. He never was at a loss when they asked him a question, never
would confess his ignorance, and so had to say much that was not true.

Dandy boasted so of the respect which men had paid him, that he made the
other bears think he was doing them a great honor by living with them.
He made them all wait on him. But at last a young bear, that had escaped
from a trap which some men had set for him, said to Dandy, "Is that ring
in your nose for ornament or for use?"

"For ornament, of course," said Dandy. "This ring was a gift from a man
who was once my partner. He was so fond of me, and so pleased with my
dancing, that he never tired of serving me. He brought me all my food.
In fact I had him at my beck and call."

"My friends," said the young bear, "he tells a fib. That ring was put in
his nose to be fastened to a chain. He was held a slave by the man who,
he says, treated him so finely. He was made to dance through fear of
being touched up with a red-hot iron. In short, he is what men call a
'humbug.'"

"Yes, he is a humbug," cried the others, though they did not know what
the word meant. "We will have no more of his fine airs."--"I never liked
him."--"Drive him off."--"Send him back to his dancing-master!"--"Kick
him!"--"Stone him!"--"Beat him!"--"We'll have no humbug here."

And so poor Dandy was driven out from the woods, and forced to get his
living by himself; while the knowing young bear that had exposed him,
looked on and laughed at his misfortune. If Dandy had not been so
boastful; if he had spoken the truth, and been modest,--he might have
been respected by his fellow-bears to the end of his days.

ALFRED SELWYN.

[Illustration: DRAWING-LESSON BY HARRISON WEIR.

VOL. XXI.--NO. 1.]

A SQUEAK!

I'M only a little brown mouse
That lives in somebody's house,
And in that same house there's a cat;
But oh, ho! what care I for that?
She sits in the sunshine,
And licks her white paws,
With one eye on me,
And one on her claws.
How she watches the crack
Where she sees my brown back!
But she'll never catch me!
For oh, ho! don't you see
That I'm just the smartest young mouse
That lives anywhere in the house?

I'm only a little brown mouse
That lives in somebody's house,
And in