her enemies can get in, and so the mate has enough to do to feed her.

8. Every day, and many times a day, he brings her the choicest bits of food, and talks with her as she eats, telling her all the news he has heard.

9. So she stays there quite contented, with the mother-love strong within her breast, lays her eggs, and hatches her queer little ones.

10. They are too tempting a morsel to be exposed to enemies, and so the mother patiently waits in her strange prison until the young birds are covered with feathers.

11. Then the father, who has worked early and late to feed his hungry family, after long and earnest consultations with the mother, breaks down the mud barrier, and she goes out to help him.

12. But it is not safe even yet to leave the little ones in this way, and so the hole is again plastered over with mud, and they are kept hidden until they are ready to fly.

13. It is a great day with the entire family when the mud is torn away for the last time, and the fledgelings are told to come out and try their wings. The old birds congratulate each other on their fine family. They scold this one for being too timid, and that one for not using his wings in the proper way, until at last they are all taught to fly and can take care of themselves.

14. There are just as strange things done by birds where you live; and, if you watch them, you will find out much more than books can tell you of the skill and patience and knowledge of these beautiful creatures.

1. Structure, adaptation, instinctively, desirable, intruder, consultations, plastered, congratulate, barrier, fledgelings.

2. How does Nature write stories for us? What is meant by "Nature's book"? Do birds in this country have to protect their nests and young from enemies? Can you give an instance of this from your own knowledge?

XV. SOLON.

1. Every nation which has become great in itself · has contributed something to make other nations great also; but to the ancient Greeks the world owes more than to any other people for their lessons in art, and for the wisdom of their laws.

2. Not that all the laws were wise. That could hardly be expected. But their state was one of the first to be governed by a code of laws, while most of the nations round them were subject to their rulers or were controlled by force or cunning.

3. Solon, one of the "seven wise men of Greece," framed the first code of laws for Athens, the chief city of the state. He lived about six centuries be

fore the Christian era.

4. Solon's father was a rich man, but by his kindness to his many friends, and by his great generosity, he ruined his estates and left Solon to make his own fortune.

5. Solon was too independent to accept the assistance of his many rich friends, and he therefore began to consider what he should do to make money enough to pay the claims on the estate.

6. At last he concluded to engage in trade. This was the occasion of his going to other countries, and, doubtless, added greatly to the wisdom for which he became so renowned.

7. For some years he traveled, studied the customs of different nations, and increased his wealth until he was again classed among the rich; but during this time he had lived modestly, had dealt honestly with all, had been generous to the poor, and had become known among the Athenians as wise and just.

8. While engaged in business he had also gained a reputation as a poet, and his verses were read and recited and admired through all Greece. We know, however, little of his poetry, but his reputation as a lawgiver is spoken of all over the world.

9. His first public act was the taking of Salamis, an island to which the Athenians laid claim, and which they had fought for many times.

10. It was at this time held by the Megarians;

and the Athenians, weary of war, had decreed that any man who said that Athens ought to take Salamis should be put to death.

11. Solon thought that it ought to be taken, and knew that thousands of the young Athenians were anxious to begin the war. He feigned insanity, and one day ran into the market place and recited to the crowd some verses, arousing them to a sense of shame and disgrace in giving up the island that really belonged to them.

12. The people were greatly excited, the verses were quoted and praised, the obnoxious decree was repealed, and Solon was appointed to lead the Athenian forces. In a short time Salamis was taken, and Solon became the best known and most influential man in all Greece.

13. When free from foreign war, the Athenians fell into their old quarrels about the government, there being as many parties as there were different interests among the people. The hill people favored democracy; those of the plain, oligarchy; and those by the seaside, a mixed sort of government. The antagonism between the rich and the poor also reached its greatest height, so that the city was in a very dangerous condition.

14. All the common people were indebted to the few who were rich, and either tilled land for them or pledged their bodies for the debt, so that they

might either be sent into slavery at home or be sold to strangers. Some were forced to sell their children or to fly their country to avoid the cruelty of their creditors, so that in time the bravest of them began to combine to help each other and to change the government.

15. The need of a wise man was apparent, and Solon was of all men found to be the only one who was not implicated in the troubles, as he had not joined in the exactions of the rich nor involved himself in the necessities of the poor. He was

reluctant to assume so difficult an office, being afraid of the pride of one party and the greediness of the other; but the rich pressed it upon him because he was rich, and the poor because he was honest, that he should become their arbitrator or lawgiver with absolute power.

16. Solon refused everything that looked like the authority of despotism, preferring to use persuasion; and when asked afterward if his laws were the best that could be given, he replied, "They are the best the Athenians could receive." It was soon settled that no man should either give his own body or sell his child for debt, the interest on debts then existing was lessened, and a higher value was given to money, while the debt was not increased.

17. Having been sustained so far, he took an account of the citizens' estates and established four