they were doing, and said, "Who told you to pull up those trees?" "Our chief," they answered. "Indeed!" said the stranger. dom of the chief, what must the "If that is the wis rest of you be like?" "If the king is not "Don't blame us," said they. wiser than his subjects, why should he be king?" Rulers should be chosen for their good sense. III. WOO SING AND THE MIRROR1 One day Woo Sing's father brought home a mirror which he had bought in the city. Woo Sing had never seen a mirror before. It was hung up in the room while he was out at play. He did not understand what it was, but thought he saw another boy looking out of it. He was very happy, for he supposed that the boy had come to play with him. He spoke to the stranger in a friendly way, but received no answer. He laughed and gayly waved his hand at the boy in the glass, and the boy did exactly the same things. Then Woo Sing thought, "I will go closer. I do not hear what he says; perhaps he does not hear me." But when he began to walk, the boy in the mirror did the same. 1 A Chinese story. Woo Sing stopped. He began to grow angry. "That boy is mocking me," he said. "He tries to do everything that I do, and he is not at all polite." The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and soon he noticed that the boy seemed to be as angry as himself. At length Woo Sing ran up to the mirror and struck at the boy in the glass. Luckily he did no other damage than to hurt his hand. He began to cry, and the boy in the glass began to do the same. Woo Sing ran to his father. you brought home with you. "I don't like the boy He is very naughty. I wish you would take him back to the city." 66 Why so, my child," asked the father. "He mocks me," said Woo Sing. "He laughs at me; he strikes at me; he hurt my hand." "Ah, Woo Sing," said his father, "the boy you saw was your own image. You saw yourself just as you really were. It was yourself who was ugly and unkind; and this should teach you never to show your anger before other people. When you strike without cause, you will hurt yourself worse than any one else." EXPRESSION: Which of these three stories do you like best? Read each story again so that you will be able to tell (1) who are the characters in it; (2) the time and place mentioned; (3) what was said or done; (4) what lesson is taught. Dogwood-stars the slopes are studding, And I see Blooms upon the purple-budding What does all this haste and hurry All this outdoor flush and flurry This presaging stir and humming, Mean? it means that spring is coming: GOING FISHING1 I remember my first fishing excursion as if it were but yesterday. I have been happy many times in my life, but never more so than when I received my first fishing-pole from my uncle's hand and trudged off with him through the woods and meadows. It was a still, sweet day of early summer. The long afternoon shadows of the trees lay cool across our path. The leaves seemed greener, the flowers brighter, the birds merrier than ever before. My uncle, who knew by long experience where were the best haunts of the pickerel, very kindly pointed out to me the best place for fishing. I threw out my line, as I had so often seen others do, and waited anxiously for a bite. I moved the bait in rapid jerks on the surface of the water in imitation of the leap of a frog. Nothing came of it. "Try again," said my uncle. Suddenly the bait sank out of sight. "Now for it," thought I; "here is a fish at last.' I made a strong pull, and brought up a tangle of weeds. Again and again I cast out my line with aching arms, and drew it back empty. I looked to my uncle, hoping that he could do something to help me. 1By John Greenleaf Whittier, an American poet (1807-1892). |