Book of One Syllable

by Frank V. Webster

  Saib was one of those who could _not_ take to flight. His cords hadbeen cut off at the first of the fight, but such was his state of mind,so much did he feel from hope and fear, that he could not move, normake use of his limbs.

  And, oh! what a sight for him to see! There was Boa, his friend--thepoor girl for whom he had more love than he had for all else on theearth--there she was on the ground at his feet. She would not look athim more; he would hear her voice no more: Boa lay there, dead!

  From this time he had no sense of what was said or done; he had nocare, no thought, for what might be done to _him_. So there he stoodmute and still, like a thing cut in stone.

  Some time he had stood thus when there was seen far off a dense cloudlike dust.

  "They come! they come!" said the white men. "More blacks are on us! Tothe ship! to the ship!"

  Saib knew not what was said or done, and if he had heard, there wouldhave been no help for him. He was thrown in the boat with two or threemore blacks, and then from the boat he was flung on board the ship, andthe ship set sail.

  Fast did she cut through the sea, and soon was far out of sight ofland. It was well for Saib that he could _not_ feel. Four or five daysran their course, and still was Saib in this state.

  The first words he heard when he came to his senses were--"He is _not_dead, I tell you."

  "I tell you he _is_," a voice said: "it is of no use to keep him, sohere he goes--(Saib felt a hand)--and let the sea take the rest ofhim."

  Poor Saib had but so much strength left that he could just raise hisarm.

  "There, there!" said the first voice, "I told you he was not dead, andnow you see."

  "Well, let him be, then, but he shall pay us well for this; he shallbring us a good price."

  Saib could hear no more; but the first man, who was a kind one, went toget some warm drink to put in Saib's mouth. He put more and still more,till at length Saib could move and raise his head.

  "Boa! Boa!" were the first words he spoke; and he put his hands to hiseyes, and did not speak for a long time. He then gave one loud, deepsob, and his tears fell fast.

  Those tears took a weight from his mind, a weight he felt he could nothave borne long. For some time did these tears fall, and as they fellthe view of things that _had_ been was more clear to his mind.

  Saib felt that all joy for him in this world was gone: he felt therewas no one for him to love now; and great was his grief when he thoughtof those who would not know what had been the fate of poor Boa and ofhim. He thought of these things, and his heart was sad. In this stateof mind he was for two or three days, and the ship was still on thewide sea.

  Saib knew well what would be his fate: he knew that he would be soldfor a slave; and he did all he could to try to bear this thought; nay,lorn and sad as he was, he could find a source of thanks in the factthat the pang he would have felt to have seen Boa a slave was not to behis.

  Yes, this was a source of deep thanks; and as the ship cut through theblue waves, Saib would sit for hours with his eyes on some far-offstar, and that star would shed a ray of light on his soul.

  He would think it shone so bright, to tell him that it was Boa's worldnow. He felt sure that all things there must be pure and bright, andthat Boa might there have more joy than she had had on earth.

  "And I shall go there too," he thought, "and so I will not care muchfor what I have to bear in this world." Poor Saib!

  The ship had not been long at shore, when Saib, and the rest of theblacks, were all put in a large slave cart that took them to the placewhere they were to be sold.

  There stood Saib, his eyes bent down: now and then he would raise themup as a white man came near; but these did not want to buy him. At lastthere came one, a man with a hard cross face: he stood close to him,and Saib felt his stern eyes fix on him. This man spoke to the one whohad to sell the slaves, and poor Saib _was sold_! He was soon put onboard a ship that was to set sail to that part of the world where whitemen may keep slaves; here, in our land, such things are not done.

  Saib felt it a hard task to do such things as he was told to do, for hehad to work all day long, and had no will of his own. If he were not soquick as Mr. Stone thought he ought to be, he would whip him; and somuch would he whip him, that Saib, though he did all he could to try tohelp it, could _not_ help the scream or groan that would break forth.

  There were those on board this ship who had kind hearts, and who couldnot bear to see a boy feel such pain as Saib was made to feel. Therewas a Mr. and Mrs. Bright who had felt much grief to see how hard wasthe lot of Saib.

  Saib soon found out that they felt for him; and he would look at Mrs.Bright and think how kind she must be; and he would wish Mr. Bright hadbought him, for he thought it would not be so hard a thing to be aslave, if he had to serve those who were kind.

  Once, when Mrs. Bright was on deck, and Mr. Stone was not there, Saibcame near to her; he could not speak such words as Mrs. Bright spoke,but he could make signs, and the signs that he made were such as toldher more than words could have told. All she said was, "Poor boy!" butSaib saw a tear in her eye, and that tear shot a gleam of joy on hissoul, for he knew it was for _him_.

  One day Saib was no where to be found. In vain did Mr. Stone call tohim--the name of Saib! Saib! Saib! was heard in all parts of the ship,but no Saib came.

  In each place that could be thought of was Saib sought for, but in noplace could he be found. At length all thought that he had sought agrave in the deep sea, and that no one would see him more. His fate hadbeen a sad one, and all felt that it had been so.

