1 files changed, 4745 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/18442.txt b/18442.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..144fb2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18442.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4745 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fifty Famous Stories Retold, by James Baldwin
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Fifty Famous Stories Retold
+
+Author: James Baldwin
+
+Release Date: May 23, 2006 [EBook #18442]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIFTY FAMOUS STORIES RETOLD ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sankar Viswanathan, and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                         FIFTY FAMOUS STORIES
+                                RETOLD
+
+
+                                  BY
+
+                            JAMES BALDWIN
+
+
+
+
+
+                        AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
+
+                  NEW YORK    CINCINNATI    CHICAGO
+
+
+
+
+                         COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY
+
+                        AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+King Alfred and the Cakes
+
+King Alfred and the Beggar
+
+King Canute on the Seashore
+
+The Sons of William the Conqueror
+
+The White Ship
+
+King John and the Abbot
+
+A Story of Robin Hood
+
+Bruce and the Spider
+
+The Black Douglas
+
+Three Men of Gotham
+
+Other Wise Men of Gotham
+
+The Miller of the Dee
+
+Sir Philip Sidney
+
+The Ungrateful Soldier
+
+Sir Humphrey Gilbert
+
+Sir Walter Raleigh
+
+Pocahontas
+
+George Washington and his Hatchet
+
+Grace Darling
+
+The Story of William Tell
+
+Arnold Winkelried
+
+The Bell of Atri
+
+How Napoleon crossed the Alps
+
+The Story of Cincinnatus
+
+The Story of Regulus
+
+Cornelia's Jewels
+
+Androclus and the Lion
+
+Horatius at the Bridge
+
+Julius Caesar
+
+The Sword of Damocles
+
+Damon and Pythias
+
+A Laconic Answer
+
+The Ungrateful Guest
+
+Alexander and Bucephalus
+
+Diogenes the Wise Man
+
+The Brave Three Hundred
+
+Socrates and his House
+
+The King and his Hawk
+
+Doctor Goldsmith
+
+The Kingdoms
+
+The Barmecide Feast
+
+The Endless Tale
+
+The Blind Men and the Elephant
+
+Maximilian and the Goose Boy
+
+The Inchcape Rock
+
+Whittington and his Cat
+
+Casabianca
+
+Antonio Canova
+
+Picciola
+
+Mignon
+
+
+
+
+CONCERNING THESE STORIES.
+
+
+There are numerous time-honored stories which have become so
+incorporated into the literature and thought of our race that a
+knowledge of them is an indispensable part of one's education. These
+stories are of several different classes. To one class belong the
+popular fairy tales which have delighted untold generations of
+children, and will continue to delight them to the end of time. To
+another class belong the limited number of fables that have come down
+to us through many channels from hoar antiquity. To a third belong the
+charming stories of olden times that are derived from the literatures
+of ancient peoples, such as the Greeks and the Hebrews. A fourth class
+includes the half-legendary tales of a distinctly later origin, which
+have for their subjects certain romantic episodes in the lives of
+well-known heroes and famous men, or in the history of a people.
+
+It is to this last class that most of the fifty stories contained in
+the present volume belong. As a matter of course, some of these
+stories are better known, and therefore more _famous_, than others.
+Some have a slight historical value; some are useful as giving point
+to certain great moral truths; others are products solely of the
+fancy, and are intended only to amuse. Some are derived from very
+ancient sources, and are current in the literature of many lands; some
+have come to us through the ballads and folk tales of the English
+people; a few are of quite recent origin; nearly all are the subjects
+of frequent allusions in poetry and prose and in the conversation of
+educated people. Care has been taken to exclude everything that is not
+strictly within the limits of probability; hence there is here no
+trespassing upon the domain of the fairy tale, the fable, or the myth.
+
+That children naturally take a deep interest in such stories, no
+person can deny; that the reading of them will not only give pleasure,
+but will help to lay the foundation for broader literary studies, can
+scarcely be doubted. It is believed, therefore, that the present
+collection will be found to possess an educative value which will
+commend it as a supplementary reader in the middle primary grades at
+school. It is also hoped that the book will prove so attractive that
+it will be in demand out of school as well as in.
+
+Acknowledgments are due to Mrs. Charles A. Lane, by whom eight or ten
+of the stories were suggested.
+
+
+
+
+FIFTY FAMOUS STORIES RETOLD.
+
+KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES.
+
+[Illustration:]
+
+
+Many years ago there lived in Eng-land a wise and good king whose name
+was Al-fred. No other man ever did so much for his country as he; and
+people now, all over the world, speak of him as Alfred the Great.
+
+In those days a king did not have a very easy life. There was war
+almost all the time, and no one else could lead his army into battle
+so well as he. And so, between ruling and fighting, he had a busy time
+of it indeed.
+
+A fierce, rude people, called the Danes, had come from over the sea,
+and were fighting the Eng-lish. There were so many of them, and they
+were so bold and strong, that for a long time they gained every
+battle. If they kept on, they would soon be the masters of the whole
+country.
+
+At last, after a great battle, the English army was broken up and
+scat-tered. Every man had to save himself in the best way he could.
+King Alfred fled alone, in great haste, through the woods and swamps.
+
+Late in the day the king came to the hut of a wood-cut-ter. He was
+very tired and hungry, and he begged the wood-cut-ter's wife to give
+him something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut.
+
+The wom-an was baking some cakes upon the hearth, and she looked with
+pity upon the poor, ragged fellow who seemed so hungry. She had no
+thought that he was the king.
+
+"Yes," she said, "I will give you some supper if you will watch these
+cakes. I want to go out and milk the cow; and you must see that they
+do not burn while I am gone."
+
+King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes, but he had far
+greater things to think about. How was he going to get his army
+to-geth-er again? And how was he going to drive the fierce Danes out
+of the land? He forgot his hunger; he forgot the cakes; he forgot that
+he was in the woodcutter's hut. His mind was busy making plans for
+to-mor-row.
+
+In a little while the wom-an came back. The cakes were smoking on the
+hearth. They were burned to a crisp. Ah, how angry she was!
+
+"You lazy fellow!" she cried. "See what you have done! You want
+some-thing to eat, but you do not want to work!"
+
+I have been told that she even struck the king with a stick; but I can
+hardly be-lieve that she was so ill-na-tured.
+
+The king must have laughed to himself at the thought of being scolded
+in this way; and he was so hungry that he did not mind the woman's
+angry words half so much as the loss of the cakes.
+
+I do not know whether he had any-thing to eat that night, or whether
+he had to go to bed without his supper. But it was not many days
+until he had gath-ered his men to-geth-er again, and had beaten the
+Danes in a great battle.
+
+
+
+
+KING ALFRED AND THE BEGGAR.
+
+
+At one time the Danes drove King Alfred from his kingdom, and he had
+to lie hidden for a long time on a little is-land in a river.
+
+One day, all who were on the is-land, except the king and queen and
+one servant, went out to fish. It was a very lonely place, and no one
+could get to it except by a boat. About noon a ragged beggar came to
+the king's door, and asked for food.
+
+The king called the servant, and asked, "How much food have we in the
+house?"
+
+"My lord," said the servant, "we have only one loaf and a little
+wine."
+
+Then the king gave thanks to God, and said, "Give half of the loaf and
+half of the wine to this poor man."
+
+The servant did as he was bidden. The beggar thanked the king for his
+kindness, and went on his way.
+
+In the after-noon the men who had gone out to fish came back. They had
+three boats full of fish, and they said, "We have caught more fish
+to-day than in all the other days that we have been on this island."
+
+The king was glad, and he and his people were more hopeful than they
+had ever been before.
+
+When night came, the king lay awake for a long time, and thought about
+the things that had happened that day. At last he fancied that he saw
+a great light like the sun; and in the midst of the light there stood
+an old man with black hair, holding an open book in his hand.
+
+It may all have been a dream, and yet to the king it seemed very real
+indeed. He looked and wondered, but was not afraid.
+
+"Who are you?" he asked of the old man.
+
+"Alfred, my son, be brave," said the man; "for I am the one to whom
+you gave this day the half of all the food that you had. Be strong and
+joyful of heart, and listen to what I say. Rise up early in the
+morning and blow your horn three times, so loudly that the Danes may
+hear it. By nine o'clock, five hundred men will be around you ready to
+be led into battle. Go forth bravely, and within seven days your
+en-e-mies shall be beaten, and you shall go back to your kingdom to
+reign in peace."
+
+Then the light went out, and the man was seen no more.
+
+In the morning the king arose early, and crossed over to the mainland.
+Then he blew his horn three times very loudly; and when his friends
+heard it they were glad, but the Danes were filled with fear.
+
+At nine o'clock, five hundred of his bravest soldiers stood around him
+ready for battle. He spoke, and told them what he had seen and heard
+in his dream; and when he had fin-ished, they all cheered loudly, and
+said that they would follow him and fight for him so long as they had
+strength.
+
+So they went out bravely to battle; and they beat the Danes, and drove
+them back into their own place. And King Alfred ruled wisely and well
+over all his people for the rest of his days.
+
+
+
+
+KING CANUTE ON THE SEASHORE.
+
+
+A hundred years or more after the time of Alfred the Great there was a
+king of England named Ca-nute. King Canute was a Dane; but the Danes
+were not so fierce and cruel then as they had been when they were at
+war with King Alfred.
+
+The great men and of-fi-cers who were around King Canute were always
+praising him.
+
+"You are the greatest man that ever lived," one would say.
+
+Then an-oth-er would say, "O king! there can never be an-oth-er man so
+mighty as you."
+
+And another would say, "Great Canute, there is nothing in the world
+that dares to dis-o-bey you."
+
+The king was a man of sense, and he grew very tired of hearing such
+foolish speeches.
+
+One day he was by the sea-shore, and his of-fi-cers were with him.
+They were praising him, as they were in the habit of doing. He thought
+that now he would teach them a lesson, and so he bade them set his
+chair on the beach close by the edge of the water.
+
+"Am I the greatest man in the world?" he asked.
+
+"O king!" they cried, "there is no one so mighty as you."
+
+"Do all things obey me?" he asked.
+
+"There is nothing that dares to dis-o-bey you, O king!" they said.
+"The world bows before you, and gives you honor."
+
+"Will the sea obey me?" he asked; and he looked down at the little
+waves which were lapping the sand at his feet.
+
+The foolish officers were puzzled, but they did not dare to say "No."
+
+"Command it, O king! and it will obey," said one.
+
+"Sea," cried Canute, "I command you to come no farther! Waves, stop
+your rolling, and do not dare to touch my feet!"
+
+But the tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and
+higher. It came up around the king's chair, and wet not only his feet,
+but also his robe. His officers stood about him, alarmed, and
+won-der-ing whether he was not mad.
+
+Then Canute took off his crown, and threw it down upon the sand.
+
+"I shall never wear it again," he said. "And do you, my men, learn a
+lesson from what you have seen. There is only one King who is
+all-powerful; and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in
+the hollow of his hand. It is he whom you ought to praise and serve
+above all others."
+
+
+
+
+THE SONS OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.
+
+
+There was once a great king of England who was called Wil-liam the
+Con-quer-or, and he had three sons.
+
+[Illustration: "Sea, I command you to come no farther!"]
+
+One day King Wil-liam seemed to be thinking of something that made him
+feel very sad; and the wise men who were about him asked him what
+was the matter.
+
+"I am thinking," he said, "of what my sons may do after I am dead.
+For, unless they are wise and strong, they cannot keep the kingdom
+which I have won for them. Indeed, I am at a loss to know which one of
+the three ought to be the king when I am gone."
+
+"O king!" said the wise men, "if we only knew what things your sons
+admire the most, we might then be able to tell what kind of men they
+will be. Perhaps, by asking each one of them a few ques-tions, we can
+find out which one of them will be best fitted to rule in your place."
+
+"The plan is well worth trying, at least," said the king. "Have the
+boys come before you, and then ask them what you please."
+
+The wise men talked with one another for a little while, and then
+agreed that the young princes should be brought in, one at a time, and
+that the same ques-tions should be put to each.
+
+The first who came into the room was Robert. He was a tall, willful
+lad, and was nick-named Short Stocking.
+
+"Fair sir," said one of the men, "answer me this question: If, instead
+of being a boy, it had pleased God that you should be a bird, what
+kind of a bird would you rather be?"
+
+"A hawk," answered Robert. "I would rather be a hawk, for no other
+bird reminds one so much of a bold and gallant knight."
+
+The next who came was young William, his father's name-sake and pet.
+His face was jolly and round, and because he had red hair he was
+nicknamed Rufus, or the Red.
+
+"Fair sir," said the wise man, "answer me this question: If, instead
+of being a boy, it had pleased God that you should be a bird, what
+kind of a bird would you rather be?"
+
+"An eagle," answered William. "I would rather be an eagle, because it
+is strong and brave. It is feared by all other birds, and is
+there-fore the king of them all."
+
+Lastly came the youngest brother, Henry, with quiet steps and a sober,
+thought-ful look. He had been taught to read and write, and for that
+reason he was nick-named Beau-clerc, or the Hand-some Schol-ar.
+
+"Fair sir," said the wise man, "answer me this question: If, instead
+of being a boy, it had pleased God that you should be a bird, what
+kind of a bird would you rather be?"
+
+"A star-ling," said Henry. "I would rather be a star-ling, because it
+is good-mannered and kind and a joy to every one who sees it, and it
+never tries to rob or abuse its neigh-bor."
+
+Then the wise men talked with one another for a little while, and when
+they had agreed among themselves, they spoke to the king.
+
+"We find," said they, "that your eldest son, Robert, will be bold and
+gallant. He will do some great deeds, and make a name for himself; but
+in the end he will be over-come by his foes, and will die in prison.
+
+"The second son, William, will be as brave and strong as the eagle;
+but he will be feared and hated for his cruel deeds. He will lead a
+wicked life, and will die a shameful death.
+
+"The youngest son, Henry, will be wise and prudent and peaceful. He
+will go to war only when he is forced to do so by his enemies. He will
+be loved at home, and re-spect-ed abroad; and he will die in peace
+after having gained great pos-ses-sions."
+
+Years passed by, and the three boys had grown up to be men. King
+William lay upon his death-bed, and again he thought of what would
+become of his sons when he was gone. Then he re-mem-bered what the
+wise men had told him; and so he de-clared that Robert should have the
+lands which he held in France, that William should be the King of
+England, and that Henry should have no land at all, but only a chest
+of gold.
+
+So it hap-pened in the end very much as the wise men had fore-told.
+Robert, the Short Stocking, was bold and reckless, like the hawk which
+he so much admired. He lost all the lands that his father had left
+him, and was at last shut up in prison, where he was kept until he
+died.
+
+William Rufus was so over-bear-ing and cruel that he was feared and
+hated by all his people. He led a wicked life, and was killed by one
+of his own men while hunting in the forest.
+
+And Henry, the Handsome Scholar, had not only the chest of gold for
+his own, but he became by and by the King of England and the ruler of
+all the lands that his father had had in France.
+
+
+
+
+THE WHITE SHIP.
+
+
+King Henry, the Handsome Scholar, had one son, named William, whom he
+dearly loved. The young man was noble and brave, and every-body hoped
+that he would some day be the King of England.
+
+One summer Prince William went with his father across the sea to look
+after their lands in France. They were wel-comed with joy by all
+their people there, and the young prince was so gallant and kind, that
+he won the love of all who saw him.
+
+But at last the time came for them to go back to England. The king,
+with his wise men and brave knights, set sail early in the day; but
+Prince William with his younger friends waited a little while. They
+had had so joyous a time in France that they were in no great haste to
+tear them-selves away.
+
+Then they went on board of the ship which was waiting to carry them
+home. It was a beau-ti-ful ship with white sails and white masts, and
+it had been fitted up on purpose for this voyage.
+
+The sea was smooth, the winds were fair, and no one thought of danger.
+On the ship, every-thing had been ar-ranged to make the trip a
+pleasant one. There was music and dancing, and everybody was merry and
+glad.
+
+The sun had gone down before the white-winged vessel was fairly out of
+the bay. But what of that? The moon was at its full, and it would give
+light enough; and before the dawn of the morrow, the narrow sea would
+be crossed. And so the prince, and the young people who were with him,
+gave themselves up to mer-ri-ment and feasting and joy.
+
+The ear-li-er hours of the night passed by; and then there was a cry
+of alarm on deck. A moment after-ward there was a great crash. The
+ship had struck upon a rock. The water rushed in. She was sinking. Ah,
+where now were those who had lately been so heart-free and glad?
+
+Every heart was full of fear. No one knew what to do. A small boat was
+quickly launched, and the prince with a few of his bravest friends
+leaped into it. They pushed off just as the ship was be-gin-ning to
+settle beneath the waves. Would they be saved?
+
+They had rowed hardly ten yards from the ship, when there was a cry
+from among those that were left behind.
+
+"Row back!" cried the prince. "It is my little sister. She must be
+saved!"
+
+The men did not dare to disobey. The boat was again brought along-side
+of the sinking vessel. The prince stood up, and held out his arms for
+his sister. At that moment the ship gave a great lurch forward into
+the waves. One shriek of terror was heard, and then all was still save
+the sound of the moaning waters.
+
+Ship and boat, prince and prin-cess, and all the gay com-pa-ny that
+had set sail from France, went down to the bottom together. One man
+clung to a floating plank, and was saved the next day. He was the only
+person left alive to tell the sad story.
+
+When King Henry heard of the death of his son his grief was more than
+he could bear. His heart was broken. He had no more joy in life; and
+men say that no one ever saw him smile again.
+
+Here is a poem about him that your teacher may read to you, and
+perhaps, after a while, you may learn it by heart.
+
+HE NEVER SMILED AGAIN.
+
+    The bark that held the prince went down,
+      The sweeping waves rolled on;
+    And what was England's glorious crown
+      To him that wept a son?
+    He lived, for life may long be borne
+      Ere sorrow breaks its chain:
+    Why comes not death to those who mourn?
+      He never smiled again.
+
+    There stood proud forms before his throne,
+      The stately and the brave;
+    But who could fill the place of one,--
+      That one beneath the wave?
+    Before him passed the young and fair,
+      In pleasure's reckless train;
+    But seas dashed o'er his son's bright hair--
+      He never smiled again.
+
+    He sat where festal bowls went round;
+      He heard the minstrel sing;
+    He saw the tour-ney's victor crowned
+      Amid the knightly ring.
+    A murmur of the restless deep
+      Was blent with every strain,
+    A voice of winds that would not sleep--
+      He never smiled again.
+
+    Hearts, in that time, closed o'er the trace
+      Of vows once fondly poured,
+    And strangers took the kins-man's place
+      At many a joyous board;
+    Graves which true love had bathed with tears
+      Were left to heaven's bright rain;
+    Fresh hopes were born for other years--
+      _He_ never smiled again!
+
+    MRS. HEMANS.
+
+
+
+
+KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT.
+
+I. THE THREE QUESTIONS.
+
+
+There was once a king of England whose name was John. He was a bad
+king; for he was harsh and cruel to his people, and so long as he
+could have his own way, he did not care what became of other folks. He
+was the worst king that England ever had.
