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of locusts, and tried to get at the corn; but the hole was so small that only one locust could pass through it at a time. So one locust went in and carried off one grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn-"

He had gone on thus from morning to night (except while he was engaged at his meals) for about a month; when the king, though a very patient king, began to be rather tired of the locusts, and interrupted his story with: "Well, well, we have had enough of the locusts; we will suppose that they have helped themselves to all the corn they wanted; tell us what happened afterwards." To which the story-teller answered, very deliberately, "If it please your Majesty, it is impossible to tell you what happened afterwards before I have told you what happened first." And so he went on again; And then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn." The king listened with admirable patience six months more, when he again interrupted him with:"O friend! I am weary of your locusts! How soon do you think they will have done?" To which the story-teller made answer: "O king! who can tell? At the time to which my story has come, the locusts have cleared away a small space, it may be a cubit, each way round the inside of the hole; and the air is still dark with locusts on all sides; but let the king have patience, and, no doubt, we shall come to the end of them in time."

Thus encouraged, the king listened on for another full year, the story-teller still going on as before: "And then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn; and then another locust went in and carried off another grain of corn," till at last the poor king could bear it no longer, and cried out: "O man, that is enough! Take my

daughter! take my kingdom! take anything-take every thing! only let us hear no more of those abominable locusts!"

And so the story-teller was married to the king's daughter, and was declared heir to the throne; and nobody ever expressed a wish to hear the rest of his story, for he said it was impossible to come to the other part of it till he had done with the locusts. The unreasonable caprice of the foolish king was thus overmatched by the ingenious device of the wise man.

ABRAM AND ZIMRI.-CLARENCE COOK.

Abram and Zimri owned a field together-
A level field hid in a happy vale;

They plowed it with one plow, and in the spring
Sowed, walking side by side, the fruitful seed.
In harvest, when the glad earth smiled with grain,
Each carried to his home one-half the sheaves,
And stored them with much labor in his barns.
Now, Abram had a wife and seven sons,
But Zimri dwelt alone within his house.

One night, before the sheaves were gathered in,
As Zimri lay upon his lonely bed

And counted in his mind his little gains,
He thought upon his brother Abram's lot,
And said, "I dwell alone within my house,
But Abram hath a wife and seven sons,
And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike.
He surely needeth more for life than I;
I will arise, and gird myself, and go

Down to the field, and add to his from mine."

So he arose, and girded up his loins,
And went out softly to the level field;
The moon shone out from dusky bars of clouds,
The trees stood black against the cold blue sky,
The branches waved and whispered in the wind.
So Zimri, guided by the shifting light,

Went down the mountain path, and found the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous third,
And bore them gladly to his brother's heap,
And then went back to sleep and happy dreams.

Now, that same night, as Abram lay in bed,
Thinking upon his blissful state in life,
He thought upon his brother Zimri's lot,
And said, "He dwells within his house alone,
He goeth forth to toil with few to help,
He goeth home at night to a cold house,
And hath few other friends but me and mine,"
(For these two tilled the happy vale alone,)
"While I, whom Heaven hath very greatly blessed,
Dwell happy with my wife and seven sons,
Who aid me in my toil and make it light,
And yet we share the harvest sheaves alike.
This surely is not pleasing unto God;
I will arise, and gird myself, and go

Out to the field, and borrow from my store,
And add unto my brother Zimri's pile."

So he arose and girded up his loins,

And went down softly to the level field;

The moon shone out from silver bars of clouds,
The trees stood blank against the starry sky,

The dark leaves waved and whispered in the breeze.

So Abram, guided by the doubtful light,

Passed down the mountain path and found the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous third,

And added them unto his brother's heap;
Then he went back to sleep and happy dreams.

So the next morning with the early sun
The brothers rose, and went out to their toil;
And when they came to see the heavy sheaves,
Each wondered in his heart to find his heap,
Though he had given a third, was still the same.
Now, the next night went Zimri to the field,
Took from his store of sheaves a generous share,
And placed them on his brother Abram's heap,
And then lay down behind his pile to watch.
The moon looked out from bars of silvery cloud,
The cedars stood up black against the sky,
The olive branches whispered in the wind.

Then Abram came down softly from his home,
And, looking to the right and left, went on;
Took from his ample store a generous third,
And laid it on his brother Zimri's pile.

Then Zimri rose, and caught him in his arms,
And wept upon his neck, and kissed his cheek;
And Abram saw the whole, and could not speak,
Neither could Zimri. So they walked along

Back to their homes, and thanked their God in prayer That he had bound them in such loving bands.

A COQUETTE PUNISHED.

Ellen was fair, and knew it, too,
As other village beauties do,
Whose mirrors never lie;
Secure of any swain she chose,
She smiled on half a dozen beaux,
And, reckless of a lover's woes,

She cheated these and taunted those,
For how could any one suppose

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A clown could take her eye?"

But whispers through the village ran
That Edgar was the happy man
The maid designed to bless;
For wheresoever moved the fair,
The youth was, like her shadow, there,
And rumor boldly matched the pair,
For village folks will guess.

Edgar did love, but was afraid
To make confession to the maid,
So bashful was the youth:
Certain to meet a kind return,
He let the flame in secret burn,

Till from his lips the maid should learn
Officially the truth.

At length, one morn to take the air,
The youth and maid, in one-horse chair,
A long excursion took.

Edgar had nerved his bashful heart
The sweet confession to impart,
For ah! suspense had caused a smart
He could no longer brook.

He drove, nor slackened once his reins,
Till Hempstead's wide-extended plains
Seemed joined to skies above;

Nor house, nor tree, nor shrub was near
The rude and dreary scene to cheer,
Nor soul within ten miles to hear,
And still poor Edgar's silly fear
Forbade to speak of love.

At last one desperate effort broke
The bashful spell, and Edgar spoke
With most persuasive tone;

Recounted past attendance o'er
And then, by all that's lovely, swore
That he would love forever more,
If she'd become his own.

The maid in silence heard his prayer,
Then, with a most provoking air,
She tittered in his face:

And said, ""Tis time for you to know
A lively girl must have a beau,
Just like a reticule-for show:
And at her nod to come and go;
But he should know his place.

"Your penetration must be dull
To let a hope within your skull
Of matrimony spring.

Your wife? ha, ha! upon my word,
The thought is laughably absurd
As anything I ever heard-

I never dreamed of such a thing!"

The lover sudden dropped his rein
When on the centre of the plain;

"The linch-pin's out!" he cried;
"Be pleased one moment to alight,
Till I can set the matter right,
That we may safely ride,"

He said, and handed out the fair;
Then laughing, cracked his whip in air,
And wheeling round his horse and chair,
Exclaimed, "Adieu, I leave you there,
In solitude to roam."

"What mean you, sir?" the maiden cried,
"Did you invite me out to ride,

To leave me here without a guide?

Nay, stop, and take me home."

"What! take you home!" exclaimed the beau;

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"Indeed, my dear, I'd like to know

How such a hopeless wish could grow,

Or in your bosom spring.

What! fake Ellen home! ha, ha! upon my word, The thought is laughably absurd

As any thing I ever heard

I never dreamed of such a thing!"

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