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[Lemuel Gulliver, on his wonderful travels, has reached a country called Brobdingnag. Everything is on an enormous scale, so that, to the eyes of the inhabitants, the traveller appears no larger than a very small doll appears to us. Gulliver's lodgings are two wooden boxes.]

The greatest danger I ever underwent in that kingdom was from a monkey who belonged to one of the clerks of the kitchen. Glumdalclitch had locked me up in her closet while she went somewhere upon business or a visit.

The weather being very warm, the closet window was left open, as well as the windows and the door of my bigger box, in which I usually lived because of its largeness and conveniency.

As I sat quietly meditating at my table, I heard something bounce in at the closet window, and skip about from one side to the other. Although I was much alarmed, yet I ventured to look out, but not stirring from my seat; and then I saw this frolicsome animal frisking and leaping up and down, till at last he came to my box, which he seemed to view with

great pleasure and curiosity, peeping in at the door and at every window.

I retreated to the farther corner of my room, or box; but the monkey, looking in at every side, put me into such a fright that I wanted presence of mind to conceal myself under the bed, as I might easily have done.

After some time spent in peeping, grinning, and chattering, he at last espied me, and reaching one of his paws in at the door, as a cat does when she plays with a mouse, although I often shifted place to avoid him, he at length caught hold of the lappet of my coat, and dragged me out.

He took me in his right forefoot and held me as a nurse does a child, just as I have seen the same sort of creature do with a kitten, in Europe; and when I offered to struggle, he squeezed me so hard that I thought it more prudent to submit.

In these diversions he was interrupted by a noise at the closet door, as if somebody were opening it; whereupon he leaped suddenly up to the window at which he had come in, and thence upon the leads and gutters, walking upon three legs, and holding me in the fourth, till he clambered up to the roof that was next to ours.

I heard Glumdalclitch give a shriek at the moment he was carrying me out. The poor girl was almost distracted. That quarter of the palace was all in an

uproar; the servants ran for ladders. The monkey was seen by hundreds in the court, sitting upon the ridge of the building, holding me like a baby in one of his fore paws.

At this many of the rabble below could not forbear laughing; neither do I think they justly ought to be blamed, for without question, the sight was ridiculous enough to everybody but myself.

Some of the people threw up stones, hoping to drive the monkey down; but this was strictly forbidden, or else very probably my brains had been dashed out.

The ladders were now applied, and mounted by several men. The monkey observing this, and finding himself almost encompassed, and not being able to make speed enough with his three legs, let me drop on a ridge tile, and made his escape.

Here I sat for some time, three hundred yards from the ground, expecting every moment to be blown down by the wind, or to fall by my own giddiness, and come tumbling from the ridge to the eaves; but an honest lad, one of my nurse's footmen, climbed up, and, putting me into his breeches pocket, brought me down safe.

JONATHAN SWIFT.

Dare to be true; nothing can need a lie;

A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby.

GEORGE HERBERT.

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It was the last day of the spring term of school. With Jack this meant the end of his opportunity of going to school. What he should learn hereafter he must learn by himself. The money was nearly out, and he must go to work.

The last day of school meant also the expiration of the master's authority. The last day of school had no to-morrow to be afraid of. Hence, Pewee and his friends proposed to square accounts with Jack Dudley, whom they hated for being the best scholar, and for having outwitted them more than

once.

It was on the first day of June that the school ended, and Mr. Williams bade his pupils good-by. The warm sun had by this time brought the waters of the Ohio to a temperature that made bathing pleasant, and when the school closed, all the boys, delighted with liberty, rushed to the river for a good swim together. In that genial climate one can remain in the water for hours at a time, and boys become swimmers at an early age.

Just below the village a raft was moored, and from this the youthful swimmers were soon diving into the deep waters like frogs. Every boy who could perform any feat of agility displayed it. One would turn a somersault in the water, and then dive from one side of the raft to another; one could float and another could swim on his back, while a third was learning to tread water.

Some were fond of diving toes downward; others took "headers." The little fellows who could not swim kept on the inside of the great raft and paddled about with the aid of slabs used for floats. Jack, who had lived for years on the banks of the Wildcat River, could swim and dive like a musquash.

Mr. Williams, the teacher, felt lonesome at saying good-by to his school; and to keep the boys company as long as possible, he strolled down to the bank and sat on the grass watching the bathers below him.

Riley and Pewee had their plans arranged. When Jack should get his clothes on, they intended to pitch him off the raft for a good wetting, and thus gratify their long-hoarded jealousy.

When at length Jack had enjoyed the water enough, he came out and was about to begin dressing. Pewee and Riley were close at hand, already dressed and prepared to give Jack a farewell ducking.

But just at that moment there came from the other end of the raft, and from the spectators on the

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