+
+Now, there was in the town of Can'ter-bur-y a rich old abbot who lived
+in grand style in a great house called the Abbey. Every day a hundred
+noble men sat down with him to dine; and fifty brave knights, in fine
+velvet coats and gold chains, waited upon him at his table.
+
+When King John heard of the way in which the abbot lived, he made up
+his mind to put a stop to it. So he sent for the old man to come and
+see him.
+
+"How now, my good abbot?" he said. "I hear that you keep a far better
+house than I. How dare you do such a thing? Don't you know that no man
+in the land ought to live better than the king? And I tell you that no
+man shall."
+
+"O king!" said the abbot, "I beg to say that I am spending nothing but
+what is my own. I hope that you will not think ill of me for making
+things pleasant for my friends and the brave knights who are with me."
+
+"Think ill of you?" said the king. "How can I help but think ill of
+you? All that there is in this broad land is mine by right; and how do
+you dare to put me to shame by living in grander style than I? One
+would think that you were trying to be king in my place."
+
+"Oh, do not say so!" said the abbot "For I"--
+
+"Not another word!" cried the king. "Your fault is plain, and unless
+you can answer me three questions, your head shall be cut off, and all
+your riches shall be mine."
+
+"I will try to answer them, O king!" said the abbot.
+
+"Well, then," said King John, "as I sit here with my crown of gold on
+my head, you must tell me to within a day just how long I shall live.
+Sec-ond-ly, you must tell me how soon I shall ride round the whole
+world; and lastly, you shall tell me what I think."
+
+"O king!" said the abbot, "these are deep, hard questions, and I
+cannot answer them just now. But if you will give me two weeks to
+think about them, I will do the best that I can."
+
+"Two weeks you shall have," said the king; "but if then you fail to
+answer me, you shall lose your head, and all your lands shall be
+mine."
+
+The abbot went away very sad and in great fear. He first rode to
+Oxford. Here was a great school, called a u-ni-ver'si-ty, and he
+wanted to see if any of the wise pro-fess-ors could help him. But they
+shook their heads, and said that there was nothing about King John in
+any of their books.
+
+Then the abbot rode down to Cam-bridge, where there was another
+u-ni-ver-si-ty. But not one of the teachers in that great school could
+help him.
+
+At last, sad and sor-row-ful, he rode toward home to bid his friends
+and his brave knights good-by. For now he had not a week to live.
+
+II. THE THREE ANSWERS.
+
+As the abbot was riding up the lane which led to his grand house, he
+met his shep-herd going to the fields.
+
+"Welcome home, good master!" cried the shepherd. "What news do you
+bring us from great King John?"
+
+"Sad news, sad news," said the abbot; and then he told him all that
+had happened.
+
+"Cheer up, cheer up, good master," said the shepherd. "Have you never
+yet heard that a fool may teach a wise man wit? I think I can help you
+out of your trouble."
+
+"You help me!" cried the abbot "How? how?"
+
+"Well," answered the shepherd, "you know that everybody says that I
+look just like you, and that I have some-times been mis-tak-en for
+you. So, lend me your servants and your horse and your gown, and I
+will go up to London and see the king. If nothing else can be done, I
+can at least die in your place."
+
+"My good shepherd," said the abbot, "you are very, very kind; and I
+have a mind to let you try your plan. But if the worst comes to the
+worst, you shall not die for me. I will die for myself."
+
+So the shepherd got ready to go at once. He dressed himself with
+great care. Over his shepherd's coat he threw the abbot's long gown,
+and he bor-rowed the abbot's cap and golden staff. When all was ready,
+no one in the world would have thought that he was not the great man
+himself. Then he mounted his horse, and with a great train of servants
+set out for London.
+
+Of course the king did not know him.
+
+"Welcome, Sir Abbot!" he said. "It is a good thing that you have come
+back. But, prompt as you are, if you fail to answer my three
+questions, you shall lose your head."
+
+"I am ready to answer them, O king!" said the shepherd.
+
+"Indeed, indeed!" said the king, and he laughed to himself. "Well,
+then, answer my first question: How long shall I live? Come, you must
+tell me to the very day."
+
+"You shall live," said the shepherd, "until the day that you die, and
+not one day longer. And you shall die when you take your last breath,
+and not one moment before."
+
+The king laughed.
+
+"You are witty, I see," he said. "But we will let that pass, and say
+that your answer is right. And now tell me how soon I may ride round
+the world."
+
+[Illustration: "You shall live until the day that you die."]
+
+"You must rise with the sun," said the shepherd, "and you must ride
+with the sun until it rises again the next morning. As soon as you do
+that, you will find that you have ridden round the world in
+twenty-four hours."
+
+The king laughed again. "Indeed," he said, "I did not think that it
+could be done so soon. You are not only witty, but you are wise, and
+we will let this answer pass. And now comes my third and last
+question: What do I think?"
+
+"That is an easy question," said the shepherd. "You think that I am
+the Abbot of Can-ter-bur-y. But, to tell you the truth, I am only his
+poor shepherd, and I have come to beg your pardon for him and for me."
+And with that, he threw off his long gown.
+
+The king laughed loud and long.
+
+"A merry fellow you are," said he, "and you shall be the Abbot of
+Canterbury in your master's place."
+
+"O king! that cannot be," said the shepherd; "for I can neither read
+nor write."
+
+"Very well, then," said the king, "I will give you something else to
+pay you for this merry joke. I will give you four pieces of silver
+every week as long as you live. And when you get home, you may tell
+the old abbot that you have brought him a free pardon from King
+John."
+
+
+
+
+A STORY OF ROBIN HOOD.
+
+
+In the rude days of King Rich-ard and King John there were many great
+woods in England. The most famous of these was Sher-wood forest, where
+the king often went to hunt deer. In this forest there lived a band of
+daring men called out-laws.
+
+They had done something that was against the laws of the land, and had
+been forced to hide themselves in the woods to save their lives. There
+they spent their time in roaming about among the trees, in hunting the
+king's deer, and in robbing rich trav-el-ers that came that way.
+
+There were nearly a hundred of these outlaws, and their leader was a
+bold fellow called Robin Hood. They were dressed in suits of green,
+and armed with bows and arrows; and sometimes they carried long wooden
+lances and broad-swords, which they knew how to handle well. When-ever
+they had taken anything, it was brought and laid at the feet of Robin
+Hood, whom they called their king. He then di-vid-ed it fairly among
+them, giving to each man his just share.
+
+Robin never allowed his men to harm any-body but the rich men who
+lived in great houses and did no work. He was always kind to the poor,
+and he often sent help to them; and for that reason the common people
+looked upon him as their friend.
+
+Long after he was dead, men liked to talk about his deeds. Some
+praised him, and some blamed him. He was, indeed, a rude, lawless
+fellow; but at that time, people did not think of right and wrong as
+they do now.
+
+A great many songs were made up about Robin Hood, and these songs were
+sung in the cot-ta-ges and huts all over the land for hundreds of
+years after-ward.
+
+Here is a little story that is told in one of those songs:--
+
+Robin Hood was standing one day under a green tree by the road-side.
+While he was lis-ten-ing to the birds among the leaves, he saw a young
+man passing by. This young man was dressed in a fine suit of bright
+red cloth; and, as he tripped gayly along the road, he seemed to be as
+happy as the day.
+
+"I will not trou-ble him," said Robin Hood, "for I think he is on his
+way to his wedding."
+
+The next day Robin stood in the same place. He had not been there long
+when he saw the same young man coming down the road. But he did not
+seem to be so happy this time. He had left his scarlet coat at home,
+and at every step he sighed and groaned.
+
+"Ah the sad day! the sad day!" he kept saying to himself.
+
+Then Robin Hood stepped out from under the tree, and said,--
+
+"I say, young man! Have you any money to spare for my merry men and
+me?"
+
+"I have nothing at all," said the young man, "but five shil-lings and
+a ring."
+
+"A gold ring?" asked Robin.
+
+"Yes?" said the young man, "it is a gold ring. Here it is."
+
+"Ah, I see!" said Robin: "it is a wedding ring."
+
+"I have kept it these seven years," said the young man; "I have kept
+it to give to my bride on our wedding day. We were going to be married
+yes-ter-day. But her father has prom-ised her to a rich old man whom
+she never saw. And now my heart is broken."
+
+"What is your name?" asked Robin.
+
+"My name is Allin-a-Dale," said the young man.
+
+"What will you give me, in gold or fee," said Robin, "if I will help
+you win your bride again in spite of the rich old man to whom she has
+been promised?"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"I have no money," said Allin, "but I will promise to be your
+servant."
+
+"How many miles is it to the place where the maiden lives?" asked
+Robin.
+
+"It is not far," said Allin. "But she is to be married this very day,
+and the church is five miles away."
+
+Then Robin made haste to dress himself as a harper; and in the
+after-noon he stood in the door of the church.
+
+"Who are you?" said the bishop, "and what are you doing here?"
+
+"I am a bold harper," said Robin, "the best in the north country."
+
+"I am glad you have come," said the bishop kindly. "There is no music
+that I like so well as that of the harp. Come in, and play for us."
+
+"I will go in," said Robin Hood; "but I will not give you any music
+until I see the bride and bridegroom."
+
+Just then an old man came in. He was dressed in rich clothing, but was
+bent with age, and was feeble and gray. By his side walked a fair
+young girl. Her cheeks were very pale, and her eyes were full of
+tears.
+
+"This is no match," said Robin. "Let the bride choose for herself."
+
+Then he put his horn to his lips, and blew three times. The very next
+minute, four and twenty men, all dressed in green, and car-ry-ing long
+bows in their hands, came running across the fields. And as they
+marched into the church, all in a row, the fore-most among them was
+Allin-a-Dale.
+
+"Now whom do you choose?" said Robin to the maiden.
+
+"I choose Allin-a-Dale," she said, blushing.
+
+"And Allin-a-Dale you shall have," said Robin; "and he that takes you
+from Allin-a-Dale shall find that he has Robin Hood to deal with."
+
+And so the fair maiden and Allin-a-Dale were married then and there,
+and the rich old man went home in a great rage.
+
+    "And thus having ended this merry wedding,
+        The bride looked like a queen:
+    And so they re-turned to the merry green wood,
+        Amongst the leaves so green."
+
+
+
+
+BRUCE AND THE SPIDER.
+
+
+There was once a king of Scot-land whose name was Robert Bruce. He had
+need to be both brave and wise, for the times in which he lived were
+wild and rude. The King of England was at war with him, and had led a
+great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land.
+
+Battle after battle had been fought. Six times had Bruce led his brave
+little army against his foes; and six times had his men been beaten,
+and driven into flight. At last his army was scat-tered, and he was
+forced to hide himself in the woods and in lonely places among the
+moun-tains.
+
+One rainy day, Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed, lis-ten-ing
+to the patter of the drops on the roof above him. He was tired and
+sick at heart, and ready to give up all hope. It seemed to him that
+there was no use for him to try to do anything more.
+
+As he lay thinking, he saw a spider over his head, making ready to
+weave her web. He watched her as she toiled slowly and with great
+care. Six times she tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to
+another, and six times it fell short.
+
+"Poor thing!" said Bruce: "you, too, know what it is to fail."
+
+But the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure. With still
+more care, she made ready to try for the seventh time. Bruce almost
+forgot his own troubles as he watched her swing herself out upon the
+slender line. Would she fail again? No! The thread was carried safely
+to the beam, and fas-tened there.
+
+"I, too, will try a seventh time!" cried Bruce.
+
+He arose and called his men together. He told them of his plans, and
+sent them out with mes-sa-ges of cheer to his dis-heart-ened people.
+Soon there was an army of brave Scotch-men around him. Another battle
+was fought, and the King of England was glad to go back into his own
+country.
+
+I have heard it said, that, after that day, no one by the name of
+Bruce would ever hurt a spider. The lesson which the little crea-ture
+had taught the king was never for-got-ten.
+
+
+
+
+THE BLACK DOUGLAS.
+
+
+In Scotland, in the time of King Robert Bruce, there lived a brave man
+whose name was Doug-las. His hair and beard were black and long, and
+his face was tanned and dark; and for this reason people nicknamed him
+the Black Douglas. He was a good friend of the king, and one of his
+strongest helpers.
+
+In the war with the English, who were trying to drive Bruce from
+Scotland, the Black Douglas did many brave deeds; and the English
+people became very much afraid of him. By and by the fear of him
+spread all through the land. Nothing could frighten an English lad
+more than to tell him that the Black Douglas was not far away. Women
+would tell their chil-dren, when they were naughty, that the Black
+Douglas would get them; and this would make them very quiet and good.
+
+There was a large cas-tle in Scotland which the English had taken
+early in the war. The Scot-tish soldiers wanted very much to take it
+again, and the Black Douglas and his men went one day to see what they
+could do. It happened to be a hol-i-day, and most of the English
+soldiers in the cas-tle were eating and drinking and having a merry
+time. But they had left watch-men on the wall to see that the Scottish
+soldiers did not come upon them un-a-wares; and so they felt quite
+safe.
+
+In the e-ven-ing, when it was growing dark, the wife of one of the
+soldiers went up on the wall with her child in her arms. As she looked
+over into the fields below the castle, she saw some dark objects
+moving toward the foot of the wall. In the dusk she could not make out
+what they were, and so she pointed them out to one of the watch-men.
+
+"Pooh, pooh!" said the watchman. "Those are nothing to frighten us.
+They are the farmer's cattle, trying to find their way home. The
+farmer himself is en-joy-ing the hol-i-day, and he has forgotten to
+bring them in. If the Douglas should happen this way before morning,
+he will be sorry for his care-less-ness."
+
+But the dark objects were not cattle. They were the Black Douglas and
+his men, creeping on hands and feet toward the foot of the castle
+wall. Some of them were dragging ladders behind them through the
+grass. They would soon be climbing to the top of the wall. None of the
+English soldiers dreamed that they were within many miles of the
+place.
+
+The woman watched them until the last one had passed around a corner
+out of sight. She was not afraid, for in the dark-en-ing twi-light
+they looked indeed like cattle. After a little while she began to sing
+to her child:--
+
+    "Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye,
+    Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye,
+    The Black Douglas shall not get ye."
+
+All at once a gruff voice was heard behind her, saying, "Don't be so
+sure about that!"
+
+She looked around, and there stood the Black Douglas himself. At the
+same moment a Scottish soldier climbed off a ladder and leaped upon
+the wall; and then there came another and another and another, until
+the wall was covered with them. Soon there was hot fighting in every
+part of the castle. But the English were so taken by surprise that
+they could not do much. Many of them were killed, and in a little
+while the Black Douglas and his men were the masters of the castle,
+which by right be-longed to them.
+
+[Illustration: "Don't be so sure about that!"]
+
+As for the woman and her child, the Black Douglas would not suffer any
+one to harm them. After a while they went back to England; and whether
+the mother made up any more songs about the Black Douglas I cannot
+tell.
+
+
+
+
+THREE MEN OF GOTHAM.
+
+
+There is a town in England called Go-tham, and many merry stories are
+told of the queer people who used to live there.
+
+One day two men of Go-tham met on a bridge. Hodge was coming from the
+market, and Peter was going to the market.
+
+"Where are you going?" said Hodge.
+
+"I am going to the market to buy sheep," said Peter.
+
+"Buy sheep?" said Hodge. "And which way will you bring them home?"
+
+"I shall bring them over this bridge," said Peter.
+
+"No, you shall not," said Hodge.
+
+"Yes, but I will," said Peter.
+
+"You shall not," said Hodge.
+
+"I will," said Peter.
+
+Then they beat with their sticks on the ground as though there had
+been a hundred sheep between them.
+
+"Take care!" cried Peter. "Look out that my sheep don't jump on the
+bridge."
+
+"I care not where they jump," said Hodge; "but they shall not go over
+it."
+
+"But they shall," said Peter.
+
+"Have a care," said Hodge; "for if you say too much, I will put my
+fingers in your mouth."
+
+"Will you?" said Peter.
+
+Just then another man of Gotham came from the market with a sack of
+meal on his horse. He heard his neigh-bors quar-rel-ing about sheep;
+but he could see no sheep between them, and so he stopped and spoke to
+them.
+
+"Ah, you foolish fellows!" he cried. "It is strange that you will
+never learn wisdom.--Come here, Peter, and help me lay my sack on my
+shoul-der."
+
+Peter did so, and the man carried his meal to the side of the bridge.
+
+"Now look at me," he said, "and learn a lesson." And he opened the
+mouth of the sack, and poured all the meal into the river.
+
+"Now, neighbors," he said, "can you tell how much meal is in my
+sack?"
+
+[Illustration: "How much meal is in my sack?"]
+
+"There is none at all!" cried Hodge and Peter together.
+
+"You are right," said the man; "and you that stand here and quarrel
+about nothing, have no more sense in your heads than I have meal in my
+sack!"
+
+
+
+
+OTHER WISE MEN OF GOTHAM.
+
+
+One day, news was brought to Gotham that the king was coming that way,
+and that he would pass through the town. This did not please the men
+of Gotham at all. They hated the king, for they knew that he was a
+cruel, bad man. If he came to their town, they would have to find food
+and lodg-ing for him and his men; and if he saw anything that pleased
+him, he would be sure to take it for his own. What should they do?
+
+They met together to talk the matter over.
+
+"Let us chop down the big trees in the woods, so that they will block
+up all the roads that lead into the town," said one of the wise men.
+
+"Good!" said all the rest.
+
+So they went out with their axes, and soon all the roads and paths to
+the town were filled with logs and brush. The king's horse-men would
+have a hard time of it getting into Gotham. They would either have to
+make a new road, or give up the plan al-to-geth-er, and go on to some
+other place.
+
+When the king came, and saw that the road had been blocked up, he was
+very angry.
+
+"Who chopped those trees down in my way?" he asked of two country lads
+that were passing by.
+
+"The men of Gotham," said the lads.
+
+"Well," said the king, "go and tell the men of Gotham that I shall
+send my sher-iff into their town, and have all their noses cut off."
+
+The two lads ran to the town as fast as they could, and made known
+what the king had said.
+
+Every-body was in great fright. The men ran from house to house,
+carrying the news, and asking one another what they should do.
+
+"Our wits have kept the king out of the town," said one; "and so now
+our wits must save our noses."
+
+"True, true!" said the others. "But what shall we do?"
+
+Then one, whose name was Dobbin, and who was thought to be the wisest
+of them all, said, "Let me tell you something. Many a man has been
+punished because he was wise, but I have never heard of any one being
+harmed because he was a fool. So, when the king's sher-iff comes, let
+us all act like fools."
+
+"Good, good!" cried the others. "We will all act like fools."
+
+It was no easy thing for the king's men to open the roads; and while
+they were doing it, the king grew tired of waiting, and went back to
+London. But very early one morning, the sheriff with a party of fierce
+soldiers rode through the woods, and between the fields, toward
+Gotham. Just before they reached the town, they saw a queer sight. The
+old men were rolling big stones up the hill, and all the young men
+were looking on, and grunting very loudly.
+
+The sheriff stopped his horses, and asked what they were doing.
