to die,
As was God's blessed will:

And did confess the very truth,
The which is here express'd;
Their uncle died while he for debt
Did long in prison rest.

[Illustration: Uncle in prison.]

LITTLE BO-PEEP.

"Little Bo-Peep she lost her sheep
And didn't know where to find them.
Let them alone, and they'll come home,
And bring their tails behind them!"

[Illustration: Bo-peep searching.]

So runs the Nursery Rhyme. Little Bo-Peep was a very nice little
girl. Her cheeks had a bloom on them like a lovely peach, and her
voice sounded like a sweet silver bell.

But though Little Bo-Peep was as good as she was beautiful, she
sometimes met with misfortunes that made her very sad. Once, when she
lost her sheep, she was very doleful indeed. And this is how it
happened.

One summer evening, when the sun was setting, Little Bo-Peep, who had
to rise very early in the morning, felt tired, and sat down on a bank
covered with daisies. Being very weary she soon fell fast asleep. Now
the Bell-wether of Bo-Peep's flock was a most stupid and stubborn
fellow. I dare say you know that all the sheep in a flock will follow
the Bell-wether, and that he always wears a bell round his neck. It
was a great pity, but the Bell-wether of Bo-Peep's flock was very
wild, and was much given to wander far away into the wood, where of
course the rest of the sheep would follow him.

Finding Little Bo-Peep asleep, the tiresome fellow began by standing
on his hind legs and making a great bow to his shadow before him on
the grass. After this he whirled himself round like a top, shaking
his head all the time, and ringing his bell.

[Illustration: Bo-Peep asleep; Bell-wether capering.]

Very soon the rest of the flock began to dance and caper too. And
when they had wheeled round their leader for a time, they ran off
after him with a bound into the wood. Away they went, till they were
quite tired out; and then they came to a stand-still, staring at their
leader with very blank faces. But the Bell-wether looked foolish
enough now, and did nothing but shake his head slowly and ring his
bell, which seemed to say quite clearly, "You are lost, you are
lost!"

When Little Bo-Peep awoke she found her sheep gone, and hardly
knowing what she did, she walked on and on, far into the wood. She
met some people with hoes and rakes in their hands, and asked them if
they had seen her sheep. But they only laughed at her, and said, No.