“There was once a hen that had five chickens. They were all very pretty. Four of them were white. One of them was of a reddish brown.

“The hen and chickens belonged to a little boy, named James. One day James heard the hen and chickens make a great noise. He was planing some boards with his little plane, to make a bird-house; but he dropped his plane, and ran out into the yard. The old hen was calling her little ones to come under her wings. She had seen a large, fierce-looking dog come into the yard, and she was frightened for her chickens. She said, ‘Cluck! cluck! cluck!’ very quickly; and the chickens seemed to know that she called them to her, for they all, except one, ran very quickly, and hid themselves under her wings. One little white chicken looked up at its mother, as if she said, ‘I will come directly, mother; but not quite yet:’ and then went on picking up seeds with her little bill.

“The poor mother called louder. James ran to drive away the dog; but he sprang forward, caught the little white chicken in his mouth, and ran out of the yard.

“Now the poor chicken was lost for not minding its mother immediately; and great harm may come to little children from the same cause.

“If children are not obedient to their parents they will not do well here; but, what is worse, disobedience will be punished in another world. It is said of him who does not honor his father and his mother that ‘his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.’”

After this Alfred was very careful, for some time, to do everything that he was told, immediately. It was pleasant to see him jump the instant he was called, and make his little feet fly rapidly along to do what he was bid. He did not say any more, “Mamma, I am not sleepy;” “O, please, mamma, let me sit up a little longer! why must I go to bed so early?” when his mamma said, “Alfred, it is your bed-time;” but he would take the lamp in his hand, and say, “Good night” to all the family, and go to bed with a pleasant smile upon his face.

The day after his father had told him the story of the disobedient chicken, Alfred said to his mother,

“When papa was telling me that story yesterday it made me think of the pretty words that Jesus said when he came nigh unto Jerusalem, and wept over it. Won’t you read them to me, mamma?”

Alfred’s mother read the words to him, from Matt, xxiii, 37:—

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”