A young child put his hand in a jar where nuts and figs were kept. He took all that his fist could hold, but when he came to pull it out, the neck of the jar was too small for him to do so. At this the tears came in his eyes, and a friend, who stood by, said, “Grasp at but half, my boy, and you will have it; but grasp at all, and lose all.” THE APE AND HER YOUNG ONES. An ape, who had two young ones, felt a great love for her fine child, but did not care at all for the plain one. One day, when by chance the old dam was put to flight, she caught up the fine young ape in her arms, but left the plain one to get on as it could, so it leapt on the dam’s back, and off they set. The old ape ran so fast to save her pet, that in her haste its head was caught by the branch of a tree, and it fell down dead from the blow; but the plain one clung on tight to the dam’s rough back, and so came off safe and sound. The pet child may die from too much care. THE HORSE, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX. A fox one night had been out some hours in the snow in search of food, and yet had found none. At last he met a wolf in the same case, to whom he said, “Do you see the horse in that field? Well, I think if you lend me your help, I could kill him.” When they came up to the horse, the fox was much struck to find how small his size was by the side of him. “May I ask your name, and that of the man who owns you?” “My name is Squire,” said the horse. “I have not yet heard the man’s name, but I think if you wish to know it you can see the stamp on my shoe.” The sly fox, who made a shrewd guess at what this meant, said, “Nay, I do not know how to read, but”--here he gave a low bow to the wolf--“my friend has a gift that way.” The wolf, who was made quite vain by this soft speech, came up to read, but as he bent down his head to do so, Squire gave a kick which clave his skull in two. Take the nuts out of the fire with the cat’s paw. THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. [Illustration: THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES.]