spread all over it. And there were great oaks with battered stems, and roots that went winding away, like serpents struggling to escape from the earth, and branches stretching several yards. And, whisk! what was that reddish-brown thing with a bushy tail turned up over its back? A squirrel! oh, he loves the oak, for it gives him acorns for food, and plenty of shelter. Never put him in a cage, to twirl round and round; that is cruel. Let him enjoy the free, wild life that he loves so well, all among the leafy boughs. Whirr! there went a pheasant up from the corner of the brook, with its long tail-feathers of purple, and crimson, and gold. And hark to the soft coo of the wood-pigeon; and from afar, like an echo, comes the cry, Cuckoo ! cuckoo ! telling of that strange bird so often heard, but so seldom seen, which lays a single egg in the nest of another bird, who has the trouble of hatching and bringing up the stranger.

All these were pleasant subjects for talk between the kind father and his children; and now as they sat in the woods, and watched the sunbeams play at bo-peep with the shifting shadows of the waving branches, Mr. Wilson told them a short story. It was about a certain prisoner, who, after having been long used to a free and happy life in the fields and woodlands, found himself confined in a close, narrow place, where he could not have a good run to stretch his limbs, and hunt for the food which was most natural and pleasant to him; where he could not see or speak to his friends and relatives, nor

enjoy himself at all, being in constant fear and terror from his jailors, who were a race of giants. 'Now, suppose,' continued Mr. Wilson, with that sly twinkle in his eye and quiet smile upon his lips which his children delighted to see-suppose either of you had to set free this poor power trembling captive, and restore him to his native woods, would you not do so?' 'Yes,' exclaimed Willie, starting up and running to the basket, which was beside his father, who had carried it all the time very carefully; 'Yes, I am sure we should.' But Jim was too quick for him: he had already reached the basket and opened the lid, so that the dormouse could make its escape; which it quickly did, and scampered away as fast as its legs would carry it, no doubt to tell its friends of its wonderful adventures among the giants, who stood up on their hind-legs, and did all sorts of clever things with their fore-paws.

THE CAPTIVE SET FREE-(concluded).

So the children returned home, happy in feeling that they had done a good deed; and Mr. Wilson told them on the way this short history of the dormouse and its relatives. This animal, which is not uncommon in the English woods, and is found in many other parts of Europe, seems to be more nearly akin to the squirrel than to the common mouse, for it lives very much among the

trees, leaping from branch to branch, and so passing from place to place easily and very quickly. Then, again, it carries its food, which consists of fruits, seeds, acorns, nuts, haws, corn, and such like, to its mouth with its fore-paws. It sleeps through the winter, and stores up food against the time of scarcity. This food, however, is not put into its nest (which is about six inches round, and composed of grass and leaves, with the entrance at the top), but is hid in different places near it. The dormouse seldom comes out of his snug retreat to feast in the winter, unless some very mild day should break his slumbers, and wake his appetite at the same time. But in the early spring, when there are no nuts in the woods, no grain in the fields, no berries in the hedges, he opens his storehouses, and so escapes the danger of starvation. The dormouse is not often seen abroad in the daytime; he comes forth in the night. If Mrs. Dalton had searched she could, no doubt, have found other nests near at hand, for our sleeper is fond of the company of his fellows. Its length is about five inches; the tail, which is included in this, being as long as the body. The fur does not get its reddish-brown tint until the creature is nearly a year old; when young, it is in colour much like the common mouse. For its size, it has a very large head: its ears are broad and open, and the black eyes are somewhat prominent, or, as Willie would say, they stick-out;' the tail is thickly covered with

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hair. The family of three or four little dormice generally appear about the end of spring; like kittens, they are born blind, but are able to see in a few days, and in a few weeks can shift for themselves.

THE FROST.

THE Frost looked forth one still clear night,
And whispered, 'Now, I shall be out of sight;
So through the valley and over the height
In silence I'll take my way.

I will not go on like that blustering train,
The wind and the snow, the hail and the rain,
Who make so much bustle and noise in vain;
But I'll be as busy as they.'

Then he flew to the mountain, and powdered its crest;

He lit on the trees, and their boughs he dressed In diamond beads; and over the breast

Of the quivering lake he spread

A coat of mail, that it need not fear
The downward point of many a spear
That he hung on its margin, far and near,
Where a rock could rear its head.

He went to the windows of those who slept,
And over each pane like a fairy crept.
Wherever he breathed, wherever he stepped,
By the light of the morn were seen

Most beautiful things: there were flowers and trees;

There were bevies of birds and swarms of bees; There were cities with temples and towers; and these

All pictured in silver sheen.*

But he did one thing that was hardly fair
He peeped in the cupboard, and finding there
That all had forgotten for him to prepare,
'Now just to set them a-thinking,

I'll bite this basket of fruit,' said he;
"This costly pitcher I'll burst in three;
And the glass of water they've left for me

Shall "tchick!" to tell them I'm drinking.'

THE LION.

ALL who have seen the majestic form of the lion, agree that he well deserves the title of King of Beasts.

The length of this noble animal when full grown is about eight feet, not including the tail, which measures four feet; his height is from four to four and a half feet. His large massive head is surrounded with a long and shaggy mane, that grows longer and thicker with age; this, as well as the short smooth hair covering the rest of his body, is of a tawny colour. The neck is short, but very powerful; and the tail is so strong, that the

* Sheen, bright.