 Asteroids. by Henry White Warren Coffee Break Collection 26 It's a Small World. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Asteroids. Already discovered, 1879, 192, distances from the Sun from 200 million to 315 million miles, diameters from 20 to 400 miles, mass of all less than one quarter of the Earth. The sense of infinite variety among the countless number of celestial orbs has been growing rapidly upon us for half a century and doubtless will grow much more in half a century to come. Just as we paused in the consideration of planets to consider meteors and comets, at first thought so different, so must we now pause to consider a ring of bodies, some of which are as small in comparison to Jupiter the next planet, as error lights are compared to the Earth. In 1800 an association of astronomers suspecting that a planet might be found in the great distance between Mars and Jupiter divided the zodiac into 24 parts and assigned one part to each astronomer for a thorough search but before their organization could commence work Piazzi, an Italian astronomer of Palermo found in Taurus a star behaving like a planet. In six weeks it was lost in the rays of the Sun. It was rediscovered on its emergence and named Ceres. In March 1802 a second planet was discovered by Olbers in the same gap between Mars and Jupiter and named Pallas. Here was an embarrassment of richness. Olbers suggested that an original planet had exploded and that more pieces could be found. More were found but the theory is exploded into more pieces than a planet could possibly be. Up to 1879 192 have been discovered with a prospect of more. Between 1871 and 1875 45 were discovered showing that they are sought for with great skill. In the discovery of these bodies our American astronomers professors Watson and Peters are without Piazzi. Between Mars and Jupiter is a distance of some 339 million miles. Subtract 35 million miles next to Mars and 50 million miles next to Jupiter and there is left a zone 254 million miles wide outside of which the asteroids never wonder. If any ever did the attraction of Mars or Jupiter may have prevented their return. Since the orbits of Mars and Jupiter show no sign of being affected by these bodies for a century past it is probable that their number is limited or at least that their combined mass does not approximate the size of a planet. Professor Newcomb estimates that if all that are now discovered were put into one planet it would not be over 400 miles in diameter and if a thousand more should exist of the average size of those discovered since 1850 their addition would not increase the diameter to more than 500 miles. That all these bodies which differ from each other in no respect except in brilliancy can be noted and fixed so as not to be mistaken one for another and instantly recognized though not seen for a dozen years is one of the highest exemplifications of the accuracy of astronomical observation. End of Asteroids The Brownies Plum Pudding T'was the evening of the 24th of December the clouds had been gray and heavy all day now the snowflakes were beginning to fall thick and fast so fast that already quite a white blanket was spread over the earth. This did not please the Brownies they had work to do in the snowstorm would hinder rather than help its progress. Somewhere in the woods nobody knew where for the Brownies kept the secret alts themselves was a great big Christmas pudding full of plums and citron raisins and spices and the Brownies wanted to bring that pudding home it was so big and heavy that they had built something that made one think of a raft or perhaps a ladder with the sides very far apart how they put the pudding on it would be hard to tell but they managed it and bravely they struggled with their burden perched on their little shoulders they took turns so that no one got too tired but all were glad when they were safely out of the woods and had landed the pudding in the hollow of the old tree back the schoolhouse through this had been the spot chosen for the grand feast of the Marl then to their homes they skipped away to dream of the good times and store for them and if their backs did ache and their little poor feet felt sore and weary the vision of the pudding dancing in their heads made them forget all their woes and what a treat they had on Christmas Day the pudding was so good and the day was so merry that the Brownies wished as they shut their sleepy eyes that Christmas came more than once a year they made up their minds that they would never let a Christmas go by without having a plum pudding for it was the best thing they had ever tasted the brownies ride are you in the humor for a lark boys it was not the very smallest and as everybody knows the most mischievous of all the brownies who said it we are that was the reply they were coming home from school these brownie boys in dinnerpales and books were thrown down at once while they crowded around dot to hear of the perspective fun you know that clover field to the right of the big stone house he began well some time ago Grimes put up a sign which read horses taken to pastor you should see the luck he has had I guess as many as a dozen horses are running around in that pasture field it's bad for them to do nothing but eat all day so I thought we would be doing a good thing for them and for ourselves too if tonight you know it is moonlight we borrow these horses and go for a ride you should have heard the yells of delight with which the scheme was greeted nobody but approved except of course croak he always eject everything the plan was for them to meet at the school house at ten o'clock then go together to the pasture lot a number the brownies were to bring ropes which they would tie around the horses necks and haul them into the road the hour came the brownies met and the work began they had forgotten saddles but some of them crawled through the windows in the harness maker shop and came back loaded with both saddles and bridles such a time as they had getting them on and so many brownies had been invited that there were not enough horses to go around so two and sometimes three saddles must be put on one horse always ready at last and off they started it was so funny to see them some of them actually hung on to the stirrup straps things went pretty smoothly at first but oh my what a difference buy and buy saddles slipped bridles came undone and the brownie boys and even the poor horses went over and rolled around in the mud but the bitter must be taken with the sweet so nobody dare complain when the ride was over and the horses and harness were put in their proper places everybody pronounced it one of the best frolics he had ever had in his life the adventure of the mice things had reached a point where something must be done so thought and so said the four gray mice that had met together to talk over their woes these four mice had spent their lives in perfect comfort and happiness under the high back steps and they knew that no four mice were quite as happy as they but what had changed had come into their lives the house had been sold and these new people made the lives of these four little mice most miserable no such thing as a trap had ever bothered them but now it was almost impossible to enter a cupboard or to climb up on a shelf without one of these cruel traps coming to view of course the cheese smelled good and looked so tempting but these sly little chaps had learned the dangers of traps and though they wished inside for the good things they did not venture near the strong wire enemies but worse than traps came into their lives these they could keep away from but a foe big and powerful had been brought to capture them it was a large sharp-eyed shiny black cat he never seemed to sleep for try when they might creep silently into the house his quick ears heard them and his big brown eyes looked eagerly around these four little mice were growing as thin as shadows for they dared not venture from your step home to get even a morsel of food at last they met in council and then it was decided that something must be done after much talking they concluded that puss must be killed and that they must do it so armed with weapons in a good strong rope they started on their mission you can't guess how brave they felt nor how sure of their success but what a difference can when they started into the house there stood the cat then they forgot to be brave and off they scamper as fast as possible never stopping to look behind the mouse's Easter egg it was spring and it was Easter time the mice knew it was Easter because one of them while rummaging the kitchen cupboard for a nibble of something had overheard the cook giving the order to the grocer's boy miss mausie had heard her say i want a great many eggs for i have promised to die some for the children and besides Easter is not Easter without plenty of eggs the grocer's boy seemed to be of the same opinion and cook laughed merrily when he told her how many he could eat now miss mausie made up her mind that if cook and the grocer's boy found eggs such fine food she must certainly try to have one for her breakfast on Easter day such a commotion has rained in the kitchen on Saturday morning of course the children had no school and they all wanted to help cook you should have heard the bursts of gleeful laughter as the blue and crimson green purple and yellow eggs were put on a platter to cool miss mausie saw and heard it all as she sat peeping through a crack in the cupboard door that morning if they will only lead them on the platter until tomorrow thought miss mausie i can easily help myself and i know the children will not mind letting me have just one fortune was good to this little great lady and when cook fixed the fire for the night and turned out the gas the eggs still stood on the plate now miss mausie knew that her two young brothers would like to try the eggs just as well as she so she asked them to come with her and armed with knife fork and spoon they started on their journey it was easy enough to reach the egg but not quite so easy to take it home it was so round and so smooth that tries he might not one could manage it at last miss mausie jumped for joy she