as his leg, though but short was his wing;
He took but three leaps, and was soon out of sight,
Then chirped his own praises the rest of the night.
With steps most majestic the Snail did advance,
And he promised the gazers a minuet to dance;
But they all laughed so loud that he drew in his head,
And went in his own little chamber to bed.
Then as evening gave way to the shadows of night,
Their watchman, the Glow-worm, came out with his light:
So home let us hasten, while yet we can see,
For no watchman is waiting for you or for me.
So said little Robert, and pacing along,
His many companions returned in a throng.

HIS MASTER'S HAT.

Not long ago, a fine collie dog was running happily after an omnibus, on
the top of which his master was seated. Every now and then the man
turned round to encourage the dog, and at last, as he did this, a gust
of wind blew off his hat, which went careering down the road by the side
of the omnibus. Quick as thought, the dog darted after the hat, chased
it and 'rounded it up,' as if it were a stray lamb or sheep, and by the
time his master had descended from the top of the omnibus to get his
lost property, the dog was waiting for him, wagging his tail, with the
hat safely in his mouth.

[Illustration: "The dog darted after the hat."]

[Illustration: "The dog took kindly to her foster-children."]

WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY.

Notwithstanding all the care which is now bestowed upon wild animals in
our zoological gardens and menageries, nearly all of them suffer a
little in some way or other by confinement. When we think of the great
difference which exists between the surroundings natural to a free wild
animal, and those of even the best zoological gardens, we cannot but be
surprised that so many animals from all parts of the world can be kept
alive and in good condition in a climate so changeable as ours. Every
effort is made by the keepers to copy as far as possible the natural
conditions to which each animal is accustomed.

It was usual, for instance, to deprive all the flesh-eating animals of
one of the greatest travelling menageries of food during one day in each
week. It was found by experience that the animals were healthier when
they suffered periods of fasting like this, than they were when they
were fed regularly every day without a break. The explanation of this
was very simple. These animals, when they were living wild in the
jungles,