One day “Scramble” got caught on the spikes on top of Doctor Schroeder’s wall, and in spite of all his efforts to get loose, the spikes held him fast until he was discovered and taken down by the quaint old doctor, almost frightened out of his wits.  That is, “Scramble” was frightened, not the doctor, But to “Scramble’s” great surprise and greater relief, the old German did not punish him with the terrible cane he held in his hand, but took him into the orchard and told him to take his pick of the finest fruit on the place.

“Scramble” felt greatly abashed over this unexpected kind treatment, and never again had the heart to pilfer peaches from old Doctor Schroeder.

[Illustration:  “Scramble” On the top of the wall.]

CLEVER GOATS.

Goats sometimes do very clever tricks, which almost prove them to be capable of reasoning.

A goat and her kids frequented a square in which I once lived, and were often fed by the servants and myself.  Now and again I heard a thumping at the hall door, which arose from the buttings of the goat when the food was not forthcoming, and the mother’s example was followed by her two little kids.  After a while this grew monotonous, and no attention was paid to their knocking! but one day the area bell—­used by the delivery men and callers generally, the wire of which passed by the side of one of the railings—­was sounded.  The cook answered the bell, but no one was there save the goat and kids, with their heads bent down towards the kitchen window.  It was at first thought that some mischievous boy had rung the bell for them, but they were watched, and the old goat was seen to hook one of her horns into the wire and pull it.  This is too much like reason to be ascribed to mere instinct.

[Illustration:  Goats knocking at the door.]

KING LEAR.

Poor old King Lear, who in ancient times reigned in Britain, having in his old age turned over all his possessions to his two older daughters, Goneril and Regan, who professed to love him more than did their younger sister Cordelia, was by them cruelly deprived of his crown and turned out of his palace.  None dared to give him shelter for fear of the anger of the two wicked queens.  And though he had become blind, he was forced to wander over the land he once ruled, his only guide being an old and faithful servant.  At last, in his misery and despair, he thought he would go to his youngest daughter, who had become queen of France, and see if she would take pity on him.  So he crossed over to France.  When Cordelia heard of her father’s woeful plight, and of her sisters’ cruelty to him, she wept for sorrow, and at once sent him everything needful for his comfort.  She and her husband then set out to meet him, surrounded by their soldiers and followers, and brought him in great state to the palace, and honored him as a king in their land.