THE PEACH, THE APPLE, AND THE BLACKBERRY.

A Dispute arose once between a Peach and an Apple as to which was the fairer fruit of the two. They were so loud in their wrangling that a Blackberry from the next hedge overheard them.

"Come," said the Blackberry, who thought herself quite fine, also, "we are all friends, and all fair. Pray let us have no quarrels among ourselves."

Know thyself.

THE OLD MAN AND DEATH.

A Poor and toil-worn Peasant, bent with years, and groaning beneath the weight of a heavy faggot of firewood which he carried, sought, weary and sore-footed on a long and dusty road, to gain his distant cottage. Unable to bear the weight of his burden any longer, he let it fall by the roadside, and sitting down upon it, lamented his hard fate. What pleasure had he known since first he drew breath in this sad world? From dawn to dusk one round of ill-requited toil! At home, empty cupboards, a discontented wife, and disobedient. children! He called on Death to free him from his troubles.

At once the King of Terrors stood before him, and asked him what he wanted. Awed at the ghastly presence, the Old Man stammered out: "I—I— only wanted you to help me put this bundle of sticks on my shoulders again."

Nothing so bad that it could not be worse.

THE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR.

An Old Woman who had bad eyes called in a clever Doctor who agreed for a certain sum to cure them. He was a very clever Doctor, but he was also a very great rogue; and when he called each day and bound up the Old Woman's eyes, he took advantage of her blindness to carry away with him some article of her furniture. This went on until he pronounced the Woman cured. Her room was then nearly bare. He claimed his reward, but the Old Lady. protested that, so far from being cured, her sight was worse than ever.

"We will soon see about that, my good Woman," said he; and she was shortly after summoned to appear in Court.

"May it please your Honor," said she to the Judge, "before I called in this Doctor I could see a score of things in my room that now, when he says I am cured, I cannot see at all."

This opened the eyes of the Court to the knav

ery

of the Doctor, who was forced to give the Old Woman her property back again, and was not allowed to claim a penny of his fee.

Knavery overreaches itself.

THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.

A Wolf, wrapping himself in the skin of a Sheep, by that means got admission into a sheepfold, where he devoured several of the young Lambs. The Shepherd, however, soon found him out and hung him up to a tree, still in his disguise.

Some other Shepherds passing that way, thought it was a Sheep hanging, and cried to their friend, "What, brother! is that the way you serve Sheep in this part of the country?"

"No, friends," cried he, turning the hanging body around so that they might see what it was; "but it is the way to serve Wolves, even though they be dressed in Sheep's clothing."

The credit got by a lie lasts only till the truth

comes out.

THE MAN AND THE WEASEL.

A Man caught a Weasel, and was about to kill it. The little animal prayed earnestly for his life.

"You will not be so unkind," said he to the Man, "as to slay a poor creature who kills your Mice for you?"

"For me!" answered the Man; "that's a good joke. For me, you say, as if you did not catch them more for your own pleasure than for my profit. And as to making away with my food, you know that you do as much harm as the Mice themselves. You must make some better excuse than that, before I shall feel inclined to spare you."

Having said this, he strangled the Weasel without more ado.

A poor excuse is a dangerous thing.

THE MISER.

A Miser once buried all his money in the earth, at the foot of a tree, and went every day to feast upon the sight of his treasure. A thievish fellow, who had watched him at this occupation, came one night and carried off the gold. The next day the Miser, finding his treasure gone, tore his clothes and filled the air with his lamentations.

A neighbor hearing his outcry and learning the cause said, "Pray do not grieve so; but go and get a stone, place it in the hole, and fancy it is

your gold. It will be of quite as much service as the money was."

Nothing is of value that is not of use.

THE HEN AND THE SWALLOW.

There was once a foolish Hen, that sat brooding upon a nest of Snakes' eggs. A Swallow perceiving it, flew to her, and told her what danger she was in.

"Silly creature," said she, "you are hatching vipers. The moment they see the light, they will turn and wreak their venomous spite upon you."

Beware the consequences of your actions.

THE BEES, THE DRONES, AND THE WASP.

A Party of Drones got into a hive, and laying claim to the honey and comb which they found there, tried to force the Bees to quit. The Bees, however, made a sturdy resistance. Finally the Drones agreed to their proposal that the dispute should be referred for judgment to the Wasp.

The Wasp, pretending that it was a hard matter to decide, directed both parties to make and fill some comb before him in court, so that he might