had no one to help them. "Go, son," he said,

66

and get a couple of sickles; as none will help us, we must reap it ourselves."--" Now," said the lark, "we must be gone indeed, for when a man resolves to do his work himself, it will be surely done."

LXXI. WHO IS SHE?

1.

HERE is a little maiden—

Who is she? Do you know?—

Who always has a welcome
Wherever she may go.

II.

Her face is like the May-time;
Her voice is like a bird's;
The sweetest of all music

Is in her lightsome words.

III.

The loveliest of blossoms

Spring where her light foot treads;

And most delicious odors

She all around her sheds.

IV.

The breath of purple clover

Upon the breezy hills;
The smell of garden roses

And yellow daffodils.

LXXII.-THE BELL OF THE TOWER OF

JUSTICE.

ONCE there was a king who was a very un

common king indeed. He was not proud, selfish and unjust, as kings are so apt to be, but he seemed to live only for the welfare of his subjects.

2. This king had a tower built, which he called the Tower of Justice. Then he said to his prime minister,

"Hang a bell in the tower, and drop the rope over the wall outside, where any man who has been wronged and who wishes for justice may reach it and ring the bell; for though he be the poorest wretch in our kingdom, we will hear his cause and do him right."

3. The prime minister did as he was told; and afterward, when any man had been injured by another or by the laws, he had only to come and pull the rope which hung from the bell of the Tower of Justice; then the king would assemble his wise men, and hear his cause and right his wrongs.

4. When, from long use, the lower end of the rope was worn away, a piece of wild vine was fastened on to lengthen it. Now it chanced that the prime minister had a horse that had served him long and well, but which, having grown old

and useless, was cruelly turned out on a barren common to take care of himself. One day, being

nearly starved, and seeing the vine hanging from the rope, he approached and reached up his head to bite it.

5. The king was sitting in his palace, which adjoined the tower, think

ing what new thing he could do for the

happiness of his people,

when he heard the bell ring. Immediately he sent for his prime minister and summoned the wise men, and all assembled in the Tower of Justice to hear the cause of the ringing; and, lo! it was only the prime minister's starved horse pulling the rope as he gnawed away at the wild vine.

6. All were astonished, and the prime minister was ashamed, and the king said, "Even the poor beast comes to me for justice, and justice he shall have."

7. Then, turning to the prime minister, he said, "O you who neglect in his old age a noble animal that served you faithfully in his youth, how can you be trusted to administer justice in my kingdom?"

8. The minister replied, "While I have zealously compelled others to do justice, I have acted unjustly, and I am unworthy to serve my lord the king."

9. "Nay," said the king; "you too have served well in your youth, and in your age you shall not be deprived of my favor, lest I too prove unjust. He whose whole life has been faithful should not be condemned for one fault."

10. So the wise king retained his prime minister, and the horse that had rung the bell for justice was ever after kindly cared for by his old master.

QUESTIONS.

Do you know what a king is? What did this king cause to be built? Did you ever see a tower? What was hung inside the tower? How could the bell be rung? What would the king do when he heard the bell? Do you think the bell was rung many times? What makes you think so? What did the horse do? What happened to the horse afterward?