round a fire.	When you have clone with them, I shall show you some more, at a distance from this place."
The claw darted at the sparks. anti tried to swallow some of dx,tn ; but his mouth being burnt by the attempt, he ran away exclaiming, "Ah, the glow-worm is a dangerous little creature I"
Said the glow-worm with pride, "lfiil„ii xess yields to wisdoat l "
THE KING AND HIS VASSAL
Av Eastern king was very angry with a certain chieftain who had not seen him at court, though often desired to do so. One clay he was walking through the streets of his capital in disguise with his chief minister, according to the custom of kings in the East, to see how the people fared. Soon after passing a butcher's shop, the king said to his minister, " Instantly the chieftain arrives in the city, send him up to me."
When the minister returned to his palace, he found the chieftain on his way to the court. " Pray, don't see his Majesty till 1 ask you to do so; and don't ask me for the reason now," said the minister to the chieftain, who therefore postponed his visit.
The king came to know of this, and asked the minister why he had (lone so. "Sire," said the minister, "your order to send up the chieftain was given after passing a butcher's shop, and you meant to flay him like a sheep ; so I asked him to see you some time after, when you should be in a better mood to see hint." The king confessed his intention, and said, "A wise miuislcr is a l)-raul s curb."
THE FOX AND TIM VILLAGERS. A FOX that had long been the dread of the village poultry yard was one day found lying breathless in a field. The report went abroad that, after all, he had been
THE LION, THE STAG, AND THE FOX.
THE LION, THE STAG, AND THE FOX.
caught and killed by some one. In a moment, everybnly in the village came out to see the dead fox. The village cock, with all his hens and chicks, was also there, to enjoy the sight.
The fox then got up, and, shaking off his drowsiness, said, " I ate a number of hens and chicks last night; hence I must have slumbered longer than usual."
The cock counted his liens and chicks, and found a number wanting. "Alas!" said he, "how is it 1 did not know of it?"
" My dear sir;' said the fox, as he retreated to the wood, " it was last night 1 had a good meal on your liens and chicks, yet you did not know of it. A moment ago they found me lying in the field, and you knew of it at once. III news travels fast l "
THF uoN, Tim STAG, AND TITS FOX.
A Fox sate a stag, and exclaimed, " What rich meat there is in him I"
A lion, that had got nothing to eat for some time, was prowling at a distance. The fox said to himself, " If I should point out the stag to the lion, he will make his breakfast off him, and leave me the remainder." So he went up to the lion and, bowing respectfully, said, " If your majesty will step in that way, your majesty's humble servant will be able to point out something highly desirable." "Very good!" said the lion, and followed the fox.
But the stag, who had got a hint of the conspiracy, ran up to a place of safety, and was watching their movements unseen.
The lion, not finding the stag, said to the fox, " Knave, you have deceived me! 1 am frantically hungry : you are as good a morsel as the stag, though a trifle less in size," and, springing on hint, ate him up in no time.
Said the stag, " The wicked are often caught in their own toils."
TINSEL AND LIGH-rNING.
A kIECE of tinsel oil a rock once said to a pebble, "You see how bright I am! 1 am by birth related to the lightning."
"Indeed!" said the pebble; "then accept my humble respects."
Some time after, a flash of lightning struck the rock, and the tinsel lost all its brilliancy by the scorching effects of the flash.
4-Where is your brilliancy now?" said the pebble.
Oh, it is gone to the skies," said the tinsel, "for I have lent it to the lightning that came down a moment ago to borrow it of rte."
Dear	me I "	said	the	pebble;	" koro
runny fibs doNt Cood	need!"
THE MONKEY AND THE LOOKI\G-GLA<;.
A MONKEY in a wood somehow got a. looking-glass, and went about showing it to the animals around hint. '1-he bear
looked into it and said lie was very sorry he had such an ugly. face. The wolf said he would fain have the face of a stag, will)
its beautiful horns. So every beast felt sad that it had not the face of some other in the wood.
The monkey then took it to an owl that had witnessed the whole scene. " No," said the owl, " I would not look into it, for 1 am sure, in this case as in many others, knowledge is but a source of pain."
" You are quite right," said the beats, and broke the glass to pieces, exclaiming, " Ignorance is bliss ! "
Till! FAWN AND TILE. LITTLE: TIGER.
A EAil v inct a little tiger, and said,	"What fine stripes you have!
"
The little tiger said, " \C:iat Iltie spots you have ! "
Then the fawn said, " It would be such a nice thing if you and 1 were to live together as friends.	We might then roam
through the woods as we like, and be so happy!"
