A second reader

In Short

Created as a foundational reader for young students, this anthology gathers classic fables, nature poems, and cumulative folk tales to build early literacy through repetition and rhythm. The book presents a stepping-stone sequence of narrative lessons where animals learn hard truths about self-acceptance, cooperation, and pride. From vanity to perseverance, each short narrative uses predictable patterns and rhyme to instill basic moral judgment alongside reading confidence. Its enduring survival rests on its clear structural design, pairing accessible vocabulary drills with universally recognizable children’s folklore.

The Story

The book moves systematically through a series of short, moral fables and nature-centered tales that explore identity, ambition, and consequence. It opens with stories of animal vanity and self-deception: a discontented raven tries endlessly to wash his black feathers white in a lake, only to catch a severe cold and accept his natural color. Soon after, a foolish crow finds dropped peacock feathers, sticks them to his back, and struts before his old friends. When he approaches the real peacocks, they scornfully tear away the stolen plumage along with his own feathers, leaving him rejected by both groups to live in isolation.

The focus then shifts to obedience and physical nature. A mother hen is horrified when her newly hatched brood charges directly into a brook, unaware that her "queer chickens" are actually young ducklings driven by instinct to swim freely while she franticly watches from the bank. Sequenced allegories follow, such as a cumulative chain reaction where Tumtollo questions wild beasts, elements, and tools to determine who is truly strongest, only to learn that Man reigns supreme because he can endure being knocked down and rise again. Cunning also plays a central role: a tiny lambikin rolls past hungry predators inside a hollow drum, using clever rhymes to outwit a wolf until he reaches safety.

In another fable, a vain ant buys a bright red ribbon with found coins and rejects loud suitors like the ox and the lion before settling down. Nature poems intersperse the stories, depicting winds blowing across high peaks, stars floating like daisies in a sky meadow, and flowers waiting for spring.

As the collection deepens, the consequences of inaction and pride grow sharper. A family of barn rats grows thin under the terror of a sneaky black cat; they hold a grand council and resolve to hang a warning bell around the cat's neck, only to realize that no individual rat has the courage to carry out the deed. A patient magpie tries to teach the other birds how to construct a complete, domed nest of mud and twigs, but each bird grows impatient, leaves early, and remains stuck making primitive nests forever.

In the final sections, collaborative chains of cause and effect drive the plots. When a rose droops from a leaf-eating worm, the sun refuses to shine, the wind stops blowing, and the forest falls silent until a brown hen scratches up the pest. Later, a boy named Billy Binks gathers a team of helpful animals to outsmart a hob-goblin in a dark forest, winning a treasure chest of gold. The collection concludes with a humorous trickster tale: a cock and hen panic after believing their master is drowning in a pond, only to discover the teasing calls came from a croaking frog mocking their gullibility as night falls.

How It Unfolds

The folly of vanity Animals attempt to alter their natural state through pretense or obsessive effort, leading to quick failure. A raven catches a cold trying to wash his dark feathers white, while a proud crow is stripped naked by peacocks after trying to pass as one of them using discarded feathers.

The strength of nature and wit Identities asserting themselves against expectations form the next wave of stories. Ducklings shock their hen mother by swimming instinctively, while a small lambikin climbs inside a rolling drum to sing silly rhymes and outrun a hungry wolf.

The limits of council and planning Shortcomings in execution are exposed through animal assemblies. A community of terrified rats hatches a brilliant plan to bell a predatory cat, but their meeting falls apart when no rat offers to risk his life to hang the bell.

The burden of impatience Mrs. Magpie offers a masterclass on nest-building to the forest birds. One by one, the eagle, lark, oriole, and owl grow bored or arrogant, flying off early to build crude nests while only the magpie finishes a complete, sheltered home.

The chain of cooperation Interconnected stories show how one small action impacts an entire ecosystem. A drooping rose causes a chain reaction of silence across the sun, wind, and forest until a hen eats the offending worm, restoring order to the farmyard.

The false alarm In the final narrative sequence, Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn hear desperate cries for help coming from the farm pond and frantically search for a rescue rope. They realize too late that a mocking frog tricked them into a wild pursuit, leaving them to return to their roost feeling foolish.

The People

• The Proud Crow: A silly bird who desires praise above all else. He decorates himself with dropped peacock feathers to impress others, but his vanity leaves him featherless and cast out by peacocks and crows alike.
• The Mother Hen: A devoted, anxious parent who wants to keep her newborn flock safe on dry land. She suffers panic along the riverbank when her chicks turn out to be ducklings who happily plunge into the water.
• Tumtollo: An inquisitive traveler who seeks to understand true power after a falling tree knocks him down. He interrogates bears, lions, fire, and water, ultimately discovering that human resilience is the strongest force.
• Lambikin: A small, cheerful creature who wants to explore the world without being eaten. Using a hollow drum shell and quick-witted rhymes, he successfully trick-rolls past a hungry wolf to reach safety.
• Mrs. Magpie: An expert craftswoman who wants to teach her fellow birds how to build sturdy, domed nests. Despite her patience, her pupils' laziness and arrogance leave her as the only bird with a fully constructed home.
• Billy Binks: An adventurous young boy seeking his fortune in the world. By recruiting loyal animal companions who pledge their unique talents, he drives off a dark forest hob-goblin and secures a chest of gold.
• Mr. and Mrs. Leghorn: Well-meaning barnyard fowls who act hastily on bad information. Their gullible nature leads them into frantic wild-goose chases before they learn to exercise basic common sense.

In Its Own Voice

“It is no use,” he croaked. “I can never be white. I do not want to be white. Black feathers are pretty enough for me. Croak! Croak!”

A disgruntled raven finally gives up his foolish attempt to wash his dark plumage white in the lake after catching a terrible cold.

“Fine feathers, indeed! We threw those old feathers away long ago. You are no peacock. You are just an old black crow.”

The peacocks turn angrily upon the crow who tried to join their flock by wearing their shed feathers, tearing the fake plumage from his back.

“I’ll help you and Mr. Coal across in a twinkling.”

A brave length of straw spans a roaring brook to act as a bridge for her traveling companions, unaware of the fiery outcome to come.

What It's Really About

Beneath its simple vocabulary drills, the text acts as a manual for character development, teaching young readers how to navigate the social world. The stories constantly test the boundaries between hubris and self-acceptance. Characters who pretend to be something they are not—like the crow wearing borrowed feathers—are swiftly humbled and isolated, while those who accept their true identity prosper.

The fables also probe the gap between theoretical wisdom and practical action. The famous council of the rats reveals that coming up with a clever idea is meaningless without the courage to execute it. Furthermore, the book emphasizes ecological and social interdependence. Through recurring cumulative chains, it shows how an injury to a single rose or a distress call from a chicken ripples through the entire community, teaching readers that no creature exists in isolation.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in the history of education, classic children's folklore, or early 20th-century pedagogy will find this collection charmingly direct. It offers a nostalgic window into how reading was taught over a century ago, blending phonics preparation with memorable storytelling. The prose moves at a brisk, energetic pace, relying on rhythmic repetition and sound effects that make it a pleasure to read aloud to young children today.

The collection carries the authentic period flavor of 1907 primary education. Readers will encounter archaic phonic breakdown keys preceding the text, repetitive cumulative structures, and traditional fables where moral lessons are delivered without softened edges. Some stories feature blunt consequences—such as a coal dissolving in a river or a crow being pecked bare—reflecting the unvarnished nature of early 20th-century children's literature. For parents, teachers, and collectors of historic primers, it stands as a clear, beautifully structured example of how classic fables were adapted to cultivate both reading mechanics and foundational morals.