WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST?
To-WHIT! to-whit, to-whee!
Will you listen to me?

Who stole four eggs I laid,
And the nice nest I made ?

Not I said the cow, moo-oo!
Such a thing I never do;

I gave you a wisp of hay,

But didn't take your nest away.
Not I, said the cow, moo-oo!
Such a thing I'd never do!

Bob-o-link, bob-o-link!
Now, what do you think?
Who stole a nest away
From the plum-tree to-day?

Not I, said the dog, bow-wow!
I wouldn't be so mean, I VOW;
I gave hairs the nest to make,
But the nest I did not take.
Not I, said the dog, bow-wow!
I wouldn't be so mean, I VOW.
Coo, coo! coo, coo! coo, coo!
Let me speak a word too.
Who stole that pretty nest
From little Robin Redbreast?

Not I, said the sheep, oh, no!
I wouldn't treat a poor bird so;
I gave the wool the nest to line,
But the nest was none of mine.
Baa, baa, said the sheep, oh, no!
I wouldn't treat a poor
bird so.

Caw, caw! cried the crow,
I should like to know
What thief took away
A bird's nest to-day.

Chuck, chuck! said the hen,
Don't ask me again;

Why, I haven't a chick

Would do such a trick.

We all gave her a feather,
And she wove them together;
I'd scorn to intrude

On her and her brood.

Chuck, chuck! said the hen,

Don't ask me again.

Chirr-a-whirr! chirr-a-whirr!
We will make a great stir!
Let us find out his name,
And all cry "for shame! "

"I would not rob a bird,"
Said little Mary Green;
"I think I never heard
Of anything so mean."
""Tis very cruel too,'
Said little Alice Neal;
"I wonder if he knew

How sad the bird would feel?"

A little boy hung down his head And went and hid behind the bed; For he stole that nest

From little Robin Redbreast;

And he felt so much shame

He did not like to tell his name.

DICTATION.-The cow and the dog, the sheep and the hen, all said they had not stolen the nest and the four eggs from Robin Redbreast. They gave a wisp of hay, some hairs, some wool, and a feather, to be woven together, but it was a little boy that stole the nest.

What

QUESTIONS.-How many eggs were in the nest? did the cow say ? What did the dog say? What did the sheep say? What did the crow say ? What did the hen say? What did the girls say? What did the boy do? Why?

I AM going to tell you one of the stories that the German boys and girls have had among them for hundreds of years. I don't think it is likely that it happened just as it is given, but it is so full of fun that you shall have it just as it stands.

There was once a cook who wore shoes with red heels, and when she went out used to turn herself round to look at them, and was very proud of them and thought, "Grethel, you are a very fine girl." When she got home, she drank a cup of wine for gladness, and as the wine made her hungry, she set to eating the best of what she cooked, till she could eat no more, saying as she did so, "The cook must know how what she dresses tastes."

Her master once said to her, "Grethel, a guest is coming with me to-night to supper; get ready two hens." "That I shall, beautifully," answered Grethel. She soon killed the hens, scalded them, plucked them, stuck them on the spit, and made them ready for roasting, and as evening came, she put them to the fire. The hens began to be nicely brown and to be roasted as they should be, but no guest came. Then Grethel called to her master, "If the guest is not coming, sir, I must take the hens from the fire, but it is a pity and a shame if they are not soon eaten, while they are nice and juicy." Her master said, "You're right; I'll go myself and fetch my guest." When her master had turned his back, Grethel put the spit with the hens on one side, and thought, "Standing so long by the fire makes me sweat and be thirsty : who knows when they will come: I shall go to the cellar and have a drop.” She ran down, took a jug, and drew off some wine into it, and drank it. "The wine wants to come out," said she, "and it is not good for one to be without some." Then she went up-stairs again, put the hens once more to the fire, basted them with butter, and turned round the spit lustily. But they began to smell so nicely, and to send up such a steam, that she thought, "I'm afraid there's something not quite right; I must try them." And so she rubbed her finger on one, and then put it in her mouth. "Well," said she, "that is good: it is a sin and shame that they are not eaten at once." She ran to the window, to see if her master was coming, but she saw nobody, and came back again to the hens.