496 NATURE STUDY. 



" Little fairy people, 



Dancing in the sky, 

 Dressed in soft white raiment, 



As they downward fly, 

 Play with little children, 



Kiss their cheeks so red, 

 Keep the flowers cosy 



In their earthly bed, 

 Robe the world in beauty 



In a single night, 

 Covering trees and houses 



Till they sparkle bright." 



WINIFRED MARSH. 



Draw on the blackboard pictures of two or three simple 

 forms of snow-flakes, impressing on children that the snow- 

 flakes drawn are starlike, glistening white, with six arms. 



Divide the children into three groups, the first to watch 

 the falling of the snow-flakes ; the second to find out all 

 they can about the snow covering and the beauty it gives 

 to the world ; the third to study the crystals. 



To the first group give a few such questions as : How 

 do the snow-flakes fly ? Like birds ? Like kites ? Do they 

 play or dance about, or do they come straight down, as stones 

 do ? Do they come fast or slow ? How do they feel when 

 they light on your hand ? How are they like angels ? 

 Like little busy bees " ? Like " little fairy people " ? 

 Like " little ships in the air " ? 



Try to have the second group notice how the snow forms 

 a carpet for the earth and how the flakes catch, one by one, 

 on the trees. 



" And when a snow-flake finds a tree, 

 1 Good-day ! ' it says, ' Good-day to thee ! ' 

 * Thou art so bare and lonely, dear, 

 I'll rest and call my playmates here.' " 



How do they drape the trees ? How* does the snow look 

 on the evergreen tree ? On which side of the trees is there 



