hoose to
give me an answer, you may be silent; nobody is obliged to speak here."
Tommy became still more disconcerted at this, and, being unable to
conceal his anger, ran out of the summer-house, and wandered very
disconsolately about the garden, equally surprised and vexed to find
that he was now in a place where nobody felt any concern whether he was
pleased or the contrary.

When all the cherries were eaten, little Harry said, "You promised to be
so good as to hear me read when we had done working in the garden; and,
if it is agreeable to you, I will now read the story of the 'Flies and
the Ants.'" "With all my heart," said Mr Barlow; "remember to read it
slowly and distinctly, without hesitating or pronouncing the words
wrong; and be sure to read it in such a manner as to show that you
understand it."

Harry then took up the book, and read as follows:--

"THE FLIES AND THE ANTS."

"In the corner of a farmer's garden, there once happened to be a nest of
ants, who, during the fine weather of the summer, were employed all day
long in drawing little seeds and grains of corn into their hole. Near
them there happened to be a bed of flowers, upon which a great quantity
of flies used to be always sporting, and humming, and diverting
themselves by flying from one flower to another. A little boy, who was
the farmer's son, used frequently to observe the different employments
of these animals; and, as he was very young and ignorant, he one day
thus expressed himself:--'Can any creature be so simple as these ants?
All day long they are working and toiling, instead of enjoying the fine
weather, and diverting themselves like these flies, who are the happiest
creatures in the world.' Some time after he had made this observation,
the weather grew extremely cold, the sun was scarcely seen to shine, and
the nights were chill and frosty. The same little boy, walking then in
the garden, did not see a single ant, but all the flies lay scattered up
and down, either dead or dying. As he was very good-natured, he could
not help pitying the unfortunate animals, and asking at the same time,
what had happened to the ants that he used to see in the same place? The
father said, 'The flies are all dead, because they were careless
animals, who gave themselves no trouble about laying up provisions, and
were too idle to work; but the ants, who had been busy all the summer,
in providing for their maintenance during the winter, are all alive and