a sturdy bull was once driven by the heat of the weather to wade up to his knees in a cool and swift-running stream. he had not been there long when a gnat that had been disporting itself in the air pitched upon one of his horns.

"my dear fellow," said the gnat, with as great a buzz as he could manage, "pray excuse the liberty i take. if i am too heavy only say so and i will go at once and rest upon the poplar which grows hard by the edge of the stream.

"stay or go, it makes no matter to me," replied the bull. "had it not been for your buzz i should not even have known you were there."