making their own remarks on all those who came to see them. They saw the parrots, and heard their loud chattering till they were almost deafened by it; and the funny, little, merry, lively rattel that amuses itself all day long by running to one corner and turning head over heels, and then to another corner and doing the same thing over again. The only wonder was, that it never got tired.

Herbert looked in vain for the sun-bear; it was neither near the elephants, nor the wild asses, nor the cam eleopards. They rode on They rode on the elephant's back, and threw buns into his great open mouth. They saw the great hippopotamus go down to the water, and they felt as if they never should be tired of looking at the beautiful cameleopards, with their mild eyes. Yes, it was all delightful, if they could only have found the sun-bear. They turned down all sorts of winding walks, and came to the seal, who to their great joy lay basking beside his water; and then to the beavers, who came out as if to be looked at--they could see everything, excepting the sunbear!

to cry.

It was now time to go home; they stood beside the iron gate, which, once passed, admits of no return : what were they to do? Herbert was almost ready He said he cared for nothing but the sun-bear-neither lions, nor tigers, nor anythingand it was such a shame not to have seen it! The only comfort he could find was in his sister's words, that some day or other they should come again, and then if the sun-bear were in the Gardens they would find him out.* *

Mary Howitt's Birth Day Book.

THE FOOLISH MOUSE.'

In a crack, near the cupboard, with dainties provided,
A certain young mouse with her mother resided;
So securely they lived, in that snug quiet spot,
Any mouse in the land might have envied their lot.

But one day the young mouse, which was given to roam,
Having made an excursion some way from her home,
On a sudden returned, with such joy in her eyes,
That her grey sedate parent expressed some surprise.
"O mother," said she, "the good folks of this house,
I'm convinced, have not any ill-will to a mouse;
And those tales can't be true you always are telling,
For they've been at such pains to construct us a dwelling.

"The floor is of wood, and the walls are of wires,
Exactly the size that one's comfort requires;

And I'm sure that we there shall have nothing to fear, If ten cats, with kittens, at once should appear.

"And then they have made such nice holes in the wall, One could slip in and out, with no trouble at all; But forcing one through such rough crannies as these, Always gives one's poor ribs a most terrible squeeze. "But the best of all is, they've provided, as well, A large piece of cheese, of most exquisite smell; 'Twas so nice, I had put in my head to go through, When I thought it my duty to come and fetch you." "Ah, child," said the mother, "believe, I entreat, Both the cage and the cheese are a terrible cheat; Do not think all that trouble they took for our good, They would catch us, and kill us all there, if they could.

"Thus they've caught and killed scores, and I never could learn,

That a mouse who once entered did ever return."

Let young people mind what the old people say,
And when danger is near them keep out of the way.

THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SPIDER.

THERE was a little spider once, all striped with black and yellow,

Sore tempted to explore a rose-he was a daring fellow. His mother said he must not go, for he was still too small,

Too youthful and too tender yet, to wander from her call;

'Twas better far at home to stay, and dance the rope so tight,

Than through a rose to thread his way, and wander out of sight.

His mother dear he would not hear, the naughty, wilful thing!

He said, that to the rose he'd go, and on the branches swing:

So lengthening out his slender rope, down to the ground he dropt,

And ran with all his yellow legs, and never once he stopt;

He scrambled up the thorny stalk, in pleasure and in pride,

Though smarting well with many a prick, in legs, and breast, and side;

And soon he stands and cleans himself upon the pretty mound,

The mound of velvet soft and sleek, which on the top he found.

A sudden shock, like thunder stroke, thrills through the spider's frame;

A rumbling sound is all around-he's sorry that he

came.

'Tis nothing but the husband man, that's come to gather here,

His golden harvest of fine corn:-the spider need not fear.

"Don't kill me, please!" the spider cries, "I did not come to steal;

I only came to take a walk; O dear! how bad I feel!" The husband-man has got his load, and from the field he goes;

Un curling then his yellow legs, the spider soon uprose, He hasten'd from that yellow field, and would have gone straight home;

But no! through many a mazy way, poor fellow he

must roam.

Now all his legs they fly so fast, as down the stem he speeds;

He only cares to reach his home; the thorns he never heeds;

And now along the path he goes, his home is nearly won, But stay! what monstrous thing is that? Alas! his

race is run.

Something he sees that scares him so; it stops him in his race,

A speckl'd toad with fishy eye, now stares him in the face.

He darted out his slender tongue, and caught the little fellow;

And said, ""Tis sweet, but very small, this spider black and yellow."*

* Phonetic Reading Book.

What does little baby say, In her bed at peep of day like little birdie,

Baby says,

Let me rise and fly away.
Baby, sleep a little longer,
Till the little wings are stronger;
If she sleeps a little longer,
Then baby too shall fly away.*

* Tennyson.