DOLPHINS AND FLYING FISHES.

Shortly after observing a cluster of flying-fish rise out of the water, we discovered two or three dolphins ranging past the ship in all their beauty, and watched with some anxiety to see one of those aquatic chases of which our friends, the Indiamen, had been telling such wonderful stories. We had not long to wait, for the ship, in her progress through the water, soon put up another shoal of these little things, which, as the others had done, took their flight directly windward. A large dolphin, which had been keeping company with us abreast of the weather gangway, at the depth of two or three fathoms, and, as usual, glistening most beautifully in the sun, no sooner detected our poor dear little friends take wing than he turned his head towards them and, darting to the surface, leaped from the water with a velocity little short, as it seemed, of a cannon-ball. But, although the impetus with which he shot himself into the air gave him an initial velocity greatly exceeding that of the flying-fish, the start which his fated prey had got enabled them to keep ahead of him for a considerable time.

"The length of the dolphin's first spring could not be less than ten yards, and after he fell we could see him gliding like lightning through the water for a moment, when he again rose and shot forwards with considerably greater velocity than at first, and, of course, to a still greater distance. In this manner the merciless pursuer seemed to stride along with fearful rapidity, whilst his brilliant coat sparkled and flashed in the sun quite splendidly.

"The group of wretched flying-fish, thus hotly pursued, at length dropped into the sea; but we were rejoiced to observe that they merely touched the top

of the swell, and scarcely sank in it; at least, they instantly set off again in a fresh and more vigorous flight. It was particularly interesting to observe that the direction they now took was quite different from the one in which they had set out, implying but too obviously that they had detected their fierce enemy, who was following them with giant steps on the waves, and now gaining rapidly upon them.

"The greedy dolphin, however, was fully as quicksighted as the flying-fish which were trying to elude him, for whenever they varied their fight in the smallest degree, he lost not the tenth part of a second in shaping his course, so as to cut off the chase; whilst they, in a manner really not unlike that of the hare, doubled more than once on their pursuer. But it was soon too plainly to be seen that the strength and confidence of the flying-fish were fast ebbing. Their flights became shorter and shorter, and their course more flustering and uncertain, while the enormous leaps of the dolphin appeared to grow more vigorous at each bound. Eventually, indeed, we could see, or fancied we could see, that this skilful sea-sportsman arranged all his springs with such an assurance of success that he contrived to fall at the end of each. just under the very spot on which the exhausted. flying-fish were about to drop. Sometimes this catastrophe took place at too great a distance for us to see from the deck exactly what happened; but on our mounting high into the rigging, we may be said to have been in at the death, for then we could discover that the unfortunate little creatures, one after another, either popped right into the dolphin's jaws as they lighted on the water, or were snapped up instantly afterwards. CAPTAIN B. HALL.

A poor woman whose husband was dead was obliged to work very hard to bring up her two little children. She used to spin and to knit from early morning to late at night, as she did not want to ask for alms, as many in her place would have done. She taught her children also how to knit, and set them every day a task, and when they had done it they were allowed to play.

One day the mother went into the wood to fetch dry sticks and fir-cones for cooking their dinner. When she had filled her basket, and was going homewards, she saw on the road a snow-white kitten, which seemed to be starving and nearly dead.

She stood still, looked at the little animal, and said to herself: Poor little thing, I wish I could help thee! But perhaps thou art not ill, perhaps thou art starving of hunger.

I have not much myself, but it is impossible that I should leave thee here to perish. With these words she picked up the half-dead animal and wrapped it in her apron. The children at home had meanwhile finished their task of knitting, and had begun to play before the house-door when the mother returned. They ran joyfully to meet her, and asked: Have you brought anything for us, dear mother? For every

time she went into the wood she used to bring them a trifle, a handful of strawberries, or bilberr es, wild pears, flowers, or whatever the season afforded. Today, answered the mother, to-day I bring you a kitten. But the poor thing is ill, we must boil it some broth. Oh! a kitten, cried the children, where is it? and when she took it from her apron they were delighted, and said: What a snow-white pretty little darling it is.

Now each of the children wanted to take the kitten and carry it into the house. But the mother said, you will hurt it if you handle it roughly. Let me carry it in my apron. So the children ran on to the house, and little Annie, the youngest, quickly fetched a pillow from her little bed, and put it into a corner of the room. Here, Mother, said she, put the kitten on this couch, we will not touch it. Both the children sat down by the side of the kitten, stroking it; it seemed to recover whilst the mother was boiling some broth.

When the broth was done they gave it in a saucer, and said: There, eat this, it will do you good.

The kitten got up and ate the broth, then became merry and playful, and the children rejoiced heartily at its droll pranks.

But how were they astonished when the kitten began to speak, and said: Thank you, good people, for having given me shelter and food. I will think of you and reward you. And suddenly the kitten disappeared.

The mother knew now it was a fairy, and forbad the children to tell anyone of it.

After a few days the mother went again into the wood, and coming back she met, at the same place where she had found the kitten, a beautifully dressed

lady, who gave her five knitting needles, and said t her:

Take the reward I have promised you as a token of my gratitude, and have pity on the poor and unhappy. even if you prosper and get rich. The poor woma: was surprised, and going to ask what she was to do with the needles, as she had already enough of them, —but the lady was gone. O! thought she, that is a small present, a fairy might have given something more valuable. She was so angry that more than once she was on the point of throwing the needles away. If they were of gold or silver, thought she, I might sell them, but what use are these. But she did not throw them away, but took them home.

In the evening she gave the knitting needles to her eldest daughter, and said: Here is a set of new needles for you, I expect you will make a diligent use of them to-morrow.

The girl was much pleased, and as she had just commenced to knit a stocking, she drew the old needles out and put the new ones in. Scarcely had she done this when the new needles began to move and to knit, so that it was quite funny.

Mother, cried the child, look here, how strange, these needles work by themselves!

The mother was at first quite frightened, but recovering from her fear she said: Children, let nobody know anything about it, else these needles might be stolen from us. The white kitten has given them to me, and their loss would be great. They all looked wondering at the busy needles, and in less than a quarter of an hour the stocking was finished.

It was more neat and beautiful, than the best knitter could not have done it. The mother commenced the same evening the other stocking as well,