+
+"We are rolling stones up-hill to make the sun rise," said one of the
+old men.
+
+"You foolish fellow!" said the sheriff. "Don't you know that the sun
+will rise without any help?"
+
+"Ah! will it?" said the old man. "Well, I never thought of that. How
+wise you are!"
+
+"And what are _you_ doing?" said the sheriff to the young men.
+
+"Oh, we do the grunting while our fathers do the working," they
+answered.
+
+"I see," said the sheriff. "Well, that is the way the world goes
+every-where." And he rode on toward the town.
+
+He soon came to a field where a number of men were building a stone
+wall.
+
+"What are you doing?" he asked.
+
+"Why, master," they answered, "there is a cuck-oo in this field, and
+we are building a wall around it so as to keep the bird from straying
+away."
+
+"You foolish fellows!" said the sheriff. "Don't you know that the bird
+will fly over the top of your wall, no matter how high you build it?"
+
+"Why, no," they said. "We never thought of that. How very wise you
+are!"
+
+The sheriff next met a man who was carrying a door on his back.
+
+"What are you doing?" he asked.
+
+"I have just started on a long jour-ney," said the man.
+
+"But why do you carry that door?" asked the sheriff.
+
+"I left my money at home."
+
+"Then why didn't you leave the door at home too?"
+
+"I was afraid of thieves; and you see, if I have the door with me,
+they can't break it open and get in."
+
+"You foolish fellow!" said the sheriff. "It would be safer to leave
+the door at home, and carry the money with you."
+
+"Ah, would it, though?" said the man. "Now, I never thought of that.
+You are the wisest man that I ever saw."
+
+Then the sheriff rode on with his men; but every one that they met was
+doing some silly thing.
+
+"Truly I believe that the people of Gotham are all fools," said one of
+the horsemen.
+
+"That is true," said another. "It would be a shame to harm such simple
+people."
+
+"Let us ride back to London, and tell the king all about them," said
+the sheriff.
+
+"Yes, let us do so," said the horsemen.
+
+So they went back, and told the king that Gotham was a town of fools;
+and the king laughed, and said that if that was the case, he would not
+harm them, but would let them keep their noses.
+
+
+
+
+THE MILLER OF THE DEE.
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived on the banks of the River Dee a miller,
+who was the hap-pi-est man in England. He was always busy from morning
+till night, and he was always singing as merrily as any lark. He was
+so cheerful that he made everybody else cheerful; and people all over
+the land liked to talk about his pleasant ways. At last the king heard
+about him.
+
+"I will go down and talk with this won-der-ful miller," he said.
+"Perhaps he can tell me how to be happy."
+
+As soon as he stepped inside of the mill, he heard the miller
+singing:--
+
+    "I envy no-body--no, not I!--
+    For I am as happy as I can be;
+    And nobody envies me."
+
+"You're wrong, my friend," said the king. "You're wrong as wrong can
+be. I envy you; and I would gladly change places with you, if I could
+only be as light-hearted as you are."
+
+The miller smiled, and bowed to the king.
+
+"I am sure I could not think of changing places with you, sir," he
+said.
+
+"Now tell me," said the king, "what makes you so cheerful and glad
+here in your dusty mill, while I, who am king, am sad and in trouble
+every day."
+
+The miller smiled again, and said, "I do not know why you are sad, but
+I can eas-i-ly tell why I am glad. I earn my own bread; I love my wife
+and my children; I love my friends, and they love me; and I owe not a
+penny to any man. Why should I not be happy? For here is the River
+Dee, and every day it turns my mill; and the mill grinds the corn that
+feeds my wife, my babes, and me."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Say no more," said the king. "Stay where you are, and be happy still.
+But I envy you. Your dusty cap is worth more than my golden crown.
+Your mill does more for you than my kingdom can do for me. If there
+were more such men as you, what a good place this world would be!
+Good-by, my friend!"
+
+The king turned about, and walked sadly away; and the miller went back
+to his work singing:--
+
+    "Oh, I'm as happy as happy can be,
+    For I live by the side of the River Dee!"
+
+
+
+
+SIR PHILIP SIDNEY.
+
+
+A cruel battle was being fought. The ground was covered with dead and
+dying men. The air was hot and stifling. The sun shone down without
+pity on the wounded soldiers lying in the blood and dust.
+
+One of these soldiers was a no-ble-man, whom everybody loved for his
+gen-tle-ness and kindness. Yet now he was no better off than the
+poorest man in the field. He had been wounded, and would die; and he
+was suf-fer-ing much with pain and thirst.
+
+When the battle was over, his friends hurried to his aid. A soldier
+came running with a cup in his hand.
+
+"Here, Sir Philip," he said, "I have brought you some clear, cool
+water from the brook. I will raise your head so that you can drink."
+
+The cup was placed to Sir Philip's lips. How thank-ful-ly he looked at
+the man who had brought it! Then his eyes met those of a dying soldier
+who was lying on the ground close by. The wist-ful look in the poor
+man's face spoke plainer than words.
+
+"Give the water to that man," said Sir Philip quickly; and then,
+pushing the cup toward him, he said, "Here, my comrade, take this. Thy
+need is greater than mine."
+
+What a brave, noble man he was! The name of Sir Philip Sidney will
+never be for-got-ten; for it was the name of a Chris-tian gen-tle-man
+who always had the good of others in his mind. Was it any wonder that
+everybody wept when it was heard that he was dead?
+
+It is said, that, on the day when he was carried to the grave, every
+eye in the land was filled with tears. Rich and poor, high and low,
+all felt that they had lost a friend; all mourned the death of the
+kindest, gentlest man that they had ever known.
+
+
+
+
+THE UNGRATEFUL SOLDIER.
+
+
+Here is another story of the bat-tle-field, and it is much like the
+one which I have just told you.
+
+Not quite a hundred years after the time of Sir Philip Sidney there
+was a war between the Swedes and the Danes. One day a great battle was
+fought, and the Swedes were beaten, and driven from the field. A
+soldier of the Danes who had been slightly wounded was sitting on the
+ground. He was about to take a drink from a flask. All at once he
+heard some one say,--
+
+"O sir! give me a drink, for I am dying."
+
+It was a wounded Swede who spoke. He was lying on the ground only a
+little way off. The Dane went to him at once. He knelt down by the
+side of his fallen foe, and pressed the flask to his lips.
+
+"Drink," said he, "for thy need is greater than mine."
+
+Hardly had he spoken these words, when the Swede raised himself on his
+elbow. He pulled a pistol from his pocket, and shot at the man who
+would have be-friend-ed him. The bullet grazed the Dane's shoulder,
+but did not do him much harm.
+
+"Ah, you rascal!" he cried. "I was going to befriend you, and you
+repay me by trying to kill me. Now I will punish you. I would have
+given you all the water, but now you shall have only half." And with
+that he drank the half of it, and then gave the rest to the Swede.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When the King of the Danes heard about this, he sent for the soldier
+and had him tell the story just as it was.
+
+"Why did you spare the life of the Swede after he had tried to kill
+you?" asked the king.
+
+"Because, sir," said the soldier, "I could never kill a wounded
+enemy."
+
+"Then you deserve to be a no-ble-man," said the king. And he
+re-ward-ed him by making him a knight, and giving him a noble title.
+
+
+
+
+SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT.
+
+
+More than three hundred years ago there lived in England a brave man
+whose name was Sir Humphrey Gil-bert. At that time there were no white
+people in this country of ours. The land was covered with forests; and
+where there are now great cities and fine farms there were only trees
+and swamps among which roamed wild In-di-ans and wild beasts.
+
+Sir Hum-phrey Gilbert was one of the first men who tried to make a
+set-tle-ment in A-mer-i-ca. Twice did he bring men and ships over the
+sea, and twice did he fail, and sail back for England. The second
+time, he was on a little ship called the "Squirrel." Another ship,
+called the "Golden Hind," was not far away. When they were three days
+from land, the wind failed, and the ships lay floating on the waves.
+Then at night the air grew very cold. A breeze sprang up from the
+east. Great white ice-bergs came drifting around them. In the morning
+the little ships were almost lost among the floating mountains of ice.
+The men on the "Hind" saw Sir Humphrey sitting on the deck of the
+"Squirrel" with an open book in his hand. He called to them and
+said,--
+
+"Be brave, my friends! We are as near heaven on the sea as on the
+land."
+
+Night came again. It was a stormy night, with mist and rain. All at
+once the men on the "Hind" saw the lights on board of the "Squirrel"
+go out. The little vessel, with brave Sir Humphrey and all his brave
+men, was swal-lowed up by the waves.
+
+
+
+
+SIR WALTER RALEIGH.
+
+
+There once lived in England a brave and noble man whose name was
+Walter Ra-leigh. He was not only brave and noble, but he was also
+handsome and polite; and for that reason the queen made him a knight,
+and called him Sir Walter Ra-leigh.
+
+I will tell you about it.
+
+When Raleigh was a young man, he was one day walking along a street in
+London. At that time the streets were not paved, and there were no
+sidewalks. Raleigh was dressed in very fine style, and he wore a
+beau-ti-ful scar-let cloak thrown over his shoulders.
+
+As he passed along, he found it hard work to keep from stepping in the
+mud, and soiling his hand-some new shoes. Soon he came to a puddle of
+muddy water which reached from one side of the street to the other. He
+could not step across. Perhaps he could jump over it.
+
+As he was thinking what he should do, he happened to look up. Who was
+it coming down the street, on the other side of the puddle?
+
+It was E-liz-a-beth, the Queen of England, with her train of
+gen-tle-wom-en and waiting maids. She saw the dirty puddle in the
+street. She saw the handsome young man with the scar-let cloak,
+stand-ing by the side of it. How was she to get across?
+
+Young Raleigh, when he saw who was coming, forgot about himself. He
+thought only of helping the queen. There was only one thing that he
+could do, and no other man would have thought of that.
+
+He took off his scarlet cloak, and spread it across the puddle. The
+queen could step on it now, as on a beautiful carpet.
+
+She walked across. She was safely over the ugly puddle, and her feet
+had not touched the mud. She paused a moment, and thanked the young
+man.
+
+As she walked onward with her train, she asked one of the
+gen-tle-wom-en, "Who is that brave gen-tle-man who helped us so
+handsomely?"
+
+"His name is Walter Raleigh," said the gentle-woman.
+
+"He shall have his reward," said the queen.
+
+Not long after that, she sent for Raleigh to come to her pal-ace.
+
+The young man went, but he had no scarlet cloak to wear. Then, while
+all the great men and fine ladies of England stood around, the queen
+made him a knight. And from that time he was known as Sir Walter
+Raleigh, the queen's favorite.
+
+Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert about whom I have already
+told you, were half-broth-ers.
+
+When Sir Humphrey made his first voy-age to America, Sir Walter was
+with him. After that, Sir Walter tried sev-er-al times to send men to
+this country to make a set-tle-ment.
+
+But those whom he sent found only great forests, and wild beasts, and
+sav-age In-di-ans. Some of them went back to England; some of them
+died for want of food; and some of them were lost in the woods. At
+last Sir Walter gave up trying to get people to come to America.
+
+But he found two things in this country which the people of England
+knew very little about. One was the po-ta-to, the other was to-bac-co.
+
+If you should ever go to Ireland, you may be shown the place where Sir
+Walter planted the few po-ta-toes which he carried over from America.
+He told his friends how the Indians used them for food; and he proved
+that they would grow in the Old World as well as in the New.
+
+Sir Walter had seen the Indians smoking the leaves of the to-bac-co
+plant. He thought that he would do the same, and he carried some of
+the leaves to England. Englishmen had never used tobacco before that
+time; and all who saw Sir Walter puff-ing away at a roll of leaves
+thought that it was a strange sight.
+
+One day as he was sitting in his chair and smoking, his servant came
+into the room. The man saw the smoke curling over his master's head,
+and he thought that he was on fire.
+
+He ran out for some water. He found a pail that was quite full. He
+hurried back, and threw the water into Sir Walter's face. Of course
+the fire was all put out.
+
+After that a great many men learned to smoke. And now tobacco is used
+in all countries of the world. It would have been well if Sir Walter
+Raleigh had let it alone.
+
+
+
+
+POCAHONTAS.
+
+
+There was once a very brave man whose name was John Smith. He came to
+this country many years ago, when there were great woods everywhere,
+and many wild beasts and Indians. Many tales are told of his
+ad-ven-tures, some of them true and some of them untrue. The most
+famous of all these is the fol-low-ing:--
+
+One day when Smith was in the woods, some Indians came upon him, and
+made him their pris-on-er. They led him to their king, and in a short
+time they made ready to put him to death.
+
+A large stone was brought in, and Smith was made to lie down with his
+head on it. Then two tall Indians with big clubs in their hands came
+forward. The king and all his great men stood around to see. The
+Indians raised their clubs. In another moment they would fall on
+Smith's head.
+
+But just then a little Indian girl rushed in. She was the daugh-ter of
+the king, and her name was Po-ca-hon'tas. She ran and threw herself
+between Smith and the up-lift-ed clubs. She clasped Smith's head with
+her arms. She laid her own head upon his.
+
+"O father!" she cried, "spare this man's life. I am sure he has done
+you no harm, and we ought to be his friends."
+
+The men with the clubs could not strike, for they did not want to hurt
+the child. The king at first did not know what to do. Then he spoke to
+some of his war-riors, and they lifted Smith from the ground. They
+untied the cords from his wrists and feet, and set him free.
+
+The next day the king sent Smith home; and several Indians went with
+him to protect him from harm.
+
+After that, as long as she lived, Po-ca-hon-tas was the friend of the
+white men, and she did a great many things to help them.
+
+
+
+
+GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET.
+
+
+When George Wash-ing-ton was quite a little boy, his father gave him a
+hatchet. It was bright and new, and George took great delight in going
+about and chopping things with it.
+
+He ran into the garden, and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to
+him, "Come and cut me down!"
+
+George had often seen his father's men chop down the great trees in
+the forest, and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this
+tree fall with a crash to the ground. So he set to work with his
+little hatchet, and, as the tree was a very small one, it did not take
+long to lay it low.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Soon after that, his father came home.
+
+"Who has been cutting my fine young cherry tree?" he cried. "It was
+the only tree of its kind in this country, and it cost me a great
+deal of money."
+
+He was very angry when he came into the house.
+
+"If I only knew who killed that cherry tree," he cried, "I would--yes,
+I would"--
+
+"Father!" cried little George. "I will tell you the truth about it. I
+chopped the tree down with my hatchet."
+
+His father forgot his anger.
+
+"George," he said, and he took the little fellow in his arms, "George,
+I am glad that you told me about it. I would rather lose a dozen
+cherry trees than that you should tell one false-hood."
+
+
+
+
+GRACE DARLING.
+
+
+It was a dark Sep-tem-ber morning. There was a storm at sea. A ship
+had been driven on a low rock off the shores of the Farne Islands. It
+had been broken in two by the waves, and half of it had been washed
+away. The other half lay yet on the rock, and those of the crew who
+were still alive were cling-ing to it. But the waves were dashing over
+it, and in a little while it too would be carried to the bottom.
+
+Could any one save the poor, half-drowned men who were there?
+
+On one of the islands was a light-house; and there, all through that
+stormy night, Grace Darling had listened to the storm.
+
+Grace was the daughter of the light-house keeper, and she had lived by
+the sea as long as she could re-mem-ber.
+
+In the darkness of the night, above the noise of the winds and waves,
+she heard screams and wild cries. When day-light came, she could see
+the wreck, a mile away, with the angry waters all around it. She could
+see the men clinging to the masts.
+
+"We must try to save them!" she cried. "Let us go out in the boat at
+once!"
+
+"It is of no use, Grace," said her father. "We cannot reach them."
+
+He was an old man, and he knew the force of the mighty waves.
+
+"We cannot stay here and see them die," said Grace. "We must at least
+try to save them."
+
+Her father could not say, "No."
+
+In a few minutes they were ready. They set off in the heavy lighthouse
+boat. Grace pulled one oar, and her father the other, and they made
+straight toward the wreck. But it was hard rowing against such a sea,
+and it seemed as though they would never reach the place.
+
+At last they were close to the rock, and now they were in greater
+danger than before. The fierce waves broke against the boat, and it
+would have been dashed in pieces, had it not been for the strength and
+skill of the brave girl.
+
+But after many trials, Grace's father climbed upon the wreck, while
+Grace herself held the boat. Then one by one the worn-out crew were
+helped on board. It was all that the girl could do to keep the frail
+boat from being drifted away, or broken upon the sharp edges of the
+rock.
+
+Then her father clam-bered back into his place. Strong hands grasped
+the oars, and by and by all were safe in the lighthouse. There Grace
+proved to be no less tender as a nurse than she had been brave as a
+sailor. She cared most kindly for the ship-wrecked men until the storm
+had died away and they were strong enough to go to their own homes.
+
+All this happened a long time ago, but the name of Grace Darling will
+never be forgotten. She lies buried now in a little church-yard by the
+sea, not far from her old home. Every year many people go there to see
+her grave; and there a mon-u-ment has been placed in honor of the
+brave girl. It is not a large mon-u-ment, but it is one that speaks of
+the noble deed which made Grace Darling famous. It is a figure carved
+in stone of a woman lying at rest, with a boat's oar held fast in her
+right hand.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL.
+
+
+The people of Swit-zer-land were not always free and happy as they are
+to-day. Many years ago a proud tyrant, whose name was Gessler, ruled
+over them, and made their lot a bitter one indeed.
+
+One day this tyrant set up a tall pole in the public square, and put
+his own cap on the top of it; and then he gave orders that every man
+who came into the town should bow down before it. But there was one
+man, named William Tell, who would not do this. He stood up straight
+with folded arms, and laughed at the swinging cap. He would not bow
+down to Gessler himself.
+
+When Gessler heard of this, he was very angry. He was afraid that
+other men would disobey, and that soon the whole country would rebel
+against him. So he made up his mind to punish the bold man.
+
+William Tell's home was among the mountains, and he was a famous
+hunter. No one in all the land could shoot with bow and arrow so well
+as he. Gessler knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan to make
+the hunter's own skill bring him to grief. He ordered that Tell's
+little boy should be made to stand up in the public square with an
+apple on his head; and then he bade Tell shoot the apple with one of
+his arrows.
+
+Tell begged the tyrant not to have him make this test of his skill.
+What if the boy should move? What if the bow-man's hand should
+tremble? What if the arrow should not carry true?
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Will you make me kill my boy?" he said.
+
+"Say no more," said Gessler. "You must hit the apple with your one
+arrow. If you fail, my sol-diers shall kill the boy before your
+eyes."
+
+Then, without another word, Tell fitted the arrow to his bow. He took
+aim, and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still. He was not afraid,
+for he had all faith in his father's skill.
+
+The arrow whistled through the air. It struck the apple fairly in the
+center, and carried it away. The people who saw it shouted with joy.
+
+As Tell was turning away from the place, an arrow which he had hidden
+under his coat dropped to the ground.
+
+"Fellow!" cried Gessler, "what mean you with this second arrow?"
+
+"Tyrant!" was Tell's proud answer, "this arrow was for your heart if I
+had hurt my child."
