ing out of her little round
doorway. "Go away, you impudent tramp! Don't come near our house."

"It is not your house!" said Mr. Starling, springing nimbly to a bough,
and confronting Mrs. Sparrow.

"It _is_ ours!" cried Mr. Sparrow, looking down from the roof of the
house. "I have the title-deeds. Stand up for your rights, my love!"

"Yes, stand up for your rights. I'll back you," said Mrs. Sparrow's
brother-in-law, taking position on a branch just at the foot of the
house.

"We'll see about that, you thieves!" cried Mrs. Starling, in a rage,
making a dash at Mrs. Sparrow's brother-in-law.

But two of Mrs. Sparrow's cousins came to the rescue just then, and
attacked Mrs. Starling in the rear.

Thereupon Mr. Starling flew at Mrs. Sparrow. Mr. Sparrow, without more
delay, went at Mr. Starling. Mrs. Sparrow's brother-in-law paid his
respects to Mrs. Starling. There was a lively fight.

It ended in the defeat of the sparrows. The starlings were too big for
them. The sparrows retreated in good order, and left the starlings to
enjoy their triumph.

[Illustration]

"Now, my dear," said Mr. Starling, "go in, and put the house in order.
I'll warrant those vulgar sparrows have made a nice mess in there. Sweep
the floors, dust the furniture, and get the beds made. I'll stay here in
the garden, and rest myself."

"Just like that husband of mine!" muttered Mrs. Starling: "I must do all
the work, while he has all the fun. But I suppose there's no help for
it."

So she flew up to the door of the house; but, to her surprise, she could
not get through it: the opening was not large enough.

"Well, Mr. Starling," said she, "I do believe we have made a mistake.
This is not our house, after all."

"Why did you say it was, then?" said Mr. Starling, in a huff. "Here I
have got a black eye, and a lame claw, and a sprained wing, and have
lost two feathers out of my tail, all through your blunder. You ought to
be ashamed of yourself, Mrs. Starling!"

"I own that I was hasty," said poor Mrs. Starling; "but I meant well."

"Yes, you thought the sparrows were thieves, and so did I. But it turns
out, that we are no better than burglars ourselves; and, what's more, we
shall have a whole army of sparrows back upon us before long. We had
better take ourselves off." And off they flew.

DORA BURNSIDE.

KATIE AND WAIF.

I AM Katie Sinclair, and Waif is my dog. Now, as everybod