give for some of their meat and bread! "I will go to them," he said,
"and offer some of my golden stores in exchange for just a few morsels."

He did so; and they only smiled at his offer, saying, "What would then
refresh and fit us for the rest of our day's labor? Surely your gold
would not."

"But it would help you to buy more," he replied.

"Yes, to-morrow: but we cannot spare a morsel to-day, for we need
all our supply to strengthen us for our work."

He turned away in deep thought. Was he not losing all of life's joys
and comforts in living thus alone only to amass such quantities of gold?
But as he looked again on the shining treasures his ambition arose with
increased power; and he forgot, for a time, his hunger in his toil. Then
a new thought came to him. "Now that the fruits are gone I can go to
the forest and gather nuts. They will be better food, too, for these
chilly autumn days. Surely I am provided for, at least till winter," and
he left his labor and repaired to the woods, where he feasted and
gathered enough for many days.

The household mourned much for their absent brother. They missed him in
their daily joys, and every hour they watched, waited, and hoped to see
him return. They almost rejoiced when the bleak winds of autumn swept the
foliage from the trees, because they could look farther down the road for
their brother.

"I shall soon be able to travel and see the world," said the youth to
himself every day as the pile of gold grew higher; but, alas for human
calculation! he awoke one morning to find his huge mountain of gold
one solid mass. The action of the light, heat, and atmosphere had fused
them together, and no exertion of his could break off even the smallest
atom.

Must he return with not even one golden pebble? for he had gathered
them all--not one was in sight, no more were to be found.

His golden dream of travel was over, and, worse, the freshness and
buoyancy of youth had departed. His limbs, alas! were stiff and sore.
He had a mountain of gold, not one atom of which he could use for himself
or others. And now he must return to his father's house empty-handed,
and void of truths or incidents to relate to his brothers.

But some kind angel led him home, where his blessings were yet in
store, awaiting his return. One evening when the shadows crept over
the earth, he walked up the well-known path. The brothers had long
before ceased to watch for his coming; and great was their