A CERTAIN Indian tyrant became hateful to his subjects from his cruelty and lawless oppressions, and all advice when offered was fatal to the adviser; when Sessa, a sage philosopher, undertook the perilous task of curing the tyrant of his hateful temper. For this purpose he invented the game of chess, wherein he shows the impotence of the king, in that game, when unassisted by his subjects.

The fame of this invention soon reached the tyrant's ears, as was intended, and he sent for Sessa to teach it to him, who instantly obeyed. In the course of the lesson, the despot's eyes were opened, and he congratulated himself on being, as he imagined, his own discoverer of

what was real wisdom. The game became his favourite pastime: he was attached in friendship to the philosopher, and soon became a mild and good sovereign.

APPLICATION.

That advice sinks deepest into our hearts which we gain by experience, or that we conceive to be the result of our own sagacity; and the ingenuity and merit of the philosopher, in the fable, are displayed in the artful manner he contrived to make the king conceive that it was himself alone, who discovered the wholesome lesson.

HISTORY OF A HUMBLE BEE.

A FABLE.

ONE fine spring morning the warmth of the sun roused a humble bee, which had slept all the winter in a snug hole under ground, lined with a soft carpet of grass and moss, at the foot of an old oak, that grew upon a steep bank.

Having stretched

herself, she began to feel that she was extremely hungry; for you must know that humble bees do not, like the hive bees, lay up a provision for the winter. The workers amongst the humble bees die in the autumn, and the females sleep all the cold weather, and do not wake till there are fresh flowers to supply them with honey. Forth sallied then Mrs. Bee in search of food.

not put forth their leaves, but the

The trees had

sallows in the

hedges were covered with the long drooping tassels of flowers which children call

goose and goslings, because they fancy them like the pretty downy gosling, in their softness, and in their delicate colour. The winter snow had disappeared, and the bank was carpeted with fresh springing grass, and soft moss; and it was gay with early flowers. The pale yellow primroses, the white wood-anemonies with their pink buds, the woodsorrel with its delicate penciled flowers, and its pretty triple leaflets; and here and there an early violet peeped out. A squirrel that had its nest in the oak tree, was playing its gambols, now leaping from branch to branch, now racing over the grass, and at the slightest rustling noise, up to the top of the tree in an instant. The birds were singing gaily, the sun shone, and Mrs. Bee hummed loud with delight as she sipped the sweet honey, and drank the sparkling dew. However, though she felt so happy to find herself in the fresh air again,

she did not waste her precious time entirely in eating, and drinking, and play. As soon as her hunger was satisfied, the busy, busy bee set to work to construct her summer habitation, which she determined to place under the same oak tree where she had found a refuge in the winter. Accordingly she fixed upon a hole amongst the entangled roots of the tree, and began to tear up moss with her jaws, and card, or comb it clean from earth with her tiny feet. While she was thus laboriously employed, two beautiful light yellow butterflies, with bright orange spots on their wings, just escaped from their chrysalides, came fluttering by, and settled not far from our bee, upon a bunch of primroses, almost of their own colour.

"Good morning! Mrs. Humble," said one of them, "I see this bright sun has roused you from your winter's nap; but pray why are you toiling, over that moss, instead of enjoying yourself as we do?"

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"Because," answered prudent Mrs. Bee, though it is very warm just now, it will be very cold when the sun sets; and besides, we may have a great deal of bad weather yet; and I must finish my house for the summer, and provide wax cells for my children, and a store of honey while it is fine."

"Nonsense!" said the other butterfly, "leave

care till to-morrow, and come with us, and we will show you a garden where there are finer flowers than these common weeds."

"No, no," said the wise bee; "I leave the garden flowers to my relations who live in palaces made for them by those prodigious animals that we sometimes see striding along with legs like moving trees. They do not often pass my nest, but when they do, they shake the very ground over my head, and I am terrified with the thought that they may crush in my roof with their monstrous feet. Though they pretend great kindness for my relations, I have heard that they often take them by surprise, and murder them for the sake of their honey. However, I am not so much afraid of their molesting me, as my house is not rich enough to tempt them to rob me, and when they chance to see me, they do not meddle with me; for though they are so very large and strong, and I am a very little creature, I fancy they are afraid of my sting. But I have always heard that they are very fond of tormenting and hunting butterflies, and if you will take my advice you will stay upon this quiet mossy bank, and make yourselves happy among the wild flowers, and not go near their fine houses, and trim gardens." So saying, Mrs. Humble went on with her work.

The two butterflies laughed at her good advice, and agreeing that it was much pleasanter to frisk