relieve them of the appearance of formal reading lessons, and to invest them with an attractiveness foreign to the "drill work" which so frequently discourages the child in his first efforts to master the printed page. These stories may be used as exercises in reading at sight; they may be read by the children at their seats and afterwards reproduced and talked about in the class; they may either supplement or take the place of lessons from other reading books; and they may be utilized in various other ways to aid the young learner in the acquirement of the difficult art of reading. But, in whatever manner they may be presented, it should always be borne in mind that their chief purpose is to add to the child's intellectual enjoyment, and, while introducing him early to some of the subjects of our best literature, incite him to a love of reading for the sake of the pleasure which is to be derived from it.

In the first twenty-five stories every new word, when it first occurs, is printed in bold-faced type. The pupil's attention is thus directed particularly to the new comer, and he will be better able to recognize it when it appears again. From the twenty-sixth story to the end of the book only such words as are likely to be especially difficult to young readers are thus printed in bold-faced letters.

The cow can see the dog run.
The dog can see the cow.
It is a big dog.

I can see the fish swim.

It is a lit-tle fish.

Can you see the little fish swim?

I can see the big fish.

The little fish can swim.
The big fish can swim.
Can you swim, little boy?
I can not swim, little fish.
Big boys can swim.

Can the big fish see you?

THE MAN AND HIS DOG.

Here is a man and his dog.

It is a big dog.

The dog sees the little bird.

He is a good dog; he will not eat the bird

Can the man see the bird?

The man can see the bird.

Fly, little bird, fly. I like to see you fly.

The man likes his dog.

I like a big dog.