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النشر الإلكتروني

SEEDS.

Go to that row of peas, just coming above ground, and pull one of them up. Observe, the seed has just burst. Out of one side of the pea, you see comes the root; out of the other, comes a little sort of plume, which spreads out into the leaves; whichever way the seed is thrown into the ground, the root part works downwards, and the leaves upwards; so that the seed which falls into the ground the wrong way must work quite round to get into its right position, and it does so.

The number of seeds produced by one plant is truly astonishing. A single tobacco plant is said to have yielded three hundred and sixty thousand seeds.

Some seeds are wrapped up in down, as those of the rose and cotton plant; and some of them are in a bladder, as the bladder senna.

Some seeds, as those of the dandelion, have little wings to them, which are given that they may be carried from place to place.

Have you ever observed the little

pips, or seeds, in apples and pears. These are the seeds, they are wonderfully protected by the covering of the pulp, which is the part we eat. Peaches and nectarines are still better guarded, for they have a stone to cover the seed.

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THERE was once a shepherd, who had a great many sheep and lambs. took a great deal of care of them, and gave them sweet fresh grass to eat,

and clear water to drink; and if they were sick he was very good to them ; and when they climbed up a steep hill, and the lambs were tired, he used to carry them in his arms; and when they were all eating their suppers in the field, he used to sit upon a stile, and play them a tune, and sing to them; and so they were the happiest sheep and lambs in the whole world. But, every night, this shepherd used to pen them up in a fold, which was made of hurdles of osier so closely twisted together, that nothing could get in or get out. Now every night when it grew dark and cold, the shepherd called all his flock, sheep, and lambs together, and drove them into the fold, and penned them up, and there they lay as snug and warm and comfortable as could be, and nothing could get in to hurt them, and the dogs lay round on the outside to guard them, and to bark if any body came near; and, in the morning, the shepherd unpenned the fold, and let them all out again. Now they were very happy, as I told you, and all dearly loved the shepherd, who was so good to them, except one fool

ish little lamb. And this lamb did not like to be shut up every night in the fold; and she came to her mother, who was a wise old sheep, and said to her, "I wonder why we are shut up so every night! the dogs are not shut up, and why should we be shut up? I think it is very hard, and I will get away if I can, I am resolved, for I like to run about where I please, and I think it is very pleasant in the woods by moon light." Then the old sheep said to her, " you are very silly, you little lamb; you had better stay in the fold. The shepherd is so good to us, that we should always do as he bids us ; and, if you wander about by yourself, I dare say you will come to some harm." "I dare say not," said the little lamb and so, when the evening came, and the shepherd called them all to come into the fold, she would not come, but crept slily under a hedge and hid herself; and when the rest of the lambs were all in the fold and fast asleep, she frisked and danced about; and she got out of the field, and got into a forest full of trees, and a very fierce wolf came rushing out of a cave,

and howled very dreadfully. Then the silly lamb wished she had been shut up in the fold; but the fold was a great way off. And the wolf saw her, and seized her, and carried her away to a dismal den, all covered with bones and blood. And there the wolf had two cubs, and the wolf said to them, "here I have brought you a young fat lamb," and so the cubs took her, and growled over her a little while, and then tore her to pieces, and eat her up.

And all this came of not taking the advice of her mother, who was so much older and wiser than herself.Mrs. Barbauld.

ANIMALS.

MOTHS and butterflies generally lay eggs; these eggs produce grubs; these grubs then turn into a chrysalis, a creature apparently dead, but which will shew that it is alive by moving a little, if it be gently pressed between the finger and thumb. It is lying, indeed, in a torpid, sleeping state. After

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