113 BEING PATRIOTIC IN SPEECH You take off your hat to the flag of America. Do you show equal respect to the speech of America? If you were to see someone trample the flag under foot, you would be indignant. You would call him a traitor, and expect to see him punished. Are you indignant when you hear anyone trample on the speech of your country? Do you ever trample on it? You do, if you are not careful to speak correctly. Always say: 1. I haven't any pencil or I have no pencil. 2. I didn't do anything to him to him. 3. I haven't done anything with it nothing with it. or I did nothing or I have done 4. I don't know anything.about it or I know nothing about it. 5. I didn't say anything to him or I said nothing to him. 6. I'm not doing anything or I'm doing nothing. 7, I haven't said anything about it or I have said nothing about it. 8. You haven't any right to do it or You have no right to do it. 9. He didn't give me anything or He gave me nothing. 10. That doesn't make any difference or That makes no difference. 11. That hasn't anything to do with it has nothing to do with it. or That Practice these expressions until you acquire the habit of using them. You will notice that not is not used in the same sentence with no or nothing. Watch the speech of other boys and girls as well as your own. What did Fred say when he told you he hadn't a baseball? What did Frank say when he was accused of making Billy cry? Did they use not in the same sentence with no or nothing? Make a list of the traitor expressions you hear boys and girls use when they should use those above. Keep account of the times that you use the traitor expressions. Your teacher will give you an opportunity to report to the class all the traitor expressions that you capture. 114 AN AROUND-THE-CLASS STORY A LOAF OF BREAD The farmer begins the work by planting the seed. The baker ends it by baking the bread. What happens between the work of the farmer and that of the baker? Tell the story, one by one around the class, each one making a sentence. Some one may start: First I was a little seed. What was done with the seed? After that what happened to it? Continue the story around the class. Be careful not to use the word then too frequently. In this same way you may tell stories about: 1. A pound of butter. 4. A muslin apron. 6. A silk necktie. 7. A woolen sweater. 8. A pair of shoes. What other stories of the same kind can you tell? Chosen, eaten, and thrown are helped by have, has, and had. Chose, ate, and throw are never helped by another word. Kate: Whom did you choose for the captain of the basket-ball team, Helen? Helen: We I think we have Kate: How far did you throw the ball in the test? Helen: I I have often Kate: Have you eaten your luncheon yet? Helen: Yes, I have Clara and I Kate: Then let us the girls for our play. The girl taking the part of Helen must complete the sentences, using the correct word forms in answering Kate's questions. Write sentences using the different forms of the words. Read your sentences to the class. 116 TALKING ABOUT A POEM THE EMPEROR'S BIRD'S-NEST Once the Emperor Charles of Spain, Long besieged, in mud and rain, Some old frontier town of Flanders. Up and down the dreary camp, In great boots of Spanish leather, Cursed the Frenchmen, cursed the weather. Thus as to and fro they went, Over upland and through hollow, Giving their impatience vent, In her nest, they spied a swallow. Yes, it was a swallow's nest, Then an old Hidalgo said, As he twirled his gray mustachio, Hearing his imperial name Coupled with those words of malice, Half in anger, half in shame, Forth the great campaigner came Slowly from his canvas palace. So unharmed and unafraid Sat the swallow still and brooded, Till the constant cannonade Through the walls a breach had made, And the siege was thus concluded. Then the army, elsewhere bent, Only not the Emperor's tent, Very curtly, "Leave it standing!" |