THE ROLY-POLY BOOK

Books by
LAURA ROUNTREE
SMITH

• Bear and Bunny Book, The
• Bunny Boy and Grizzly Bear
• Bunny Bright Eyes
• Bunny Cotton-Tail Junior
• Candy-Shop Cotton-Tails, The
• Children’s Favorite Stories
• Circus Book, The
• Circus Cotton-Tails, The
• Cotton-Tail First Reader, The
• Cotton-Tail Primer, The
• Cotton-Tails in Toyland, The
• Drills and Plays for Patriotic Days
• Games and Plays
• Hawk-Eye, An Indian Story Reader
• Language Lessons from Every Land
• Little Bear
• Little Eskimo
• Merry Little Cotton-Tails, The
• Mother Goose Stories
• Primary Song Book
• Roly-Poly Book, The
• Runaway Bunny, The
• Seventeen Little Bears
• Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes
• Tale of Bunny Cotton-Tail, The
• Three Little Cotton-Tails

Published by
A. FLANAGAN COMPANY
CHICAGO

The
Roly-Poly Book

BY
LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH

1923
A. FLANAGAN COMPANY
CHICAGO

If you will come and read with me,

Our Roly-Poly friends you’ll see.

You’ll often laugh, if you will look

Inside the Roly-Poly Book!

Copyright, 1910, 1923
By A. FLANAGAN COMPANY

Printed in the United States of America

The Roly-Poly Book

CHAPTER I

“What’s that?” asked Mama Roly-Poly.

“What’s that?” asked Papa Roly-Poly.

“What’s that?” asked Teddie and Freddie Roly-Poly.

Then Humpty Dumpty called out, “It’s only I. I am falling down-stairs again!”

Thump, thump! bump, bump! Humpty Dumpty fell all the way down-stairs.

Mama Roly-Poly went to pick him up, and she said, “Some day you will get hurt if you are not careful.”

THUMP, THUMP! BUMP, BUMP!

Then—what do you suppose happened?

Teddie and Freddie Roly-Poly shouted:

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

Can not put Humpty Dumpty together again.”

Then the Roly-Poly family began to eat their breakfast.

“Oh, ow!” cried Humpty Dumpty.

“Oh, ow!” cried Teddie and Freddie.

What do you suppose was the matter this time?

All the little Roly-Polys had burned their mouths because their oatmeal was so hot.

“Never mind,” said Papa. “You must eat your breakfast or you will be late for school.”

Sure enough, the first bell for school was ringing that very minute.

Teddie looked at Freddie and Freddie looked at Teddie.

Any one could have told they were twins, they looked so much alike.

Teddie said, “How can I go to school with a sore mouth?”

Freddie said, “My mouth is sore, too.”

Humpty Dumpty said, “I have a lame back because I fell down-stairs.”

Mama Roly-Poly looked over her spectacles and said, “If you are not able to go to school, I will put you all to bed!”

Then Teddie dried his eyes on the corner of his napkin, and Freddie said, “I feel much better.”

Humpty Dumpty said, “I can go to school if the twins will draw me in the cart.”

The children got down from their seats at the table and began to get ready for school.

“Where is my red cap?” cried Teddie.

“Where is my red cap?” shouted Freddie.

Mama and Papa looked in every nook and corner, but they could not find the red caps.

Humpty Dumpty stood looking out of the window. Suddenly, he began to dance a jig. He danced so hard that he spun around like a top.

“Stop him! stop him!” cried Mama Roly-Poly. “Stop him, or he will hurt his back.”

Teddie went and whispered something in his right ear and Freddie whispered something in his left ear, and Humpty Dumpty stopped.

The twins asked, “What made you spin around that way?”

Humpty Dumpty said:

“I know something I shan’t tell,

Three little nuts in a pea-nut shell.”

“He knows where our caps are,” cried the twins. “O Ma, make him tell! O Pa, make him tell!”

Then Humpty Dumpty led the twins to the window and pointed to the caps lying under the maple tree.

It had rained the night before and the caps were wet.

The twins were in such a hurry to get to school that they put on their wet caps and ran merrily along, and Humpty Dumpty forgot all about wishing to ride in a cart and ran merrily after them.

When they reached the school all the children set up a shout.

Teddie’s face was all streaked with red, and Freddie’s face was all streaked with red.

The water from their wet caps had run down their cheeks.

The teacher sent them out to the pump to wash their faces.

Then school opened, and Humpty Dumpty began to cry.

