For several years, Robert Bruce, the hero King of Scotland, was an outlaw with but a few followers. He even had to leave his beloved Scotland at one time, and hide himself on a small island off the coast of Ireland.

He had only a wretched hut to live in, although he was a king, but he was as patient as he was brave, and willing to suffer hardships if he could only free his native land.

While lying on his bed one day, he noticed a spider who was spinning its web. Time after time it failed to run its slender thread from one beam to another. Six times it tried and as many times it failed. This was just the number of battles that Bruce had been defeated by the English.

"If the spider tries again," he said to himself, sitting up on his bed and watching the determined little insect intently, "if the spider tries again, so will I!" Once more the spider tried, and this time with success. Bruce jumped from his bed, and in a few days was back in Scotland.

It was indeed a happy omen, for from that time the tide turned in his favor, and gradually he won back all the cities and castles which the English had conquered. And so Bruce freed Scotland and won back his throne, but if it had not been for the little spider, perhaps he never would have had the heart to attempt it.

LITTLE SIR CAT

Mother Hubbard finds Little Sir Cat at Home

"_Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard To get her poor dog a bone, But when she got there The cupboard was bare, And so the poor dog had none._"

"Oh, dear me!" said Little Sir Cat, "that's too bad," and he pulled out a shilling and gave it to Mother Hubbard. And after that he went away and by and by he came to a big circus tent. And while he stood there, a woman came by and stopped to talk to him. For everybody was interested in Little Sir Cat. He rode Dapple Gray as well as a circus man, and there was nothing he couldn't do on horseback, except, perhaps, go to sleep. Well, the woman stopped and looked at him for a few minutes, and then she said:

"_I have a little husband No bigger than my thumb, So I put him in a bird cage And keep him safe at home._"

[Ill.u.s.tration: MOTHER HUBBARD FINDS LITTLE SIR CAT AT HOME]

"Why don't you bring him to the circus?" said Little Sir Cat. "He'll make more money than in a bird cage."

"So he might," said the woman. "I will bring him here this very day,"

and away she went as fast as she could.

Well, by and by, she returned carrying a leather bag, and when she opened it, who should jump out but Tom Thumb. Wasn't that strange? And, oh, how glad he was to see Little Sir Cat.

"What! Are you old friends?" asked the woman, stretching out her hand to take Tom Thumb.

"She is cruel, don't let her take me," cried the little fellow, and of course Sir Cat didn't, although the woman became very angry.

Well, pretty soon Little Sir Cat turned to her and said with a fierce look, "Leave him with me. He shall be my comrade. You have no right to him," and then he took Tom Thumb into the tent, leaving the woman to do what she might. He didn't care, for he was in the right, and when that is the case, one can be brave even if he is a small cat. And as soon as he told the clown what had happened, he said: "We'll never let her have Tom Thumb. He shall stay with us as long as he likes," and then the lovely circus lady came up and shook hands with him, and everybody said, "Hurrah for Little Sir Cat!"

And pretty soon I'll tell you another story unless

_The Big Red Barn gets frisky And jumps across the road, And the buzzy, wuzzy horsefly Eats up the little toad._

MR. TURKEY DECIDES TO TAKE A DAY OFF

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Said the great big Turkey Gobbler To the little Turkey Turk, "I guess I'll stay at home today And not go down to work;

"I have a sort of feeling That it's wiser not to roam And that it would be safer For me to stay at home."

A LITTLE GIRL'S DIARY

Sat.u.r.day

_I love her on a Sat.u.r.day When she and Mother go Together to a matinee Or moving picture show._

Sat.u.r.day is a holiday all the time. In the morning I take a run in the park to get the fresh air and exercise; and then after lunch, Mother and I--oh, it's such fun!--go to a matinee or a motion picture play. When we come out, we have a cup of hot chocolate somewhere, with little cakes or crackers, and it's just lovely! After that, it's time to go home. Dolly is waiting for me, and I tell her all about everything while I undress her and put her to bed, and she is so good she never cries or says: "Why didn't you take me, too?"

LITTLE STORIES OF FAMOUS ANIMALS

How A Horse Founded A City

There was once a horse named Bucephalus whom n.o.body could ride except his master, the famous Alexander the Great; and the reason was because this horse was afraid of his own shadow. He wasn't afraid of anything else, for he would carry his master into the thickest of the fight without flinching.

In those days every boy was trained to be a warrior, as well as to be proficient in all kinds of knowledge, and as Alexander was a very bright youth and loved reading as well as fighting his father sent for the famous Aristotle to be his teacher, under whose teaching he grew up to be a very fine young man. Every night when Alexander went to bed he placed his favorite book, Homer's "Iliad," under his pillow with his sword. Soon he became very expert in all manly sports and excelled every one at his father's court, especially in riding. But had he not been a very bright and observing youth he never would have been able to ride Bucephalus, notwithstanding his splendid horsemanship.

The way it happened was that one day this horse was offered for sale to his father, the King, but none of the grooms or n.o.bles could mount him.

Alexander, who had been very carefully watching the beautiful white animal, noticed that Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow. He therefore turned his head toward the sun and after patting the animal until he grew quiet mounted and rode him without any trouble. After that he was always his favorite charger.

When Alexander set out to conquer the Persians Bucephalus was the first to swim across the River Granicus with Alexander, amid a shower of arrows and spears.

On Bucephalus and at the head of his army of 40,000 foot soldiers Alexander defeated Darius, with over 1,000,000 men.

For five years longer Bucephalus carried Alexander to victory, but finally in a battle in India against King Porus Bucephalus was so badly wounded that he died.

Alexander gave his n.o.ble horse a splendid burial and founded a city on the battlefield, which he named in his honor Bucephala.

LITTLE SIR CAT

Little Sir Cat Meets Tom, the Piper's Son