'Not a word, sir! I shall listen to no excuses, and shall _not_ let you neglect your education on any account,' and Harry slapped the table _a la_ papa in the most impressive manner. Mr. Fairbairn went away into the dull study and made believe do his lesson, but he really smoked and meditated. The young folks had a grand revel, and kept it up till ten o'clock, while mamma lay awake, longing to go down and see what they were about, and papa shortly fell asleep, quite exhausted by the society of a Latin Grammar. 'Idle boy, is this the way you study?' said Harry, audaciously tweaking him by the ear. 'No, it's the way you do;' and feeling that his day of bondage was over, papa cast off his allegiance, tucked a child under each arm, and marched upstairs with them, kicking and screaming. Setting them down at the nursery door, he said, shaking his finger at them in an awful manner,-- 'Wait a bit, you rascals, and see what you will get to-morrow.' With this dark threat he vanished into his own room, and a minute after a great burst of laughter set their fears at rest. 'It was a fair bargain, so I'm not afraid,' said Harry stoutly. 'He kissed us good-night though he did glower at us, so I guess it was only fun,' added Kitty. 'Hasn't it been a funny day?' asked Harry. 'Don't think I quite like it, everything is so turned round,' said Kitty. 'Guess _they_ didn't like it very well. Hear 'em talking in there;' and Harry held up his finger, for a steady murmur of conversation had followed the laughter in papa and mamma's room. 'I wonder if our joke will do any good?' said Kitty thoughtfully. 'Wait and see,' answered Aunt Betsey, popping her night-capped head out of her room with a nod and a smile that sent them to bed full of hope for the future. _DANDELION._ Down by the sea lived Ben the fisherman, with his wife, and little son, who was called Dandelion, because he wore yellow pinafores, and had curly, yellow hair, that covered his head with a golden fuzz. A very happy family, for Ben was kind and industrious, Hetty, his wife, a cheerful, busy creature, and Dandelion the jolliest three-year-old baby who ever made sand-pies and paddled on the beach.