pleasantly
  While riding on the way,
To those their wicked uncle hired,
  These lovely babes to slay:

So that the pretty speech they had,
  Made the ruffians' heart relent;
And they that took the deed to do,
  Full sorely did repent.

Yet one of them, more hard of heart,
  Did vow to do his charge,
Because the wretch that hired him
  Had paid him very large.

The other would not agree thereto,
  So here they fell at strife;
With one another they did fight,
  About the children's life:

And he that was of milder mood,
  Did slay the other there,
Within an unfrequented wood;
  The babes did quake for fear!

He took the children by the hand,
  While they for bread complain:
“Stay here,” said he, “I'll bring ye bread,
  When I do come again.”

These pretty babes, with hand in hand,
  Went wandering up and down;
But never more they saw the man,
  Approaching from the town:

Thus wander'd these two pretty dears,
  Till death did end their grief;
In one another's arms they died,
  Poor babes, past all relief:

No burial these innocents
  Of any man receives,
But robin red-breast lovingly
  Did cover them with leaves.

The fellow that did take in hand
  These children for to kill,
Was for a robbery judged to die,
  As was God's blessed will:

And did confess the very truth,
  The which is here express'd;
Their uncle died while he for debt
  Did long in prison rest.

LITTLE BO-PEEP.

“Little Bo-Peep she lost her sheep
  And didn't know where to find them.
Let them alone, and they'll come home,
  And bring their tails behind them!”

So runs the Nursery Rhyme. Little Bo-Peep was a very nice little girl. Her cheeks had a bloom on them like a lovely peach, and her voice sounded like a sweet silver bell.

But though Little Bo-Peep was as good as she was beautiful, she sometimes met with misfortunes that made her very sad. Once, when she lost her sheep, she was very doleful indeed. And this is how it happened.

One summer evening, when the sun was setting, Little Bo-Peep, who had to rise very early in the morning, felt tired, and sat down on a bank covered with daisies. Being very weary she soon fell fast asleep. Now the Bell-wether of Bo-Peep's flock was a most stupid and stubborn fellow. I dare say you know that all the sheep in a flock will follow the Bell-wether, and that he always wears a bell round his neck. It was a great pity, but the Bell-wether of Bo-Peep's flock was very wild, and was much given to wander far away into the wood, where of course the rest of the sheep would follow him.

Finding Little Bo-Peep asleep, the tiresome fellow began by