29. “Then scramble over behind the seat,” said the young man, “and I will drive out there, and back you down among the lily-pads, and you can get as many lilies as you like."

MA

IV. — STONING THE FROGS.

PART SECOND.

ARY OSBORNE and Augustina were so much interested in watching the operation of backing the wagon into the water, that they forgot their desire to keep themselves concealed, and went down to the margin of the pond, and there stood in full view, looking on while the boys were gathering the lilies.

2. "It is William Darricut," said Augustina to Mary Osborne, in a whisper.

"Hush!" said Mary Osborne.

3. The party in the wagon did not see the two girls. The boys were busy gathering the lilies, and William Darricut was watching the boys, to see that they did not lean over too far.

4. "George," said Johnny, stopping suddenly, and pointing to a little distance off over the water. 'Look! there's

a frog! See!"

self.

5. "Yes," said young Darricut, "He is sunning himWe won't hurt you, old fellow. We won't even frighten you if we can help it. if we can help it. Will we, boys?"

6. "If I only had a crust of bread here," said William Darricut, "I would feed him with the crumbs."

The boys looked at the frog, but said nothing.

7. I wish he would come here and let us see him swim," continued the young man. "You don't know how elegantly he can swim. The best way, in fact, for a boy to learn to swim is to watch how one of these big pond-lily frogs pushes backwards with his hind paddles, and then draws his legs up to push again.

8. "And yet I have known some boys to take pleasure in tormenting them and pelting them with stones. That is a bad sign. It is a sign of an ugly fellow to like to pelt frogs in a pond.

9. "George," said the young man, suddenly interrupting himself, "would you like to drive the wagon up out of the water?"

"Yes," said George, eagerly.

"Then give the little fellow your lilies to hold, and scramble back over here."

10. George and Johnny both climbed along the side of the wagon back to the seat, and then, after Johnny had taken all the pond-lilies, George, with great pride and satisfaction, drove the wagon out to dry land. In the mean time, the two girls had gone back into their place of retreat without having been observed.

11. As soon as the wagon reached the land, the boys got out of it, and William Darricut, after bidding them good-by, drove away. The two boys stood a moment on the beach at the place where the wagon had left them, without saying a word.

12. Presently George began to push away with his foot the pile of stones which he had collected for ammunition, so as to scatter them about the beach. Johnny immediately began to do the same with his pile of stones.

13. "That was a good fellow, was n't he, George?" said he. 'Yes," said George, "he was a real good fellow."

14. Here there was another pause.

feeling in the bottom of his pockets.

George seemed to be

Presently he said, "You have not got any crumbs of bread, or anything in your pockets, have you, Johnny?” 15. “No,” said Johnny, beginning at the same time to

feel in his pockets, "I don't think I have."

Because if we only had some crumbs," said George, “we might give them to the frogs."

66

16. I'll give them my cake," said Mary Osborne, in an eager whisper to Augustina. She immediately left the

peep-hole windows and went down around the rocks, by the little pathway near the water, followed closely by Augustina, and came out suddenly into view before the boys. They seemed amazed at this sudden apparition.

17. "Here is a cake you may have to feed the frogs with," she said, at the same time holding out the cake toward them.

The boys hesitated a moment, appearing not to know what to do. At length George took the cake into his hand and looked at it.

18. Presently, after a moment's pause, he said, "I wish you would let Johnny and me eat it, instead of giving it to the frogs."

it."

"Well," said Mary Osborne, "Johnny and you may have

19. "And we 'll give you some of our pond-lilies," said Johnny.

"Yes," said George, "so we will."

20. Accordingly George broke the cake in two, and gave each of the girls two or three pond-lilies, as many as they were willing to take.

21. Soon after this the two parties separated; the boys going away by the road, and the girls setting out on their return home by the pathway in which they came.

Jacob Abbott.

EXERCISE.

[See Directions on page 38.]

1. Johnny is a small boy, but he will do as the big boy says. 2. Augustina began gently to push away some of the leaves. 3. The boys evinced a disposition to go on pelting the frogs.

4. My!" he ejaculated. "I came within an inch of him.” 5. In a few minutes they heard the sound of wheels.

6. The horse came to the margin of the water.

7. The boys immediately scrambled up into the wagon.

8. The girls forgot their desire to keep themselves concealed.

9. They stood in full view while the boys were gathering lilies.

10. You don't know how elegantly a frog can swim.

11. The girls came out suddenly into view before the boys.

12. They seemed amazed at this sudden apparition. [Appearance.]

V. — THE NIGHTINGALE AND HER SONG.

A

I.

NIGHTINGALE made a mistake!

She sang a few notes out of tune;
Her heart was ready to break,

And she hid from the moon!
She wrung her claws, poor thing,
But was far too proud to weep,
So tucked her head under her wing,
And pretended to be asleep.

II.

A lark, arm-in-arm with a thrush,
Came sauntering up to the place;
The nightingale felt herself blush,
Though feathers hid her face;
She knew they had heard her song,
She felt them snigger and sneer,
She thought that this life was too long,
And wished she could skip a year!

III.

"O nightingale!" cooed a dove;

"O nightingale! what's the use?

You bird of beauty and love,

Why behave like a goose?
Don't skulk away from our sight

Like common contemptible fowl;

You bird of joy and delight,
Why behave like an owl?

IV.

"Only think of all you have done,
Only think of all you can do ;
A false note is really fun
From such a bird as you!
Lift up your proud little crest,

Open your musical beak;

Other birds have to do their best,

You need only speak."

IN

VI. - THE TRUTH-SPEAKER.

N the year 1777 war was going on in this country, for King George the Third wanted to make unjust laws in America, but the people would not obey them. A Governor, whose name was Griswold, found himself in danger of being seized by the King's soldiers, and took shelter in a farm-house, which was the home of a relation. While hidden there he heard that a band of soldiers was on the road, with orders to search the farm and seize him.

2. Griswold thought he would try to reach a small stream with deep banks on each side, where he had left a