st. He said, "Cheer up, the rat is
coming to set you free."

Soon the rat arrived. He began at once to gnaw the ropes. He had just
set the gazelle free when a hunter came along. The gazelle sprang to
one side into the bushes, the raven flew into a tree, and the rat ran
into a hole in the ground.

The hunter looked about for the gazelle, but could not find him. He was
very angry.

Just then the tortoise came up. The hunter picked him up and put him
into his bag for his supper.

The raven whispered to the gazelle, "The hunter is carrying off our
tortoise."

As soon as the gazelle heard this, he came out of his hiding place and
limped along as if he were lame.

The hunter saw him. He threw down his bag and ran after the gazelle,
thinking that he could easily catch him; but the gazelle kept ahead of
him. At last the hunter could run no more. He went back to get his bag,
tired and cross, but sure of a supper.

But what do you suppose had happened while he was gone? The rat had
gnawed a hole in the hunter's bag and set the tortoise free, and both
had run off.

It was now quite dark, and all the animals went home. That was the
happiest evening of their lives. Each one had done something for the
others, and all were safe, and it was good to be at home.

THE TYRANT WHO BECAME A JUST RULER

There was once a king who was so cruel to his people that he was called
"The Tyrant."

The people used to wish that he would die so that they might have a
better king.

One day he called his people together. They feared to go to him, yet
they did not dare to stay away. When they were all standing before him,
he arose and said:

"My dear people, I have been very unkind to you, but I hope after this
to make your lives peaceful and happy."

The king kept his word. He sent good men to all parts of his kingdom to
find out what the people most needed to make them happy. He then had
everything done for them that a just king could do. He helped them to
build good roads and bridges. He made their taxes lighter. He gave them
a holiday now and then. The people learned to trust him and to love him.

One day one of his subjects said to him, "Please, O king, tell me why
you are so much better to us now than you used to be."

The king replied:

"As I was going through a forest one afternoon I saw a hound chasing a
fox. He caught the fox and bit him badly. The fox will always be lame.

"When the hound was going home, a man thr