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XLIII.--THE SLAVE AND THE LION.

Slave, a servant, one not free.

Pa'-gans, heathens.

Des'-ert, a barren place.
Cave, a hollow in the earth.
Limp'-ing, jumping from being
lame.

Skip'ped, jumped about.

Fawn'ed, frisked.
Pris'-on-er, a captive.
Crime, a fault, sin.
Ex-pos'ed, given up to.
Loose, free,
Grate'-ful, thankful.
Seize, lay hold of.

A SLAVE ran away from Rome when the Romans were pagans. On his way he had to cross a desert to get to his home. One day, just as he had gone into a cave, he heard the roar of a lion, and was in great fear that he should be eaten up. But the lion came limping to him, and put his wounded paw upon the man's knee. The slave, on looking at the paw, saw that it was much swelled, and that it had a big sharp thorn in it. He then drew out the thorn as softly as he could. lion bore the pain qui-et-ly, and when his paw was easy, he licked the man's hands, and fawned on him like a dog. The man lived there some days, for he was weak and tired. At length, wan-der-ing through the woods, he met with a band of soldiers sent out to seize him, and was by them taken pris-on-er, and led back to his master.

The

92

THE SLAVE AND THE LION.

For this crime of running off, he was to be exposed to wild beasts. A lion that had been lately caught, and had not been fed for some days, was let loose upon him. The lion sprang out with a loud roar; but when he saw the man, he crept softly up to him, and licked him, and then skipped about him. It was the same lion the man had met with in the desert. The slave was set free. The lion was given to him; and the grateful beast would follow him through the streets of Rome like a dog.

READING AND SPELLING COLUMNS.

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Who ran away? Where from? When? What had he to cross? Where did he intend to go? What did he go into in the desert? What did he hear when there? How did he feel? What came up to him? In what state? What made it lame? What did it do when it came up to him? What did the man take out of its foot? In what state was the foot with the thorn in it? What did the lion do to the man when the thorn was

Length.
Crept.
Seize.

taken out? Why did the man remain a few days longer in the desert? Who came upon him in the woods? Where did they take him to? What was to be done to him for running away? What beast knew him again? What did it do when it saw him? What did this procure for the slave? What was also given him? After this, what was it in the habit of doing? What lesson is taught by this story?

WRITE-The grateful beast would follow him through the streets of Rome like a dog.

XLIV. THE CHILD AND THE BIRD.

Ri'pe, ready for use.

Pat'-ter-ing, rain drops striking the one after the other.

Dew, small water drops.

Gui'des, directs.
Bur'-ied, put under.
Chas'-ing, running after.
Fool'-ish, silly.

C. LITTLE bird, little bird, come to me!
I have a green cage ready for thee;
Many bright flowers I'll bring to you,
And fresh ripe cherries, all wet with dew.

B. Thanks, little maiden, for all thy care,
But I dearly love the clear, cool air;
And my snug little nest in the old oak tree
Is better than golden cage for me.

C. Little bird, little bird, where wilt thou go
When the fields are all buried in snow?
The ice will cover the old oak tree;
Little bird, little bird, stay with me!

B. Nay, little maiden, away I'll fly
To greener fields and a warmer sky;
When Spring returns with pattering rain,
My merry song you will hear again.

C. Little bird! little bird! who'll guide thee
Over the hills and over the sea?
Foolish one, come in the house to stay;
For I am sure you'll lose your way.

B. Ah, no, little maiden! God guides me
Over the hills and over the sea;
I will be free as the morning air,
Chasing the sunlight everywhere.

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Who wished the bird? Where would the bird return? What was it to be put? What things season would it then be? Who were promised it? What did the guides all birds in their move

bird say it liked better? When ments?

WRITE-I will be free as the morning air,
Chasing the sunlight everywhere.

REVISAL OF WORD EXERCISES.

Write to Dictation the following words, and tell the meaning of those in italics:

Astray, account, autumn, appear, actions, answer, animal, allowed, amuse, afraid, again, against, asleep, asked, affecting, afford, aunt, awhile, according.

Birds, bee, busy, builds, bill, butter-fly, bread, bounded, breakfast, breakers, brim, biscuit, built, belong, begged, bitter, brought, broken, break, bantam, bluish, bare, band, blazing, believe, bleating, bats.

Cell, crow, chased, cheese, cried, cliff, cheat, crept, circle, cheeks, carry, caught, chirp, complains, crafty, coin, careful, clusters, clever, creature, chips, captain, course, cup-board, clothed, crumbs, carpet, cruelly, cowering, cry, cries, crawled, cruel, catch, creep, cause, colour, climbed, cubs, carried, cranes, centre, carcase, collar, clasped, chimney, cave, crime, cherries.

Dinner, dashed, distant, dying, dealt, distress, distance, dined, dozing, dreadful, ditch, despise, daisies, dazzled, dizzy, dusk, daresay, dismal, died, diamond, dine, drawing, desert, dwell, darkness, dreary.

Edge, expect, enough, eaten, except, eager, everywhere, empty, early, evening, eyry, effect, examined, erect, eye-witness, exposed, England.

Flying, flock, flowers, fierce, fairies, frightened, funny, fail, fields, finished, follow, fruit, friend, family, foes, fond, found, force, forcing, Aeece, fetching, feathers, frisked, foolish, faint, fawns, fore-deck, factory, fawned, forgiven, floating.

Gather, gay, gold, greedy, glow, grassy, ground, grapes, gentle, guiding, gentleman, gazing, guile, greedily, gnawed, greener, gayer, glare, grove, growled, gill, grown, growl, grazed, grateful, groat.

Hay-rick, honey, haste, health-ful, hour, hunter, honest, hunger, howl, hewing, happy, hunting, humble, hay, hope, hopping, hoping, hear, heard, here, heart, hunt, hook, hungry, horrid, hoot, hatched, height, herds, heaven.

Idle, improve, intend, increase, injure, instead, insect, insult.

Jacket, jumped, jungle, Jesus.

Killed, knots, know, kids, keep-sake, knit, knee, knave.

Lessons, labours, limbs, ledge, laugh, learn, lapped, licked, light-house, low-water, like-ly, leak, lucky, lodge, locked, leaves, liberty, lingered, length, laid, looked, living, love, lame, listen, loiter, lily-wreath, lovelier, lonely, limping.

Moss, mossy, mischief, mane, merry, mount, moment, mercy, make, making, months, meek, meant, mourning, materials, muzzle, month, mouth, minutes, maiden.

Near, neatly, nicely, net, noble, nest, not, note.

Opening, ought, offence, opened, officers, object, owls.

Pretty, pulled, pieces, paces, plenty, prey, pause, paws, produce, ison, pocket, patient, patience, patiently, pain, pane, pinched, punish, present, please,

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