each pupil in the class who thinks of a good name may write it on the blackboard. All the important words in the name of a club should begin with capital letters. When the names are all on the blackboard, the members of the class may select the one they like best.

Next you must choose for your club a president who will carry the letters to the other club and will help the teacher in various ways. You may vote for your president. Each pupil may write on a piece of paper the name of the one whom he would like to have for president. The teacher will appoint two

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pupils to collect the ballots and to count them. The pupil who has the most votes will be your president.

What school should you like to invite to join with you in the club? It will be best to have one of the same grade if possible. Also it should be a school with which you can exchange letters easily. You and your classmates may talk the matter over and decide upon a school. The school that joins with you must form a club as you have and must choose its own name, but the two clubs will be joined together as one letter club.

After you have chosen the school, you must decide how you will invite the pupils of the school to form a letter club with you. They will not know anything about the club so you must tell them what you have done, and then you must ask them to form a club and to exchange letters with you. Of course you will not know the names of all the pupils in the other school so you may start your letter like this:

February 3, 1921.

My dear Friend,