"Many great men lived during the reign of 'Good Queen Bess,' as she was called, but you must not forget the greatest of them all--Shakespeare." "Oh, yes," said Edith, "papa and mamma are going this summer to visit the village where he lived, and they have promised to take me. What is the name of the place, Miss Green? I have forgotten it." "Stratford-on-Avon, and you must never forget the name of the town where lived the greatest English poet, my dear," replied Miss Green. "Did not a great many kings and queens live in Richmond, besides Queen Elizabeth?" asked Adelaide. "Yes, it was a favourite home of royalty, and that is why it was called 'Royal Richmond,' and the town has always been proud of the numbers of great people who have lived here, poets and writers and painters as well as kings and queens. "I will have the cart put up at one of the little inns near the big gates," said Miss Green, as they drove up to the entrance to Kew Gardens. Soon our party were strolling over the soft grass and among the lovely flower-beds, for here people can walk and play over the grass as they like, for there are no horrid "Keep off the Grass" signs. If you want to know what any plant or tree in the whole world looks like, you have only to come here and you will find a specimen of it, either growing out in the open, or in the museum, which makes these gardens of great value. They were begun first by a certain King George, whose palace is still standing in one corner of the gardens, and who afterward made it a present to the nation. Our party made straight for the pond where they were to meet their little friends. "There they are now," cried Edith, "and Clarence is feeding that funny old bird that follows everybody around." "I have given this old fellow two buns already, and he is still begging for more," said Clarence, as the two little girls ran up. It is a great treat for the children to watch the queer water-birds from all parts of the world whose homes are in and around this pond. On Saturday afternoons especially, numbers of young people of all ages gather there at the hour when the birds are fed. The birds are petted and fed so much that they are very tame, and the gray gull that Clarence was talking about, follows every one about begging like a kitten or a dog. There are ducks of all kinds, and all colours, that scoot over the water, swallowing the unwary flies and waterbugs who stray in their path, and dive for the bits of cake and bread which are thrown to them by the children. There are beautiful red flamingos, and storks that stand on one leg with their heads under one wing, and all kinds of queer birds with long, stick-like legs. But the funniest of all are the big white pelicans.