ny,
what sharp teeth you've got!'"

"'The better to eat you with,'" laughed Granny, "I'm sure you look quite
sweet enough."

Leslie ran over and put the basket in her lap. "The oranges are
sweeter," she said, "please eat those instead."

"All right," Granny agreed, "if you will give me a kiss with them, that
will be next best to eating you."

In her heart, Leslie thought it was much better, and while Granny Graham
ate one of the oranges they both decided that the story of Little White
Riding-Hood had a much pleasanter ending than the old one in Leslie's
book.

--_Written for Dew Drops by Marion Mallette Thornton._

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Musical Hespie and Her Play.

Little Hespie, the wood mouse, sang sometimes as long as nine minutes.
Her song usually came forth when she was at play, or exercising in some
way. One time she became especially delighted because her wheel squeaked
when she turned it. You know how pleased a boy is when his hobbyhorse
creaks. So Hespie, too, enjoyed the new noise; but it so drowned her
pretty little warble that a drop of oil was put in the wheel to stop the
creaky sound.

Poor Hespie became quite excited over this change, and bit the wires of
her wheel. So a plan was made to soothe poor mousie's feelings. A small
strip of stiff paper was placed in such a way that it hit the wheel
every time it turned and so made a nice little noise. Hespie forgot her
trouble and worked at the wheel joyously, making the paper noise and
singing her pretty song at the same time.

If Hespie had not had her wheel to play with, her life would have been
quite dull. One time her wheel was corked up so that she could not go
inside. She became quite angry and ran in and out of her bed-box, hardly
knowing what to do. Her rage did not last long, however, and she was
soon frolicking about the cage and singing. The song sounded at first
like the cooing of a dove; then it changed to quick notes more like the
cuckoo; and, after that, the noise was like the tapping of Mr.
Woodpecker on a tree.

One of Hespie's favorite games, which she played with the children, they
called "hauling in the lines." She seemed never to grow tired of it. The
children would hold a long cotton cord, while Hespie sat upon her hind
legs and pulled it in like a sailor, hand over hand. Then the children
would pull it out again just to see her pull it in.