STORIES
PICTURES TELL

BOOK TWO

By

FLORA L. CARPENTER

Instructor in drawing in Waite High School, Toledo, Ohio
Formerly supervisor of drawing, Bloomington, Illinois

Illustrated with Half Tones from
Original Photographs

RAND McNALLY & COMPANY

CHICAGO        NEW YORK

Copyright, 1918 by
Rand McNally & Co.

Made in U. S. A.

THE CONTENTS

THE PREFACE

Art supervisors in the public schools assign picture-study work in each grade, recommending the study of certain pictures by well-known masters. As Supervisor of Drawing I found that the children enjoyed this work but that the teachers felt incompetent to conduct the lessons as they lacked time to look up the subject and to gather adequate material. Recourse to a great many books was necessary and often while much information could usually be found about the artist, very little was available about his pictures.

Hence I began collecting information about the pictures and preparing the lessons for the teachers just as I would give them myself to pupils of their grade.

My plan does not include many pictures during the year, as this is to be only a part of the art work and is not intended to take the place of drawing.

The lessons in this grade may be used for the usual drawing period of from twenty to thirty minutes, and have been successfully given in that time. However, the most satisfactory way of using the books is as supplementary readers, thus permitting each child to study the pictures and read the stories himself.

SHOEING THE BAY MARE

STORIES
PICTURES TELL

SHOEING THE BAY MARE

Questions to arouse interest. What is the man in this picture doing? How many have watched a blacksmith shoe a horse? Why does he wear an apron made of leather? From what do the sparks fly? What has the blacksmith in his hand? Why do you suppose this horse wears no halter? What other animals do you see in this picture? Which has the larger ears, the donkey or the horse? Which seems to have the softer coat? Which can run the faster? What do you see on the donkey's back? What kind of dog is that in the picture? Why do you suppose the hound is so interested in what the blacksmith is doing? What else can you see in the picture? What makes you think the man is fond of animals? Where is the bird? Why do you like this picture?

The story of the picture. Here in a building that once may have been a home, we see an old-fashioned country blacksmith shop. The wide door has been made in two parts so that the upper part can be swung open to let in the sunlight. The lower part of the doorway remains closed and is just high enough to keep the horse and donkey shut in. But the dog could easily jump over it should he become frightened by the flying sparks of fire.

The smith is trying a shoe on the hind foot of the beautiful horse, but neither the man nor the horse seems quite satisfied with it. The horse has an anxious look in her intelligent eyes as she turns her head to watch the smith. Though she knows he will do the work carefully she cannot help being a little nervous about it. The dog and the donkey are also very much interested in what the smith is doing, though the dog seems ready to run at any moment. Behind the dog we see the blacksmith's anvil on which he hammers the shoe into shape. Every time the hammer strikes the red-hot iron, burning sparks fly in all directions and the blacksmith wears a leather apron, to keep them from burning holes in his clothes.

On the ground beside the blacksmith is a box in which are the tools the smith must use. It has a handle so that the smith may carry it with him and place it within reach when he is fitting the shoe.

Years ago, when the artist painted this picture, a blacksmith had to make each shoe by hand from a bar of iron. Now horseshoes are made rapidly by machinery and the blacksmith gets