THE SPIDER AND THE FLY WIL By MARY HOWITT ILL you walk into my parlor?" 'Tis the prettiest little parlor Is up a winding stair, To show when you are there." For who goes up your winding stair "I'm sure you must be weary With soaring up so high; Will you rest upon my little bed?" Said the spider to the fly. "There are pretty curtains drawn around, The sheets are fine and thin; And if you like to rest awhile, Said the cunning spider to the fly, To prove the warm affection I have within my pantry "Sweet creature," said the spider, If you'll step in one moment, dear, "I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "For what you're pleased to say, And bidding you good morning, now, I'll call another day." The spider turned him round about, And went into his den, For well he knew the silly fly Would soon be back again; So he wove a subtle thread He went out to his door again, Alas, álas! how very soon This silly little fly, Hearing his wily, flattering words, Came slowly flitting by: With buzzing wings she hung aloft, He dragged her up his winding stair, She ne'er came out again! I pray you, ne'er give heed: Unto an evil counsellor Close heart and ear and eye, And learn a lesson from this tale A FAREWELL By CHARLES KINGSLEY My fairest child, I have no song to give you; No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray; Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you For every day. Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever; Do noble things, not dream them, all day long: And so make life, death, and that vast forever One grand sweet song. A QUEEN ALICE By LEWIS CARROLL LICE threw herself down to rest on a lawn as soft as moss, with little flower beds dotted about it here and there. "Oh, how glad I am to get here! And what is this on my head?" she exclaimed, as she put her hands up to something very heavy, that fitted tight all round her head. "But how can it have got there without my knowing it?" she said to herself, as she lifted it off, and set it on her lap to make out what it could possibly be. It was a golden crown. "Well, this is grand!" said Alice. "I never expected I should be a queen so soon-and I'll tell you what it is, your majesty," she went on in a severe tone (she was always rather fond of scolding herself), “it'll never do for you to be lolling about on the grass like that! Queens have to be dignified, you know!" So she got up and walked about-rather stiffly just at first, as she was afraid that the crown might come off: but she comforted herself with the thought that there was nobody to see her; "and if I really am a queen," she said, as she sat down again, "I shall be able to manage it quite well in time." Everything was happening so oddly that she didn't feel a bit surprised at finding the Red Queen and the White Queen sitting close to her, one on 23 |