est and pleasantest spot to be
found on a hot day is a grassy knoll, shaded by a great tree. Close
by is the horse-trough, which is supplied with water from the well
a few rods off. One sultry day, my little boy and I went to play
under the shade of this tree. The trough was full of clean,
sparkling water, and I lingered there even after the two horses,
"Cherry" and "Dash," had been brought out and tied to the tree; for
they, too, had found their house uncomfortable, and had begged with
their expressive eyes to be taken out-of-doors.

Now, the water in the trough looked very tempting, and soon my boy
Willy put his little hand in, and then rolling up his sleeve,
plunged in his arm and began to splash the water, throwing it
around, wetting us all, horses included. We left the tree, and were
going into the house, when we heard a loud thumping, and splashing;
turning round, we saw Cherry, with his fore-leg in the trough,
knocking his great iron shoe against the side of it, sending the
water flying in all directions, and making the water in the trough
all black and muddy. Now, these horses had drunk from this trough
three times a day for two months, and spent many a morning under
that very tree, and it had never occurred to either of them to play
such a trick until they had seen Willy do it.

Willy was so much pleased that he gave Cherry several lumps of
sugar to reward him for his naughtiness; but James, the coachman,
took a different view, and gave him a sound scolding, and I am
afraid whipped him; although I protested that Willy was more to
blame than poor Cherry, who had only imitated his little master.

C.C.B.

THREE SPIDERS.

Another enemy to my friends the birds! This time it's a spider. He
lives near the Amazon River, they tell me, builds a strong web across a
deep hole in a tree, and waits at the back of the hole until a bird or
a lizard is caught in the meshes. Then out he pounces, and kills his
prey by poison. And yet this dreadful creature has a body only an inch
and a half in length!

Then there's a spider named Kara-Kurt, who lives in Turkestan; and,
though he is no bigger than a finger-nail, he can jump several feet. He
hides in the grass, and his bite is poisonous; but I'm glad to say he
doesn't kill birds.

In the same country is a long-legged spider, who has long hair and a
body as big as a hen