fairies, and all sorts of supernatural assistances in a story, are
only introduced to amuse and divert: for a giant is called so
only to express a man of great power; and the magic fillet round
the statue was intended only to show you, that by patience you
will overcome all difficulties. Therefore, by no means let the
notion of giants or magic dwell upon your minds. And you may
farther observe, that there is a different style adapted to every
sort of writing; and the various sounding epithets given to
Barbarico are proper to express the raging cruelty of his wicked
mind. But neither this high-sounding language, nor the
supernatural contrivances in this story, do I so thoroughly
approve, as to recommend them much to your reading; except, as I
said before, great care is taken to prevent your being carried
away, by these high-flown things, from that simplicity of taste
and manners which it is my chief study to inculcate.'

Here Miss Jenny looked a little confounded; and, by her down-cast
eye, showed a fear that she had incurred the disapprobation, if
not the displeasure, of her governess: upon which Mrs. Teachum
thus proceeded:

'I do not intend by this, my dear, to blame you for what you have
done; but only to instruct you how to make the best use of even
the most trifling things: and if you have any more stories of
this kind, with an equal good moral, when you are not better
employed, I shall not be against your reading them; always
remembering the cautions I have this evening been giving you.'

Miss Jenny thanked her governess for her instructions, and kind
indulgence to her, and promised to give her an exact account of