The Apple Dumpling and Other Stories for Young Boys and Girls | Page 2

and began to
knit the big blue woollen stocking.
She knit eight times round the stocking, and then she said to herself, "I
wonder if the dumpling is done?" So she laid down her knitting, and
took a steel fork from the mantelpiece, and lifted the lid of the pot and
looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off her nose, and fell
into the pot.
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!--that's bad! that's bad!" said the old woman.
She got the bright tongs, and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them
with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and then
she stuck the fork into the apple dumpling.
The apples were hard. "No, no, no," she said; "it is not done yet."
So she put on the lid of the pot, and laid the fork on the mantelpiece,
and sat down in her arm-chair, and began to knit again on the big blue
woollen stocking.
She knit six times round the stocking, and then she said to herself, "I
wonder if the dumpling is done?"
So she put her knitting down, and took the fork from the mantelpiece,
and lifted the lid of the pot and looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off her nose, and fell
into the pot.
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!--that's bad! that's bad!" said the old woman.
She got the bright tongs and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them
with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and took
the fork and stuck it into the dumpling. The apples were just beginning
to get soft.

"No, no, no; it is not quite done yet," said the old woman.
So she put on the lid of the pot, and laid the fork on the mantelpiece,
and sat down in her arm-chair, and began to knit again on the big blue
woollen stocking.
She knit twice round the stocking, and then she said to herself, "I
wonder if the dumpling is done?"
So she laid down her knitting, and took the fork from the mantelpiece,
and lifted the lid of the pot, and looked in.
As she was looking in, her spectacles tumbled off her nose, and fell
into the pot.
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!--that's bad! that's bad!" said the old woman.
She got the bright tongs and fished up her spectacles, and wiped them
with the corner of her apron, and put them on her nose again, and took
the fork and stuck it into the dumpling.
The apples were quite soft. "Yes, yes, yes; the dumpling is done," said
the old woman.
So she took the dumpling out of the pot, and untied the cloth, and
turned it into a yellow dish, and set it upon the table.
Then she went to the cupboard and got a plate, and then to the
knife-box and got a knife; then she took the fork from the mantelpiece,
and drew her arm-chair close up to the table, and sat down in it, and cut
off a piece of the dumpling, and put it on her plate.
It was very hot, and it smoked a great deal; so the old woman began to
blow it. She blew very hard. As she was blowing, her spectacles
tumbled off her nose, and fell into the dumpling.
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!--that's bad! that's bad!" said the old woman.
She took her spectacles out of her plate, and wiped them with the

corner of her apron, and said to herself, "I must get a new nose. My
nose is so little, that my spectacles will not stick on my nose."
So she put her spectacles into her pocket, and began to eat the
dumpling.
It was quite cool now. So the old woman ate it all up, and said it was
very good indeed.

THE BROTHERS.
One day Henry came bounding home from school, his face beaming
with joy. He was head of his class, and he held fast in his hand a fine
silver medal, which had been awarded to him for good behaviour.
"Oh!" said he to himself, as he ran along, "how happy this will make
my dear Mother. I know she will kiss me; perhaps she will kiss me five
or six times, and call me her dear, dear boy. Oh! how I love my
Mother!"
He ran up the steps of the house where he lived as he said this, and
pulled the bell very hard, for he was in a great hurry. His Father opened
the door. "Hush! Henry," said he, "come in very softly, your Mother is
very ill."
"My Mother! Dear Father, what is the matter with her? May I go in to
her if I will step very