will be almost painless, I am sure. Now let us have them off in a hurry before supper. After our feast, we shall have a great dance."

   His visitors were silent for a moment. Some nodded their heads, showing that they were ready to part with their tails.

   The oldest and wisest fox in the crowd had been looking at Reynard very closely. He was the only one of all that crowd to miss Reynard's tail. At last he spoke slowly:

   "Your advice may be good, but before I reply, pray turn yourself around."

   Poor Reynard saw that he was found out. He dared not refuse to do as he was told, so he turned about.

   What a shout the foxes gave! Poor bobtail could not say a word. The foxes seized the turkeys, ducks, and chickens, and ran off home with their long tails behind them, and poor Reynard was never again seen by any of them.

   One day a blackbird and a dove called upon a peacock.

   The peacock received both of them very kindly in his arbor.

   "I have long wished to meet you," said the blackbird. "Many have told me of your beauty and of your grace. I find that they did not tell me half." He stroked the peacock's coat lovingly as he praised him.

   The dove was silent.

   At last they bade the peacock good-by, the blackbird making many low bows.

   As they started home, the blackbird said, "I hope I may never meet that stupid peacock again. I can not bear him. Did you notice his feet? I felt like laughing every time I looked at them. His voice makes me shudder. What can anyone see to praise in that bird?"

   "I did not notice his feet nor his voice," said the dove. "He has a noble form and his dress is very beautiful. The rainbow and the flowers are not more beautiful."

   The blackbird turned away in shame. He wished to hear fault found with the peacock, but the dove gave only the highest praise.

   "What a good time I shall have eating this meat when I get home!" said a dog as it started to cross a stream of water.

   He stopped suddenly and looked down into the water. There was his shadow. "That dog has a larger piece of meat than I," he said. "I 

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