2. A queer old man once lived in this house, but he died long ago.

3. Every year the owl makes his nest in the old house. Tall trees have grown up all around the house. Nobody goes near the place any more.

4. At night the old owl sits on the top of the house and says, "Who! who! who!" That is the only song he can sing, and that is no song at all. It is nothing but a hoot. That is why he is called the Hoot-Owl.

5. Little children are afraid when they hear the Hoot-Owl at night. They think some one is calling from the old house.

6. The Owl never flies out in the daytime. The light of the sun hurts his eyes. His eyes are very large, you know. That is the reason he can see so well at night.

7. When all other birds are asleep, then the owls and bats fly out.

8. Owls eat mice and little birds. They

catch them at night. They can fly very swiftly.

9. Would you be afraid of an owl? I think you would not if you saw one.

But if you should hear him say, "Who! who!" and could not see him, you would be afraid.

10. There are many kinds of owls. They all have large eyes, and they fly only at night.

[The teacher should read to the class "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat". See Appendix.]

SUBJECT IX.

A CHICKEN THIEF.

1. Mr. Young was a farmer. He had a few sheep and a great many chickens on his farm.

2. He often missed two or three young

chickens at a time.

miss a young lamb.

Sometimes he would

3. He thought there must be a thief

about the place.

mind to catch him.

At last he made up his So he took his gun and went out over the farm to find the thief.

4. Now what do you think he found in one of his fields? Six young foxes playing around a hole in the ground.

5. Mr. Young did not try to shoot them. He went up near them and they all ran into the hole.

6. "Now I know who the thief is," said Mr. Young. "These baby foxes have a mother. She is the one that takes my chickens. She catches the chickens and the baby foxes eat them."

7. Mr. Young went home and told his two little boys what he had found. "Oh, father," said the boys, "let us go and get them. We want the little foxes for pets." So they went with their father to try to catch them.

8. They dug into the ground until they came to the place where the little foxes were hid. The mother fox was not at home. Maybe she had been shot, or killed by dogs. Mr. Young could not tell.

9. The boys took the baby foxes home in a large basket. They gave them some milk every day. The foxes soon became as tame as little dogs. They were very happy in their new home.

SUBJECT X.

SIX LITTLE FOXES.

1

Six little foxes went for a drive;
One tumbled out, and that left five.

2

Five little foxes on the sea-shore;
One was drowned, and that left four.

3

Four little foxes under a tree;

The dogs caught one, and that left three.

4

Three little foxes in a canoe;

One got seasick, and that left two.

5

Two little foxes playing in the sun;
Half of them died, and that left one.

6

One little fox was left all alone;

He ran away, and that left none.