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IWITHDRAWN

When one is four, the world is fuU of wonder. There are many questions to be asked and to be answered. Jonathan was four, and he asked the questions all children ask, but he searched until he found an Answer Man who helped him with the questions he wanted to know most of all.

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Jonathan

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Cover Painting and

Illustrations

by Albert John Pucci

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JONATHAN by Eleanor Graham Vance

Follett Publishing

f1

Company

Chicago

New York

Library of Congress Catalog Card

© ©

Number:

66-111^6

Text copyright i g()6, by Eleanor Graham Vance. Original text copyright 7962, by Eleanor Graham Vance in It Happens Every Day. Illustrations copyright ig66, by Follett Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this bool( may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America. Published simultaneously in Canada by The Ryerson Press, Toronto.

©

First Printing

Jonathan was

And

^' ^-

four,

the world was

full

^^^3286

of wonder:

There were sunshine and

rain,

There were liahtnina and thunder,

*-*

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There were autos on the avenue

And

squirrels in the park.

There were

stars in the

In the soft, lovely dark.

sky

Jonathan was four,

And

the questions that he

Got deeper and deeper Each day that he grew:

knew

"Where does the

When

Come down "How do

is

Coming

"Who

the rain

the rainspout?"

Httle boys

into

"When

go

goes out?"

it

"What makes

Grow

fire

men?"

my

birthday

again?"

Hghts the

stars

In the deep evening sky?"

"Why

does

it

thunder?

Why? Why? Why?"

i]

lO

\

Jonathan was four,

And he

A

searched

great big

till

he found

Answer Man

Looking around.

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The Answer Man laughed, The Answer Man

And

the

smiled,

Answer Man

said,

"You're a very bright child

12

"I

can

tell at a

Why you

el^nce

look so wise:

There's a question on your tongue

And

a question in

"Now

think very hard

From your head

What

your eyes.

to your toe.

are the things

That you most want to know?

"

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*

^/^U,

_*i^'

^5

Jonathan was four,

And he thought

And he Round

very hard,

ran three times the

Answer Man's

Then he stood up

And he

yard.

straight.

thoughtfully said,

"There are ten million questions In

my head.

"But

first,

these things

Make me wonder and wonder:

What

How

is

the Hahtning?

does

it

thunder?

"

I?

The Answer Man was

wise,

The Answer Man was

kind,

And he dropped That he had on

all

his

the things

mind.

i8

"First,

about the lightning:

That briaht, white Is

sight

the very same thing

As your

electric light,

"And

jumps

it

all

around

In the high, high air,

For

it's

From

trying to get

here to there. -e»f^>jK<s;r

19

"Now

the lightning

And

it

The

air

So

makes the

is

air

hot.

swell

needs more room,

pushes pell-mell

it

meets other

"Till

it

And

they

With

a

bump

air,

together

crash-bang noise

That makes thundery weather."

20

"Oh,"

sajd Jonathan,

"But please. Answer Man,

What about Tell

me

if

the rainbow?

you can.

5)

The Answer Man thought.

And

his face

And

his

grew beamy,

kind old eyes

Became warm and dreamy

21

Then he

carefully said,

"You can

see,

beyond doubt.

That there has to be rain

While the

sun's

"And the sun

The drops

still

out.

shines through

just so,

Till the light breaks

Into colors in a

up

bow."

22

Jonathan was four,

And he thought

for a while.

Then he looked up

With

a very bright smile,

And he I

said, "If

you're tired,

should give you a

But

how do

Get

inside a nest?

little

And I know

Up

rest,

birds

"They haven't any

And

again

feathers.

they can't

fly,

the nests are always

so high."

^tf^rv/^^-K -^'^ ^0

The Answer Man

^s

said, "Yes,

But the mother bird can

Down ^

And up r

*

to the

1

fly

meadow

to the sky.

1

1

1

^^

1

1913386

"So she builds the nest,

And

she lays the eggs there,

And

she keeps

With

them warm

the best of care

"Till the little birds

Then

she feeds

hatch-

them every day

Till their

wings otow strong

And

fly

f

they

away."

26

Jonathan was four,

But he

And he

felt

much

stood up

For he'd grown

And he

A

asked,

A^

older; tall,

much

"If

'fl^«

I

bolder,

plant

seed toniaht,

Will

it

grow

into a flower

By '7 tomorrow's

light?"

The Answer Man

You must

said,

"No.

learn to wait.

Some

things

come

soon;

Some

things

come

late.

•

''S*^

il'

28

"It

takes a lona time

To make

flower-

a

More than

a

minute

More than an hour, "More than

And more You have

a day,

than a week. to learn to wait

For the things you seek."

»»-

^

j^^

^i

M

30

Jonathan

"Oh,"

said,

And he bHnked "But

why do

Want

to

I

his left eye,

always

know

why?'^

The Answer Man

said,

It

helps you to grow.

If

you don't ask why,

Then "So

you'll never

know.

come back tomorrow.

And

ask

me some

I'm always If

"Simple

at

more.

home

you knock on the door."

^

>

^

k Jonathan was four.

And

the world was

And he

felt

full

of

wonder

very good

As he thought about the thunder.

"

He thought about

the rainbow,

He thought about

the birds,

He

thought about people.

And he thought about words.

And

if

jou can think of anything

That Jonathan forgot. He'll think of that the next time.

As

like as not.