“That isn’t manners, Tommy,” said my friend; “it’s very rude to stare so: lie down.” Whereupon good obedient Tommy crouched down, with his nose between his two front paws; laid his ears back flat on his neck, and did his best, I am sure, not to stare—but that he could not help, by reason of the peculiar nature of his eyes.
I caressed him, and found him as tame and gentle as a little dog. Indeed my friend had had him from the time he was a very tiny creature.
PUZZLE-PAGE.
Now here is a puzzle-page for you. Of these six objects that you see, two begin with the letter B; one begins with G; one with H, and two with P. Can you tell what they all are?
THE FOX AND GOAT.—A FABLE.
A Fox once fell into a deep well, and could not get out again. A Goat, wishing to drink, came to the well, and seeing the Fox, asked him if the water was good. The Fox did not say he had fallen into the well, but pretended he stayed in the well from choice; and saying the water was the best he had ever tasted, begged the Goat to jump down and try it. The Goat jumped down, and drank; and then sly Fox told him that they were imprisoned in the well. “But,” said he, “we may still get out if you will place your fore-feet upon the wall; I will then run up your back and escape, and help you out afterwards.” The Goat did as the Fox asked, and Mr. Fox, running up his back, soon got out of the well, and then ran off. The Goat called after him, when the Fox, turning round, cried out these words:—“You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard you would have looked before you leaped.”