+
+And there is an old story, that, not long after this, Tell did shoot
+the tyrant with one of his arrows; and thus he set his country free.
+
+
+
+
+ARNOLD WINKELRIED.
+
+
+A great army was marching into Swit-zer-land. If it should go much
+farther, there would be no driving it out again. The soldiers would
+burn the towns, they would rob the farmers of their grain and sheep,
+they would make slaves of the people.
+
+The men of Switzerland knew all this. They knew that they must fight
+for their homes and their lives. And so they came from the mountains
+and valleys to try what they could do to save their land. Some came
+with bows and arrows, some with scythes and pitch-forks, and some with
+only sticks and clubs.
+
+But their foes kept in line as they marched along the road. Every
+soldier was fully armed. As they moved and kept close together,
+nothing could be seen of them but their spears and shields and shining
+armor. What could the poor country people do against such foes as
+these?
+
+"We must break their lines," cried their leader; "for we cannot harm
+them while they keep together."
+
+The bowmen shot their arrows, but they glanced off from the soldiers'
+shields. Others tried clubs and stones, but with no better luck. The
+lines were still un-bro-ken. The soldiers moved stead-i-ly onward;
+their shields lapped over one another; their thousand spears looked
+like so many long bris-tles in the sun-light. What cared they for
+sticks and stones and hunts-men's arrows?
+
+"If we cannot break their ranks," said the Swiss, "we have no chance
+for fight, and our country will be lost!"
+
+Then a poor man, whose name was Ar-nold Wink'el-ried, stepped out.
+
+"On the side of yonder moun-tain," said he, "I have a happy home.
+There my wife and chil-dren wait for my return. But they will not see
+me again, for this day I will give my life for my country. And do you,
+my friends, do your duty, and Switzerland shall be free."
+
+With these words he ran forward. "Follow me!" he cried to his friends.
+"I will break the lines, and then let every man fight as bravely as he
+can."
+
+He had nothing in his hands, neither club nor stone nor other weapon.
+But he ran straight on-ward to the place where the spears were
+thickest.
+
+"Make way for lib-er-ty!" he cried, as he dashed right into the lines.
+
+A hundred spears were turned to catch him upon their points. The
+soldiers forgot to stay in their places. The lines were broken.
+Arnold's friends rushed bravely after him. They fought with whatever
+they had in hand. They snatched spears and shields from their foes.
+They had no thought of fear. They only thought of their homes and
+their dear native land. And they won at last.
+
+Such a battle no one ever knew before. But Switzerland was saved, and
+Arnold Wink-el-ried did not die in vain.
+
+
+
+
+THE BELL OF ATRI.
+
+
+A-tri is the name of a little town in It-a-ly. It is a very old town,
+and is built half-way up the side of a steep hill.
+
+A long time ago, the King of Atri bought a fine large bell, and had it
+hung up in a tower in the market place. A long rope that reached
+almost to the ground was fas-tened to the bell. The smallest child
+could ring the bell by pulling upon this rope.
+
+"It is the bell of justice," said the king.
+
+When at last everything was ready, the people of Atri had a great
+holiday. All the men and women and children came down to the market
+place to look at the bell of justice. It was a very pretty bell, and
+was, pol-ished until it looked almost as bright and yellow as the sun.
+
+"How we should like to hear it ring!" they said.
+
+Then the king came down the street.
+
+"Perhaps he will ring it," said the people; and everybody stood very
+still, and waited to see what he would do.
+
+But he did not ring the bell. He did not even take the rope in his
+hands. When he came to the foot of the tower, he stopped, and raised
+his hand.
+
+"My people," he said, "do you see this beautiful bell? It is your
+bell; but it must never be rung except in case of need. If any one of
+you is wronged at any time, he may come and ring the bell; and then
+the judges shall come together at once, and hear his case, and give
+him justice. Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come; but no
+one must touch the rope unless he knows that he has been wronged."
+
+Many years passed by after this. Many times did the bell in the market
+place ring out to call the judges together. Many wrongs were righted,
+many ill-doers were punished. At last the hempen rope was almost worn
+out. The lower part of it was un-twist-ed; some of the strands were
+broken; it became so short that only a tall man could reach it.
+
+"This will never do," said the judges one day. "What if a child should
+be wronged? It could not ring the bell to let us know it."
+
+They gave orders that a new rope should be put upon the bell at
+once,--a rope that should hang down to the ground, so that the
+smallest child could reach it. But there was not a rope to be found in
+all Atri. They would have to send across the mountains for one, and it
+would be many days before it could be brought. What if some great
+wrong should be done before it came? How could the judges know about
+it, if the in-jured one could not reach the old rope?
+
+"Let me fix it for you," said a man who stood by.
+
+He ran into his garden, which was not far away, and soon came back
+with a long grape-vine in his hands.
+
+"This will do for a rope," he said; and he climbed up, and fastened it
+to the bell. The slender vine, with its leaves and ten-drils still
+upon it, trailed to the ground.
+
+"Yes," said the judges, "it is a very good rope. Let it be as it is."
+
+Now, on the hill-side above the village, there lived a man who had
+once been a brave knight. In his youth he had ridden through many
+lands, and he had fought in many a battle. His best friend through all
+that time had been his horse,--a strong, noble steed that had borne
+him safe through many a danger.
+
+But the knight, when he grew older, cared no more to ride into battle;
+he cared no more to do brave deeds; he thought of nothing but gold; he
+became a miser. At last he sold all that he had, except his horse, and
+went to live in a little hut on the hill-side. Day after day he sat
+among his money bags, and planned how he might get more gold; and day
+after day his horse stood in his bare stall, half-starved, and
+shiv-er-ing with cold.
+
+"What is the use of keeping that lazy steed?" said the miser to
+himself one morning. "Every week it costs me more to keep him than he
+is worth. I might sell him; but there is not a man that wants him. I
+cannot even give him away. I will turn him out to shift for himself,
+and pick grass by the roadside. If he starves to death, so much the
+better."
+
+So the brave old horse was turned out to find what he could among the
+rocks on the barren hill-side. Lame and sick, he strolled along the
+dusty roads, glad to find a blade of grass or a thistle. The boys
+threw stones at him, the dogs barked at him, and in all the world
+there was no one to pity him.
+
+One hot afternoon, when no one was upon the street, the horse chanced
+to wander into the market place. Not a man nor child was there, for
+the heat of the sun had driven them all indoors. The gates were wide
+open; the poor beast could roam where he pleased. He saw the
+grape-vine rope that hung from the bell of justice. The leaves and
+tendrils upon it were still fresh and green, for it had not been there
+long. What a fine dinner they would be for a starving horse!
+
+He stretched his thin neck, and took one of the tempting morsels in
+his mouth. It was hard to break it from the vine. He pulled at it, and
+the great bell above him began to ring. All the people in Atri heard
+it. It seemed to say,--
+
+"Some one     has done      me wrong!
+ Some one     has done      me wrong!
+ Oh! come     and judge     my case!
+ Oh! come     and judge     my case!
+ For I've     been wronged!"
+
+The judges heard it. They put on their robes, and went out through the
+hot streets to the market place. They wondered who it could be who
+would ring the bell at such a time. When they passed through the gate,
+they saw the old horse nibbling at the vine.
+
+"Ha!" cried one, "it is the miser's steed. He has come to call for
+justice; for his master, as everybody knows, has treated him most
+shame-ful-ly."
+
+"He pleads his cause as well as any dumb brute can," said another.
+
+"And he shall have justice!" said the third.
+
+Mean-while a crowd of men and women and children had come into the
+market place, eager to learn what cause the judges were about to try.
+When they saw the horse, all stood still in wonder. Then every one was
+ready to tell how they had seen him wan-der-ing on the hills, unfed,
+un-cared for, while his master sat at home counting his bags of gold.
+
+"Go bring the miser before us," said the judges.
+
+[Illustration: "Some one has done me wrong!"]
+
+And when he came, they bade him stand and hear their judg-ment.
+
+"This horse has served you well for many a year," they said. "He has
+saved you from many a peril. He has helped you gain your wealth.
+Therefore we order that one half of all your gold shall be set aside
+to buy him shelter and food, a green pasture where he may graze, and a
+warm stall to comfort him in his old age."
+
+The miser hung his head, and grieved to lose his gold; but the people
+shouted with joy, and the horse was led away to his new stall and a
+dinner such as he had not had in many a day.
+
+
+
+
+HOW NAPOLEON CROSSED THE ALPS.
+
+
+About a hundred years ago there lived a great gen-er-al whose name was
+Na-po'le-on Bo'na-parte. He was the leader of the French army; and
+France was at war with nearly all the countries around. He wanted very
+much to take his soldiers into It-a-ly; but between France and Italy
+there are high mountains called the Alps, the tops of which are
+covered with snow.
+
+"Is it pos-si-ble to cross the Alps?" said Na-po-le-on.
+
+The men who had been sent to look at the passes over the mountains
+shook their heads. Then one of them said, "It may be possible, but"--
+
+"Let me hear no more," said Napoleon. "Forward to Italy!"
+
+People laughed at the thought of an army of sixty thousand men
+crossing the Alps where there was no road. But Napoleon waited only to
+see that everything was in good order, and then he gave the order to
+march.
+
+The long line of soldiers and horses and cannon stretched for twenty
+miles. When they came to a steep place where there seemed to be no way
+to go farther, the trum-pets sounded "Charge!" Then every man did his
+best, and the whole army moved right onward.
+
+Soon they were safe over the Alps. In four days they were marching on
+the plains of Italy.
+
+"The man who has made up his mind to win," said Napoleon, "will never
+say 'Im-pos-si-ble.'"
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF CINCINNATUS.
+
+
+There was a man named Cin-cin-na'tus who lived on a little farm not
+far from the city of Rome. He had once been rich, and had held the
+highest office in the land; but in one way or another he had lost all
+his wealth. He was now so poor that he had to do all the work on his
+farm with his own hands. But in those days it was thought to be a
+noble thing to till the soil.
+
+Cin-cin-na-tus was so wise and just that every-body trusted him, and
+asked his advice; and when any one was in trouble, and did not know
+what to do, his neighbors would say,--
+
+"Go and tell Cincinnatus. He will help you."
+
+Now there lived among the mountains, not far away, a tribe of fierce,
+half-wild men, who were at war with the Roman people. They per-suad-ed
+another tribe of bold war-riors to help them, and then marched toward
+the city, plun-der-ing and robbing as they came. They boasted that
+they would tear down the walls of Rome, and burn the houses, and kill
+all the men, and make slaves of the women and children.
+
+At first the Romans, who were very proud and brave, did not think
+there was much danger. Every man in Rome was a soldier, and the army
+which went out to fight the robbers was the finest in the world. No
+one staid at home with the women and children and boys but the
+white-haired "Fathers," as they were called, who made the laws for the
+city, and a small company of men who guarded the walls. Everybody
+thought that it would be an easy thing to drive the men of the
+mountains back to the place where they belonged.
+
+But one morning five horsemen came riding down the road from the
+mountains. They rode with great speed; and both men and horses were
+covered with dust and blood. The watchman at the gate knew them, and
+shouted to them as they gal-loped in. Why did they ride thus? and what
+had happened to the Roman army?
+
+They did not answer him, but rode into the city and along the quiet
+streets; and everybody ran after them, eager to find out what was the
+matter. Rome was not a large city at that time; and soon they reached
+the market place where the white-haired Fathers were sitting. Then
+they leaped from their horses, and told their story.
+
+"Only yes-ter-day," they said, "our army was marching through a narrow
+valley between two steep mountains. All at once a thou-sand sav-age
+men sprang out from among the rocks before us and above us. They had
+blocked up the way; and the pass was so narrow that we could not
+fight. We tried to come back; but they had blocked up the way on this
+side of us too. The fierce men of the mountains were before us and
+behind us, and they were throwing rocks down upon us from above. We
+had been caught in a trap. Then ten of us set spurs to our horses; and
+five of us forced our way through, but the other five fell before the
+spears of the mountain men. And now, O Roman Fathers! send help to our
+army at once, or every man will be slain, and our city will be taken."
+
+"What shall we do?" said the white-haired Fathers. "Whom can we send
+but the guards and the boys? and who is wise enough to lead them, and
+thus save Rome?"
+
+All shook their heads and were very grave; for it seemed as if there
+was no hope. Then one said, "Send for Cincinnatus. He will help us."
+
+Cincinnatus was in the field plowing when the men who had been sent to
+him came in great haste. He stopped and greeted them kindly, and
+waited for them to speak.
+
+"Put on your cloak, Cincinnatus," they said, "and hear the words of
+the Roman people."
+
+Then Cincinnatus wondered what they could mean. "Is all well with
+Rome?" he asked; and he called to his wife to bring him his cloak.
+
+She brought the cloak; and Cincinnatus wiped the dust from his hands
+and arms, and threw it over his shoulders. Then the men told their
+errand.
+
+They told him how the army with all the noblest men of Rome had been
+en-trapped in the mountain pass. They told him about the great danger
+the city was in. Then they said, "The people of Rome make you their
+ruler and the ruler of their city, to do with everything as you
+choose; and the Fathers bid you come at once and go out against our
+enemies, the fierce men of the mountains."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+So Cincinnatus left his plow standing where it was, and hurried to the
+city. When he passed through the streets, and gave orders as to what
+should be done, some of the people were afraid, for they knew that he
+had all power in Rome to do what he pleased. But he armed the guards
+and the boys, and went out at their head to fight the fierce mountain
+men, and free the Roman army from the trap into which it had fallen.
+
+A few days afterward there was great joy in Rome. There was good news
+from Cincinnatus. The men of the mountains had been beaten with great
+loss. They had been driven back into their own place.
+
+And now the Roman army, with the boys and the guards, was coming home
+with banners flying, and shouts of vic-to-ry; and at their head rode
+Cincinnatus. He had saved Rome.
+
+Cincinnatus might then have made himself king; for his word was law,
+and no man dared lift a finger against him. But, before the people
+could thank him enough for what he had done, he gave back the power to
+the white-haired Roman Fathers, and went again to his little farm and
+his plow.
+
+He had been the ruler of Rome for sixteen days.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF REGULUS.
+
+
+On the other side of the sea from Rome there was once a great city
+named Car-thage. The Roman people were never very friendly to the
+people of Car-thage, and at last a war began between them. For a long
+time it was hard to tell which would prove the stronger. First the
+Romans would gain a battle, and then the men of Car-thage would gain a
+battle; and so the war went on for many years.
+
+Among the Romans there was a brave gen-er-al named Reg'u-lus,--a man
+of whom it was said that he never broke his word. It so happened after
+a while, that Reg-u-lus was taken pris-on-er and carried to Carthage.
+Ill and very lonely, he dreamed of his wife and little children so far
+away beyond the sea; and he had but little hope of ever seeing them
+again. He loved his home dearly, but he believed that his first duty
+was to his country; and so he had left all, to fight in this cruel
+war.
+
+He had lost a battle, it is true, and had been taken prisoner. Yet he
+knew that the Romans were gaining ground, and the people of Carthage
+were afraid of being beaten in the end. They had sent into other
+countries to hire soldiers to help them; but even with these they
+would not be able to fight much longer against Rome.
+
+One day some of the rulers of Carthage came to the prison to talk with
+Regulus.
+
+"We should like to make peace with the Roman people," they said, "and
+we are sure, that, if your rulers at home knew how the war is going,
+they would be glad to make peace with us. We will set you free and let
+you go home, if you will agree to do as we say."
+
+"What is that?" asked Regulus.
+
+"In the first place," they said, "you must tell the Romans about the
+battles which you have lost, and you must make it plain to them that
+they have not gained any-thing by the war. In the second place, you
+must promise us, that, if they will not make peace, you will come back
+to your prison."
+
+"Very well," said Regulus, "I promise you, that, if they will not make
+peace, I will come back to prison."
+
+And so they let him go; for they knew that a great Roman would keep
+his word.
+
+When he came to Rome, all the people greeted him gladly. His wife and
+children were very happy, for they thought that now they would not be
+parted again. The white-haired Fathers who made the laws for the city
+came to see him. They asked him about the war.
+
+"I was sent from Carthage to ask you to make peace," he said. "But it
+will not be wise to make peace. True, we have been beaten in a few
+battles, but our army is gaining ground every day. The people of
+Carthage are afraid, and well they may be. Keep on with the war a
+little while longer, and Carthage shall be yours. As for me, I have
+come to bid my wife and children and Rome fare-well. To-morrow I will
+start back to Carthage and to prison; for I have promised."
+
+Then the Fathers tried to persuade him to stay.
+
+"Let us send another man in your place," they said.
+
+"Shall a Roman not keep his word?" answered Regulus. "I am ill, and at
+the best have not long to live. I will go back, as I promised."
+
+His wife and little children wept, and his sons begged him not to
+leave them again.
+
+"I have given my word," said Regulus. "The rest will be taken care
+of."
+
+Then he bade them good-by, and went bravely back to the prison and the
+cruel death which he ex-pect-ed.
+
+This was the kind of courage that made Rome the greatest city in the
+world.
+
+
+
+
+CORNELIA'S JEWELS.
+
+
+It was a bright morning in the old city of Rome many hundred years
+ago. In a vine-covered summer-house in a beautiful garden, two boys
+were standing. They were looking at their mother and her friend, who
+were walking among the flowers and trees.
+
+"Did you ever see so handsome a lady as our mother's friend?" asked
+the younger boy, holding his tall brother's hand. "She looks like a
+queen."
+
+"Yet she is not so beautiful as our mother," said the elder boy. "She
+has a fine dress, it is true; but her face is not noble and kind. It
+is our mother who is like a queen."
+
+"That is true," said the other. "There is no woman in Rome so much
+like a queen as our own dear mother."
+
+Soon Cor-ne'li-a, their mother, came down the walk to speak with them.
+She was simply dressed in a plain white robe. Her arms and feet were
+bare, as was the custom in those days; and no rings nor chains
+glit-tered about her hands and neck. For her only crown, long braids
+of soft brown hair were coiled about her head; and a tender smile lit
+up her noble face as she looked into her sons' proud eyes.
+
+"Boys," she said, "I have something to tell you."
+
+They bowed before her, as Roman lads were taught to do, and said,
+"What is it, mother?"
+
+"You are to dine with us to-day, here in the garden; and then our
+friend is going to show us that wonderful casket of jewels of which
+you have heard so much."
+
+The brothers looked shyly at their mother's friend. Was it possible
+that she had still other rings besides those on her fingers? Could she
+have other gems besides those which sparkled in the chains about her
+neck?
+
+When the simple out-door meal was over, a servant brought the casket
+from the house. The lady opened it. Ah, how those jewels dazzled the
+eyes of the wondering boys! There were ropes of pearls, white as milk,
+and smooth as satin; heaps of shining rubies, red as the glowing
+coals; sap-phires as blue as the sky that summer day; and di-a-monds
+that flashed and sparkled like the sunlight.
+
+The brothers looked long at the gems.
+
+"Ah!" whis-pered the younger; "if our mother could only have such
+beautiful things!"
+
+At last, how-ever, the casket was closed and carried care-ful-ly away.
