THE CITY UNDER THE SEA. II.

Already back," she said in high and angry tones; "what can you have found in so short a time?"

"The richest cargo of corn that ever was seen," replied the old man timidly.

"A cargo of corn! You cannot surely be 'serious. A cargo of mere grain, of which we have already enough and to spare! At best it can only be sold as seed. How could you thus mistake my meaning?”

"You desired me to bring the most precious and noble thing that the earth produces; and what is more precious or noble than wheat, of which is made the bread that every one with bended knee 'implores daily of his 'Creator? Give us this day our daily bread.""

"If that is your idea, it is not mine. I will show you the value I set upon such mean produce of the vile earth. I command you to have the whole cargo thrown overboard without delay, and I will myself attend to see that my wish is duly carried out.”

The old man retired broken-hearted.

"To com

mit so wicked an act," he thought, "will offend the Almighty. I will try if at the last moment I cannot save the mistress I serve from so foul a sin."

He went and called together some of the poorest people of the town and brought them near the vessel.

The haughty woman arrived. "Stubborn old man," she cried, "you still refuse to do my bidding; I must give the order myself."

Then turning towards the servants who had come with her, she said, "Throw this vile seed into the sea."

On hearing these words the poor people ran towards her, clasping their hands, and crying, "Pity! pity! Oh, rather give it to us who famish that we may make bread for our children.”

In vain they besought her. The cruel woman stood by unmoved, watching each golden sack ful as it was emptied into the water, whilst the poor wrung their hands with hunger and misery.

The eyes of the old man were full of tears, but of indignation, not of fear; and he exclaimed in stern 'accents these solemn words of warning, "This outrage against charity will be punished. The day will come when to appease your hunger you will be glad of a few handfuls of those very grains of wheat which to-day you despise and destroy."

"Silence!" cried the wicked maiden.

“The

fate you predict may perhaps happen when the richest heiress of Staforen shall see again this ring;" on saying which she took from her finger a costly ring and flung it into the sea.

QUESTIONS.-What did the captain's mistress say to his quick return? What did she think of his cargo? What did she order him to do with it? How did the captain try to persuade her not to commit such a sin? What did she do with the cargo? What did the captain prophecy? What did the maiden then do?

THE CITY UNDER THE

East and West In'-dies. The East Indies are in Southern Asia, and the Indian Ocean. They include Hindostan, Further India, and the adjacent islands. The West Indies are in America, and include the islands off the coasts of Central America, Mexico, and in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

Arabs, n. pl., the people of Arabia,

who spread with the Mahommedan religion over North Afri

са.

Moors, n. pl., originally the people of Morocco, but often used for any natives of N. Africa who are Mohammedans.

That same evening she saw the ring again. It was found by one of her cooks in the body of a salmon that he was dressing for her table.

Next day a courier arrived with the news that numbers of her ships had been plundered and destroyed by pirates in the East and West Indies". Soon after she learned that the caravans she had sent to trade across the deserts had been robbed and scattered by the Arabs and Moors. Later on

a large trading house failed in which she had placed most of her fortune. In short, a few months only after the prophetic words of the old man, the poor proud woman died miserably on a bed of straw, as unpitied as she had herself been pitiless.

Her fate, however, did not serve as a warning to others in Staforen, who only resembled her too closely. But their chastisement was near.

In the place where the cargo of wheat had been so impiously thrown into the water, there gradually rose a bank of sand, called, at the present day, "The wheaten sandbank." This grew and grew, and nothing that was done could stop its growth; for it was bound together by the roots of an unknown plant, something like wheat, but with this difference, that the ears were always empty. In the course of time this strange and formidable sandbank, covered with barren wheat, so entirely blocked the port that the trade of Staforen dwindled away to nothing. At length a great a higher tide than

tempest arose and drove up had ever been known. The sea was prevented. from flowing back by the great sandbank, so that the city was completely submerged, and all its inhabitants destroyed. Ever since, a vast bay has stretched its waters many fathoms above the once busy marts, the splendid palaces, and the populous streets and squares of Sta'oren.

Thus fell the proud city, sunk to 'eternal rest beneath the waves, to serve as a warning for evermore against the folly and wickedness of pride.

QUESTIONS. Did the maiden see the ring again? When? How did it come back to her? What occurred next day? Where are the East Indies and the West Indies? Who are the Arabs and the Moors? What became of the maiden after this? What effect had her death and example on the people of Staforen? What be. came of the city? What was the cause of it?

THE JOLLY OLD CROW.

the limb of an oak sat a jolly old crow,
And chatted away with glee, with glee,
As he saw the old farmer go out to sow,
And he cried, "It's all for me, for me!

"Look, look, how he scatters his seeds around;
He is wonderful kind to the poor, the poor;
If he would empty it down in a heap on the ground,
I could find it much better, I'm sure, I'm sure!

"I've learned all the tricks of this wonderful man,

Who has such a regard for the crow, the crow,
That he lays out his grounds in a regular plan,
And covers his corn in a row, a row!

"He must have a very great fancy for me;
He tries to entrap me enough, enough;
But I measure his distance as well as he,

And when he comes near, I'm off, I'm off!"