ng moss and clay from the
bank of the pond, he carefully stopped all the holes and cracks in the
basket. Then filling it with water to the very brim, he carried it
safely home to his father and did not lose even a single drop. So the
pony was given to him, and his brothers never called him Dunny again.

LUDWIG AND MARLEEN.

"Help me out! Help me out, little Ludwig!" cried a great red fox,
caught fast in a trap in the woods. "Help me out, and it shall be well
with you!" Now Ludwig loved the wild creatures of the forest; he was
their friend and playmate, their sorrows were his own; so, stepping to
the trap, he pressed the spring, and the fox was free. When, however,
the poor beast tried to limp away, so great was the pain in his foot
that he was forced to lie down instead. Seeing this, Ludwig ran to a
spring near by and, dipping his handkerchief into the clear cool water,
tenderly bound up the bruised and swollen foot.

"You have been very kind, my little friend," said the fox. "You have
saved my life. If you have a wish, tell me what it is and it shall be
granted."

"Oh, as to that," said Ludwig, "I wish my little pail here were full of
berries, for my sister and I are very hungry." Hardly had he spoken
when his pail, which before had been quite empty, became full to the
very brim with great delicious strawberries. Ludwig ran swiftly home
to the little brown hut where he and his sister lived quite alone on
the edge of the forest.

"See, sister dear," he called, "what a fine breakfast I have brought."

"I am glad, brother," said Marleen, "for I am very hungry; but where
did you find so many berries in so short a time, and such delicious
ones, too?"

Then Ludwig told his sister all about the fox, and how he had wished
for the berries.

"Was I not wise, dear sister, to get such a good breakfast for us with
so little trouble?"

But Marleen was not satisfied, and cried:

"Foolish boy! It was no ordinary fox whose foot you pulled out of the
trap. If he could fill your pail with berries, just for the asking, he
could do far greater things. You should have wished for something
better. Go back into the forest, find the fox, and tell him that our
cupboard must be always full of food whenever we are hungry."

"Be satisfied, dear sister," said Ludwig. "We are quite happy as we
are. When we are again hungry I will go and find food in the forest as
I have always done before."

"No, no, I will not