furiously—but the hunter, hastily drawing his bowieknife, gave him two or three such powerful stabs, that he ran back to the Fox all covered with blood. "Well, brother Wolf, and have you succeeded in conquering a man?” Oh," he cried, "I had not the least idea of a man's strength; first he took a stick from his shoulder and blew something in my face, which tingled dreadfully; and before I could get closer to him, he puffed again through his stick, and there came a flash of lightning, and something struck my nose like hailstones. I would not give in, but rushed again upon him. In a moment he pulled a white rib out of his body, and gave me such dreadful cuts with it that I believe I must lie here and die.' See now," said the Fox, "how foolish it is to boast. You have thrown your axe so far that you cannot fetch it back." 'TIS the break of day, and cloudless weather No vapour encumbers the day; For the waking morn Peeps forth in its mantle of grey. The wild boar is shaking his dewy bristle, The partridge is sounding his morning whistle, Away! No vapour encumbers the day; For the waking morn Peeps forth in its mantle of grey. Now there is a rush in the crowd, and a tinkling bell is heard, and shouts of laughter; and Tom mounts on Benjy's shoulders, and behold, a jingling match in all its glory. The games are begun, and this is the opening of them. It is a quaint game, immensely amusing to look at. A large roped ring is made, into which are introduced a dozen or so of big boys and young men who mean to play; these are carefully blinded and turned loose into the ring, and then a man is introduced not blindfolded, with a bell hung round his neck, and his two hands tied behind him. Of course every time he moves, the bell must ring, as he has no hand to hold it, and so the dozen blindfolded men have to catch him. This they cannot always manage if he is a lively fellow, but half of them always rush into the arms of the other half, or drive their heads together, or tumble over; and then the crowd laughs vehemently, and invents nicknames for them on the spur of the moment, and they, if they be choleric, tear off the handkerchiefs which blind them, and not unfrequently pitch into one another, each thinking that the other must have run against him on purpose. It is great fun to look at a jingling-match, certainly, and Tom shouts, and jumps on old Benjy's shoulders at the sight, until the old man feels weary, and shifts him to the strong young shoulders of the groom, who has just got down to the fun. THE FOUNTAIN. INTO the sunshine, Full of the light, Leaping and flashing From morn till night! Into the moonlight, Whiter than snow, Waving so flower-like When the winds blow! Into the starlight, Rushing in spray, Happy at midnight, Happy by day! Ever in motion, Blithesome and cheery, Still climbing heavenward, Never aweary; Glad of all weathers, Still seeming best, Upward or downward Motion thy rest; |