coat sleeves, a piece of sod gave
way under his feet, and he fell in too.
11. Willie called for his father and mother as loud as he
could call; but he was so far away from the house that no one
could hear him.
12. He cried and called till it was dark, and then he lay
down on the ground, and Caper lay down close beside him.
It was not long before Willie cried himself to sleep.
13. When he awoke it was morning, and he began to think
of a way to get out. The little writing book that his aunt had
given him, was in his pocket. He took it out, and, after a
good deal of trouble, wrote the letter to his father.
14. Then he tore the leaf out, and took a string out of his
pocket, and tied it round Caper's neck, and tied the letter to
the

THIRD READER. 191
string. Then he lifted the dog up, and helped him out, and
said to him, "Go home, Caper, go home!" The little dog
scampered away, and was soon at home.

LESSON LXXII.
THE PERT CHICKEN.

1. There was once a pretty chicken;
But his friends were very few,
For he thought that there was nothing
In the world but what he knew:
So he always, in the farmyard,
Had a very forward way,
Telling all the hens and turkeys
What they ought to do and say.
"Mrs. Goose," he said, "I wonder
That your goslings you should let
Go out paddling in the water;
It will kill them to get wet."

192 ECLECTIC SERIES,

2. "I wish, my old Aunt Dorking,"
He began to her, one day,
"That you would n't sit all summer
In your nest upon the hay.
Won't you come out to the meadow,
Where the grass with seeds is filled?"
"If I should," said Mrs. Dorking,
"Then my eggs would all get chilled."
"No, they wo n't," replied the chicken,
"And no matter if they do;
Eggs are really good for nothing;
What's an egg to me or you?"

3. "What's an egg!" said Mrs. Dorking,
"Can it be you do not know

THIRD READER. 193

You yourself were in an eggshell
Just one little month ago?
And, if kind wings had not warmed you,
You would not be out to-day,
Telling hens, and geese, and turkeys,
What they ought to do and say!

4. "To be very wise, and show it,
Is a pleasant thing, no doubt;
But, when young folks talk to old folks,
They should know what they're about."
Marian Douglas.

LESSON LXXIII.

INDIAN CORN.

1. Few plants are more useful to man than Indian corn, or
maize. No grain, except rice, is used to so great an extent as
an article of food. In some countries corn is almost the only