etrax

8. Every body ran at once to the far corner of the pasture; and there was Willie, alive and well, in the shaft. Oh, how glad he was when his father caught him in his arms, and lifted him out!

9. Now I will tell you how Willie came to be in the shaft. He and Caper went to the pasture-field, and came to the edge of the shaft and sat down. In bending over

to see how deep it was, he lost his balance, and fell in. He tried very hard to get out, but could not.

10. When the good little dog saw that his master was in the shaft, he would not leave him, but ran round and round, reaching down and trying to pull him out. But while Caper was pulling Willie by the coat-sleeves, a piece of sod gave way under his feet, and he fell in too.

11. Willie called for his father and mother as loud as he could call; but he was so far away from the house that no one could hear him.

12. He cried and called till it was dark, and then he lay down on the ground, and Caper lay down close beside him. It was not long before Willie cried himself to sleep.

13. When he awoke it was morning, and he began to think of a way to get out. The little writing-book that his aunt had given him, was in his pocket. He took it out, and, after a good deal of trouble, wrote the letter to his father.

14. Then he tore the leaf out, and took a string out of his pocket, and tied it round Caper's neck, and tied the letter to the

string. Then he lifted the dog up, and helped him out, and said to him, "Go home, Jone Caper, go home!" The little dog scampered away, and was soon at home.

DEFINITIONS.-1. Birth'day, the same day of the month in which a person was born, in each succeeding year. 5. Neigh'bor hood, the surrounding region which lies nearest, vicinity. Wom'en (wim'en), plural of woman. 8. Shaft, a deep hole made in the earth, usually for mining purposes. 14. Seǎm'pered, ran briskly.

LESSON LXXII.

THE PERT CHICKEN.

1. There was once a pretty chicken;
But his friends were very few,

For he thought that there was nothing
In the world but what he knew:

So he always, in the farm-yard,
Had a very forward way,

Telling all the hens and turkeys

What they ought to do and say.
"Mrs. Goose," he said, "I wonder
That your goslings you should let
Go out paddling in the water;
It will kill them to get wet."

2 "I wish, my old Aunt Dorking," He began to her, one day,

"That

you

would n't sit all summer

In your nest upon the hay.

Won't you come out to the meadow, Where the grass with seeds is filled?" "If I should," said Mrs. Dorking,

"Then my eggs would all get chilled." "No, they won't," replied the chicken, And no matter if they do;

Eggs are really good for nothing;
"What's an egg to me or you?"

3. "What's an egg!" said Mrs. Dorking,
"Can it be you do not know

You yourself were in an egg-shell
Just one little month ago?

And, if kind wings had not warmed you,
You would not be out to-day,

Telling hens, and geese, and turkeys,
What they ought to do and say!

4 "To be very wise, and show it,
Is a pleasant thing, no doubt;
But, when young folks talk to old folks,
They should know what they're about."
Marian Douglas.

DEFINITIONS.-1. Färm'-yärd, the inclosed ground attached to a barn and other farm buildings. Fôr'ward, bold, confident. Turkey, a large domestic fowl. Goslings, young geese. Păd'dling, beating the water with the feet, swimming. 2. Dôr'king, a species of chicken.

LESSON, LXXIII.

INDIAN CORN.

1. Few plants are more useful to man than Indian corn, or maize. No grain, except rice, is used to so great an extent as an article of food. In some countries corn is almost the only food eaten by the people.