things, taught by the Wise One to do what they had need of, to keep them and their young safe, but the sight of the wise pig, which has just been shown in Lon-don, has wrought a change in my mind, and I know not what to think."

This led to some talk on the minds of the beasts.

แ

When the friends went out

Pray, Ma," said Har-ri-et, "what did the wise pig do? I had a great mind to ask Mrs. Franks, who said she saw it, but I thought she might think me rude.”

"I praise your thought, my dear," said Mrs. Ben-son; "but would it not cause you to lose what you should wish to know at times? Mrs. Franks, I am sure, would have been far from the thought that you were rude. Those things are thought rude, by which a child stops the

words of those who speak, and try to get their own words heard; but those of good sense and who are kind are glad to tell the young all they know. As to the wise pig, I have heard things which I thought most strange in a beast which is held to be so dull. The pig was shown for a sight in a room, where some folk came to see him act. Two sets of the A B C on cards were put on the floor; one of those in the room was then told to give a word which the pig was to spell; this, the man who had charge of him said to the beast, who took each card in turn with his snout, and put them side by side, till the word was made. He was then told to mark the hour of the day, and one of those in the room held a watch to him; this he looks at, it would seem, with his sharp eye; and this done, he chose out the cards for the hour and its parts. He did a great deal of

tricks of this kind to the great joy of those who saw him. For my own part, though I was in town at the time he was shown, and heard much of him from my friends, I did not go to see him, for I fear much pain must have been borne by him, to teach him things so strange, and so I would not give my help to such a scheme."

"And so you think," said Har-ri-et, "that the pig knew the A B C, and could spell the words?"

"It might be, my dear, that the pig was taught to know by sight each from each, and that the man who kept him had some sign by which he used to show him each that he wants; but that he had the sense to put the A B C in the form of words, as we do, by his mind, I can scarce think; nor can beasts learn man's tasks; for these, there must be the mind of man; and

no art of man can change the mind of a thing, though he may call forth in that kind things which would be hid from them else. As far as this can be done, while we do not put off what should be our great care, it may please us, but it will not be of great use to man. And I pray you, Har-ri-et, not to give heed to those who show what they call wise pigs, and such like, as, you may be sure, they treat them ill, and starve them near to death; and you may, with what such a sight would cost you, get some nice book or save some poor child from great ills. But, my dear, it is now time for you to go to rest, so I will bid you good night."

L

CHAP-TER X.

Ar the dawn of morn the hen Red-breast wakes her young brood.

"Come, my dears," said she, "shake off dull sloth, for this is the day on which you are first to go out in the world. I wish each of you to dress with care, before you go out, for a bird who has no care of its dress I hate, and to be neat is a charm in the sight of all.”

The cock was on the wing the first, that he might give each of his young ones a meal before they should try to leave the nest.

When he had fed them, he asks his mate to go with him, as she used to do, to the Squire's, where he found the sash up, and there his young friends sat with Mrs. Ben-son.