"Every one of them was obliged to bring three hundred heads yearly, were they not?" said Mrs. Macdonald. "Yes, aunt; I am afraid I cannot puzzle you." When the subject was more clearly made known, Annie asked, "Are there any wolves in Wales now, mama? I should be afraid to live there." "No, my dear; as men have become more civilized, and the country more full of people, these and other wild animals have been driven into smaller spaces, until at last they have all been killed. This is not only the case in England, but in other countries; where colonies are spreading over formerly wild tracts of land, the wilder animals are fast disappearing." "I am glad of it," rejoined Annie, drawing closer to her mother's knee, and looking round as if a wolf had been behind her. "I will now describe a picture," said Mrs. Arabin. "At the gate of a castle, situated in a country where the ground near the sea never appears to rise into high hills, but spreads itself in undulating downs, we see a mild-looking young man on horseback. His horse is much heated; he wears a hunting-horn by his side, whilst thirsty dogs seem to envy their master the cup he is putting to his lips. An elderly woman, with sharp eyes, but a gracious smile on her face, has scarcely withdrawn her hand after presenting her young visitor with the cup, whilst a servant is at this moment plunging a dagger into the shoulder of the fair-haired youth on horseback." The subject of this description was exclaimed by many little voices as soon as Mrs. Arabin had ceased to speak. [Illustration: Canute and his Courtiers.] Annie spoke next "of a king dressed in his royal robes, seated on the sea-shore; he looks calmly and quietly at the waves, which roll one over another in beautiful succession, splashing his face with their silvery spray, and wetting his feet with their briny waters, whilst the sea-weeds cling to his regal attire. The courtiers are eagerly watching the waves, any thing but pleasure depicted in their countenances, and they look very much afraid of getting wet. The king is pointing with one hand to a mark set in the sand, over which the ocean is proudly dashing." "Oh, Annie! that is too easy," exclaimed Mary. "Not at all," interrupted Mrs. Arabin, "if it teach us to remember the lesson which the story is so well able to teach."