WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
A First Reader cover

A First Reader

Chapter 51: THE BUSY BEE
By Frank E. Spaulding
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Children & Young Adult ReadingTeaching & Education

About This Book

Aimed at beginning readers, this book pairs short rhymes, dramatizations, and illustrated readings about nature and childhood life with systematic phonics drills to build sight vocabulary and decoding skills. Lessons emphasize concrete, lively scenes—birds, flowers, wind, snow, play, and simple seasonal episodes—using language suited to a child's point of view. Early sight words introduced in a primer are expanded through engaging repetition and comparison exercises that teach children to observe sounds and letters, gain independent word‑mastery, and read aloud with accuracy and expression. A teacher's guide complements the graded sequence and suggested classroom activities.

(h eat) (work) (st ore)
eat work er m ore

THE BUSY BEE

Hear the bee.
“Buzz, buzz,” he says.
“Keep out of my way!
I can’t stop for you.”
He is a busy worker.
When the weather is fair he is busy all day.
He flies through garden and orchard.
He visits all the sweet flowers.
He is searching for honey.
All little flowers are glad to have him come to them.
The red clover has more honey than many other flowers.
So the bee and the clover are friends.
The bee gathers honey from all the sweet flowers.
He gathers all he can carry.
Then he flies away.
Over the fields he goes to his hive.
There he stores his honey with care.
He knows the cold winter is coming.
Then he can gather no honey.
There will be no flowers in the fields.
The cold winter winds will blow.
Snow will cover fields and flowers.
But the little bee will be happy.
He will be safe in his snug hive.
There he will keep snug and warm.
Now he can eat his store of honey.
He can eat all he wants.
He will be glad he worked in summer.
He will be glad of his snug warm hive.
He can sleep and rest waiting for another summer.
When it comes he will be busy again.

WHY THE CLOVER IS SWEET

A little fairy flew to a daisy.
“Dear Daisy,” she said, “will you give me some honey?”
“No, go away,” said the daisy.
The fairy flew away to a rose.
“Beautiful Rose,” she said, “will you give me some honey?”
“You may have just a little,” answered the rose.
“Thank you,” said the fairy.
“I do not care for your honey.”
Away she flew to the clover.
“Little Clover,” she said, “will you give me some honey?”
“Indeed I will, dear Fairy.
Take all that you want.”
“Thank you,” said the fairy.
“Now I will be kind to you.
Hereafter you will have more honey than any other flower.”
And from that day, the clover has been sweet with honey.