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After this, as you may guess, the Cat was never again invited out. But as winter came on and nothing more was to be found out of doors, the Mouse thought of the jar of fat. let us go to our jar that we shall enjoy our feast." Cat.

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So she said,

So she said, "Come, we have been saving; Certainly," replied the

They took their way to the church, and, upon arriving there, found the jar in its place it is true, but alas! it was empty. "Oh!" exclaimed the Mouse, it is now clear that you have been a pretty friend. You have de'voured all, when you stood godmother, first the top-off, then half-gone, then "Hold your tongue," cried the Cat, "another word, and I devour you too."

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The poor Mouse had already "quite-gone" on her lips; and it would not go back. No sooner was it uttered, than the Cat made a spring upon her, and Mousey quickly disappeared. Take care never to trust a false friend.*

Ah me!

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The Robins.

ONCE a pair of robins built their nest in the upper room of a house. Bits of straw and stick were often found in a little heap outside a top-window of the house.

The maid swept them away more than once, always wondering how they came there. They were

# Grimm.

laid with care, and not here and there as if blown by the wind. It was warm weather, and the windows of the house were open all day long.

The robins flew in and out, no one taking any notice, for their pretty nest was built unseen. It was hid quite safe and snug in a basket, which hung on the wall, over a bed where the maid slept.

In this basket was an old dress, which had been there for many a day, and it was as good as a bush to hold and keep the nest out of sight.

At last the young ones were hatched, and hungry; the old birds could not wait, as they had done before, till the maid was up.

When day light came, cock-robin tried to fly off for food. It was so early, the window was shut, and everybody in the house asleep. Flutter, flutter, it went about the room, and woke the maid, who thought the poor thing had only been shut in by chance, and just wanted to get out again.

For the sake of peace, and a little more sleep, she got up and let the bird out. Soon it came back again, with worms in its beak, and flew across the room straight to the nest. It was in this way that the nest was found out.

Every morning after this, the maid had to get up and open the window; for the robin was SO tame, it would always flutter about her face till she let him go out.*

*Tales that are True.

Answer to a
Question.

Child's

ask what the birds say? The sparrow,

Do you the dove,

strong;

"

The linnet, and thrush say "I love and I love,
In the winter they're silent, the wind is so
What it says
I dont know, but it sings a loud song;
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm
weather,

And singing and loving all come lack together.
Then the lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings, and

1 for ever sings

sings he,

*

I love

my

love, and my

love loves me.

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THE TALKATIVE PARROT.

THERE dwells at Bristol a most talkative parrot. She can say nearly a hundred things, and that often pat to the point.

If there is a knock at the door, Polly says,

* Coleridge.

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"Walk in how d'ye do?" and if not quickly. replied to, adds, Pretty well, thankee-how are you? How're your corns?" This kind inquiry she follows up with a hearty laugh.

If any one speaks in a louder key than usual, Polly says, "Hear, hear," and if you laugh, she asks, "What d'ye laugh at?"

A poor old woman who had a bad cold, came to the house, and she coughed a great deal. On which Polly exclaimed, "What a cough!" The woman thinking it was some one in the next room, replied, "Ah, sir, it is very bad." On this Polly laughed.

In the morning, when she sees her master with his hat on, she says, "Is Polly's master going?" and when the hall door is shut, "Polly's master's gone good-bye master, good-bye Polly." Again, about the time of his return, she keeps on saying, "Is Polly's master come!" until he comes home, and notices her.

When the dinner is getting ready, especially if she smells pastry, she says, "Polly loves the Cook;" and then, quite changing her tone, adds, "Cooky, Polly loves pudding."

One of her favorite jokes is to call the dog, "Bussy! Bussy," and if he comes, she drops a piece of bone or wood out of her cage on his head, laughing all the time.

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She has a habit of biting the wood-work of her cage, for which she is scolded, and then she calls out Polly must be good; oh! Polly, she mustn't bite." When the evening comes on, she says, "Polly go to sleepy," and will not leave off until she is covered over and the cage put into the place it occupies during the night.

She is so tame that her cage door is generally left open, and she walks about the kitchen and passages at will. If she hears the bell ring, she

D

says,

"I'll go."

She can whistle several tunes, and sing portions of "The days when we went gipseying," and "The bonnets of Blue,' Blue," very

nicely.

which

whip

Newfoundland

half-closed

THE DOG AND THE WHIP.

handle naughty

A NEW FOUND LAND dog had a master who now and then beat him when he would not do what he was bid. Of course the dog was not very fond of the whip, so he used to spy it with half-closed eyes.

Well, one day the dog had a terrible beating, so he vowed vengeance on the whip. When his master's back was turned, he quietly seized it, and made for the door. He tried to push it under the door, but the handle of the whip was too thick. So the poor doggy had to leave it there.

I once stayed in a house where a child under two years of age was beat with a little cane. He had been naughty, and his father thought it right to beat him.

Well, in the morning the child got out of his crib and crawled down stairs. He then got into the parlor and found the cane. Next, he crept to the kitchen and tried to stuff the cane in the fire.

TO A HEDGE-SPARROW.

LITTLE flutt'rer! swiftly flying,
Here is none to harm thee near;
Kite, nor hawk, nor school-boy prying:
Little flutt'rer! cease to fear.

One who would protect thee ever,
From the school-boy, kite, and hawk,
Musing, now obtrudes,* but never
Dreamt of plunder in his walk.

* Obtrudes, interrupts, or interferes with you.

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