3. Small birds chase each other about in play. The trumpeter-bird hops about in the most eccentric manner on one leg, and throws somersets. The crane expands its wings, runs round in circles, leaps, and, throwing little stones and pieces of wood in the air, endeavors to catch them again, or pretends to avoid them, as if afraid. Water-birds, such as ducks and geese, dive after each other, and cleave the surface of the water with outstretched neck and flapping wings, throwing an abundant spray around.

4. There is a story told of a tame magpie which was seen busily engaged in a garden gathering pebbles, and, with much solem'nity, and a studied air, dropping them into a hole about eighteen inches deep, made to receive a post. After dropping each stone, it cried "currack!" triumphantly, and set off for another. On examining the spot, a poor toad was found in the hole, which the magpie was stoning for his amusement.

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5. The mocking-bird seems to take delight in imitating the noises made by other animals, and by man himself. He whistles for the dog; Cæsar starts up, wags his tail, and runs to meet his master. He squeaks out like a hurt chicken; and the hen hurries about with hanging wings and bristled feathers, clucking to protect its injured brood. The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, the creaking of a passing wheelbarrow, follow, with great truth and rapidity.

6. Deer often engage in a sham battle, or a trial of strength, by twisting their horns together and pushing for the mastery. All animals that pretend violence in their play stop short of exercising it: the dog takes the greatest precaution not to injure by his bite; and the orang-outang,39 in wrestling with his keeper, pretends to throw him, and makes a feint of biting him.

7. Some animals carry out in their play the semblance of catching their prey young cats, for instance, leap after every small and moving object, even to the leaves strewn

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by the autumn wind; they crouch and steal forward, ready for the spring, the body quivering and the tail vibrating with emotion. They bound on the moving leaf, and again spring forward to another. Young tigers and cougars have been seen playing with round substances, like kittens with a ball of yarn.

8. The California Indians say that the cubs of the bear go through all sorts of queer little antics, very often apparently for the sole purpose of distressing their anxious parents. The grown-up bears engage in dances, and the places where such sports have been held are detected by the Indians from the manner in which the ground is beaten. 9. Sometimes a bear will dance by himself, while others squat down and look on, as if criticizing the performance. At other times, a whole" party of bears will join" in a sort of quadrille. The custom proves that Bruin, though his exterior is rough, and his ordinary deportment by no means. graceful, knows how to relax among his equals, and is not indifferent to social amusement.

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XIX. THE DERVIS AND THE KING.

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1. A DERVIS, travelling through Tartary, went into the king's palace by mistake, as if thinking it to be a public inn, or caravan'sary. Having looked about him for some time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet and spread his carpet, in order to repose himself upon it, after the manner of the Eastern nations.

2. He had not been long in this posture before he was discovered by some of the guards, who asked him what was his business in that place. The dervis told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that caravansary. The guards told him, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravansary, but the king's palace.

3. It happened that the king himself passed through the

gallery during this debate; and, smiling at the mistake of the dervis, asked him how he could possibly be so dull as not to distinguish a palace from a caravansary.

4. Sir, says the dervis, give me leave to ask your majesty a question or two: "Who were the persons that lodged in this house when it was first built?" The king replied, his ancestors. "And who," says the dervis, "was the last person that lodged here?" The king replied, his father. "And who is it," says the dervis, "that lodges here at present?"

"And who,"

5. The king told him that it was himself. says the dervis, "will be here after you?" The king answered, the young prince, his son. "Ah! sir," said the dervis, a house that changes its inhabitants so often, and receives such a perpetual succession of guests, is not a palace, but a caravansary."

SPECTATOR.

XX. THE PET LAMB.

1. THE dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink ;
I heard a voice: it said, "Drink, pretty creature, drink!”
And, looking o'er the hedge, before me I espied

A snow-white mountain lamb, with a maiden at its side.
2. No other sheep were near; the lamb was all alone,
And by a slender cord was tethered to a stone;
With one knee on the grass did the little maiden kneel,
While to that mountain lamb she gave its evening meal.

3. "Rest, little one," she said; "hast thou forgot the day
When my father found thee first, in places far away?
Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert owned by none,
And thy mother from thy side forevermore was gone.

4. "Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in this can Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran;

And twice, too, in the day, when the ground is wet with dew,
I bring thee draughts of milk, - warm milk it is, and new.

5.

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Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now;
Then I'll yoke thee to my cart, like a pony in the plough ·

My playmate thou shalt be; and when the wind is cold Our hearth shall be thy bed, our house shall be thy fold. 6 "See, here thou need'st not fear the raven in the sky; Both night and day thou 'rt safe, our cottage is hard by. Why pull so at thy chain? Sleep, and at break of day I'll come to thee again."

Why bleat so after me?

XXI.

SUNNY DAYS IN WINTER.

Wordsworth

1. SUMMER is a glorious season,

Warm, and bright, and pleasant;

But the past is not a reason

To despise the present.

So, while Health can climb the mountain,
And the log lights up the hall,
There are sunny days in Winter,
After all.

2. Spring, no doubt, hath faded from us,
Maiden-like in charms;

Summer, too, with all her promise,
Perished in our arms.

But the memory of the vanished,
Whom our hearts recall,

Maketh sunny days in Winter,

After all!

3. Sunny hours in every season

Wait the innocent,

Those who taste with love and reason

What their God has sent.

Those who neither soar too highly,

Nor too lowly fall,

Feel the sunny days of Winter,

After all!

4. Then, although our darling treasures
Vanish from the heart;

Then, although our once-loved pleasures
One by one depart;

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1. I WILL tell you a circumstance which occurred a year ago in a country town in the south of Germany. The master of a dancing-bear was sitting in the tap-room of an inn, eating his supper; whilst the bear (poor harmless beast!)127 was tied up behind the wood-stack in the yard.

2. In the room up stairs three little children were playing about. Tramp! tramp! was suddenly heard on the stairs. Who could it be? The door flew open, and, behold! there entered the bear, the huge, shaggy beast, with his clanking" chain.

3. Tired of standing so long in the yard alone, Bru-inTM had at length found his way to the staircase. At first the little children were in a terrible fright at this unexpected visit, and each ran into a corner to hide himself.

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4. But the bear found them all out, and put his muzzle, snuffling, up to them, but did not harm them in the least. He must be a big dog, thought the children; and they began to stroke him familiarly.

5. The bear stretched himself out at his full length upon the floor, and the youngest boy rolled over him, and nestled his curly head in the shaggy black fur of the beast. Then the eldest boy went and fetched his drum and thumped away on it with might and main; whereupon the bear stood erect upon his hind legs, and began to dance.

6. What glorious fun! Each boy shouldered his musket; the bear must of course have one too, and he held it tight and firm, like any soldier. There's a comrade for you, And away they marched,- one, two,— one,

my lads two!

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