e dry. There was some sand with it, but my wife did
not take long to find a way to cure that. She had been to a fresh stream
with a large jug; from this I saw her pour some on the salt, strain it
through a cloth, and let it drip in a cup, so that all the sand was left
on the cloth.

When the soup was made hot we had each a taste, and all said that it was
good.

"Be not in too great haste," said my wife, "we must wait for Fritz; but
if he were here, I do not see how we are to take our soup, for we have
no plates nor spoons."

"If we had but some large nuts," said Ernest, "we might cut them in
half, and they would make good bowls."

"Quite true," said I; "but as there are none, we may as well wish for
delf bowls and real spoons at once."

"Now I have it," quoth Ernest. "Let us use the shells I saw on the
shore."

Off ran Jack to the shore, with Ernest at his heels, and back they both
came with large and small shells for us all.

Just then Fritz came in, with a look of gloom on his face, which I could
see was a sham.

"You do not mean to tell me you have come back with nought?" said I, as
he put out his hands as if to prove that such was the case. But Jack,
who had been round him, cried out, "No, no! he's got a pig!--such a fine
one. Tell us where you found it."

Fritz now brought forth his prize. When I saw it, I knew, from what
I had read, that it was not a pig, but a swift beast, known in these
parts, that lives on fruit and nuts, and hides in the earth. (*The
Agouti.)

"I like the place much more than I do this spot," said he. "The shore
lies low, and there are planks, casks, chests, and all sorts of things,
that the sea has thrown up. Why not leave this place at once, and go
there?"

"There is a time for all things," said I. "We must at least rest here
for one night."

We all sat down to take our soup with the shell spoons. Ernest took from
his coat a large shell, which he had hid till now, put it in the soup,
and then set it down to cool.

"You do not show want of thought," said I to him. "But I am not glad to
see that you think so of your-self, and do so much for your own ease,
when all the rest do so much for yours. Now, that shell full of soup you
must give to our two dogs. We can all dip our small shells in the pot,
and you must do as we do."

I knew he felt hurt at this, but he gave it to the dogs at once, and
they soon made quick work of their share of the soup.

The sun was low when our m