+
+"Is it true, Cor-ne-li-a, that you have no jewels?" asked her friend.
+"Is it true, as I have heard it whis-pered, that you are poor?"
+
+"No, I am not poor," answered Cornelia, and as she spoke she drew her
+two boys to her side; "for here are my jewels. They are worth more
+than all your gems."
+
+I am sure that the boys never forgot their mother's pride and love and
+care; and in after years, when they had become great men in Rome, they
+often thought of this scene in the garden. And the world still likes
+to hear the story of Cornelia's jewels.
+
+
+
+
+ANDROCLUS AND THE LION.
+
+
+In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was An'dro-clus. His
+master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that at last An-dro-clus
+ran away.
+
+He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to
+be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he should die.
+So one day he crept into a cave and lay down, and soon he was fast
+asleep.
+
+After a while a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the
+cave, and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very much afraid, for he
+felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw that
+the lion was not angry, but that he limped as though his foot hurt
+him.
+
+Then Androclus grew so bold that he took hold of the lion's lame paw
+to see what was the matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his
+head against the man's shoulder. He seemed to say,--
+
+"I know that you will help me."
+
+Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long,
+sharp thorn which hurt the lion so much. He took the end of the thorn
+in his fingers; then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came.
+The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog, and licked the
+hands and feet of his new friend.
+
+Androclus was not at all afraid after this; and when night came, he
+and the lion lay down and slept side by side.
+
+For a long time, the lion brought food to Androclus every day; and the
+two became such good friends, that Androclus found his new life a very
+happy one.
+
+One day some soldiers who were passing through the wood found
+Androclus in the cave. They knew who he was, and so took him back to
+Rome.
+
+It was the law at that time that every slave who ran away from his
+master should be made to fight a hungry lion. So a fierce lion was
+shut up for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight.
+
+When the day came, thousands of people crowded to see the sport. They
+went to such places at that time very much as people now-a-days go to
+see a circus show or a game of base-ball.
+
+The door opened, and poor Androclus was brought in. He was almost dead
+with fear, for the roars of the lion could al-read-y be heard. He
+looked up, and saw that there was no pity in the thou-sands of faces
+around him.
+
+Then the hungry lion rushed in. With a single bound he reached the
+poor slave. Androclus gave a great cry, not of fear, but of gladness.
+It was his old friend, the lion of the cave.
+
+The people, who had ex-pect-ed to see the man killed by the lion, were
+filled with wonder. They saw Androclus put his arms around the lion's
+neck; they saw the lion lie down at his feet, and lick them
+lov-ing-ly; they saw the great beast rub his head against the slave's
+face as though he wanted to be petted. They could not un-der-stand
+what it all meant.
+
+[Illustration: Androclus and the Lion.]
+
+After a while they asked Androclus to tell them about it. So he
+stood up before them, and, with his arm around the lion's neck, told
+how he and the beast had lived together in the cave.
+
+"I am a man," he said; "but no man has ever befriended me. This poor
+lion alone has been kind to me; and we love each other as brothers."
+
+The people were not so bad that they could be cruel to the poor slave
+now. "Live and be free!" they cried. "Live and be free!"
+
+Others cried, "Let the lion go free too! Give both of them their
+liberty!"
+
+And so Androclus was set free, and the lion was given to him for his
+own. And they lived together in Rome for many years.
+
+
+
+
+HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE.
+
+
+Once there was a war between the Roman people and the E-trus'cans who
+lived in the towns on the other side of the Ti-ber River. Por'se-na,
+the King of the E-trus-cans, raised a great army, and marched toward
+Rome. The city had never been in so great danger.
+
+The Romans did not have very many fighting men at that time, and they
+knew that they were not strong enough to meet the Etruscans in open
+battle. So they kept themselves inside of their walls, and set guards
+to watch the roads.
+
+One morning the army of Por-se-na was seen coming over the hills from
+the north. There were thousands of horsemen and footmen, and they were
+marching straight toward the wooden bridge which spanned the river at
+Rome.
+
+"What shall we do?" said the white-haired Fathers who made the laws
+for the Roman people. "If they once gain the bridge, we cannot hinder
+them from crossing; and then what hope will there be for the town?"
+
+Now, among the guards at the bridge, there was a brave man named
+Ho-ra'ti-us. He was on the farther side of the river, and when he saw
+that the Etruscans were so near, he called out to the Romans who were
+behind him.
+
+"Hew down the bridge with all the speed that you can!" he cried. "I,
+with the two men who stand by me, will keep the foe at bay."
+
+Then, with their shields before them, and their long spears in their
+hands, the three brave men stood in the road, and kept back the
+horsemen whom Porsena had sent to take the bridge.
+
+On the bridge the Romans hewed away at the beams and posts. Their axes
+rang, the chips flew fast; and soon it trembled, and was ready to
+fall.
+
+"Come back! come back, and save your lives!" they cried to Ho-ra-ti-us
+and the two who were with him.
+
+But just then Porsena's horsemen dashed toward them again.
+
+"Run for your lives!" said Horatius to his friends. "I will keep the
+road."
+
+They turned, and ran back across the bridge. They had hardly reached
+the other side when there was a crashing of beams and timbers. The
+bridge toppled over to one side, and then fell with a great splash
+into the water.
+
+When Horatius heard the sound, he knew that the city was safe. With
+his face still toward Porsena's men, he moved slowly back-ward till he
+stood on the river's bank. A dart thrown by one of Porsena's soldiers
+put out his left eye; but he did not falter. He cast his spear at the
+fore-most horseman, and then he turned quickly around. He saw the
+white porch of his own home among the trees on the other side of the
+stream;
+
+    "And he spake to the noble river
+      That rolls by the walls of Rome:
+    'O Tiber! father Tiber!
+      To whom the Romans pray,
+    A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,
+      Take thou in charge to-day.'"
+
+He leaped into the deep, swift stream. He still had his heavy armor
+on; and when he sank out of sight, no one thought that he would ever
+be seen again. But he was a strong man, and the best swimmer in Rome.
+The next minute he rose. He was half-way across the river, and safe
+from the spears and darts which Porsena's soldiers hurled after him.
+
+Soon he reached the farther side, where his friends stood ready to
+help him. Shout after shout greeted him as he climbed upon the bank.
+Then Porsena's men shouted also, for they had never seen a man so
+brave and strong as Horatius. He had kept them out of Rome, but he had
+done a deed which they could not help but praise.
+
+As for the Romans, they were very grateful to Horatius for having
+saved their city. They called him Horatius Co'cles, which meant the
+"one-eyed Horatius," because he had lost an eye in defending the
+bridge; they caused a fine statue of brass to be made in his honor;
+and they gave him as much land as he could plow around in a day. And
+for hundreds of years afterwards--
+
+    "With weeping and with laugh-ter,
+      Still was the story told,
+    How well Horatius kept the bridge
+      In the brave days of old."
+
+
+
+
+JULIUS CAESAR.
+
+
+Nearly two thousand years ago there lived in Rome a man whose name was
+Julius Cae'sar. He was the greatest of all the Romans.
+
+Why was he so great?
+
+He was a brave warrior, and had con-quered many countries for Rome. He
+was wise in planning and in doing. He knew how to make men both love
+and fear him.
+
+At last he made himself the ruler of Rome. Some said that he wished to
+become its king. But the Romans at that time did not believe in kings.
+
+Once when Cae-sar was passing through a little country village, all the
+men, women, and children of the place came out to see him. There were
+not more than fifty of them, all together, and they were led by their
+may-or, who told each one what to do.
+
+These simple people stood by the roadside and watched Caesar pass. The
+may-or looked very proud and happy; for was he not the ruler of this
+village? He felt that he was almost as great a man as Caesar himself.
+
+Some of the fine of-fi-cers who were with Caesar laughed. They said,
+"See how that fellow struts at the head of his little flock!"
+
+"Laugh as you will," said Caesar, "he has reason to be proud. I would
+rather be the head man of a village than the second man in Rome!"
+
+At an-oth-er time, Caesar was crossing a narrow sea in a boat. Before
+he was halfway to the farther shore, a storm overtook him. The wind
+blew hard; the waves dashed high; the lightning flashed; the thunder
+rolled.
+
+It seemed every minute as though the boat would sink. The captain was
+in great fright. He had crossed the sea many times, but never in such
+a storm as this. He trembled with fear; he could not guide the boat;
+he fell down upon his knees; he moaned, "All is lost! all is lost!"
+
+But Caesar was not afraid. He bade the man get up and take his oars
+again.
+
+"Why should you be afraid?" he said. "The boat will not be lost; for
+you have Caesar on board."
+
+
+
+
+THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES.
+
+
+There was once a king whose name was Di-o-nys'i-us. He was so unjust
+and cruel that he won for himself the name of tyrant. He knew that
+almost everybody hated him, and so he was always in dread lest some
+one should take his life.
+
+But he was very rich, and he lived in a fine palace where there were
+many beautiful and costly things, and he was waited upon by a host of
+servants who were always ready to do his bidding. One day a friend of
+his, whose name was Dam'o-cles, said to him,--
+
+"How happy you must be! You have here everything that any man could
+wish."
+
+"Perhaps you would like to change places with me," said the tyrant.
+
+"No, not that, O king!" said Dam-o-cles; "but I think, that, if I
+could only have your riches and your pleas-ures for one day, I should
+not want any greater hap-pi-ness."
+
+"Very well," said the tyrant. "You shall have them."
+
+And so, the next day, Damocles was led into the palace, and all the
+servants were bidden to treat him as their master. He sat down at a
+table in the banquet hall, and rich foods were placed before him.
+Nothing was wanting that could give him pleasure. There were costly
+wines, and beautiful flowers, and rare perfumes, and de-light-ful
+music. He rested himself among soft cushions, and felt that he was the
+happiest man in all the world.
+
+[Illustration: The Sword of Damocles.]
+
+Then he chanced to raise his eyes toward the ceiling. What was it that
+was dangling above him, with its point almost touching his head? It
+was a sharp sword, and it was hung by only a single horse-hair. What
+if the hair should break? There was danger every moment that it would
+do so.
+
+The smile faded from the lips of Damocles. His face became ashy pale.
+His hands trembled. He wanted no more food; he could drink no more
+wine; he took no more delight in the music. He longed to be out of the
+palace, and away, he cared not where.
+
+"What is the matter?" said the tyrant.
+
+"That sword! that sword!" cried Damocles. He was so badly frightened
+that he dared not move.
+
+"Yes," said Di-o-nys-i-us, "I know there is a sword above your head,
+and that it may fall at any moment. But why should that trouble you? I
+have a sword over my head all the time. I am every moment in dread
+lest something may cause me to lose my life."
+
+"Let me go," said Damocles. "I now see that I was mis-tak-en, and that
+the rich and pow-er-ful are not so happy as they seem. Let me go back
+to my old home in the poor little cot-tage among the mountains."
+
+And so long as he lived, he never again wanted to be rich, or to
+change places, even for a moment, with the king.
+
+
+
+
+DAMON AND PYTHIAS.
+
+
+A young man whose name was Pyth'i-as had done something which the
+tyrant Dionysius did not like. For this offense he was dragged to
+prison, and a day was set when he should be put to death. His home was
+far away, and he wanted very much to see his father and mother and
+friends before he died.
+
+"Only give me leave to go home and say good-by to those whom I love,"
+he said, "and then I will come back and give up my life."
+
+The tyrant laughed at him.
+
+"How can I know that you will keep your promise?" he said. "You only
+want to cheat me, and save your-self."
+
+Then a young man whose name was Da-mon spoke and said,--
+
+"O king! put me in prison in place of my friend Pyth-i-as, and let him
+go to his own country to put his affairs in order, and to bid his
+friends fare-well. I know that he will come back as he promised, for
+he is a man who has never broken his word. But if he is not here on
+the day which you have set, then I will die in his stead."
+
+The tyrant was sur-prised that anybody should make such an offer. He
+at last agreed to let Pythias go, and gave orders that the young man
+Da-mon should be shut up in prison.
+
+Time passed, and by and by the day drew near which had been set for
+Pythias to die; and he had not come back. The tyrant ordered the
+jailer to keep close watch upon Damon, and not let him escape. But
+Damon did not try to escape. He still had faith in the truth and honor
+of his friend. He said, "If Pythias does not come back in time, it
+will not be his fault. It will be because he is hin-dered against his
+will."
+
+At last the day came, and then the very hour. Damon was ready to die.
+His trust in his friend was as firm as ever; and he said that he did
+not grieve at having to suffer for one whom he loved so much.
+
+Then the jailer came to lead him to his death; but at the same moment
+Pythias stood in the door. He had been de-layed by storms and
+ship-wreck, and he had feared that he was too late. He greeted Damon
+kindly, and then gave himself into the hands of the jailer. He was
+happy because he thought that he had come in time, even though it was
+at the last moment.
+
+The tyrant was not so bad but that he could see good in others. He
+felt that men who loved and trusted each other, as did Damon and
+Pythias, ought not to suffer un-just-ly. And so he set them both
+free.
+
+"I would give all my wealth to have one such friend," he said.
+
+
+
+
+A LACONIC ANSWER.
+
+
+Many miles beyond Rome there was a famous country which we call
+Greece. The people of Greece were not u-nit-ed like the Romans; but
+instead there were sev-er-al states, each of which had its own rulers.
+
+Some of the people in the southern part of the country were called
+Spar-tans, and they were noted for their simple habits and their
+brav-er-y. The name of their land was La-co'ni-a, and so they were
+sometimes called La-cons.
+
+One of the strange rules which the Spartans had, was that they should
+speak briefly, and never use more words than were needed. And so a
+short answer is often spoken of as being _la-con-ic_; that is, as
+being such an answer as a Lacon would be likely to give.
+
+There was in the northern part of Greece a land called Mac'e-don; and
+this land was at one time ruled over by a war-like king named Philip.
+
+Philip of Mac-e-don wanted to become the master of all Greece. So he
+raised a great army, and made war upon the other states, until nearly
+all of them were forced to call him their king. Then he sent a letter
+to the Spartans in La-co-ni-a, and said, "If I go down into your
+country, I will level your great city to the ground."
+
+In a few days, an answer was brought back to him. When he opened the
+letter, he found only one word written there.
+
+That word was "IF."
+
+It was as much as to say, "We are not afraid of you so long as the
+little word 'if' stands in your way."
+
+
+
+
+THE UNGRATEFUL GUEST.
+
+
+Among the soldiers of King Philip there was a poor man who had done
+some brave deeds. He had pleased the king in more ways than one, and
+so the king put a good deal of trust in him.
+
+One day this soldier was on board of a ship at sea when a great storm
+came up. The winds drove the ship upon the rocks, and it was wrecked.
+The soldier was cast half-drowned upon the shore; and he would have
+died there, had it not been for the kind care of a farmer who lived
+close by.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When the soldier was well enough to go home, he thanked the farmer for
+what he had done, and promised that he would repay him for his
+kindness.
+
+But he did not mean to keep his promise. He did not tell King Philip
+about the man who had saved his life. He only said that there was a
+fine farm by the seashore, and that he would like very much to have
+it for his own. Would the king give it to him?
+
+"Who owns the farm now?" asked Philip.
+
+"Only a churlish farmer, who has never done anything for his country,"
+said the soldier.
+
+"Very well, then," said Philip. "You have served me for a long time,
+and you shall have your wish. Go and take the farm for yourself."
+
+And so the soldier made haste to drive the farmer from his house and
+home. He took the farm for his own.
+
+The poor farmer was stung to the heart by such treat-ment. He went
+boldly to the king, and told the whole story from beginning to end.
+King Philip was very angry when he learned that the man whom he had
+trusted had done so base a deed. He sent for the soldier in great
+haste; and when he had come, he caused these words to be burned in his
+forehead:--
+
+     "THE UNGRATEFUL GUEST."
+
+Thus all the world was made to know of the mean act by which the
+soldier had tried to enrich himself; and from that day until he died
+all men shunned and hated him.
+
+
+
+
+ALEXANDER AND BUCEPHALUS.
+
+
+One day King Philip bought a fine horse called Bu-ceph'a-lus. He was a
+noble an-i-mal, and the king paid a very high price for him. But he
+was wild and savage, and no man could mount him, or do anything at all
+with him.
+
+They tried to whip him, but that only made him worse. At last the king
+bade his servants take him away.
+
+"It is a pity to ruin so fine a horse as that," said Al-ex-an'der, the
+king's young son. "Those men do not know how to treat him."
+
+"Perhaps you can do better than they," said his father scorn-ful-ly.
+
+"I know," said Al-ex-an-der, "that, if you would only give me leave to
+try, I could manage this horse better than any one else."
+
+"And if you fail to do so, what then?" asked Philip.
+
+"I will pay you the price of the horse," said the lad.
+
+While everybody was laughing, Alexander ran up to Bu-ceph-a-lus, and
+turned his head toward the sun. He had noticed that the horse was
+afraid of his own shadow.
+
+He then spoke gently to the horse, and patted him with his hand. When
+he had qui-et-ed him a little, he made a quick spring, and leaped upon
+the horse's back.
+
+Everybody expected to see the boy killed outright. But he kept his
+place, and let the horse run as fast as he would. By and by, when
+Bucephalus had become tired, Alexander reined him in, and rode back to
+the place where his father was standing.
+
+All the men who were there shouted when they saw that the boy had
+proved himself to be the master of the horse.
+
+He leaped to the ground, and his father ran and kissed him.
+
+"My son," said the king, "Macedon is too small a place for you. You
+must seek a larger kingdom that will be worthy of you."
+
+After that, Alexander and Bucephalus were the best of friends. They
+were said to be always together, for when one of them was seen, the
+other was sure to be not far away. But the horse would never allow any
+one to mount him but his master.
+
+Alexander became the most famous king and warrior that was ever known;
+and for that reason he is always called Alexander the Great.
+Bucephalus carried him through many countries and in many fierce
+battles, and more than once did he save his master's life.
+
+
+
+
+DIOGENES THE WISE MAN.
+
+
+At Cor-inth, in Greece, there lived a very wise man whose name was
+Di-og'e-nes. Men came from all parts of the land to see him and hear
+him talk.
+
+But wise as he was, he had some very queer ways. He did not believe
+that any man ought to have more things than he re-al-ly needed; and he
+said that no man needed much. And so he did not live in a house, but
+slept in a tub or barrel, which he rolled about from place to place.
+He spent his days sitting in the sun, and saying wise things to those
+who were around him.
+
+At noon one day, Di-og-e-nes was seen walking through the streets with
+a lighted lantern, and looking all around as if in search of
+something.
+
+"Why do you carry a lantern when the sun is shining?" some one said.
+
+"I am looking for an honest man," answered Diogenes.
+
+When Alexander the Great went to Cor-inth, all the fore-most men in
+the city came out to see him and to praise him. But Diogenes did not
+come; and he was the only man for whose o-pin-ions Alexander cared.
+
+[Illustration: Diogenes and Alexander.]
+
+And so, since the wise man would not come to see the king, the king
+went to see the wise man. He found Diogenes in an out-of-the-way
+place, lying on the ground by his tub. He was en-joy-ing the heat and
+the light of the sun.
