box, roofed in with glass, and filled with fine shady leaves.

"I must see the inside of this," said curious Nicko. "Who knows it may be meant for a summer Crystal Palace for me? It feels delightfully damp and hot-something like my own native woods."

Accordingly he perched himself comfortably on a fine blooming cucumber, which lay at the most remote end.

66

Rough," said Mr. Smith, "Rough, there's a rat in the cucumber frame. Come and hunt

him out.

plants."

But go softly, for fear of the

poor

Rough, a knowing little bottle-brush of a dog, pricked up his ears at his master's call, and set off full speed for the frame. A shrill chatter, a whistle, and a squeak, and Nicko's curiosity and his life were over together. When Mrs. Jones sent in the evening to ask if Mr. Smith had seen her Marmoset Monkey, she received the cold remains of her little favourite, with a polite note of apology and regret for the mishap.

And Squab said, with a satisfied air, while arranging her whiskers

curiosity would do him no good, and that he would come to an unlucky end at last."

128

THE LITTLE ARCHITECTS.

THE great Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. It is about ten thousand miles across, and its depths are even now not accurately determined, while it is studded over with innumerable islands; and, as in many other cases, the thirst for gold first led to its discovery. For a Spaniard, bent on acquiring great treasure for his country, underwent countless hardships on his way to Peru; while he discovered a much greater wonder in the glittering Pacific, stretching out in its vast magnitude before him. And, in after-years, many vessels traversed its wide immensity, and explored its wondrous treasures. No eyes have seen half the marvels of those far-off deep waters. Great masses of sea-weeds, with stems as large as our saplings float about on the vast ocean meadows;

while countless kinds of fishes and monsters of the deep sport and dwell in its temperate

waters.

And in the midst of that vast body of evermoving waters, a tiny atom was coursing swiftly, not a quarter so large as a drop of the water. It moved about gaily, swimming along by the help of its delicate hair-like feelers.

"And what may you be about?" said a great Wave disdainfully; "you poor little insignificant Are you looking for something big to Why, you are not even food enough Whither away so fast, you ridiculous

speck! eat you?

for a fly. Mite ?"

"I am going to help to build an island," said the atom gravely.

“Build an island!" laughed the Waves; and they roared and shook till they lashed themselves into white foam.

"Build an island! How very amusing! And now, my little friend," said the first Wave contemptuously, "tell us how you are going to do it. And please to be quick, because we are bound

K

to be an hundred miles off in no time. When are you going to begin? And have you got your stones and mortar ready?"

"Yes," replied the Mite calmly, "we make our own cement, and you will be obliged to give us the carbonate of lime out of your breakers, whether you will or no."

The Waves were struck almost dumb by this audacious statement of the little tiny atom, and had scarcely a word to say for themselves.

"Well," said they at last, "but, you poor puny creature, you won't live to see even a foot of rock raised from the bed of the ocean. What do you think you can do in your small life?"

Very little," answered the atom composedly; “but I shall have done my own particular little; and my brothers will all bear their part and do the same. And when we die, other generations will carry on the great work and succeed us. We do not work for ourselves, but for the general good; and to obey all the laws of the universe, knowing, that however small and in