﻿150 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



when he was out of reach, continued to cry, in a hoarse voice and 

 an ironical manner " Have you breakfasted, Jaco ? have you break- 

 fasted ? " At the same time he went on eaLng cherries, flinging 

 down a shower of cherry stones on the face of Adolphus, who was 

 raising his head, and repeating constantly, " Have you breakfasted, 

 Jaco 1 have you breakfasted ? ' 



At last Adolphus saw himself forced to beat a retreat, and full of 

 spite, ran to relate to his father the conduct of James towards him. 

 M. Valcourt was a wise man, and promised himself to seize this 

 opportunity to give a good lesson to our two children. 



On the evening of the same day, M. Valcourt had assembled in 

 his room all the family, that they might listen to the reading of the 

 Bible, as he was accustomed to do each evening in his own house. 

 He made Adolphus sit down on one side of him, and James on the 

 other, and opening his Testament at the eighteenth chapter of Luke, 

 where there was an engraving, said to James : " You, my friend, 

 brought up in the country, ought to know all the trees and all the 

 domestic animals." 



" Oh ! yes, sir, and I know all the plants even; while Adolphus, 

 this morning, took wheat for grass, and pumpkins for melons." 



" Well ; since you are so learned, look at this picture, and tell me 

 what tree this is ? " 



" This tree ? I do not know ; perhaps it is not drawn right, and 

 that may be the reason I do not recognize it." 



" No, the tree is drawn correctly ; but you are too ignorant to 

 know it ; it is a palm tree, such as grew in Judea in the times of 

 our Saviour, and is found in many places to this day. And that 

 animal which you see on the right, what is it?" 



" Oh ! it is a great mule, only it is hump-backed." 



'' No, my friend, this mule is a camel, such as is used in the East 

 for the labors of the country. You see, therefore, that you do not 

 know the animals any better than the trees." 



" But, sir, I never saw palm trees nor camels, and could not 

 know them." 



" That is true ; you ought to have reasoned thus this morning 

 and said : Adolphus has never seen potatoes or wheat growing, and 

 cannot Know them ; and since I do not laugh at you, you should not 

 have laughed at him." 



