n his balloon, he just pours the
sand out."

Rollo's mother then told the boys that there was a large book, which had
several stories in it of men's going up in balloons, and that she would
get it for them. So she left her work, and went out of the room; but in
a few minutes she returned, bringing with her two very large, square
books, with blue covers. One of them had pictures in it, and among the
rest there were pictures of balloons. She opened the other book, and
found the place where there was an account of balloons, and she showed
the place to Rollo.

She told the boys that they had better go out in the kitchen, or into
the shed, if it was warm enough, and read the account.

"You and James, Rollo," said she, "can read by turns, and let Nathan
hear. Then, when the plates are referred to, you must look into the
other book and find them."

"Yes," said Rollo, "we will; only, mother, if you would let us sit down
here and read it--and then, if there is any thing which we cannot
understand, you can tell us what it means."

"Very well," replied his mother, "you may sit down here upon the sofa."

So the boys sat down upon the sofa. They put Nathan between them, so
that he might look over. Rollo and James took turns to read, and they
continued reading about balloons for more than an hour. There was one
story of a sheep, which a man carried up in his car, under a balloon,
and then let him drop, from a great height, with a parachute over his
head, to make him fall gently. And he did fall gently. He came down to
the ground without being hurt at all.

QUESTIONS.

How was the subject of balloons introduced into the
conversation? What was Nathan's opinion about the possibility of
being carried up by a balloon? What was the dispute about the
size of balloons? What was Nathan's evidence? What was James's
evidence? What did Jonas say when they appealed to him? What was
the story that he related? Which of the boys did he finally say
was wrong? Whom did the boys appeal to afterwards? What did
Rollo's mother say about the size of balloons? How did she say
that large balloons were filled? How can they make the balloon
come down? How can they make it go up again, if they wish to do
so?

CHAPTER VIII.

TASKS.

A few days after this, there commenced a long storm of rain. Rollo and
Nathan were glad to see it on one account, for their mother told them it
would melt away