“Now,

His mother was overjoyed to see him. mother," said Jack, "I have brought you home something that will make you rich." The hen laid as many golden eggs as they wished, and they had all the riches they desired.

For a few months Jack and his mother lived very happily, but soon he longed to pay the giant another visit. Early one morning he climbed the beanstalk again, and reached the giant's mansion late in the evening. The woman was at the gate as before, and Jack told her a pitiful tale, and asked for a night's shelter. The woman said that she had taken in a poor hungry boy once before, and that he stole one of the giant's treasures, and she had been cruelly used ever since. Finally, however, she led him to the kitchen, and gave him some supper, and hid him in a lumber closet. Soon after the giant came in and ate his supper, and ordered his wife to bring down his bags of gold and silver. Jack peeped out of his hiding place, and saw the giant counting his treasure, after which he carefully put it in bags, and fell asleep and snored, as before. Jack crept quietly from his hiding place, and went toward the giant, when a little dog under the chair barked loudly. To his surprise, the giant slept on soundly, and the dog stopped barking. Jack seized the bags of money, and left the house, and soon reached the

beanstalk, down which he came, but found his mother's cottage vacant. He ran to the village, and met an old woman who directed him to the house where his mother was. She seemed to be dying, but on being told of her son's safe return, she soon recovered.

Jack's mother saw that something troubled him, and tried to find out about it, but Jack remembered what the fairy had told him, and would tell her nothing. He had a great desire to make one more visit to the giant, which he could not resist; so when the longest day came, Jack arose as soon as it was light, and climbed the beanstalk once more. He found the road the same as before, and again the woman was at the gate. Jack had so disguised himself that she did not know him; still he had great difficulty in persuading her to let him in. After a time she did, and he hid himself in a great boiler.

When the giant returned, he said, "Wife, wife! I smell fresh meat!" This did not trouble Jack, for he had said the same thing the other times, and been easily satisfied. This time, however, he started up, and in spite of all his wife could say, searched all about the room. Jack was nearly dead with fear, and wished himself at home. The giant came to the boiler, but did not take off the cover.

When the giant's supper was over, he commanded his wife to bring his harp. Jack peeped out, and saw the most beautiful harp that could be imagined. The giant put it on the table and said, "Play," and it played of its own accord. The music was very fine, and Jack wished for the harp more than for of the former treasures that he had taken from

any

the giant.

The music soon put the giant to sleep. Jack climbed out of the boiler and seized the harp, which had been enchanted by a fairy, and called out loudly, "Master, master!" The giant woke up and tried to pursue Jack, but he had drunk so much that he could only stagger after him. Jack ran as fast as he could. The giant in a little while began to recover from his drinking, and by the time Jack had reached the foot of the beanstalk, the giant was at the top ready to come down. Jack took a hatchet and cut the beanstalk at the root, and the giant fell headlong into the garden and was killed.

Jack begged his mother's pardon for all the grief he had caused her, and promised ever after to be kind and obedient. He was as good as his word, and his mother forgot all her sorrows in her happiness.

IN

DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT

N the reign of the famous King Edward III. lived a little boy called Dick Whittington. His father and mother died when he was so young that he did not remember them at all. He had no home, and was a ragged little fellow, running about the streets of a country village. Not being old enough to work, he was very badly off. He usually got but little for his dinner, and sometimes nothing at all for his breakfast. The people of the village were very poor, and could spare nothing but crusts of bread, the parings of potatoes, and such food, and often there was not enough of even that to satisfy his hunger.

In spite of all this, Dick grew to be a very sharp boy. He was always listening to what was being talked about. On Sundays he was sure to get near the farmers as they sat talking in the churchyard, before the parson came. At times you might see Dick leaning against the sign post of the village alehouse, where people stopped as they came from the market town. When the barber's shop was open, Dick listened to all the news the customers told one another.

In this way Dick heard a great many strange things about the great city called London. At that

E

time the foolish country people thought that the folks in London were all fine gentlemen and ladies, and that there was singing and music there all the day long, and that the streets were all paved with gold.

One day a large wagon with eight horses, all with bells on their heads, was driven through the village while Dick was standing by the sign post. He thought this wagon must be going to London, so he took courage and asked the driver to let him walk by the side of the wagon. When the man heard that Dick had no father or mother, and saw by his ragged clothes that he could not be worse off than he was, he told him he might go with him if he wished.

No one ever knew how Dick managed to get food on the road, or how he could walk so far, or what he did at night for a place to sleep in, for it was a very long way. Very likely some good-natured people in the towns he passed through, when they saw how ragged and poor he was, gave him something to eat, and it may be that the driver let him sleep in the wagon.

However, Dick reached London safely, and was in a great hurry to see the fine streets all paved with gold, that he had heard of. He ran from one street to another, hoping every moment to come to