ber of those birds, and among them a Robin Redbreast, who had made acquaintance with them. The Redbreast pleaded hard for life, saying he was a bird that scorned dishonest practices, took care of his mate and young ones, and endeavoured to pay for what he eat, by cheering the country people with his songs in the dreary season of winter. "All this may be very true," replied the Farmer; " but as I have taken you in bad company, and, for aught 1 know, you have been a partner of their crime, you must therefore expect to partake of their punishment likewise. MORAL. This fable shews the danger of keeping bad company. Instruction. The instruction conveyed by this fable is so very plain, that I think you cannot fail of understanding it. The farmer means any body who is robbed. The pigeons and sparrows mean thieves and pilferers; the Reabreast any person honestly brought up, but not sufficiently careful what company he keeps.. Questions. What do you think any one will try to do if he finds himself robbed? [Ans. To catch the thief.] Suppose he finds several boys together robbing his orchard, won't he suppose one is as bad as another? [Ans. Yes.] Will he be ready to believe any one who says, he had not been robbing him? [Ans. No.] Would he take the word e of one person whom he found in company with thieves? [Ans. No.] Should honest people mix with thieves? [Ans. No.] What will they be in danger of if they do? [Ans. Of being punished with them.] FABLE XV. The Shepherd's Boy. sib A certain Shepherd's Boy kept his sheep upon a common, e and in sport and wantonness would often cry out, "The wolf! the wolf!" By this means he several times drew the husbandmen in an adjoining field from their work, and then Laughed at them. Soon after the wolf came indeed, and the Boy cried out in earnest; but the husbandmen, supposing him in sport, gave no heed to his cries; and not only the sheep were devoured, but he himself was killed, in endeavouring to preserve them, MORAL. Liars are not believed even when they speak truth. Instruction.-The Shepherd's Boy in this fable holds out na warning to all liars; but particularly to those who think there is no harm in telling falsities in sport. God is a God of truth, be abhors all kinds of deceit and falsehood; on this account, no one should utter a lie on any occasion. Besides, the character of a liar is hateful to meną mosì Questions-Is there no harm in telling a lie in sport ? [Ans. Yes.] What does God abhor? [Ans. Lying.] Should any one dare to do a thing for sport that God abhors? [Ans. No] Who, besides God, hate liars? [Ans. Every body.] Are those who are known to be liars believed when they speak truth? [dns. No.] Suppose one who is a noted liar, should be sick or poor, or in any kind of distress, might he not perish for want of help? [Ans. Yes.] FABLE XVI. The Hare and the Tortoise. A Hare insulted a Tortoise on account of his slowness, and boasted of her own speed in running. Let us make a match," said the. Tortoise," and see who can go two miles in the shortest time."-" Agreed," said the Hare. So they started together, and the Hare set off very fast at first, and soon outran the Tortoise. When she was got a great way before she squatted down in a fern that grew by the way and took a nap, thinking that if the Tortoise should pass her she could easily overtake him. In the mean while the Tortoise went jogging on a slow but even pace, while the Hare overslept herself; so the Tortoise arrived at the end of the race first. MORAL.-Industry and application to business will make amends for the want of a quick and ready wit. Instruction.-We may suppose the Hare in the fable to represent those boys or girls in a school, who can learn quick, and work quick; and the Tortoise, to represent others, who are obliged to take a great deal of pains to learn and cannot work fast. The first are very apt to despise the others; and to play away a great deal of time, from a persuasion that they shall soon get it up; while the others keep steadily on, and by close application learn more, and do more work, than those who, if they had improved their natural abilities, might have done twice as much as them. Questions. Are not quick boys and girls very apt to despise and laugh at the slow ones? [Ans. Yes.] Are they not also very apt to play away a great deal of time? [Ans Yes,] What do they think they shall be able to do? [Ans. To get up lost time. If the slow ones keep on steadily, what will they be able to do? [Ans. To get before them.] Won't they learn more and do more? [Ans. Yes.] Does not this fable give a