arms near the shoulders. It having been agreed which is to do the supporting, the other springs up and crosses his ankles behind the supporter's back (Fig. 7). A, the boy standing, moves his legs until they are about three feet apart. As B releases the grasp of his hands and bends backward, A holds him at the waist until his hands touch the floor. A then lets go and leans forward, while B crawls between A's legs. As soon as A's hands touch the floor B places his hands on A's ankles and straightens his arms (Fig. 8). A then travels forward. When they wish to separate, B uncouples his ankles, and both roll forward. INDIAN WRESTLE. Two boys lie down alongside of each other, with the feet pointing in opposite directions. They lock the near elbows firmly. Each then raises the near leg three times, one or both counting (Fig. 9). On the third count they interlock the legs near the knee and try by main strength to turn each other over backward (Fig. 10). PYRAMID. The six boys who are to take part in this should get on their hands and knees and practise sliding the hands forward and the legs backward at a signal. When all can do this in concert try the pyramid. Three get on their hands and knees as close together as possible. Behind these stand two, and one behind the two. Each of the two places a hand and a knee on the shoulder and hip of the middle boy, and the other hand and knee on the outside boy. The last boy climbs on top of the two and kneels with one hand and one knee on each (Fig. 11). At a signal all suddenly slide their arms forward and their legs backward (Fig. 12). There is no shock if all straighten out as directed. THE OLD-FASHIONED "S." BY GRACE FRASER. "THIS book is very odd indeed," said Little Tom to me; "Wherever he should put an s he puts an ƒ instead; Just listen to this nonsense"; and the learned Thomas read: "He fauntered off in queft of fport.' It's all like that," he said. "The fquire and parfon fat at eafe and feafted undifmayed'; 'The fage, though ufually fhrewd, a lack of fenfe difplayed'; 'And eaft and weft they failed to find the ftatefman who had ftrayed.'' I took that leather-covered book of Seventeen-Naught-Three; I said: "Those are long s's, not the f's they seem to be." "We print books better nowadays," said Little Tom, said he. THROUGH FAIRYLAND IN A HANSOM-CAB. BY BENNET W. MUSSON. THE following story is the fourth of the long stories complete in one number that are to appear in the present volume of ST. NICHOLAS. It is a very modern fairy story, full of pleasant fun-making. Our readers will enjoy little "Gretchen's meeting with the "Thirty-third Degree Transformer," the " Objector," the "Giant Gnome," and other animated absurdities the author has made for his up-to-date fairyland. N a far-away coun- little Gretchen. great idea came to her. "I will go and seek fortune in the caves of the gnomes," she said. You must know that near the top of the mountain a tribe of gnomes lived in their suburban caves. Gretchen had heard that these little people were rich in gold and precious stones, and thought that if she told them of her father's plight they might give her some, as Jacob had always treated the fairies very politely, and had never said they did not exist, wood-chopper or referred to them as "common superstitions." went into the As soon as it was light, Gretchen dressed hasforest, returning tily, ate her breakfast, and made up a package with a supply of of wild honey and sardines to serve as luncheon in case she should not return till late. afraid to go alone, she called the family dog, and crept away without disturbing her parents. wood, which he sold at a railway station not far from his home. Jacob was very talkative, and when he took his usual chair by the fireside one night and neither talked nor smoked, his wife asked the cause of his melancholy. "Alas!" he said, "the railway is about to give up steam and use electricity. No more wood will be needed, as the power is to be generated from the waterfall in the valley. I can find no other customer, and don't know what will become of us." The mother and father began talking of various means by which a living could be made for the family. They finally went to bed, deeply puzzled, with no way out of their difficulty in sight. Gretchen thought so much about the trouble that she could n't sleep, and toward morning a They made their way through the forest that bordered the lower part of the mountain. dog, named "Snip," in honor of the tailor who had presented him to Jacob, was greatly pleased with the trip. They soon came to a steep path. The trees were farther apart, and climbing was difficult; but Snip aided Gretchen by jumping on the higher rocks ahead and barking. This would also have served to frighten away the wild beasts, had there been any. When they were about twelve sixteenths of the way up, they saw an opening in the rocks that looked like the entrance of a large cave. After talking the matter over with the dog, who had no ideas to |