aring directly
at me, menacing me like the evil eye of a bird of prey. I rushed madly
toward the table, and climbing up one of its legs, I seized a nail in my
beak. To my great delight I found I could easily pull it out, which I
immediately did, and threw it spitefully away. With yells of triumph I
crept all around the table, clinging with my claws, and tearing out nail
after nail as I went, until every one of those aggravating glaring eyes
lay scattered over the carpet.

Although I was victorious in my violent battle with the nails, my
spirits were not yet calmed. In looking around for a new victim, I saw a
bottle standing upon a table in the centre of the room. The old saying
that he who drinks once will drink again is one of the truest of
proverbs, and I no sooner discovered the bottle than I made all possible
haste to reach it, hoping that it contained more sweetened wine. To be
sure, the liquid in the bottle was very dark colored, and had an
unpleasant odor, but in my eagerness I paid little attention to those
things. I tried to taste it, but the mouth of the bottle was too small
for my beak, and all my efforts were in vain. In my rage I vowed
revenge, and, screaming loudly, I threw the tantalizing thing with
violence to the floor.

[Illustration: "I WAS BOTH HORRIBLE AND RIDICULOUS."]

Alas! my ill behavior was sadly punished. The bottle I had overturned
was filled with ink, and I was spattered from head to foot with the vile
black mixture. My beautiful plumage, of which I had been so proud, was
ruined. I was both horrible and ridiculous. In this miserable and
forlorn condition I climbed back upon my perch, and in a most wretched
frame of mind waited to be discovered, and perhaps punished.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

* * * * *

=A Curious Incident.=--Horses will form strong attachments for dogs, but
it does not often happen that a horse derives any real benefit from
having a canine friend. The following case will show that a dog may
sometimes return a horse's affection in a very practical manner. A man
living in the country had a horse which happened to be turned out just
as his carrots were ready for pulling. He also had a dog that was on the
best of terms with the horse. One day he noticed that his carrots were
disappearing very fast, but he was almost certain that no one had got in
and stolen them. Still he determined to watch, and see who was robbing
him. His vigilance was reward