had hit on a splendid plan it was the easiest thing in the world to manage she would lie down flat on her back hold the egg with her four little feet and then her two strong brothers could pull her along by her tail to think was to act this time and before many minutes the egg was landed in a safe hiding place to stay until morning now what a feast they had and how proud the brothers were to think that they all been so well managed by their little gray sister the brownies visitors the isle of fun and frolic was the home of the brownie boys and girls and no one can air deny that the island was well named these youngsters had no thought but to run and play to sleep and to eat and the butterflies led them lively chases in the games of hide and seek but one day came a change in their lives and they learned that others lived in the world besides themselves little peak hat discovered it as she stood on the rock looking out toward the sea was a great vessel plowing the waves it's white sails flapping in the winds and as she watched she saw it moving steadily toward the island all the brownies came rushing at her call and their wonder knew no limit on came the vessel closer and closer the brownies watched as long as they dared and then fearful of being seen hurried away to hide themselves where they might occasionally take a peek what great big creatures were landing on the island and what loud voices they had is they called to each other it sounded to the brownies like the roar of distant thunder all day long the little people remain hidden but when night came they stole from the hiding places to talk it over what kind little hearts these brownies had all the nice pieces of wood should be piled up for these strange people's comfort the best grapes should be safe for them they would coax the fish to nibble and do all in their power to make these queer guests happy indeed they seemed to think of nothing else and had you visited their home in the old forest you would have found them busily engaged in planning how they could add to the comfort of their strange guests the brownies are never so happy as when they were busy making others happy they believe that the best way to enjoy life is to give pleasure to those they meet of course the visitors did not know what was making their visits so pleasant for these busy little creatures always were quietly and secretly the visitors did not stay long but the brownies did good service and when they had gone they quite missed the pleasure they had felt in making others happy and they were continually wishing that some favoring wind would bear some other ship to their shores that they might again have an opportunity of renewing their acquaintance with these queer people. End of Five Stories by Palmer Cox German Immigration to the United States 1700 and 9 by Frank Reed Defendifer 1833 to 1921 from the German Exodus to England in 1709 published in 1897 coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a Libravox recording all Libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Libravox.org William Penn had made two visits to Germany one in 1671 and the second in 1677 at that time he had not yet acquired the province that was to make his name so memorable but he became well known through the peculiar religious tenants he advocated and attempted to spread later when the owner of Pennsylvania he spared no efforts to attract colonists from Germany not only did he write full descriptions of the province where lands were almost given away but political and religious toleration was proclaimed as the very cornerstone of his new government many of these attractively written brochures are still extant to show us how great were the efforts to arouse the spirit of immigration then to the spirit of speculation stepped in and did much to forward the project one company after another was formed to arouse and encourage the migrating impulse the West India Company the Frankfurt Company and many more were engaged in this work Sidenstiker tells us that the latter company is directly attributable to Penn he also asserts that Penn gave the first impulse to this German exodus Bancroft bears testimony to the same effect the climate resources and general advantages of Penn's province were well known all over Germany it is true that more than a generation had passed by since the gentle Quakers visit to the Rhine provinces and many of those who had met him face to face were no longer among the living but there was still some there who had seen and heard him a new series of publications also began to appear about the year 1700 and these were widely distributed all over Germany and the low countries once more the tales of a land flowing with milk and honey we're told a land where the climate was more temperate than in Germany where the conditions of life were more desirable where all creeds were tolerated where kings and priestcraft were unknown where universal freedom prevailed where strife never came where not only ease and comfort but certain wealth awaited the industrious settlers this and much more was heard around every fireside and fell like the voice of enchantment upon the ears of the harried and starving palatines there was also an old German prophecy to the effect that in America they would prosper and be happy with all these things continually pressed upon their attention and with the grim specter of spoliation hardships intolerance and want rising gloomily out of the past need we seek further need we even wonder that entire communities arose as one man shook the dust of the father land from their feet the father land so dear to the German heart and with little or no preparation took flight for a land where their lives should thereafter be passed in plenty and in peace and of German immigration to the United States 1700 and nine by Frank Reed defender fair the great and the small from Ecclesiastes 817 through Ecclesiastes 918 coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the great and the small then I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun because though a man labor to seek it out yet he shall not find it yay father though a wise man think to know it yet shall he not be able to find it for all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrifices and to him that sacrifices not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth and knoweth there is an evil among all things that are done under the sun that there is one event unto all yay also the heart of the sons of men are full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the dead for to him that is joined to all the living there is hope for a living dog is better than a dead lion for the living know that they shall die but the dead know not anything neither have they any more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works let thy garments be always white and let thy head let no ointment live joyfully with the wife whom thou loveth all the days of the life of thy vanity which he hath given thee under the sun all the days of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life and in thy labor which thou takeest under the sun whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave wither thou goest I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bred to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favor to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all for man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them this wisdom have I seen also under the sun and it seemed great unto me there was a little city and few men within it and there came a great king against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the city yet no man remembered that same poor man then said I wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard the words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools wisdom is better than weapons of war but one sinner destroyeth much good end of the great and the small from the book of ecclesiastes in France by Francis cornford coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Sarah Brown in France the poplars in the fields of France are golden ladies come to dance but yet to see them there is none but I and the September sun the girl who in their shadow sits can only see the sock she knits her dog is watching all the day that not a cow shall go astray the leisurely contented cows can only see the earth they browse their piebald bodies through the grass with busy munching noses pass alone the sun and I behold processions crowned with shining gold the poplars in the fields of France like glorious ladies come to dance end of in France jack and the beanstalk from english fairy tales by anonymous collected by Joseph Jacobs coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org there was once upon a time a poor widow with an only son named Jack and a cow named milky white and all they had to live on was the milk the cow gave every morning which they carry to the market and sold but one morning milky white gave no milk and they didn't know what to do what shall we do what shall we do said the widow bringing her hands cheer up mother I'll go and get work somewhere said Jack we've tried that before and nobody would take you said his mother we must sell milky white and with the money do something start shop or something all right mother says jack it's market day today and I'll soon sell milky white then we'll see what we can do so he took the cow's halter in his hand and off he starts he hadn't gone far when he met a funny-looking old man who said to him good morning jack good morning to you said jack and wondered how he knew his name well jack and where are you off to said the man I'm going to market to sell our cow there oh you look the proper sort of chap to sell cows said the man I wonder if you know how many beans make five two in each hand and one in your mouth says jack as sharp as a needle right you are said the man and here they are the very beans themselves he went on pulling out his pocket a number of strange-looking beans is yours so sharp says he I don't mind doing a swap with you your cows for these beans walker says jack wouldn't you like it ah you don't know what these beans are said the man if you plant