A FAMILY OF ROPE DANCERS 
“ I saw a funny thing as I was coming from 
school this evening,” Tommy volunteered, as the 
family sat on the porch in the gloaming. 
“ Farmer Blake’s lambs were having the time of 
their lives playing 4 Follow My Leader ’! He was 
the cutest little black-faced woolly specimen I’ve 
seen in many a day, and a race he led them for 
sure! Twice around the big rock, then up its 
sloping side, a jump off, and around again and 
again, and every little caper and antic he cut, so 
did all the others. It was too funny! I laughed 
till my sides fairly ached. Isn’t it queer anyway 
how sheep will always follow the first, whereso¬ 
ever it goes? ” 
44 It certainly is,” Auntie agreed heartily. 
44 But they have been at it since the beginning of 
time. You know the old tale of Farmer Ding- 
dong’s sheep, and how when a cruel trickster 
threw the old ram into the raging sea, all the 
others jumped in after him, one by one, and were 
drowned before a hand could be turned to pre¬ 
vent the foolish sacrifice.” 
There was a chuckle from Uncle John, as he 
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