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YOUNG AND THOUGHTLESS.

IN a crack near the cupboard, with dainties provided,
A certain young mouse with her mother resided.
So securely they lived on that fortunate spot,
Any mouse in the land might have envied their lot.

But one day the young mouse, who was given to roam,
Having made an excursion some way from her home,
On a sudden return'd with such joy in her eyes,
That her grey, sedate parent express'd some surprise.

"O Mother!" said she, " the good folks of this house,
I'm convinced, have not any ill-will to a mouse;
And those tales can't be true which you always are
telling,

For they've been at such pains to construct us a dwelling.

"The floor is of wood, and the walls are of wires, Exactly the size that one's comfort requires;

And I'm sure that we there should have nothing to fear,

If ten cats with their kittens at once should appear.

"And then they have made such nice holes in the wall,

One could slip in and out with no trouble at all;

But forcing one through such rough crannies as these, Always gives one's poor ribs a most terrible squeeze.

"But the best of all is, they've provided us well With a large piece of cheese of most exquisite smell ; 'Twas so nice, I had put in my head to go through, When I thought it my duty to come and fetch you."

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Ah child," said her mother, " believe, I entreat,

Both the cage and the cheese are a terrible cheat;
Do not think all that trouble they took for our good,
They would catch us, and kill us all there, if they

could,

As they've caught and kill'd scores; and I never could learn

That a mouse who once enter'd did ever return!"

Let the young people mind what the old people say,

And when danger is near them, keep out of the way.

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THE shell of the Nautilus is extremely beautiful; but, beyond this, there is little truth in the pretty fables that used to be told about it. The story, very commonly accepted, was, that the nautilus, on coming to the surface, raised two arms and spread them out as sails, at the same time applying six legs as paddles. And thus it floated, as in the figure at the top of the page, over the surface of the calm waters. Whenever it was stopped in its course, or feared danger from above, it instantly furled its sails, caught in all its oars, turned its shell mouth downwards (like a boat keel upwards), and at once dropped to the bottom like a stone.

Another animal, called the Argonaut (that is, "sailor in the Argo," a ship that went on a famous voyage of adventure, according to the old Greek fable), has a shell very similar to the shell of the true Nautilus. Thus it has frequently been confounded with the nautilus, and indeed is very generally known as the Paper Nautilus-its shell being as thin as paper, and exceedingly fragile; although, while the animal is living, it is elastic and yielding. Besides, two of its arms are much expanded at their extremities; they are not held up for sails, however, but are stretched back over the shell, clasping it tightly, and covering the larger portion of it. In fact, it is these arms that build up the shell, repair it when injured, and mould the substance of it into shape. The argonaut has a curious way of swimming, very different from that ascribed to the nautilus. It gathers its six arms in front of its mouth, like a long beak, so as not to resist the water very much. Then it passes the water which it breathes over its gills, into a pretty long tube, whose mouth is directed towards the head of the animal; and, by violently ejecting this water, it forces itself to move backwards.

There are three species of true Nautilus. The bestknown and most abundant species is the Chambered or Pearly Nautilus. The shell is thicker than the Argonaut's, and very strong. Externally, it is like porcelain, white, and streaked with reddish chestnut. Internally, it is divided by partitions into numerous compartments or chambers, These do not exist from

the first, but are added on, one after another, as the nautilus grows larger. The animal does not occupy all the chambers, but only the outermost one. Still they are all connected together by a central membranous tube, the use of which is not certainly known.

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THE Nautilus ever loves to glide
Upon the crest of the radiant tide.

When the sky is clear and the wave is bright,

Look over the sea for a lovely sight!

You may watch and watch for many a mile,

And never see Nautilus all the while,

Till, just as your patience is nearly lost,
Lo! there is a bark in the sunlight tossed!

"Sail ho! and whither away so fast?"

What a curious thing she has rigged for a mast!
"Ahoy! ahoy! don't you hear our hail?"
How the breeze is swelling her gossamer sail!
The good ship Nautilus-yes, 'tis she,
Sailing over the gold of the placid sea;

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