Page images
PDF
EPUB

"Then Dash takes the note in his mouth, and runs up the stairs so quick, oh! so quick, and scratches at the door. And when some one comes to the door to let him in, he runs up to Mrs. So-and-So, and holds out the note in his mouth, as much as to say,

"Mrs. So-and-So, here is a note for you.'

"And then Dash runs down stairs once more to see if there are more notes for him to take; and if there are more notes for him to take, he takes them quite safe, and gives them to those for whom they are meant."

"Oh, what a wise Dash, to know for whom the notes are meant!"

66

Yes, was he not a wise Dash? Mrs. Day might well be fond of her nice, good dog."

66

STORY XXIII.

HOW AN APE FOUND ITS DAM.

ape ?

[ocr errors]

"WOULD you like to hear a tale of an 'Yes, I should like to hear that tale." "Some years since, a friend of mine did live in a land, far, far from here, where apes are found in the woods. There were woods all round the house, and the apes did swarm there. One day my friend took a walk on the lawn, and she saw on the ground, by the side of a tree, a small, small ape, who did lie and cry-cry in such a sad tone, as if it were in great pain; and my friend went up to the ape to see where it was hurt. But it was not hurt at all; but it was sad, for it had lost its dam, and its cry was as much as to say,

666

Oh, I have lost my dam! Do find my dam-do take me to my dam!'

"But my friend could not do that, for she did not know where its dam was to be found; so all she could do was to take it to her own

house and be kind to it, and give it nice food, and try the best she could to make it snug and warm. But try as hard as she would she could not put joy in its heart. The poor ape did cry, cry, cry—oh, it was sad to hear it cry! and it would not eat the food, and it did lie on its back, and kick, kick, kick, and would not let my friend come near to touch or stroke it.

"Now when my friend saw how sad the poor ape was, and how it did cry to go to its dam, she thought, 'I will try a plan to see if the dam will come to its young one.'

"So my friend took the ape and put it close by the tree on the lawn, and then she sat down where the ape could not see her, to see what would come next.

"In a short time she saw four or five apes on the top of the tree, and they did peep, peep down at the young ape; and then they did talk and make a great noise, and then they ran down the stem of the tree to look at the ape, and they took up the young ape in their

arms, and they did look at him for a long time; and then they put him down on the ground, and ran once more up the stem of the tree, and then they did talk and make such a noise; and

then they ran a-way. By-and-by more and

more apes came with the apes who had come at first, and they did peep down at the young ape, and then they ran down the stem of the tree to look at the ape, and touch the ape, and then they all ran a-way.

"In a short time two more apes came and sat on the top of the tree, and did peep down on the young ape; and then they ran down the stem of the tree, and one ape took the young one up in her arms, and did clasp him tight, and ran up the tree with him in her arms. And the young ape was so glad, and did cry no more, friend knew that he had found his dam.”

so my

66

And did those apes go to tell the dam that her young one was on the lawn by the tree?

[ocr errors]

Yes, I think they must have done so."

"What good, kind apes!

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

STORY XXIV.

HOW THE CAT PUT BY ITS TOYS.

"WILL, Will, come here; do you not see you

have not put by your toys?

You are not half so neat as my cat; my cat puts by its toys when it does not want to play any more with them."

"Your cat puts by its toys!"

66

How did you

'Yes, my cat puts by its toys." "Oh, do tell me of your cat. teach your cat to do such a thing."

66

I did not teach my cat; but the cat found out that if she did not put by her toys, the toys were not to be found when she did want to play with them, and it would be well if you could learn this too."

"But what toys did your cat like to play with?"

66

There was a reel of silk which my cat did like much, and my cat did like to see the reel

spin round, round, round, and then run-oh, so

་།

« PreviousContinue »