The increasing study of Spanish in high schools and colleges has made necessary the preparation of a text of a simpler character than those now in common use.

In the present text, especially in the first selections, the language has been simplified so that reading may be begun at a very early stage in the pupil's work. It has not been considered necessary to supply notes, as the matter is simple and the vocabulary furnishes all necessary information. All verb forms occurring in the text, whether regular or irregular, are given in the vocabulary.

There is constant repetition of common words and expressions, so that comparatively long lessons may be assigned and the pupil may be enabled to acquire an extensive knowledge of useful every-day Spanish and become familiar with the structure of the Spanish sentence at an earlier period than has been possible heretofore.

Selection XII is taken from "Tradiciones y leyendas españolas" by Don Luciano García de Real (Barcelona, 1898). Selections IV, VI, IX, X, XIII, are taken from the "Biblioteca de las tradiciones populares españolas" (Madrid, 1886). The remaining selections are taken from various sources or adapted from English or German.

Many changes have been made in all the selections, except in the fables of Iriarte and the story by Fernán Caballero, in order to render the material suitable for beginners.