of
boys that he had used so ill in the morning. They all set up a shout
as soon as they saw him, their enemy, in their power, without his dog,
and began persecuting him in a thousand various ways. Some pulled him
by the hair, others pinched him, some whipped his legs with their
handkerchiefs, while others covered him with handfuls of dirt. In vain
did he attempt to escape; they were still at his heels, and,
surrounding him on every side, continued their persecutions.

At length, while he was in this disagreeable situation, he happened to
come up to the same jackass he had seen in the morning, and, making a
sudden spring, jumped upon his back, hoping by this means to escape.
The boys immediately renewed their shouts, and the ass, who was
frightened at the noise, began galloping with all his might, and
presently bore him from the reach of his enemies.

But he had little reason to rejoice at this escape, for he found it
impossible to stop the animal, and was every instant afraid of being
thrown off and dashed upon the ground. After he had been thus hurried
along a considerable time the ass on a sudden stopped short at the
door of a cottage, and began kicking and prancing with so much fury
that the little boy was presently thrown to the ground, and broke his
leg in the fall.

His cries immediately brought the family out, among whom was the very
little girl he had used so ill in the morning. But she, with the
greatest good nature, seeing him in such a pitiable situation,
assisted in bringing him in and laying him upon the bed. There this
unfortunate boy had leisure to recollect himself and reflect upon his
own bad behavior, which in one day's time had exposed him to such a
variety of misfortunes; and he determined with great sincerity that if
ever he recovered from his present accident he would be as careful to
take every opportunity of doing good as he had before been to commit
every species of mischief.

THE PURPLE JAR

By MARIA EDGEWORTH

Rosamond, a little girl about seven years old, was walking with her
mother in the streets of London. As she passed along she looked in at
the windows of several shops, and saw a great variety of different
sorts of things, of which she did not know the use, or even the names.
She wished to stop to look at them, but there was a great number of
people in the streets, and a great many carts, carriages, and
wheelbarrows, and she was afraid to let go her mother's hand.

"Oh,