grape

he see? A poor hungry horse nibbling the vine at the end of the rope. It is he who rings the bell.

The silver horn is heard. "Whose horse is this?" cries the King.

""Tis the rich knight's horse," the people cry. "He turned it out to starve and die."

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Bring the knight here," orders King John. Here comes the knight who says, "Yes, the horse is mine. I can do as I please with my own."

Then King John answers, "That you can not. Justice shall be done. From this time your horse shall have the best of care or you will go to prison. Lead him home."

The knight lowers his head and leads his horse away. "Long live the King! Long live good King John!" shout the people.

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
February has twenty-eight alone,
All the rest have thirty-one,

Except in leap-year, that's the time

When February's days are twenty-nine.

HOW DOTH THE LITTLE BUSY BEE

BY ISAAC WATTS

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!

How skilfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads the wax!
And labors hard to store it well

With the sweet food she makes.

In works of labor or of skill,

I would be busy too;

For Satan finds some mischief still

For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,
Let my first years be passed,
That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

ROBINSON CRUSOE

BY DANIEL DEFOE

I

When I was a boy I lived by the sea. I loved to see the great ships go out and in. One day I met a boy whom I knew. "My father's ship sails to-day," said he. "I am going with him."

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Oh, how I wish I could go with you!" said I. "Come along," said he. "Father will take you, you can work for him.”

"If he will let me work my way," said I, "I will go with you."

The big ship set sail. We were soon far out at sea. For twelve days we had good weather.

Then came a fearful storm.

Every one said, "The ship will go down! The ship will go down!" The ship did not go down. The storm lasted many days. Then the sea became calm. We could see the land.

Before the ship could get to the land a second storm came. The wind blew hard. The ship

struck upon the sand. It seemed that all must drown.

The sailors climbed into a little boat and rowed for the shore. There were eleven of us.

The waves rolled high. We saw that we could never get to the shore.

Just then a fearful wave upset the boat. We all went down into the sea. I could not swim in the big waves. I was washed on shore almost dead.

The other sailors were nowhere to be seen. alone, had been saved.

I knelt upon the sand and thanked God. Looking out to sea, I saw that the ship was still there.

How thankful I was to be alive! But I was wet and hungry. I had no gun. What if wild beasts came in the night?

Being very thirsty, I walked till I found some fresh water to drink. Then I climbed into a low tree and fell fast asleep.

In spite of my fears I slept in peace. No wild beasts came to disturb me.