2. "Come here, my dears," said she, as she caught sight of an ant-hill; "here are thousands of nice little things to eat. Feed away, as I do, freely and without fear.

3. "How happy should we be with fare like this! If wicked men did not kill and eat turkeys, we might keep feeding on ants till we grew old."

4. "Stop, stop!" said an old ant, who had crept to a place of safety; "think of your own sins before you rail so against men. While you complain of their eating you, you are killing hundreds of us."

5. It is bad to point out faults in others, while we commit even greater ones ourselves.

1. A DOG and a wolf met by chance on the road. The wolf, who was very lean and hungry, told the dog that he was very glad to see him, and asked him how it came to pass that he was so fat and plump.

2. ❝

"Why," said the dog, "I keep the house from thieves; and I lodge well, and have good meat and drink for my pains."

3. "I wish," said the wolf, "I had as good a post."

4. "Why," said the dog, "if you like to go with me, I will speak to my master for you, and I doubt not but you will fare as well as I do, if you take care to serve him as well."

5. The wolf said he would try his best, and would promise to do all he could to please his master.

6. So they took to the road, and joked as they walked along, and were good friends.

7. At length, as they came nigh the house, the wolf, by chance, saw a bare place on the dog's neck, where the hair was worn off. "Friend," says he, "how comes this, I pray?"

8. "O, that is nothing," says the dog, "but the mark of the collar, to which I am tied in the day, that I may not run away or bite."

9. "O," cried the wolf, "if that is the case, keep your collar and your fine food to yourself, and I will roam where I please; for I have more sense than to sell my freedom for a crust."

10. Freedom is of more value with the plainest food than bondage with the finest.

1. How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!

2. How skilfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads her wax!

1 Pronounced biz'zę.

And labors hard to store it well
With the sweet food she makes.

3. In works of labor, or of skill,
I would be busy too;

For there is always something ill
For idle hands to do.

4. In books, or works, or healthful play,
Let my first years be passed,

That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

1. THERE was once a great bear, that lived in a den. There was a deep hole in the side of a rock.

2. A green tree grew just at the door of the den, so that no one could see into it; for

1 Pronounced făn'sid. 2 Pronounced ser'tin. 3 Pronounced kwörrel.

the thick boughs waved all about, and hid the hole from sight.

3. The bear had three cubs. Two of them were very naughty, and one was very good.

4. When the old bear brought them their dinner or supper, the good cub took her share, and ate it without finding fault, or asking for more; but the two naughty cubs used to growl and make a sad noise.

5. They always said there was not enough, and they always fancied their share was smaller than their sister's.

6. The old bear was very sorry to see them behave so, and tried to make them happy with each other; but it was of no use. There was always some cause of anger between them.

7. At dinner there was the food to dispute about, and at play-time one was sure to be too rough and hurt the other, who would run crying to its corner, and sit there very cross the rest of the day.

8. Then even at night, when they all lay close together to keep warm, one of the bad cubs would think he had not room enough, or fancy his bed was harder than the rest. Thus it went on, and there was no peace in the den.