apter with two stories in which the chief actors are
animals. One of these stories will doubtless be very familiar to our
readers. The first is from Venice (Bernoni, Punt. III. p. 65).

LXXXVI. THE THREE GOSLINGS.

Once upon a time there were three goslings who were greatly afraid of
the wolf; for if he found them he would eat them. One day the largest
said to the other two: "Do you know what I think? I think we had better
build a little house, so that the wolf shall not eat us, and meanwhile
let us go and look for something to build the house with." Then the
other two said: "Yes, yes, yes... good! let us go!" So they went and
found a man who had a load of straw and said to him: "Good man, do us
the favor to give us a little of that straw to make a house of, so that
the wolf shall not eat us." The man said: "Take it, take it!" and he
gave them as much as they wanted. The goslings thanked the man and took
the straw and went away to a meadow, and there they built a lovely
little house, with a door, and balconies, and kitchen, with everything,
in short. When it was finished the largest gosling said: "Now I want to
see whether one is comfortable in this house." So she went in and said:
"Oh! how comfortable it is in this house! just wait!" She went and
locked the door with a padlock, and went out on the balcony and said to
the other two goslings: "I am very comfortable alone here; go away, for
I want nothing to do with you."

The two poor little goslings began to cry and beg their sister to open
the door and let them in; if she did not, the wolf would eat them. But
she would not listen to them. Then the two goslings went away and found
a man who had a load of hay. They said to him: "Good man, do us the
kindness to give us a little of that hay to build a house with, so that
the wolf shall not eat us!" "Yes, yes, yes, take some, take some!" And
he gave them as much as they wanted. The goslings, well pleased, thanked
the man and carried the hay to a meadow and built a very pretty little
house, prettier than the other. The middle-sized gosling said to the
smallest: "Listen. I am going now to see whether one is comfortable in
this house; but I will not act like our sister, you know!" She entered
the house and said to herself: "Oh! how comfortable it is here! I don't
want my sister! I am very comfortable here alone." So she went and
fastened the door with a padlock, and went out on the balcony and said
to her sister: "Oh! how