XI.-THE YOUNG BIRD OUT OF ITS NEST.

ONE day a girl named Gertrude, who was

crossing a pasture on her way to school, saw two small boys at some distance before her who seemed to be throwing stones at something. She hastened to the spot, and found it was a little bird that they were trying to hit.

2. It was a bird that was too young to fly, but had by some means fallen out of the nest, which was on a tree near the path. The boys had found the bird in the grass, and had set it up

upon a rock at a little distance for a mark, and were throwing stones at it, while the mother-bird was flying to and fro in great distress.

3. Now, we might at first thought say that these were very cruel boys, and that they ought to be punished for taking pleasure, as it would seem, in giving pain to two helpless birds. But the truth is that they were not really taking pleasure in giving pain; they were not thinking of the pain at all.

4. They did not stop to think that the little bird might be frightened or hurt. They did not notice the distress of the mother-bird. They were wholly occupied with the interest of trying to hit a mark.

5. So when Gertrude came to the spot and found what the boys were doing, she went to the little bird and began to pity it.

"Poor little thing!" she said.

6. These words made a change in the state of mind of the boys. They lost the intérest which they had felt in trying to hit a mark, and they, too, began to feel sorry for the bird.

7. "Poor little thing!" said Gertrude. "He has n't any feathers-at least not enough to keep him warm."

8. "They never have good feathers," said one of the boys, "when they are as young as this one is."

9. "No," said Gertrude; "and so he ought to be back in his nest. And that is his mother, I suppose, flying about the tree and chirping so

loud."

10. "Birdie! birdie!" she continued, looking up at the old bird; "we won't hurt your poor little chick; we will keep him warm."

11. So saying, she took up the little bird from the big stone, and holding him in one hand, she covered him with the other, in order to keep him

warm.

12. Gertrude then asked the boys whether they did not think that they could climb up into the tree and put the little bird back into the nest again, but they said it was too high; besides, they thought that the old bird would fly at them and pick their eyes out.

13. Then Gertrude proposed that they should make a nest for it themselves, and put it on one of the lower branches of the tree, and put the bird into it. She told them she thought they could make a nest good enough for one bird, and then its mother could get to it and feed it there.

14. The boys were very much interested in this plan, an immediately began to pull up dried grass to form the nest. In a little while they had made a kind of grassy bed in a notch of the tree quite low down. Here they placed the young bird.

15. "Now," said Gertrude, "let's go off a little way and see if the old bird will come and take care of it."

16. "Yes, so we will!" said the boys. And they went with Gertrude a little way along the path to watch what the old bird would do. To their great joy they saw that the mother-bird went at once to the spot.

17. "Yes!" exclaimed Gertrude, clapping her hands joyfully; "yes, she has found it; and now she will feed it and take care of it till it gets big enough to fly; and so this summer we shall have one more bird to sing in the woods and to eat up the mosquitoes. You have done a great deal of good, and I am very much obliged to you for helping me."

18. So saying, all these children walked along the path together to school.

QUESTIONS.

What were the boys doing when Gertrude saw them? Do you think they were cruel boys? What reasons have you for thinking they were or were not? Do you think Gertrude was kind or cruel? Why? What did Gertrude first ask the boys to do? Did they do it? Why not? What did Gertrude then ask them to do? Did they do this? Where did they place the young bird? What did the mother-bird then do? Which do you think the boys enjoyed most-throwing stones at the bird, or making a little nest for it? Which should you enjoy most?

XII.—BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS.

ON

NE day when Mrs. Dudley came in from a walk,she found her two youngest children, Amy and Georgie, standing at the garden-gate. They were looking after three rather big boys who were crossing the common not far off, and who had with them a large dog.

2. Amy had hold of Georgie's hand, and she seemed to be trying to get him away from the gate. In a moment Mrs. Dudley saw that there was something the matter, for both children looked flushed and angry.

3. Georgie, as soon as he saw his mamma, exclaimed, in a half-sobbing voice,

66

"They have taken away Gip, mamma. They said that Willie was out there and wanted him. Poor Gip didn't want to go, and I know Willie did n't want him."

4. "Never mind, Georgie," said Amy; "Gip will soon come back, I know. He won't like those rude boys at all. Mamma," she added, with flashing eyes, "they called Georgie a silly little biped."

66

5. "Did they really?" replied Mrs. Dudley, unable to suppress a smile. rude of them to call names. I am afraid that Georgie is likes to be called so or not."

Well, it was very But, do you know, a biped, whether he