O

NCE upon a time there lived in a thick forest, three bears. The first was a great big bear, with a big head and large paws, and a thick gruff voice. Next came a bear of middle size, with a middle-sized head, and a middlesized body, and a voice that was neither very loud nor very low-for a bear. The third bear was a funny little wee bear, with a strange little head, and a queer little body, and an odd little voice between a whine and a squeak.

Now, these three bears had a home of their own, and though it was rather a rough one, they had in it all the things they wanted. There was a great chair for the big bear to sit in, and a large porridge-pot from which he could eat his dinner, and a great bed, very strongly made, on which he laid himself to sleep at night. The middle-sized bear had a middle-sized porridge-pot, with a chair and bed to match. For the little bear there was such a nice little chair, and a neat little bed, and a little porridge-pot that held just enough to fill the little bear's little stomach. So, you see, they were a very happy company of bears, for they had all they wanted, and what need any bear desire more?

There lived near the house of these three bears, a child whose name was Silverhair. She was a pretty child, with long curls of the lightest flaxen colour, that shone and glittered in the sunshine like silver. From this circumstance she took her name. She was round and plump, very merry and lighthearted, always running and jumping about. When she played, she played with her whole heart. She would sing in her clear childish voice :

"My father's a king, and my mother's a queen,

My little two sisters are dressed in green;

Stamping grass and parsley,

Marigold leaves and daisies."

laughed (and she was always laughing), her laugh rang out with a clear silvery sound. It was really pleasant to hear the merry ringing laugh of little Silverhair. One day she ran off

into the woods to gather flowers-for this child was fond of flowers, as all children ought to be. When she had got a good way in the wood, she began to make pretty wreaths and garlands of the wild roses, and honeysuckles, and other woodland treasures, that are to be found in the fields :"Anemones and primroses,

And the blue violets of spring,

She found while listening by a hedge,

To hear the merry blackbird sing."

These were the treasures which our little friend Silverhair

gathered in abundance. For the merry little child loved

flowers; and very pretty they looked, I can assure you, with their delicate pink bloom, and the bright dew-drops hanging like diamonds upon them. At last the child came to a place where there was a great wild rose-bush, with hundreds of

blossoms drooping down, and smelling, oh! so sweet in the morning air; and Silverhair began plucking these roses as fast as she could, and did not stop plucking them till she had quite a lap-full of flowers, and till her hands were scratched with the thorns. She did not mind the smart of the thorns, but ran gaily on, singing as she went. to a part of the forest where there was or green plat, where no trees grew. pathway trampled or stamped out across it, as if some one with very broad heavy feet had been walking there; and a little rabbit looked at Silverhair, and kicked up his heels and ran into his hole. And soon her attention was drawn

All at once she came a kind of open space There was a kind of

to such a funny house made of rough wood. There was a hole in the wall, and little Silverhair peeped through to see if any one might be at home. She strained her eyes, and stood on tiptoe till her toes ached, to get a better view; but no one was there the house seemed quite empty. The hole through which she looked was too small to give her a fair view of the inside of the house; and the longer she peeped, the greater was the inclination she felt to know who lived in this funny little house, and what kind of people they were, and what they looked like when they were at home; and, if the truth must be told, I must say that I know a good many little girls, who would have been quite as inquisitive as Silverhair. Well, as I have said, she peeped and peeped; and stronger