s concertina would do as well, and he was quite
certain he had seen a fox while taking his rambles in Tippity Thicket,

One day when he had a holiday, and his Papa had gone a hunting with
his friends, he strolled off with his concertina to endeavour to
lure a fox out into the open. He approached the hole where he had
previously seen the fox, and sat down, and began to play vigorously
on his concertina, and to sing at the top of his voice, "The Bells
go a-ringing for _Say_-rah! _Say_-rah! _Say_-rah!" Presently he saw a
huge Fox poke his nose out of the hole. He was delighted! He sang and
played with renewed energy, and began to walk away, still singing and
playing.

The Fox followed, snarling, and snapping, and appearing very angry.
The more he played, the more the Fox snarled and snapped. At last the
animal became furious, all the hair on its back stood on end, and it
began to make short runs with its mouth open at the young musician.

It sprang upon him! He was terrified! He dropped his song and his
concertina at the same moment, and scrambled up the nearest tree.

The Fox's fury then knew no bounds; he trampled on the concertina, he
bit it, he tore open the bellows, and having reduced it to a shapeless
mass, bore it away to his hole.

When the coast was quite clear, FRANK descended, and slunk home.

The next morning one of the keepers found a dead fox. It had
apparently died of suffocation, as sixteen ivory concertina-stops were
found in its throat.

FRANK now has entirely ceased to believe in Ancient Mythology, and
has been even heard to hint that he considers Dr. LEMPRIERE a bit of
a humbug.

* * * * *

"LOST TO SIGHT, TO MEMORY DEAR."--An animal very difficult to secure
again when once off ... and that is ... "a pony," when you've lost it
on Newmarket Heath.

* * * * *

LETTERS TO ABSTRACTIONS.

NO. IX.--TO CROOKEDNESS.

I dispense with all formal opening, and I begin at once. I want to
tell you a story. Don't ask me why; for, even if I answered the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, you would hardly believe
me. Let me merely say that I want to tell you a story, and tell it
without much further preface.

[Illustration]

Two days ago I chanced, for no special reason, to open the drawers
of an old writing-table, which for years past had stood, unused, in
a corner of an upper room. In one I found a rusty screw, in another