killed by dogs and cats, or stolen by bad boys.

When they are to be fed, the door is opened, and out run the pretty little rabbits, and feed greed-i-ly upon the green leaves that have been put down for them to eat. By these means, the rabbits have become very tame, and run out and in without any signs of fear.

There are also wild rabbits, that live in the fields and woods. They make holes in the ground, and in these they bring up their young, secure from the fox, the dog, and most other foes. The old rabbits lead out their young before sunrise to the green fields, where they feed until the sun begins to rise, when they again run back to their holes,

Little boys who keep rabbits should be kind to them, and feed them well. God made them to be happy,

READING AND SPELLING COLUMNS.

QUESTIONS.

Where are rabbits found? What tame ones? What do they live are their colours? What are wild on? How are they kept safe? rabbits? Where do they live? What from? Who often steal What animals attack them? them? How should we always What do the old rabbits teach treat them? What does God their young to do? What are intend them to be?

WRITE-Little boys who keep rabbits should be kind to them, and feed them well.

ONE very hot day, a great lion, quite tired with hunting for his prey, went under the shade of a large tree, and lay down to sleep. A little mouse came out of her hole in the tree behind, and ran over his back, waking him just as he was dozing off to sleep.

The great animal put out one of his paws and caught the mouse, who, nearly dead with fright, begged for mercy; and the noble lion was so kind as to let her run off.

Not long after this the lion was one night hunting for his supper in the woods, when he was caught in a net spread for him by the hunters. Not being able to

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THE LION AND THE MOUSE.

get out of it, he set up a loud and dreadful roar. The mouse heard the noise, and thinking it might be the voice of her kind friend, she ran to the place, telling him to keep still and she would try to set him free. So the mouse set to work with her little sharp teeth, and soon gnawed the strings and knots of the net, so that the lion got up, and having shaken himself, walked away, thinking to himself, "If I had not been so kind as to spare the life of that little mouse, I might have lain under the net until my foes came and put an end to my life."

This fable was written to teach us that, however great we may now be, we may one day, perhaps, stand in need of help from the most humble.

SCRIPT EXERCISE.

Write-1st, The names of flowers. 2nd, The names of trees. 3rd, The names of fruits. 4th, the names of veg-eta-bles.

READING AND SPELLING COLUMNS.

WRITE-The great animal put out one of his paws and

caught the mouse.

HAVE you ever looked at a bird's nest ? See how well and neatly it is built. God taught the birds to do this. He taught

40

THE BIRD'S NEST.

them to get the moss, the hay, and the wool, with which their pretty little nest is made, and he gave them skill to build it so neatly. Will he then not much more teach little children to love Him, and to be wise and good?

Some boys, instead of learning any good lessons from birds, only treat them cru-el-ly. Do not rob birds of their eggs or their young, If you ever see a pretty nest, do not touch the eggs: they will soon produce little birds, and perhaps you will hear them sing very sweetly in a few months.

Christ tells us to behold the fowls of the air, and by means of them He teaches us to put our trust in God. He who takes so much care of little birds will not forget good boys and girls.

What do birds live in? What are nests made of? How built? Who taught them this? What do birds lay in them? What do

boys often do to the nests? Why is this wrong? When we see nests, what ought we not to do?

WRITE-Do not rob birds of their eggs or their young.