full of Song
That he sang in the Rose-Bush the whole Night long.

Then "Oh," said the Redbird to the Crow,
"Don't you wish you could sit and sing just so?"
"Do hush," said the Crow, "or I'll start for to weep,
Be--caw--caw--cause he's a-losing of his sleep."

There was once a little Bird so full of Song
That he sang in the Rose-Bush the whole Night long.

And "Oh," said the Redbird to the Wren,
"Don't you wish you could sing so now and then?"
"Not me," said the Wren as she shook her Head;
"I think his Mamma ought to put him to Bed."

But the Singing Bird was so full of Glee
That he sang all night in the Rose-Bush Tree.

XIII.

THE STRAWBERRY-GIRL.

"Isn't it almost time for us to start home?" said Sweetest Susan,
turning to Mr. Thimblefinger.

"Why, you've got all the afternoon before you," replied Mr.
Thimblefinger. "Besides it will be downhill all the way. I was just
going to tell you a story, but if you really want to go I'll put off
the telling of it until some of your grandchildren tumble in the
spring when the wet water has run out and the dry water has taken its
place."

"Tell the story, please," said Buster John.

"It's about a girl," remarked Mr. Thimblefinger. "She was called the
Strawberry-Girl. My mother knew the girl well, and I've heard her tell
the story many a time. But if you want to go home--"

"Oh, please tell the story," cried Sweetest Susan.

"Well," said Mr. Thimblefinger; "once there was an old woman who
lived in the woods. She lived all alone, and people said she was a
witch. She was so old that the skin on her forehead had deep wrinkles
in it, and these wrinkles caused everybody to think that the old woman
was frowning all the time. People called her Granny Grim-Eye.

"Whenever Granny Grim-Eye got hungry she went to a strawberry-patch in
the field near where she lived, and gathered a basket of strawberries.
One day when she went after strawberries she found a beautiful little
girl asleep in the patch.

"'Hity-tity!' said Granny Grim-Eye, 'what are you doing here? Where
did you come from, and where are you going?'

"The little girl awoke and stared at Granny Grim-Eye. She was tied to
a blackberry-bush by a silver chain so fine that the links of it could
hardly be seen with the naked eye. 'Who are you?' asked Granny
Grim-Eye.

"'Nothing nor nobody,' replied the little girl, and that was all the
answer Granny Grim-