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LESSON 6.

DEFINITIONS.

Cún-ning, deceitful, sly, crafty, shrewd.
Arch, sly, waggish, mischievous, mirthful.
Begged, entreated, earnestly desired, besought.
Crammed, crowded, stuffed, thrust in.

How many derivative words in the first verse?

What

word is the opposite of agree? Large? More? Upright? Give? Justice? Wisdom? Better?

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The Ape and the two Cats.-A FABLE.

1. A COUPLE of hungry Cats having stolen some cheese, they could not agree between themselves how to divide their booty; to law therefore they went; and a cunning Ape was to decide their cause.

2. Let me see," said Pug, (with as arch a look as could be:) "ay, ay, this slice to be sure weighs more than the other" and with that he bit off a large piece, in order, as he told them, to make a fair balance.

3. The other scale was 'now become too heavy, which gave this upright judge a fine pretence to make free with a second mouthful.

4. "Hold, hold!" cried the two Cats; “give each of us our share of what is left, and we promise you we shall be content."- "If you are content," says the Ape, "Justice is not; the law, my friends, must have its course."

5. Upon this, he nibbles first one piece and then the other, till the poor Cats, seeing their cheese in such a fair way to be all eaten up, most humbly begged him not to put himself to any farther trouble, but give them what still remained.

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6. Not so fast, not so fast, I beseech you, good ladies," said Pug: " we owe justice to ourselves as well as to you; and what remains is due to me, in right of my office." Upon this he crammed the whole into his mouth at once, and with great wisdom broke up the

court.

MORAL.

7. This fable teaches us that it is better to put up with a trifle, than to run the risk of losing all we have by going to law for things of small amount.

If people should practise agreeably to our Savior's golden rule, "do to others as you wish others to do to you," what would be the consequence? Should you be willing in all cases to have others do to you as you do to them?

LESSON 7.

DEFINITIONS.

-púte, strife, contest, controversy. Foot-ing, walking, proceeding on foot. Wreck-reck, a waste, a solitary place.

Hedge, a fence made of thorn-bushes or other shrubs.

What kind of word is Dispute? Arose? Strongest? What word is the opposite of Strongest? Honest? Powerful? Little? Hill? Under? Hot? Hard? How many words in this lesson of more than three syllables.

The Wind and the Sun.-A FABLE.

1. A DISPUTE once arose between the North-wind and the Sun, which of the two was the strongest. To decide the matter, they agreed to try their power on a poor honest traveller, who was then footing it along the road; and that party which should first strip the man of his cloak was to win the day.

2. The North-wind began the attack: and a cutting blast he blew, which tore up the mountain-oaks by their roots, and made the whole forest look like a wreck.

3. But the traveller, though at the first he could scarcely keep the cloak on his back, ran under a hill for shelter, and buckled his thread-bare mantle so tight about him, that it would have kept on him, if he had been blown from Hartford to Boston.

4. The wind having thus tried its utmost, the Sun began next; and bursting forth through a thick watery cloud, he by degrees darted his sultry beams with so much force upon the man's head, that at last the poor fellow was almost melted.

5. "O dear!" said the traveller, "this is past all bearing; for it is now so hot, that one might as well be in an oven!" and with that he threw off his cloak as quick as he could, and sat under the shade of the next tree to cool himself.

MORAL.

6. Soft and gentle means will often accomplish what force and fury can never effect.

Can you think of any method by which the Wind could have made the man pull off his cloak? When you wish to accomplish an object, do you take a boisterous course like

that of the Wind, or a mild and gentle one like that of the Sun?

LESSON 8.

DEFINITIONS.

Réa-son, cause or motive of any thing said or done.

Ill-ná-tured, cross, unkind, crabbed.

Hánd-som-er, more beautiful, more elegant.
Fa-mil-iar, intimate, sociable, well acquainted.
Sly, fearful of coming near, bashful, timid.
Thatched, covered on the top with straw.

What kind of word is ill-na-tured? Golden? Visits? Fewer? What is the opposite of ill-natured? Of alike? Handsomer? Hate? Sly? Good? Busy? Useful? Which word in this lesson contains the greatest number of syllables? To what class of words does it belong?

The Bee and Wasp.-MRS. Barbauld.

1. A WASP met bee, and said to him, "Pray, can you tell me what is the reason, that men are so ill-natured to me, while they are so fond of you? We are both very much alike, only that the broad golden rings about my body, make me much handsomer than you are.

2. We are both winged insects; we both love honey, and we both sting people, when we are angry; yet men always hate me, and try to kill me, though I am much more familiar with them than you are; and pay them visits in their houses, and at their tea-tables, and at all their meals, while you are very shy, and hardly ever come near them.

3. Yet they build you curious houses, thatched with * straw, and take care of, and feed you in the winter very often. I wonder what is the reason."

4. The Bee said, "Because you never do them any good; but, on the contrary, are very troublesome and mischievous; therefore they do not like to see you; but they know that I am busy all day long, in making them honey. You had better pay them fewer visits, and try to be useful."

In what respects do a wasp and a bee resemble each other? In what respects do they differ? How much of the time is the bee idle? How much of the time should a good scholar be idle? Which syllable of the word reason is accented? Insects? If you place the accent on the second syllable of con-tra-ry, how will you pronounce it? On the third? What is the difference between accent and emphasis?

LESSON 9.

DEFINITIONS.

Bór-row, to ask the use of a thing for a time.
Con-trive, to devise, to think of some method, to plan.
De-pén-ded, relied, was suspended, rested.
Con-vén-ience, freedom from difficulty, ease.

Is willing a primitive or derivative word? How many words can you mention that are derived from will? What is the opposite of willing? Of borrow? Lose? Determined? How many trisyllables in this lesson? Polysyllables? Dissyllables?

A place for every thing and every thing
in its place.

Mary. I wish you would lend me your thimble, Sarah, for I can never find mine when I want it. Sarah. And why can you not find it, Mary?

Mary. I am sure I cannot tell, but if you do not choose to lend me yours I can borrow of somebody else.

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