CONTENTSSAVING THE BIRDSANOTHER BIRD STORYSPEAKING A PIECEWRITING A COMPOSITIONTHE WHISTLETHE ETTRICK SHEPHERDTHE CALIPH AND THE POET"BECOS! BECOS! BECOS!"A LESSON IN HUMILITYTHE MIDNIGHT RIDETHE BOY AND THE WOLFANOTHER WOLF STORYTHE HORSESHOE NAILSTHE LANDLORD'S MISTAKEA LESSON IN MANNERSGOING TO SEATHE SHEPHERD-BOY PAINTERTWO GREAT PAINTERSTHE KING AND THE BEESOUR FIRST GREAT PAINTERTHE YOUNG SCOUTTHE LAD WHO RODE SIDESADDLETHE WHISPERERSHOW A PRINCE LEARNED TO READ"READ AND YOU WILL KNOW"THE YOUNG CUPBEARERTHE SONS OF THE CALIPHTHE BOY AND THE ROBBERSA LESSON IN JUSTICETHE GENERAL AND THE FOXTHE BOMBA STORY OF OLD ROMESAVED BY A DOLPHIN"LITTLE BROTHERS OF THE AIR"A CLEVER SLAVETHE DARK DAYTHE SURLY GUESTTHE STORY OF A GREAT STORYTHE KING AND THE PAGETHE HUNTED KING"TRY, TRY AGAIN!"WHY HE CARRIED THE TURKEYTHE PADDLE-WHEEL BOATTHE CALIPH AND THE GARDENERTHE COWHERD WHO BECAME A POETTHE LOVER OF MENTHE CHARCOAL MAN AND THE KINGWHICH WAS THE KING?THE GOLDEN TRIPODSAVING THE BIRDSOne day in spring four men were riding on horseback along a countryroad. These men were lawyers, and they were going to the next town toattend court.There had been a rain, and the ground was very soft. Water was drippingfrom the trees, and the grass was wet.The four lawyers rode along, one behind another; for the pathway wasnarrow, and the mud on each side of it was deep. They rode slowly, andtalked and laughed and were very jolly.As they were passing through a grove of small trees, they heard a greatfluttering over their heads and a feeble chirping in the grass by theroadside."Stith! stith! stith!" came from the leafy branches above them."Cheep! cheep! cheep!" came from the wet grass."What is the matter here?" asked the first lawyer, whose name wasSpeed. "Oh, it's only some old robins!" said the second lawyer, whosename was Hardin. "The storm has blown two of the little ones out ofthe nest. They are too young to fly, and the mother bird is making agreat fuss about it.""What a pity! They'll die down there in the grass," said the thirdlawyer, whose name I forget."Oh, well! They're nothing but birds," said Mr. Hardin. "Why shouldwe bother?"