244 



BOWSER. 



After a time the muddy brown eggs crack open onfe'byorie, and out 

 come the young Dabchicks, pretty^ little, fuzzy browii balls. They 

 shake themselves, arid lock at each otherj and say how-d'-ye-do tb 

 their mother and father; and then, without any more delay, pop! 

 they go into the water. "Hurrah!" says one. "I can swim!" 

 ''And I can dive ! "says anothei-. " Ho ! I can do both ! " cries a third. 

 " Here I go for the bottom! Catch me if you can! " and down they 

 all go, with Mr. Grebe after them, to see that they come to no harm. 



Mamma Grebe watches them, her gray breast swelling with 

 pride. " Ah ! " she says, " see what it is to belong to a good 

 family." 



BOWSER. 



Bowser is only a horse; but he knows how to behave when he 

 wears his Sunday suit. That is more than some children know. 

 There are little ones Avho make mud-pies when they have on their 

 best clothes. Bowser never does. 



Bowser drags a cart on week-days ; on Sunday he goes to church 

 with a buggy. When John puts the heavy harness upon Bowser 

 the horse goes to the cart and backs in. When he is dressed in the 

 nice buggy-harness he steps off proudly and gets into the shafts of 

 the buggy. He does this all alone. He never makes a mistake. 



One day Bowser had a set of new shoes. When the blacksmith 

 put them on he drove a nail into one of Bowser's feet. John did 

 not notice it till they were almost home. When he saw that Bowser 

 limped a little he said, " I must lead the poor fellow back, when 

 I aret him out of the cart." 



