LITTLE DAFFYDOWNDILLY

I

Daffy downdilly was so called because he was like a flower, and loved to do only what was agreeable, and took no delight in labor of any kind.

But while Daffydowndilly was yet a little boy, 5 his mother sent him away from home and put him under the care of a very strict schoolmaster, who went by the name of Mr. Toil. Those who knew him best said that this Mr. Toil was a very good man and had done more good, both 10 to children and grown people, than anybody else in the world.

Yet Mr. Toil had a severe and ugly face, especially for such little boys or big men as were idle. His voice, too, was harsh. All his 15 ways seemed very disagreeable to our friend Daffydowndilly.

The whole day long the old schoolmaster sat at his desk overlooking the children, or stalked about the schoolroom with a birch rod in his 20

hand. Unless a lad chose to attend to his book, he had no chance of enjoying a quiet moment.

“This will never do for me," said Daffydowndilly to himself when he had been at school 5 about a week. "I'll run away and try to find my dear mother. At any rate, I shall never find anybody half so disagreeable as this old Mr. Toil."

So, the very next morning, off started poor 10 Daffy downdilly. He had gone only a short distance, when he overtook a man who was trudging along the road.

"Good morning, my fine lad," said the stranger, and his voice seemed hard and severe, but yet 15 had a sort of kindness in it; "whence do you come so early and whither are you going?"

Little Daffy downdilly had never been known to tell a lie in all his life. Nor did he tell one now. He hesitated a moment or two, but at 20 last confessed that he had run away from school on account of his great dislike for Mr. Toil.

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Oh, very well, my little friend!" answered the stranger. "Then we will go together. I.

too, have had a good deal to do with Mr. Toil, and shall be glad to find some place where he was never heard of."

Our friend Daffy downdilly would have been better pleased with some one of his own age, 5 with whom he might have gathered flowers along the roadside, or have chased butterflies, or have done other things to make the journey pleasant. But he agreed to go with the stranger, and they walked on together.

10

They had not gone far, when the road passed by a field where some haymakers were at work. Daffydowndilly was delighted with the sweet smell of the hay. He thought how much pleasanter it must be to make hay in the sunshine, 15 under the blue sky, than to be shut up in a schoolroom with old Mr. Toil; but while he was stopping to peep over the stone wall, he started back and caught hold of his companion's hand. "Quick, quick!" cried he. "Let us run away, 20

or he will catch us!"

"Who will catch us?" asked the stranger.

"Mr. Toil, the old schoolmaster!" answered

Daffy downdilly.

the haymakers?"

"Don't you see him among

And Daffydowndilly pointed to an old man, who seemed to be the employer of the men at work there. He was busily at work in his shirtsleeves. The drops of sweat stood upon his brow; but he gave himself not a moment's rest, and kept crying out to the haymakers to make hay while the sun shone. Now, strange 10 to say, this old farmer looked just like old Mr. Toil.

"Don't be afraid," said the stranger.

"This

is not Mr. Toil the schoolmaster, but a brother of his. People say he is the more disagreeable 15 man of the two. However, he won't trouble you unless you become a laborer on the farm."

Yet little Daffydowndilly was very glad when they were out of sight of the old farmer, who looked so much like Mr. Toil.

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II

Then they went on a little farther, and soon heard the sound of a drum and fife. Daffydown