laugh´-ing
pur´-pose
prop´-er-ly
please
set´-tled
hap´-pened
deal
dead
weighted
through
heaved
brok´-en

1. 'I should like to see a rock all made of slate! Have you ever seen
one, mother?'

'Yes, many, dear. But there are none near.' Then she laughed a little.
'But if you like to go just outside the door you will see rows and rows
of slates.'

2. Out they ran, looked all over the ground, then at the garden-wall,
then back at their mother, who had come to the door.

'Look at the house,' she said, 'look higher!'

3. 'Oh, we never thought of the roof,' they cried, and ran in again
laughing. 'But those slates are not so nice and smooth as our slates.'

'Your slates are made smooth on purpose. Besides, they are made of
better slate--older slate. The older the slate is the better it is.'