es itself by deeds._

THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES

A Lark made her nest in a field of young wheat. As the days
passed, the wheat stalks grew tall and the young birds, too, grew
in strength. Then one day, when the ripe golden grain waved in
the breeze, the Farmer and his son came into the field.

"This wheat is now ready for reaping," said the Farmer. "We must
call in our neighbors and friends to help us harvest it."

The young Larks in their nest close by were much frightened, for
they knew they would be in great danger if they did not leave the
nest before the reapers came. When the Mother Lark returned with
food for them, they told her what they had heard.

"Do not be frightened, children," said the Mother Lark. "If the
Farmer said he would call in his neighbors and friends to help
him do his work, this wheat will not be reaped for a while yet."

A few days later, the wheat was so ripe, that when the wind shook
the stalks, a hail of wheat grains came rustling down on the
young Larks' heads.

"If this wheat is not harvested at once," said the Farmer, "we
shall lose half the crop. We cannot wait any longer for help from
our friends. Tomorrow we must set to work, ourselves."

[Illustration]

When the young Larks told their mother what they had heard that
day, she said:

"Then we must be off at once. When a man decides to do his own
work and not depend on any one else, then you may be sure there
will be no more delay."

There was much fluttering and trying out of wings that afternoon,
and at sunrise next day, when the Farmer and his son cut down the
grain, they found an empty nest.

_Self-help is the best help._

[Illustration]

THE CAT AND THE OLD RAT

There was once a Cat who was so watchful, that a Mouse hardly
dared show the tip of his whiskers for fear of being eaten alive.
That Cat seemed to be everywhere at once with his claws all ready
for a pounce. At last the Mice kept so closely to their dens,
that the Cat saw he would have to use his wits well to catch one.
So one day he climbed up on a shelf and hung from it, head
downward, as if he were dead, holding himself up by clinging to
some ropes with one paw.

When the Mice peeped out and saw him in that position, they
thought he had been hung up there in punishment for some misdeed.
Very timidly at first they stuck out their heads and sniffed
about carefully. But as nothing stirred, all trooped joyfully out
to celebrate the de