is
mother only a little while before, and he began to pity the Lambs in the
pen.
Now his selfishness and his goodness were fighting hard in him. One
said, "Send your sister away," and the other, "Take her to your mother."
At last he ran as fast as he could toward his sister. "I am good now,"
he said to himself, "but it may not last long. I will tell her before I
am naughty again."
"Oh sister!" cried he. "Come with me to our mother. She doesn't know
where to find us."
He saw a happy look on his sister's sad little face, and he was glad
that he had done the right thing. They skipped away together, kicking up
their heels as they went, and it seemed to the brother that he had never
been so happy in his life. He was soon to be happier, though, for when
they reached his "new, white mother," as he called her, and his sister
told her how he had shown her the way, his mother said, "Now you are a
comfort to me. You will be a happier Lamb, too, for you know that a
mother's heart is large enough for all her children, and that the more
one loves, the better he loves."
"Why, of course," said the twin sister. "What do you mean?"
But the mother never told her, and the brother never told her, and it is
hoped that you will keep the secret.
THE VERY SHORT STORY OF THE FOOLISH LITTLE MOUSE
The Mice who lived in the barn and around the granaries had many cousins
living on the farm who were pleasant people to know. Any one could tell
by looking at them that they were related, yet there were differences in
size, in the coloring of their fur, in their voices, and most of all in
their ways of living. Some of these cousins would come to visit at the
barn in winter, when there was little to eat in the fields. The Meadow
Mice never did this. They were friendly with the people who came from
the farmyard to graze in the meadow, yet when they were asked to return
the call, they said, "No, thank you. We are an out-of-door family, and
we never enter houses. We do not often go to the farmyard, but we are
always glad to see you here. Come again."
When the Cows are in the meadow, they watch for these tiny people, and
stop short if they hear their voices from the grass near by. Of course
the Horses are careful, for Horses will never step on any person, large
or small, if they can help it. They are very particular about this.
All through the meadow you can see, if you look sharply, shallow winding
paths among the grasses, and the
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