ek; and when he turned to
see what it was his hat spun off into the yard as if it were enchanted;
and when he ran to pick his hat up he heard a whispering all through the
town. He looked up, and he looked down, and on every side, but saw
nobody! At last the golden weather-vane on the church tower called
down:--

"Foolish child, it is the wind from out of the east."

The trees had been the first to know of its coming, and they were bowing
and bending to welcome it; while the leaves danced off the branches and
down the hill, in a whirl of delight.

The windmill's arms whirled round, oh! so fast, and the wheat was ground
into white flour for the Baker, who kindled his fires and beat his eggs
in the twinkling of an eye; and he was not quicker than the Sea-captain,
who loosed his sails in the fresh'ning gales, just as he had said he
would, and sailed away to foreign lands.

Jan watched him go, and then ran in great haste to get his kite; for the
petticoats on the Washerwoman's clothesline were puffed up like
balloons, and all the world was astir.

"Now I'm in my proper place," said the kite as it sailed over the roofs
of the houses, over the tree tops, over the golden weather vane, and
even over the windmill itself. Higher, higher, higher it flew, as if it
had wings; till it slipped away from the string, and Jan never saw it
again, and only the wind knew where it landed at last.

[Illustration: "Now I am in my proper place," said the Kite.]

_MRS. TABBY GRAY_

MOTTO FOR THE MOTHER

"_All mother love attracts the child,
Its world-wide tenderness he feels.
And ev'ry beast that loves her young,
His mother's love to him reveals_."

Mrs. Tabby Gray, with her three little kittens, lived out in the barn
where the hay was stored. One of the kittens was white, one was black,
and one gray, just like her mother, who was called Tabby Gray from the
color of her coat.

These three little kittens opened their eyes when they grew old enough,
and thought there was nothing so nice in all this wonderful world as
their own dear mother, although she told them of a great many nice
things, like milk and bread, which they should have when they could go
up to the big house where she had her breakfast, dinner, and supper.

Every time Mother Tabby came from the big house she had something
pleasant to tell. "Bones for dinner to-day, my dears," she would say, or
"I had a fine romp with a ball and the bab