crest into that hood-like form which renders it so appallingly hideous, gave vent to a loud hiss that seemed brimful of poison.'

He then goes on to say that he struck it with a stone, upon which it disengaged itself from the monkey. The serpent then turned towards the officer, its forked tongue protruding, its venomous eyes burning like fire, its swelling neck glowing with various colours, and preparing to spring upon him. Just as he was about to retreat, he heard a shrill cry, and saw a little creature, like the ichneumon, spring upon the cobra. A fierce battle ensued. The serpent and its foe rolled over and over, but the little animal stuck to it, biting and tearing it into pieces. About ten minutes sufficed to kill the monster, after which the little animal skipped off into the brushwood and disappeared.

Ön looking round, the officer found the monkey dead; its brave little ally had arrived too late.

LESSON 38.

THE FAIRY QUEEN'S CHARIOT. gos-sa-mer, very fine spider- let-ting, hindering threads which float in the limn-ing, painting air. Literally, God-summer, Mab, queen of the fairies so called from a legend that nim-ble, active, lively they are the shreds of the Virgin Mary's shroud which she cast away when taken up into heaven

nonce (pron. nones), present

purpose O-ber-on, king of the fairies pied, of different colours

gal-lant-ly
har-ness-es

Her chariot ready strait is made,
Each thing therein is fitting laid,

hie

trice

That she by nothing might be stayed,
For nought must be her letting:
Four nimble gnats the horses were,
Their harnesses of gossamer,
Fly Cranion, her charioteer,
Upon the coach-box getting.

Her chariot of a snail's fine shell,
Which for the colours did excel,
The fair Queen Mab becoming well,
So lovely was the limning:
The seat the soft wool of the bee,
The cover (gallantly to see)
The wing of a pied butterflie,-

I trow, 'twas simple trimming.

The wheels composed of crickets' bones,
And daintily made for the nonce,
For fear of rattling on the stones
With thistle-down they shod it:
For all her maidens much did fear,
If Oberon had chanced to hear

That Mab his queen should have been there,
He would not have abode it.

She mounts her chariot with a trice,
Nor would she stay for no advice
Until her maids, that were so nice,
To wait on her were fitted:
But ran herself away alone;

Which when they heard there was not one
But hasted after to be gone,

As she had been diswitted.

Hop, and Mop, and Drop so clear,

Pip, and Trip, and Skip, that were

To Mab, their sovereign dear,
Her special maids of honour :
Fib, and Tib, and Pinck, and Pin,
Tic, and Quick, and Fill, and Fin,
Tit, and Nit, and Wap, and Win,
The train that wait upon her.

Upon a grasshopper they got,
And what with amble and with trot,
For hedge nor ditch they spared not,
But after her they hie them:
A cobweb over them they throw,
To shield the wind if it should blow;
Themselves they wisely could bestow,
Lest any should espy them.

MICHAEL DRAYTON, 1563-1631.

The reader will notice the style and spelling in this piece.

hag, witch

wel-kin, region of the air

a-er-y

coun-ter-feit

frol-ic

whir-ry

junc-ates, junkets, sweetmeats wend, turn, pass

More swift than lightning can I fly
About this aery welkin soon,

And in a minute's space descry

Each thing that's done below the moon:
There's not a hag

Or ghost shall wag,

Or cry "Ware goblin!' where I go;

But Robin I

Their feats will spy,

And send them home with ho! ho! ho!

Where'er such wanderers I mect,

As from their night sports they trudge home,
With counterfeiting voice I greet,
And call on them with me to roam,

Through woods, through lakes,
Through bogs, through brakes;

Or else unseen with them I go,
All in the nick,

To play some trick,

And frolic it with ho! ho! ho!

Sometimes I meet them like a man,

Sometimes an ox, sometimes a hound;
And to a horse I turn me can,

And trip and trot about them round;
But if, to ride,

My back they stride,

More swift than any wind I go;
O'er hedge and lands,
Through pools and ponds,

I whirry, laughing, ho! ho! ho!

When lads and lasses merry be
With possets and rich juncates fine,
Unseen of all the company,

I eat their cakes and sip their wine.
And to make sport,

I puff and snort,

And out the candle I do blow;
And maids I kiss,—

They shriek, Who's this?'

I answer nought but ho! ho! ho!

Yet now and then, the maids to please,
At midnight I card up their wool;
And while they sleep and take their ease,
With wheel to threads their flax I pull.
I grind at will

Their malt up still,

I dress their hemp and spin their tow;
If any walk,

And would me talk,

I wend me, laughing, ho! ho! ho!

The men do traps and engines set

In loopholes where the vermines creep,
Who from their fields and houses get
Their ducks and geese, and lambs and sheep.
I spy the gin

And enter in,

And seem a vermin taken so;

But when they there

Approach me near,

I leap out, laughing, ho! ho! ho!

An old clock that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, without giving its owner any cause