+
+When he saw the king and a great many people coming, he sat up and
+looked at Alexander. Alexander greeted him and said,--
+
+"Diogenes, I have heard a great deal about your wisdom. Is there
+anything that I can do for you?"
+
+"Yes," said Diogenes. "You can stand a little on one side, so as not
+to keep the sunshine from me."
+
+This answer was so dif-fer-ent from what he expected, that the king
+was much sur-prised. But it did not make him angry; it only made him
+admire the strange man all the more. When he turned to ride back, he
+said to his officers,--
+
+"Say what you will; if I were not Alexander, I would like to be
+Diogenes."
+
+
+
+
+THE BRAVE THREE HUNDRED.
+
+
+All Greece was in danger. A mighty army, led by the great King of
+Persia, had come from the east. It was marching along the seashore,
+and in a few days would be in Greece. The great king had sent
+mes-sen-gers into every city and state, bidding them give him water
+and earth in token that the land and the sea were his. But they
+said,--
+
+"No: we will be free."
+
+And so there was a great stir through-out all the land. The men armed
+themselves, and made haste to go out and drive back their foe; and the
+women staid at home, weeping and waiting, and trembling with fear.
+
+There was only one way by which the Per-sian army could go into Greece
+on that side, and that was by a narrow pass between the mountains and
+the sea. This pass was guarded by Le-on'i-das, the King of the
+Spartans, with three hundred Spartan soldiers.
+
+Soon the Persian soldiers were seen coming. There were so many of them
+that no man could count them. How could a handful of men hope to stand
+against so great a host?
+
+And yet Le-on-i-das and his Spartans held their ground. They had made
+up their minds to die at their post. Some one brought them word that
+there were so many Persians that their arrows dark-ened the sun.
+
+"So much the better," said the Spartans; "we shall fight in the
+shade."
+
+Bravely they stood in the narrow pass. Bravely they faced their foes.
+To Spartans there was no such thing as fear. The Persians came
+forward, only to meet death at the points of their spears.
+
+But one by one the Spartans fell. At last their spears were broken;
+yet still they stood side by side, fighting to the last. Some fought
+with swords, some with daggers, and some with only their fists and
+teeth.
+
+All day long the army of the Persians was kept at bay. But when the
+sun went down, there was not one Spartan left alive. Where they had
+stood there was only a heap of the slain, all bristled over with
+spears and arrows.
+
+Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that handful of
+men. And Greece was saved.
+
+Thousands of years have passed since then; but men still like to tell
+the story of Leonidas and the brave three hundred who died for their
+country's sake.
+
+
+
+
+SOCRATES AND HIS HOUSE.
+
+
+There once lived in Greece a very wise man whose name was Soc'ra-tes.
+Young men from all parts of the land went to him to learn wisdom from
+him; and he said so many pleasant things, and said them in so
+delightful a way, that no one ever grew tired of listening to him.
+
+One summer he built himself a house, but it was so small that his
+neighbors wondered how he could be content with it.
+
+"What is the reason," said they, "that you, who are so great a man,
+should build such a little box as this for your dwelling house?"
+
+"Indeed, there may be little reason," said he; "but, small as the
+place is, I shall think myself happy if I can fill even it with true
+friends."
+
+
+
+
+THE KING AND HIS HAWK.
+
+
+Gen'ghis Khan was a great king and war-rior.
+
+He led his army into China and Persia, and he con-quered many lands.
+In every country, men told about his daring deeds; and they said that
+since Alexander the Great there had been no king like him.
+
+One morning when he was home from the wars, he rode out into the woods
+to have a day's sport. Many of his friends were with him. They rode
+out gayly, carrying their bows and arrows. Behind them came the
+servants with the hounds.
+
+It was a merry hunting party. The woods rang with their shouts and
+laughter. They expected to carry much game home in the evening.
+
+On the king's wrist sat his favorite hawk; for in those days hawks
+were trained to hunt. At a word from their masters they would fly high
+up into the air, and look around for prey. If they chanced to see a
+deer or a rabbit, they would swoop down upon it swift as any arrow.
+
+All day long Gen-ghis Khan and his huntsmen rode through the woods.
+But they did not find as much game as they expected.
+
+Toward evening they started for home. The king had often ridden
+through the woods, and he knew all the paths. So while the rest of the
+party took the nearest way, he went by a longer road through a valley
+between two mountains.
+
+The day had been warm, and the king was very thirsty. His pet hawk had
+left his wrist and flown away. It would be sure to find its way home.
+
+The king rode slowly along. He had once seen a spring of clear water
+near this path-way. If he could only find it now! But the hot days of
+summer had dried up all the moun-tain brooks.
+
+At last, to his joy, he saw some water tric-kling down over the edge
+of a rock. He knew that there was a spring farther up. In the wet
+season, a swift stream of water always poured down here; but now it
+came only one drop at a time.
+
+The king leaped from his horse. He took a little silver cup from his
+hunting bag. He held it so as to catch the slowly falling drops.
+
+It took a long time to fill the cup; and the king was so thirsty that
+he could hardly wait. At last it was nearly full. He put the cup to
+his lips, and was about to drink.
+
+All at once there was a whir-ring sound in the air, and the cup was
+knocked from his hands. The water was all spilled upon the ground.
+
+The king looked up to see who had done this thing. It was his pet
+hawk.
+
+The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and then alighted among the
+rocks by the spring.
+
+The king picked up the cup, and again held it to catch the tric-kling
+drops.
+
+This time he did not wait so long. When the cup was half full, he
+lifted it toward his mouth. But before it had touched his lips, the
+hawk swooped down again, and knocked it from his hands.
+
+And now the king began to grow angry. He tried again; and for the
+third time the hawk kept him from drinking.
+
+The king was now very angry indeed.
+
+"How do you dare to act so?" he cried. "If I had you in my hands, I
+would wring your neck!"
+
+Then he filled the cup again. But before he tried to drink, he drew
+his sword.
+
+"Now, Sir Hawk," he said, "this is the last time."
+
+He had hardly spoken, before the hawk swooped down and knocked the cup
+from his hand. But the king was looking for this. With a quick sweep
+of the sword he struck the bird as it passed.
+
+The next moment the poor hawk lay bleeding and dying at its master's
+feet.
+
+"That is what you get for your pains," said Genghis Khan.
+
+But when he looked for his cup, he found that it had fallen between
+two rocks, where he could not reach it.
+
+"At any rate, I will have a drink from that spring," he said to
+himself.
+
+With that he began to climb the steep bank to the place from which the
+water trickled. It was hard work, and the higher he climbed, the
+thirst-i-er he became.
+
+At last he reached the place. There indeed was a pool of water; but
+what was that lying in the pool, and almost filling it? It was a huge,
+dead snake of the most poi-son-ous kind.
+
+The king stopped. He forgot his thirst. He thought only of the poor
+dead bird lying on the ground below him.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"The hawk saved my life!" he cried; "and how did I repay him? He was
+my best friend, and I have killed him."
+
+He clam-bered down the bank. He took the bird up gently, and laid it
+in his hunting bag. Then he mounted his horse and rode swiftly home.
+He said to himself,--
+
+"I have learned a sad lesson to-day; and that is, never to do
+any-thing in anger."
+
+
+
+
+DOCTOR GOLDSMITH.
+
+
+There was once a kind man whose name was Oliver Gold-smith. He wrote
+many de-light-ful books, some of which you will read when you are
+older.
+
+He had a gentle heart. He was always ready to help others and to share
+with them anything that he had. He gave away so much to the poor that
+he was always poor himself.
+
+He was some-times called Doctor Goldsmith; for he had studied to be a
+phy-si-cian.
+
+One day a poor woman asked Doctor Goldsmith to go and see her husband,
+who was sick and could not eat.
+
+Goldsmith did so. He found that the family was in great need. The man
+had not had work for a long time. He was not sick, but in distress;
+and, as for eating, there was no food in the house.
+
+"Call at my room this evening," said Goldsmith to the woman, "and I
+will give you some med-i-cine for your husband."
+
+In the evening the woman called. Goldsmith gave her a little paper box
+that was very heavy.
+
+"Here is the med-i-cine," he said. "Use it faith-ful-ly, and I think
+it will do your husband a great deal of good. But don't open the box
+until you reach home."
+
+"What are the di-rec-tions for taking it?" asked the woman.
+
+"You will find them inside of the box," he answered.
+
+When the woman reached her home, she sat down by her husband's side,
+and they opened the box; What do you think they found in it?
+
+It was full of pieces of money. And on the top were the
+di-rec-tions:--
+
+     "TO BE TAKEN AS OFTEN AS NE-CES-SI-TY REQUIRES."
+
+Goldsmith had given them all the ready money that he had.
+
+
+
+
+THE KINGDOMS.
+
+
+There was once a king of Prussia whose name was Frederick William.
+
+On a fine morning in June he went out alone to walk in the green
+woods. He was tired of the noise of the city, and he was glad to get
+away from it.
+
+So, as he walked among the trees, he often stopped to listen to the
+singing birds, or to look at the wild flowers that grew on every side.
+Now and then he stooped to pluck a violet, or a primrose, or a yellow
+but-ter-cup. Soon his hands were full of pretty blossoms.
+
+After a while he came to a little meadow in the midst of the wood.
+Some children were playing there. They were running here and there,
+and gathering the cow-slips that were blooming among the grass.
+
+It made the king glad to see the happy children, and hear their merry
+voices. He stood still for some time, and watched them as they played.
+
+Then he called them around him, and all sat down to-geth-er in the
+pleasant shade. The children did not know who the strange gentleman
+was; but they liked his kind face and gentle manners.
+
+"Now, my little folks," said the king, "I want to ask you some
+ques-tions, and the child who gives the best answer shall have a
+prize."
+
+Then he held up an orange so that all the children could see.
+
+"You know that we all live in the king-dom of Prussia," he said; "but
+tell me, to what king-dom does this orange belong?"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The children were puz-zled. They looked at one another, and sat very
+still for a little while. Then a brave, bright boy spoke up and
+said,--
+
+"It belongs to the veg-e-ta-ble kingdom, sir."
+
+"Why so, my lad?" asked the king.
+
+"It is the fruit of a plant, and all plants belong to that kingdom,"
+said the boy.
+
+The king was pleased. "You are quite right," he said; "and you shall
+have the orange for your prize."
+
+He tossed it gayly to the boy. "Catch it if you can!" he said.
+
+Then he took a yellow gold piece from his pocket, and held it up so
+that it glit-tered in the sunlight.
+
+"Now to what kingdom does this belong?" he asked.
+
+Another bright boy answered quick-ly, "To the min-er-al kingdom, sir!
+All metals belong to that kingdom."
+
+"That is a good answer," said the king. "The gold piece is your
+prize."
+
+The children were de-light-ed. With eager faces they waited to hear
+what the stranger would say next.
+
+"I will ask you only one more question," said the king, "and it is an
+easy one." Then he stood up, and said, "Tell me, my little folks, to
+what kingdom do I belong?"
+
+The bright boys were puz-zled now. Some thought of saying, "To the
+kingdom of Prussia." Some wanted to say, "To the animal kingdom." But
+they were a little afraid, and all kept still.
+
+At last a tiny blue-eyed child looked up into the king's smiling face,
+and said in her simple way,--
+
+"I think to the kingdom of heaven."
+
+King Frederick William stooped down and lifted the little maiden in
+his arms. Tears were in his eyes as he kissed her, and said, "So be
+it, my child! So be it."
+
+
+
+
+THE BARMECIDE FEAST.
+
+
+There was once a rich old man who was called the Bar-me-cide. He lived
+in a beautiful palace in the midst of flowery gardens. He had
+every-thing that heart could wish.
+
+In the same land there was a poor man whose name was Schac-a-bac. His
+clothing was rags, and his food was the scraps which other people had
+thrown away. But he had a light heart, and was as happy as a king.
+
+Once when Schac-a-bac had not had anything to eat for a long time, he
+thought that he would go and ask the Bar-me-cide to help him.
+
+The servant at the door said, "Come in and talk with our master. He
+will not send you away hungry."
+
+Schacabac went in, and passed through many beautiful rooms, looking
+for the Barmecide. At last he came to a grand hall where there were
+soft carpets on the floor, and fine pictures on the walls, and
+pleasant couches to lie down upon.
+
+At the upper end of the room he saw a noble man with a long white
+beard. It was the Barmecide; and poor Schacabac bowed low before him,
+as was the custom in that country.
+
+The Barmecide spoke very kindly, and asked what was wanted.
+
+Schacabac told him about all his troubles, and said that it was now
+two days since he had tasted bread.
+
+"Is it possible?" said the Barmecide. "You must be almost dead with
+hunger; and here I have plenty and to spare!"
+
+Then he turned and called, "Ho, boy! Bring in the water to wash our
+hands, and then order the cook to hurry the supper."
+
+Schacabac had not expected to be treated so kindly. He began to thank
+the rich man.
+
+"Say not a word," said the Barmecide, "but let us get ready for the
+feast."
+
+Then the rich man began to rub his hands as though some one was
+pouring water on them. "Come and wash with me," he said.
+
+Schacabac saw no boy, nor basin, nor water. But he thought that he
+ought to do as he was bidden; and so, like the Barmecide, he made a
+pretense of washing.
+
+"Come now," said the Barmecide, "let us have supper."
+
+He sat down, as if to a table, and pre-tend-ed to be carving a roast.
+Then he said, "Help yourself, my good friend. You said you were
+hungry: so, now, don't be afraid of the food."
+
+Schacabac thought that he un-der-stood the joke, and he made pretense
+of taking food, and passing it to his mouth. Then he began to chew,
+and said, "You see, sir, I lose no time."
+
+"Boy," said the old man, "bring on the roast goose.--Now, my good
+friend, try this choice piece from the breast. And here are sweet
+sauce, honey, raisins, green peas, and dry figs. Help yourself, and
+remember that other good things are coming."
+
+Schacabac was almost dead with hunger, but he was too polite not to do
+as he was bidden.
+
+"Come," said the Barmecide, "have another piece of the roast lamb. Did
+you ever eat anything so de-li-cious?"
+
+"Never in my life," said Schacabac. "Your table is full of good
+things."
+
+"Then eat heartily," said the Barmecide. "You cannot please me
+better."
+
+After this came the des-sert. The Barmecide spoke of sweet-meats and
+fruits; and Schacabac made believe that he was eating them.
+
+"Now is there anything else that you would like?" asked the host.
+
+"Ah, no!" said poor Schacabac. "I have indeed had great plenty."
+
+"Let us drink, then," said the Barmecide. "Boy, bring on the wine!"
+
+"Excuse me, my lord," said Schacabac, "I will drink no wine, for it is
+for-bid-den."
+
+The Barmecide seized him by the hand. "I have long wished to find a
+man like you," he said. "But come, now we will sup in earnest."
+
+He clapped his hands. Servants came, and he ordered supper. Soon they
+sat down to a table loaded with the very dishes of which they had
+pre-tend-ed to eat.
+
+Poor Schacabac had never had so good a meal in all his life. When they
+had fin-ished, and the table had been cleared away, the Barmecide
+said,--
+
+"I have found you to be a man of good un-der-stand-ing. Your wits are
+quick, and you are ready always to make the best of everything. Come
+and live with me, and manage my house."
+
+And so Schacabac lived with the Barmecide many years, and never again
+knew what it was to be hungry.
+
+
+
+
+THE ENDLESS TALE.
+
+
+In the Far East there was a great king who had no work to do. Every
+day, and all day long, he sat on soft cush-ions and lis-tened to
+stories. And no matter what the story was about, he never grew tired
+of hearing it, even though it was very long.
+
+"There is only one fault that I find with your story," he often said:
+"it is too short."
+
+All the story-tellers in the world were in-vit-ed to his palace; and
+some of them told tales that were very long indeed. But the king was
+always sad when a story was ended.
+
+At last he sent word into every city and town and country place,
+offering a prize to any one who should tell him an endless tale. He
+said,--
+
+"To the man that will tell me a story which shall last forever, I will
+give my fairest daugh-ter for his wife; and I will make him my heir,
+and he shall be king after me."
+
+But this was not all. He added a very hard con-di-tion. "If any man
+shall try to tell such a story and then fail, he shall have his head
+cut off."
+
+The king's daughter was very pretty, and there were many young men in
+that country who were willing to do anything to win her. But none of
+them wanted to lose their heads, and so only a few tried for the
+prize.
+
+One young man invented a story that lasted three months; but at the
+end of that time, he could think of nothing more. His fate was a
+warning to others, and it was a long time before another story-teller
+was so rash as to try the king's patience.
+
+But one day a stran-ger from the South came into the palace.
+
+"Great king," he said, "is it true that you offer a prize to the man
+who can tell a story that has no end?"
+
+"It is true," said the king.
+
+"And shall this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and shall
+he be your heir?"
+
+"Yes, if he suc-ceeds," said the king. "But if he fails, he shall lose
+his head."
+
+"Very well, then," said the stran-ger. "I have a pleasant story about
+locusts which I would like to relate."
+
+"Tell it," said the king. "I will listen to you."
+
+The story-teller began his tale.
+
+"Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all the corn in his
+country, and stored it away in a strong gran-a-ry. But a swarm of
+locusts came over the land and saw where the grain had been put. After
+search-ing for many days they found on the east side of the gran-a-ry
+a crev-ice that was just large enough for one locust to pass through
+at a time. So one locust went in and carried away a grain of corn;
+then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn; then
+another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn."
+
+Day after day, week after week, the man kept on saying, "Then another
+locust went in and carried away a grain of corn."
+
+A month passed; a year passed. At the end of two years, the king
+said,--
+
+"How much longer will the locusts be going in and carrying away corn?"
+
+"O king!" said the story-teller, "they have as yet cleared only one
+cubit; and there are many thousand cubits in the granary."
+
+"Man, man!" cried the king, "you will drive me mad. I can listen to it
+no longer. Take my daughter; be my heir; rule my kingdom. But do not
+let me hear another word about those horrible locusts!"
+
+And so the strange story-teller married the king's daughter. And he
+lived happily in the land for many years. But his father-in-law, the
+king, did not care to listen to any more stories.
+
+
+
+
+THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT.
+
+
+There were once six blind men who stood by the road-side every day,
+and begged from the people who passed. They had often heard of
+el-e-phants, but they had never seen one; for, being blind, how could
+they?
+
+It so happened one morning that an el-e-phant was driven down the road
+where they stood. When they were told that the great beast was before
+them, they asked the driver to let him stop so that they might see
+him.
+
+Of course they could not see him with their eyes; but they thought
+that by touching him they could learn just what kind of animal he was.
+
+The first one happened to put his hand on the elephant's side. "Well,
+well!" he said, "now I know all about this beast. He is ex-act-ly like
+a wall."
+
+The second felt only of the elephant's tusk. "My brother," he said,
+"you are mistaken. He is not at all like a wall. He is round and
+smooth and sharp. He is more like a spear than anything else."
+
+The third happened to take hold of the elephant's trunk. "Both of you
+are wrong," he said. "Anybody who knows anything can see that this
+elephant is like a snake."
