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III.

I scatter crumbs on the doorstep,
And fling them some flossy threads;
They fearlessly gather my bounty,

And turn up their graceful heads,
And chatter and dance and flutter,
And scrape with their tiny feet,
Telling me over and over,

"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"

IV.

What if the sky is clouded?

What if the rain comes down?
They are all dressed to meet it,

In water-proof suits of brown.
They never mope nor languish
Nor murmur at storm or heat,
But say, whatever the weather,
"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"

V.

Always merry and busy,

Dear little brown-winged birds!

Teach me the happy magic

Hidden in those soft words,

Which always, in shine or shadow,

So lovingly you repeat,

Over and over and over,

"Sweetest, sweet, sweet, O sweet!"

Florence Percy.

EXERCISE.

1. Two little birds have chosen to fashion their dwelling.

2. All day long they are busy, yet never failing to warble. 3. I scatter crumbs on the doorstep, and fling them threads. 4. What if the sky is clouded? What if the rain comes down?

5. They are all dressed to meet it, in water-proof suits. 6. They never mope nor languish nor murmur.

THE RETURN OF COLUMBUS.

123

XLIV.—THE RETURN OF COLUMBUS.

DON GOMEZ AND HIS SECRETARY.

ON GOMEZ.

What! What is this you tell me? Columbus returned? A new world discovered? Im

DON

possible!

Secretary. It is even so, sir. A courier arrived at the palace but an hour since with the intelligence. Columbus was driven by stress of weather to anchor in the Tagus. All Portugal is in a ferment of enthusiasm, and all Spain will be equally excited soon. The sensation is prodigious. Don G. O, it is a trick! It must be a trick!

Sec. But he has brought home the proofs of his visit, gold and precious stones, strange plants and animals; and, above all, specimens of a new race of men, copper-colored, with straight hair.

Don G. Still I say, a trick! He has been coasting along the African shore, and there collected a few curiosities, which he is palming off for proofs of his pretended. discovery.

Sec. It is a little singular that all his men should be leagued with him in keeping up so unprofitable a falsehood.

Don G. But 't is against reason, against common sense, that such a discovery should be made.

Sec. King John of Portugal has received him with royal magnificence, has listened to his accounts, and is persuaded that they are true.

Don G. We shall see, we shall see. Look you, sir, a plain matter-of-fact man, such as I, is not to be taken in by any such preposterous story. This vaunted discovery will turn out no discovery at all.

Sec. The king and queen have given orders for preparations on the most magnificent scale for the reception of Columbus.

Don G. What delusion! Her Majesty is so credulous! A practical, common-sense man, like myself, can find no points of sympathy in her nature.

Sec. The Indians on board the returned vessels are said to be unlike any known race of men.

Don G. Very unreliable all that! I take the commonsense view of the thing. I am a matter-of-fact man; and do you remember what I say, it will all turn out a trick! The crews may have been deceived. Columbus may have steered a southerly course instead of a westerly. Anything is probable, rather than that a coast to the westward of us has been discovered.

Sec. I saw the courier, who told me he had conversed with all the sailors; and they laughed at the suspicion that there could be any mistake about the discovery, or that any other than a westerly course had been steered.

Don G. Still I say, a trick! An unknown coast reached by steering west? Impossible! The earth a globe, and men standing with their heads down in space? Folly! An ignorant sailor from Genoa in the right, and all our learned doctors and philosophers in the wrong? Nonsense! I'm a matter-of-fact inan, sir. I will believe what I can see, and handle, and understand. But as for believing in the antipodes, or that the earth is round, or that Columbus has discovered land to the west Ring the bell, sir; call my carriage; I will go to the palace and undeceive the king.

Vinet.

XLV. THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS.

K

I.

ING FRANCIS was a hearty king, and loved a royal
sport,

And one day, as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies in their pride,
And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom
he sighed :

And truly 't was a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valor and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS.

II.

125

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with

their paws;

With wallowing might and stifled roar, they rolled on one an

other,

Till all the pit, with sand and mane, was in a thunderous

smother;

The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the

air:

Said Francis, then, "Faith, gentlemen, we 're better here than

there."

III.

De Lorge's love o'erheard the king,— a beauteous, lively dame, With smiling lips, and sharp, bright eyes, which always seemed

the same;

She thought, "The Count, my lover, is brave as brave can be, He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me; King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine ;

I'll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine."

IV.

She dropped her glove, to prove his love; then looked at him, and smiled;

He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild :
The leap was quick, return was quick, he soon regained the

place,

Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face. "In faith," cried Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat ;

"No love," quoth he, “but vanity, sets love a task like that.” Leigh Hunt.

EXERCISE.

1. King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport.
2. The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies by their side.
3. Truly 't was a gallant thing to see that crowning show.
4. The lions ramped and roared, with horrid laughing jaws.
5. They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams.

6. No love, quoth he, but vanity, sets love a task like that.

XLVI. — THE PERSIAN AND HIS THREE SONS.

A

RICH Persian, feeling himself growing old, and conscious that the cares and anxieties of business were too much for him, resolved to divide his goods among his three sons, reserving a small portion to himself as a provision for his latter years. The sons were all well satisfied with the distribution, and each took his share with thanks, and promised that it should be well and frugally employed.

2. When this important business was settled, the father said to his sons, "There is one thing which I have not included in the share of any one of you. It is this costly diamond which you see in my hand. I will give it to that one of you who shall earn it by the noblest deed. Go, therefore, and travel for three months; at the end of that time we will meet here again, and you shall tell me what you have done."

3. The sons departed accordingly, and travelled three months, each in a different direction. At the end of that time they returned; and all came together to their father to give an account of their journey.

4. The eldest son spoke first. He said: "On my journey a stranger intrusted to me a great number of valuable jewels, without taking any account of them. Indeed, I was well aware that he did not know how many the parcel contained. One or two of them would never have been missed, and I might easily have enriched myself without fear of detection. But I did no such thing; I gave back the parcel exactly as I had received it. Was not this a noble deed?"

5. "My son," said the father, "simple honesty cannot be called noble. You did what was right, and nothing more. If you had acted otherwise, you would have been dishonest, and your deed would have shamed you. You have done well, but not nobly."

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