ouse killed. "Yes, mamma, (replied Alfred), it had no right to eat my
cake."

"Very well; I will have the mouse-trap set; but observe, Alfred,
whether before the day is past, you do not tell me you are sorry for
its death."

"Oh! no; that I am sure I sha'n't," replied Alfred, and Mrs. Clifford
ordered the trap to be set.

Early the next morning, when Mrs. Clifford came down stairs and went
to the closet, she beheld her poor little prisoner dead in his wire
cage. "See, Alfred, (said she), here is the poor mouse dead!"

Alfred at first was glad; but when he saw what a pretty one it was, he
was sorry, but contented himself by saying to the dead mouse, "If you
had not been in the cupboard doing so much mischief, you would not
have been killed!"

When he had said his lesson, his mother said to him, "Now, Alfred,
shall I tell you a story?" Alfred was very fond of hearing a story, if
it was not too long, and he asked his mother, if this would be a long
one.

"I don't wish to tire you, (said his mother), so I will only tell you
part of it this morning. Alfred fetched his little stool, and having
placed it at her side, fixed his eyes on her face while she related

THE HISTORY OF A FIELD MOUSE.

"In a wheat-stack, in Farmer Ball's yard, lived an old mouse with her
family, consisting of five little ones, the most worthy of which was a
pretty brown mouse, called Downy, because her fur was longer and
softer than either of her brothers and sisters, and besides being the
prettiest, she was likewise the wisest and best among them.

"Her mother was by birth a field-mouse; she had been carried among the
sheaves of wheat into the stack, with a great many more field-mice;
and had lived there, at the expence of farmer Ball, ever since.

"It was one fine clear morning, in the middle of March, that, as Downy
was peeping her little nose out of the straw at the edge of the stack,
to breathe a little fresh air, she saw the farmer with his men enter
the yard, and heard him tell the people that he would have the stack
taken into the barn and thrashed, and desired them to bid Fen, the
ratcatcher, come, and bring all his dogs with him.

[Illustration]

"Poor Downy was in a terrible fright at hearing this; she ran to
acquaint her mother with it; and asked her what they had best do; but
her mother, who was but a foolish mouse, bade her not be under the
least alarm, for she was persuaded the farmer did not mean to take it
in just th