THE BUSY BEES.

Little Bob he fetched a board,   And then began to saw, And Mary Jane said she'd afford   Him help to do much more,     While he used his—saw! saw! saw! Young Dick he held his mallet high,   And struck the wedge quite bold, Until it made the wood quick fly   Like feathers with no hold,     Blown by the wind quite—cold! cold! cold! And John and James sawed up and down,   John sawed up; James sawed low; The birds they flew all o'er the town   To tell the folks these things were so,       As if they did—know! know! know! They made some boxes, tops, and hoops,   They fashioned bowls and chairs, They sold a thousand million scoops,   And seven hundred stairs;       And this Bob—declares! declares! declares! Eleven hundred sticks they cut,   And all of them good size; With a five mile long water-butt,   "In which to float," Tom cries,     And "Time," they said—"flies! flies! flies!" Oh! work and play are very good,   Work number one, you know; Play number two has ever stood   The best in this world's show     And it should be—so! so! so! Hence these young children played at work,   And thus learnt to work well, And now their duties they ne'er shirk,   Which is all I've to tell,     And you to—spell! spell! spell! Or, maybe, read and then to write,   Until you know it through; Which will to you give great delight,   And mem'ry strengthen too,     As you ought to—do! do! do! And, who knows, one day you may give   Some stories to the young, To make your name through ages live   And loud your praises sung.     Keep your life well—strung! strung! strung!

THE LITTLE SOLDIERS.

Robert and Henry Graham were handsome, rich little fellows; but very fast and fond of imitating. Indeed, they were more like little men than young boys. And as their parents gave them plenty of pocket-money, they did many things that otherwise they would not have