st hold on tightly," said the white duck.

The tortoise took hold of the middle of the twig and each duck took
hold of one end.

Then they flew up! up! up! while the tortoise swung from the middle of
the twig. How he enjoyed it! He had never had such a ride.

They had gone a long way safely when they came to a hayfield. The
haymakers looked up and saw the ducks and the tortoise.

"Ho! ho! the tortoise has stolen some wings," called one of the
haymakers.

"What a queer carriage he has!" laughed another in a loud voice.

"I pity his horses," said another.

This made the tortoise so angry that he cried out, "You--" but no one
knows what he was going to say, for he fell to the ground and was
killed.

[Footnote: Adapted from The Tortoise and the Geese, in a book of the
same name published by Houghton, Mifflin Co.]

THE MOUSE AND THE FROG

A frog, while out walking one day, saw a mouse coming toward him.

"There is that foolish mouse," said he. "I will play a good joke on
him," and he grinned as he thought how much fun he would have.

As they met, the frog said, "Good morning, Sir Mouse; I hope I find you
well to-day."

"Very well," replied the mouse. "How are you?"

"My health is not very good, so I have taken a holiday. If you are not
busy, what do you say to our spending the day together?"

"Good!" answered the mouse. "I have little to do and nothing would suit
me better." So they started off together.

They had not gone far when the frog said, "Let me tie one of your front
feet to one of my hind legs, so that I may not lose you."

"All right," replied the mouse. "We shall surely be fast friends then."

So the frog took a blade of grass and fastened one of the mouse's front
feet to one of his hind legs. When the frog leaped, the mouse tumbled
after. Then they stopped and had a big laugh; it was very funny.

They first went to an oat field, where the frog found many insects, and
the mouse plenty of grain.

Beyond this field there was a pond. The frog had been going toward this
pond all of the time, but the mouse had not noticed it. They were soon
on its bank.

When the mouse saw the pond he cried out, "Oh, you know I do not like
the water, Mr. Frog. Let us go to the barn."

"Nothing would do you so much good as a cool bath on this hot day. You
have never taken one, so you can not know how good it will make you
feel," and the frog jumped into the water.

The mouse tried to get free, but t