" I think so too," said the tiger.
The two joined hands, and went out for a long walk. It was breakfast time. The fawn saw sonic fine grass in the lawn, and said to himself, " One should first see his friend fed and then feed."	So he turned to the tiger and said, " Will you have some of this fine grass for your breakfast ?"
The tiger put his nose to the grass; but could not bring himself to feed upon it, because it was against his nature; so _	he replied, " I am so sorry, I cannot cat it!"
Then the_ fawn said, " Allow me to go home for one moment and ask mamma for _something that would suit you for breaktast."
So the fawn went home and told the hind of the happy friendship he had form, d, and of all that had happened since.
The hind replied, " Child, how lucky it is that you have come away!	You must
know the tiger is the most deadly enemy we have in the woals."
At these words the fawn drew near to his dam and trembled.
The hind said, 'It is indeed	to gel away from the wicked at the first hvii!/"
THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE STAR. A vouN(: lion and a young fox once went out together for an evvnin,g stroll.	Venus, the evening star, had just risen.	The fox said, " Ah, how 1 wish I could go to the star and play with it I "
The lion said, " Ah, how I wish the star would come here and play with me!" An owl, who had heard their words from a neighbouring tree, said, " The character of each is known by his words 1 "
THE SEA, THE FOX, AND THE WOLF. A Fox that lived by the sea-shore once met a wolf that had never seen the sea. The wolf said, "What is the sea?"
" It is a great piece of water by my dwelling," said the fox.
" Is it under your control?" said the wolf.
" Certainly," said the fox.
Will you show me the sea, then?" said the wolf.
" With pleasure," said the fox.	So the fox led the wolf to the sea, and said to the waves, "\ow go back;'-they went back!	" Now come up;'-and they came
up l	Then the fox said to the waves, " My friend, the wolf has come to see you, so you will conic up and go back till 1 bid you stop;" and the wolf saw, with wonder, the waves coming up and going back.
He said to the fox, " May 1 go into the sea?„
"As far as you like.	Don't be afraid,
for, at a word, the sea wt	:l go or conic as I bid, and as you have already seen." The wolf believed the fox, and followed the waves rather far from the shore.	A great wave soon upset him, and threw up
his carcass on the shore. The fox made a hearty breakfast on it, saying, " The fool's car was made f +Y lite knave's toi1,pe."
THE FOUR OWIS.
Pot!r< owls went out, each to a part of the world, to see how people liked things, ill and false', and came back to tell of what they had seen.
The owl that went north said, " I saw, by a stream, the fish make mouths at the birds. They further said, ' Look at our fins and their wings, how queer they are!"'
The owl that went south said, " I saw on a hill a fly of fair hues go by the do,+r of a hive; the bees said, ' Look, he has come to be;; of us for sonic food.' The fly said to a friend of his, ' These rogues, I mean the bees, stole the succts from the blooms when the air was dry, so stow I have naught to eat when it is cold.' "
The owl that went east said, " I saw in a wood a pard go out from his den.	The
wolf went with him a G N~ yards, came back, and said to a friend of his, ' The pard is a knave, yet I cling to him, for he is stronk' "
The owl that went west said, " I s,1%v a bear pass by a lion's den. :1 fox close by said the bear went to make love to the lions mate, but was sent back with a box on his ear."
The four owl, together said, "11 here the sun shines, there sraudrl is."
THE TIGER, TILE IVOLF, AND THE FOX.
01 wot.F was often cheated of his prey by a fox; so lie thought the bust way of getting rid of his enemy would be to carry tales a ainst hire to the tiger, who was the king of the forest.
So one fine morning he went to the lair of the king, and said, " Good morning, your majesty."
" What news, my good fellow ? " said the king.
" Ah, I have such news," said the wolf, "as would only increase your anger against that reckless villain Re) nard ; but, as he is my- friend, 1 think it better to keep it from my sovereign."
This only made the tiger more eager to know what the tc(vlf had to say. lie therefore commanded him to disclose all that Reynard had done.
Quoth the wolf, " Yesterday there was a meeting of all the animals in the forest, to confer as to the best method of expressing their gratitude for all the blessings they have received from your majesty. I was anxious to know if there was any amon.l- them that had ill-fcelin„s towards my sovereign.	So I began b)• pretendin,; to speak ill of your majesty to Reynard. He instantly replied, ' Oh, I quite agree with you .'	There is no greater tyrant than
our present king.	The sooner lie is got rid of, the better.'	I should have laid the matter at once before your majesty ; but, as it was late in the niglu, 1 could not do so."