if, when he grew old,
He had not learned rightly to spell,
Though his writing were good,
'Twould not be understood:
And Joe said, "I will learn my task well."

And he made it a rule
To be silent at school,
And what do you think came to pass?
Why, he learnt it so fast,
That from being the last,
He soon was the first in the class.

THE GOOD SCHOLAR FIGHTS

One afternoon as Joseph West,
The boy who learnt his lesson best,
Was trying how his whip would crack,
By chance he hit Sam Headstrong's back.

Enraged, he flew, and gave poor Joe,
With all his might, a sudden blow:
Nor would he listen to one word,
When Joe endeavoured to be heard.

Joe, finding him resolved to fight,
For what was accidental quite,
Although he never fought before,
Beat Headstrong till he'd have no more.

THE DEATH OF THE GOOD SCHOLAR'S FOE

"My dear little Ned,"
His grandmamma said,
"I think I have caution'd you twice;
I hope you'll take heed,
I do, love, indeed,
And I beg you'll not venture on ice.

"Good skaters, I know,
On the ice often go,
And also will others entice,
When there has not been frost
Two days at the most,
And when very thin is the ice."

He went to the brook,
Resolv'd but to look,
And though he could slide very nice,
And the slides were _so long_,
He knew 'twould be wrong,
So he did not then go on the ice.

He wisely behav'd,
And his life thus he sav'd;
For Sam Headstrong (who ne'er took advice)
Went where it was thin--
Alas! he fell in:
He sank, and went under the ice.

ROBERT'S THOUGHTLESS BROTHERS

Robert, when an infant, heard
Now and then a naughty word,
Spoken in a random way
By his brothers when at play.
Was the baby then to blame
When he tried to lisp the same?

No! he could not, whilst so young,
Know what words were right or wrong,
But for boys who better knew,
Punishment was justly due,
Which the thoughtless brothers met
In a way they won't forget.

JOE'S LIGHT PUNISHMENT

As Joe was at play,
Near the cupboard one day,
When he thought no one saw but himself,
How sorry I am,
He ate raspberry