rried in London to Miss
Balestier, daughter of the late Mr. Wolcott Balestier of New York.
Shortly after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Kipling visited Japan, and
in August they came to America. They established their home at
Brattleboro, Vermont, where Mrs. Kipling's family had a large estate:
and here, in a pleasant and beautifully situated house which they had
built for themselves, their two eldest children were born, and here
they continued to live till September, 1896.

During these four years Mr. Kipling made three brief visits to England
to see his parents, who had left India and were now settled in the old
country.

The winter of 1897-98 was spent by Mr. Kipling and his family,
accompanied by his father, in South Africa. He was everywhere received
with the utmost cordiality and friendliness.

Returning to England in the spring of 1898, he took a house at
Rottingdean, near Brighton, with intention to make it his permanent
home.

Of the later incidents of his life there is no need to speak.

IV

BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP

At the School Council Baa, Baa, Black Sheep was elected to a
very high position among the Kipling Stories "because it
shows how mean they were to a boy and he did n't need it."

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, Sir; yes, Sir; three bags full.
One for the Master, one for the Dame--
None for the Little Boy that cries down the lane.

--_Nursery Rhyme._

THE FIRST BAG

"When I was in my father's house, I was in a better place."

They were putting Punch to bed--the ayah and the hamal, and Meeta, the
big Surti boy with the red and gold turban. Judy, already tucked
inside her mosquito-curtains, was nearly asleep. Punch had been
allowed to stay up for dinner. Many privileges had been accorded to
Punch within the last ten days, and a greater kindness from the people
of his world had encompassed his ways and works, which were mostly
obstreperous. He sat on the edge of his bed and swung his bare legs
defiantly.

"Punch-baba going to bye-lo?" said the ayah suggestively.

"No," said Punch. "Punch-baba wants the story about the Ranee that was
turned into a tiger. Meeta must tell it, and the hamal shall hide
behind the door and make tiger-noises at the proper time."

"But Judy-Baba will wake up," said the ayah.

"Judy-baba is waking," piped a small voice from the mosquito-curtains.
"There w