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A VOLUNTEER BULL-FIGHT.

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4. Hitherto they had been pushing each other lengthwise of the bridge; suddenly they began to wheel,103 and, in a moment, were facing each other breadthwise. Thus they were at right angles with the length of the old bridge, which shook, and creaked, and rocked again, with their tramping and their terrible strife. It was the work of a single moment: one of the beasts I never could tell which one of them, however, as if conscious of his position, made a violent, a desperate lunge forward, and pressed his antagonist back- - back- back till there was but another step of plank behind him between him and nothing! The moment was one of intense interest to us juvenile spectators. Never was the amphitheatre of Rome the scene of a more exciting combat. Another step backward yes, the unfortunate bull has been forced to take it! Back he is pressed, and over he goes.

5. Such a sight I never saw I probably shall never see, again. Imagine a bull pitched backward from a bridge, and falling, at least thirty feet, over and over! He turned once or twice, probably-I thought he turned over fifty times, there seemed such a confusion of horns and feet, revolving, flying through the air! But down he went; the water was deep, and he disappeared, leaving a whirlpool 103 of foam behind him, and making the river undulate far and wide with the concussion of his ponderous bulk.

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6. The other bull did not laugh - merely because bulls, as I supposed, could not. But we laughed and shouted our applause. There stood the victor, looking directly down into the abyss below, into which he had hurled his unlucky foe. He stood, however, but a moment; and then, as if frightened at the prospect, began to snort and step backward. Back, back he retreated, with his head in the same pugnacious attitude as when in combat - - back still another step back and over he too went on the opposite side of the bridge, performing just as many and as ludicrous somersets as his adversary had done a minute before.

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7. It was a scene to remember; and the performance called forth immense applause from the group of juvenile ămăteurs,' who witnessed it. In about five minutes both bulls might be seen, well sobered by their ducking, dripping wet, scratching up the steep, gravelly banks, each on his own side of the river. "Those bulls will never fight any more," said a boy behind me. His prediction turned out correct; for two more peaceably disposed bulls than they were, ever afterwards, could not have been found.

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THE FOLLY OF CASTLE-BUILDING.

Where falls the shadow cold of death,
I yet will sing, with parting breath,
As comes to me or shade or sun,
Father! thy will, not mine, be done.

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SARAH FLOWER ADAMS.

XII. - THE FOLLY OF CASTLE-BUILDING.EI

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1. ALNAS CHAR,* says the fable, was a very idle fellow, who never would set his hand to any business during his father's life. His father, dying, left to him the value of a hundred drachmas " in Persian money. Alnaschar, in order to make the best of it, laid it out in glasses, bottles, and the finest earthenware. These he piled up in a large open basket, and having made choice of a very little shop, placed the basket at his feet, and leaned his back upon the wall, in expectation of customers. As he sat in this posture, with his eyes upon the basket, he fell into a most amusing train of thought, and was overheard, as he talked to himself, by one of his neighbors. "This basket," says Alnaschar, "cost me at the wholesale merchants a hundred drachmas, which is all I have in the world.

2. "I shall quickly make two hundred of it, by selling it in re'tail. These two hundred drachmas will in a little while rise to four hundred, which of course will amount in time to four thousand. Four thousand drachmas cannot fail of making eight thousand. As soon as by this means I am master of ten thousand, I will lay aside my trade of a glass-man, and turn jeweller. I shall then deal in diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of rich stones. When I have got together as much wealth as I can well desire, I will make a purchase of the finest house I can find. I shall then begin to enjoy myself and make a noise in the world. I will not, however, stop there, but still continue my traffic, till I have got together a hundred thousand drachmas.

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3. "When I have thus made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas, I shall naturally set myself on the footing of a prince, and will demand the Grand Vizier's E1 daughter in marriage, after having represented to that minister the information which I have received of the beauty, wit, discretion, and other high qualities, which his daughter possesses. I will let him know, at the same time, that it is my intention to make him a present of a thousand pieces of gold on our marriage night. As soon as I have married the Grand Vizier's daughter, I will make my fatherin-law a visit with a grand train and equipage; and when I am placed at his right hand- where I shall be, of course, if it be

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* Pronounced Al-nas'kar. Drachma, pronounce drak'ma.

only to honor his daughter-I will give him the thousand pieces of gold which I promised him, and afterwards, to his great surprise, will present him another purse of the same value, with some short speech, as, 'Sir, you see I am a man of my word; I always give more than I promise.'

