“Three singers sang along our way, And I learned the song from them to-day.”

Now, all the other minstrels looked up in surprise when Harmonius said this; and the oldest minstrel said to the king:  “Harmonius is dreaming!  We heard no music on our way to-day.”

And the youngest minstrel said:  “Harmonius is surely mad!  We met nobody on our way to-day.”

But the queen said:  “That is an old, old song.  I heard it when I was a little child; and I can name the singers three.”  And so she did.  Can you?

DUST UNDER THE RUG

    Motto for the Mother

    Well for the child, well for the man, to whom
    throughout life the voice of conscience is the prophecy
    and pledge of an abiding union with God!

          FROEBEL.

There was once a mother, who had two little daughters; and, as her husband was dead and she was very poor, she worked diligently all the time that they might be well fed and clothed.  She was a skilled worker, and found work to do away from home, but her two little girls were so good and so helpful that they kept her house as neat and as bright as a new pin.

One of the little girls was lame, and could not run about the house; so she sat still in her chair and sewed, while Minnie, the sister, washed the dishes, swept the floor, and made the home beautiful.

Their home was on the edge of a great forest; and after their tasks were finished the little girls would sit at the window and watch the tall trees as they bent in the wind, until it would seem as though the trees were real persons, nodding and bending and bowing to each other.

In the Spring there were the birds, in the Summer the wild flowers, in Autumn the bright leaves, and in Winter the great drifts of white snow; so that the whole year was a round of delight to the two happy children.  But one day the dear mother came home sick; and then they were very sad.  It was Winter, and there were many things to buy.  Minnie and her little sister sat by the fire and talked it over, and at last Minnie said:—­

“Dear sister, I must go out to find work, before the food gives out.”  So she kissed her mother, and, wrapping herself up, started from home.  There was a narrow path leading through the forest, and she determined to follow it until she reached some place where she might find the work she wanted.

As she hurried on, the shadows grew deeper.  The night was coming fast when she saw before her a very small house, which was a welcome sight.  She made haste to reach it, and to knock at the door.

Nobody came in answer to her knock.  When she had tried again and again, she thought that nobody lived there; and she opened the door and walked in, thinking that she would stay all night.

As soon as she stepped into the house, she started back in surprise; for there before her she saw twelve little beds with the bed-clothes all tumbled, twelve little dirty plates on a very dusty table, and the floor of the room so dusty that I am sure you could have drawn a picture on it.