“But what’s the funnel for?” asked the schoolmaster as he drew the ladder from the cistern and leaned it against the eaves.

“To pour the water into the pipe,” answered Johnny, in a tone that showed that he thought he had, for once, caught the school-master napping.

“Ah, indeed! so you always put the funnel in when it rains?”

Johnny blushed, and did not attempt any answer.

“Now mount the ladder, and I’ll hand you the water,” said the school-master.

Johnny ran up the ladder, and, when the school-master handed him the pails, he said nothing about the funnel, but boldly dashed the water upon the roof.  When the flood began pouring into the cave-trough and gurgling down the pipe, Johnny fixed his eyes upon the hole through which his ball had taken its unlucky leap, and stared with anxious expectation.  The gurgle in the pipe crept steadily upward, the tone all the while growing higher and clearer, till whish! came a dash of water over the trough, nearly drenching the schoolmaster while the ball bounded airily upon the eaves for an instant, before Johnny caught it and cried out: 

“Here she is!”

“Put things in shape, Johnny; I must hurry to the school-house,” said the school-master, going.

[Illustration:  THE KING AND THE HARD BREAD.]

THE KING AND THE HARD BREAD.

BY J.L.

“When you want a thing done well, do it yourself,” is an old saying, and a very good one; but it is not always possible or desirable to carry out this advice.  Therefore it is sometimes better to adopt an amendment to this proverb, and make it read thus:  “When you want a thing done well, do it yourself, or see it done.”

So thought Louis IX. of France, sometimes called St. Louis, because he was considered to be rather better than most people.

Among his good qualities was kindness to the poor.  He would go about, very plainly dressed, and attended by two or three courtiers, and visit poor people in their houses.  He took an interest in their personal affairs, and when they were very needy, he would order bread and other food to be supplied to them.  Of course, this made him a great favorite with the poorer classes of his subjects, and they were glad not only to receive his bounty, but also to talk with him and tell him about their many troubles.

One day, when he was making one of his customary rounds, an old woman, leaning on a cane, and holding a loaf of bread in her hand, came out of a door in a wall which led into a collection of wretched dwellings.

As this old woman stood awaiting his approach, the king could not help feeling a little surprised.  He did not often feel surprised at anything he saw among these poor people.  He had just been talking to a group of strong, hearty fellows, who preferred sitting lazily about wherever they could find a shelter from the rain and sun, and trusting in chance charity for food and lodging, to working for an honest living; but he was not surprised at them.  Such men have always existed, and probably always will exist.