gant shape besides!"

"Mine is the biggest!" cried Dick with some pride.

Now each of the cottages of Head had two little doors, the funniest that
ever were seen; they were just of the form of ears, and Matty's and
Nelly's were almost hidden by the golden thatch above them. The children
went in and examined the inside of the dwellings one by one. Each had
four little rooms--parlour, bedroom, kitchen, and spare room. But the
walls were quite rough and bare; not a scrap of carpet covered the
boards; there were chimneys, it is true, but no grates were to be seen
in the empty fireplaces.

"Well," cried Dick, as with his companions he returned to the space
between the cottages, in which they had left Mr. Learning standing, "I
should be mighty sorry to have to live in such an unfurnished house!"

"If it remain unfurnished it will be your own fault," replied Mr.
Learning, as he drew from his pocket four purses, yellow, red, and
pink, and blue. "These are the magic purses of Time," he continued, "and
most valuable gifts are they; each of you shall possess one. Every
morning you will find in them a certain number of pieces of silver and
copper money,--men name them hours and minutes. A few you will employ in
paying for your lodging and food in that large dwelling hard by, called
Needful House, in which you may remain for a while until your cottages
are fit to be lived in. Some of your hours and minutes you must spend on
every week-day in buying furniture for these little Heads in the town of
Education."

Dick caught eagerly at the yellow purse, and instantly began to count
out the money. Every bright coin had the stamp of a pair of wings on one
side, with the motto, "_Time flies fast_," and on the other side in
raised letters the motto, "_Use me well_."

Lubin and Matty took the red and pink purses with a careless air, as,
like too many amongst us, they did not know their value. Lame Nelly very
gratefully received the blue purse, with the hours and minutes in it.

"And now," cried Dick, "where is this town of Education, for I'm in a
desperate hurry to begin to furnish my Head?"

Mr. Learning moved a few steps to the right, and pointed with his
gold-headed cane to a spot where some smoke rising in the valley showed
that a large town must be.

"You can see it yonder through the trees," said the sage.

"Oh, dear! it is a good way off!" said Lubin. "I hope that you don't
expect us to travel there every day."

"You must