Now God had filled the world with living creatures, and they were all good; even lions and tigers were good and harmless. I have told you of four sorts of living creatures: 1. Fishes. 2. Birds. 3. Insects. 4. Beasts. All these creatures have bodies, but they have not souls like you. They can move and breathe. God feeds them every day, and keeps them alive. The Lord is good to them all. When God first clothed the earth with green And sprinkled it with flow’rs, There was no living creature seen Within its pleasant bow’rs. Soon by his word God fill’d the earth, And waters underneath, With things above the plants in worth, That feel and move and breathe. The fishes, cover’d o’er with scales In ocean swiftly glide; With their vast tails the wondrous whales Scatter the waters wide, The birds among the branches sing, And chief the nightingale: The peacock shines with painted wing, The dove does softly wail. Insects with humming fill the air, And sparkle in the sun: The butterfly by colors fair Surpasses every one. The beasts tread firmly on the ground; The goat has nimble feet, The stag’s with branching antlers crown’d; The lamb’s most soft and sweet. Pleasure the whole creation fills; They leap, they swim, they fly; They skim the plains, they climb the hills, Or in the valleys lie. With herb for meat the Lord provides His numerous family; The lion with the lamb abides, The dove and hawk agree. In all the woods and no sound of strife, Or piteous moans arise; None takes away his fellow’s life, And none expiring lies. Those happy days, alas! are past, And death has entered here; Why did they not forever last, And when did death appear? LESSON IX. ADAM AND EVE. GENESIS i., 26, to the end of Chap. ii. NOW I shall tell you of the last thing God made. God took some of the dust of the ground, and made the body of a man; then he breathed on it, and gave it a soul; so the man could understand about God. Adam was quite good like God. Adam loved God very much. God put him in a very pretty garden, full of trees covered with fruit. This garden was called the garden of Eden. God showed Adam all the beasts and birds, and let Adam give them what names he pleased. He said to Adam, I give you all the fishes, and insects, and birds, and beasts; you are their master. So Adam was king over all things on the earth. God said to Adam, You may eat of the fruit that grows on the trees in the garden. Still God did not let him be idle, but told him to take care of the garden. You see how very kind God was to Adam.