wanted
something to eat, and did not know where to find anything. Nipsy went
high up the beach, and found a lot of young hedge-crickets. But he did
not half enjoy them. They were fat and smooth, and he was hungry, but
crickets had no flavor without Pipsy to help eat them. But he was
angry at him yet.

"He must come to me," he said, sternly, to the cricket he was eating.

The cricket said nothing, being half-way down his throat, and pretty
soon Nipsy could stand his feelings no longer. Catching up the
largest, smoothest, softest cricket, he ran down to the shore as fast
as his legs could carry him. There, in the twilight, he saw a lonely
figure standing on one leg.

"Pipsy!" he cried.

"Nipsy!" cried Pipsy.

And they flew to each other.

"Here's a glorious fat cricket for you."

"Forgive me, Nipsy," said his brother.

And then they were happy.

[Illustration: Blossoms.]

UNDER THE LILACS.

BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT.

CHAPTER XIV.

SOMEBODY GETS LOST.

Putting all care behind them, the young folks ran down the hill, with
a very lively dog gamboling beside them, and took a delightfully
tantalizing survey of the external charms of the big tent. But people
were beginning to go in, and it was impossible to delay when they came
round to the entrance.

Ben felt that now "his foot was on his native heath," and the superb
air of indifference with which he threw down his dollar at the
ticket-office, carelessly swept up the change, and strolled into the
tent with his hands in his pockets, was so impressive that even big
Sam repressed his excitement and meekly followed their leader, as he
led them from cage to cage, doing the honors as if he owned the whole
concern. Bab held tight to the tail of his jacket, staring about her
with round eyes, and listening with little gasps of astonishment or
delight to the roaring of lions, the snarling of tigers, the chatter
of the monkeys, the groaning of camels, and the music of the very
brass band shut up in a red bin.

Five elephants were tossing their hay about in the middle of the
menagerie, and Billy's legs shook under him as he looked up at the big
beasts whose long noses and small, sagacious eyes filled him with awe.
Sam was so tickled by the droll monkeys that they left him before the
cage and went on to see the zebra, "striped just like Ma's muslin
gown," Bab declared. But the next minute she forgot all about him in
her raptures over the ponies and their