The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-12-31

1
| Dear, sunny head that is ever 80 wise;
Darling is laughing and shouting with glee,
| Playing at puss- in-the-corner with me.
! Patter the prettiest feet DER the floor;
Never was seen such playmate before;
Sly little one, In a way most unfair,
Steals In my corner before Pm aware!
Here in our play-ground-the sun-shiny room
Darling Is teaching me sweet little games;
| Wise little noddle to know all their names.
| Cl0ver-bud mouth held 10 mine TO be kissed
corner you've on--did you know this before?
Deep In my heart, to he kept evermore
OLD SULTAN.-A countryman once
had faithful dog, called Sultan, which
had grown old in his service, andhaving
at last, lost all his teeth, was no longer
able to bite either wolf or robber.
"I'll shoot that dog tomorrow" said
the master to his wife one day, as he SAT
at the cottage-door; "he's Of no use to
us now." .,fftt.
But the wife felt compassion for the
faithful animal, and answered:
"He has served us we'll for many years.
l think we owe him his daily food fer the
short time he has to live"
"You are not oyerwise, wife," replied
the man she hasn't tooth in his head,
he can't defend the house at night, and
If he has served us well, he has been
we'll fed for it." .....4
The poor dog lay basking in the sun,
close by, and heard all this with sor-
rowful heart. He had for some time
been intimate with a wolf that lived in
a neighbering wood, and when evening
came he went to tell his friend of the
approaching danger.
Listen to me, godfather" said the
wolf, after he had heard old Sultan's
story. "Take heart; can help you in
this hour of need. My plan il this:
When your master and his wife 60, with
their babe, into the bayfield, tomorrow
morning, do you follow. The woman al
ways lays the child in the shade near the
hedge, while she is at wsrk; you must
lie down by it, as if to keep watch. /
will then rush out of the wood, snatch
up the little one, and run away, while
you must pursue me. Then will let the
child drop, and you must carry it back
to its parents, who will believe that you
have saved it, and therefore be so thank.
ful to you that instead of killing you
they will love and honor you, and never
let you want for anything"
The advice pleased the dog, and as it
was planned, so it was performed. The
countryman screamed when he saw the
woli running away with his child, but
when old Sultan brought it back unhurt
he joyIully patted the faithful animal,
and said:
"Not one of thy hairs shall be hurt,
good fellow; so long as thou livest thou
shalt have food and shelter"
And then turning to his now happy
wife, he said:
"Go quickly home, and make some
broth for old Sultan, as he has no teeth
for meat, and put my pillow in his ken
mel he shall have it for his bed"
From that time forward old Sultan
was as happy as he could be.
Not long after the wolf came to con-
gratulate the dog that all had succeeded
SO we'll.
"But, godfather" added he, "you'll
wink bit now, hope, when / want
fat sheepw
"Don't reckon too much on that" re-
piled the dog. 81 must be faithful to
my master"
The wolf, however, did not believe he
was in earnest, and so one night came
sneaking to the sheepfold. But old Sui
tan soon reused his master, who gave
chase to the thief, and combed his hair
very uncomfortably with the fail.
"Only wait, you good-fOr-nothing
dog!" he cried, as be scampered off;
you shall suffer for. this!"
The next morning the wolf sent the
boar to summon the dog to the wood,
to settle their misunderstanding. Old
Sultan accordingly sought some one to
accompany him as second, but could find
no one but poor cat that had but three
legs, on which she limped so miserably
that her tail stood straight up with
the pain. As they came near to the ap-
pointed place, the wolf and his second,
who were already there, thought they
were bringing a sword, for such the up
right tail appeared to them; and when
the poor three-legged animal limped up,
they fancied she was picking up stones to
throw at them. They were both 40 fright
ened that the boar hid himself among
some wild bushes, and the wolf ran up
the tree.
When the dog and the cat reached the
spot, they were surprised to find no one
there. Presently, however, the cat saw
one of the boar's ears, which were stick
ing out of the bushes, move, and, mis-
taking it for mouse, she sprang upon IL
and bit it through in moment. The
boar ran away rs fast as he could, scream
ing as he ran:
"Look up in the tree look up in the
tree! The guilty one is hidden there
The wolf then came down, so ashamed
that he had proved himself such cow
ard that he was glad to make peace with
the dog. Tn -l.a....
WHY ARE MALE BIRDS MOST BEAU
You ever wondered why
the male of so many species of birds is so
much more beautiful and highly-colored
than the female A good many persons
have wondered, and formed theories in,
regard to it. The one that seems to me
most likely to be right is this:
They say, that where the male bird Is
gay and snowy, he does not take his turn
in sitting on the eggs to hatch them
but where both of the parntbirds are
much alike, and both of a sober tint,
each share in the work Of incubation.
A bird of dull color is not easily seen in
the branches and leaves, or on the ground
IL it nests there. You see, If a boy who
can hit mark with,a stone 10 easily
should happen, all OF a sudden, 10 spy
bright-seds : mother birdeon q nest, he
would not stop to think before he would
send stone speeding after it, and when
it was too late to think, the beautiful bird
might be killed and how sorry he would
then feel when he heard the other bird
moaning for his dead mate, and thought
of the pretty eggs and the little birds
that might have been but for his tempta-
tion, and now can never be.
We shall find, as we 20 on to study ma
ture, how God takes care for the preserv-
alton of his creatures. Does not this
care in coloring the sparrow, to insure
its safety, look something like the an
swer, before IL Is said, 10 the prayer:
"Lead us not into temptatiou, but de-
liver us from all evilr And who knows
but this is for the good Of the boys as
III L. l.. A.. q.