,
well!" he said, "now I know all about this beast. He is ex-act-ly like
a wall."

The second felt only of the elephant's tusk. "My brother," he said,
"you are mistaken. He is not at all like a wall. He is round and
smooth and sharp. He is more like a spear than anything else."

The third happened to take hold of the elephant's trunk. "Both of you
are wrong," he said. "Anybody who knows anything can see that this
elephant is like a snake."

The fourth reached out his arms, and grasped one of the elephant's
legs. "Oh, how blind you are!" he said. "It is very plain to me that
he is round and tall like a tree."

The fifth was a very tall man, and he chanced to take hold of the
elephant's ear. "The blind-est man ought to know that this beast is
not like any of the things that you name," he said. "He is ex-act-ly
like a huge fan."

The sixth was very blind indeed, and it was some time before he could
find the elephant at all. At last he seized the animal's tail. "O
foolish fellows!" he cried. "You surely have lost your senses. This
elephant is not like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree;
neither is he like a fan. But any man with a par-ti-cle of sense can
see that he is exactly like a rope."

Then the elephant moved on, and the six blind men sat by the roadside
all day, and quar-reled about him. Each believed that he knew just how
the animal looked; and each called the others hard names because they
did not agree with him. People who have eyes sometimes act as
foolishly.

MAXIMILIAN AND THE GOOSE BOY.

One summer day King Max-i-mil'ian of Ba-va'ri-a was walking in the
country. The sun shone hot, and he stopped under a tree to rest.

It was very pleasant in the cool shade. The king lay down on the soft
grass, and looked up at the white clouds sailing across the sky. Then
he took a little book from his pocket and tried to read.

But the king could not keep his mind on his book. Soon his eyes
closed, and he was fast asleep.

It was past noon when he awoke. He got up from his grassy bed, and
looked around. Then he took his cane in his hand, and started for
home.

When he had walked a mile or more, he happened to think of his book.
He felt for it in his pocket. It was not there. He had left it under
the tree.

The king was already quite tired, and he did not like to walk back so
far. But he did not wish to lose the book. What should he do?

If there was only some one to send for it!

While he