exceeding delight. The mistress sent her maid for a small dram-cup, which held about two gallons, and filled it with drink; I took up the vessel with much difficulty in both hands, and in a most respectful manner drank her ladyship's health, expressing the words as loud as I could in English, which made the company laugh so heartily, that I was almost deafened with the noise. This liquor tasted like a small cider, and was not unpleasant. Then the master made me a sign to come to his trencher-side; but as I walked on the table, being in great surprise all the time, as the indulgent reader will easily conceive and excuse, I happened to stumble against a crust, and fell flat on my face, but received no hurt. I got up immediately, and observing the good people to be in much concern, I took my hat (which I held under my arm out of good manners) and, waving it over my head, made three hurrahs, to show I had got no mischief by my fall. But advancing forwards toward my master (as I shall henceforth call him) his youngest son who sat next him, an arch boy of about ten years old, took me up by the legs, and held me so high in the air, that I trembled in every limb; but his father snatched me from him, and at the same time gave him such a box on the left ear, as would have felled an European troop of horses to the earth, ordering him to be taken from the table. But being afraid the boy might owe me a spite, and well remembering how mischievous all children among us naturally are to sparrows, rabbits, young kittens, and puppy dogs, I fell on my knees, and pointing to the boy made my master to understand, as well as I could, that I desired his son might be pardoned. The father complied, and the lad took his seat again; whereupon I went to him and kissed his hand, which my master took, and made him stroke me gently with it.

In the midst of dinner, my mistress's favorite cat leaped into her lap. I heard a noise behind me like that of a dozen

stocking weavers at work; and, turning my head, I found it proceeded from the purring of that animal, who seemed to be three times larger than an ox, as I computed by the view of her head and one of her paws, while her mistress was feeding and stroking her. The fierceness of this creature's countenance altogether discomposed me; though I stood at the farther end of the table, above fifty feet off; and although my mistress held her fast, for fear she might give a spring, and seize me in her talons. But it happened there was no danger; for the cat took not the least notice of me, when my master placed me within three yards of her. And as I have been always told, and found true by experience in my travels, that flying or discovering fear before a fierce animal is a certain way to make it pursue or attack you, so I resolved in this dangerous juncture to show no manner of concern. I walked with intrepidity five or six times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; whereupon she drew herself back, as if she were more afraid of me.

I had less apprehension concerning the dogs, whereof three or four came into the room, as it is usual in farmers' houses; one of which was a mastiff equal in bulk to four elephants, and a greyhound somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not so large.

When dinner was almost done, the nurse came in with a child of a year old in her arms, who immediately spied me, and began a squall, that you might have heard from LondonBridge to Chelsea, after the awful oratory of infants to get me for a plaything. The mother out of pure indulgence took me up, and put me toward the child, who presently seized me by the middle, and got my head into his mouth, where I roared so loud that the urchin was frightened, and let me drop, and I should infallibly have broken my neck, if the mother had not held her apron under me.

How does the account of Gulliver begin? (See A, B, p. 27.) How did Gulliver conceal his terror? Try to imagine how immense everything seemed to him. How did he appear to the family? Why did they laugh when he drank to the lady's health? Was he wise to ask the father to pardon the boy? In what ways did he show his courage? His politeness? Did the baby act as babies usually act? Does the conclusion deepen your realization of the size of Gulliver as compared with the Brobdingnagians?

SUGGESTIONS FOR ORAL AND WRITTEN ENGLISH
THEME SUBJECTS

Note the suggestions given in (A, B) on page 27 and write a story as if you were the Brobdingnagian small boy telling a boy friend your experience with Gulliver. Relate an imaginary account of yourself as a man of normal size traveling among people six inches high. Have a dwarf tell

the same story from his own point of view.

Use one of the following topics for a theme :

Gulliver's First Dinner at Brobdingnag.

An Experience with a Giant.

The Adventures of Hercules.

The Experience of Ulysses with the Cyclops.
Adventures in Search of the Golden Fleece.

An Adventure of a Knight at King Arthur's Court.
The Story of Jack the Giant Killer.

The Story of Red Riding Hood.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL READINGS

A Voyage to Lilliput (from Gulliver's Travels, first four chapters). Jonathan Swift.

A Voyage to Brobdingnag (from Gulliver's Travels, first three chapters). Jonathan Swift.

Arabian Nights' Entertainments: History of Aladdin, or The Wonderful Lamp; History of Sinbad, the Sailor; History of Ali Baba and the Forty Robbers; History of the Enchanted Horse.

Legends Every Child Should Know. Hamilton W. Mabie.

Robinson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe.

Greek Heroes. Charles Kingsley.

The Odyssey (particularly Ulysses's adventure with the Cyclops). George Herbert Palmer (translation).

GARDENING 1

CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER

Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900) was born in Plainfield, Massachusetts. He was at one time editor of Harper's Magazine, also the author of many delightful essays and books of travel. See also:

Mrs. James T. Fields's Charles Dudley Warner.

Vedder's American Writers of To-day (Warner).

I BELIEVE in the intellectual, if not the moral, qualities of vegetables, and especially weeds. There was a worthless vine that (or who) started up about midway between a grape trellis and a row of bean poles, some three feet from each, but a little nearer the trellis. When it came out of the ground, it looked around to see what it should do. The trellis was already occupied. The bean pole was empty. There was evidently a little the best chance of light, air, and sole proprietorship on the pole. And the vine started for the pole, and began to climb it with determination. Here was as distinct an act of choice, of reason, as a boy exercises when he goes into a forest, and, looking about, decides which tree he will climb. And, besides, how did the vine know enough to travel in exactly the right direction, three feet, to find what it wanted? This is intellect. The weeds, on the other hand, have hateful moral qualities. To cut down a weed is, therefore, to do a moral action. I feel as if I were destroying sin. My hoe becomes an instrument of retributive justice. I am an apostle of Nature. This view of the matter lends a dig

1 From My Summer in a Garden, copyright 1870 and 1885, by Houghton Mifflin Company. This selection is used by permission of, and by arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company, authorized publishers of his works.