he lay down again in the water. He started to rise, but to his surprise he could hardly get up.

   "What can be the matter?" he thought.

   His master, laughing, said, "Have you learned your lesson, old fellow? We shall see."

   He drove the groaning donkey slowly back to the city, took the sponges from his back, and loaded him again with salt.

   When the donkey came again to the stream, he picked his way carefully, for he did not wish to fall. This time he got across safely, and the grocer arrived at home with his entire load of salt.

   Three large fish lived very happily in a pond which few people ever passed.

   One of these fish was always wise, the second was wise sometimes, but the third was never wise.

   One day two men who were passing by the pond saw the fish.

   One of them said, "Let us hurry home and get our nets. Those fish are too fine to lose." So they hurried away.

   The three fish were very much frightened. The first one thought a moment, then swam through the outlet of the pond into the river.

   When the men came back with their nets, there were only two fish to be seen. They found the outlet of the pond and made a dam across it.

   The second fish now began to think; he came to the top of the water and floated on his back. One of the men picked him up in his net, but he seemed dead, so he threw him back into the water.

   The fish that never thought sank to the bottom of the pond and was easily caught.

   [Footnote: Adapted from "The Three Fish" in The Tortoise and the Geese, published by Houghton, Mifflin Co]

   "We must have coal," said the farmers to the wagoner.

   "But the roads are very bad," replied the wagoner. "I never saw them worse."

   "We can not wait for the roads to dry," said the farmers, "for without a fire we should take cold. Besides, we should have to eat uncooked food."

   So the wagoner went into the country with a load of coal. He had not gone far when his wagon stuck fast in 

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