18 SECOND EVENING.

img their young. Pretty things! I hope you will never
knock down their nests, or take their eggs or young
ones! for as they come such a long way to visit us,
and lodge in our houses without fear, we ought to use
them kindly.”

 

MOUSE, LAPDOG, AND MONKEY.
A Fable.

A voor little Mouse, being half-starved, ventured
one day to steal from behind the wainscot while the
family were at dinner, and, trembling all the while,
picked up a few crumbs which were scattered on the
floor. She was soon observed, however: everybody
was immediately alarmed; some called for the cat;
others took up whatever was at hand, and endeavoured
to crush her to pieces; and the poor terrified anima!
was driven round the room in an agony of terror. At
length, however, she was fortunate enough to gain her
hole, where she sat panting with fatigue. When the
family were again seated, a Lapdog and a Monkey
came into the room. The former jumped into the la
of his mistress, fawned upon every one of the children,
and made his court so effectually, that he was rewarded
with some of the best morsels of the entertainment.
The Monkey, on the other hand, forced himself into
notice by his grimaces. He played a thousand little
mischievous tricks, and was regaled, at the appearance
of the dessert, with plenty of nuts and apples. The
unfortunate little Mouse, who saw from her hiding-
place everything that passed, sighed, in anguish of
heart, and said to herself, “ Alas! how ignorant was 1,
to imagine that poverty and distress were sufficient
recommendations to the charity of the opulent. I now
find, that whoever is not master of fawning and
bufloonery, is but ill qualified for a dependant, and
wul not be suffered even to pick up the crumbs that
fal) from the table.”

eA CATE RIOT: NEES!