234 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



to American as to French children ; and all may 

 read how Moumouth lived, suffered, triumphed, 

 died, and was honoured in his grave ; while the 

 cruel steward who persecuted him was appropri- 

 ately cooked and eaten by avenging cannibals, 

 sighing out with his last breath the name of the 

 innocent animal he had so barbarously sought to 

 destroy. 



M. B^dolliere, author of this delightful and har- 

 rowing tale, borrowed Mere Michel and Lustucru 

 from an old song, familiar to many generations of 

 Gallic infancy. 



" C'est la Mere Michel qui a perdu son chat, 

 Qui cri' par la fenetre a. qui le lui rendra ; 

 Et le Compere Lustucru qui lui a repondu : 

 ' Allez, Mere Michel, votre chat n'est pas perdu.' 



" C'est la Mere Michel qui lui a demande : 

 ' Mon chat n'est pas perdu ! vous l'avez done trouve ? ' 

 Et le Compere Lustucru qui lui a repondu : 

 ' Donnez une recompense, il vous sera rendu.' 



" Et la Mere Michel lui dit : ' C'est decide, 

 Si vous rendez mon chat, vous aurez un baiser.' 

 Le Compere Lustucru qui n'en a pas voulu, 

 Lui dit : ' Pour un lapin votre chat est vendu.' " 



With schooldays come La Fontaine's F"ables, — 

 unless indeed a surfeit of mathematics has by this 

 time driven even La Fontaine from the field, — and 

 youthful students learn, or should learn, of Rodilard 



