abbit politely. "Only be sure to begin
gently. Then pull harder and harder till you get her out."

The rabbit ran away into the bushes where he had hidden the drum and
began to beat it. Then the whale began to pull and the elephant began to
pull. In a minute the rope tightened till it was stretched as hard as a
bar of iron.

"This is a very heavy cow," said the elephant, "but I'll pull her out."
Bracing his fore feet in the earth, he gave a tremendous pull.

But the whale had no way to brace himself.

"Dear me," he said. "That cow must surely be stuck tight." Lashing his
tail in the water, he gave a marvelous pull.

He pulled harder; the elephant pulled harder. Soon the whale found
himself sliding toward the land. He was so provoked with the cow that he
went head first, down to the bottom of the sea.

That was a pull! The elephant was jerked off his feet, and came slipping
and sliding toward the sea. He was very angry.

"That cow must be very strong to drag me in this way," he said. "I will
brace myself."

Kneeling down on the ground, he twisted the rope around his trunk. Then
he began to pull his very best, and soon the whale came up out of the
water.

Then each saw that the other had hold of the rope.

"How is this?" cried the whale. "I thought I was pulling Brother
Rabbit's cow."

"That is what I thought," said the elephant. "Brother Rabbit is making
fun of us. He must pay for this. I forbid him to eat a blade of grass on
land, because he played a trick on us."

"And I will not allow him to drink a drop of water in the sea," said the
whale.

But Little Rabbit sat in the bushes and laughed, and laughed, and
laughed.

"Much do I care," he said. "I can get all the green things I want, and I
don't like salt water."

--SOUTHERN FOLK TALE.

[Illustration: A mother with children in winter]

A CHRISTMAS WISH

I'd like a stocking made for a giant,
And a meeting house full of toys;
Then I'd go out on a happy hunt
For the poor little girls and boys;
Up the street and down the street,
And across and over the town,
I'd search and find them every one,
Before the sun went down.

One would want a new jack-knife
Sharp enough to cut;
One would long for a doll with hair,
And eyes that open and shut;
One would ask for a china set
With dishes all to her mind;
One would wish a Noah's ark
With beasts of every kind.

Some would like a doll cook-stov