had half ascended, when casting a look at his basket, he saw a dog with his nose in it, ferreting out the piece of kid's flesh. He made

all possible speed down, but the dog was too quick for him, and ran off with the meat in his mouth. Robinet looked after him. "Well,"

said he, "then I must be content with soup meagre—and no bad thing neither."

He travelled on, and came to a little public-house by the road-side, where an acquaintance of his was sitting on a bench drinking. He invited Robinet to take a draught; Robinet seated himself by his friend, and set his basket on the bench close by him. A tame raven, which was kept at the house, came slyly behind him, and perching on the basket, stole away the bag in which the meal was tied up, and hopped off with it to his hole. Robinet did not perceive the theft till he had got on his way again. He returned to search for his bag, but could hear no tidings of it. "Well," says he, "my soup will be the thinner, but I will boil a slice of bread with it, and that will do it some good at least."

He went on again, and arrived at a little brook, over which was laid a narrow plank. A young woman coming up to pass at the

same time, Robinet gallantly offered her his hand. As soon as she was got to the middle, either through fear or sport, she shrieked out, and cried she was falling. Robinet hastening to support her with his other hand, let his basket drop into the stream. As soon as she was safe over, he jumped in and recovered it, but when he took it out, he perceived that all the salt was melted, and the pepper washed away. Nothing was now left but the onions. "Well," says Robinet, " then I must sup to-night upon roasted onions and barley bread. Last night I had the bread alone. To-morrow morning it will not signify what I had." So saying, he trudged on, singing as before.

Evenings at Home.

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

It is impossible," says

a writer on natural his

tory, "to walk through

a village without seeing several mummies of toads, sprawling with extended feet, having been beat flat by stones thrown at them by mischievous boys. Gardeners cut them in two with their spades, or destroy them in some other way; while every one seems to enjoy the misery which is inflicted on this unfortunate reptile. Were people only to bear in mind that animals were created, not out of caprice, but to be useful to

man, they would refrain from wantonly destroying them." The toad, to be sure, is not one of the prettiest of animals; that, however, is no reason for stoning or torturing it wherever it makes its appearance. Besides, it does us no harm; and in a garden. it is really of great service. All animals were intended for our use, and there is no harm in our killing such as are mischievous to us; but we have no business to employ any unnecessary cruelty in putting even them to death.

It is not, however, only ugly or hurtful animals that are tortured by boys. What can be prettier than a butterfly as it spreads its beautiful wings in the sun? and yet, if it does not save itself by flying rapidly away, some boy will be sure to chase it, knock it down with his hat, pull off its wings, and leave it writhing with pain to die a slow death of dreadful suffering. Some boys, and even some girls, will spend a whole morning