them overnight by morning they grow right up to the sky really says jack you don't say so yes that is so if it doesn't turn out to be true you can have your cow back right says jack and hands him over milky whites halter and pockets beans what says jack's mother have you been such a fool such a dull such an idiot as to give away my milky white the best milker in the paris and prime beef to boot for a set of pottery beans take that take that take and as for your precious beans here they go out of the window and now off with you to bed not a sub shall you drink and not a bitch shall you swallow this very night so jack went upstairs to his little room in the attic and said and sorry he was to be sure as much for his mother's sake as for the loss of his supper at last he dropped off to sleep back goes jack home and as he hadn't gone very far it wasn't dusk by the time he got by his door what back jack said his mother I see you haven't got milky white so you've sold her how much did you get for her you'll never guess mother says jack no you don't say so good boy five pounds 10 15 no it can't be 20 I told you you couldn't guess what do you say to these beans they're magical plant them overnight and when he woke up the room looked so funny the sun was shining into part of it and yet all the rest was quite dark and shady so jack jumped up and dressed himself and went to the window and what do you think he saw why the beans his mother had thrown out of the window into the garden and sprung up into a big beanstalk which went up and up and up till it reached the sky so the man spoke truth after all the beanstalk grew up quite close past jack's window so all he had to do was to open it and give a jump on to the beanstalk which was made like a big plated ladder so jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he reached the sky and when he got there he found a long broad road going as straight as a dart so he walked along and he walked along and he walked along till he came to a great big tall house and on the doorstep there was a great big tall woman good morning mom says jack quite polite like could you be so kind as to give me some breakfast for you hadn't had anything to eat you know night before or was as hungry as a hunter it's breakfast you want is it says the great big tall woman it's breakfast you'll be if you don't move off from here my man is an orgy and there's nothing he likes better than boys brood on toast you'd better be moving on or he'll soon be coming oh please mom do give me something to eat mom i've had nothing to eat since yesterday morning really and truly mom says jack i may as well be broiled as diet of hunger well the orc's wife wasn't such a bad sort after all so she took jack into the kitchen and gave him a chunk of bread and cheese and a jug of milk but jack hadn't half finished these when thump thump thump the whole house began to tremble the noise of something coming goodness gracious me it's my old man said the orc's wife what on earth shall i do here come quick and jump in here and she bundled jack into the oven just as the orc came in it was a big one to be sure at his belt he had three calves strung up by the heels and he unhooked them and threw them down on the table and said here wife bro me a couple of these for breakfast ah what's this i smell fee five o'fool i smell the blood of an english man be he alive or be he dead i'll have his bones to grind my bread nonsense dear said his wife you're dreaming or perhaps you smell the scraps of that little boy you liked so much for yesterday's dinner here go you and have a wash and tidy up and by the time you come back your breakfast will be ready for you so the orc went off and jack was just going to jump out of the oven and run off when the old woman told him not wait till he's asleep says she he always has a snooze after breakfast well the orc had his breakfast and after that he goes to a big chest and takes out of it a couple of bags of goat and sits down counting them till at last his head began to nod and he began to snore till the whole house shook again then jack crept out on tiptoe from his oven and as he was passing the orc he took one of the bags of goat under his arm and off he powders till he came to the beanstalk and then he threw down bag of goat which of course fell into his mother's garden and then he climbed down and climbed down till at last he got home and hold his mother and showed her the goat and said well mother wasn't i right about the beans they are really magical you see so they lived on the bag of goat for some time but at last came to the end of that so jack made up his mind to try his luck once more up at the top of the beanstalk so one fine morning he got up early and got on the beanstalk and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he got on the road again and came to the great big tall house he had been to before there sure enough was the great big tall woman standing on the doorstep good morning mom sis jack his boldest brass could you be so good as to give me something to eat go away my boy said the big tall woman who else my man will eat you up for breakfast but aren't you the youngster who came here once before do you know that very day my man missed one of his bags of goat that's strange mom sis jack i dare say i could tell you something about that but i'm so hungry i can't speak till i had something to eat well the big tall woman was that curious that she took him in and gave him something to eat but he had scarcely begun munching it as slowly as he could when thump thump thump they heard the giant's footsteps and his wife hit jack away in the oven all happened as it did before in came the orc as he did before said fee five four four and had his breakfast off three boiled oxen then he said wife bring me the hen that lays the golden eggs so he brought it and the orc said lay and it laid an egg all of goat and then the orc began to nod his head and to snore till the house shook then jack crapped out of the oven on tiptoe and cut hold of the golden hen and was off before you could say jack robinson but this time the hen gave cackle which woke the orc and just as jack got out of the house he heard them crawling wife wife what have you done with my golden hen and the wife said why my dear but that was all jack heard free rush off to the beanstalk and climbed down like a house on fire when he got home he showed his mother the wonderful hen and said lay to it and it laid a golden egg every time he said lay well jack was not content and it wasn't very long before he determined to have another try at his luck up there at the top of the beanstalk so one fine morning he got up early and went on to the beanstalk and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till he got to the top but this time he knew better than to go straight to the orc's house and when he got near it he waited behind a bush till he saw the orc's wife come out with a pail to get some water and then he crept into the house and got into the copper he hadn't been there long when he heard thump thump thump as before the income the orc and his wife fee five full full i smell the blood of an english man cried out the orc i smell him wife i smell him do you my dearie says the orc's wife benefits that little rogue that stole your gold and the hen that laid the golden eggs he's sure to have got into the oven and they both rushed to the oven but jack wasn't there luckily and the orc's wife said there you are again with your fee five full full why of course it's the lady you caught last night that i brewed for your breakfast how forgetful i am and how careless you are not to tell the difference between a live one and a dead one so the orc sat down to the breakfast and ate it but every now and then he would mutter well i could have sworn and he'd get up and search the larder and the cupboards and everything only luckily he didn't think of the copper after breakfast was over the orc called out wife wife bring me my golden harp so she brought it and put it on the table before him then he said sing and the golden harp sang most beautifully and it went on singing till the orc fell asleep and commenced to snore like thunder then jack lifted up the copper lid very quietly and got down like a mouse and crept on hands and knees so he got to the table when he got up and caught hold of the golden harp and dashed with it towards the door but the harp called out quite loud master master and the orc woke up just in time to see jack running off with his harp jack ran as fast as he could and the orc came rushing after he was soon have caught him only jack had to start and dodged him a bit he knew where he was going and he got to the beanstalk the orc was not more than 20 yards away suddenly he saw jack disappear like and when he got up to the end of the road he saw jack underneath climbing down for a dear life well the orc didn't like trusting himself to such a ladder he stood and waited so jack got another start but just then the harp cried out master master and the orc swung himself down onto the beanstalk which shook with his weight down climbs jack and after him climbed the orc by this time jack had climbed down and climbed down and climbed down so he was very nearly home so he called out mother mother bring me an axe bring me an axe and his mother came rushing out with the axe in her hand but when she came to the beanstalk she stood stock still with fright for there she saw the orc just coming down below the clouds but jack jumped down and got hold of the axe and gave a chop at the beanstalk which cut it half in two the orc felt the beanstalk shake and quiver so he stopped to see what was the matter and jack gave another chop with the axe and the beanstalk was cut in two and began to topple over then the orc fell down and broke his crown and the beanstalk came toppling after then jack showed his mother his golden harp what with showing that and selling the golden axe jack and his mother became very rich and he married great princess and they lived happily ever after and of jack and the beanstalk from english fairy tales light by cotton mather 1663 to 1728 from the christian philosopher coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a