good caution to quick boys and girls; and good encouragement to slow ones? [Ans. Yes.] FABLE XVII. The Young Men and the Cook. Two young Men went into a Cook's shop together, under pretence of getting their dinner, and while the Cook's back was turned, one of them snatched up a piece of beef, and gave it to his companion, who clapt it under his cloak. The Cook turning about again and missing his beef, began to charge them with it; upon which he who first took it swore bitterly that he had it not, and he that had it swore as heartily that he did not take it. 66 Why, look ye, gentlemen," says the Cook, "I see your artfulness plain enough; and though I cannot tell which of you has taken my meat, I am sure between you both there are a thief and a couple of rascals." lie. MORAL. An attempt to deceive is as bad as a downright Instruction.-The young men in this fable represent a great many people in the world, who think, if they do not tell a downright lie, they may prevaricate or shuffle as much as they please; but, as they mean to deceive, the crime is in itself as bad as direct lying, and it is generally used, as in the fable, to hide another crime. Questions-Have not you heard people prevaricate in the manner the young men in the fable are described as doing? [Ans. Yes.] Do you think it right to deceive in any way? [Ans. No.] FABLE XVIII. The Master and Scholar. As a Schoolmaster was walking upon the banks of a river, not far from his school, he heard a cry as of one in distress, and going forwards he saw one of his scholars hanging by the bough of a willow. The boy had been learning to swim with corks, and thinking himself an expert swimmer, bad thrown them aside, and ventured into the water without them. The force of the stream carried him beyond his depth, and had not the branch of a willow hung in his way, he would certainly have been drowned. The Master took this occasion of giving all his scholars lecture on the rashness of youth. "Let this," said he, "be an example to every one of you in the conduct of your future life; never to throw away your corks till time has given you strength and experience to swim without them." MORAL.-Young persons stand in need of assistance on most cccasions. Let them not trust wholly to their own strength either of body or mind, but make use of the aid which is offered to them by their friends and instructors. Instruction. This master represents all schoolmasters, mistresses, and teachers, whatever; the corks are the instructions and admonitions they give; and the scholar represents those conceited boys and girls that are to be met with in every school, who think they can judge for themselves, and so run into many dangers for want of minding the good instructions and admonitions which are given them. Questions-What are conceited children apt to think? [Ans. That they can judge for themselves.] Can children do every thing for themselves? [Ans. No.] Can they learn any thing without instruction? [Ans. No.] Is it possible they should know things as well as their teachers? [Ans. No.] Does it become them to be conceited? [Ans. No.] DIRECTIONS FOR THE TEACHER. Whilst Children are going through the foregoing course of Lectures, they should have their memory exercised by learning some things by heart; those who are members of the established Church ought in particular to learn the Church Catechism, and they may also be taught by ear some parts of the Church Service, such as the General Confession-0 come, let us sing unto the Lord-We praise thee, O GodMy soul doth magnify the Lord-Lord, now lettest thou thy servant-The Apostles, and the Nicene Creeds. The most expeditious way of teaching by heart, when Children cannot read, will be found that of letting the Class learn together, by repeating to the scholars in turn, sentence after sentence of whatever they are to learn, and making them repeat aloud after you, letting them take places as in the Lectures, and attaching some little reward to the learning each article of instruction perfectly by heart. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME., T. Bensiey, Printer, 1 TEACHER'S ASSISTANT: CONSISTING OF LECTURES UPON The Catechism of the Church of England and the Common Prayer, BEING PART OF A PLAN OF APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE POOR. By MRS. TRIMMER.. VOL. II.. Sirth Edition.. LONDON:. PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON, NO. 62, ST. PAUL'S · CHURCH-YARD; J. HATCHARD, NO. 190, PICCADILLY; AND J. HARRIS, THE Corner of sT. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD. |