So, as he watched it swing and swing, He thought 'twould be fun to cut the string.

Then Mrs. Spider's hammock would fall Down with a somersault off the wall.

Creeping up to her hiding place, He gave a pull on the flimsy lace.

Down one end of the hammock fell, While the Big Black Spider gave a yell.

Out thro' the window the little Fly flew; 'Twas safer out there for him, he knew.

And he said, as he winked his little blue eye: "Good-by, Mrs. Spider; good-by, good-by!"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

I hate to go to bed at night, Or get up when again it's light-- It's funny that I love to do 'Most anything between these two.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Bennie's Easter Dream

Bennie woke up on Easter morning and saw a little rabbit with a big bow of blue ribbon around his neck standing in the doorway.

"Come along!" he said. "I'm going to give you a ride on my back."

In a few minutes Bennie had on his clothes and tiptoeing down the stairs, they slipped out of the front door.

"Hold on to my ears!" said the rabbit, and away they went down the garden walk. When they reached the barnyard the rabbit stopped before the haystack, and pulling out a small basket and a big silver spoon, said to Bennie:

"Take this basket and come with me to the hen-house. If we get there before the fairies we will find the pretty colored eggs which the hens lay for Easter. But hurry, for we must get there first."

They opened the door quietly, just as the big Red Rooster began to crow.

"Lift up the eggs with the silver spoon," said the rabbit, as they peeped into the nests; "don't touch one with your hand or it will lose its lovely color." Soon the basket was full. "Come on," cried the rabbit; "hurry up and get on my back; it's getting late." Bennie jumped on, but just as they started off four little chickens ran out of their coop and screamed:

_c.o.c.k-a-doodle doo!

You've got my egg of blue; My yellow one, my purple one, My little green one, too!_

Suddenly he found himself in his own little bed, while outside the happy Easter bells were ringing. He wondered where his little friend the rabbit had disappeared to, and the four little chickens.

Then he looked down at the counterpane, and what do you suppose he saw.

A whole nest full of beautiful, painted Easter eggs with the funniest faces and the brightest colors. Bennie gave a squeal of delight and hopped out of bed to dress so that he could show his treasure to all the other children he knew, but in his excitement forgot all about the dear little bunny.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A LITTLE GIRL'S DIARY

Sunday

_I love her on a Sunday, As she goes to church with me, With her little gilt-edged Bible Held close and reverently._

Sunday morning Father and I start off for church before the rest of the family, because Father wants his early walk, and I love to go with him.

Through the park we go, watching the pretty little squirrels who run up to us, for they seem to know that Father will let me wait a few minutes to give them some nuts or little pieces of cracker which I have almost always in my pocket. I call one squirrel the "Little Minister" because he looks so solemn, and walks up so quietly and slowly to me, and then holds his nut between his paws and looks it over, as if it were a book, before he starts to open the cover and eat the inside. After church we all come home and have early dinner. In the afternoon, brother and I go for a long walk in the park. After supper, the nicest part of all the day, we sing hymns and Brother Jack and I say a piece of poetry, which we learn for each Sunday. Then we kiss everybody good night.

LITTLE SIR CAT

Little Sir Cat and Dame Trot

"_Little fishy in the brook, Papa catch him with a hook, Mamma fry him in the pan, Johnny eat him like a man,_"

sang a sweet voice, and in came Dame Trot with a big platter of fish.

"Did Mr. Trot catch them?" asked Little Sir Cat politely, sitting down to the table and tucking the napkin under his chin.

"Of course," answered Dame Trot, "fish don't catch themselves, unless they're playing tag in the pool."

Well, it didn't take Little Sir Cat long to finish his meal, and when Dapple Gray was saddled, he set out again on his journey through Mother Goose Land, and by-and-by, after a while, he came to a bridge, and when he looked over the railing, he saw a pretty silver fish swimming on the top of the water.

"h.e.l.loa there, silver fish! If I had a hook and line I'd soon catch you," and Little Sir Cat grinned at his own reflection in the clear water. But if the fish had seen it I guess he would have darted away, for it looked just like a real cat in the water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LITTLE SIR CAT AND DAME TROT]

"You can drop me a line," replied the fish with a swish of his tail, "but I won't promise to bite."

"I don't care for any more fish to-day," answered Little Sir Cat, "I've just had a feast at Dame Trot's little Inn."

"_If that's the case," replied the fish, Giving his tail a shimmery swish, "I'll go right home to Mrs. Trout And tell her it's safe for her to go out._"

And away went that poetical old trout, and so did Little Sir Cat, and after he had ridden for maybe a mile or three, he met the Maiden All Forlorn Who Milked the Cow with the Crumpled Horn. But she wasn't miserable now at all. No, Siree. She wore a lovely smile and a pink sun-bonnet with a bit of ribbon on it. And as soon as she saw Little Sir Cat her smile broke into a laugh: "Here is my dear little puss. Where has he been this long time?"

"Oh, just traveling," he answered. "What have you been doing?"

"_You remember the tramp all tattered and torn?

Well, he made lots of money in cotton and corn.

So he bought me an automobile and a ring, And the minister married us both in the spring,_"

she answered, taking the pink ribbon off her sun-bonnet and tying it around Little Sir Cat's neck.

"There, you look like a prize winner," she laughed, and after that she ran back into the farm yard to see if the Little Black Hen had laid a white egg for breakfast.