LESSON XXVIII.

FANNY.

1. Fanny is a pretty parrot that my uncle Henry brought from Africa for my mother. She has a gray body, a black shining bill, a white face, and a bright red tail.

2. She thinks no other parrot ever had such beautiful feathers. She often spends hours in dressing them. When every feather is laid smooth, she flirts her tail and asks,

"Isn't Fanny a pretty bird?"

3. She can talk almost as well as you can, and she often uses words which we have not taught her. She never forgets a word that

she has once learned. When we ask her to sing, she always says,

"I don't think I can. I have a bad cold." 4. In the summer we hang her cage near an open window and fasten the door open. Then she flies out into the trees, like a wild bird; but she never goes far from the house. She calls mother "marm," just as an ill-bred child might do. She will not say "mother."

I

5. One day, when she was out-of-doors, I heard her scream as if in great fright. looked out of the window, and saw her coming as fast as she could fly. Close behind

her was a large hen-hawk. When they got to the house the hawk was not more than six feet behind her.

6. She flew into the room, and the hawk's wings almost touched the window as he turned. When he was gone, Fanny flew to the window-sill and watched him flying away. Then she called after him as loud as she could

scream.

7. "Didn't catch Fanny !" she cried. "Didn't catch Fanny!"

After that she never went far from the window.

8. She is very much afraid of a mouse. One night, when her cage was left on the table, a mouse crept in and began to nibble a piece of cake at the bottom of the cage. She screamed first for "marm," and then for "puss."

9. When mother came with a lamp the mouse ran away. Fanny thought that the light had driven the mouse away; for when mother started to go back to her room, she cried out as loud as she could,

"Leave the light, marm! leave the light! Fanny is afraid."

1. One autumn night when the wind was high,
And the rain fell in heavy splashes,
A little boy sat by the open fire,
Popping corn o'er the ashes.

And his sister, a curly-haired child of three,
Sat looking on just close to his knee,
As he sang this song so full of glee:

2. "Who will buy my pop-cornBalls of sunny pop-corn,

Freshly done to-day?

When the grains are popping,
You should see them hopping,

Like the boys at play.

Pop-corn! Who'll buy?

3. "Who will buy my pop-corn-
Pretty balls of pop-corn,
Sweet, and creamy white;
Just like snowballs blowing,
In the garden growing,
Good for taste or sight?
Pop-corn! Who'll buy?"

LESSON XXX.

A TALK ABOUT PLANTING.

THE BEAN.

1. Our teacher tells us that we can learn more than one lesson from the garden-bird. She says that in every country school like ours, the children should have a garden.

2. Even in city schools, where there is no room for a garden, the children may raise some flowers. They will thus learn more about the ways of plants than they can learn from books.

3. Where space can not be had for a garden, it is well to plant seeds in boxes and flowerpots. A great many kinds of plants will grow in houses if they are cared for in the right way. If there is good rich soil about their roots, and if they are given plenty of light and water, they will grow, and soon be full of buds and blossoms.

4. Our school-garden is a large one. There is a big oak-tree near the gate, and under it is a bed of violets. There are wild rose-bushes