CARLS MISTAKE.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 23 August 1911, Page 3

CARLS MISTAKE.

Carl and his Uncle John were walking through the woods one day - when they met a snail. They stopped to watch it, and Uncle John told Carl how the sn^il carried its house right on. its back, so, if anything came along that startled it, it could just slip back intuits home and be safe.

And then the snail moves so slowly that if it didn't have its house with it, it could never go anywhere and get home the same day. Carl thought that was very interesting. How nice it was to go as far as one liked and have your home right there!

How often he and his little dog Rex had gone rambling over the town until they were both so tired it seemed as though they couldn't get home again.

He thought about it for some time. Of course, it was out of the question for him to carry his home about with him, but was there any real reason why Rex couldn't have his? His home was just a basket _with a cushion in it. It wasn't very heavy, and Carl was sure if he tied it on well it would be easy enough for Rex to carry.

So the next day after many struggles and much coaxing of Rex to keep still, he got it tied' on. Then he started down the street. Everybody they met laughed and asked Carl if he was starting a circus, until Rex was ashamed, and hung his head»and sulked along at Carl's heels.

And now they were passing the big white house, where his old enemy, that horrid bulldog lived. Yes, there he was coming out! Angered at the sight of this strange-looking animal, the bulldog pitched into him, and Rex, burdened with the basket, got much the worst of it.

When the bulldog finished there was no basket at all. Poor Rex! He not only didn't have a home with him, but he had none at all; and he needed one, too —lame and bruised as he was.

Carl got a new basket, and begged another cushion from mother and put Rex to bed. After thinking it over, he decided he wouldn't try any more improvements.