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History tells us that Mr. Whittington and his lady, with their family of several children, lived in great splendor and were very happy. He was sheriff of London, three times Lord Mayor, and was knighted by King Henry the Fifth. When the king returned from the great battle of Agincourt, Sir Richard entertained him and his court in grand style at Guild Hall. So delighted was his majesty that he was pleased to say, "Never prince had such a subject."

In return Richard remarked, "Never had subject such a prince."

The king complimented him again on the fire, which was of choice woods, cloves, mace and other spices which gave forth a pleasing fragrance. On hearing the king's praise, Sir Richard said, "I think I can make the fire much more pleasing to Your Majesty. Here are Your Majesty's bonds, amounting to over sixty thousand pounds, for loans made in the progress of the war. All these I will throw into the flames, and I believe Your Majesty can say that you never saw another such fire."

Suiting the action to the words, he cast the bonds into the flames, where they were quickly destroyed, leaving the king and his nobles to marvel at such wealth and liberality.

The remainder of his days Sir Richard spent surrounded by wealth and beloved by all, and his children grew up around him into manhood and womanhood.

He built many charitable houses and a church and college, to which he made an allowance for the support of poor scholars. He built, too, the famous prison of Newgate, where there was to be

seen as late as 1780 a statue of Sir Richard with his cat.

Such is the popular legend of Dick Whittington and his cat. We do not know how much of this is true, but there was a Sir Richard Whittington who arose from poverty to wealth and was three times Lord Mayor of London.

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB

Sa Wolf was lapping at the head of a running

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brook, he spied a stray Lamb paddling at some distance down the stream. Having made up his mind to seize her, he bethought himself how he might justify his violence.

"Villain," said he, running up to her, "how dare you muddle the water that I am drinking?"

"Indeed," said the Lamb humbly, "I do not see how I can disturb the water, since it runs from you to me, not from me to you.

"Be that as it may," replied the Wolf, "it was but a year ago that you called me names."

"Oh, Sir!" said the Lamb, trembling, "a year ago I was not born."

"Well," replied the Wolf, "if it was not you, it was your father, and that is all the same; but it is no use trying to argue with me;" and he fell upon the Lamb and tore her to pieces.

THE STORY OF JOSEPH

W

HEN Joseph was little more than a child, he began to help his brothers keep and feed the flocks of their father on the hills of Palestine. Joseph was then the youngest of Jacob's sons, and Jacob loved the lad more than he did

any of the others, and to show his affection made him a coat of many colors.

The brethren, seeing how much their father loved Joseph, hated him, and would not at any time, unless the father was within hearing, speak to the boy a kind or a gentle word.

Now it happened one time, as Joseph slept, he dreamed a curious dream, and in the morning he told it to his brothers.

"Listen to the dream I had last night," he said. "I thought I was with you binding sheaves of grain in the field, and when I laid down my sheaf, it stood up, and yours, standing up all around, bowed down and worshipped my sheaf."

His brethren answered, "Foolish boy, do you think then that you should be our king and we should be subject to you and obey your orders?"

So the dream became another cause of envy and hatred, both of which were increased when Joseph had another dream and told it to his father and his brethren.

"Last night in my sleep I thought I saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars worship me."

Even the father blamed the boy for telling his dream in so proud and lofty a manner.

"What!" said the father. "Do you think that this dream means that I and your mother and your brethren shall worship you upon earth?"

Nevertheless, the father wondered if this did not mean that some time Joseph would be king. A little while after, it happened that Jacob called

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Joseph and said, "Your brethren are now feeding their sheep in Shechem. I want you to go to them and see if all things be well and prosperous, and then come again and tell me what they are doing."

Joseph answered, "I am ready." So he went from the vale of Hebron and came unto Shechem; but here he could find no trace of either his brethren or their flocks.

At last, however, a man spied him wandering in the fields, and asked him what he sought. Joseph answered, "I am looking for my brethren. Tell me where they have fled with their flocks."

The man answered, "They have gone from this place. I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'

So Joseph passed on into Dothan, and there he found his brethren, who, when they saw him approach, began to talk among themselves after this fashion: "Lo! here the dreamer comes. Let us slay him and throw his body into this old cistern. Then shall we tell our father that some evil beast has devoured him, and then shall he know how little Joseph's dreams profited him."

Reuben, one of the elder brothers, for his father's sake tried to save Joseph. "Let us not slay him nor shed his blood, but keep our hands clean. Follow me and do as I direct."

So when Joseph came to them, they stripped off his coat of many colors and dropped him down into the well, where there was no water. Having done this, they sat down to rest, and as they were eating their noonday meal they saw a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, who had, on their camels, loads of spices and raisins which they were carrying down to sell in Egypt.

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