liber box recording all liber box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberbox.org Aristotle's definition of light light is in the inworking of a diaphanous body is worth an attentive consideration light is undoubtedly produced as dr hook judges by emotion quick and vibrative it is proved by mr mollano that light is a body its refraction in passing through a diaphanous body shows that it finds a different resistance resistance must proceed from a contact of two bodies moreover it requires time to pass from one place to another though it has indeed the quickest of all motions finally it cannot by any means be increased or diminished if you increase it it is by robbing it of some other part of the medium which it would have occupied or by bringing the light that should naturally have been diffused through some other place into that which is now more enlightened sir isaac newton judges is probable that bodies and the light act mutually on one another bodies upon light and emitting it and reflecting it and reflecting it and inflecting it light upon bodies by heating them and putting their parts into a vibrating motion all hypothesis of light are too dark which try to explain the phenomena by new modifications of rays they depend not on any such modifications but on some congenit and unchangeable properties essentially inherent in the rays the rays of light are certainly little particles actually emitted from the lucent body and refracted by some attraction by which light and the bodies on which it falls do mutually act upon one another it is evident that as rays pass by the edges of bodies they are incurvated by the action of these bodies as they pass by them and it is now perceived that bodies draw light and this light puts bodies into heat and that the motion of light is therefore swifter in bodies than in vacuo because of this attraction and slower after it's being reflected than in its incidence irradiated by the discoveries of the great sir isaac newton we now understand that every ray of light is endowed with its own color and its different degree of refragability and reflex ability one ray is violet another indigo a third blue a fourth green a fifth yellow a sixth orange and the last red all these are original colors and from the mixture of these all the intermediate ones proceed and white from an equitable mixture of the whole black on the contrary from the small quantity of any of them reflected or all of them in a great measure suffocated it is not bodies that are colored but the light that falls upon them and their colors arise from the aptitude in them to reflect rays of one color and to transmit all those of another tis now decided no color in the dark though light be certainly a body it is almost impossible to conceive how small the corpuscles of it are dr. shane illustrates it with an experiment that it may be propagated from innumerable different luminous bodies without any considerable opposition to one another there several streams of light will be together transmitted into a dark place through the least orifice in the world suppose the plate of metal having at the top the smallest hole that can be made were erected perpendicularly to an horizontal plane and about it were set numberless luminous objects of about the same height with the plate at an ordinary distance from it the light proceeding from every hole of these objects will be propagated through this hole without interfering end of light by cotton mather 1663 to 1728 from the christian philosopher the man in the moon from mother goose in prose by elfrank bomb coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by tom noons the man in the moon the man in the moon came tumbling down and inquired the way to norwich he went by the south and burned his mouth with eating cold piece porridge what have you never heard the story of the man in the moon then i must surely tell it for it is very amusing and there is not a word of truth in it the man in the moon was rather lonesome and often he peeked over the edge of the moon and looked down upon the earth and envied all the people who lived together for he thought it must be vastly more pleasant to have companions to talk to than to be shut up in a big planet all by himself where he had to whistle to keep himself company one day he looked down and saw an alderman sailing up through the air towards him this alderman was being translated instead of being transported owing to a misprint in the law and as he came near the man in the moon called to him and said how is everything down on the earth everything is lovely replied the alderman and i wouldn't leave it if i was not obliged to what's a good place to visit down there inquired the man in the moon oh norwich is a mighty fine place returned the alderman and it's famous for its peas porridge and then he sailed out of sight and left the man in the moon to reflect upon what he had said the words of the alderman made him more anxious than ever to visit the earth and so he walked thoughtfully home and put a few lumps of ice in the stove to keep him warm and sat down to think how he should manage the trip you see everything went by contraries in the moon and when the man wished to keep warm he knocked off a few chunks of ice and put them in his stove and he cooled his drinking water by throwing red hot coals of fire into the pitcher likewise when he became chilly he took off his hat and coat and even his shoes and so became warm and in the hot days of summer he put on his overcoat to cool off all of which seems very queer to you no doubt but it wasn't at all queer to the man in the moon for he was accustomed to it well he sat by his ice-cool fire and thought about his journey to the earth and finally he decided the only way he could get there was to slide down a moonbeam so he left the house and locked the door and put the key in his pocket for he was uncertain how long he should be gone and then he went to the edge of the moon and began to search for a good strong moonbeam at last he found one that seemed rather substantial and reached right down to a pleasant looking spot on the earth and so he swung himself over the edge of the moon and put both arms tight around the moonbeam and started to slide down but he found it rather slippery and in spite of all his efforts to hold on he found himself going faster and faster so that just before he reached the earth he lost his hold and came tumbling down head over heels and fell plump into a river the cool water nearly scalded him before he could swim out but fortunately he was near the bank and he quickly scrambled upon the land and sat down to catch his breath by that time it was morning and as the sun rose its hot rays cooled him off somewhat so that he began looking about curiously at all the strange sights and wondering where on earth he was by and by a farmer came along the road by the river with a team of horses drawing a load of hay and the horses looked so odd to the man in the moon that at first he was greatly frightened never before having seen horses except from his home in the moon from whence they looked a good deal smaller but he plucked up courage and said to the farmer can you tell me the way to norwich sir norwich repeated the farm amusingly i don't know exactly where it be sir but it's somewhere away to the south thank you said the man in the moon but stop i must not call him the man in the moon any longer for of course he was now out of the moon so i'll simply call him the man and you'll know by that which man i mean well the man in the i mean the man but i nearly forgot what i have just said the man turned to the south and began walking briskly along the road for he had made up his mind to do as the alderman had advised and travel to norwich that he might eat some of the famous peas porridge that was made there and finally after a long and tiresome journey he reached the town and stopped at one of the first houses he came to for by this time he was very hungry indeed a good-looking woman answered his knock at the door and he asked politely is this the town of norwich madam surely this is a town of norwich returned the woman i came here to see if i could get some peas porridge continued a man for i hear you make the nicest porridge in the world in this town that we do sir answered the woman and if you step inside i'll give you a bowl for i have plenty in the house that is newly made so he thanked her and entered the house and she asked will you have it hot or cold sir oh cold by all means replied the man for i detest anything hot to eat she soon brought him a bowl of cold peas porridge and the man was so hungry that he took a big spoonful at once but no sooner had he put it into his mouth than he uttered a great yell and began dancing frantically about the room for of course the porridge that was called to earth folk was hot to him and the big spoonful of cold peas porridge had burned his mouth to a blister what's the matter asked the woman matter cried the man why your porridge is so hot it has burned me fiddlesticks she replied the porridge is quite cold try yourself he cried so she tried it and found it very cold and pleasant but the man was so astonished to see her eat the porridge that had blistered his own mouth that he became frightened and ran out of the house and down the street as fast as he could go the policeman on the first corner saw him running and promptly arrested him and he was marched off to the magistrate for a trial what is your name asked the magistrate i haven't any replied the man for of course as he was the only man in the moon it wasn't necessary he should have a name come come no nonsense said the magistrate you must have some name who are you why i'm the man in the moon that's rubbish said the magistrate i'm the prisoner severely you may be a man but you're not in the moon you're in norwich that is true answered the man who was quite bewildered by this idea and of course you must be called something continued the magistrate well then said the prisoner if i'm not the man in the moon i must be the man out of the moon so call me that very good replied the judge now then where did you come from the moon oh you did a how did you get here i