Part 57 (1/2)

One morning, during the siege of Hamburg, a weary merchant was slowly returning to his house. With other business men, he had been aiding in the defence of the walls. So severe had been the fighting that he had not taken off his clothes for a week.

He reflected bitterly that all his labour was in vain, for by the following day famine would have compelled a surrender. Pa.s.sing through his garden, he found himself admiring his cherry-trees, which were loaded with fruit. The mere sight was refres.h.i.+ng, and a thought occurred to the merchant. He was aware that the enemy were suffering from thirst.

How glad they would be of that juicy fruit! Could he not by its means purchase safety for his city?

There was no time to lose, and he speedily made up his mind. He collected three hundred small children belonging to the city, had them all dressed in white, and loaded them with cherry-branches from his orchard. Then the gates were opened, and they were sent forth in the direction of the enemy.

When the commander of the besieging force saw the white-robed procession pa.s.sing through the gates he suspected some trick, and prepared for battle; but when the children came nearer, and he saw how pale and thin they were from want of food, tears filled his eyes, for he thought of his own little ones at home.

As the thirsty--and, in some cases, wounded--soldiers received the juicy fruit from the children's hands, a cheer arose from the camp. Love and pity had conquered. The little ones returned accompanied by waggons of food for the famished citizens, and an honourable treaty of peace was signed the next day.

For many years, the anniversary of the day on which this deed was done was kept as a holiday, its name being 'The Feast of Cherries.' The streets were thronged with children, each one carrying a cherry-branch.

Then they ate the cherries themselves, in honour of their brave little forerunners, the saviours of their city of Hamburg.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”He loaded the children with cherry branches.”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”One pig went squealing down the road.”]

TOO CLEVER.

Jim Brown stood at the farmer's door-- 'I want a job,' he said.

'Well, lad, have you done aught before?'

But Jim just shook his head; An idler boy he'd always been Than any in the village seen.

'Well, tell me now, what can you do?'

'Oh, anything,' said Jim.

'Oh, anything!' said Farmer Grey; Then looking hard at him-- 'Well, drive these pigs to neighbour Pratt-- 'Tis time they went, they're prime and fat.'

Jim drove the pigs from out the yard, But, ere they'd gone a mile, One pig went squealing down the road, And one towards a stile; And while Jim pondered what to do, The naughty pig just wriggled through.

Just then the farmer chanced to pa.s.s; 'Hullo!' said he, 'what's wrong?'

And when he saw Jim's downcast face, He laughed both loud and long.

'My lad,' said he, with knowing wink, 'You're not as clever as you think.'

C. D. BOGLE.

TORN TO RAGS.

The curious and interesting 'little ways' of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the designer of the Suez Ca.n.a.l, gained for him the favour of many prominent Egyptian officials, when he was in Egypt, and he was often able to get over a difficulty and do a kind act by unusual means. Among his duties was the inspection of a large number of convicts in the Egyptian galleys. Some of these were political prisoners--rather more than four hundred unfortunate Syrians, who had been brought from Syria by Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mehemet Ali, the famous Viceroy.