guessed that the master was only joking. One little fellow, called Freddy, said,

“Last summer I saw the fleece of a sheep cut off with shears, and the man told me that the wool was for making into cloth."

So then James's face brightened up, and he was ready to own that he was only wearing "what some poor sheep had worn before."

M. "As Freddy has seen a sheep shorn, perhaps he can tell us what was done to the sheep beforehand ?” Freddy. "The man told me, that as the sheep had a greasy coat on its back, he must first wash it. So he took the sheep to a brook, and dipped it in the running stream, until its fleece looked beautifully clean."

M. "Can James tell us if anything else is made of wool besides cloth ?"

J. "There are woollen shirts and drawers, which I have seen in the shop-windows marked merino in blue letters."

M. "Yes. The shopman means to say that they are made of the best wool; for the merino sheep of Spain yield the finest and softest fleeces. Can you mention anything else which we get in the first place from the sheep?"

F. "My little sister has a woollen shawl and a flannel petticoat."

J. "And in winter we wear warm stockings made of worsted."

M. "Quite right: flannel and worsted are made of wool; and so are blankets, which keep us so comfortably warm in bed."

After this little talk James no longer felt proud of his new clothes. He had often before this thought of the sheep as a silly animal, but now he could not help admiring it for its usefulness. He soon fixed his mind upon his books, and determined that he would try to learn fast: for a boy that knows no more than a sheep is quite as silly and not half so useful.

bought jacket second joking fleece blanket thought tailor greasy guess shawl stocking

THE PRINCE AND THE PAGE.

Prus-si-an dis-cov-er-ed

reg-u-lar-ly sit-u-a-tion en-e-my ad-join-ing re-strain con-fu-sion ex-claim-ed hand-ker-chief an-swer-ed per-ceiv-ed

ONE day a Prussian prince rang his bell again and again, but none of his servants answered it. So the prince went into an adjoining room, where one of his servants ought to be awaiting his orders. Here he found his page asleep in an arm-chair. The prince was just going to awake him, when he perceived a

letter lying open on the floor. On reading it, he discovered that it was a letter from the youth's mother, who was a poor widow; and in it she thanked her son very warmly for sending her regularly a part of his wages.

The prince went back softly to his room, and taking out some gold pieces from his purse made a little packet of them, and then slid it into the page's pocket with his mother's letter. When he had done this, the prince returned to his own room, and rang the bell very hard, so that the page awoke and came in.

"You have slept well," said the prince, in a stern voice. The poor page, fearing that he would lose his situation, could not restrain his tears, and in pulling out his handkerchief let the letter drop.

"What is that?" said the prince.

"A letter from my poor mother," he said, opening it to hand it to his master, in the hope that it would move his heart to pardon him. But in his surprise at seeing gold coins inside, he let them fall in confusion on the floor. He became greatly alarmed, and falling on his knees, exclaimed, "Alas! some enemy of mine is trying to ruin me."

What is the matter?" said the prince.

"Oh sir, indeed I do not know how this money came in my pocket."

Never mind, my good fellow," said the prince kindly, "God often sends us good things in our sleep:

send the money to your mother; and as long as you take care of her I will take care of you."

The page, on leaving his master's presence, threw himself on his knees, and thanked God for His goodness. On opening the Bible that night, he found the place where it is written, "Honour thy father and thy mother, that it may go well with thee."

knees

pardon

await

softly

DIVISIONS OF LAND AND WATER.

THE surface of the earth is partly land and partly water. The water covers three-fourths of the whole surface, and the land only one-fourth. Particular names or terms are given in geography to the dif ferent parts of land and water.

DIVISIONS OF LAND.

A continent is a very large tract of land. There are six continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia in the Old World; North America and South America in the New World.

An island is a tract of land surrounded by water.