5. Then she asked an ox to drink the water, and a butcher to kill the ox, and a rope to hang the butcher, and a rat to gnaw But not one of them would do

the rope.

what she wanted.

6. Then she went a little farther, and she met a cat. So she said, "Cat! cat! kill rat."

And the cat said to her, "If you will

So away went the

go to that cow and bring me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat." So old woman to the cow.

7. And the cow said to her, "If you will go to the haystack, and bring me a handful of hay, I'll give you the milk." So away went the old woman to the haystack, and she brought the hay to the cow.

8. As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.

9. As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire

began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night.

bloom

XLI. SUMMER.

mer'ri ly morn

wher e'er

1. ALL the birds are here again,
Winter's gone, and storm and rain ;
No more frost, and no more snow;
So sing merrily, merrily O.

2. Now the sun is shining bright,
All the day from morn till night;
Flowers bloom where'er we go,
So sing merrily, merrily O.

1. THERE are many kinds of birds; some very big, and some very very little. There are birds with sweet voices, and birds with very little

voice; birds of all colors; birds that can fly out of sight, and birds that cannot fly a yard. Some birds can swim and fly and walk; some can both walk and fly; and some can only walk.

2. Birds have only two legs; but then they have also two wings - which more than

make up. Some of

them can fly faster than a railway train

can run.

3. The tomtit and the wren are very small; the turkey, the swan, and the eagle are very large.

4. The nightingale has a most sweet voice, and he sings in the evening. The lark fills the morning air with his glad song. The ostrich has hardly any voice, and like the swan can only make a hoarse kind of sound.

5. The parrot has splendid and bright colors; and so have all birds in warm countries. But birds with splendid colors often

cannot sing; and those which sing most sweetly are often dressed in the plainest and most homely colors. The feathers of the nightingale and the lark are of a dingy brown.

6. The eagle flies very high in the air; and when he sees a bird or a rabbit, he swoops down upon

in a moment.