THE THREE WISE WOMEN.

By Mrs. E. T. Corbett.

Three wise old women were they, were they, Who went to walk on a winter day. One carried a basket, to hold some berries; One carried a ladder, to climb for cherries; The third, and she was the wisest one, Carried a fan to keep off the sun!

“Dear, dear!” said one. “A bear I see! I think we’d better all climb a tree!” But there wasn’t a tree for miles around. They were too frightened to stay on the ground; So they climbed their ladder up to the top, And sat there screaming, “We’ll drop! we’ll drop!”

But the wind was strong as wind could be, And blew their ladder right out to sea! Soon the three wise women were all afloat In a leaky ladder, instead of a boat! And every time the waves rolled in, Of course the poor things were wet to the skin.

Then they took their basket, the water to bail; They put up their fan, to make a sail; But what became of the wise women then,— Whether they ever got home again, Whether they saw any bears or no,— You must find out, for I don’t know.