He cried so hard that a little stream of tears ran out of each eye.

The teacher asked, “What is the matter, Humpty Dumpty?”

The little fellow was crying so hard that he could not answer.

Then Freddie raised his hand and asked, “Please, may I speak?” and Teddie raised his hand and asked, “Please, may I speak?”

The teacher nodded, and the twins said, “Perhaps Humpty Dumpty is hurt, for he fell down-stairs this morning.”

Then the teacher said that the twins might put Humpty Dumpty into a wheel-barrow and take him home.

The teacher said, “Say your tables and count numbers all the way.”

The twins put Humpty Dumpty into a wheel-barrow, and they put their wet caps by his side and started homeward.

Then they began to count: “One, two, three, four.”

“See that squirrel,” cried Teddie.

“Nine, ten, seven,” said Humpty Dumpty.

“See that robin,” said Freddie.

“Eight, four, sixteen, twelve,” counted Humpty Dumpty.

The children went on counting and talking in the funniest way.

When they got home they found that Papa and Mama had gone away.

THE TWINS SANG HIM A NONSENSE SONG

Humpty Dumpty began to cry. “I want my ma,” he said.

Teddie said, “Don’t cry and we will sing you a song.”

Freddie said, “Indeed we will.”

Mama had left a note on the table, and the note said:

I have left your dinner in the pantry. If we do not come home to-night Grandpa Grimes will stay with you.

Humpty Dumpty lay down on the sofa and the twins sang him a nonsense song, in hopes that he would soon be better.

They sang:

“Oh, beets and carrots are good to eat,

And pears and apples are nice and sweet;

But Mrs. Potato of all is most wise,

For she has such a number of eyes!”

Then they drew a picture of Mrs. Potato and soon Humpty Dumpty fell asleep.

Then the twins went to the window to see whether or not Grandpa Grimes was coming.

If Humpty Dumpty now should fall

From other places than the wall,

He might get a crack or two,

And that would never, never do.

CHAPTER II

Grandpa Grimes was nowhere to be seen, so the twins went out-doors to play. They had so much fun turning somersaults on the lawn that they forgot all about dinner, and they forgot all about Humpty Dumpty.

Very likely they would have forgotten all about supper, too, if they had not happened to look down the road.

“Hurrah!” cried Freddie. “There is Grandpa Grimes.”

“Hurrah!” cried Teddie. “But why doesn’t he come in! He is going past the gate!”

The twins ran down the road to catch Grandpa Grimes.

Grandpa Grimes was a jolly old fellow. He carried a suit-case and a big umbrella.

He never went anywhere without his umbrella.

He said, “Who can tell whether it will rain or shine?”

One of the twins grabbed his suit-case and the other twin grabbed his umbrella.

Grandpa asked, “Where is Humpty Dumpty?”

“Oh, oh!” cried Teddie and Freddie, “we had forgotten all about him, and we had forgotten all about our dinner, too!”

Grandpa Grimes began to whistle a merry tune and they all went into the house.

GRANDPA GRIMES

Humpty Dumpty did not wake up when they came in.

Grandpa Grimes looked at him and said, “Strange! Extraordinary! Most extraordinary!”

Then he took a good look at Humpty Dumpty and cried, “Get the bottle of glue! Get it quickly!”

What do you suppose Grandpa Grimes saw? He saw that Humpty Dumpty had a crack in his back!

Grandpa put the glue on the poor little fellow’s back. Then Humpty Dumpty woke up and said, “I want Ma, boo-hoo!”

Grandpa Grimes said, “If you will be still I will tell you a story.”

“A story! a story!” cried the twins together. “Do tell us a story!”

Grandpa Grimes said:

“How can I talk with nothing to eat?

Cold bread and butter would be quite a treat!”

The twins took the hint and ran about getting supper ready.

They set the table and warmed up the dinner that Mama Roly-Poly had left them.

Humpty Dumpty cried, “I want supper, too.”

So Grandpa rolled the sofa into the dining-room and for fun they all sat on the sofa and ate their supper.

“How about the red caps?” asked Grandpa Grimes.

He had given the caps to the twins on their last birthday.

Then Freddie hung his head and said, “We were careless,” and Teddie said, “We let them get wet, Grandpa.”

Then Grandpa Grimes chuckled and asked, “What mischief have you been up to, Humpty Dumpty?”

Humpty Dumpty said, “Oh, I only fell down-stairs.”

