"Well, one morning, when my brother Nat and I were all ready, the lamb
could not be found, and, supposing that it had gone out to pasture
with the cows, we started on. I used to be very fond of singing, and
the lamb would follow the sound of my voice. This morning, after we
had gone some distance, I began to sing, and the lamb hearing me,
followed, and overtook us before we got to school. As it happened, we
were early; so I went in very quietly, and took the lamb into my seat,
where it went to sleep, and I covered it up with my shawl. When
the teacher and the rest of the scholars came, they did not notice
anything amiss, and all was quiet until my spelling-class was called.
Hardly had I taken my place when the patter of little hoofs was heard
coming down the aisle, and the lamb stood beside me ready for its
word. Of course, the children all laughed, and the teacher laughed
too, and the poor creature had to be turned out-of-doors. But it kept
coming back, and at last had to be tied in the wood-shed until school
was out. Now, that day, there was a young man in the school, John
Roulston by name, who had come as a spectator. He was a Boston boy and
son of a riding-school master, and was fitting for Harvard College. He
was very much pleased over what he saw in our school, and a few days
after gave us the first three verses of the song. How or when it got
into print, I don't know.

"I took great care of my pet, and would curl its long wool over a
stick, Finally, it was killed by an angry cow. I have a pair of little
stockings, knitted of yarn spun from the lamb's wool, the heels
of which have been raveled out and given away piecemeal as
mementoes."--Yours truly,

J.M.D.

* * * * *

Bolinas, Cal.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Were the "Arabian Nights" written by an Englishman
or translated from the Arabic? In either case can you tell us the name
of the author?--Yours sincerely,

ESTHER R. DE PERSE AND JIMMIE MOORE.

The "Arabian Nights" were collected and translated into English by
Edward William Lane, an Englishman; but no one ever has found out
where or by whom the tales were first told. On page 42 of ST. NICHOLAS
for November, 1874 (the first number), is an article on the subject by
Mr. Donald G. Mitchell, which you would do well to read.

* * * * *

Geneva, Switzerland.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: Perhaps some of your American readers have visited
this far