a wolf, who was almost skin and bone, so well did the dogs of the neighbourhood keep guard over their masters' property, met, one moonshiny night, a sleek mastiff, who was, moreover, as strong as he was fat. the wolf would gladly have supped off him, but saw that there would first be a great fight, for which, in his condition, he was not prepared; so, bidding the dog good-evening very humbly, he praised his prosperous looks.

"it would be easy for you," replied the mastiff, "to get as fat as i am if you liked. quit this forest, where you and your fellows live so wretchedly, and often die with hunger. follow me, and you will fare much better.'

"what shall i have to do?" asked the wolf.

"almost nothing," answered the dog; "only chase away the beggars and fawn upon the folks of the house. you will, in return, be paid with all sorts of nice things—bones of fowls and pigeons—to say nothing of many a friendly pat on the head."

the wolf, at the picture of so much comfort, nearly shed tears of joy. they trotted off together, but, as they went along, the wolf noticed a bare spot on the dog's neck.

"what is that mark?" said he. "oh, nothing," said the dog.

"how nothing?" urged the wolf. "oh, the merest trifle," answered the

dog; "the collar which i wear when i am tied up is the cause of it."

"tied up!" exclaimed the wolf, with a sudden stop; "tied up? can you not always run where you please, then?"

"well, not quite always," said the mastiff; "but what can that matter?"

"it matters so much to me," rejoined the wolf, "that your lot shall not be mine at any price"; and, leaping away, he ran once more to his native forest.