leaves, and lay them to roast in the ashes of a wood fire.

When finished the mass looked rather like coffee-grounds, and tasted
like liquorice.

This is the only cake a Central African ever makes for himself. English
people would hardly want to rob him of it, but to him it is delicious.

FOOTNOTE:

[3] This is the Central African way of shouting 'Hurrah!'

THE WEATHER SPRITES.

LAST NIGHT.

The Weather Sprites in slumber lie,
'Tis plain as plain can be,
For clouds have hidden all the sky--
A mist is on the sea,
They laid the brooms of wind away
Before the day was done,
And left a curtain, dull and grey,
To hide the setting sun.

'Wake, Weather Sprites! oh, wake again!
You slumber all too soon,
And, look you, drawn by imps of rain
A ring is round the moon.
With all your might rub out the ring,
Mop all this rain away,
For such a night can only bring
An even duller day.'

THIS MORNING.

Then through the darkness, ere I slept,
I heard them passing by;
Across the roof their brushes swept,
Then cleared the misty sky.
They mopped away with all their might,
And dried the garden soon;
While busy dusters rubbed from sight
The ring around the moon.

And as I throw the shutter wide,
And look out at the dawn,
The garden paths are neatly dried,
And all the clouds are gone.
But hark, where in the morning light
Yon chestnut lifts its dome,
I hear the last, last Weather Sprite
Dragging her broomstick home.

WONDERFUL CAVERNS.

VI.--THE ROCK TEMPLES OF AJUNTA AND ELLORA.

On one of India's loneliest glens, called Ajunta, travellers come upon a
perfect settlement of buildings and temples, cut in the face of a
semicircle of cliffs about two hundred and fifty feet high. Over the
cliff leaps a brawling river, making seven distinct falls before
reaching the valley below.

From a distance only pillared fronts appear, but on a closer view the
real grandeur and beauty of the temples come to light. The inside walls
are covered with paintings, well drawn, and fairly well preserved. The
pictures chiefly illustrate the life of Buddha, and the sacred tree
beneath which he used to sit often appears in them, hung with rich gifts
from his followers. The good works which he did for the poor and
suffering are constantly painted. Other paintings s