When Robin became a young man, he saw many who, carrying up the craft and ignorance of earlier days, were utterly broken down in the great business of the world. Impressed with the ruin that lies in shunning true and ennobling labor, he wrote a little book, and the title was-- "MEN THAT CHEAT THEMSELVES." THE SNOW-WHITE FOX. There was once a lion with a bushy mane, whose name was Muffler. He lived in a country, called Antartika, where the hills were high, the valleys low, the forests thick, and the waters broad and deep. It was a fertile land, where grass and fruits and flowers grew in abundance. It was also a rich, rich country, full of precious stones lying on the ground, shining in the beds of the rivers, and glittering on the face of the mountains. Antartika was indeed a beautiful land. But no people lived there, nothing but birds and beasts and fishes, and a wonderful race of tailless apes that died out long ago. And Muffler, the lion, was king. On a certain day, a law-court day, Muffler sat on a diamond rock, and at his back was a rock of ruby blazing in the sun. On his head was a crown of laurel powdered with gold-dust and pearls. Beside him stood Old Primeval the ape, his faithful adviser, wearing on his neck a wreath of white poplar leaves dusted with silver, and holding in his hand a club inlaid with shining emeralds. On each side of the king and behind him were many young lions looking respectful and brave. Some distance in front was a crowd of all kinds of beasts, such as tigers, panthers, bears, wild-boars, wolves, hyenas, foxes, wild-cats, and even deer, sheep and goats, while the trees around were covered with birds of brilliant plumage. And they were all very quiet, because they were expecting something. "Who is next?" enquired the king. "Crafticus, come forward," cried old Primeval. There was a movement among the beasts as of someone pushing his way, and then there came out from among them a snow-white fox with a bushy tail. He walked forward with bowed head till he stood before the great Muffler, who looked down at him sternly and haughtily. "Stand up," commanded the king. Crafticus stood on his hind legs, and his eyes blinked because of the light from the ruby, which made him look as if covered with blood. "State the charge," said the king turning to his counsellor. "Crafticus," said Primeval solemnly, "you are charged with wilfully slaying Awkwardibus, the king's gander, last night up beside Lake Snow among the Topaz Hills. What have you got to say in self-defence?" "I did not know that the gander was the king's," replied the fox in a humble tone. "Crafticus, you must have known, knowing that the king's ganders and geese are green, while all the others are gray, black, and white," and the counsellor thought he had promptly caught the fox, and that the king would be highly pleased.