the poor bird a drop of water. He spread out his pretty wings, and shook them convulsively; his song was mournful. His little head bent towards the flower, and the bird's heart broke with vain longing to quench his thirst. Neither could the flower fold up her leaves and go to sleep, as she did the night before, but sick and mournful she drooped towards the earth.

It was only on the following morning that the boys came, and when they found the bird dead, they shed many, many bitter tears, and buried him in a pretty grave, which they decked with flowers. The bird's lifeless form was laid in a smart, red box, because he was to be buried with regal honours. Poor bird! while he was living and singing they forgot him, and left him to suffer want in his cage,he was to be treated with state, and was mourned with many tears.

-now

But the patch of grass with the daisy on it was thrown into the dust of the road. Nobody thought of the humble flower who had felt the most for the little bird, and who would so willingly have comforted him.-ANDERSEN'S TALES.

THE BLIND MAN AND THE DEAF MAN.

A blind man and a deaf man once entered into partnership. The deaf man was to see for the blind man, and the blind man was to hear for the deaf man.

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One day they both went to a nautch (musical and dancing entertainment) together. The deaf man said, The dancing is very good, but the music is not worth listening to; " and the blind man said, "On the contrary, I think the music very good, but the dancing is not worth looking at."

After this they went together for a walk in the jungle, and there they found a washerman's donkey that had

strayed away from its owner, and a great big jar (such as the washermen boil clothes in) which the donkey was carrying with him.

The deaf man said to the blind man,

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Brother, here are a donkey, and a washerman's great big jar, with nobody to own them! let us take them with us, they may be useful to us some day." Very well," said the blind man, “ We I will take them with us." So the blind man and the deaf man went on their way, taking the donkey and the great big jar with them. A little further on they came to an ant's nest, and the deaf man said to the blind man, "Here are a number of very fine black ants, much larger than any I ever saw before, let us take some of them home to show our friends." Very well," answered the blind man, "We will take them as a present to our friends." So the deaf man took a silver snuff-box out of his pocket, and put four or five of the finest black ants into it; which done, they continued their journey.

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But before they had gone very far a terrible storm came on. It thundered, and lightened, and rained, and blew with such fury that it seemed as if the whole heavens and earth were at war. Oh, dear! oh, dear!" cried the deaf man, How dreadful this lightning is; let us make haste and get to some place of shelter." "I do not see that it

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is dreadful at all," answered the blind man, "but the thunder is very terrible; we had better certainly seek some place of shelter."

Now, not far off was a lofty building, which looked exactly like a fine temple. The deaf man saw it, and he and the blind man resolved to spend the night there; and having reached the place, they went in and shut the door, taking the donkey and the great big jar with them. But this building, which they mistook for a temple, was in truth

no temple at all, but the house of a very powerful Rakshas (demoniacal Ogre); and hardly had the blind man, the deaf man, and the donkey got inside, and fastened the door, than the Rakshas who had been out, returned home. To his surprise he found the door fastened, and heard people moving about inside his house. "Ho! ho!" cried he to himself, "Some men have got in here, have they! I will soon put an end to this." So he began to roar in a voice louder than the thunder, and he cried, "Let me into my home this minute, you wretches! let me in, let me in, I say," and to kick the door and batter it with his great fists. But though his voice was very powerful, his appearance was still more alarming, insomuch that the deaf man, who was peeping at him through a chink in the wall; felt so frightened that he did not know what to do. But the blind man was very brave, (because he could not see) and went up to the door, and called out, "Who are you? and what do you mean by coming battering at the door in this way, and at this time of night?"

“I am a Rakshas," answered the Rakshas angrily, “and this is my home, let me in this instant, or I will kill you.” All this time the deaf man, who was watching the Rakshas, was shivering and shaking in a dreadful fright, but the blind man was very brave, (because he could not see) and he called out again, “Oh you are a Rakshas are you! well, if you are a Rakshas, I am Bakshas; and Bakshas is as good as Rakshas." Bakshas," roared the Rakshas, Bakshas! Bakshas! what nonsense is this? there is no such creature as a Bakshas! "Go away," replied the blind man, and do not dare to make any further disturbance, lest I punish you with a vengeance! for I know that I am Bakshas! and Bakshas is Rakshas's father." "My father?" answered the Rakshas. "Heavens and

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earth! Bakshas, and my father? I never heard such an extraordinary thing in my life. You my father, and in there? I never knew my father was called Bakshas?"

"Yes," replied the blind man; "go away instantly, I command you, for I am your father, Bakshas." "Very well,' answered the Rakshas (for he began to get puzzled and frightened) “but, if you are my father, let me first see your face." (For, he thought, "Perhaps they are deceiving me.") The blind man and the deaf man did not know what to do; but at last they opened the door-a very tiny chink-and poked the donkey's nose out. When the Rakshas saw it he thought to himself, "Bless me, what a terribly ugly face my father, Bakshas, has!" He then called out, "O, father Bakshas, you have a very big, fierce face! but people have sometimes very big heads and very little bodies. Pray let me see you, body as well as head, before I go away." Then the blind man and the deaf man rolled the great big jar with a thundering noise past the chink in the door, and the Rakshas, who was watching attentively, was very much. surprised when he saw this great black thing rolling along the floor, and he thought, "In truth, my father Rakshas has a very big body, as well as a big head. He is big enough to eat me up altogether. I had better go away." But still he could not help being a little doubtful, so he cried, "O, Bakshas, father Bakshas! you have indeed got a very big head and a very big body; but do, before I go away, let me hear you scream" (for all Rakshas scream fearfully). Then the cunning deaf man (who was getting less frightened) pulled the silver snuff-box out of his pocket, and took the black ants out of it, and put one black ant in the donkey's right ear, and another black ant in the donkey's left ear, and another, and another. The ants pinched the poor donkey's ears dreadfully, and the donkey was so hurt

and frightened, he began to bellow as loud as he could, "Eh augh! eh augh!" and at this terrible noise the Rakshas fled away in a great fright, saying, "Enough! enough! father Bakshas, the sound of your voice would make the most refractory obedient." And no sooner had he gone, than the deaf man took the ants out of the donkey's ears, and he and the blind man spent the rest of the night in peace and

comfort.

Next morning the deaf man woke the blind man early, saying, "Awake, brother! awake! here we are indeed in luck! the whole floor is covered with heaps of gold, and silver, and precious stones!" And so it was; for the Rakshas owned a vast amount of treasure, and the whole house was full of it. "That is a good thing," said the blind man. "Show me where it is, and I will help you to collect it.' So they collected as much treasure as possible, and made four great bundles of it. The blind man took one great bundle, the deaf man took another; and, putting the other two great bundles on the donkey, they started off to return home. But the Rakshas, whom they had frightened away the night before, had not gone very far off, and was waiting to see what his father, Bakshas, might look like by daylight. He saw the door of his house open, and watched attentively, when out walked-only a blind man, a deaf man, and donkey, who were all three laden with large bundles of his treasure! The blind man carried one bundle, the deaf man carried another bundle, and two bundles were on the donkey.

The Rakshas was extremely angry, and immediately called six of his friends to help him kill the blind man, the deaf man, and the donkey, and recover the treasure.

The deaf man saw them coming (seven great Rakshas, with hair a yard long, and tusks like an elephant's), and was dreadfully frightened! but the blind man was very brave