Their eyes are like living gems.

    Which you always repeat in shine or shadow.

What kind of birds are described in the lesson?

Why did they gather straws, stems, lint, feathers, and grasses?

* * * * *

LESSON XXI.

mes’sage, word; notice.

mer’chan dise, things traded; goods.

guid’ance leading; directing.

halt, stop.

de cid’ed, made up their minds.

re trac’ing, going back over.

ho ri’zon, line where the earth and sky seem to meet.

en camped’, set up tents.

sole, only.

gushed, flowed rapidly; poured.

* * * * *

ALI, THE BOY CAMEL-DRIVER

PART I.

Hassan was a camel-driver who dwelt at Gaza.  It was his business to go with caravans, backwards and forwards, across the desert to Suez, to take care of the camels.  He had a wife and one young son, called Ali.

Hassan had been, absent for many weeks, when his wife received from him a message, brought by another camel-driver, who had returned with a caravan from Suez.

It said:  “Send the boy with the camel to Suez with the next caravan.  I have some merchandise to bring home, and I will stop at Suez till he comes.”

Ali’s mother was pained at the thought of sending her young son away to such a distance for the first time; but she said to herself that Ali was now quite old enough to be helping his father, and she at once set about doing what was required for his journey.

Ali got out the trappings for the camel, and looked to the water-bottles to see that they did not leak.  His mother did all that was needed to make him quite ready to join the next caravan that started.

Ali was delighted to think that he was to go to his father, and that at last the day was come when, he too was to be a camel-driver, and to take a journey with the dear old camel which he was so fond of.

He had long wanted to ride on its back across the desert, and to lie down by its side to rest at night.  He had no fear.

The camel, of which Ali was so fond, had been bought by his father with the savings of many a year’s hard work, and formed the sole riches of the family.

Hassan was looked upon as quite a rich man by the other camel-drivers, and Ali, besides having a great love for the animal, was proud of his father being a camel owner.

Though it was a great creature by the side of the young boy, it would obey the voice of Ali, and come and go at his bidding, and lie down and rise up just as he wished.  Hassan called his camel by an Arabian word, which meant “Meek-eye.”