easy enough, he is so
smart. Father said the middle of the night was the best time to give him
his lessons; it was so still then, and nothing disturbed Sanch and made
him forget. I can't do half the tricks, but I'm goin' to learn when
father comes back. He'd rather have me show off Sanch than ride, till
I'm older."

"I have a charming book about animals, and in it an interesting account
of some trained poodles who could do the most wonderful things. Would
you like to hear it while you put your maps and puzzles together?" asked
Miss Celia, glad to keep her brother interested in their four-footed
guest at least.

"Yes,'m, yes,'m," answered the children; and, fetching the book, she
read the pretty account, shortening and simplifying it here and there to
suit her hearers.

"I invited the two dogs to dine and spend the evening; and they came
with their master, who was a Frenchman. He had been a teacher in a deaf
and dumb school, and thought he would try the same plan with dogs. He
had also been a conjurer, and now was supported by Blanche and her
daughter Lyda. These dogs behaved at dinner just like other dogs; but
when I gave Blanche a bit of cheese and asked if she knew the word for
it, her master said she could spell it. So a table was arranged with a
lamp on it, and round the table were laid the letters of the alphabet
painted on cards. Blanche sat in the middle, waiting till her master
told her to spell cheese, which she at once did in French, F R O M A G
E. Then she translated a word for us very cleverly. Some one wrote
pferd, the German for horse, on a slate. Blanche looked at it and
pretended to read it, putting by the slate with her paw when she had
done. 'Now give us the French for that word,' said the man; and she
instantly brought CHEVAL. 'Now, as you are at an Englishman's house,
give it to us in English;' and she brought me HORSE. Then we spelt some
words wrong, and she corrected them with wonderful accuracy. But she did
not seem to like it, and whined and growled and looked so worried, that
she was allowed to go and rest and eat cakes in a corner.

"Then Lyda took her place on the table, and did sums on the slate with a
set of figures. Also mental arithmetic, which was very pretty. 'Now,
Lyda,' said her master, 'I want to see if you understand division.
Suppose you had ten bits of sugar, and you met ten Prussian dogs, how
many lumps would you, a French dog, give to each of the Prussians?' Lyda
very decid