in despair, offered her in marriage to the first man who could make her laugh. This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey on his shoulders, the legs sticking up in

the air, and the sight was so comical and strange that she burst into a great fit of laughter

and immediately recovered her speech and hearing. Her father was overjoyed, and fulfilled his promise by marrying her to Jack, who was thus made a rich gentleman. They lived in a large house, and Jack's mother lived with them in great happiness until she died.

THE STORY OF LITTLE RED

RIDING HOOD

In a pleasant village far

away, there

once lived a little girl, who was one of the sweetest children ever seen.

Her mother loved her dearly; and as to her grandmother, she said the little one was the light of her eyes and the joy of her heart. This good old dame had a little hood of scarlet velvet made for her darling; and it was so becoming to the little girl that, for miles around, she was known as Little Red Riding Hood.

One day her mother baked some cakes and made fresh butter. "Go, my dear," she said to Little Red Riding Hood, "and take this cake and a pot of butter to your grandmother and see how she does; for she has been ailing, I hear, and is now ill in bed."

Little Red Riding Hood was a willing child and liked to be useful, and, besides, she loved her grandmother dearly. So she put the things in a basket and set out at once for the village where her grandmother lived, on the other side of the wood.

Just as she came to the edge of the wood Red Riding Hood met a wolf, who said to her, "Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood." He would have liked to eat her on the spot, but some woodcutters were at work near by, and he feared they might kill him in turn.

"Good morning, Master Wolf," replied the little girl, who had no thought of being afraid.

“And where may you be going?" said the wolf.

"I am going to my grandmother's," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "to

take her a cake and a pot of butter,

for she is ill."

And where does poor grandmother live?" asked the wolf.

Down past the mill, on the other side of the wood," said the simplehearted child.

"Well, I don't mind if I go and see her, too," said the wolf; "so I'll take this road, and do you take that, and we shall see which of us will be there soonest."

He knew well enough that he had the nearest way, for he could dash through the underbrush, and swim a pond, and so, by a very short cut, bring himself to the old dame's door. He guessed, too, that the little girl would stop to gather strawberries in the wood, and make a nosegay of sweet flowers for her old grandmother.

And sure enough, the wolf, who cared neither for strawberries nor wild flowers, was very soon at the cottage.

He knocked at the door with his paw, thump! thump!

"Who is there?" cried grandmother. "It's I, your grandchild, Little Red Riding Hood, come to see how you are, and to bring you a cake and a pot of butter," said the wolf, as well as he could. He made his voice sound like that of the little girl.

"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will fly up," called grandmother from her bed.

The wolf pulled the bobbin, and in he went. Without a word he sprang upon the old woman and ate her up in no time, for he had not tasted food for three days.

Then he shut the door, and got into the grandmother's bed, but first he put