Then the twins said, “Where can Pa and Ma have gone?”

Grandpa pretended he did not hear. He only said, “This is very good tea for cold tea.”

Freddie said, “I wonder if Ma went up town.”

Teddie said, “I wonder if Pa went to the farm.”

“Speak a little louder,” said Grandpa Grimes. “How can you expect an old man to hear?”

Then he winked one eye at Humpty Dumpty and he winked the other eye at the cat, for he could hear as well as any of them.

Humpty Dumpty said, “Tell us a story, please, Grandpa.”

“Who will wash dishes?” asked Grandpa.

“I will,” said all the children at once.

“Look out, Humpty Dumpty, or you will fall off the sofa,” said Grandpa Grimes.

The twins washed and wiped the dishes and then they shouted, “Now for the story! Tell us the story!”

“Who fed the cat?” asked Grandpa Grimes.

Then Freddie got a saucer, and Teddie poured milk into it, and the old cat purred and drank her milk.

The twins got two little stools and sat down at Grandpa’s feet.

“Did you lock the back door?” asked Grandpa with a twinkle in his eye. “We don’t wish to have any tramps coming in here.”

So Teddie went and locked the door and they thought that now Grandpa would surely begin.

Then Grandpa said:

“How can I tell the story right,

Without a ray of candle-light?”

Freddie lighted the lamp, and then Grandpa said:

“Now then! you are such dear, good children that I will tell you the story of Amaryllis.”

This is the fairy tale that Grandpa told:

AMARYLLIS

Amaryllis sat by the fire, playing his fiddle.

He was alone in the house.

His brothers had gone to the ball.

Amaryllis was thinking of the story of Cinderella.

“I am like Cinderella, only I am a boy,” he said. “I sit among the ashes and cinders.”

“By and by,” he said, “I will pretend I am at the ball.”

So he took up his fiddle again and played a merry tune.

A little mouse that lived in the house came out and began to dance as he played.

Amaryllis laughed when the little mouse danced.

He forgot that he had wished to go to the ball.

Amaryllis had two brothers. They were proud and cruel. They had said, “Amaryllis is so little that we will give him a girl’s name. We will make him black our boots and tend the fires and wait on us.”

While Amaryllis sat playing the fiddle a fairy came in.

“Heigho! that was a merry tune,” said the fairy. “Come, let us dance.”

So Amaryllis laid down his fiddle, and he and the fairy joined hands and danced right into the ball-room where the brothers were, and all the fine lords and ladies.

Amaryllis was afraid at first. He thought of his shabby clothes. He looked down and saw that he had on a fine velvet suit with gold buttons.

The fairy still danced with him.

Round and round and round they went.

“Mind that you don’t play the fiddle here until the third night,” the fairy said, and then she disappeared.

All the fine ladies bowed to Amaryllis and all the lords stared at him.

The lovely princess danced with Amaryllis and he was very happy indeed.

They had danced all this time without music.

Suddenly the king rose from his throne and said:

“He who takes the fiddle,

And plays a jolly air,

Shall have half my kingdom,

And the princess fair!”

Then every one of the lords wished to play the fiddle, you may be sure, and Amaryllis could hardly keep his hands still.

The proud brothers tried to play, but they could not make a sound.

Many of the lords tried to play, but the fiddle would only squeak for them. Sometimes it would fly right out of their hands.

All this time Amaryllis was longing to play the fiddle, and his arm went to and fro as though he had hold of the bow.

Some one noticed him and cried, “See! we have the fiddler here.”

Amaryllis remembered the words of the fairy just in time, and so he would not play the fiddle. He went out of the room and ran home as fast as his legs could carry him.

When the brothers got home they told great tales about the ball.

They told Amaryllis about the handsome young prince who would not play the fiddle.

The next night the king gave another ball and both the brothers were invited.

“Black my boots,” said one.

“Brush my coat,” said the other.

Amaryllis waited on them as usual.

When, at last, the brothers were gone, Amaryllis sat down by the fire and began to play as before.

In came the fairy.

“Let us dance,” she said.

Amaryllis and the fairy danced round and round as before, and danced again into the ball-room.

“Don’t touch the king’s fiddle until the third night,” whispered the fairy, and she was gone.

Everybody had a fine time at the ball that night, and after a while the king rose as before and said:

“He who takes the fiddle

And plays a jolly air,

Shall have half my kingdom

And the princess fair.”