  All on board thought a great deal of Saib. All that day did they thinkof him, and the next day, and the next, and the next. But there was noone who thought of poor Saib so much as Mrs. Bright did; she thought ofhim so much that she saw him in her dreams, and she would start up inher bed and call Saib! Saib! and this would seem so real that she couldnot think it had been a dream.

  One night when she had had this same dream, and had seen Saib, as shethought, at the foot of her bed, she rose up with a start, but still hewas there! This was most strange. "Saib! Saib!" she said, "you _are_there, and it is no dream."

  But Saib was gone! and there was no trace of him to be seen. Yet sosure did Mrs. Bright feel that she _had_ seen him, and that he was _notdead_, that she could have no peace of mind. She thought of him thewhole of that day, and at night she made up her mind that she would notgo to sleep, but would lie quite still, as though she were gone tosleep.

  When she had been in bed two or three hours, she heard a slight noisein her room, yet she did not move. All was soon still, and then oncemore she heard a noise. The sound was like that of a piece of wood _onthe slide_, but so soft it was that it could not have been heard byears less quick than the ears of Mrs. Bright were just at that time.Once more she was still, and then she heard the soft step of a foot.The watch-light was dim, and yet such ray as there was, fell on theform of Saib! Yes! it was he, there he stood; Mrs. Bright saw, and shecould not doubt that it _was_ he!

  She lay quite still, nor could she have made the least sign of life hadshe had the wish to do so. Her eyes were not shut, so she could see allthat was done. Saib at first stood quite still, as if to be sure thathe was safe; and then he went with step soft and slow to a tub of dryship cakes, that Mrs. Bright kept in her room. She saw him take four orfive of these in his hand, and then he stole back to the place fromwhence he had come.

  All this she saw, but she could not have made known to Saib that shesaw it. Yet when he was gone out of her sight she gave one loud scream.Mr. Bright, who slept in the berth next to hers, was up and on thefloor just in time to see Saib.

  When Saib saw that he was seen, and that he was known, he fell on hisknees, and, oh, how much was told in that one look of his!

  "My poor boy!" said Mr. Bright, "what you must have gone through, tohave made you make choice of such a life as this." As he spoke he sawthe hole in the side of the room through which Saib had come.

  He found that it was
a place made to keep things in that were out ofuse, and it was so small that there was not room for Saib to lie downin. Mrs. Bright did not know that there was such a place, and when itwas shut, the door was so like the rest of the side of the room, thatno one could have told there was a door there.

  Saib had known of it, for he had seen a man put cords and ropes there,at a time when the berths in that room were not in use. The place wasnot quite dark--there were small holes on the deck of that part of theship, which let in light and air.

  When Saib found that the looks of Mr. and Mrs. Bright were kind, hopetook the place of fear, and, by signs and such words as he could speak,he made known his wish that they would let him stay where he had been,till the ship came to shore.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bright felt so much grief for the state the poor boy wasin, that they each had a strong wish to save him from all chance ofmore pain, and they knew that the best way to do this would be to buyhim from Mr. Stone.

  They made this wish known to Saib, and who could have seen the gleam ofjoy shed on the face of Saib, when he knew what Mr. and Mrs. Brightmeant to do--who could have seen it, and not have felt joy too?

  Mr. Stone, as has been said, was a hard man, and Mr. Bright had to fearthat he might be in such a rage at what Saib had done, that he wouldnot sell him.

  Yet, though Mr. Stone _was_ a hard man, he was a man who had so great awish to be a rich man, that he could not say _no_, when there was gainin his way; and though he was at first in a great rage, the sum Mr.Bright said he would give for Saib was so large a one, that Mr. Stonedid not say no.

  What was the joy of poor Saib when told he should be free!--what wasthe joy of poor Saib when he found how much thought and care Mr. andMrs. Bright had for him!

  They took Saib with them to their own home, and had him taught allthings that could be of use to him in the new state in which he nowwas.

  Saib is now more than twelve years old; he has learnt to read, towrite, to speak the truth, to try to be calm when rude boys tease him,and to feel grief when he has done wrong. To love his kind friends hehas not to learn--his heart bids him do that.

  He feels all that Mrs. Bright has done for him--he hopes he may notgrieve her or Mr. Bright, but that he may be to them as a goodson.--Then they will not part with him; then they will be paid back forall that they have done.

  The thought of such a great and good deed must make them glad in thisworld, and bring them joy in the next.

  THE EARTH.

  The world we live on is a large round ball, made of all kinds of rocksand of earths; and on a great part of it there are seas and lakes. Theearth turns round each day, and goes round the sun once each year. Inthe day, that part of the world where we live points to the sun, andwhen the earth turns from the sun, it is night.

  When the earth goes round the sun, the heat at one part of the yearcomes from the sun more straight to that part where we live, and makesthe days hot and long, and the nights short, as in June; and when thelight and heat do not come to us so straight, there are cold and frostand long nights.

  In some parts of the world it is much more cold than where we live.There are parts, too, where the sun is more hot at all times of theyear than we feel it. It is the heat of the sun that makes the winds.His heat on the sea makes the clouds.

  The clouds rise in the air and fly to the land, where they fall inrain, and make plants and trees grow, and the brooks and springs flow.

