n grumbled again:--

"Hight! hight! Bite! bite!
Your nuts are cracked, and now my pay
I'll take and then I'll go away."

Now one of the boys wished to give the little man his promised reward,
but the other, who was a bad boy, stopped him, saying:--

"Why do you give that old fellow our nuts? There are only enough for us.
As for you, Nutcracker, go away from here and find some for yourself."

Then the little man grew angry, and he grumbled horribly:--

"If you do not pay my fee,
Why, then, you've told a lie to me!
I am hungry, you're well fed,
Quick, or I'll bite off your head!"

But the bad boy only laughed and said: "You 'll bite off my head, will
you! Go away from here just as fast as you can, or you shall feel these
nut-shells," and he shook his fist at the little man.

The Nutcracker grew red with rage. He pulled up his pigtail, snapping
his jaws together,--CRACK,--and the bad boy's head was off.

THE PUMPKIN PIRATES

A TALE FROM LUCIAN

BY ALFRED J. CHURCH (ADAPTED)

Once upon a time, one Lucian the Greek was filled with a desire to see
strange countries, and especially to discover whether there was any
opposite shore to the ocean by which he lived.

So having purchased a vessel, he strengthened it for a voyage, that he
knew would without doubt be long and stormy. Then he chose fifty stout
young fellows having the same love of adventure as himself, and next he
hired the best captain that could be got for money, and put a store of
provisions and water on board.

All this being done, he set sail. For many days he and his companions
voyaged on deep waters and in strange seas. At times the wind was
fair and gentle, and at others it blew so hard that the sea rose in a
terrible manner.

One day there came a violent whirlwind which twisted the ship about,
and, lifting it into the air, carried it upward into the sky, until it
reached the Moon. There Lucian and his comrades disembarked and visited
the inhabitants of Moonland. They took part in a fierce battle between
the Moon-Folk, the Sun-Folk, and an army of Vulture-Horsemen; and,
after many other wonderful adventures, they departed from Moonland,
and sailing through the sky, visited the Morning Star. Then the wind
dropping, the ship settled once more upon the sea, and they sailed on
the water.

One morning the wind began to blow vehemently, and they were driven by
storm for days.