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21. Birds, when you awake, warble your thanks amongst the green boughs; sing to Him before you sing to your

mates.

22. Let His praise be in our hearts when we lie down ; let His praise be on our lips when we awake.

Stretched. Extended.

Ceased. Left off; stopped. Wood'bines. Twining shrubs bear- Ap-proach'eth. Cometh near. ing very sweet-smelling flowers; Spent. Exhausted; wearied. honeysuckles. Pro-tect'. Keep in safety; defend.

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1.

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HERE's somebody knocking. Hark! who can it be?

THERE

It's not at the door! no; it's in the elm-tree.

I hear it again; it goes rat-a-tat-tat!

Now, what in the world is the meaning of that?

2. I think I can tell you. Ah, yes! it is he :
It's young Master Woodpecker, gallant and free.
He's dressed very handsomely (rat-a-tat-tat),
Just like a young dandy, so comely and fat.

3. He's making his visits this morning, you see:
Some friends of his live in that old clm-tree;
And, as trees have no door-bells (rat-a-tat-tat)

Of course he must knock; what is plainer than that?

4. Now old Madam Bug hears him rap at her door :

Why does n't she come? Does she think him a bore?

She stays in her chamber, and keeps very still.

I guess she's afraid that he's bringing a bill.

5. "I've seen you before, my good master," says she :

Although I'm a bug, sir, you can't humbug me.
Rap on, if you please! at your rapping I laugh,
I'm too old a bug to be caught with your chaff."

Come'ly. Of good appearance; grace- Chaff. The husks of grain, corn, or ful; handsome. grasses; worthless matter.

Upon what do woodpeckers feed? How do they get their food? Describe a woodpecker's bill. Describe the plumage of one that you have

seen.

XLVI. THE DUTCH BOOR AND HIS HORSE.

ELIHU BURRITT.

W

tilled
plöûgh

helm
reef

pierced půlse

The man

HEN I was a small boy and went to school, too young to read, I heard a thing read, of a horse, that made both my cheeks wet with hot tears. who owned the horse lived at the Cape of Good Hope, and was called a Dutch boor, which means that he was a poor man of Dutch blood who was born on the soil of that hot land, and tilled it with the plough and hoe.

2. He was a kind man at heart, though rough in look and speech. He loved his mare, and she loved him, and was with him by day and near him by night. She was proud to have him on her back, and would dash through swamps, ponds, and fire, too, if he wished it.

3. But a day came that proved the faith and love of her stout heart and the soul of the man. A great storm came down on the sea. The waves roared, and rose as high as the hills. Their white tops foamed with rage

at the winds that smote them with all their might. The clouds flapped them with black wings.

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on the high, white waves, straight on to a reef of rocks, too far from the shore to be reached with a rope.

5. The ship was full of young and old, whose cries for

help could be heard, loud as was the voice of the storm. Their boats were gone like the shells of eggs. There was no wood or time to build a raft. The waves leaped on the ship like great white wolves bent on their prey. How could one soul of them all be saved?

6. The men on shore could but look on the sad sight. They could give no help. They had no boat or raft, and their hearts were sick in them.

7. Then the Dutch boor was seen to draw near at full speed on his horse. Down he came to the beach, nor did he stop there one breath of time.

8. He spoke a word to her which she knew, and with no touch of whip or spurshe dashed in, and, with a rope tied to her tail, swam the sea to the ship's side. She wheeled, and stamped her way on the white surge with a row of men to the shore. There she stayed but for a breath.

9. At the soft word and touch she knew so well, she turned, and once more ploughed through the surge to the ship, and brought back a load of young and old. Once more she stood on the beach, amidst tears of joy that fell from all eyes. She stood there weak, as wet with sweat as with the sea. The night fell down fast on the ship. There were still a few more left on it, and their cries for help came on the wind to the shore.

10. The thoughts that tugged at the brave man's heart will not be known in this world. The cries from the ship pierced it through and through. He could not bear to hear them. He spoke a low, soft word to his horse; he put his hand to her neck, and seemed to ask her if she could do it. She turned her head to him with a look that meant, "If you wish it, I will try." He did wish it, and she tried, to the last pulse of her heart.

11. She walked straight out in the wild sea.

All on

shore held their breath at the sight. She was weak but brave. Now and then the white surge buried her head; then she rose and shook the brine out of her eyes. Foot by foot she neared the ship. Now the last man had caught the rope. Once more she turned her head to the beach. Shouts and prayers came from it to keep up her strength. 12. The tug was for a life she loved more than her own. She broke her veins for it half-way between ship and shore. She could lift her feet no more; her mane lay like black seaweed on the waves while she tried to catch one more breath; then, with a groan, she went down with all the load she bore, and a wail went out from the land for the loss of a life that had saved from death nearly all of a ship's crew of men.

13. Thus dared and died in the sea the brave Dutch boor and his horse. They were, as friends, one in life, onc in death; and both might well have place and rank with the best lives and deaths we read of in books for young or old.

Smote. Struck.

Quake. Shake; tremble.

Wail. A loud lamentation.

Where is the Cape of Good Hope? Describe the storm, and the appearance of the ship. Did the horse seem willing to go to the rescue of the passengers? Tell what the horse did. What can you say of the deeds of the man and his horse?

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