4.

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To

"When I have brought the princess to my house, I shall take particular care to breed her in a due respect for me. this end, I shall confine her to her own apartment, make her a short visit, and talk but little to her. Her women will represent to me that she is inconsolable by reason of my unkindness, and beg me with tears to caress her, and let her sit down by me; but I shall still remain inexorable, and will turn my back upon her. Her mother will then come and bring her daughter to me, as I am seated upon my sofa. The daughter, with tears in her eyes, will fling herself at my feet, and beg of me to receive her into my favor. Then will I, to imprint in her a thorough veneration for my person, draw up my legs and spurn her from me with my foot, in such a manner that she shall fall down several paces from the sofa."

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5. Alnaschar was entirely swallowed up in this chimerical vision, and could not forbear acting with his foot what he had in his thoughts. So that, unluckily striking his basket of brittle ware, which was the foundation of all his grandeur, he kicked his glasses to a great distance from him into the street, and broke them into ten thousand pieces.

ADDISON.

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A LAMB strayed for the first time into the woods, and excited much discussion 63 among other animals. In a mixed company one day, when he became the subject of a friendly gossip, the goat praised him. "Pooh! said the lion, "this is too absurd. The beast is a pretty beast enough, but did you hear him roar? I heard him roar, and by the ma'nes of my fathers, when he roars he does nothing but cry ba-a-a!' And the lion bleated his best in mockery, but bleated far from well.

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Nay," said the deer; " I do not think so badly of his voice. I liked him well enough until I saw him leap. He kicks with his hind legs in running, and, with all his skipping, gets over very little ground." "It is a bad beast, altogether," said the tiger. He cannot roar, he cannot run, he can do nothing and what wonder? I killed a man yesterday, and, in politeness

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SELECT APOLOGUES.

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to the new comer, offered him a bit; upon which he had the impudence to look disgusted, and say, 'No, sir, I eat nothing but grass.'" So the beasts criticised the lamb, each in his own

way; and yet it was a good lamb, nevertheless.

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The rust was

The sword of the warrior was taken down for the purpose of being polished. It had not been long out of use. rubbed off, but there were spots that would not go

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of blood. The sword was placed on the table near the pen of the warrior's secretary. The pen took advantage of the first breath of air to move a little further off. "Thou art right," said the sword; "I am a bad neighbor." "I fear thee not," replied the pen; "I am more powerful than thou art; but I love not thy society." "I exterminate," said the sword. "And I perpetuate," answered the pen; "where are thy victories, if I recorded them not? Even where thou thyself shalt one day be in the Lake of Oblivion."

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3. THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE BUTTERFLY.

A humming-bird met a butterfly, and, being pleased with the beauty of its person and the glory of its wings, made an offer of perpetual friendship. "I cannot think of it," was the reply; "for you once spurned me, and called me a crawling dōlt." "Impossible!" exclaimed the humming-bird; "I always entertained the highest respect for such beautiful creatures as you.” "Perhaps you do now," said the other; "but when you insulted me I was a caterpillar. So let me give you a piece of advice: Never insult the humble, as they may some day become your superiors."

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A very stupid wolf (they are not all so 165), appetite, found a kid, which had lost its way. said the carnivorous animal, "I meet you at a

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having a good "Little friend," good time: you

will make me a very good supper; for I assure you that I have neither breakfasted nor dined to-day." “If I must die,” replied the poor kid, "I beg that you will first sing me a song; I hope that you will not refuse me this favor; it is the first that I ever asked of you. I have heard that you are a perfect musician." The wolf, like a fool, cajoled by this flattery, attempted to sing, but only howled. At this noise the shepherds came running with their dogs and put him to flight. Very well," said

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