slid down a moon beam indeed well what were you running for a woman gave me some cold peas porridge and it burned my mouth the magistrate looked at him a moment in surprise and then he said this person is evidently crazy so take him to the lunatic asylum and keep him there this would surely have been the fate of the man had there not been present an old astronomer who had often looked at the moon through his telescope and so had discovered that what was hot on earth was cold in the moon and what was cold here was hot there so he began to think the man had told the truth therefore he begged the magistrate to wait a few minutes while he looked through his telescope to see if the man in the moon was there so as it was now night he fetched his telescope and looked at the moon and found that there was no man in it at all it seems to be true said the astronomer that the man has got out of the moon somehow or other let me look at your mouth sir and see if it is really burned and the man opened his mouth and everyone saw plainly it was burned to a blister thereupon the magistrate begged his pardon for doubting his word and asked him what he would like to do next i'd like to go back to the moon said the man for i don't like this earth of yours at all the nights are too hot why it's quite cool this evening said the magistrate i'll tell you what we can do remarked the astronomer there's a big balloon in town which belongs to the circus that came here last summer and was pond for a board bill we can inflate this balloon and send the man out of the moon home in it that's a good idea replied the judge so the balloon was brought and inflated and the man got into the basket and gave the word to let go and then the balloon mounted up into the sky in the direction of the moon the good people of norwich stood on the earth and tipped back their heads and watched the balloon go higher and higher until finally the man reached out and caught hold of the edge of the moon and behold the next minute he was the man in the moon again after this adventure he was well contented to stay at home and i've no doubt if you look through a telescope you will see him there to this day end of the man in the moon recording by tom noons on the beach by mary treat coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a liber vox recording all liber vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liber vox dot org on the beach many of our young people spend the month of august at the seaside and if those who wish to learn something of the curious microscopic animals will stroll along the beach when the tide is receded until they come to rocky places and little pools filled with salt water and various marine plants they will find a form of animal life quite different from that in freshwater ponds these little pools along the rocky coast are the homes of countless numbers of zoophytes animals which have a stronger resemblance to plants and flowers than any we have found in freshwater look for specimens for microscopic work on the surface of the rocks on dead seashells and on the seaweeds on the seaweeds you will often find a white filmy network which to the unassisted eye looks like simple white threads running and spreading in every direction and at every angle of the network a tiny stem shoots up branching out like a tree and making a miniature forest now if you apply a low power of the microscope you will find the little forest is made up of a strange animal called laumida geniculata each branch of this compound animal terminates and expands into a lovely vase and is the home of a polyp the polyp is not a separate individual any more than the end of a growing branch is separate from the tree on which it grows when the creature is hungry he sends out from the margin of the vase from 15 to 20 tentacles ranged around the rim like the petals of a flower figure one shows one of these expanded polyps as seen through the microscope the tentacles or feelers are fishing rods to bring game to the fleshy mouth which is protruded from the center of the vase a great many such mouths surrounded with their tentacles are necessary to feed this singular compound creature all that I can tell you of these microscopic animals will be nothing compared to a study of them with your own eyes so I will only give you hints of what you may expect thereby hoping to create sufficient interest to induce you to stroll to out of the way places where you may find many of nature's marvelous works we want more field workers in every department of natural history and especially in microscopy where unexplored fields are awaiting you when the tide is receded various objects of interest will meet your eye at every step look at that old dead seashell covered with a rough shaggy nap ah as we approach the shell is moving off what can it mean why it means that a hermit crab has set up housekeeping in the old shell and he no doubt thinks us suspicious characters and once none of our company but we are after microscopic objects now and this hermit interesting as he is is not to claim our attention today the rough coat on the outside of the shell is of more interest with the aid of a pocket lens you will find it another zoophile you can see the polyps as thick as they can well stand rising erect and straight from the shaggy coat like a miniature field of wheat with a higher power you will see that each mouth is surrounded with tentacles like those of Laumida but yet it is quite a different looking creature if we touch one of these polyps ever so lightly the great army immediately closed their tentacles for the same life pervades the entire colony and those on the extreme outer edge feel the contact as quickly as the one we touched one of the most comical and amusing creatures of all the zoophile tribe is figured and described by mr. goss under the name of lar sabbilarum he was the first observer of this curious creature he founded inhabiting the outer edge of the tube of a worm the sabella so when you are looking for microscopic objects do not overlook any tube that you may see standing above the surface of sand and mud as it may be surrounded by this singular zoophile the tubes usually extend an inch or two above the surface and about as far below i have found the tubes surrounded with the creatures but not in as good condition for investigation as those mr. goss mentions mine were too thick and crowded to distinguish clearly but as mr. goss describes them they have a most close resemblance to the human figure as they stand erect around the mouth of the tube of sabella a loose network surrounds the top of the tube and the strange forms spring from the angles of the meshes the creatures are furnished with heads and immediately below the head are two arms the head moves to and fro on the neck while the arms are tossed wildly about as if gesticulating in the most earnest manner or is in the wild and disorderly dances of savages the body sways back and forth while the arms are thrown upward and downward in a frantic way one summer i found a colony standing so thickly together that they did not show off to very good advantage apparently they were like a packed army of lilliputians striking out with their arms and struggling with one another but when i came to observe them more carefully i found they were not interfering with one another at all but each was intent on his own business of obtaining a livelihood the sabella which inhabits the tube is of itself a most attractive object most elegant fringe filaments proceed from the head and wave back and forth like a fan and near the ends of these delicate slender filaments are little black balls supposed to be eyes if they are eyes the sabella has no lack of vision and this may account for his seeming watchfulness he's always on the alert and drops down into his house at any approach only with the utmost caution will you have an opportunity to leisurely look at his rare beauty when for the first time i saw this elegant beautiful creature rising out of the tube and waving his fringed fan like filaments i did not wonder at mr gas's enthusiasm neither was i surprised that he should be reminded of the old roman mythology and called the zoophytes which surround the tube larries for the rare beauty of sabella would suggest the protection of guardian spirits he says these curious creatures have afforded much entertainment not only to myself but to those scientific friends to whom i have had the opportunities of exhibiting them when i see them surrounding the mansion of the sabella gazing as it were after him as he retreats into his castle flinging their wild arms over its entrance and keeping watch with untying vigilance until he reappears it seems to require no very vivid fancy to imagine them so many guardian demons and the larries of the old roman mythology carrying to memory i described to the form under the scientific appellation of lar saballorum you may however if it pleases you better call them witches dancing around the charmed pot when the tide is out you will frequently notice barnacles adhering to the rocks or to the timbers used in the construction of wharves pray stop and examine them critically and see what admirable fishers they are their fishing nets are composed of several long flexible jointed fingers thickly beset with sensitive hairs when the fisher wants a meal he thrusts his long hand out the door of his stone house the sensitive fingers quickly tell when they come into contact with anything good to eat and they curl over and grasp it and convey it to the mouth these barnacles are wonderful creatures and well worth your continuous study they pass through several stages when young they are a gay rollicking set swimming freely in the water but as maturity approaches they settle down in stone houses never more to rove about and set up fishing for a living end of On the Beach recording by Colleen McMahon coffee break collection number 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Rita Butros coffee break collection number 26 it's a small world by various selection Riga in the chimney how did Riga get into the chimney well if the truth must be told it was not merely a chimney but the window and not a window only but the front