tles have ever occurred?

No wonder our children the gardens preferred:--
For the fountains were really so pretty a sight,
That Bertie declared--and I think he was right--
It was better to play
Like the fountains all day,
Than such terrible battles to fight.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

LA FONTAINE DES INNOCENTS

Round this pretty fountain here
Sparrows gather all the year;
In its sparkling waters dip,
From its basin freely sip,
Round about their fountain play,
Safe and happy all the day;--
Little "innocents" are they.
That is Antoine, bread in hand;
See him by his mother stand:
Saucy little birdies spy
Antoine's bread, and at it fly,
Trying each to get a share,
Frightening little Antoine there.
Antoine does not _wish_ to share,
Thinks the bread is all _his_ right,
Just to suit his appetite.
Mother says, "Be kind, my son,
There is more when this is done;
Bread enough for thee at home:--
Let the pretty sparrows come;
Give them each a little crumb."

Here our little family
Near the fountain too, we see,
Walking through the open space
To the covered market-place.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE MARKETS OF PARIS

Here from morning till night they are selling and buying,
And from morning till night their market wares crying:

All around you will find there is food of each kind;
There are flesh, fowl, and fish here for every dish.
The fish-market you see on the opposite page:
On this stall that is nearest, the shell-fish appear;
But were I to begin, it would take me an age
To tell you the names of the fish you find here.
See! there's puss looking out for what she can get,
And that little boy who is laughing is Paul,--
The girl with the lobster is sister Lisette,
And he's watching to see if it nips her at all.
Madame Blaise, there, tells Nellie her mussels are good,
But Nellie smiles sweetly and goes on her way,
And I venture to doubt if she quite understood
All the funny French things Madame Blaise had to say.
Other parts of the market contain butchers meat,
And poultry, and fruit, and salads, and greens,
And here, if you want them, quite young, fresh and sweet,
Are the _haricots verts_ which we know as "French beans."

For, from morning till night here they're selling and buying,
And from morning till night their market wares crying.

[Illustration]