brought under control and the whole cackling herd driven back.

As soon as the boy saw the flock feeding again in their own pasture he scolded the king soundly for his neglect. Maximilian bore his scolding meekly, and said he hoped the boy would excuse his awkwardness, for, being the king, he was not used to the work.

The gooseherd thought the old gentleman was joking. "I was a simpleton," said he, "to trust you with the geese; but I am not such a simpleton as to believe you are the king."

"Well," said Maximilian, with a smile, "here is another florin as a peace-offering."

The boy took the florin with a doubtful gaze upon the benevolent face of the donor, and said, with a wise shake of the head, as the king was leaving, "You're a kind gentleman, whoever you may be; but take my word for it, you'll never make a gooseherd."

NOTES FOR STUDY.

GOOSE HERD, a keeper of geese.
MONARCH, sole ruler of a nation,

king or queen.
SUL'TRY, hot, moist, and still.
RE SUMED', begun again, con-

tinued after an interruption. FLOR'IN, a coin of gold or silver.

IN CRED'U LOUS, doubting, not
inclined to believe.

AG'ILE, active, nimble, brisk.
SIMPLE TON, a weak-minded or

silly person.

BE NEVO LENT, kindly, charitable, given in love.

XVIII. TO MY DOG BLANCO.

JOSIAH GILBERT HOLLAND.

My dear, dumb friend, low lying there,
A willing vassal at my feet,
Glad partner of my home and fare,
My shadow in the street.

I look into your great brown eyes,
Where love and loyal homage shine,
And wonder where the difference lies
Between your soul and mine!

For all the good that I have found
Within myself or human kind,
Hath royally informed and crowned
Your gentle heart and mind.

I scan the whole broad earth around

For that one heart which, leal and true, Bears friendship without end or bound, And find the prize in you.

I trust you as I trust the stars;
Nor cruel loss, nor scoff of pride,
Nor beggary, nor dungeon bars,
Can move you from my side!

As patient under injury

As any Christian saint of old, As gentle as a lamb with me,

But with your brothers bold;

More playful than a frolic boy,
More watchful than a sentinel,
By day and night your constant joy
To guard and please me well.

I clasp your head upon my breast-
The while you whine and lick
my
And thus our friendship is confessed,
And thus we understand!

Ah, Blanco! did I worship God
As truly as you worship me,
Or follow where my Master trod
With your humility,-

Did I sit fondly at His feet,

As you, dear Blanco, sit at mine,
And watch Him with a love as sweet,
My life would grow divine!

hand

NOTES FOR STUDY.

I.

VAS'SAL, a slave, a bondman.

HOM'AGE, respect, reverence.
LEAL (lēl), loyal, faithful.

66

II.

DUNGEON, a prison.

HU MIL ́I TY, being humble, modesty.

Note the terms, "dumb friend,"

99 66

willing vassal," "glad partner," 'my shadow." These show the feeling for the dog. The question in the second stanza is answered in the following ones. stanzas introduce a new idea,-the man learns duty from his dog.

The closing

XIX.-NATURE'S REPORTERS.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON.

Each cloud that floated in the sky
Writes a letter in my book.
Every aster in my hand

Goes home loaded with a thought.

There never was a mystery

But 'tis figured in the flowers;
Was never secret history

But birds tell it in the bowers,

XX.-ANDROCLES AND THE LION.

At Carthage there was once a slave named Androcles, who was so badly treated by his master that he resolved to run away. He therefore secretly left the house and hid himself in a forest, some miles distant from the city.

After wandering about for a long while he came to a cavern, and, being overcome by hunger and fatigue, he entered and lay down for a little rest, but soon fell fast asleep.

He was suddenly awakened by the roar of a wild beast, and, running to the mouth of the cavern, he was met by a great lion, which stood directly in his path and made escape impossible!

Androcles expected nothing else than to be at once torn to pieces, but, to his great surprise, the animal came toward him as if in pain, and with a low moan

seemed to beg for pity and help. As the lion came nearer he noticed that it limped, and that one foot was badly swollen.

New hope inspired him; but, still trembling with fear, he ventured to take the wounded paw in his hand, and to examine it as a surgeon would examine the wounds of a patient. He was not long in finding out the cause of the swelling, for he discovered a large thorn in the ball of the lion's foot.

Androcles extracted the thorn and dressed the wound as well as he was able. This evidently gave the lion immediate relief. Thereupon the great beast began to show his gratitude by every means in his power. He jumped about like a playful spaniel, wagged his tail, and licked the hands and feet of his physician.

From that moment Androcles became his guest, and the lion never went forth in quest of prey without bringing back something to relieve the hunger of his friend.

The slave continued to live in this savage state for several months. At length, wandering carelessly through the woods one day, he was discovered by a party of soldiers who had been sent out to search for him, and was taken back to his master.

He was tried as a runaway slave, and sentenced to be torn to pieces by wild beasts at the public When the time for his execution came An

games.