s I have been told,
His goose had laid him
An egg of pure gold.

Jack rode to his mother,
The news for to tell;
She call'd him a good boy,
And said it was well.

Jack sold his gold egg
To a rogue of a Jew,
Who cheated him out of
The half of his due.

Then Jack went a-courting
A lady so gay,
As fair as the lily
And sweet as the May.

The Jew and the Squire
Came close at his back,
And began to belabour
The sides of poor Jack.

They threw the gold egg
In the midst of the sea;
But Jack he jump'd in,
And got it back presently.

The Jew got the goose,
Which he vow'd he would kill,
Resolving at once
His pockets to fill.

Jack's mother came in,
And caught the goose soon,
And, mounting its back,
Flew up to the moon.

[Illustration]

HARRY'S LADDER TO LEARNING.

PART V.

HARRY'S SIMPLE STORIES.

_From Mrs. Barbauld's "Lessons for Children."_

SIMPLE STORIES.

Good morning, little boy; how do you do? Bring your little stool and sit
down by me, for I have a great deal to tell you.

I hope you have been a good boy, and read all the pretty words I wrote
for you before. You have, you say; you have read them till you are
tired, and you want some more new lessons. Come, then, sit down. Now you
and I will tell stories.

[Illustration]

JANUARY.

It is very cold. It snows. It freezes. There are no leaves upon the
trees. The oil is frozen, and the milk is frozen, and the river is
frozen, and everything in the fields is frozen.

All the boys are sliding: you must learn to slide. There is a man
skating. How fast he goes! You shall have a pair of skates. Take care!
there is a hole in the ice. Come in. It is four o'clock. It is dark.
Light the candles: and, Ralph! get some wood from the wood-house, and
get some coals, and make a very good fire.

Now get the large picture-book, and let us look at the pretty pictures,
and I will tell you stories about them.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

FEBRUARY.

It is still very cold, but the days are longer, and there is the yellow
crocus coming up, and the mezereon tree is in blossom, and there are
some white snow-drops peeping up their little heads. Pretty white
snow-drop, with a green stalk! May I gather it? Yes, you may; but you
must always ask leave before you gather a flower.

When spring comes again there will be green leaves and f