The Fire Engine

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55. ORAL LESSON

THE FIRE ENGINE

The picture shows a scene very common in the city. The whistle blows sharply, and every one knows the signal for a fire. In a moment there is the sound of the engine in the distance. The chief of the fire department dashes by in his buggy or automobile. The street is quickly cleared. Carriages and wagons draw up along the curb or turn into the side streets. The bells of the fire engine grow louder and nearer. People rush out from the shop, and passers-by stop. Every one is looking for the engine. There it come. The three great horses are at full gallop. The drive shouting at them and flourishing his whip. The fire is burning in one engine, the sparks are flying, and the smoke is beginning to pour forth. What a splendid picture it makes! In a moment the engine has passed, and in a moment more it will be at the fire.

It is not a great many years since all fire engines were worked by hand. Men dragged them to the fire and pumped them by hand. Now the horses do the pulling and the steam engine does the pumping. Already automobiles are being used, and soon there will be no more fire horses. We shall miss the sight of the galloping animals struggling with all their might to aid in saving life and property. Perhaps, when you are grown up, your children will never have seen any fire horses, and will ask you for the story of these old heroes.

Does the picture suggest a story to you? Where is the fire? What will the firemen do when they get to the fire? What is the hose for? What are the ladders for? Is any one in danger? Imagine the burning house. What are the firemen doing with the ladders? Imagine the story of the fire as seen by Dick, the old white fire horse.

56. WRITTEN LESSON

Write a short story of a fire, suggested by the picture in Lesson 55 and the talk in the class. Think over carefully your story, and before writing decide how you are to begin and how you are to end it.

57. LANGUAGE LESSON

The stories written in Lesson 56 are to be read in the class and criticised for (1) capitals, (2) punctuation, (3) spelling, (4) plurals, and (5) sentences.

Bad sentences are to be read aloud, and corrected sentences written on the board.

All the words misspelled are to be written correctly on the board, and will form a spelling lesson for the class.

58. ORAL LESSON

THE CIRCUS

How many things there are in this picture! It is like a real circus; there are so many things to see, you hardly know which to look at first. There is no doubt what the children in the picture are looking at. Even the littlest boy will have something to tell his mother about that merry clown. In another moment the clown will be off somewhere else. What will the children look at next? At the big elephant? Doesn't he look intelligent? Do you think he is enjoying the show? How many elephants can you see? Where do elephants come from? Look at the girl standing on the prancing horse! Round the ring she goes. Now she is opposite the children. Will she throw them a kiss?

Plurals of Nouns

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Crack, crack, goes the ringmaster's whip. Where is the ringmaster? How is he dressed? What does he do? Do you see the clown on the edge of the ring? What is he holding in his hands? What will he do with it? How many horses are there in the picture? Can you see any other animals besides the elephant and the horses? What other performers are there besides those mentioned? How many clowns are there in the picture? Do you think it is much fun to be a clown? Which would you rather be, a clown, a ringmaster, a bareback rider, a trapeze performer, or one of the children who is going to a circus for the first time? After you have studied this picture carefully, imagine that you are one of the children, and see how much you could tell your mother when you came home from the circus. Perhaps there will be time to tell several of these stories.

Toby Tyler, by James Otis, is a story about a boy who lives with a circus. It is a capital book for boys and girls.

59. WRITTEN LESSON

Describe the scene in the picture as fully as you can. Read some of the accounts. Which are most interesting?

60. LANGUAGE LESSON

PLURALS OF NOUNS

We have seen that most nouns form their plural by adding 8 to the singular. When the singular ends in -s, -x, -ch, (except when pronounced like k), or -sh, it is necessary to add -es to form the plural, if the plural is to be pronounced differently from the singular. Note the following list.