door and not only the front door but the staircase it was in fact so much of all four that it was but slightly like any one of them things were all together upside down in this house instead of being built on the ground like all reasonable houses it was under it and although it had but one place to come in at and but one fire to cook at so many people lived inside of it intense of their own that it was in reality a village and yet again it was a village where you had only to lift the skin wall of your one-room dwelling to get into your neighbors the land was Kamchatka and Riga was a small boy of that cold country he had been outside to get some milk from the deer and had come to the hole that formed the entrance and taken the first step down on the notched pole that was to land him in the fire if he didn't take a good leap over when he got to the bottom it was already dark above him one of the dogs there were 20 or 30 and all got a smell of the milk or a smell of the pot on the fire and as he sniffed greedily through chimney we might as well call it that he lost his balance and came tumbling head and heels over Riga with a prodigious racket and howling into the village below Riga who was fat thought he was going to but he clung to the notched pole till he had his senses again and then he clung the tighter because of something else at the foot of the pole burned a fire of moss which gave much heat little light and more smoke than anything else this smoke hung duskily around the chimney and went out lazily as it happened to feel inclined Riga's entrance had been covered by the dog's fall the smoke and dust hid him effectually and something stopped him from coming down it was a little whisper which although addressed to a person close by the whisperer's side scaled the pole for the benefit of Riga's curious ears hush someone came in you are mistaken for no one comes down someone is listening then lapka you suspect everything who would stop up there and why and who would know there was anything to listen to Riga was listening however and although his position was most uncomfortable his curiosity was so excited by hearing a conversation which was not intended for anyone to hear that he bent his ears more eagerly than ever and was as silent as a snowflake when can it be done whispered lapka shrilly when all are asleep we may be asleep too trust me for that can we get out without rousing the sleepers do you think the herd will be quiet we have no one to fear but the curious Riga that boy always has one ear open that is so thought Riga in the chimney and now i see the wisdom of it he gave a movement of satisfaction and some of the milk splashed hissing down into the fire what is that svarovitch asked lapka i have often heard that sound in the fire was the reply and my father says if it is a saint's day the saint weeps for some wrong done at this moment the thick pungent smoke tickled Riga's nose and he gave vent to three good hearty sneezes the two boys below jumped to their feet and ran away there is still more and it may be learned by listening murmured Riga as he went down i am not a saint but i will do more than weep if any wrong is about to be done it was the winter time the cold was intense if you should put your uncovered face out of doors the eyelashes would freeze to your cheeks the weather was so fierce the clouds so threatening that but few of the men had ventured out such as had rode up swiftly on their sledges at nightfall set the deer free among the herd and gathered round the fire to sleep or talk over the adventures of the day among other things this bitterest night of all they returned to the conversation of several preceding nights about two Englishmen with their guide belated by the snows of an early winter these travelers had pressed on towards a port on the coast thinking to winter there comfortably until some ship would sail for san francisco but reports had now reached the tribe of a fatal accident to one of the reindeer and wise ladovin shook his head he was 70 years old and knew everything there was a spot he said near the kamchatgen shore a hut underground constructed from a wrecked vessel by some sailors all guides know of this place there was fuel there and they would not freeze but they could have had no provisions worth speaking of and either they must die of starvation or go on and perish in the coming storm upon the tundra this had been repeated each night since a lot of him had heard of the dead deer but his listeners were willing to receive an observation many times for want of fresher usually riga sat long in the midst of the circle but tonight he withdrew early to his particular home a small enclosure a few feet square where the whole family slept lighted by a bit of moss floating in oil he had seen lapka enter the next room and the fear of missing him brought him early to lie on his own floor where he could peep beneath the edge of the skin later when everything was quiet the same anxiety made him crawl out and take up his old place on the notched pole where he clung silent and immovable but listening and looking intently every sense merged into his sense of curiosity ah woe to riga in the chimney two quiet figures suddenly came straight to the pole and one began to mount to mount yes and seeing riga to seize him by the foot and sternly bid him be silent and go out small country houses of today visor lorence weaver coffee break collection 26 is a small world this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox.org recording by betty b small country houses of today introduction there is no lack of books which illustrate various types of small modern country houses both by photographs and plans but they are as a class apt to be devoid of critical explanation whether from the practical or aesthetic point of view house building is more over a primitive instinct and the story of its development takes an important part in the larger history of social growth monographs on representative small country houses of today designed by architects of established reputation serve therefore a double purpose the buildings themselves are explained with notes on the conditions which determine their plan and treatment and their place in relation to english culture and habits can be estimated since the end of the 18th century architecture has been struggling with many vicious influences and not least with the lack of tradition both in design and construction the battle of the styles has been fought not without fierceness but without very helpful results now after the lapse of a century devoted to groping experiments and detached electricisms the sleeping traditions have been renewed not on merely imitative lines but in the spirit of the old work this happy renaissance cannot march to success unless the public at large concerns itself with architecture and becomes informed as to the problems to be faced and the ends to be attained building in fact needs to be brought back into the normal current of intelligent thought instead of being relegated to the limbo of technical mysteries that is not to say that the layman is wise to fill his mind with the details of construction or attempt to master what is the absorbing study of an architect's lifetime there are however certain qualities of architecture which lie open to the cultivated eye mass proportion scale and texture and these become visible with observation to anyone with artistic perceptions the time has come when educated people have shaken off the shackles of the speculative builder and have turned their backs on the desirable villa residence 50 years ago the architects who were doing honorable service in house building were a small but brilliant band one need name only the giants philip webb norman shaw eden nesfield and george devy today there are scores of young and brilliant men who have carried the pioneer work of their elders to its natural conclusion and gone far to reestablish english architecture on a logical and national basis much remains to be done especially in the larger field of town planning and civic architecture where this country lags behind the continent and america but the driving power must come from an enlightened public opinion the present need seems therefore to spread as widely as may be the knowledge of the achievement of today to the readers of this book who are about to build it may not be important to offer a few words of advice let it be said at once that the momentous question of success or failure rests wholly upon the wise choice of an architect the builder who works to his designs is an important factor and unless he is an honest and experienced man the architect will have trouble in getting sound work the powers conferred on him by the terms of the ordinary contract and specification enable him however to insist on good materials and workmanship even in the unhappy event of a shirking an incompetent builder securing the work in competition in this as in all else the client will be wise to accept the advice of his architect and reject a very low tender in favor of a higher one if the lowest offer does not come from a builder of repute clients subject themselves to no small embarrassment and loss if they fail to summon to their councils the architect of their choice immediately they have decided to build his experiences of the greatest value not only in the design of the house itself but in the choice of a site many factors have to be taken into consideration which it is unlikely that the layman will remember it is impossible to set them all down but here are nine points of the law of site choosing soil questions of health are involved in the choice of clay chalk or gravel people who have gaudy or other unpleasant tendencies learned by rude experience that one or other of them is to be avoided a site which is poor in top soil will involve considerable expenditure before a productive garden can be made there view if a distant prospect can be secured so much the better but a site which at first seems unsatisfactory may yet have considerable possibilities if the architect treats it skillfully some unpleasant outlooks may be avoided by thoughtful disposition of windows and others masked by walls and by the