ght out and get it;
I'll go without my hat."
Out she ran upon the dusty path,
On the grass, all wet with dew,
And the old goose turned round quickly,
She wished an interview.
And Kitty said,--"Oh, open your mouth
As much as ever you please;
I'm going to take your gosling,
Because I love to tease
Such a cranky, impudent squawker as you."
And she laughed right out, and stooped
To take the toddling little thing,
When down upon her swooped,
The angry goose with hisses fierce,
And wildly flapping wing,
And gave her a nip that was no joke!
On the heel of her red stocking!
Miss Kitty screamed, but tightly held
The little yellow ball,
And you know she'd not the shadow of right
To that goose's gosling at all.
Then its mother made a terrible snap
At Kitty's pretty blue dress!
And that thoughtless, mischievous little girl,
Was pretty well frightened I guess.
For she jumped and screamed, danced round like a top,
And the goose's eyes flashed red;
And she struck her wings in Kitty's eyes,
And on her little brown head!
She dropped the gosling, and ran for home,
Screaming, and crying,--"Boo! hoo!"
And learned a lesson she never forgot,
And it's as wholesome for me and for you,
That it's best to be kind to our barnyard friends,
And let them have their fun too.

MAYING.

Phil says he thinks it is a great pity when the May isn't out till
June, because you can't go Maying if there isn't any May, and it's so
stupid to go Maying in June. Phil is eleven months and fourteen days
younger than I am, and his birthday is on the fourteenth of February
and mine is on the first of March; so for fourteen days we are the
same age, and when it's Leap Year we are the same age for fifteen
days.

I don't understand _why_ it should be a day more some years and not
others, but mother says we shall learn about it by-and-by. Phil says
he will like learning all that, but I don't think I shall, because I
like playing better.

Phil and I have a little dog of our own, and he belongs between us.
His name is Dash. He came from the Home for Lost Dogs, and we didn't
know his name, so Phil and I sat on the grass, and we called him by
every name we could think of, until Phil thought of Dash, and when
Dash heard that name he jumped up, and ran to Phil, and licked his
fac