+
+The fourth reached out his arms, and grasped one of the elephant's
+legs. "Oh, how blind you are!" he said. "It is very plain to me that
+he is round and tall like a tree."
+
+The fifth was a very tall man, and he chanced to take hold of the
+elephant's ear. "The blind-est man ought to know that this beast is
+not like any of the things that you name," he said. "He is ex-act-ly
+like a huge fan."
+
+The sixth was very blind indeed, and it was some time before he could
+find the elephant at all. At last he seized the animal's tail. "O
+foolish fellows!" he cried. "You surely have lost your senses. This
+elephant is not like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree;
+neither is he like a fan. But any man with a par-ti-cle of sense can
+see that he is exactly like a rope."
+
+Then the elephant moved on, and the six blind men sat by the roadside
+all day, and quar-reled about him. Each believed that he knew just how
+the animal looked; and each called the others hard names because they
+did not agree with him. People who have eyes sometimes act as
+foolishly.
+
+
+
+
+MAXIMILIAN AND THE GOOSE BOY.
+
+
+One summer day King Max-i-mil'ian of Ba-va'ri-a was walking in the
+country. The sun shone hot, and he stopped under a tree to rest.
+
+It was very pleasant in the cool shade. The king lay down on the soft
+grass, and looked up at the white clouds sailing across the sky. Then
+he took a little book from his pocket and tried to read.
+
+But the king could not keep his mind on his book. Soon his eyes
+closed, and he was fast asleep.
+
+It was past noon when he awoke. He got up from his grassy bed, and
+looked around. Then he took his cane in his hand, and started for
+home.
+
+When he had walked a mile or more, he happened to think of his book.
+He felt for it in his pocket. It was not there. He had left it under
+the tree.
+
+The king was already quite tired, and he did not like to walk back so
+far. But he did not wish to lose the book. What should he do?
+
+If there was only some one to send for it!
+
+While he was thinking, he happened to see a little bare-foot-ed boy in
+the open field near the road. He was tending a large flock of geese
+that were picking the short grass, and wading in a shallow brook.
+
+The king went toward the boy. He held a gold piece in his hand.
+
+"My boy," he said, "how would you like to have this piece of money?"
+
+"I would like it," said the boy; "but I never hope to have so much."
+
+"You shall have it if you will run back to the oak tree at the second
+turning of the road, and fetch me the book that I left there."
+
+The king thought that the boy would be pleased. But not so. He turned
+away, and said, "I am not so silly as you think."
+
+"What do you mean?" said the king. "Who says that you are silly?"
+
+"Well," said the boy, "you think that I am silly enough to believe
+that you will give me that gold piece for running a mile, and
+fetch-ing you a book. You can't catch me."
+
+"But if I give it to you now, perhaps you will believe me," said the
+king; and he put the gold piece into the little fellow's hand.
+
+The boy's eyes spar-kled; but he did not move.
+
+"What is the matter now?" said the king. "Won't you go?"
+
+The boy said, "I would like to go; but I can't leave the geese. They
+will stray away, and then I shall be blamed for it."
+
+[Illustration: "Crack the whip!"]
+
+"Oh, I will tend them while you are away," said the king.
+
+The boy laughed. "I should like to see you tending them!" he said.
+"Why, they would run away from you in a minute."
+
+"Only let me try," said the king.
+
+At last the boy gave the king his whip, and started off. He had gone
+but a little way, when he turned and came back.
+
+"What is the matter now?" said Max-i-mil-ian.
+
+"Crack the whip!"
+
+The king tried to do as he was bidden, but he could not make a sound.
+
+"I thought as much," said the boy. "You don't know how to do
+anything."
+
+Then he took the whip, and gave the king lessons in whip cracking.
+"Now you see how it is done," he said, as he handed it back. "If the
+geese try to run away, crack it loud."
+
+The king laughed. He did his best to learn his lesson; and soon the
+boy again started off on his errand.
+
+Maximilian sat down on a stone, and laughed at the thought of being a
+goose-herd. But the geese missed their master at once. With a great
+cac-kling and hissing they went, half flying, half running, across the
+meadow.
+
+The king ran after them, but he could not run fast. He tried to crack
+the whip, but it was of no use. The geese were soon far away. What was
+worse, they had gotten into a garden, and were feeding on the tender
+veg-e-ta-bles.
+
+A few minutes after-ward, the goose boy came back with the book.
+
+"Just as I thought," he said. "I have found the book, and you have
+lost the geese."
+
+"Never mind," said the king, "I will help you get them again."
+
+"Well, then, run around that way, and stand by the brook while I drive
+them out of the garden."
+
+The king did as he was told. The boy ran forward with his whip, and
+after a great deal of shouting and scolding, the geese were driven
+back into the meadow.
+
+"I hope you will pardon me for not being a better goose-herd," said
+Maximilian; "but, as I am a king, I am not used to such work."
+
+"A king, indeed!" said the boy. "I was very silly to leave the geese
+with you. But I am not so silly as to believe that you are a king."
+
+"Very well," said Maximilian, with a smile; "here is another gold
+piece, and now let us be friends."
+
+The boy took the gold, and thanked the giver. He looked up into the
+king's face and said,--
+
+"You are a very kind man, and I think you might be a good king; but if
+you were to try all your life, you would never be a good gooseherd."
+
+
+
+
+THE INCHCAPE ROCK.
+
+
+In the North Sea there is a great rock called the Inch-cape Rock. It
+is twelve miles from any land, and is covered most of the time with
+water.
+
+Many boats and ships have been wrecked on that rock; for it is so near
+the top of the water that no vessel can sail over it without striking
+it.
+
+More than a hundred years ago there lived not far away a kind-heart-ed
+man who was called the Abbot of Ab-er-broth-ock.
+
+"It is a pity," he said, "that so many brave sailors should lose their
+lives on that hidden rock."
+
+So the abbot caused a buoy to be fastened to the rock. The buoy
+floated back and forth in the shallow water. A strong chain kept it
+from floating away.
+
+On the top of the buoy the abbot placed a bell; and when the waves
+dashed against it, the bell would ring out loud and clear.
+
+Sailors, now, were no longer afraid to cross the sea at that place.
+When they heard the bell ringing, they knew just where the rock was,
+and they steered their vessels around it.
+
+"God bless the good Abbot of Ab-er-broth-ock!" they all said.
+
+One calm summer day, a ship with a black flag happened to sail not far
+from the Inch-cape Rock. The ship belonged to a sea robber called
+Ralph the Rover; and she was a terror to all honest people both on sea
+and shore.
+
+There was but little wind that day, and the sea was as smooth as
+glass. The ship stood almost still; there was hardly a breath of air
+to fill her sails.
+
+Ralph the Rover was walking on the deck. He looked out upon the glassy
+sea. He saw the buoy floating above the Inchcape Rock. It looked like
+a big black speck upon the water. But the bell was not ringing that
+day. There were no waves to set it in motion.
+
+"Boys!" cried Ralph the Rover; "put out the boat, and row me to the
+Inchcape Rock. We will play a trick on the old abbot."
+
+The boat was low-ered. Strong arms soon rowed it to the Inchcape Rock.
+Then the robber, with a heavy ax, broke the chain that held the buoy.
+
+He cut the fas-ten-ings of the bell. It fell into the water. There
+was a gur-gling sound as it sank out of sight.
+
+"The next one that comes this way will not bless the abbot," said
+Ralph the Rover.
+
+Soon a breeze sprang up, and the black ship sailed away. The sea
+robber laughed as he looked back and saw that there was nothing to
+mark the place of the hidden rock.
+
+For many days, Ralph the Rover scoured the seas, and many were the
+ships that he plun-dered. At last he chanced to sail back toward the
+place from which he had started.
+
+The wind had blown hard all day. The waves rolled high. The ship was
+moving swiftly. But in the evening the wind died away, and a thick fog
+came on.
+
+Ralph the Rover walked the deck. He could not see where the ship was
+going. "If the fog would only clear away!" he said.
+
+"I thought I heard the roar of breakers," said the pilot. "We must be
+near the shore."
+
+"I cannot tell," said Ralph the Rover; "but I think we are not far
+from the Inchcape Rock. I wish we could hear the good abbot's bell."
+
+The next moment there was a great crash. "It is the Inchcape Rock!"
+the sailors cried, as the ship gave a lurch to one side, and began to
+sink.
+
+"Oh, what a wretch am I!" cried Ralph the Rover. "This is what comes
+of the joke that I played on the good abbot!"
+
+What was it that he heard as the waves rushed over him? Was it the
+abbot's bell, ringing for him far down at the bottom of the sea?
+
+
+
+
+WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.
+
+I. THE CITY.
+
+
+There was once a little boy whose name was Richard Whit'ting-ton; but
+everybody called him Dick. His father and mother had died when he was
+only a babe, and the people who had the care of him were very poor.
+Dick was not old enough to work, and so he had a hard time of it
+indeed. Sometimes he had no break-fast, and sometimes he had no
+dinner; and he was glad at any time to get a crust of bread or a drop
+of milk.
+
+Now, in the town where Dick lived, the people liked to talk about
+London. None of them had ever been to the great city, but they seemed
+to know all about the wonderful things which were to be seen there.
+They said that all the folks who lived in London were fine gen-tle-men
+and ladies; that there was singing and music there all day long; that
+nobody was ever hungry there, and nobody had to work; and that the
+streets were all paved with gold.
+
+Dick listened to these stories, and wished that he could go to London.
+
+One day a big wagon drawn by eight horses, all with bells on their
+heads, drove into the little town. Dick saw the wagon standing by the
+inn, and he thought that it must be going to the fine city of London.
+
+When the driver came out and was ready to start, the lad ran up and
+asked him if he might walk by the side of the wagon. The driver asked
+him some questions; and when he learned how poor Dick was, and that he
+had neither father nor mother, he told him that he might do as he
+liked.
+
+It was a long walk for the little lad; but by and by he came to the
+city of London. He was in such a hurry to see the wonderful sights,
+that he forgot to thank the driver of the wagon. He ran as fast as he
+could, from one street to another, trying to find those that were
+paved with gold. He had once seen a piece of money that was gold, and
+he knew that it would buy a great, great many things; and now he
+thought that if he could get only a little bit of the pave-ment, he
+would have everything that he wanted.
+
+Poor Dick ran till he was so tired that he could run no farther. It
+was growing dark, and in every street there was only dirt instead of
+gold. He sat down in a dark corner, and cried himself to sleep.
+
+When he woke up the next morning, he was very hungry; but there was
+not even a crust of bread for him to eat. He forgot all about the
+golden pavements, and thought only of food. He walked about from one
+street to another, and at last grew so hungry that he began to ask
+those whom he met to give him a penny to buy something to eat.
+
+"Go to work, you idle fellow," said some of them; and the rest passed
+him by without even looking at him.
+
+"I wish I could go to work!" said Dick.
+
+II. THE KITCHEN.
+
+By and by Dick grew so faint and tired that he could go no farther. He
+sat down by the door of a fine house, and wished that he was back
+again in the little town where he was born. The cook-maid, who was
+just getting dinner, saw him, and called out,--
+
+"What are you doing there, you little beggar? If you don't get away
+quick, I'll throw a panful of hot dish-water over you. Then I guess
+you will jump."
+
+Just at that time the master of the house, whose name was Mr.
+Fitz-war'ren, came home to dinner. When he saw the ragged little
+fellow at his door, he said,--
+
+"My lad, what are you doing here? I am afraid you are a lazy fellow,
+and that you want to live without work."
+
+"No, indeed!" said Dick. "I would like to work, if I could find
+anything to do. But I do not know anybody in this town, and I have not
+had anything to eat for a long time."
+
+"Poor little fellow!" said Mr. Fitz-war-ren. "Come in, and I will see
+what I can do for you." And he ordered the cook to give the lad a good
+dinner, and then to find some light work for him to do.
+
+Little Dick would have been very happy in the new home which he had
+thus found, if it had not been for the cross cook. She would often
+say,--
+
+"You are my boy now, and so you must do as I tell you. Look sharp
+there! Make the fires, carry out the ashes, wash these dishes, sweep
+the floor, bring in the wood! Oh, what a lazy fellow you are!" And
+then she would box his ears, or beat him with the broom-stick.
+
+At last, little Alice, his master's daughter, saw how he was treated,
+and she told the cook she would be turned off if she was not kinder to
+the lad. After that, Dick had an eas-i-er time of it; but his
+troubles were not over yet, by any means.
+
+His bed was in a garret at the top of the house, far away from the
+rooms where the other people slept. There were many holes in the floor
+and walls, and every night a great number of rats and mice came in.
+They tor-ment-ed Dick so much, that he did not know what to do.
+
+One day a gentleman gave him a penny for cleaning his shoes, and he
+made up his mind that he would buy a cat with it. The very next
+morning he met a girl who was car-ry-ing a cat in her arms.
+
+"I will give you a penny for that cat," he said.
+
+"All right," the girl said. "You may have her, and you will find that
+she is a good mouser too."
+
+Dick hid his cat in the garret, and every day he carried a part of his
+dinner to her. It was not long before she had driven all the rats and
+mice away; and then Dick could sleep soundly every night.
+
+III. THE VENTURE.
+
+Some time after that, a ship that belonged to Mr. Fitzwarren was about
+to start on a voyage across the sea. It was loaded with goods which
+were to be sold in lands far away. Mr. Fitzwarren wanted to give his
+servants a chance for good fortune too, and so he called all of them
+into the parlor, and asked if they had anything they would like to
+send out in the ship for trade.
+
+Every one had something to send,--every one but Dick; and as he had
+neither money nor goods, he staid in the kitchen, and did not come in
+with the rest. Little Alice guessed why he did not come, and so she
+said to her papa,--
+
+"Poor Dick ought to have a chance too. Here is some money out of my
+own purse that you may put in for him."
+
+"No, no, my child!" said Mr. Fitzwarren. "He must risk something of
+his own." And then he called very loud, "Here, Dick! What are you
+going to send out on the ship?"
+
+Dick heard him, and came into the room.
+
+"I have nothing in the world," he said, "but a cat which I bought some
+time ago for a penny."
+
+"Fetch your cat, then, my lad," said Mr. Fitzwarren, "and let her go
+out. Who knows but that she will bring you some profit?"
+
+Dick, with tears in his eyes, carried poor puss down to the ship, and
+gave her to the captain. Everybody laughed at his queer venture; but
+little Alice felt sorry for him, and gave him money to buy another
+cat.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+After that, the cook was worse than before. She made fun of him for
+sending his cat to sea. "Do you think," she would say, "that puss will
+sell for enough money to buy a stick to beat you?"
+
+At last Dick could not stand her abuse any longer, and he made up his
+mind to go back to his old home in the little country town. So, very
+early in the morning on All-hal-lows Day, he started. He walked as far
+as the place called Hol-lo-way, and there he sat down on a stone,
+which to this day is called "Whit-ting-ton's Stone."
+
+As he sat there very sad, and wondering which way he should go, he
+heard the bells on Bow Church, far away, ringing out a merry chime. He
+listened. They seemed to say to him,--
+
+     "Turn again, Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London."
+
+"Well, well!" he said to himself. "I would put up with almost
+anything, to be Lord Mayor of London when I am a man, and to ride in a
+fine coach! I think I will go back and let the old cook cuff and scold
+as much as she pleases."
+
+Dick did go back, and he was lucky enough to get into the kitchen, and
+set about his work, before the cook came down-stairs to get
+break-fast.
+
+IV. THE CAT.
+
+Mr. Fitzwarren's ship made a long voyage, and at last reached a
+strange land on the other side of the sea. The people had never seen
+any white men before, and they came in great crowds to buy the fine
+things with which the ship was loaded. The captain wanted very much to
+trade with the king of the country; and it was not long before the
+king sent word for him to come to the palace and see him.
+
+The captain did so. He was shown into a beautiful room, and given a
+seat on a rich carpet all flow-ered with silver and gold. The king and
+queen were seated not far away; and soon a number of dishes were
+brought in for dinner.
+
+They had hardly begun to eat when an army of rats and mice rushed in,
+and de-voured all the meat before any one could hinder them. The
+captain wondered at this, and asked if it was not very un-pleas-ant to
+have so many rats and mice about.
+
+"Oh, yes!" was the answer. "It is indeed un-pleas-ant; and the king
+would give half his treas-ure if he could get rid of them."
+
+The captain jumped for joy. He remembered the cat which little
+Whittington had sent out; and he told the king that he had a little
+creature on board his ship which would make short work of the pests.
+
+Then it was the king's turn to jump for joy; and he jumped so high,
+that his yellow cap, or turban, dropped off his head.
+
+"Bring the creature to me," he said. "If she will do what you say, I
+will load your ship with gold."
+
+The captain made believe that he would be very sorry to part with the
+cat; but at last he went down to the ship to get her, while the king
+and queen made haste to have another dinner made ready.
+
+The captain, with puss under his arm, reached the palace just in time
+to see the table crowded with rats. The cat leaped out upon them, and
+oh! what havoc she did make among the trou-ble-some creatures! Most of
+them were soon stretched dead upon the floor, while the rest
+scam-pered away to their holes, and did not dare to come out again.
+
+The king had never been so glad in his life; and the queen asked that
+the creature which had done such wonders should be brought to her. The
+captain called, "Pussy, pussy, pussy!" and the cat came up and rubbed
+against his legs. He picked her up, and offered her to the queen; but
+at first the queen was afraid to touch her.
+
+However, the captain stroked the cat, and called, "Pussy, pussy,
+pussy!" and then the queen ventured to touch her. She could only say,
+"Putty, putty, putty!" for she had not learned to talk English. The
+captain then put the cat down on the queen's lap, where she purred and
+purred until she went to sleep.
+
+The king would not have missed getting the cat now for the world. He
+at once made a bargain with the captain for all the goods on board the
+ship; and then he gave him ten times as much for the cat as all the
+rest came to.
+
+The captain was very glad. He bade the king and queen good-by, and the
+very next day set sail for England.
+
+V. THE FORTUNE.
+
+One morning Mr. Fitzwarren was sitting at his desk in his office. He
+heard some one tap softly at his door, and he said,--
+
+"Who's there?"
+
+"A friend," was the answer. "I have come to bring you news of your
+ship 'U-ni-corn.'"
+
+Mr. Fitzwarren jumped up quickly, and opened the door. Whom should he
+see waiting there but the captain, with a bill of lading in one hand
+and a box of jewels in the other? He was so full of joy that he lifted
+up his eyes, and thanked Heaven for sending him such good fortune.
+
+The captain soon told the story of the cat; and then he showed the
+rich present which the king and queen had sent to poor Dick in payment
+for her. As soon as the good gentleman heard this, he called out to
+his servants,--
+
+     "Go send him in, and tell him of his fame; Pray call him Mr.
+     Whittington by name."
+
+Some of the men who stood by said that so great a present ought not to
+be given to a mere boy; but Mr. Fitzwarren frowned upon them.
+
+"It is his own," he said, "and I will not hold back one penny from
+him."
+
+Dick was scouring the pots when word was brought to him that he should
+go to the office.
