Philip of Mac-e-don wanted to become the master of all Greece. So he
raised a great army, and made war upon the other states, until nearly
all of them were forced to call him their king. Then he sent a letter
to the Spartans in La-co-ni-a, and said, "If I go down into your
country, I will level your great city to the ground."
In a few days, an answer was brought back to him. When he opened the
letter, he found only one word written there.
That word was "IF."
It was as much as to say, "We are not afraid of you so long as the
little word 'if' stands in your way."
THE UNGRATEFUL GUEST.
Among the soldiers of King Philip there was a poor man who had done
some brave deeds. He had pleased the king in more ways than one, and
so the king put a good deal of trust in him.
One day this soldier was on board of a ship at sea when a great storm
came up. The winds drove the ship upon the rocks, and it was wrecked.
The soldier was cast half-drowned upon the shore; and he would have
died there, had it not been for the kind care of a farmer who lived
close by.
[Illustration]
When the soldier was well enough to go home, he thanked the farmer for
what he had done, and promised that he would repay him for his
kindness.
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