A FEW years ago, a BUTCHER who had bought a calf, stopped with it for a short time at a public-house on the road. A SHOEMAKER, who was a very DROLL fellow, knowing that the butcher had to pass through a wood, told the company he could carry off the calf, and bring him back without any DIFFICULTY. Some of the persons doubted this, and to convince them the shoemaker set out on his journey. He started off before the butcher, and took a pair of new shoes with him; he dropped one of the new shoes in the path in the middle of the wood, and another about a quarter of a mile away.

The butcher, who travelled with the calf over the same road, saw the first new shoe, but he said, “What is the good of an odd shoe, though it is a new one?" so he left it alone, and went on. Shortly after he came to the place where the other shoe was dropped, and then he saw that both together they would make a PERFECT pair. He thought it would be a foolish thing to leave a pair of good shoes, when he had the chance to get them so easily; so tying his horse and calf to the hedge, he went back to fetch the other shoe. The shoemaker then came out from among the trees, untied the calf, and took him back to the inn. When the landlord and his friends saw him with the calf, they were much surprised; and asked him to tell them how

THE BUTCHER AND HIS CALF,

47

he got it. This he did, and it AMUSED them very

much.

When the butcher came back with the shoe, and found his calf gone, he was troubled very much. He was sorry now that he had gone back after the shoe, and left his horse and calf in the wood. But as his CUSTOMERS wanted some veal, he was obliged to buy a calf, and as he had lost the first, he had to go back and buy another.

When he came back to the inn, he told the landlord about losing his calf, and asked him where he could buy another. The landlord told him he had a calf in the barn, which he would sell him. The butcher looked at it, and asked him what the price would be. The landlord said, "Give me the same as you did for the calf you have lost, as this, I think, is quite as large." The butcher would not allow that it was nearly as good, but agreed to give him within six shillings of what he had given for the other. He then put the calf on the horse, and went away. The shoemaker, pleased with the success of his first joke, said he could take the calf from the butcher a second time. This the landlord and his friends again DOUBTED, SO he set off to try.

When he came into the wood he hid himself, and REMAINED quiet till the butcher came by; then he BELLOWED out just as a calf would do, and the butcher, thinking it was his first calf, said, "Ah, you are there, are you? I have found you at last." He then got off the horse, and ran into the wood where he had heard the noise.

The shoemaker then came up, untied the calf, and again took him back to the inn. The butcher, not finding the lost calf, came back, and found the one he had left with his horse was gone; he therefore returned to the inn, and told the landlord his mournful tale, saying he thought he was BEWITCHED.

They then told him the tricks that had been played upon him, and he laughed as HEARTILY as any of the rest, got his money returned, and went home contented.

EXERCISE.

What was the first joke the shoemaker played upon the butcher? What was the second? What did the butcher think when he had lost both his calves?

LESSON XIX.

THE BOY'S MOTTO.

RE-MEM'-BER, to bear in mind.

SEV'-ER-AL, many, distinct. CON-TIN'-U-AL-LY, always, one time after another. FOL'-LOW-ING, that which comes next.

RE-TURN-ED, went back, UN-FOLD'-ING, opening to view.

AF-TER-WARDS, some time
after.

IM'-I-TATE, to do the same.
PRAC-TICE, habit, use.

JAMES was leaving school, and about to enter on the business of the world.

The master of the school called him to his desk.

"James," said he, "you are going to begin the struggle of life. Í have already told you your duty to yourself and others; one parting motto I will give you-'Be truthful and honest! REMEMBER this, and it will assist you through life."

"Be truthful and honest." These words seemed to ring in James' ear as he bade adieu to his master.

He said to himself, "I will try to make that my motto;" so he turned away full of hope and life.

Nothing more was heard of James till the FOLLOWING event brought his name into notice :

Mr. Davis, a farmer, had been to the market town, and on his way home lost his pocket-book, in which he had placed SEVERAL bank notes, some gold, and papers of great value to him. The money was for his rent, which was now due.

When he got home he found out his loss, and then, poor fellow! he was almost wild with grief.

66 What shall I do?" cried he. "I'm a ruined man." And he at once went back along the road to look for it, but no book could he see.

THE BOY'S MOTTO.

49

With a sorrowful heart he came home again. As he drew near to the door he saw a boy standing there, as if he was waiting for something.

Without waiting to hear why the boy had come, he said

"What do you want?

We cannot give you any

thing; you had better go away."

He was so vexed at the loss of his book that he hardly knew what he was saying, and was not in a very pleasant temper.

"I wish to speak to you," said the boy.

"I cannot listen to you now," said the farmer; "you must come another day."

So saying he was about to turn away.

James had passed along the road after Mr. Davis, and seeing the pocket-book lying on the ground, picked it up. He looked inside to see if the owner's name was there, and finding whose it was, he, like an honest boy, had brought it to him at once.

As he was there on so good a cause, James felt rather bold, and instead of going away as soon as the farmer told him, he went nearer to him and said

66

Please, sir, I have found this book, which seems to belong to you.".

"What book? Have you looked inside? Have you taken anything out?" asked the farmer.

"No," said James, "I brought it to you just as I found it; I wish to be an honest boy."

"You are a rare fellow," said Mr. Davis. "Come in, come in; you shall have something for your trouble."

He took him into the house, gave him plenty to eat and drink, and when the boy left he made him a nice present for his trouble.

James did not wish the farmer to think that he had brought the book merely to get a present from him; his sense of what was right would have led him to do this in any case. But the farmer was too pleased to receive his lost book not to reward the boy for his honesty.

The present which he gave James was five shillings, and of course the boy was much pleased. He put the five shillings in a bit of paper, then placed it in his

D

pocket with great care, and set out to return to his work. He could not help UNFOLDING the paper once or twice on the way to see if it was safe.

The five shillings, when added to the money in James' savings box, just made up a pound, and this, in a few days, was placed by James in the Post Office Savings' Bank, where it was not only safely kept, but was CONTINUALLY having money added to it. This increase for the use of the money in the bank is called interest. Boys and girls, instead of spending money in useless things, should IMITATE James, by taking their savings from their own little box to the Savings Bank, and then the money will become more, and be AFTERWARDS of greater use to them.

When James RETURNED to his work he was asked by his master where he had been that he was so late. He told him the whole story of the farmer, and what he had given him. So that on this day James had a chance of putting in PRACTICE his motto "Be truthful and honest."

EXERCISE.

How did James show he had not forgotten his motto? How did he prove himself truthful? How was he rewarded? What did he do with his money? What was his motto? What led him to return the pocket-book?

WHEN Mungo Park had come to the great river Niger, he had to wait until he could get something in