planting of quick growing hedges and trees altitude popular favor leans markedly today towards building on hill tops and in the main this seems wise but people who hate the cold or suffer from weak hearts or insomnia and other troubles derived from over strong nerves should consider the benefits of milder and less stimulating airs though it is an artistic rather than a practical point the importance of securing a good skyline should not be overlooked in the case of a hilltop house a caveat may be entered against sites where the level of the subsoil water is not far below the ground and against all places liable even to a remote risk of flooding the modern man should not be misled by the analogy of old houses which were often placed with reference to considerations not now operative of defense carriage and water supply protection a place which is swept by north or east winds is an unhappy choice for a house and the ideal site is certainly that which is protected on these two quarters either by rising ground or trees slope and contour of ground a downward slope to the south or southeast is ideal if a site slopes upwards to the south not only is it more likely that it will be unprotected from the north winds but the devising of a pleasant garden is made more difficult very uneven or sharply sloping ground may suggest to the architect very delightful possibilities or put in his way obstacles almost insuperable in any event sharp slopes are likely to involve considerable extra cost in foundations and approaches neighborhood to road nothing at once cost so much as not to show for it as road making if the chosen side of the house itself is not close to a good road and a long drive is needed in consequence a sum for road making must be set aside which will probably distress the client not a little in this connection the liability to motor dust must be considered a factor governed largely by the prevailing wind accessibility neighborhood to a railway station is not only a question of the personal convenience of those who live in the house but affects the cost of building thoughtful folk will also consider how near the site will be to post and telegraph office church and shops public services drainage water and light connection with municipal sewerage is a factor in cost if there is no system near enough when the house is built it should be ascertained whether any extensions are likely in the future as the design of house drainage somewhat varies according to whether it discharges into a public sewer or into a private cesspool or septic tank if it is contemplated that the house drainage shall discharge at a point beyond the site by arrangement within a joining owner care must be taken to ensure that such right is secured in perpetuity a pure and plentiful water supply is infinitely important both for drinking purposes and for garden use and if no public mains are available the possibility of getting a permanent supply from a private artesian well needs to be carefully explored for lighting in default of public gas or electricity the respective mirrors of a private installation of electric light acetylene or petrol gas need consideration setting of house on site the aspects possible for the chief rooms with respect to view prevailing winds contour of site etc need careful thought as to what are the best aspects for various rooms he is a bold man who will lay down dogmatic rules and I certainly lack the need for courage it is generally held that southeast is the best outlook for the garden front on which will be the principal living rooms an encounter with an architect of large experience in domestic work however is worthy of record he habitually designs houses for his clients with a view to securing the maximum of sunshine in the living rooms but does so in obedience to what he regards as a popular delusion for himself he prefers a north aspect and will design his own home on these lines he is likely however to find himself with few supporters so much for the general points which need to be considered before even a site is purchased they are set out here with the express purpose of showing that expert advice is essential to the layman from the very inception of the idea of building I know many cases where a client captivated by the natural beauties of a site has incontinently bought it a lord perhaps by a pleasant slope on which trees make a sunlit tracery an examination of it in the cold light of the nine points of the law discussed above has then proved that its practical disadvantages so far outweighed its native charms as to involve its abandonment with consequent disappointment and loss of time and money I come now to the all-important question of the house its planning its architectural treatment and its setting Mr. Rudyard Kipling has said there are nine and 60 ways of constructing tribal lays and every single one of them is right the same is exactly true of the making of houses and it would be wholly futile to discuss the question on vague and general lines the old metaphysical society had one rule that there should be no rules and domestic architecture needs a like freedom from fetters every site every difference in personal need every vagary of individual fancy sets up new conditions these have to be examined in the light of architectural traditions and possibilities and translated into the substance of brick and stone by the skill which the architect is able to bring to his work there are of course some outstanding differences in principle and practice which distinguish various schools of design there are plans rambling or symmetrical some facades rely on 18th century modus and others take their inspiration from the purely vernacular building traditions of an earlier day about these divergences it is useless to dispute my motive has been to exclude no type of house which have intrinsic merit and are free from expectations but rather to exhibit to the public I the immense variety which lies open to the string choice in introductory chapter it is impossible say that inordinate length to discuss the broad stylistic divisions of treatment or the individual characteristics which thoughtful architects stamp upon their work in any case it seems better to deal in a separate monograph with each house which thus has its chief qualities explained and emphasized I would add that I have endeavored to treat the subject clearly and without technicalities and to criticize the work illustrated sympathetically yet frankly the character of the houses taken as a whole not only shows the admirable work which is being done today but gives infinite hope for the future it enables us in our architectural outlook to hold with firmness the cherry general creed of Robert Louis Stevenson I believe in the ultimate decency of things end of small country houses of today introduction teeny tiny from English fairy tales by anonymous collected by Joseph Jacobs coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Christine layman recita california teeny tiny once upon a time there was a teeny tiny woman who lived in a teeny tiny house in a teeny tiny village now one day this teeny tiny woman put on her teeny tiny bonnet and went out of her teeny tiny house to take a teeny tiny walk and when this teeny tiny woman had gone a teeny tiny way she came to a teeny tiny gate so the teeny tiny woman opened the teeny tiny gate and went into a teeny tiny churchyard and when this teeny tiny woman had got into the teeny tiny churchyard she saw a teeny tiny bone on a teeny tiny grave and the teeny tiny woman said to her teeny tiny self this teeny tiny bone will make me some teeny tiny soup for my teeny tiny supper so the teeny tiny woman put the teeny tiny bone into her teeny tiny pocket and went home to her teeny tiny house now when the teeny tiny woman got home to her teeny tiny house she was a teeny tiny bit tired so she went up her teeny tiny stairs to her teeny tiny bed and put the teeny tiny bone into a teeny tiny cupboard and when this teeny tiny woman had been to sleep a teeny tiny time she was awakened by a teeny tiny voice from the teeny tiny cupboard which said give me my bone and this teeny tiny woman was a teeny tiny frightened so she hid her teeny tiny head under the teeny tiny clothes and went to sleep again and when she had been to sleep again a teeny tiny time the teeny tiny voice again cried out from the teeny tiny cupboard a teeny tiny louder give me my bone this made the teeny tiny woman a teeny tiny more frightened so she hid her teeny tiny head a teeny tiny further under the teeny tiny clothes and when the teeny tiny woman had been to sleep again a teeny tiny time the teeny tiny voice from the teeny tiny cupboard said again a teeny tiny louder give me my bone and this teeny tiny woman was a teeny tiny bit more frightened but she put her teeny tiny head out of the teeny tiny clothes and said in her loudest teeny tiny voice take it end of teeny tiny recording by Christine layman the story of the three little pigs from english fairy tales by anonymous collected by joseph j cops coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a liber vox recording all liber vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liber vox.org once upon a time when pigs spoke rime and monkeys chewed tobacco and hence took snuff to make them tough and ducks went quack quack quack oh there was an old cell with three little pigs and as she had not enough to keep them she sent them out to seek their fortune the first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw and said to him please man give me that straw to build me a house which the man did and the little pig built a house with it presently came along the wolf and knocked at the door and said little pig little pig let me come in to which the pig answered no no by the hair of my chinny chin chin the wolf then answered to that then i'll huff and i'll puff and i'll blow your house in so he huffed and he puffed and he blew his house in and ate up the little pig the second little pig met a man with a bundle of furs and said please man give me that furs to build a house which the man did and the pig built his house then along came the wolf and said little pig little pig let me come in no no by the