s human people."

Chattie, who could quote Scripture, sometimes more appropriately than
greater parrots, chimed in--

"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast."

"Dearie me," said Green Ribbon, "I never knew there was a text for us
before."

* * * * *

But Fairyland we now must leave--
The land of Robin's spell.
Adieu! Celeste, magic Queen:
We like thy teaching well.

CHAPTER VIII.

ROBIN'S BOOK.

When Robin went to school in a great city, he saw children trifling
with their lessons, copying from the workers, and cheating their
teachers. They succeeded for a time, but when the day of searching
trial came, he saw them fail.

When Robin became a young man, he saw many who, carrying up the craft
and ignorance of earlier days, were utterly broken down in the great
business of the world. Impressed with the ruin that lies in shunning
true and ennobling labor, he wrote a little book, and the title was--

"MEN THAT CHEAT THEMSELVES."

THE SNOW-WHITE FOX.

There was once a lion with a bushy mane, whose name was Muffler. He
lived in a country, called Antartika, where the hills were high, the
valleys low, the forests thick, and the waters broad and deep. It was
a fertile land, where grass and fruits and flowers grew in abundance.
It was also a rich, rich country, full of precious stones lying on the
ground, shining in the beds of the rivers, and glittering on the face
of the mountains. Antartika was indeed a beautiful land.

But no people lived there, nothing but birds and beasts and fishes, and
a wonderful race of tailless apes that died out long ago. And Muffler,
the lion, was king.

On a certain day, a law-court day, Muffler sat on a diamond rock, and
at his back was a rock of ruby blazing in the sun. On his head was a
crown of laurel powdered with gold-dust and pearls. Beside him stood
Old Primeval the ape, his faithful adviser, wearing on his neck a
wreath of white poplar leaves dusted with silver, and holding in his
hand a club inlaid with shining emeralds. On each side of the king and
behind him were many young lions looking respectful and brave. Some
distance in front was a crowd of all kinds of beasts, such as tigers,
panthers, bears, wild-boars, wolves, hyenas, foxes, wild-cats, and even
deer, sheep and goats, while the trees around were covered with birds
of brilliant plumage. And they were all very quiet, because they were
expect