"There was one snow white, a mother bear,-- With two little babies cunning and queer; Who rolled and climbed and stood on their heads, And fell over, as boys often do, I fear. They hugged their mother, and talked in their way, And kept still when they'd nothing to do or say." "No, I mean a real bear out in the woods, Who growls and chases you, makes you run, Half scared to death,--and a little boy lost Out in the woods and the night coming on; And the terrible bear with his great fierce eyes, And no one to hear the little child's cries! "He runs and runs,"--and then Bertie smiles, His climax reached,--"I was only in fun; The bear didn't kill him, because, you see, There was just behind a man with a gun, And he shot! Bang! Down came the old bear; 'Twas his own little boy and he saved him--there!" [Illustration: {BERTIE AND THE BEAR.}] "O, I am so glad!" and I give him a kiss; Then silent we sit for a moment or two. "That's a boy's story; yours, you know, For nice little girls very well will do. But boys, you remember, grow up to be men, And can fight the bears to their very den." AMANDA M. DOUGLAS. THE PORCUPINE'S QUILLS. Every animal has an instrument of defence. Some have claws, some hoofs, some spurs and beaks, some powerful teeth and stings. [Illustration: {A PORCUPINE FENDS OFF A DOG.}] The porcupine has something queerer than all these. Its body is covered all over with two sets of quills. One set is long, slender, and curved; the other, short and straight, very stout, and with sharp points. Whenever the porcupine is chased by any animal, and finds he cannot get out of the way, he just stops and bristles up all his quills. Then he backs quickly upon the animal, so that the short, sharp quills may stick into the body. If any happen to be a little loose, they stick so fast in the flesh, like an arrow, that they often make a very bad wound. Remember this whenever you come in the way of the porcupine. MRS. G. HALL. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. I was watching Willie and Grouse at play on the lawn a few days since. I saw in the poor dumb brute a spirit that is too seldom found in man. [Illustration: {WILLIE POURS WATER OVER GROUSE.}] Grouse is an old bird-dog,--a setter. He was bought before Willie came to be his little master. He has soft, brown hair, and is a very clever, good-natured dog. Willie can do anything with him, and he never gets angry; but when Willie hurts him he only looks up and pleads with his large, misty eyes. They had been playing a long while. Grouse got tired and lay down on the grass. Pretty soon I saw Willie get some water in a basin. I wondered what he was going to do with it. Then he walked close up to Grouse, who lay on the lawn, and threw the water all over him.