Amaryllis could stand it no longer. He forgot that he was at a great ball. He forgot the lords and ladies. He forgot the fairy’s words, and reached out his hand for the fiddle.

He began to play, but the tune he played was not a merry one. He looked down and saw that he had on his old, shabby clothes.

All the lords and ladies cried, “Put him out! Put him out! He is a street musician.”

Amaryllis ran out of the ball-room and went sadly home.

The two brothers did not know what had happened. They had eaten so much that they had fallen asleep at the ball.

The third night the king gave another ball.

The two brothers were invited. They had lost so much sleep that they were very cross while they were getting ready.

They made Amaryllis wait on them, and they whipped him soundly because he moved slowly.

Poor Amaryllis was sleepy, too.

At last Amaryllis sat in the chimney corner as before.

He said, “It is too late for the fairy to come to-night.”

He began to play a sad tune.

Then the fairy peeped in at the window and asked, “Will you be good this time and remember what I tell you about playing the fiddle?”

Amaryllis nodded and the fairy came in.

They danced into the ball-room at exactly quarter of twelve.

“Now,” whispered the fairy, “whatever happens, when the clock strikes twelve, you must play the fiddle.”

Then the fairy opened her bag and a little mouse jumped from it and ran behind a chair.

The king rose from his throne and began to talk, and just then the little mouse ran across the floor, and the lovely princess fell in a faint.

All the noblemen wished to help the princess, and all the ladies wished to fan her.

Amaryllis wished to go to the princess, too, but just at that minute the clock struck twelve.

He remembered the fairy’s words and reached out for the king’s fiddle and began to play a very merry tune.

He played such a merry tune that the princess revived. Everybody began to waltz, and the princess danced so hard that she danced right into Amaryllis’s arms!

The little mouse was frightened and ran away.

Then the whole company made merry. The king gave Amaryllis half his kingdom. Amaryllis married the princess, and they lived happily ever after.

“Tell it again,” said Freddie.

“Tell it again,” said Teddie.

Humpty Dumpty rolled over to the edge of the sofa. He nearly rolled off the sofa.

Grandpa Grimes said, “Humpty Dumpty, I believe you roll off something every day!”

Humpty Dumpty said, “That was a fine story.”

Grandpa said, “I will tell it to you again some day.”

Freddie said,“I should like to act out the story.”

Teddie said, “I should like to act it out, too.”

Then Grandpa Grimes laughed.

He pulled out his watch and said, “Bed-time for honest folks.”

Then all the children went merrily to bed.

The Roly-Polys can not spell,

They do not know their lessons well,

They sit on stools and wear dunce-caps, too,

As any child might have to do.

CHAPTER III

Next morning who do you suppose was the first one to wake up?

Humpty Dumpty woke up and rolled out of bed.

“Bump!” he fell to the floor and rolled over and over. Humpty Dumpty was so fat he was always rolling about.

“Help! help!” called the twins. “Humpty Dumpty has fallen out of bed.”

“Hush!” said Humpty Dumpty, “don’t waken Grandpa. I did not hurt myself at all this time.”

Then the twins looked at the great clock in the hall. Its hands pointed at quarter of six, so they all went back to bed.

“I am not a bit sleepy,” said Freddie.

“Neither am I,” said Teddie.

Humpty Dumpty said, “Let us tell one another fairy stories.”

Freddie began, “Once there was a princess. She had golden hair.”

“No, she had red hair,” said Humpty Dumpty.

“No, no,” said the twins, “we wish her to have golden hair.”

Then Humpty Dumpty said, “Red hair, red hair,” and he laughed so hard that he fell out of bed again.

The funny little Roly-Polys could not go on with the story because they could not agree about the color of the princess’s hair.

They all got up and tip-toed down-stairs.

They did not wish to waken Grandpa.

The twins started to get breakfast, and such a time as they had! First the fire would not burn, then the water would not boil.

They burned their fingers and they burned the toast.

Grandpa Grimes came down at last, and they all sat down to breakfast.

Grandpa Grimes said, “The coffee is so good I will give you all new red caps and you may go with me to the store to buy them.”

“Hurrah!” shouted the twins together.

Humpty Dumpty said, “I want a blue cap. I haven’t any twin.”

Then they all laughed until they cried.

“I wonder where Ma and Pa have gone,” said the twins.

“How many of you will be late for school?” asked Grandpa Grimes.

Then they all ate their breakfast and started on a run for school.

Grandpa Grimes stood in the doorway and waved a red pocket-handkerchief at them as they ran along.