which wealth could procure. Dam'oclēs, one of his flatterers, told him that no monarch had ever been greater or happier than Dionysius. "Hast thou a mind," said the king, "to taste this happiness, and to know what that is of which thou hast so high an ideä?" Dam'ocles with joy accepted the offer.

2. The king ordered" that a royal banquet should be prepared, and a gilded sofa placed for him. There were sideboards loaded with gold and silver plate of immense value. Pages of great beauty were ordered to attend his table, and to obey his commands.

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3. Fragrant ointments, flowers and perfumes," were added to the feast, and the table was spread with noice delicacies of every kind. Dam'ocles, over-elated with pleasure, fancied himself amongst superior beings.

4. But in the midst of all this happiness, as he lay indulging himself in state, he sees let down from the ceiling, just over his head, a large, bright sword, hung by a single hair. This sight put an end to his joy.

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5. The pomp of his attendance, the glitter of the carved plate, and the delicacy of the viands, cease to afford him any pleasure. He dreads to stretch forth his hand to the table. He throws off the garland of roses. He hastens to remove from so dangerous a situation, and earnestly begs the king to restore him to his former humble condition, having no desire to enjoy any longer a happiness so terrible. 6. By this device Dionysius showed to Dam'ocles how wretched was he, the king, in the midst of all the treasures and all the honors which royalty could bestow.

CICERO.

COME ye into the summer woods; there entereth no annoy ;
All greenly wave the chestnut-leaves, and the earth is full of joy
I cannot tell you half the sights of beauty you may see,

The bursts of golden sunshine, and many a shady tree.

There, lightly swung, in bowery glades, the honeysuckles twine,
There blooms the pink sabbatia, and the scarlet columbine ;
There grows the purple violet in some dusk woodland spot;
There grows the little Mayflower, and the wood forget-me-not.

And many a merry bird is there, unscared by lawless men ;
The blue-winged jay, the woodpecker, and the golden-crested wren.
Come down, and ye shall see them all, the timid and the bold;
For their sweet life of pleasantness, it is not to be told.

I've seen the freakish squirrelse drop down from their leafy tree,
The little squirrels with the old, — great joy it was to me !
And far within that summer wood, among the leaves so green,
There flows a little gurgling brook, the brightest e'er69 was seen.

There come the little gentle birds, without a fear of ill,

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Down the murmuring water's edge, and freely drink their fill!
And dash about, and splash about, the merry little things,
And look askance with bright black eyes, and flirt their dripping wings

The nodding plants, they bowed their heads, as if, in heartsome cheer,
They spake unto those little things, ""Tis merry living here ! "
O, how my heart ran o'er with joy! I saw that all was good,
And how we might glean up delight all round us, if we would!

1. FUN is not confined to boys and girls. Some of the smallest insects are discovered" to enjoy themselves in sports and amusements after their ordinary toils, or satiating themselves with food, just as regularly as is the case with many human beings. They run races, wrestle with each other, and, out of fun, carry each other on their backs much in the same manner as boys.

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2. A small species of ants," in the intervals of their industry, have been seen carrying each other on their backs, the rider holding with his mandibles the neck of his bearer, and embracing it closely with his legs. Gould, a writer on ants, mentions that he has often witnessed these exercises, and says that, in all cases, after being carried a certain length, the ant was let go in a friendly and careful manner.

3. Small birds chase each other about in play. The trumpeter-bird hops about in the most eccentric manner on one leg, and throws somersets. The crane expands its wings, runs round in circles, leaps, and, throwing little stones and pieces of wood in the air, endeavors to catch them again, or pretends to avoid them, as if afraid. Water-birds, such as ducks and geese, dive after each other, and cleave the surface of the water with outstretched neck and flapping wings, throwing an abundant spray around.

4. There is a story told of a tame mage which was seen busily engaged in a garden gathering pebbles, and, with much solemnity, and a studied air, dropping them into a hole about eighteen inches deep, made to receive a post. After dropping each stone, it cried "currack!" triumphantly, and set off for another. On examining the spot, a poor toad was found in the hole, which the magpie was stoning36 for his amusement.

