LESSON 4

TIT FOR TAT

A BOY was one day sitting on the steps of a door. He had a broom in one hand, and in the other a large piece of bread and butter, which somebody had kindly given him. While he was eating it, and merrily humming a tune, he saw a poor little dog quietly sleeping not far from him. He called out to him, “Come here, poor fellow!”

The dog, hearing himself kindly spoken to, rose, pricked up his ears, and wagged his tail. Seeing the boy eating, he came near him. The boy held out to him a piece of his bread and butter. As the dog stretched out his head to take it, the boy hastily drew back his hand and hit him a hard rap on the nose. The poor dog ran away, howling most dreadfully, while the cruel boy sat laughing at the mischief he had done.

A gentleman, who was looking from a window on the other side of the street, saw what the wicked boy had done. Opening the street door, he called him to cross over; at the same time holding up a sixpence between his finger and thumb.

“Would you like this?” said the gentleman.

“Yes, if you please, sir,” said the boy, smiling; and he hastily ran over to seize the money.

Just at the moment that he stretched out his hand, he got so severe a rap on the knuckles, from a cane which the gentleman had behind him, that he roared out like a bull!

“What did you do that for?” said he, making a very long face, and rubbing his hand. “I didn’t hurt you, nor ask you for the sixpence.”

“What did you hurt that poor dog for just now?” said the gentleman. “He didn’t hurt you, nor ask you for your bread and butter. As you served him I have served you. Now, remember dogs can feel as well as boys, and learn to behave kindly towards dumb animals in future. ”

QUESTIONS

What did the dog think he was going to get? What did the boy do to him? How was the boy punished? What did he say? What did the gentleman tell him to remember?

PRONUNCIATION

eat´-ing　fel´-low　smil´-ing　be-tween´　to´-wards

qui´-et-ly　has´-ti-ly　o´-pen-ing　be-have´　an´-i-mals

laugh´-ing　six´-pence　knuck´-les　kind´-ly　gen´-tle-man

WRITE

PROVERBS

The following are all the words required in this Exercise.

glit´-ters　need´-y　may　per-form´

com-mand´　quar´-rel　num´-ber　tongue

IT takes two to make a __________.

All is not gold that __________.

Be slow to promise, but quick to __________.

A young man idle, an old man __________.

Do what you ought, come what __________.

Keep good company, and be one of the __________.

Better to slip with the foot than with the __________.

Command your temper, lest it __________ you.