It was hard year: no rains had come when the crops needed them, so the farmer and workmen did not have enough to eat. They sold their clothes, their fornitare and their houses and still did of, have money sulficent to buy their food.
'The old. men and women and little children died day after day, but thole duke, Duke of Muh, did' not help them, His officers, who served him, did not tell him how the people were suf fering, So those that died were thrown into ditches and were left unburied. And those, who were strong enough to walk, wandered off to other countries, begging their way as they went.
After the famine was over, these beggars came back, rebuilt their homes and planted their fuds as before. But they always hated the selfish officers, who would not give them food, and who would not tell the Duke about them so that he could feed those who were starving.
Not Jong afterwards, the Duke went tower with the Prince of Loo, Thictythree of the Duke's officers were hillel and not one of their soldiers tried to save them. The Dake was very angry because this happened and he threatened to kill all the men who had not fought well. But Mencius restrained him by saying: *Do you not see that it was because the men hated the officers? If the officers had helped them in the year of famine, these men would have loved them and' would ave died in their defence."
IN.—KING TAK, Long ago there was a king named Tae, and he lived in the city of Pin While he was there, the barbaruns came to steal his property and also thit of the inhabitants of the city. Tue king thought that perhaps.they would go away if he gave them something, So ho gave them beautiful silks and furs, and they left him in peace for awhile. But soon they came back again, This time, the king let them have many valuable dogs and horses; still they came again, and he was obliged to give them gold, pearls, and diamonds.
Of course, thy natives of Pin had to get all these fine presents for the king to give away. The king saw that he was using up all their money. He thought that if he were not there, the barbarians would think that there was nothing worth stealing and they would not be tempted to come any more. So he decided to leave his home and to move toa lonely place at the foot of a mountain. His people loved him so much that they could not bear to part with him, but followed him in crowds to his new home. There they all lived in great happiness and prosperity.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.