Questions to arouse interest. What do you see in this picture? Where are they? Why is the stone floor not too cold for the baby? What time of day do you think it is? why? What do you suppose the baby has been doing? What makes you think the big dog loves the baby? What is the little kitten doing? What do you see on the stone bench? Do you like the picture? why?

The story of the picture. It must have been a warm summer day when this little baby slipped out of her bed, crept across the room to the door, and out on the cool stone porch.

It may have been a Monday morning, when the baby's mamma was very busy in the kitchen, washing the clothes. Probably she put the baby to bed for the usual morning nap, and did not hear her wake up.

It must be about noon, for the shadows are short in the picture. The mother is probably out in the yard, taking her clean clothes off the line, so of course she could not hear the baby creep out through the open door to the porch. There the baby found the great dog keeping watch. How wise he looks! He knows the baby's mamma would be worried if she knew what her little one is doing, and his kind eyes seem to say, "Never mind, I'll take care of her."

Perhaps the baby asks him, "Where's my mamma?" He looks as if he wanted to answer or say something, and she cannot understand why he does not, so she crawls up to him and says, "Can't you talk?" But the big dog can only wag his tail and watch the baby. If she should crawl too far away, we feel sure he would try to persuade her to come back, or if he could not do that, he would bark and let the mother know something was wrong.

What chubby little hands and feet the baby has! You can almost see the dimples in her cheeks. She is a friendly, happy little child, I'm sure, and you can see that her pets love her. There is the little kitten rubbing up against the door as if waiting to see if the dog will answer baby's question. Kitty seems to be afraid to come out on the porch, although the dog does not look as if he would hurt her. Sometimes little babies with such chubby hands squeeze their pets too hard, and maybe this little kitten, although she loves the baby, does not want to come too near.

There is a stone bench at one side of the porch. It looks as if some one had left a market basket, a cabbage, and a bag on it. Perhaps in the basket are potatoes from the garden.

What a busy life this baby has with so many things to do and so much to learn! She tries so hard to understand. I suppose she thinks, "Good old dog, you seem to know so much more than I do. How does it happen that I can talk and you cannot?"

The mother will be coming in soon, and how surprised she will be to find her baby up and out on the porch, with the big dog taking such good care of her! This good old dog does so much to help them! All night long he guards the house, not allowing any one even to stop on the walk in front of the house, without his warning bark. In the daytime, if the people wish to go away, they may be sure the faithful dog will allow no one to enter the house while they are gone. No harm can come to these good people while he is there to help them. You can tell by looking at him that he is well fed and well cared for. That fluffy little kitten, too, just ready to dart back into the house and scamper across the floor, looks happy and contented. Evidently the people who live in this house with its wide stone porch are good and kind. Should you not like to visit them?

Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. How did the baby get out on the porch? Why does she not walk? Where has she been? What time of day is it? Where do you suppose her mother is? What did the baby find on the porch? What does she ask the dog? How can he answer? How does he take care of her? What makes you think her pets love her? Why does the little kitten stay inside? What is on the stone bench? Should you like to visit the people who live in this house? why?

To the Teacher: Encourage the children to talk about their pets at home, and to draw pictures of them. The story of the artist. Although Mr. Holmes has painted many very popular pictures of children and their pets, we can find very little information about his life except that he was an Englishman. However, he cannot be forgotten so long as his pictures live to tell us of his little friends and their faithful pets.

Questions about the artist. Who painted this picture? What do his pictures tell us about the artist? In what country was he born?