"Little one, you are the Queen of France.' She went up timidly to the landlady.

really have it?" she asked.

99

"May I

"It is yours. The gentleman has given it to you," said Madame.

sette.

Is it true, sir? Is it really true?" cried Co

"Is 'the lady' mine?"

The stranger's eyes filled with tears. He nodded to Cosette, and placed "the lady's" tiny

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hand in hers. In a moment Cosette held the ribbons and fresh pink dress of the doll against her own rags. I shall call her Catherine," she said. So Cosette went off to bed carrying Catherine in 5 her arms.

Some time later, when the house was still and every one was asleep, the stranger passed through the rooms as if looking for something. Under the staircase, amidst all sorts of dust and rubbish and 10 spiders' webs, there was a bed-if it could be called a bed. It was an old straw mattress full of holes, and on it were neither pillows nor sheets. In this bed, Cosette was sleeping. She was sleeping soundly, all dressed; and clasped tight in her 15 arms was the doll, whose wide blue eyes shone in the darkness.

VICTOR HUGO: Les Miserables (ADAPTED).

HELPS TO STUDY

1. In what way does this story remind you of Cinderella? 2. Tell the story aloud after you have read it through. 3. What day of the year was it? 4. This story is taken from a famous French book, Les Miserables (La Mē'zer ä'bl), which means the unhappy, or the unfortunate.

HEIDI'S FIRST DAY ON THE

MOUNTAIN

Heidi is a little Swiss girl, whose father and mother are dead. She is brought to her old grandfather who is living alone up on the side of one of the mountains of the Alps. She has never been up on the mountains before, and the beauty of them is all new and wonderful to her. You will enjoy reading, some time, the whole book from which this story is taken. Heidi has been sleeping on the soft hay in the loft, and her first day in the mountains now begins.

I

Early the next morning Heidi was awakened by a shrill whistle, and on opening her eyes saw the yellow sunlight shining through the loophole, full on her bed and on the hay beside it, turning it all to shimmering gold. Heidi looked about 5 her in surprise, and wondered where she was.

But soon she heard her grandfather's deep voice outside, and then it all came back to her where she had come from, and that now she was to live with him up on the Alm. And so Heidi was very 10 glad when she awoke in her new home and thought of everything- all the new things she

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had seen yesterday, and what she would see again to-day.

So she jumped quickly out of bed and was soon dressed. Then she climbed down the ladder and 5 ran out through the open door. There stood Peter with his goats, and her grandfather was just opening the stable door to let Swanli and Bearli out to join the others. Heidi ran toward the old man to say good-morning to him and the goats. "Would you like to go with them up to the pasture?" he asked. There was nothing that

Heidi would have liked better, and she danced up and down for joy at the very thought.

"But first you must wash yourself and be tidy, else the sun that is always so shiny and bright up yonder, will laugh to see you look so black. See, everything is ready for you over there," said her grandfather, as he pointed to a large tub full of water standing in the sunshine before the 20 door.

Heidi ran to it and splashed and rubbed until she was so clean that she shone. Meanwhile her grandfather went into the hut and called to Peter:

"Come here, commander of goats, and bring your haversack with you."

In great surprise, Peter followed him into the house and held out the little bag in which he carried his meager dinner.

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'Open it," was the old man's next order; then he put into it a huge slice of bread and an equally large piece of cheese. Peter looked on in round-eyed wonder, for the two pieces were each half again as large as those which had been put 10 in for his dinner.

“There; now the bowl must go in," said the grandfather. "You are to fill the bowl twice for her dinner, for she is going with you and will stay until you come back. Take good care of her, and 15 don't let her fall over the cliffs, do you hear?"

Heidi now came running up.

"Will the sun find anything to laugh at now, Grandfather?" she asked anxiously. In her fear of the sun's laughter she had rubbed her face, 20 neck, and arms so vigorously with the coarse towel that her grandfather had hung beside the tub, that she now stood before him as red as a