o bright yellow spots; the spots were its ears, and its eyes
shone like diamonds.

"Show auntie your scarfpins, little pet," said the pilot, gently
scratching its head, and the snake opened its mouth and disclosed two
sharp, pointed teeth right in the middle of it.

At the sight of them the old dame fell on her knees and said, "Now I see
that you have received my letter and understood its meaning. You are a
brave lad!"

"So the letter I got out of the automatic machine was from you," said
the pilot, taking it from his breast pocket. "I shall have it framed
when I get home."

Would you like to know what was written in the letter? Just these few
words in plain English, "Don't be bluffed," which might be translated,
"Fortune favours the Brave."

***

"Yes, but how was it that the pilot could walk from the ship down the
passage?" asked Annie-Mary, when her mama had finished the story. "And
did he come back, or had he dreamed the whole story?"

"I'll tell you another time, little Miss Curiosity," said her mama.

"And then there was a verse in the book--"

"What verse? Oh, I see... in the snail shop.... Well, I'm afraid I've
forgotten it. But you mustn't ask too many details, for it's only a
fairy tale, little girlie."

PHOTOGRAPHER AND PHILOSOPHER

Once upon a time there was a photographer. He was a splendid
photographer; he did profiles and full-faces, three-quarter and
full-length portraits; he could develop and fix, tone and print them. He
was the deuce of a fellow! But he was always discontented, for he was a
philosopher, a great philosopher and a discoverer. His theory was that
the world was upside down. It was plainly proved by the plate in the
developer. Everything that was on the right side of the original, now
appeared on the left; everything that was dark, became light; light
became shade; blue turned into white, and silver buttons looked as dark
as iron. The world was upside down.

He had a partner, quite an ordinary man, full of petty characteristics.
For instance, he smoked cigars all day long; he never shut a door; he
put his knife into his mouth, instead of using his fork; he wore his hat
in the room; he cleaned his nails in the studio, and in the evening he
drank three glasses of beer.

He was full of faults!

The philosopher, on the other hand, was perfect, and therefore he
nursed resentment against his imperfect brother; he would have liked to
dissolve the partnership, but he co