hair of my chinny chin chin then i'll puff and i'll huff and i'll blow your house in so he huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed and at last he blew the house down and he ate up the little pig the third little pig met a man with a load of bricks and said please man give me those bricks to build a house with so the man gave him the bricks and he built his house with them so the wolf came as he did to the other pigs and said little pig little pig let me come in no no by the hair of my chinny chin chin then i'll huff and i'll puff and i'll blow your house in well he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed and he puffed and huffed but he could not get the house down when he found that he could not with all his huffing and puffing blew the house down he said little pig i know where there is a nice field of turnips where said the little pig oh and mr smith's home field and if you will be ready tomorrow morning i'll call for you and we will go together and get some for dinner very well said the little pig i'll be ready what time do you mean to go oh that's six o'clock well the little pig got up at five and got the turnips before the wolf came which he did about six and who said little pig are you ready the little pig said ready have been and come back again and got a nice potfall for dinner the wolf felt very angry at this but thought that he would be up to the little pig somehow or other so he said little pig i know where there is a nice apple tree where said the pig down at mary garden replied the wolf and if you will not deceive me i'll come for you at five o'clock tomorrow and get some apples well the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock and went off for the apples hoping to get back before the wolf came but he had farther to go and had to climb the tree so that just as he was coming down from it he saw the wolf coming which as you may suppose frightened him very much when the wolf came up he said little pig what are you here before me are they nice apples yes very said the little pig i'll throw you down one and he threw it so far that while the wolf was gone to pick it up the little pig jumped down and ran home the next day the wolf came again and said to the little pig little pig there's a fair at shanklin this afternoon will you go oh yes said the pig i will go what time shall you be ready at three set the wolf so the little pig went off before the time as usual and got to the fair and brought a butter churn which he was going home with when he saw the wolf coming then he could not tell what to do so he got into the churn to hide and by so doing turned it round and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it which frightened the wolf so much that he ran home without going to the fair he went to the little pig's house and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him and then the little pig said ha i frightened you then had been to the fair and bought a butter churn and when i saw you i got into it and rolled down the hill then the wolf was very angry indeed and declared he would eat up the little pig and that he would get down the chimney after him when the little pig saw what he was about he hung on the pot full of water and made up a blazing fire and just as the wolf was coming down took off the cover and in fell the wolf so the little pig put on the cover again in an instant boiled him up and ate him for supper and lived happy ever afterwards and of the story of the three little pigs from English fairy tales the Unknown Soldier by Haywood Brown Coffee Break Collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Colleen McMahon the Unknown Soldier they call him the Unknown Hero it is enough it is better that we should know him as the Unknown Soldier Hero suggests a Superman and implies somebody exalted above his fellows this man was one of many we do not know what was in his heart when he died it is entirely possible that he was a fearful man he may even have gone unwillingly into the fight that does not matter now the important thing is that he was alive and is dead he was drawn from a far edge of the world by the war and in it he lost even his identity war may have been well enough in the days when it was a game for heroes but now it sweeps into the combat everything and every man within a nation the Unknown Soldier stands for us as a symbol of this blind and far-reaching fury of modern conflict his death was in vain unless it helps us to see that the whole world is our business no one is too great to be concerned with the affairs of mankind and no one too humble the Unknown Soldier was a typical American and it is probable that once upon a time he used to speak of faraway folk as those foreigners he thought they were no kin of his but he died in one of the distant lands his blood and the blood of all the world mingled in a common stream the body of the Unknown Soldier has come home but his spirit will wander with his brothers there will be no rest for his soul until the great democracy of death has been translated into the unity of life end of the Unknown Soldier recording by Colleen McMahon why pigs have curly tails by Rose Fileman coffee break collection 26 it's a small world this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org why pigs have curly tails there was once a fairy who fell into a bramble bush it was a very closely grown bush and she could not get out she was sadly scratched and the thorns caught her delicate wings and tore her pretty frail dress into shreds the bramble bush formed part of a hedge which ran along the side of an orchard and presently a horse came sauntering up to the hedge oh please help me sir said the fairy i'm caught in a bramble bush and can't get out the horse came and looked at her that's a nasty place to be in you said oh what will you give me if i get you out i'll give you a golden halter and a silver bit said the fairy the horse shook his head that's not worth it he said i should scratch my face my master loves me for my beautiful satin skin and i really can't risk spoiling my appearance besides i have a very nice harness of my own he seized it out i'm sorry i can't be of any assistance any ambled away a little later a robin perched on the bramble bush oh please mr robin won't you come and help me said the fairy i can't get out what will you give me said the robin if i help you out i'll give you a jacket of gold and slippers of silver said the fairy thank you very much said the robin but i don't think that's quite my style i have a nice red waistcoat already and i should hate to look gaudy besides i'm tremendously busy i've got a young family to look after and my wife doesn't like me to be away long and he flew off there were sheep grazing in the field on the other side of the hedge and one of them came munching close to the bramble bush oh please mrs sheep said the fairy can you help me out here oh what would you give me if i do said the sheep i will teach you to sing as the fairy sing said the fairy i will also give you wisdom for she was getting more and more anxious and she thought such lovely gifts would tempt the sheep but the sheep stared stupidly with her glassy eyes that's all very well she replied but i happened to have a very nice voice naturally and can already sing rather well and as for wisdom i don't quite know what that is but i don't think it sounds very interesting i'd help you gladly but the thorns would tear my fine woolen coat and that would never do surely a fine woolen coat is worth much more than wisdom and she moved away the fairy was beginning to despair she thought she would never never be able to get back to fairyland but just as she had given up hope a pig came wandering past making ugly noises and staring about with his little blue eyes he spied the fairies sitting in the midst of the bramble bush with her head down on her knees what's the matter said the pig the fairy raised her head and saw the pig's ugly pink snout poking in between the bramble twigs i think i can help you out he said when she had told him her trouble i'm not much to look at but i've got a good tough hide and at any rate i shouldn't be afraid of a few scratches spoiling my beauty so with a good many snuffles and grunts he pushed his head and shoulders well into the middle of the bush and made a clear way for the fairy to get out she gave a sigh of relief when she found herself once more free and in the clear sunshine and the pig stood looking at her admiringly for she was a dear little thing he was so conscious of his ugliness beside her pretty grace that he turned away and started off down the orchard don't go oh don't go said the fairy the pig turned round you've not had your reward said the fairy i don't want any reward thank you granted the pig and moved on but the fairy persisted she flew after him you must have a reward she said i shall be most unhappy if you don't but i don't want anything thank you said the pig i have been very glad to help you the fairy stood in front of him anxiously pondering as to what she could possibly give him that might be of any use nobody seemed to want her fairy gifts she looked him up and down wouldn't you like something something to make you more beautiful she said she really meant less ugly but she was so grateful to the pig that she was very anxious not to hurt his feelings and so she put it that way i'm afraid it's rather hopeless at the pig with half a smile you see i'm such an ugly fellow you'd have to alter me all over but surely a little something said the fairy and she looked at him more thoughtfully than ever now all this happened a very long time ago when pigs had quite straight tails like most of the other animals and suddenly looking at his tail the fairy had an idea i know i know she said you shall have a curly tail it will be an immense improvement and so uncommon the pig looked rather pleased well have your own way he said i can't see my own tail in any case but i dare say it wouldn't look bad so the fairy touched the pig's tail with her wand and it instantly curled up into nice little rings ever since that day pigs have had curly tails and now you know how they came by this beautiful adornment end of why pigs have curly tails