not wait till nature gave him an appetite, or use enough of exercise, or go enough into the open air. Besides this, as he was a great sluggard and glutton, he was almost always ill; and as he did good to nobody, he had no friends; and even his servants spoke ill of him behind his back; and all his neighbours, whom he oppressed, hated him. For these reasons he was sullen, melancholy, and unhappy, and became displeased with all who appeared more cheerful than himself. He could not bear to see the poor basketmaker sitting at his door and singing as he plaited his baskets. "What!" said he, "shall a wretch, a peasant, a lowborn fellow, that weaves bulrushes for a scanty living, be always happy and pleased, while I, that am a gentleman, possessed of riches and power, and of more consequence than a million of reptiles like him, am always melancholy and discontented?" And as he had never been accustomed to conquer his own passions, however improper or unjust they might be, he at last determined to punish the basketmaker for being happier than himself. So, one night, he gave orders to his servants, who did not dare to disobey him, to set fire to the rushes which grew around the poor man's house. As it was summer, and the weather in that country was extremely hot and dry, the fire soon spread over the whole marsh, and not only consumed all the rushes, but soon extended to the cottage itself; and to save his life, the poor basketmaker was obliged to escape almost naked. You may judge of the surprise and grief of the poor man when he found himself entirely deprived of his sub, sistence by the wickedness of his rich neighbour, whom he had never offended; but, as he was unable to punish him for this injustice, he set out and walked on foot to the chief magistrate of that country, to whom, with many tears, he told his pitiable story. The magistrate, who was a good and just man, immediately ordered the rich man to be brought before him; and when he found that he could not deny the wickedness of which he was accused, he thus spoke to the poor man: "As this proud and wicked man has been puffed up with the opinion of his own importance, and attempted to commit the most scandalous injustice from his contempt of the poor, I wish to teach him of how little value he is to anybody, and how vile and contemptible a creature he really is; but, for this purpose, it is necessary that you should consent to the plan I have formed, and go along with him to the place whither I intend to send you both." The poor man replied: "I never had much, and the little I once had is now lost by the mischief and cruelty of this proud and wicked man. I am entirely ruined: I have no means left in the world of procuring myself a morsel of bread the next time I am hungry; therefore I am ready to go wherever you please to send me; and, though I would not treat this man as he has treated me, yet I should be glad to teach him more justice and humanity, and so prevent his injuring the poor a second time.” The magistrate then ordered them both to be put on board a ship, and carried to a distant country, which was inhabited by a rude and savage kind of men, who lived in huts, knew nothing of money, and got their living by fishing. As soon as they were set on shore, the sailors left them, as they had been ordered, and the people of the country came round them in great numbers to look at them. Then the rich man, seeing himself thus exposed, without assistance or defence, in the midst of a barbarous people, whose language he did not understand, and in whose power he was, began to cry and wring his hands in the most abject manner; but the poor basketmaker, who had been accustomed to hardships and danger from his infancy, made signs to the people that he was their friend, and was willing to work for them, and be their servant. Upon this the natives made signs that they would do them no hurt, but would make use of them in fishing and carrying wood. Accordingly, they led them both to a wood at some distance, and showed them several logs, which they ordered them to carry to their cabins. They both immediately set about their tasks, and the poor man, who was strong and active, very soon finished his share; while the rich man, whose limbs were tender and delicate, and not accustomed to any kind of labour, had scarcely done a quarter of his. The savages, who saw this, began to think that the basketmaker would prove very useful to them, and therefore presented him with a large piece of fish and several of their choicest roots, while they gave the rich man scarcely enough to support him, because they thought him capable of very little service; however, as he had now fasted several hours, he ate what they gave him with a better appetite than he had ever felt before at his own table. The next day they were set to work again, and as the basketmaker had the same advantage over his companion, he was well treated and even caressed by the natives; while they showed every mark of contempt towards the other, whose delicate and luxurious habits had rendered him very unfit for labour. The rich man now began to perceive how little reason he had for valuing himself so much, and despising his fellow-creatures; but there was another lesson yet in store for him. It happened one day that one of the savages came home with a sort of fillet round his head, which he had found, and had put on for an ornament, and all the others thought it extremely fine. The basketmaker, seeing this, pulled up some reeds, and sitting down to work, soon finished a very pretty wreath, which he placed upon the head of the first man he met. This man was so pleased with the wreath, that he danced and capered for joy, and ran away to the rest. It was not long before another, and then another, came, and made signs that they, too, wanted similar ornaments. And they were all so pleased, that they released the basketmaker from his former drudgery, and employed him exclusively in weaving for them. They treated him also very well, and built him a hut, and made him as comfortable as they could. But the rich man, who had neither talents to please nor strength to labour, they gave for a servant to the basketmaker, who employed him to gather the reeds which he wove into chaplets. After they had passed some months in this manner, they were again taken back to their own country, by order of the magistrate, and brought before him. He then looked sternly upon the rich man, and said:-" Having now taught you how helpless and contemptible a creature you are, as well as how inferior to the man you injured and insulted, I shall proceed to make up to him the injury which you inflicted. If I were to treat you as you deserve, I should take from you all the riches that you possess ; but as I hope that you will now be more humane for the future, I sentence you to give half your fortune to this man, whom you endeavoured to ruin." Upon this the basketmaker thanked the magistrate for his goodness, and said:-"As I have been bred up in poverty, and accustomed to labour, I have no desire to obtain riches, which I should not know how to use all, therefore, that I require of this man is, to put me in the same situation I was in before, and to be more humane in his conduct." The rich man could not help being astonished at such generosity, and having now learned wisdom by his misfortunes, he not only treated the basketmaker as a friend during the rest of his life, but employed his riches in relieving the poor and doing good to his fellow-creatures. THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN JANUARY brings the snow; Makes our feet and fingers glow. February brings the rain; Thaws the frozen lake again. March brings breezes loud and shrill; Stirs the dancing daffodil. April brings the primrose sweet; May brings flocks of pretty lambs, August brings the sheaves of corn; |