The oldest building in London, built long before the Great Fire, isone which from its name sounds like only part of a building. It is called the“Tower.” In the times long ago the Tower was a prison in which were put manyfamous people. Even princes and queens were put in this prison, and some ofthem were put to death. It is now a museum where are kept many interestingcuriosities of those days—the steel armor that soldiers and their horses, andeven their dogs, wore; the block and ax with which prisoners’ heads were cutoff; and wonderful jewels which the kings wore in their crowns—huge diamondsand rubies as big as walnuts. The Queen’s crown is there on a white satinpillow. It is studded with jewels and a huge diamond called the “Koh-i-noor,”which means “mountain of light.” This stone was supposed to bring bad luck toany man who owned it, so a woman now owns it—the Queen. The guards of the Towerare called “Beef- Eaters” and should any one break into the cases in which arethe jewels, the doors and gates of the Tower would automatically clang shut andthe thief be caught a prisoner.

Did you ever collect stones or stamps, butterflies or coins? Well,grownups have collected treasures and curiosities from all over the World andbrought them together in a wonderful museum, and the largest It is called theBritish Museum.

It is said that if all the streets in London were strung out in oneline they would reach round the World. No one could ever know the names of allthe London streets, not even the London policemen, who are called “Bobbies” andwho are supposed to know everything. They may have to look for a street in alittle book which they carry in an inside pocket. But every one knows the namesof some of the streets—they are either so famous or so funny. There isThreadneedle Street and Cheapside. There is Pall Mall and Piccadilly, where arefine houses, hotels, clubs, and palaces. There is Fleet, Strand, Regent, andBond Streets, which are shopping streets. There is Oxford Circus and PiccadillyCircus, but there is no “circus” there. A circus is simply a big open spacewhere streets cross, and which we should call a Square or a Circle.