[Illustration:  The story telling party.]

Frank and Fanny were received by this lively party with loud shouts of welcome.  They sat down and listened to one or two stories after which Fanny was invited by one of the little girls, to go and see a fine swing, which the party had put upon one of the trees of the forest.  The two girls enjoyed themselves in swinging here for half an hour, while Frank remained with the party who were so much engrossed with the stories as not to miss the two little girls who were enjoying the swing.

[Illustration:  The swing.]

When Fanny returned from the swinging expedition, the children took leave of their friends, and returned alone to the business of filling their bags and baskets with nuts.  This they accomplished before sunset, and joyfully set forward for home.  Leaving the skirts of this forest, they saw a little boy reclining under a tree with a dog by his side.  The boy was leaning his head rather dejectedly on his hand, and seemed rather tired.  On the children inquiring how he came there, he replied, that he had been spending the whole day with his dog, vainly endeavoring to catch a woodchuck, which he had seen running into the woods, in the morning.  Frank kindly condoled with him on his disappointment; but, at the same time, advised him to seek some more profitable employment in future.

[Illustration:  The woodchuck Hunter.]

After they had left the boy, Frank and Fanny talked together very sagely on the importance of making a proper use of time, and the folly of spending it in the hunting of wild animals, like the woodchuck, which are very hard to catch.

Just before reaching the village, they met a party of boys playing at soldiers.  They had their drum, and fife, colors, and wooden guns, and tin swords, and flourished away in all the “pride, pomp, and circumstance” of military display.

[Illustration:  Playing at soldiers.]

This sight afforded Frank another theme for remark.  His conversations with Farmer Baldwin had inspired him with disgust for this kind of amusement.  He hated war, and was not pleased with any thing which reminded him of it.  Besides the nonsense of this soldier-playing, he said there was an objection to it, as inspiring a taste for real soldier life, and for amusing one’s self with gun powder; and he told Fanny a story of a boy, who, in firing off a little brass cannon, which split in pieces, received one of the pieces in his neck, which cut off a large artery, and caused his death in a few minutes.

[Illustration:  Dangerous sport.]

Before Frank had finished his comments on this sad affair, they reached home; and so ended the nutting expedition, which, Frank thought, was not quite so profitable as helping Farmer Baldwin to gather his apples.

[Illustration]