+
+"Oh, I am so dirty!" he said, "and my shoes are full of hob-nails."
+But he was told to make haste.
+
+Mr. Fitzwarren ordered a chair to be set for him, and then the lad
+began to think that they were making fun of him.
+
+"I beg that you won't play tricks with a poor boy like me," he said.
+"Please let me go back to my work."
+
+"Mr. Whittington," said Mr. Fitzwarren, "this is no joke at all. The
+captain has sold your cat, and has brought you, in return for her,
+more riches than I have in the whole world."
+
+Then he opened the box of jewels, and showed Dick his treasures.
+
+The poor boy did not know what to do. He begged his master to take a
+part of it; but Mr. Fitzwarren said, "No, it is all your own; and I
+feel sure that you will make good use of it."
+
+Dick then offered some of his jewels to his mistress and little Alice.
+They thanked him, and told him that they felt great joy at his good
+luck, but wished him to keep his riches for himself.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+But he was too kind-heart-ed to keep everything for himself. He gave
+nice presents to the cap-tain and the sailors, and to the servants in
+Mr. Fitz-warren's house. He even remembered the cross old cook.
+
+After that, Whittington's face was washed, and his hair curled, and he
+was dressed in a nice suit of clothes; and then he was as handsome a
+young man as ever walked the streets of London.
+
+Some time after that, there was a fine wedding at the finest church in
+London; and Miss Alice became the wife of Mr. Richard Whittington. And
+the lord mayor was there, and the great judges, and the sher-iffs, and
+many rich mer-chants; and everybody was very happy.
+
+And Richard Whittington became a great merchant, and was one of the
+foremost men in London. He was sheriff of the city, and thrice lord
+mayor; and King Henry V. made him a knight.
+
+He built the famous prison of New-gate in London. On the arch-way in
+front of the prison was a figure, cut in stone, of Sir Richard
+Whittington and his cat; and for three hundred years this figure was
+shown to all who visited London.
+
+
+
+
+CASABIANCA.
+
+
+There was a great battle at sea. One could hear nothing but the roar
+of the big guns. The air was filled with black smoke. The water was
+strewn with broken masts and pieces of timber which the cannon balls
+had knocked from the ships. Many men had been killed, and many more
+had been wounded.
+
+The flag-ship had taken fire. The flames were breaking out from below.
+The deck was all ablaze. The men who were left alive made haste to
+launch a small boat. They leaped into it, and rowed swiftly away. Any
+other place was safer now than on board of that burning ship. There
+was powder in the hold.
+
+But the captain's son, young Ca-sa-bi-an'ca, still stood upon the
+deck. The flames were almost all around him now; but he would not stir
+from his post. His father had bidden him stand there, and he had been
+taught always to obey. He trusted in his father's word, and be-lieved
+that when the right time came he would tell him to go.
+
+He saw the men leap into the boat. He heard them call to him to come.
+He shook his head.
+
+"When father bids me, I will go," he said.
+
+And now the flames were leaping up the masts. The sails were all
+ablaze. The fire blew hot upon his cheek. It scorched his hair. It was
+before him, behind him, all around him.
+
+"O father!" he cried, "may I not go now? The men have all left the
+ship. Is it not time that we too should leave it?"
+
+He did not know that his father was lying in the burning cabin below,
+that a cannon ball had struck him dead at the very be-gin-ning of the
+fight. He listened to hear his answer.
+
+"Speak louder, father!" he cried. "I cannot hear what you say."
+
+Above the roaring of the flames, above the crashing of the falling
+spars, above the booming of the guns, he fancied that his father's
+voice came faintly to him through the scorching air.
+
+"I am here, father! Speak once again!" he gasped.
+
+But what is that?
+
+A great flash of light fills the air; clouds of smoke shoot quickly
+upward to the sky; and--
+
+"Boom!"
+
+Oh, what a ter-rif-ic sound! Louder than thunder, louder than the roar
+of all the guns! The air quivers; the sea itself trembles; the sky is
+black.
+
+The blazing ship is seen no more.
+
+There was powder in the hold!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A long time ago a lady, whose name was Mrs. Hemans, wrote a poem about
+this brave boy Ca-sa-bi-an-ca. It is not a very well written poem, and
+yet everybody has read it, and thousands of people have learned it by
+heart. I doubt not but that some day you too will read it. It begins
+in this way:--
+
+    "The boy stood on the burning deck
+      Whence all but him had fled;
+    The flame that lit the battle's wreck
+      Shone round him o'er the dead.
+
+    "Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
+      As born to rule the storm--
+    A creature of heroic blood,
+      A proud though childlike form."
+
+
+
+
+ANTONIO CANOVA.
+
+
+A good many years ago there lived in Italy a little boy whose name was
+An-to'ni-o Ca-no'va. He lived with his grand-fa-ther, for his own
+father was dead. His grand-fa-ther was a stone-cut-ter, and he was
+very poor.
+
+An-to-ni-o was a puny lad, and not strong enough to work. He did not
+care to play with the other boys of the town. But he liked to go with
+his grandfather to the stone-yard. While the old man was busy, cutting
+and trimming the great blocks of stone, the lad would play among the
+chips. Sometimes he would make a little statue of soft clay; sometimes
+he would take hammer and chisel, and try to cut a statue from a piece
+of rock. He showed so much skill that his grandfather was de-light-ed.
+
+"The boy will be a sculp-tor some day," he said.
+
+Then when they went home in the evening, the grand-moth-er would say,
+"What have you been doing to-day, my little sculp-tor?"
+
+And she would take him upon her lap and sing to him, or tell him
+stories that filled his mind with pictures of wonderful and beautiful
+things. And the next day, when he went back to the stone-yard, he
+would try to make some of those pictures in stone or clay.
+
+There lived in the same town a rich man who was called the Count.
+Sometimes the Count would have a grand dinner, and his rich friends
+from other towns would come to visit him. Then Antonio's grandfather
+would go up to the Count's house to help with the work in the kitchen;
+for he was a fine cook as well as a good stone-cut-ter.
+
+It happened one day that Antonio went with his grandfather to the
+Count's great house. Some people from the city were coming, and there
+was to be a grand feast. The boy could not cook, and he was not old
+enough to wait on the table; but he could wash the pans and kettles,
+and as he was smart and quick, he could help in many other ways.
+
+All went well until it was time to spread the table for dinner. Then
+there was a crash in the dining room, and a man rushed into the
+kitchen with some pieces of marble in his hands. He was pale, and
+trembling with fright.
+
+"What shall I do? What shall I do?" he cried. "I have broken the
+statue that was to stand at the center of the table. I cannot make the
+table look pretty without the statue. What will the Count say?"
+
+And now all the other servants were in trouble. Was the dinner to be a
+failure after all? For everything de-pend-ed on having the table
+nicely arranged. The Count would be very angry.
+
+"Ah, what shall we do?" they all asked.
+
+Then little Antonio Ca-no-va left his pans and kettles, and went up to
+the man who had caused the trouble.
+
+"If you had another statue, could you arrange the table?" he asked.
+
+"Cer-tain-ly," said the man; "that is, if the statue were of the right
+length and height."
+
+"Will you let me try to make one?" asked Anto-nio "Perhaps I can make
+something that will do."
+
+The man laughed.
+
+"Non-sense!" he cried. "Who are you, that you talk of making statues
+on an hour's notice?"
+
+"I am Antonio Canova," said the lad.
+
+"Let the boy try what he can do," said the servants, who knew him.
+
+And so, since nothing else could be done, the man allowed him to try.
+
+On the kitchen table there was a large square lump of yellow butter.
+Two hundred pounds the lump weighed, and it had just come in, fresh
+and clean, from the dairy on the mountain. With a kitchen knife in his
+hand, Antonio began to cut and carve this butter. In a few minutes he
+had molded it into the shape of a crouching lion; and all the servants
+crowded around to see it.
+
+"How beautiful!" they cried. "It is a great deal pret-ti-er than the
+statue that was broken."
+
+When it was finished, the man carried it to its place.
+
+"The table will be hand-som-er by half than I ever hoped to make it,"
+he said.
+
+When the Count and his friends came in to dinner, the first thing they
+saw was the yellow lion.
+
+"What a beautiful work of art!" they cried. "None but a very great
+artist could ever carve such a figure; and how odd that he should
+choose to make it of butter!" And then they asked the Count to tell
+them the name of the artist.
+
+[Illustration: "The servants crowded around to see it."]
+
+"Truly, my friends," he said, "this is as much of a surprise to me as
+to you." And then he called to his head servant, and asked him where
+he had found so wonderful a statue.
+
+"It was carved only an hour ago by a little boy in the kitchen," said
+the servant.
+
+This made the Count's friends wonder still more; and the Count bade
+the servant call the boy into the room.
+
+"My lad," he said, "you have done a piece of work of which the
+greatest artists would be proud. What is your name, and who is your
+teacher?"
+
+"My name is Antonio Canova," said the boy, "and I have had no teacher
+but my grandfather the stonecutter."
+
+By this time all the guests had crowded around Antonio. There were
+famous artists among them, and they knew that the lad was a genius.
+They could not say enough in praise of his work; and when at last they
+sat down at the table, nothing would please them but that Antonio
+should have a seat with them; and the dinner was made a feast in his
+honor.
+
+The very next day the Count sent for Antonio to come and live with
+him. The best artists in the land were em-ployed to teach him the art
+in which he had shown so much skill; but now, instead of carving
+butter, he chis-eled marble. In a few years, Antonio Canova became
+known as one of the greatest sculptors in the world.
+
+
+
+
+PICCIOLA.
+
+
+Many years ago there was a poor gentleman shut up in one of the great
+prisons of France. His name was Char-ney, and he was very sad and
+un-hap-py. He had been put into prison wrong-ful-ly, and it seemed to
+him as though there was no one in the world who cared for him.
+
+He could not read, for there were no books in the prison. He was not
+allowed to have pens or paper, and so he could not write. The time
+dragged slowly by. There was nothing that he could do to make the days
+seem shorter. His only pastime was walking back and forth in the paved
+prison yard. There was no work to be done, no one to talk with.
+
+One fine morning in spring, Char-ney was taking his walk in the yard.
+He was counting the paving stones, as he had done a thousand times
+before. All at once he stopped. What had made that little mound of
+earth between two of the stones?
+
+He stooped down to see. A seed of some kind had fallen between the
+stones. It had sprouted; and now a tiny green leaf was pushing its way
+up out of the ground. Charney was about to crush it with his foot,
+when he saw that there was a kind of soft coating over the leaf.
+
+"Ah!" said he. "This coating is to keep it safe. I must not harm it."
+And he went on with his walk.
+
+The next day he almost stepped upon the plant before he thought of it.
+He stooped to look at it. There were two leaves now, and the plant was
+much stronger and greener than it was the day before. He staid by it a
+long time, looking at all its parts.
+
+Every morning after that, Charney went at once to his little plant. He
+wanted to see if it had been chilled by the cold, or scorched by the
+sun. He wanted to see how much it had grown.
+
+One day as he was looking from his window, he saw the jailer go across
+the yard. The man brushed so close to the little plant, that it seemed
+as though he would crush it. Charney trembled from head to foot.
+
+"O my Pic-cio-la!" he cried.
+
+When the jailer came to bring his food, he begged the grim fellow to
+spare his little plant. He expected that the man would laugh at him;
+but al-though a jailer, he had a kind heart.
+
+"Do you think that I would hurt your little plant?" he said. "No,
+indeed! It would have been dead long ago, if I had not seen that you
+thought so much of it."
+
+"That is very good of you, indeed," said Char-ney. He felt half
+ashamed at having thought the jailer unkind.
+
+Every day he watched Pic-cio-la, as he had named the plant. Every day
+it grew larger and more beautiful. But once it was almost broken by
+the huge feet of the jailer's dog. Charney's heart sank within him.
+
+"Picciola must have a house," he said. "I will see if I can make one."
+
+So, though the nights were chilly, he took, day by day, some part of
+the firewood that was allowed him, and with this he built a little
+house around the plant.
+
+The plant had a thousand pretty ways which he noticed. He saw how it
+always bent a little toward the sun; he saw how the flowers folded
+their petals before a storm.
+
+He had never thought of such things before, and yet he had often seen
+whole gardens of flowers in bloom.
+
+One day, with soot and water he made some ink; he spread out his
+hand-ker-chief for paper; he used a sharp-ened stick for a pen--and
+all for what? He felt that he must write down the doings of his little
+pet. He spent all his time with the plant.
+
+"See my lord and my lady!" the jailer would say when he saw them.
+
+As the summer passed by, Picciola grew more lovely every day. There
+were no fewer than thirty blossoms on its stem.
+
+But one sad morning it began to droop. Charney did not know what to
+do. He gave it water, but still it drooped. The leaves were
+with-er-ing. The stones of the prison yard would not let the plant
+live.
+
+Charney knew that there was but one way to save his treasure. Alas!
+how could he hope that it might be done? The stones must be taken up
+at once.
+
+But this was a thing which the jailer dared not do. The rules of the
+prison were strict, and no stone must be moved. Only the highest
+officers in the land could have such a thing done.
+
+Poor Charney could not sleep. Picciola must die. Already the flowers
+had with-ered; the leaves would soon fall from the stem.
+
+Then a new thought came to Charney. He would ask the great Napoleon,
+the em-per-or himself, to save his plant.
+
+It was a hard thing for Charney to do,--to ask a favor of the man whom
+he hated, the man who had shut him up in this very prison. But for the
+sake of Picciola he would do it.
+
+He wrote his little story on his hand-ker-chief. Then he gave it into
+the care of a young girl, who promised to carry it to Napoleon. Ah! if
+the poor plant would only live a few days longer!
+
+What a long journey that was for the young girl! What a long, dreary
+waiting it was for Charney and Picciola!
+
+But at last news came to the prison. The stones were to be taken up.
+Picciola was saved!
+
+The em-per-or's kind wife had heard the story of Charney's care for
+the plant. She saw the handkerchief on which he had written of its
+pretty ways.
+
+"Surely," she said, "it can do us no good to keep such a man in
+prison."
+
+And so, at last, Charney was set free. Of course he was no longer sad
+and un-lov-ing. He saw how God had cared for him and the little plant,
+and how kind and true are the hearts of even rough men. And he
+cher-ished Picciola as a dear, loved friend whom he could never
+forget.
+
+
+
+
+MIGNON.
+
+
+Here is the story of Mignon as I remember having read it in a famous
+old book.
+
+A young man named Wil-helm was staying at an inn in the city. One day
+as he was going up-stairs he met a little girl coming down. He would
+have taken her for a boy, if it had not been for the long curls of
+black hair wound about her head. As she ran by, he caught her in his
+arms and asked her to whom she belonged. He felt sure that she must be
+one of the rope-dan-cers who had just come to the inn. She gave him a
+sharp, dark look, slipped out of his arms, and ran away without
+speaking.
+
+The next time he saw her, Wil-helm spoke to her again.
+
+"Do not be afraid of me, little one," he said kindly. "What is your
+name?"
+
+"They call me Mignon," said the child.
+
+"How old are you?" he asked.
+
+"No one has counted," the child an-swered.
+
+Wilhelm went on; but he could not help wondering about the child, and
+thinking of her dark eyes and strange ways.
+
+One day not long after that, there was a great outcry among the crowd
+that was watching the rope-dan-cers. Wilhelm went down to find out
+what was the matter. He saw that the master of the dancers was beating
+little Mignon with a stick. He ran and held the man by the collar.
+
+"Let the child alone!" he cried. "If you touch her again, one of us
+shall never leave this spot."
+
+The man tried to get loose; but Wilhelm held him fast. The child crept
+away, and hid herself in the crowd.
+
+"Pay me what her clothes cost," cried the ropedancer at last, "and you
+may take her."
+
+As soon as all was quiet, Wilhelm went to look for Mignon; for she now
+belonged to him. But he could not find her, and it was not until the
+ropedancers had left the town that she came to him.
+
+"Where have you been?" asked Wilhelm in his kindest tones; but the
+child did not speak.
+
+"You are to live with me now, and you must be a good child," he said.
+
+"I will try," said Mignon gently.
+
+From that time she tried to do all that she could for Wilhelm and his
+friends. She would let no one wait on him but herself. She was often
+seen going to a basin of water to wash from her face the paint with
+which the ropedancers had red-dened her cheeks: indeed, she nearly
+rubbed off the skin in trying to wash away its fine brown tint, which
+she thought was some deep dye.
+
+Mignon grew more lovely every day. She never walked up and down the
+stairs, but jumped. She would spring along by the railing, and before
+you knew it, would be sitting quietly above on the landing.
+
+To each one she would speak in a different way. To Wilhelm it was with
+her arms crossed upon her breast. Often for a whole day she would not
+say one word, and yet in waiting upon Wilhelm she never tired.
+
+One night he came home very weary and sad. Mignon was waiting for him.
+She carried the light before him up-stairs. She set the light down
+upon the table, and in a little while she asked him if she might
+dance.
+
+"It might ease your heart a little," she said.
+
+Wilhelm, to please her, told her that she might.
+
+Then she brought a little carpet, and spread it upon the floor. At
+each corner she placed a candle, and on the carpet she put a number of
+eggs. She arranged the eggs in the form of certain figures. When this
+was done, she called to a man who was waiting with a violin. She tied
+a band about her eyes, and then the dancing began.
+
+[Illustration: "And then the dancing began."]
+
+How lightly, quickly, nimbly, wonderfully, she moved! She skipped so
+fast among the eggs, she trod so closely beside them, that you would
+have thought she must crush them all. But not one of them did she
+touch. With all kinds of steps she passed among them. Not one of them
+was moved from its place.
+
+Wilhelm forgot all his cares. He watched every motion of the child. He
+almost forgot who and where he was.
+
+When the dance was ended, Mignon rolled the eggs together with her
+foot into a little heap. Not one was left behind, not one was harmed.
+Then she took the band from her eyes, and made a little bow.
+
+Wilhelm thanked her for showing him a dance that was so wonderful and
+pretty. He praised her, petted her, and hoped that she had not tired
+herself too much.
+
+When she had gone from the room, the man with the violin told Wilhelm
+of the care she had taken to teach him the music of the dance. He told
+how she had sung it to him over and over again. He told how she had
+even wished to pay him with her own money for learning to play it for
+her.
+
+There was yet another way in which Mignon tried to please Wilhelm, and
+make him forget his cares. She sang to him.
+
+The song which he liked best was one whose words he had never heard
+before. Its music, too, was strange to him, and yet it pleased him
+very much. He asked her to speak the words over and over again. He
+wrote them down; but the sweetness of the tune was more delightful
+than the words. The song began in this way:--
+
+     "Do you know the land where citrons, lemons, grow,
+      And oranges under the green leaves glow?"
+
+Once, when she had ended the song, she said again, "Do you know the
+land?"
+
+"It must be Italy," said Wilhelm. "Have you ever been there?"
+
+The child did not answer.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Fifty Famous Stories Retold, by James Baldwin
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIFTY FAMOUS STORIES RETOLD ***
+
+***** This file should be named 18442.txt or 18442.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/4/4/18442/
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sankar Viswanathan, and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
+