XV. THE SPIDER.

1. A child went with his father into the vineyard, and there saw a bee in the web of an ugly spider. The spider was just opening his fangs to attack the bee, when the child took his stick, broke the web, and set the little prisoner free.

2. When his father saw this, he asked the boy how he could be so regardless of the toilsome and beautiful web which the spider had prepared with so much ingenuity.

3. The child replied, "Has the spider not directed all his ingenuity to blood and malice, while the bee collects honey and wax, from which man derives much pleasure and benefit?"

4. "But," said the father, "perhaps you have done the spider injustice; for, see how his web protects the grapes from flies and wasps, that otherwise would do much mischief!"

5. "Ah!" said the boy, "it is not with the intent to shield the grapes, but to satisfy his thirst for blood, that the spider labors with so much dexterity."

True," said the father; "probably the spider has little reason to be concerned about the grapes."

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6. "Then," said the boy, "the good the spider does is of no avail to his spiteful character; for a good intention is certainly the only merit in a good deed."

7. "True," said the father; "but Nature, you see, knows how to apply even malicious things for the preservation of the good and useful."

8. "And why," asked the boy, "does the spider not work his web in social union, like the bees, that live together with so much comfort and happiness?"

9. "Dear child," said the father, "only for good ends can multitudes associate. The bond of malice and selfishness carries the seed of destruction within itself; but Nature has placed the hostile and the friendly, the malicious and the good, side by side, so that the contrast might be the greater, and thus convey a lesson to those who are willing to learn."

F. A. Krummacher.

FOR PREPARATION.-I. Is this story a fable, or could the event here described have actually happened? (See Lesson X.)

II. Vine'-yard (vin'-), beau'-ti-ful (bū'-), un'-ion, ǎs-sō'-ci-ate (-shi-at), hỏn'-ey, mis'-chief (-chif).

III. Action-words express the time in which the action is performed. To express past time, some add ed; some make other changes. Make a list of ten action-words in this piece that express past time, and write opposite each the word expressing present time (went-go; saw-see; was— is; took-take; broke-break; set-set; asked-ask, etc.).

IV. Ugly, fangs, attack, regardless, toilsome, web, replied, directed, malice, derives, benefit, avail, spiteful, intention, merit, apply, malicious, social, multitudes, destruction, hostile. (The stiff, pompous language into which this fable is translated should all be paraphrased into such words as the pupil uses. It will make a good language lesson.)

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V. The spider's labors are spoken of as showing "ingenuity,' terity," and what else? Illustrate the meaning of these words by telling what the spider does that shows dexterity, etc. What do you think of the reason which the father gives for the fact that spiders do not work together in company? (“social union.") Do not wolves hunt in droves, and robbers and burglars work together? But, on the other hand are evil men likely to be faithful and kind toward each other?

XVI. ALICE'S DREAM OF THE CHESS QUEENS.

1. "I didn't know I was to have a party at all," said Alice; "but if there is to be one, I think I ought to invite the guests."

"We gave you the opportunity of doing it," the Red Queen remarked; "but I dare say you've not had many lessons in manners yet."

2. "Manners are not taught in lessons," said Alice. "Lessons teach you to do sums, and things of that sort."

"Can you do addition?" the White Queen asked. "What's one and one, and one and one, and one and one, and one and one, and one and one?"

3. "I don't know," said Alice. "I lost count." "She can't do addition," the Red Queen interrupted. -“Can you do subtraction? Take nine from eight.” "Nine from eight! I can't, you know," Alice replied, very readily; "but―"

4. "She can't do subtraction," said the White Queen. "Can you do division? Divide a loaf by a knifewhat's the answer to that?"-"I suppose-" Alice was beginning; but the Red Queen answered for her: "Bread and butter, of course. Try another subtraction sum: Take a bone from a dog, what remains?"

5. Alice considered. "The bone wouldn't remain, of course, if I took it; and the dog wouldn't remain-it would come to bite me; and I'm sure I shouldn't remain!"

"Then you think nothing would remain?" said the Red Queen.

"I think that's the answer."

6. "Wrong, as usual," said the Red Queen; "the dog's temper would remain."

"But I don't see how-"

"Why, look here!" the Red Queen cried. "The dog would lose his temper, wouldn't he?"

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Perhaps he would," Alice replied, cautiously.

7. "Then, if the dog went away, his temper would remain!" the Red Queen exclaimed, triumphantly.

Alice said, as gravely as she could, "They might go different ways." But she couldn't help thinking to herself, "What dreadful nonsense we're talking!"

"She can't do sums a bit!" the queens said together, with great emphasis.

8. "Can you do sums?" Alice said, turning suddenly on the White Queen; for she didn't like being found fault with so much.

The queen gasped, and shut her eyes. "I can do addition," she said, "if you give me time; but I can't do subtraction under any circumstances."

9. "Of course you know your A B C?" said the Red Queen.

"To be sure I do!" said Alice.

"So do I," the White Queen whispered; "we'll often say it over together, dear. And I'll tell you a secret: I can read words of one letter! Isn't that grand? However, don't be discouraged; you'll come to it in time.”

10. Here the Red Queen began again. "Can you answer useful questions?" she said. "How is bread made?" "I know that!" Alice cried, quickly. "You take some flour__99

"Where do you pick the flower?" the White Queen asked "in a garden, or in the hedges?"

'Well, it isn't picked at all," Alice explained; "it's ground-"

"How many acres of ground?" said the White Queen. "You mustn't leave out so many things."

11. "Fan her head!" the Red Queen anxiously interrupted. "She'll be feverish after so much thinking."

So they set to work, and fanned her with branches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it blew her hair about so.

"She's all right again now," said the Red Queen. "Do you know languages? What's the French for 'fiddledeedee'?"

"Fiddledeedee' is not English," Alice replied,

gravely.

"Who ever said it was?" asked the Red Queen.

12. Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty this time. "If you'll tell me what language 'fiddledeedee' is, I'll tell you the French for it!" she exclaimed, triumphantly.

But the Red Queen drew herself up rather stiffly, and said, "Queens never make bargains."

"I wish queens never asked questions," Alice thought to herself.

13. "Don't let us quarrel," the White Queen said, in an anxious tone. "What is the cause of lightning?"

"The cause of lightning," Alice said, very decidedly, for she felt quite certain about this, "is the thunder-no, no!" she hastily corrected herself; "I meant the other way."

"It's too late to correct it," said the Red Queen; "when you've once said a thing, that fixes it, and you must take the consequences.'

Lewis Carroll.

FOR PREPARATION.-I. From "Through the Looking-Glass," or Alice's dream of what she saw when she walked through the looking-glass into the room on the other side.

II. Guests, quick'-ly, ex-plained', a'-ereş (a'kerz), lăn'-guaġ-eş, eon'-se-quenç-es.

III. Make a list of five action-words in this piece that express past time with ed; of five expressing past time in other ways.