one
foot into the water, and paddles her raft away as skilfully as if she
were an Indian in a birch canoe. She steers it round the corners, and
paddles on and on, till she finds another quiet nook, where there is
no sign of any "creatures." Then she draws in her paddle-foot, and
broods quietly again, while Mr. Grebe, who has followed her, goes to
explore the new surroundings, and see what he can pick up for supper.

After a time the muddy brown eggs crack open one by one, and out come
the young Dabchicks, pretty, little, fuzzy brown balls. They shake
themselves, and look at each other, and say how-d'-ye-do to their
mother and father; and then, without any more delay, pop! they go into
the water. "Hurrah!" says one. "I can swim!"

PRETTY POLLY PRIMROSE.

Out here papa finds her,
Lifts her tenderly,
Carries her safe home again,--
Never once wakes she.

[Illustration: {POLLY ASLEEP UNDER A TREE.}]

When the breakfast all is o'er
Polly opes her eyes.
"Surely, mamma, I did dream,"
Says she in surprise,
"That I went out to the Park,
Where the birdies sing."
Mamma smiles; how can she chide
The winsome little thing!

AMANDA M. DOUGLAS.

[Illustration: {A PAIR OF BIRDS.}]

LOOK AT THE BABY.

This way and that way, one, two, three.
Come if you want a dance to see;
With his chubby hands on his dress so blue,
See what a baby boy can do.

One foot up and one foot down;
See him try to smile and frown;
He would look better, I do declare,
With some more teeth and a little more hair.

One, two, three, chick-a-dee-dee!
This I take the fact to be,
That there never was, on sea nor shore,
Such a queer little dance as this before!

AN UNLUCKY SAIL.

When little Sam was six years old, he began to go to school. His
teacher gave him a merit card whenever he was good all day. But
sometimes he whispered, or made a noise in school, and then he did not
get one.

"I will give you a penny whenever you bring home a card," said Sam's
father.

After that Sam was very good, and brought home a card almost every
day. He saved up his pennies, and when he was seven years old, he
bought a pretty toy boat.

Sam's sister Hattie went with him to the duck-pond to see him sail the
boat. But soon she grew tired, and went back to the