ross."

'"If I were sure of that," hesitated the donkey.

'"Oh, you may be quite sure," laughed the hare. "I have a large
acquaintance among lions. But let us be quick," and rather unwillingly
the donkey set out.

'The lion saw them coming and hid himself behind a large tree. As the
donkey went past, followed by the hare, he sprang out, and with one blow
of his paw stretched the poor foolish creature dead before him.

'"Take this meat and skin it and roast it," he said to the hare; "but my
appetite is not so good as it was, and the only part I want for myself
is the heart. The rest you can either eat yourself or give away to your
friends."

'"Thank you," replied the hare, balancing the donkey on her back as
well as she was able, and though the legs trailed along the ground she
managed to drag it to an open space some distance off, where she made
a fire and roasted it. As soon as it was cooked the hare took out the
heart and had just finished eating it when the lion, who was tired of
waiting, came up.

'"I am hungry," said he. "Bring me the creature's heart; it is just what
I want for supper."

'"But there is no heart," answered the hare, looking up at the lion with
a puzzled face.

'"What nonsense!" said the lion. "As if every beast had not got a heart.
What do you mean?"

'"This is a washerman's donkey," replied the hare gravely.

'"Well, and suppose it is?"

'"Oh, fie!" exclaimed the hare. "You, a lion and a grown-up person, and
ask questions like that. If the donkey had had a heart would she be here
now? The first time she came she knew you were trying to kill her, and
ran away. Yet she came back a second time. Well, if she had had a heart
would she have come back a second time? Now would she?"

'And the lion answered slowly, "No, she would not."

'So you think I am a washerman's donkey?' said the monkey to the shark,
when the story was ended. 'You are wrong; I am not. And as the sun
is getting low in the sky, it is time for you to begin your homeward
journey. You will have a nice cool voyage, and I hope you will find the
sultan better. Farewell!' And the monkey disappeared among the green
branches, and was gone.

From 'Swahili Tales,' by Edward Steere, LL.D.

The Fairy Nurse

There was once a little farmer and his wife living near Coolgarrow. They
had three children, and my story happened while the youngest was a baby.
The wife was a good wife enough, but her mind was all on her family a