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everyone acknowledges itdon't I tell you that
everyone is afraid of me？〃
〃Indeed！〃 cried the Gnat disdainfully。
〃Pray don't say ALL； for I'm not afraid of you。
And further； I deny your right to be King。〃
This was too much for the Lion。 He now
worked himself into a perfect fury。
〃YouyouYOU deny my right as King？〃
〃I DO； and； what is more； you shall never be
King until you have fought and conquered me。〃
The Lion laughed a great lion laugh； and a
lion laugh cannot be laughed at like a cat laugh；
as everyone ought to know。
〃Fightdid you say fight？〃 he asked。
〃Who ever heard of a lion fighting a gnat？
Here； out of my way； you atom of nothing！
I'll blow you to the other end of the world。〃
But though the Lion puffed his cheeks until
they were like great bellows； and then blew
with all his might； he could not disturb the
little Gnat's hold on the swaying grass…blade。
〃You'll blow all your whiskers away if you
are not careful；〃 he said； with a laugh〃but
you won't move me。 And if you dare leave this
spot without fighting me； I'll tell all the beasts
of the forest that you are afraid of me； and
they'll make ME King。〃
〃Ho； ho！〃 roared the Lion。 〃Very well；
since you will fight； let it be so。〃
〃You agree to the conditions； then？ The
one who conquers shall be King？〃
〃Oh； certainly；〃 laughed the Lion； for he
expected an easy victory。 〃Are you ready？〃
〃Quite ready。〃
〃ThenGO！〃 roared the Lion。
And with that he sprang forward with open
jaws； thinking he could easily swallow a million
gnats。 But just as the great jaws were about
to close upon the blade of grass whereto the
Gnat clung； what should happen but that the
Gnat suddenly spread his wings and nimbly
flewwhere do you think？right into one of
the Lion's nostrils！ And there he began to
sting； sting； sting。 The Lion wondered； and
thundered； and blunderedbut the Gnat went
on stinging； he foamed； and he moaned； and he
groanedstill the Gnat went on stinging； he
rubbed his head on the ground in agony；
he swirled his tail in furious passion； he roared；
he spluttered； he sniffed； he snuffedand still
the Gnat went on stinging。
〃O my poor nose； my nose； my nose！〃 the
Lion began to moan。 〃Come down； come
DOWN； come DOWN！ My nose； my NOSE； my
NOSE！！ You're King of the Forest； you're
King； you're Kingonly come down。 My nose；
my NOSE； my NOSE！〃
So at last the Gnat flew out from the Lion's
nostril and went back to his waving grass…
blade； while the Lion slunk away into the
depths of the forest with his tail between his
legsBEATEN； and by a tiny Gnat！
〃What a fine fellow am I； to be sure！〃
exclaimed the Gnat； aa he proudly plumed his
wings。 〃I've beaten a liona LION！ Dear
me； I ought to have been King long ago； I'm so
clever； so big； so strongOH！〃
The Gnat's frightened cry was caused by
finding himself entangled in some silky sort of
threads。 While gloating over his victory； the
wind had risen； and his grass…blade had swayed
violently to and fro unnoticed by him。 A
stronger gust than usual had bent the blade
downward close to the ground； and then something
caught it and held it fast and with it the
victorious Gnat。 Oh； the desperate struggles
he made to get free！ Alas！ he became more
entangled than ever。 You can guess what it
wasa spider's web； hung out from the over…
hanging branch of a tree。 Thenflipperty…
flopperty； flippertyflopperty； flop； flip； flop
down his stairs came cunning Father Spider
and quickly gobbled up the little Gnat for his
supper； and that was the end of him。
A strong Lionand what overcame him？ A
GNAT。
A clever Gnatand what overcame him？ A
SPIDER'S WEB！ He who had beaten the strong
lion had been overcome by the subtle snare of
a spider's thread。
ESPECIALLY FOR CLASSES II。 AND III。
THE CAT AND THE PARROT
Once there was a cat； and a parrot。 And they
had agreed to ask each other to dinner； turn
and turn about： first the cat should ask the
parrot； then the parrot should invite the cat；
and so on。 It was the cat's turn first。
Now the cat was very mean。 He provided
nothing at all for dinner except a pint of milk；
a little slice of fish； and a biscuit。 The parrot
was too polite to complain； but he did not have
a very good time。
When it was his turn to invite the cat； he
cooked a fine dinner。 He had a roast of meat；
a pot of tea； a basket of fruit； and； best of all；
he baked a whole clothes…basketful of little
cakes！little； brown； crispy； spicy cakes！ Oh；
I should say as many as five hundred。 And he
put four hundred and ninety…eight of the cakes
before the cat； keeping only two for himself。
Well； the cat ate the roast； and drank the
tea； and sucked the fruit； and then he began
on the pile of cakes。 He ate all the four
hundred and ninety…eight cakes； and then he
looked round and said：
〃I'm hungry； haven't you anything to eat？〃
〃Why；〃 said the parrot； 〃here are my two
cakes； if you want them？〃
The cat ate up the two cakes； and then he
licked his chops and said； 〃I am beginning
to get an appetite； have you anything to
eat？〃
〃Well； really；〃 said the parrot； who was now
rather angry； 〃I don't see anything more； unless
you wish to eat me！〃 He thought the cat
would be ashamed when he heard thatbut
the cat just looked at him and licked his
chops again；and slip！ slop！ gobble！ down
his throat went the parrot！
Then the cat started down the street。 An
old woman was standing by； and she had seen
the whole thing； and she was shocked that the
cat should eat his friend。 〃Why； cat！〃 she
said； 〃how dreadful of you to eat your friend
the parrot！〃
〃Parrot； indeed！〃 said the cat。 〃What's a
parrot to me？I've a great mind to eat you；
too。〃 Andbefore you could say 〃Jack
Robinson〃slip！ slop！ gobble！ down went
the old woman！
Then the cat started down the road again；
walking like this； because he felt so fine。
Pretty soon he met a man driving a donkey。
The man was beating the donkey； to hurry him
up； and when he saw the cat he said； 〃Get out
of my way； cat； I'm in a hurry and my donkey
might tread on you。〃
〃Donkey； indeed！〃 said the cat； 〃much I
care for a donkey！ I have eaten five hundred
cakes； I've eaten my friend the parrot； I've
eaten an old woman；what's to hinder my
eating a miserable man and a donkey？〃
And slip！ slop！ gobble！ down went the old
man and the donkey。
Then the cat walked on down the road；
jauntily； like this。 After a little； he met a
procession； coming that way。 The king was
at the head； walking proudly with his newly
married bride； and behind him were his soldiers；
marching； and behind them were ever and ever
so many elephants； walking two by two。 The
king felt very kind to everybody； because he
had just been married； and he said to