  The sea is salt, but the heat does not take up the salt in the fogs andclouds; so that the rain is quite pure, and makes springs for us todrink from.

  A FALL FROM THE CLIFFS.

  George Crisp was a good boy; he was kind to those he knew, and couldnot bear to have a thing that they had not.

  He was glad when he could give things, and he gave a great deal to thepoor that came to the house, so that his stock of cash was at a lowebb.

  Though George might have set his mind on some toy, he felt glad tothink that the pence which would have bought it had been of more use tosome one else.

  But though he was so good in this way, yet he had one fault whichspoilt the whole. This fault was, that _he would not do as he wasbid_; for he thought he knew as well as those who told him, and hisAunt, who taught him, did all she could to break him of the fault, butin vain.

  George's house was on the sea coast, and George went to dig in thesands, to get shells, and to fish, and to sail boats in the pools whichwere left at low tide; and when it was high tide he went with his Aunton the cliffs.

  Now his Aunt had told him he must not go near the edge of the cliffs,for they were steep and high. His Aunt took hold of his hand when shewent with him to the cliffs; for once he went so near the edge that hemust have gone down, and would have been much hurt, had not his Auntjust caught him in time to save him.

  One day, when they were on the cliffs, George's Aunt had left hold ofhis hand to get a wild rose from a bush. She had got it, and had goneback to take hold of George's hand, but no George was to be seen!

  She then ran home, as she thought he might have gone back, but when shecame near the town she saw two men with a dead boy in their arms. Sheran in haste to look at him, and what was her grief to find that he wasGeorge!

  The men took him home, and his Aunt, though in such a state that sheknew not what she did, went home too.

  When Mrs. Crisp saw him she sent at once for Mr. Pill.

  Mr. Pill said that he was not quite dead, that he might, with greatcare, be brought to life, but that he would be ill for a long time.George was brought to the fire and wrapt up in warm things; air wasblown down his mouth, and he was put in a warm bed. At last he came tolife, but he was so ill that he knew no one, and could not speak.

  The men told George's Aunt that they were in their boat, and had justgone out to fish, when they saw George fall down from the cliff. Theygot their boat to the place as soon as they could, and brought himhome. George's Aunt now knew that he had gone to the edge of the cliff,when she had told him not to do so.

  While George lay in bed, he thought what a bad boy he had been, and ofwhat his Aunt had told him. And he thought, too, that if he should getwell he would try to do what his Aunt told him to do.

  George was a month ill. As soon as he was well he told his Aunt hewould be a good boy, and try to do as she bid him--for he now knew thatwhat she told him to do was right.

  Since that time George has done what he has been told to do, in allthings; for he has thought of the fall he had down the cliff.

  He was such a good boy, that all were fond of him, and what is more, hehas grown up a good man.

  Then let this tale warn those boys and girls who read it. May they doas they are bid, and may they not, as George once did, think that theyknow more than those who are more old than they are.

  THE MOON.

  What is the bright moon, that shines so in the sky?

  It is a world like ours, but not so large; and boys and girls may livethere, and go to school and play, as they do on this earth. To boys orgirls who live in the moon this earth of ours shines like a large moon,and must give a great deal more light to them than their moon does tous. They could see to read and write by the light of the earth quitewell.

  The moon gives light from the sun, and does not shine with its ownlight; and so the earth would give back the sun's light to the men inthe moon.

  There are land and sea, and hills and dales, in the moon; and the markswe see on it, like a face, are the lights and shades of the land, thehills, and the sea. There are hills too which are on fire, and they canbe seen through a large spy-glass. Some men have thought they couldmake a spy-glass so large as would let them see the boys and girls inthe moon, but they have not yet done it.

  What a strange sight would it be if we could see them all at work!

  THE MAN IN THE MOON.

  Once on a time there was a man who had his home in the moon. He was aqueer man, with a large round face that was kept so clear and brightthat it shone, and on a clear night could be seen far, fa
r off--on theearth.

  This man in the moon did like to look on the earth, and though it wasso far off, he oft thought he should like to come and live here.

  The earth to him did look so large and bright that he thought it mustbe a fine world to live in, where he could have more room to walk upand down, and not be kept in so small a place as the moon.

  It made him sad when he could not look on this world, but for threeweeks in each month he was made to turn his face, or to shade it fromthe world, so that he could not catch a straight view of it at thosetimes.

  And then he could not be seen by those men and boys on the earth, towhom he was so great a friend. His large round face was so bright thatthey, too, did not like him to leave them; but they knew he would comeback in less than a month.

  When he first came he was seen near to the sun, where it had just set,and he gave a side look at the earth. The next night he would be morefrom the sun, and swell out his face a bit; it would then look like ahoop that had been cut in two. His face would grow more fat each night,till one eye could be seen, then two, and then his whole round face.

  Now this man would fret, and try to get on to the earth. Day by day,hour by hour, he would try, and try, and try to come more near.

  He did move quite fast, and thought he got some miles on his way, butfor all that he was still as far off. He went in a round, like a horsein a ring, and there kept, and still keeps as far off as he was, andwill keep there for years to come.