[Illustration:  {A Burmese man}]

10.  The Burmese worship Buddha, a prince who lived more than two thousand years ago.  He was a very noble man, and he gave up all the pleasant things of life that nothing might turn his thoughts from goodness.

11.  Amongst other things he taught men to be kind to animals.  All animals are well treated in Burma.

12.  All over the land you see temples to Buddha.  These temples grow narrower and narrower the higher they rise.  They all end in a spire above which there is a kind of umbrella.  It is made of metal, and all round its edge are silver or golden bells, which make pretty music as they are blown to and fro by the wind.

13.  By the side of many of these temples you may see a great image of Buddha.  Most of the images are made of brass.  The Burmese pray before these images, and offer flowers and candles and rice to them.

[Illustration:  {Statue of Buddha}]

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17.  A letter from Burma.—­II.

1.  Wherever you go in Burma you see monks.  They have shaven heads, and they wear yellow robes.  Every morning they go out to beg.  Boys in yellow robes go with them, and carry large bowls in their hands.

2.  The people come out of their houses and put food into the bowls.  The monks do not thank them.  They say that he who gives is more blessed than he who takes.

3.  The monks live in houses built of teak wood.  In every village you can see a monk’s house standing in a grove of palm trees.  In these houses the monks keep school.

4.  Every Burmese boy lives for some time in one of the monks’ houses.  Here he learns to read and write, and is taught to be a good man.

5.  I went to see the most beautiful of all the monks’ houses.  It is in a city far up in the country.  The building is of dark-brown teak wood, and has many roofs, one above the other.  It is covered with carving, and here and there it is gilded.

6.  Many boys in yellow robes were playing beneath the trees.  They were the scholars of the school.  One of the boys told me that he was never going to leave the place.  When he was old enough he meant to be a monk.

[Illustration:  {Burmese boy in robes}]

7.  In the city I saw the palace of the king from whom we took Burma.  It stands inside a large space, with high walls all round it.  Outside the wall is a broad ditch full of water.  When I saw the ditch it was overgrown with water-plants covered with pink blossoms.

8.  Many buildings, something like the monks’ houses, form the king’s palace.  Some of the buildings are very richly carved, and are covered with gold leaf.  Inside one of them I saw great teak pillars, also covered with gold.

9.  The chief building ends in a very lofty spire, with a beautiful metal umbrella above it.  The Burmese used to believe that this spire was in the very middle of the earth.