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give of-fence', so he thanked him for his kind'-ness, and at the ap-point'-ed hour they went to the spot where the frog was wait'-ing for their ar-ri'-val. The pike lay in a hole among the rush'-es, and the kite sat on the bough of a tree close by.

The frog and the mouse looked at one anoth'-er for a few min'-utes, and bran'-dished their weapons, the mouse walked a-bout' with a ver'-y war'-like air, and the frog flour'-ished his rush o'-ver his head. At last the kite and the pike gave sig'-nal for the fray to com-mence', and to fight'-ing they both went, and the bat'tle was long and fierce on both sides, and for some time it was doubt'-ful which would be the con'-quer-or. At last the frog seemed to gain ground; but, at the very min'-ute that he appeared' to have the most ad-van'-tage over the mouse, his spear broke in pieces. Alas! croaked he in a tone of dis-may' what shall I do? who will give me an-oth'-er weapon?

Here is one, cried his friend the pike from among the rush'-es. The frog, the un-suspect'-ing frog, gave a leap of joy, and sprang tōw'-ards the pike, who, opening his mouth quick-ly put an end to the bat'-tle by swal'low-ing at one mouth'-ful the hap'-less frog.

I am king of the fen now, cried Slyboots with a joy'-ful squeak. Long live your maj’es-ty, ex-claimed' the craf'-ty kite as he dart'ed from the tree, and, poun'-cing upon the new sov'-er-eign, bore him away in his tal'-ons, and put a speed'-y end to his re'-gal hon'-ours and his life at the same mo'-ment.

THE APE AND THE ASS.

There was once an i'-dle ape, named Ro'-ver, who lived in a spread'-ing tree in a green and pleas'-ant mead'-ow. One day Ro'-ver said to him-self', what a sil'-ly fel'-lōw I am to re-main' in this dull tree, where there is noth'-ing to a-muşe' me! I will go and see a lit'-tle of the

world. Hav'-ing first eaten a heart'-y break ́fast of the fruit that grew on the tree, and drunk a little water from the stream which flowed near, he skipped light'-ly o'-ver the green turf, and went forth on his trav'-els. He had not gone far be-fore he saw a man mount'-ed on a fine horse, which pranced and can'-tered a-long in high style. Ah! sighed Ro-ver, how much hap'-pi-er men are than we poor apes! I should like to have a horse to ride on, in-stĕad' of be'-ing forced to walk on foot; and I have no doubt my fig'-ure would look ver'-y well on horse'-back. Be-fore I any far-ther on my trav'-els, I will have a steed to car'-ry me. Say'-ing this, he returned' to the mead'-ow, where some hors'-es were qui'-et-ly gra'-zing, and be-sought one of them to per-mit' him to mount on his back: but the horse looked very cool'-ly on the ape, and said, with an air of great con-tempt', Be-gone', you ug'-ly beast! what horse of any spir'-it,

go

think you, will suf'-fer him-self' to be ruled by an ape? If you wish for a steed, I would advişe you to ride on a stick, as that will best suit your size and fig'-ure.

The ape was very much hurt at this rude speech, and he chat'-tered and made a sad noise; but the horse went on feed-ing, and paid no far-ther regard to him, and Rover left him quite in a rage. He had not gone far, when he chanced to see a donk'-ey feed'-ing on the grass un'-der a tree.

ape,

Ah, ah! said the

I shall have a ride in spite of that rude horse, if I man'-age my mat'-ters well. He soon climbed the tree; and perch'-ing him-self' on a con-ve'-ni-ent branch, he said, in a voice loud e-nough' for the ass to o-ver-hear' him,How much hand'-som-er this ass is than that horse! what a fine shape! what a soft coat! and then what nice long ears! if this donk'-ey's pa-ces are but e'-qual to her form, she must be a rare beast! The fool'-ish ass was so charmed

The

with the prais'-es which the ape be-stowed' on her, that she pricked up her ears, and began' to ca'-per a-bout', to con-vince' the ape how well he had judged of her mer-its. Sweet Mis/-tress Dus-ti-foot, said the cun'-ning ape, with a coax'-ing air, I was right when I said you were more hand'-some and swift'-er than a horse. Come a little near'-er, for I should like to stroke your nice, soft, long ears. donkey, who did not sus-pect' the trick, and thought all the ape's prais'-es were sin-cere', came close un'-der the tree: but be-fore she was a-ware' of his de-sign' Rover sprang upon her. The ass at first thought the ape had a mind for a little frol'-ic, so she trot'-ted a-bout' the field for some time in a ver'-y good hu'mour; but at last she grew tired, and ver'-y civ'-il-ly hint'-ed that she wished to re-pose' her-self' on the grass, and re-quest-ed the ape to dis-mount', as she be-gan' to feel much fatigued. Thank you, Mis'-tress Dus'-ti-foot,

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