FUNNY FABLES FOR LITTLE FOLKS.

THE FOOLISH CRAB.

ON a pleasant sea-beach in Devonshire was a long ridge of rocks stretching far out into the deep water. In these rocks were several large basins or pools, some of which were only covered when the tide was at its height, and which the receding waves left full of clear, sparkling water. These pools were beautifully lined and fringed with many-coloured sea-weeds, purple, and green, and red, and were inhabited by numerous tenants. One of these pools was in a large but shallow hollow, so that the bottom could be clearly seen; and in this place several different creatures had made their abode. A fine large purple Sea-Anemone had fixed itself on one of the shelving sides, and hung out its crimson fringes in the midst of a tuft of rich green seaweed, like a fine red blossom, surrounded by its verdant leaves. From a ledge of rock opposite a

queer little Hermit Crab looked gravely down on his neighbours, moving along sometimes with his one large claw, and carrying his white shell in the most dignified way in the world. A fine Prawn, caught by the sudden retiring of the tide, was amusing himself by sporting about in the little rocky pool until the return of the fresh waves in the evening would set him at liberty to repair to the great ocean. Many Limpets, with their wrinkled conical shells, adhered here and there to the sides and bottom, and in the middle, down below, sat the hero of this present story, a funny little Crab, of a sort of dingy mottled greyish-green, with a dark spot between his queer black eyes, that, set on stalks, seemed almost coming out of his head.

"Dear me," said he, "how unlucky I am; I was so happily trotting about on that nice flat ridge of rocks till that rough monster of a wave tumbled me head over legs in here. How I am going to get out I don't quite see, for the sides of this horrid pool are so steep. However, here goes!"

So saying, he made a vigorous effort to scramble out on the side that was the most sloping and least high. In his eager endeavours to get out, he clattered roughly over two or three limpets, using the green long weed as a sailor does a rope, to pull

himself up; and he finally walked into the very middle of the fringes of the Anemone, who indignantly drew all her frilly fingers in a round hard lump.

"Can't you see where you are going, you awkward creature ?" said she; "what are you thinking of to come walking over a quiet person in that manner?"

"I am sure I beg your pardon," said the Crab; "I had no intention of hurting or annoying you, but the fact is, I am in a very unpleasant predicament. I was very hungry this morning, and during my ramble on the rocks, I was lucky enough to find a couple of dead pilchards, on which I was taking off the sharpest edge of my appetite, when all of a sudden, a great wave that I was too busy to perceive, took me off my feet and carried me down here, surprising me so, that I had no time to get out."

"I don't want to hear why you came here," said the Anemone, tartly; "that's nothing to me. You can bear your misfortunes like other people, I suppose, without blundering pell-mell over other folks, with your horrid scratching toes."

"Well, one can but say one is sorry," said the Crab, stoutly; you need not be hard on a

poor fellow who is far away from his native home!"

"You are all alike," said the cross beauty; "I only wish the sea had a little more discrimination, and did not send clumsy crabs and pert prawns into places where they are not wanted. That dandified fellow yonder, with his speckled grey jacket, will keep irritating me with his long worrying horns."

"I hope-aw-that observation is not-awaimed at me," observed the Prawn, languidly, as he sailed slowly by; "I declare-aw-my fair friend, I would not intrude on your charming seclusion for the world!"

"Get away with you," retorted the irate Anemone, "you are a perfect bundle of conceit; I have watched you trimming those elegant horny whiskers of yours for the last ten minutes, behind that grove of sea-lettuce !"

"It was only in order to make a suitable appearance before you," said the dandy Prawn; 66 when you attire yourself in such lovely hues and graceful fringes, you cannot wonder that we poor, dull-looking creatures should try to set ourselves off to the best of our poor power.'

The Anemone waved her fingers in what she

considered her most captivating manner, and, rather appeased by the compliments of the Prawn, replied more graciously.

"Well," said she, "I should not so much object to the acquisition of such active, slender creatures as yourself to our limited society, but I do most vehemently protest against the intrusion of such huge, flat-backed, sprawling monsters as that Crab!"

Here the poor Crab, feeling most acutely his vanity wounded, was about to make a serious protest, but the haughty sea-flower went on:

"Pray don't answer me! Why, it was but a week ago that I had succeeded in securing a most delicate tit-bit for dinner after a long fast; when you, or one of your relations, had the audacity to come and deliberately tear it away from me, and I had the satisfaction of seeing my purposed dinner go scrambling off sideways in the distance."

"Ah," remarked the Prawn, "you may well say so! Did you ever see such an ungainly way of walking? I don't want to exalt myself at the expense of others, but I must say a crab is the most lumbering, awkward animal going. Look at us; how we shoot through the clear water, straight as an arrow from a bow, or curving in