"See the two funny clowns!" I cried as the two clowns came out together just as we got our seats. "See, one is short and fat, and the other is tall and thin."

"The fat one has stuffed himself with pillows," said John, but I thought he was just fat.

"Here are the dogs that can read and climb ladders," said John, and we watched them for some time.

"I'm going to teach my dog to do some tricks," said John. "And I'll teach my kitten to jump through a hoop just as the pretty pony did," said I.

"I think you two will be playing circus all the time," said Mother. "That will be fun."

I said I didn't see how any one has eyes enough to look at the three rings at once.

"I should like it better if they had only one ring so I could see everything," said John.

Lost Words

Some of the words in this story have been lost perhaps at the circus. See if you can find the right words and put them back.

Where is your pencil? My pencil is in my desk.
You are my cousin. Are you in my class?

When you speak of one person or thing, should you use is or are?

Which word should you use when you speak of more than one?

Which word should you always use with you?

A Game

The teacher will appoint a front of the class and will

Let each pupil think of one or more things that he has in school or at home. leader, who will stand in ask the pupils questions. If a pupil makes a mistake and uses the wrong word, he is out of the game. careful not to say I have got two pencils.

way the game goes:

Leader: Horace, what have you?
Horace: I have a bat.

Leader: Where is your bat?

Horace: My bat is at home.

Be

This is the

Leader: Irene, what have you?
Irene: I have three books.

Leader: Where are your books?

Irene: My books are in my desk.

The game may be continued until each of the pupils has had a chance to speak.

What Word Fits?

Fill each blank with is or are. Use the word that you think is correct.

Do you know what a trap is? What kinds of traps have you seen? Have you ever seen a trap set? Why do people set traps for mice?

Do you think that you can set a trap for anything that troubles you? Are there any words that give you trouble? Do you ever forget and use ain't? Should you like to set a trap so that it will not trouble you any more? This is the way you can do it:

Setting a Trap - A Game

This trap is to catch a boy or a girl who says ain't instead of isn't. When one says aint, he is caught in the trap.

The teacher will ask each question and will call upon a pupil to answer it. No pupil should answer more than one question until every member of the class has answered once. Make the answer a complete statement. This is the way the game goes:

2. Is this your eraser?

3. Is your pencil in my desk?
4. Is your father in this room?
5. Is your knife on my desk?

6. Is this the sixth grade?

7. Is the principal's desk in this room?
8. Is your eraser in the principal's room?
9. Is your hat on my desk?

10. Is this an orange?

The teacher may ask many more similar questions.

Practice Exercise Find the Missing Word

In the list below find a good word for each blank

space.

once.

The same word may be used more than
Notice how isn't is written.

Here is a very old story. You may read it to the class, or you may ask your teacher to read it to you.

THE SOUR GRAPES

hungry saw some large ripe Again and again he jumped

One day a fox that was very grapes on a vine high above him. as high as he could, but he could not quite reach them. At last he gave up trying, and, as he walked away, he said, "They are sour grapes anyway, and I would not take them if I found them lying in the road."