NED'S BLACK LAMB. 



ISToT lono- 

 present of a 

 crying when 

 mamma had 



ago httle 'Ned had a 

 black lamb. Ned was 

 the lamb came. His 

 '•one to drive and had 



taken one child with her; she could 

 take but one at a time. So Xed, and 

 the others Avhose turn it was not, stood 

 on the stone terrace with tearful eyes, 

 watching mamma out of sight. 



Just then a man came into the yard with Lie lamb. iN^ed and 

 the other children did not cry any more, you may be sure. 



The black lamb was a very little thing; it had a line of Avhite 

 about its neck and feet, like a collar and cuflFs. 



The children called it " a beauty " and " a darhng," and they 

 jumped up and down around it for joy. Pretty soon the lamb did 

 so, too, jumping up and down on its little legs, stiffly but joyfully. 

 It grew very fond of Ned, and would follow him about all day» 

 After a while N^ed's mamma noticed that his hair was jagged 

 and stubby. 



" Why, N"ed," she said, " what is the matter with your hair? " 



" My lambie eats it, mamma," said ]S"ed. " Lambie eats it, and 

 he likes it so much ; just as well as he does hay I " 



This was true : when the little boy sat with his book, or lay in 

 the shade, the lamb would come up and lovingly nibble his hair. 

 By and by lambie grew large, and he took a fancy to dance a 

 stately minuet on the baby whenever it toddled out on the lawn. 



