Never for a moment did Argus take his eyes off the cow. All day long he watched her feed by the river, and at night he tied a rope around her neck and fastened her to a tree. Io was very uncomfortable because the hundred eyes were always gazing at her. Jupiter pitied her so much that at last he sent Mercury to set her free. Now, Mercury had been made the messenger of the gods because he traveled so quickly. He very soon came to the beautiful river and sat down near the place where Argus was watching Io. While he sat there, Mercury began to play softly upon his lyre, and soon the mighty head of Argus began to nod and his eyes began to grow dim. At last, all of the eyes were closed in sleep. Then Mercury drew his sword and slew the sleeping monster, and Jupiter came and changed Io back into a maiden. Juno was so angry at what Mercury had done that she put the eyes of Argus in the tail of her peacock, and there they remain to this day. Greek Myth. 269 RE-WRITING THE STORY You may have five minutes for reading the story silently. Now you may write the story as you remember it. You may have fifteen minutes for this exercise. Several of you may read your stories aloud. Now read the story through silently again. Were the stories of your classmates different from the story in the book? Several other pupils may read their stories. Listen carefully to find out whether your classmates have been exact. Who can tell the story without making a mistake? 270 LEARNING TO ANALYZE SENTENCES The time-candle was invented by King Alfred. One inch of the candle burned down every twenty minutes. What are the two parts of a sentence? Name the subject of each of these sentences. Name the predicate of each sentence. What is the most important word in the subject? in the predicate? These words are the masters of the All the other words or groups of words serve these masters. sentence. The separation of the sentence into the master words and the words and groups of words which serve them is called analysis. In the first sentence the simple subject is time-candle. The verb is was invented. Time-candle and was invented are the sentence masters. All the other words in the sentence are the servants or modifiers. Time-candle is modified by the adjective the. Was invented is modified by the adverbial phrase by King Alfred. Why is this an adverbial phrase? The What is the subject of the second sentence? predicate? What is the simple subject? The verb? What words serve or modify the simple subject? By what is the verb modified? Analyze the third sentence by separating it into parts just as you did the first and second. 271 ANALYZING SENTENCES Analyze the following sentences by giving: 1. Subject. 2. Predicate. 3. Simple subject. 4. Verb. 5. Modifiers of the simple subject. 6. Modifiers of the verb. 1. Amidst the freezing sleet and snow The timid robin comes. 2. By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big Sea Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis. 3. At the door on summer evenings Sat the little Hiawatha. 4. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, on the 27th of February, 1807. 5. His early education was obtained in Portland. 6. He graduated from Bowdoin College. 7. Beneath in the church-yard lay the dead In their night encampment on the hill. 8. There, on the flowers of the meadows, the warriors lay. 9. The frightened savages fled for shelter in swamp and in thicket. 10. In autumn the ships of the merchants came with kindred and friends. 11. The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rock-bound coast. 12. Into the yard the farmer goes With grateful heart at the close of day. 13. The holly branch shone on the old oak wall. 14. The splendor falls on castle walls And snowy summits old in story. 15. The old house stood by the silent country road. 16. A blackbird is splashing in the runlet of water. 17. Down the road skims an eave-swallow. 18. The swallow is returning from 19. Behind me in the pine woods 20. In the foliage overhead a 272 TALKING ABOUT A PICTURE We might call this picture, Practice Makes Perfect. What is the man practicing in order that he may learn to do it perfectly? Tell about some out-of-door sport or trick that you have practiced until you could do it perfectly. instance: 1. Rowing. 2. Swimming. 3. Horseback riding. 6. Shooting at a target. For 7. Diving from a spring board or something similar. 273 FORMING GOOD SPEECH HABITS Practice makes perfect in speech as in all other things. The following sentences are the correct way of saying many things that you, perhaps, say incorrectly. Repeat them many times, until your ear is accustomed to their sound. Then your speech will respond. Remember, that good speech, like bad speech, is a matter of habit. 1. Don't you wish you were going? 2. I wish I were going. 3. The barn is back of the house. 4. I didn't mean to do it. 5. May I borrow a pencil from George? 6. I didn't do anything to him. 7. I haven't anything to do. 8. Give me my hat. 9. I haven't any book. |