THE PLAID DRESS


"I want a warm plaid dress," said a little girl. "The days are colder,
and the frost will soon be here. But how can I get it? Mother says that
she cannot buy one for me."

The old white sheep in the meadow heard her, and he bleated to the
shepherd, "The little girl wants a warm plaid dress. I will give my
wool. Who else will help?"

The kind shepherd said, "I will." Then he led the old white sheep to the
brook and washed its wool. When it was clean and white, he said, "The
little girl wants a warm plaid dress. The sheep has given his wool, and
I have washed it clean and white. Who else will help?"

"We will," said the shearers. "We will bring our shears and cut off the
wool."

The shearers cut the soft wool from the old sheep, and then they called,
"The little girl wants a new dress. The sheep has given his wool. The
shepherd has washed it; and we have sheared it. Who else will help?"

[Illustration: Shearer shearing the sheep]

"We will," cried the carders. "We will comb it out straight and smooth."