Читать книгу The Blue Birds at Happy Hills онлайн

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“If everyone knew just what to do and did it at once, you can understand that there would be little danger. Of recent years, the large schools in cities have introduced a course of lessons that take up ‘First Aids’ and ‘Presence of Mind’ tests for the children so that they may be ready to apply such knowledge when needed.

“You have most likely heard the proverb: ‘Fire makes a good servant, but a bad master.’ Now just as long as we keep fire in its rightful place to do all sorts of work for us, and to keep us warm in winter, or to create steam in the water placed on it for many important services, then fire is the servant. But once let it get the least bit of headway through neglect, or mischief, or by any other cause, and it immediately consumes whatever it touches and feeds upon all it burns so that it becomes a raging demon.

“A child can control a fire in the stove or in a lamp—all one has to do is to turn down the wick or pull out a damper. But once we let fire leap from its bounds, we need a force to fight it. And that is what I expect of you boys. To so train yourselves that in case of emergency, you will know instantly how to fight the demon, fire.