Away they ran and asked.
"Why," said their mamma, "it certainly will have rather a strange
appearance. The two birds do not seem suitable companions. It is an
odd fancy, children; but you may do it if you like."
No sooner said than done. Off ran Fanny and Charles--took the little
Foundling out of his old lantern--opened the door of Dicky's cage--and
at once put him in, and fastened the door. In a moment, Dicky flew up
to his top perch, and stood looking down very earnestly; and the
little Foundling, though he could stump about on his lame toes, never
moved, but sat looking up at Sir Dicky. The nestling looked like a
poor little ragged lame beggar-boy whom a sprightly gentleman in a
bright yellow coat had been so compassionate as to take into his
house.
[Illustration]
Presently the Foundling went to the seed-box, and looked in. Down came
Dicky in a moment, and drove him away from his box, and then ascended
again to the top perch. This happened every time poor Chirp went near
the seed. However, he took a good drink out of the bath-glass, at
which both Fanny and Charles laughed very much. They then gave the
Foundling some food through the wires of the cage. This they had to do
for several days, till Dicky at last became more good-natured, and no
longer prevented the poor lame Foundling from eating out of his
seed-box.
They gradually became very good friends in the cage, though Dicky,
except for his bath and his seed, was almost always upon the perch in
the middle or the top of the cage, while Chirp, who never recovered
from his lameness, went stumping about at the bottom. In other
respects, however, the Foundling grew to be a good, strong sparrow
with all his proper feathers, and made a clean and respectable
appearance. He now looked like a stout faithful servant in a brown
coat who inhabited the lower story, while the gay and sprightly owner
of the house sat in the upper rooms to sing, or dance upon two
perches. They lived very happily, and Fanny and Charles rejoiced that
they had brought home the little lame Foundling.
Winter Pleasures.
"Do jump up and look out at the trees," said Susan, one morning in
December, to little Mary, "they are so beautiful; all sparkling like
silver!"
"It seems very cold," said Mary, rather sleepily. "Will you draw up
the blind, Susan, that I may see out?"
Susan drew up the blind.
"O," cried Mary, "how lovely the window looks! I see fairy palaces,
and wreat
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