Ah, you rascal!" said he, as he saw him struggling; “I'll teach you to steal my fat geese. You shall hang on the tree yonder, and your brothers will see what comes of thieving."

2. The farmer was twisting a halter to do what he had threatened, when the fox, whose tongue had helped him out of difficulties before, thought there could be no harm in trying if it might not do him one more good turn.

3. "You will hang me," he said, "to frighten my brother foxes. On the word of a fox, they won't care a rabbit-skin for it; they'll come and look at me, but you may depend upon it they will dine at your expense before they go home again!"

4. "Then I shall hang you for yourself, as a rogue and a rascal," said the farmer.

"I am only what nature chose to make me," the fox answered; "I did not make myself."

5. "You stole my geese," said the man.

"Why did nature make me fond of geese, then?" said the fox. "Live and let live; give me my share, and I won't touch yours; but you keep them all to yourself."

6. "I don't understand your fine talk," answered the farmer; "but I know that you are a thief, and that you deserve to be hanged."

7. "His head is too thick to let me catch him so," thought the fox; "I wonder if his heart is any softer."

"You are taking away the life of a fellow-creature," he said. "You say I am a rogue. I say I am not; but at any rate I ought not to be hanged, for if I am not, I don't deserve it; and if I am, you should give me time to repent."

"I have him now," thought the fox; "let him get out of it if he can."

8. "Why, what would you have me do with you?" said the man.

My notion is, that you should let me go, and give me a lamb, or a goose or two, every month, and then I could live without stealing; but perhaps you know better than I do; and as you say, I am a rogue, my education may have been neglected; you should shut me up, and take care of me, and teach me. Who knows but in the end I may turn into a dog?"

9. "Very pretty!" said the farmer; "we have dogs enough, and more, too, than we can take care of, without you. No, no, Master Fox; I have caught you, and you shall swing. There will be one rogue less in the world anyhow."

"This is mere hate and unchristian revenge," said the fox.

10. "No, friend," the farmer answered, "I don't hate you, and I don't want to revenge myself on you; but you and I can't get on together, and I think I am of more importance than you. If nettles and thistles grow in my cabbage-garden, I don't try to persuade

them to grow into cabbages. I just dig them up. I don't hate them; but I feel somehow that they mustn't hinder me with my cabbages, and that I must put them away; and so, my poor friend, I am sorry for you, but I am afraid you must swing."

LANGUAGE EXERCISE.

I. What expression (2) means render one more service? What expression (7) means I have puzzled him?

Explain "will dine at your expense" (3); "you shall swing" (9).

Give a synonym of: "frighten" (3); “rascal" (4); “notion " (8); "hate" (10).

II. Write the plural of: fox; difficulty; thief; goose.

What kind of sentence (simple, complex, or compound) is the first paragraph?

Select a simple interrogative sentence.

III. This piece is an example of the fable, which is a feigned story in which, generally, animals are represented as talking like human beings.

75.- Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth.

är'dent, expressing much feeling.

ar-rāy', a well-ordered group.

glow (glō), brightness of color. ush'ers, attendants.

I.

1. Ar this moment the gates opened and ushers came forth in array. After these, amid a crowd of

lords and ladies-so placed around her that she could see and be seen on all sides came Elizabeth herself. She was then in the full glow of what in a sovereign was called beauty, and possessed a noble figure joined to striking and commanding features.

ward as far as the line

2. Young Walter Raleigh had never before been so near the person of the Queen, and he pressed forof guards permitted. Un

bonneting, at the same time he fixed his eager gaze on the Queen's approach with a mixture of respectful

curiosity and modest, yet ardent admiration. Walter then withdrew.

3. The guards, struck with his rich attire and noble countenance, allowed him to approach the ground over which the Queen was to pass, somewhat closer than was permitted to ordinary spectators.

4. Thus the adventurous youth stood full in Elizabeth's eye, and she fixed her keen glance on Walter as she approached the place where he stood. Just then there occurred an incident that drew her attention toward him yet more strongly.

5. The night had been rainy, and just where the young gentleman stood a small quantity of mud interrupted the Queen's passage. As she hesitated to pass on, Walter, snatching his cloak from his shoulder, threw it on the miry spot so as to insure her stepping over it without soiling her feet.

6. Elizabeth looked at the young man, who accompanied this act of devoted courtesy with a profound reverence, and a blush that overspread his whole countenance. The Queen was confused, and blushed in her turn, nodded her head, and hastily passed on, and embarked in her barge without saying a word.

7. "Come along, Sir Coxcomb," said Walter's companion, Blount; "your gay mantle will need the brush to-day, I fancy."

"This cloak," said the youth, taking it up and