So, master mine, you may repent;" And thought no more about the matter; A week or two elapsed: one market day Till to a gardener's store they came at last, My friend above will like to learn, Though at the cost of a head-aching. Then in his curling trunk he took a heap, He laid a blow so hard and full, That cracked the nuts at once, But with them cracked his skull. Young folks, whene'er you feel inclined, To rompish sports and freedoms rough, Nor give an elephant a cuff, Work and Play. SHOULD be very glad to play all day, mamma," said little Susan. "What! all day?" said her mother. would very soon be tired." "Tired of playing!" said Susan. "I fear you "I shall never be tired of playing; do let me have leave from my lessons to-day." Her mother consented, and little Susan joyfully ran to fetch her playthings. She got them all together, and began to play, but was all by herself, as her sisters were engaged at their lessons in the schoolroom. At first she played as she thought proper, and was very happy for an hour or so; but by degrees she began to get tired and listless, and went from one game to another. She had now handled her playthings twenty times, or oftener, and could not tell what to do. Her favourite doll was grown quite troublesome to her. She asked her mamma to show her some new way of playing, and to play with her, but she was engaged, and could not attend to her. Susan, after this, sat moping in a corner till her sisters had quite finished their lessons, and were now coming to have some games of play. She ran to them in a downcast manner, as if to reproach them with being so long at their lessons. They proposed at once such games as they thought the best, but these did not please her. She had already played at all of them till she was tired. Her sisters then told her that they had played over these games many times, but still they amused them, because they had been at work, and were eager for something new and diverting. If she had done her lessons in the schoolroom in the same manner as themselves, she would have played with the same relish and heartiness. Little Susan took the lesson to heart, and saw that good hearty play cannot be obtained without work comes before it. And indeed I know not whether, after this time, the idea of a whole day's play would not have frightened her more than a whole day's labour. The Farm Yard. AST NIGHT we heard a dreadful alarm. A violent scream was heard from the hen-roost; the geese all set up a cackle, and the dogs barked. Ned, the boy who lies over the stable, jumped up and ran into the yard, when he observed a fox galloping away with a chicken in his mouth, and the dogs in full chase after him. They could not overtake him, and soon returned. Upon further examination, the white cock was found lying on the ground, all bloody, with his comb tore almost off, and his feathers all ruffled, and the speckled hen and three chickens lay dead beside him. The cock recovered, but appeared terribly frightenl. It seems that the fox had jumped over the garden hedge, and, crossing part of the yard behind the straw, had crept into the hen-roost through a broken pale. John, the carpenter, was sent for, to make fast the breach, and to prevent the like mischief again. Early this morning the brindled cow had a fine calf, which is to be fattened for the butcher. The duck-eggs, that the old black hen sat upon, were hatched this day, and the ducklings all directly ran into the pond, to the great terror of the hen, who went round and round, clucking with all her might in order to call them out, but they did not regard her. An old drake took the little ones under his care, and they swam about very merrily. As Dolly was milking the new cow that was bought at the fair, it kicked with its hind legs, and threw down the milk pail, at the same time knocking Dolly off her stool into the dirt. For this offence the cow was sentenced to have her head fastened to the rack, and her legs tied together. A kite was observed to hover a long while over the yard with an intention of carrying off some of the young chickens, but the hens called their broods together under their wings, and the cocks put themselves in order of battle, so that the kite was disappointed. At length, however, one chicken, not minding its mother, but straggling heedlessly to a distance, was descried by the kite, who made a sudden swoop, and seized it in his talons. The chicken cried out, and the cocks and hens all screamed, when Ralph, the farmer's son, who saw the attack, snatched up a loaded gun, and, just as the kite was flying off with his prey, fired and brought him dead to the ground, along with the poor chicken, who was killed in the fall. The dead body of the kite was nailed up against the wall, by way of warning to his wicked comrades. In the forenoon we were alarmed with strange noises approaching us, and, looking out, we saw a number of people with fryingpans, warming-pans, tongs, and pokers, beating, ringing, and