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5. The mocking-bird seems to take delight in imitating the noises made by other animals, and by man himself. He whistles for the dog; Cæsar starts up, wags his tail, and runs to meet his master. He squeaks out like a hurt chicken; and the hen hurries about with hanging wings and bristled feathers, clucking to protect its injured brood. The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, the creaking of a passing wheelbarrow, follow, with great truth and rapidity.

6. Deer often engage in a sham battle, or a trial of strength, by twisting their horns together and pushing for the mastery. All animals that pretend violence in their play stop short of exercising it: the dog takes the greatest precaution not to injure by his bite; and the ō'rang-outang, in wrestling with his keeper, pretends to throw him, and makes a feint of biting him.

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7. Some animals carry out in their play the semblance of catching their prey: young cats, for instance, leap after every small and moving object, even to the leaves strewn as

by the autumn wind; they crouch and steal forward, ready for the spring, the body quivering and the tail vibrating with emotion. They bound on the moving leaf, and again spring forward to another. Young tigers and cougars have been seen playing with round substances, like kittens with a ball of yarn.

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8. The California Indians say that the cubs of the bear go through all sorts of queer little antics, very often apparently for the sole purpose of distressing their anxious parents. The grown-up bears engage in dances, and the places where such sports have been held are detected by the Indians from the manner in which the ground is beaten. 9. Sometimes a bear will dance by himself, while others squat down and look on, as if criticizing the performance. At other times, a whole party of bears will join in a sort of quadrille. The custom proves that Bruin, though his exterior is rough, and his ordinary deportment by no means graceful, knows how to relax among his equals, and is not indifferent to social amusement.

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XIX. THE DERVIS AND THE KING.

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1. A DERVIS, travelling through Tartary, went into the king's palace by mistake, as if thinking it to be a public inn, or caravan'sary. Having looked about him for some time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet and spread his carpet, in order to repose himself upon it, after the manner of the Eastern nations.

2. He had not been long in this posture before he was discovered by some of the guards, who asked him what was his business in that place. The dervis told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that caravansary. The guards told him, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravansary, but the king's palace.

3. It happened that the king himself passed through the

gallery during this debate; and, smiling at the mistake of the dervis, asked him how he could possibly be so dull as not to distinguish a palace from a caravansary.

4. Sir, says the dervis, give me leave to ask your majesty a question or two: "Who were the persons that lodged in this house when it was first built?" The king replied, his ancestors. "And who," says the dervis, "was the last person that lodged here?" The king replied, his father. "And who is it," says the dervis, "that lodges here at present?"

5. The king told him that it was himself. "And who," says the dervis, "will be here after you?" The king answered, the young prince, his son. "Ah! sir," said the dervis, "a house that changes its inhabitants so often, and receives such a perpetual succession of guests, is not a palace, but a caravansary." SPECTATOR.

XX. THE PET LAMB.

1. THE dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink;
I heard a voice: it said, "Drink, pretty creature, drink!”
And, looking o'er the hedge, before me I espied

A snow-white mountain lamb, with a maiden at its side.
2. No other sheep were near; the lamb was all alone,
And by a slender cord was tethered to a stone;
With one knee on the grass did the little maiden kneel,
While to that mountain lamb she gave its evening meal.
"hast thou forgot the day

3. "Rest, little one," she said;
When my father found thee first, in places far away?

Many flocks were on the hills, but thou wert owned by none,
And thy mother from thy side forevermore was gone.

4. "Thou know'st that twice a day I have brought thee in this can Fresh water from the brook, as clear as ever ran;

And twice, too, in the day, when the ground is wet with dew,
I bring thee draughts of milk, warm milk it is, and new.

5. "Thy limbs will shortly be twice as stout as they are now; Then I'll yoke thee to my cart, like a pony in the plough ·