STORY OF A SPONGE, BY LESTER WALLING. 4) 



form of a broken ring, numerous channels affording entrance into the la- 

 goon, such a group of islands is called an atoll. 



The first tree that grows on this island is the mangrove ; it takes a 

 year to mature the fruit of this tree, which can only live where it can 

 touch the sea water ; the fruit then drops off, having formed little roots on 

 it, and floats about on the water until it finds a place to grow in. As 

 the island gets covered with these trees, the ones inland die, because they 

 cannot be near the sea, and then birds drop seeds, and other trees start, 

 among the first of which are the cocoanut trees. 



NATURE LESSONS IN A THIRD GRADE, WILLIAMS 



SCHOOL. 



AUBURNDALE, MASS. 



BY 



Amy H. Bateman. 



This little story of the sponge was written a few 

 days after the regular lesson, in which a little story of 

 the sponge by Miss Laura Richards had been read to the 

 class. It is partly a reproduction. Most of it is uncor- 

 rected. 



In the stories of the pebble, which are uncorrected 

 and original, I merely suggested that the class imagine 

 that they were pebbles, and telling the story of their lives. 



The Story of a Sponge, by Lester Walling, Age 8. 



" Oh dear," said the sponge as it lay in the bath-tub. 



"What is the matter?" said the bath-tub. "Has nurse squeezed you 

 too hard ? 



" Well I have been squeezed a little harder than usual, but then I did 

 not sigh for that," said the sponge. 



" What is the matter, then?" said the bath-tub. 



" I was only thinking of my old home," said the sponge. 



"Your old home" said the bath-tub, " I thought this was your heme.*' 



" My home," said the sponge, was on a large rock on the coast of 

 Syria. My mother laid five eggs some pink and some Avhite. 



When we are ready to come out a little fringe came on the outside of the 

 egg- 