making all possible din. We soon discovered them to be our own neighbours of the next farm in pursuit of a swarm of bees which was hovering in the air over their heads. The bees at length alighted on the tall pear tree of our orchard, and hung in a bunch from one of the boughs. A ladder was got, and a man ascended with gloves on his hands, and an apron tied over his head. He swept them into a hive, which was rubbed on the inside with honey and sweet herbs. But, as he was descending, some bees, which had got under his gloves, stung him in such a manner that he hastily threw down the hive, upon which the greater part of the bees fell out, and began in a rage to fly among the crowd, and sting all whom they settled upon. Away scampered the people, the women shrieking, the children roaring, and poor Adam, who had held the hive, was assailed so furiously that he was obliged to throw himself to the ground, and creep under the gooseberry bushes. At length the bees began to return to the hive, in which the queen bee had remained; and after a while, all being quietly settled, a cloth was thrown over it, and the swarm carried home. About noon three pigs broke into the garden, where they were rioting upon the carrots and turnips, and doing a good deal of mischief by trampling the beds, and rooting up the plants with their snouts, when they were espied by old Towzer, the mastiff, who ran among them, and, laying hold of their long ears with his teeth, made them squeal most dismally, and get out of the garden as fast as they could. Roger, the ploughman, when he came for his dinner, brought word that he had discovered a partridge's nest with sixteen eggs in the home field. Upon which the farmer went out, and broke them all, saying that he did not choose to rear birds upon his corn which he was not allowed to catch, but must leave to some qualified sportsman, who would, besides, break down his fences in the pursuit. A sheep-washing was held this day at the mill-pool, when seven score were well washed, and then penned in the high meadow to dry. Many of them made great resistance at being thrown into the water; and the old ram, being dragged to the brink by a boy at each horn, and a third pushing behind, by a sudden spring threw two of them into the water, to the great diversion of the spectators. Towards the evening the squire's mongrel greyhound, which had been long suspected of worrying sheep, was caught in the act. He had killed two lambs, and was making a hearty meal upon one of them, when he was disturbed by the approach of the shepherd boy, and directly leaped the hedge and made off. The dead bodies were taken to the squire's, with an indictment of wilful murder against the dog. But when they came to look for the culprit he was not to be found in any part of the premises, and is supposed to have fled the country through consciousness of the heinous offence. Joseph, who sleeps in the garret at the old end of the house, after having been for some time in bed, came down stairs as pale as ashes, and frightened the servants who were going up. It was some time before he could tell what was the matter. At length, he said he had heard some dreadful noises overhead, which he was sure must be made by some ghost or evil spirit; nay, he thought he had seen something moving, though he owned he durst hardly lift up his eyes. He concluded with declaring that he would rather sit up all night in the kitchen than go to his room again. The servants were almost as much alarmed as he was, and did not know what to do; but the master, overhearing their talk, came out and insisted upon their accompanying him to the spot in order to search into the affair. They all went into the garret, and for a while heard nothing, when the master ordered the candle to be taken away, and everyone to keep quite still. Joseph and the servants trembled in every limb. At length a kind of groaning or snoring began to be heard, which grew louder and louder, with intervals of a strange sort of hissing. "That's it!" whispered Joseph, drawing back towards the door. The servants were ready to sink; and even the farmer himself was a little disconcerted. The noise seemed to come from the rafters near the thatch. In a while, a glimpse of moonlight shining through a hole at the place, plainly discovered the shadow of something moving; and, on looking intently, something like feathers were perceived. The farmer now began to suspect what the case was, and ordering up a short ladder, bid Joseph climb to the spot, and thrust his hand into the hole. This he did rather unwillingly, and soon drew it back, crying loudly that it was bit. However, gathering courage, he put it in again, and pulled out a large white owl, another at the same time being heard to fly away. The cause of the alarm was now made clear enough; and poor Joseph, after being heartily jeered by the servants, though they had been as much frightened as he, sneaked into bed again, and the house soon became quiet. |