Chapter XVII

Serjeant Parsing’s Story for the Examination

Instructions: "I hope we shall all be prepared for the great trial that is to take place this day
week. The people of Schoolroom-shire are all invited to attend, and to bring their slates and
pencils with them. You all, my nine Parts-of-Speech, will together make up a story which
Serjeant Parsing will have in his hand. He will then carefully examine every word, and the
children of Schoolroom-shire, who will have a place for each of you on their slates, will put
down a mark to each one who deserves it.”

- From Grammar-Land or, Grammar In Fun For

the Children of Schoolroom-shire by M.L. Nesbitt
THE SAD FATE OF OUR SQUIRREL

Once, when I was walking in the garden, I found a young squirrel on the ground at the foot of a tall
tree. It had fallen from the nest. I took the little soft warm creature in my hand, and I carried it
carefully into the house. There we fed it with warm milk, and it quickly revived. It soon sat up, with
its pretty curly tail over its back, and then it rubbed its nose with its paws. It seemed to look to me as
if it knew me for a friend. When night came, I made a soft bed for it beside me, and it slept cosily. In
the morning, I took it to my cousin. "It wants breakfast," she said; " I will warm some milk for it in
my doll's saucepan." So she boiled some milk in a little green saucepan, and we fed our pet. " Ah! " I
cried, " is it ill? It is struggling as if it were in pain." We tried to warm it, and we gave it another
spoonful of milk; but, alas! the poor little creature gave a pitiful moan, and we soon saw that it was
dead. The green paint on the doll's saucepan was poisonous, and we had killed our little squirrel while
it was lying in our arms.

Nouns Articles Adjectives Pronouns Interjections

Total = ______ Total = ______ Total = ______ Total = ______ Total = ______

Verbs Conjunctions Adverbs Prepositions

Total = ______ Total = ______ Total = ______ Total = ______

Worksheets for Grammar-Land or, Grammar In Fun For the Children of Schoolroom-shire by M.L. Nesbitt
Created by Jessica Cain © 2010. Offered free, for personal use only.