summoned about him, and was very grandly regaling with bread.-M. HOWITT.

SIR WILLIAM NAPIER AND THE LITTLE GIRL.

Sir William Napier was one day taking a long country walk, when he met a little girl about five years old sobbing over a broken bowl; she had dropped and broken it in bringing it back from the field, to which she had taken her father's dinner in it, and she said she would be beaten on her return home. Then, with a sudden gleam of hope, she looked up into his face, and said, “But you can mend it can you not?" Sir William smilingly explained that he could not mend the bowl, but he could give her sixpence to buy another. However, on opening his purse, it was empty of silver, and he had to make amends by promising to meet his little friend in the same spot at the same hour next day. The child entirely trusting him went on her way comforted. On his return home he found an invitation to dinner the following evening awaiting him, to meet some one whom he specially wished to see. He hesitated for some little time, trying to calculate the possibility of giving the meeting to his little friend of the broken bowl, and of still being in time for the dinner-party; but finding this could not be, he wrote to decline accepting the invitation on the plea of being engaged, saying to his family, “I cannot disappoint her, she trusted me so implicitly.”— ANON.

THE KING OF PERSIA AND THE BOY.

Thus it was that one of the kings of Persia-may God Most High watch over him—had a costly stone in a ring. Once, by way of recreation, he went out with some of his

principal officers into the public prayer ground of Shiraz: he commanded (it), and so they put up the ring on the cupola of 'Azud's mausoleum, with the view that whoever should put an arrow through the circle of the ring, the ring should be his It so happened that there were four

hundred skilful archers in attendance on the monarch; they discharged their arrows, (and) all missed. But a boy who, on the roof of a caravansary, was shooting arrows in all directions, a favouring breeze carried his arrow through the circle of the ring. He obtained a robe of honour and money, and they gave him the ring. They relate that the boy burnt his bow and arrows. People said to him, "Why hast thou acted thus?" He replied, "In order that my first glory may remain intact."

It will sometimes happen that from a clear minded sage, Not a single plan will come forth right;

At times it may be that a stupid boy

Will at random hit the target with his arrow."-GULISTAN.

FABLE-THE EAGLE AND THE FOX.

An eagle that had young ones, looking out for something to feed them wherewith, happened to spy a fox's cub that lay basking itself abroad in the sunshine. She made a stoop, and trussed it immediately; but before she had carried it quite off, the old fox coming home, implored her with tears in her eyes, to spare her cub and pity the distress of a poor fond mother, who should think no affliction so great as that of losing her child. The eagle, whose nest was up in a very high tree, thought herself secure enough from all projects of revenge, and so bore away the cub to her young ones, without showing any regard to the supplications of the fox. But that subtle creature, highly incensed at this

outrageous barbarity, ran to an altar, where some country people had been sacrificing a kid in the open fields, and catching up a firebrand in her mouth, made towards the tree where the eagle's nest was, with a resolution of revenge. She had scarce ascended the first branches, when the eagle, terrified with the approaching ruin of herself and family, begged of the fox to desist, and with much submission returned her the cub again safe and sound.-Æsop's FABLES.

BIRDS.

Those little nimble musicians of the air that warble forth their curious ditties with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art.

As first the lark, when she means to rejoice, to cheer herself and those that hear her: she then quits the earth, and sings as she ascends higher into the air, and having ended her heavenly employment grows then mute and sad to think she must descend to the dull earth, which she would not touch, but for necessity.

But the nightingale, another of my airy creatures, breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and say, "Lord, what music has Thou provided for the saints in heaven, when Thou affordest bad men such music on earth?"-IZAAK WALTON.

THE TRUMPETER AND THE HYENA.

One night, at a feast near the Cape of Cood Hope, a trumpeter who had made himself intoxicated with liquor was carried out of doors and laid on the grass, in order that the air might both cool and sober him. The scent of the man soon attracted a spotted hyena, which threw him on his back, and carried him away towards the mountains. The hyena doubtless supposed that the senseless drunkard was a corpse, and consequently a fair prize.

In the meantime the musician awoke, and was at once sufficiently sensible to know the danger of his situation, and to sound his alarm with his trumpet which he fortunately carried at his side. The hyena, as it may be imagined, was greatly frightened in its turn, and immediately ran away, leaving the trumpeter, it is to be hoped a wiser man for his extraordinary ride. It is remarkable that the soldier was not seriously injured by the hyena, for the teeth of the animal were fortunately fastened in the coat and not in the flesh of the man.— ANECDOTES IN NATURAL HISTORY. (MORRIS).

THE COURTIER AND THE THIEVES.

In a certain city a quantity of wool was stolen; the owners thereof complained to the king, but much as His Majesty investigated the case, he could find no trace of the thief. A courtier said, "If you issue your decree I will catch the miscreant." The king gave him permission. The courtier went to his home, and on the pretence of a banquet, invited to his house high and low, small and great, of the city. When all the persons were collected together, the courtier came into the midst of the assembly, and

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casting his glance on the people said. "What base im pudent fools those men are, who not only have stolen the wool, but come here with particles of wool in their beards." At the same instant several persons passed their hands through their beards, by which proceeding it became clear that they were the thieves.-PERSIAN TALES.

FABLE-THE FOX AND THE STORK.

The fox invited the stork to dinner; and, being disposed to divert himself at the expense of his guest, provided nothing for the entertainment but soup in a wide shallow dish. This himself could lap up with a great deal of ease, but the stork, who could but just dip in the point of his bill, was not a bit the better all the while. However, in a few days after, he returned the compliment, and invited the fox; but suffered nothing to be brought to table but some minced meat in a glass jar, the neck of which was so deep and so narrow, that, though the stork with his long bill made a shift to fill his belly, all that the fox, who was very hungry, could do, was to lick the brims as the stork slabbered them with his eating. Reynard was heartily vexed at first; but when he came to take his leave, he owned ingenuously that he had been used as he deserved; and that he had no reason to take any treatment ill of which himself had set the example.-ESOP'S FABLES.

KING CHARLES II. AND THE SUPPLIANT FOR OFFICE.

A gentleman in King Charles the Second's time, who had made numerous applications for an appointment at Court, and had received endless promises which were never carried out, at length resolved to see the king himself. Accordingly, having obtained an audience, he represented his claims to His Majesty, and boldly asked him for a