Truly, never did boys look dirtier or
more disreputable.

"We feel positively ashamed to go home with you," their mothers said to
them.

"Well, for once I was jolly glad you did come, mother," said Helmut.
"That treacherous old dragon wanted to turn on us after all; he might
have devoured us, if you had not turned up in the nick of time. Not that
I believe that he _really_ would have done anything of the sort, he was
a coward you know, and when we levelled our guns at him he was awfully
frightened. Still he _might_ have found out that our guns were not
properly loaded, and then it would have been unpleasant."

Mother smiled, she did not seem to take the story quite so seriously as
Helmut wished.

"We had a gorgeous ride on his back, mother dear; would you like to see
him? You have only to lie down flat and squeeze yourself through that
crack in the rocks till you come to his cave."

"No thank you," said mother, "I think I can do without seeing your
dragon."

"Oh, we have forgotten our flags!" called out Wolf and Werner, "wait a
minute for us," and they climbed up over the rocks and rescued the
flags. "He's still in there," they whispered to Helmut in a mysterious
whisper.

"Mother," said Helmut that evening when she came to wish him good night,
"do you know, if you stand up to a dragon like a man, and are not afraid
of him, he is not so difficult to vanquish after all."

"I'm glad you think so," said mother, "'Volo cum Deo'--there is a Latin
proverb for you; it means, that with God's help, will-power is the chief
thing necessary; this even dragons know. Thus a little boy can conquer
even greater dragons than the monsters vast of ages past."

"Hum!" said Helmut musingly, "mother, dear, I was a real hero to-day, I
think you would have been proud of me; but I must confess between
ourselves, that the old dragon was a bit of a fool!"

THE EASTER HARE

It is curious how little children of one country know about the lives
and interests of the children of another. Perhaps if English people
would send their children over to Germany, instead of their journalists,
singers, etc., the danger of an International war would be lessened. The
children would be sure to fall in love with Germany; for it is the land
above all others that appeals to children. Women are said to come first
in America, children are certainly the first consideration in Germany.
Froebel's motto: "Come let us live with our children," is nowhe