shines in its brightness on the grassy green valley,
The
sea is calm and of the same colour as the sky, with the sun's beautiful rays shining on it, sparkling like gold. The fishing boats are approaching, and the fishermen sing their evening song, rowing their boats slowly along.
Birds are flying here and there, going home to roost in their snug little nests, after one day's work of finding food. Farmers are going home with ploughs on their shoulders after their labour. Long fields of green corn seem to meet the sky and shepherds with drowsy flocks streaming in front are returning home to sleep, not missing one sheep of them all.
The smoke begins to come out from the chimneys of the village houses, and causes a grey cloud in the lower part of the sky. Flowers, grasses, and trees seem to have a good rest after receiving heat and brightness from the sun, which assist their growth. It is a beautiful picture created by the creator of the world, and its natural beauty no artist can ever trace or paint. Anybody can enjoy this lovely picture to their heart's content, whether rich or poor, high or low.
Ho Sir HING, Class 2.
SEEN IN THE STREET.
A LETTER-WRITER.
The other morning after the moon had set, the sun rose above the horizon of the sea. above the trees.
Soon it rose higher and higher The streets became noisy with the sound of passengers and cries of hawkers.
man walking steadily He was a bare headed His clothes were white,
From a far distance came an old on towards the corner of the street. man with a white beard on his chin. and he had a big blue umbrella in his hand, a basket in the other and a stool and a small table upon his shoulder. He came nearer and near to the corner. place he arranged his stall, and sat on the stool with the As he reached the table in front of him.
At length a Chinese maid, dressed in black, with a basket in her hand and a pair of pattens on her feet came to him. She asked him to write a letter for her.
The old man,
after putting his spectacles on his nose, lifted up his pen and wrote the letter. The maid sat beside him and waited anxiously. When the letter was finished the maid dropped a five-cent piece on his table and bade him farewell. man examined the coin carefully and put it in his pocket.
The
23
A FORTUNE-TELLER,
Fortune-tellers are commonly seen in busy streets in this Colony. At the corner of one of the streets there was an old fortune-teller. He was a bare headed man, with white hair. He sat beside the table. On the table, there was a book, a bottle of Chinese ink, a tortoise shell and a box of sticks. He considered his work to be accurate.
A school boy wanted to test the fortune-teller.
come.
He went
to see him, and asked him to find out when his fortune would The teller inquired his age, and the date and exact time of his birth. The boy answered that he was eighteen years old and gave him further particulars. The teller instantly opened his book and tried to find out his fortune for him. At last he said to the boy “ When you are at the age of twenty you will have good luck, and gain plenty of money. The boy stood up with anger and said to the teller, "I am twenty-one years old now. Last year my father died and that summer I was sick and disappointed. Now you say that I will have good luck when I am twenty years of age. This is evidently incorrect. I know that you gain your living by deceiving others." After these words were said, the boy ran away without paying him even a cash.
A DOLL-MAKER.
The
In one of the busy streets there was a man surrounded by a group of children. In front there was a wooden box. He sat there making dolls busily to gain his living. dolls were beautifully made. They were magnificent and splendid. Some of them were fixed with different colours, others were made in the shape of Indians, Chinese and all kinds of people. The children like them very much.
Soon a sister and brother came rushing on towards him, and a child with a baby on her back was also running to the same place. Instantly he was surrounded by children; these children were staring at him with eagerness, and some of them went home to get money to buy a doll. At last the sun went down to the west. Now was the time for dinner, so the crowd gradually decreased, and the man gathered his property and went his way home.
WONG LAI WAN, Class 2.
THE FLOWERS.
The Queen of the flowers, one day, invited her intimate friends, the Pansy, the Lily and the Violet to tea.