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Show A LITTLE DUTCH HERO. A large part of Holland consists of land which is much lower than the ocean. To keep it from being covered by the water, the industrious people have built dykes many miles long and high enough to keep out the water. When storms arise, however, the great waves often undermine the dykes and sometimes they work their way through them. If such an opening is not noticed and repaired at once, it soon becomes too large to be repaired at all, and the water rushes in and floods the farms and villages vil-lages and drowns many of the people. One evening a little boy in the city of Haarlem was on his way home. He walked fast, for it was getting late. It was a quiet nart of the city, and there was no one but himself on the street. Everything Every-thing was quiet, so quiet that presently he heard a soft, gurgling sound like that of running water. Ah, Hans knew in a moment what that meant; it meant that somewhere the sea had made a little road through the dykes. What should he do? Should he run into the city and call a watchman ? But before he could get one, the little stream might become a great river. He looked up and down the empty street "Well, there's one thing I can do," said Hans to himself, and he went up to the great dyke and put one of his hands into the hole. It just filled it. "Isn't that lucky?" thought Hans. "And now I'll stay here till somebody comes." And he did. Very slowly the hours went by; it seemed to little lit-tle Hans that never had there been so long a night. Once he saw a man walking along the dyke, but too far off for his voice to reach him. ne grew tired and cold, but he did not give up. He thought of the little brothers and sisters at home, and of other happy homes that might be swept away should he leave his post. And so he bravely stayed by, though it seemed to him sometimes that he should drop, he was so tired. Every once in a while he would call out, and early in the morning a watchman heard him and hastened to the spot. And it was not long, you -nay'be sure, before others came, and the little break was stopped and Hans was carried to his home. The Dutch are a brave people, and have fought many battles in the past to save their country from its enemies. Bu, among them all there was never a braver hero than this little boy who through the long houra of that lonely night saved the great city from the sea. |