A BOY was one day sitting on the steps of a door. He had a broom in one hand, and in the other a large piece of bread and butter, which somebody had kindly given him. While he was eating it, and merrily humming a tune, he saw a poor little dog quietly sleeping not far from him. He called out to him, “Come here, poor fellow!”

The dog, hearing himself kindly spoken to, rose, pricked up his ears, and wagged his tail. Seeing the boy eating, he came near him. The boy held out to him a piece of his bread and butter. As the dog stretched out his head to take it, the boy hastily drew back his hand and hit him a hard rap on the nose. The poor dog ran away, howling most dreadfully, while the cruel boy sat laughing at the mischief he had done.

A gentleman, who was looking from a window on the other side of the street, saw what the wicked boy had done. Opening the street door, he called him to cross over; at the same time holding up a sixpence between his finger and thumb.

“Would you like this?” said the gentleman.

“Yes, if you please, sir,” said the boy, smiling; and he hastily ran over to seize the money.

Just at the moment that he stretched out his hand, he got so severe a rap on the knuckles, from a cane which the gentleman had behind him, that he roared out like a bull!

“What did you do that for?” said he, making a very long face, and rubbing his hand. “I didn't hurt you, nor ask you for the sixpence.”

“What did you hurt that poor dog for just now?” said the gentleman. “He didn't hurt you, nor ask you for your bread and butter. As you served him I have served you. Now, remember dogs can feel as well as boys, and learn to behave kindly towards dumb animals in future.”

Questions

What did the dog think he was going to get? What did the boy do to him? How was the boy punished? What did he say? What did the gentleman tell him to remember?

Pronunciation

eat'-ing fe'-low smil'-ing be-tween' to'-wards

qui'-et-ly has'-ti-ly o'-pen-ing be-have' an'-i-mals

laugh'-ing six'-pence knuck'-les kind'-ly gen'-tle-man

Write

seize fellow merrily

eating knuckles between

laughing mischief stretched

PROVERBS

The following are all the words required in this Exercise.

glit'-ters need'-y may per-form’

com-mand' quar'-rel num'-ber tongue

It takes two to make a _____.

All is not gold that _____.

Be slow to promise, but quick to_____ .

A young man idle, an old man _____.

Do what you ought, come what _____.

Keep good company, and be one of the _____.

Better to slip with the foot than with the _____.

Command your temper, lest it _____you.

一天，一個(gè)男孩坐在門前的臺階上，一手握著一把掃帚，一手拿著一大片好心人給他的黃油面包。他吃著面包，愉快地哼著小曲。這時(shí)，他看到一條小狗靜靜地睡在離他不遠(yuǎn)的地方。他沖小狗喊道，“到這兒來，可憐的小家伙！”

小狗聽到男孩這么友善地叫它，就豎起耳朵，擺著尾巴，站了起來。看到男孩在吃東西，小狗就向他走近了。男孩把黃油面包分了一塊給小狗。當(dāng)小狗伸出頭去咬的時(shí)候，男孩迅速地抽回手去，并且朝小狗的鼻子重重地敲了一下。可憐的小狗恐懼地號叫著跑掉了。這個(gè)以他人的痛苦為樂的男孩坐在那里，為自己剛才的惡作劇哈哈大笑。

住在街對面的一位紳士從窗戶里看到了這個(gè)頑皮男孩的所作所為。于是，他打開臨街的大門，讓這個(gè)男孩進(jìn)來，同時(shí)手里還握著六個(gè)便士。

“你想要這個(gè)嗎？”這位紳士問道。

“是的，如果您愿意的話，我想要，先生。”男孩笑著回答，然后迅速跑過去抓這些錢。

就在他伸出手來的那一刻，紳士用放在身后的手杖朝男孩的關(guān)節(jié)重重地敲了一下。這個(gè)男孩立馬疼得像頭牛似地大吼大叫！

“你為什么這么做？”男孩揉著手臂，臉色陰沉地對紳士說，“我既沒有傷害你，也沒有向你要六個(gè)便士啊。”

“那你剛才為什么要傷害那條可憐的小狗呢？”紳士回答說。“它也沒有傷害你，也沒有向你要黃油面包啊。你既然這樣對它，我也這樣對你了。現(xiàn)在，記住，狗像孩子一樣，也是有感情的。以后你要學(xué)著友善地對待不能說話的動物。”