looking ring upon her finger. "Every time you are idle, this ring will prick you," said the fairy. "Do your best and you will conquer. When you have not been pricked once for a whole week, I shall know that you are cured of your idleness."

You must not suppose that Irene found it easy work. Many times she felt tempted to be idle, and many times the wonderful ring pricked her finger and reminded her of the things to be done. But she had made up her mind to try, and it was surprising how quickly she overcame her idleness.

One day Irene sat at her window, thinking. It was her birthday, and for the first time a week had gone by in which the ring had not pricked her once. Suddenly she saw the fairy standing before her.

"Oh, Godmother," cried the happy little girl, “I am so glad to see you! Have you come to my birthday party?"

"Yes. That is the very reason I have come, Irene,' replied the fairy. "You have learned your lesson well, and I am greatly pleased. Now tell me, are you not much happier than you used to be when you were so idle?"

"Oh, yes, dear Godmother!" answered Irene. "And I have you to thank for it. Now take back your ring, and with it teach some other little girl the lesson I have learned." 1

1

-H. ESCOTT-INMAN.

By permission. From Elson Primary School Reader, Book IV; copyright, 1913, by Scott, Foresman and Company.

By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.

- Ecclesiastes x. 18.

1. Where did her fairy godmother take Irene ?

2. What did she tell Irene to do?

3. What strange things happened through the day?
4. What reason did Irene give for not doing her work?
5. How was she cured of her idleness?

THE STORY OF JOSEPH

I

AFTER Jacob left Esau, Rachel had a son Benjamin, and died when he was born. But for a long time before, she had only one son, Joseph, and he was Jacob's youngest child. Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves, such as princes wore. So his brothers hated him, and could scarcely bring themselves to speak a civil word to him.

Once Joseph had a dream, and told it to his brothers. "I dreamed," said he, "that we were binding sheaves in the harvest field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright; and your sheaves came round about and bowed to my sheaf."

His brothers answered, "Do you really think you

с

are going to be king over us?" And they hated him. more than ever.

Soon after he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. "I dreamed," said he, "that the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me."

Then his father rebuked him, and said: "What an absurd dream! Am I, and your brothers, and your mother to bow down before you ?"

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the dreams in mind.

Now sometimes Joseph went with his brothers to help them keep the sheep, and he used to come home to his father and tell tales about his brothers. Once they went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. Afterwards Jacob sent Joseph to go and see his brothers, and bring back word about them; but when Joseph got to Shechem, his brothers were gone. As he was wandering about looking for them, he met a man who told him that they had gone to Dothan; so he went after his brethren, and found them there. When they saw him coming, they said to each other: "Here is this dreamer. Let us kill him, and throw his body into one of the cisterns,1 and say that a wild beast has devoured him. Then we will see what will come of his dreams!"

But the eldest brother Reuben said: "Do not shed blood. Throw him into this cistern, but do not hurt

1 Pits for holding water, often empty.

him."

Now Reuben intended, sometime when the rest were not there, to take Joseph out of the cistern, and send him safely home to his father.

So when Joseph came to them, they stripped off his princely robe, and threw him into a cistern without any water in it, and went away and left him there.

When they were gone, there passed by some Midianite merchants, who drew Joseph out of the cistern, and took him away to sell him for a slave.

Later on Reuben came back to the cistern to take Joseph out and send him home; but he was nowhere to be found. Reuben tore his clothes in his grief, and went back to his brothers, and said, "The boy is gone; and I, whither shall I go?"

Then they took the robe, and killed a goat, and dipped the robe in its blood, and brought it to Jacob, and said, "We have found this; is it Joseph's robe?"

Jacob recognized it, and said, "It is my son's robe; a wild beast has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces."

Then he tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to' be comforted, and said, "Mourning will I go to my son in the land of the spirits of the dead."

down

Meanwhile the Midianites took Joseph down into Egypt, and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's bodyguard.

God helped Joseph when he was a slave in Egypt, so