atch string flew up,
And the Baby Bear saw
That a stranger had surely been there.

Then Father Bear cried,
"Who's been sitting in my chair?"
And Mother Bear cried,
"Who's been sitting in _my_ chair?"
And Baby Bear smiled,
"Who's been sitting in my chair,
And broken it all into pieces?"

Then Father Bear growled,
"Who's been tasting of my milk?"
And Mother Bear growled,
"Who's been tasting of _my_ milk?"
And Baby Bear wondered,
"Who's tasted of my milk,
And tasting has drank it all up?"

And Father Bear roared,
"Who's been lying on my bed?"
And Mother Bear roared,
"Who's been lying on _my_ bed?"
And Baby Bear laughed,
"Who's been lying on my bed?
O, here she is, fast asleep!"

The savage old Father Bear cried,
"Let us eat her!"
The savage old Mother Bear cried,
"Let us eat her!"
But the Baby Bear said,
"Nothing ever was sweeter.
Let's kiss her, and send her home!"

JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK.

Versified by Mrs. Clara Doty Bates.

A lazy and careless boy was Jack,--
He would not work, and he would not play;
And so poor, that the jacket on his back
Hung in a ragged fringe alway;
But 'twas shilly-shally, dilly-dally,
From day to day.

At last his mother was almost wild,
And to get them food she knew not how;
And she told her good-for-nothing child
To drive to market the brindle cow.
So he strolled along, with whistle and song,
And drove the cow.

A man was under the wayside trees,
Who carried some beans in his hand--all white.
He said, "My boy, I'll give you these
For the brindle cow." Jack said, "All right."
And, without any gold for the cow he had sold,
Went home at night.

Bitter tears did the mother weep;
Out of the window the beans were thrown,
And Jack went supperless to sleep;
But, when the morning sunlight shone,
High, and high, to the very sky,
The beans had grown.

They made a ladder all green and bright,
They twined and crossed and twisted so;
And Jack sprang up it with all his might,
And called to his mother down below:
"_Hitchity-hatchet, my little red jacket,
And up I go!_"

High as a tree, then high as a steeple,
Then high as a kite, and high as the moon,
Far out of sight of cities