re he was received with a scolding, which apparently pleased him as
much as any part of it. A specially quick flying-run rattled a paper
fastened against the wall, which delighted him greatly; and when the
cages were covered with paper, to put an end to the proceeding which
annoyed the residents, he regarded it as a particular attention, and
enjoyed it more than ever, doubtless because it enabled him to make a
louder noise. Often he diverted himself by a mad frolic in his cage;
from place to place he went half flying, and scarcely touching anything;
back and forth, with great flutter of wings and great noise; up and
down, under and over and around his perches, in the same wild way, so
that it seemed as if he must beat his brains out. Then suddenly, when
most riotous, he alighted like a feather, the image of serenity and
repose. Sometimes he was seized with this sort of fury of play when out
of his cage, and then he flung himself about the room in the same
frantic manner, scarcely touching a perch, diving under a table, between
the rounds of a chair, over a gas-fixture, behind and through any
openings he could find. Should some bird in the room disapprove of this
behavior, and scold, as the finch was quite apt to do, the mocking-bird
instantly alighted beside him, humped his back till he looked deformed,
sidled two or three steps towards him, stopped, and stared at his
critic; then two or three steps more, stopping again, and in every way
acting more like a mischievous monster than a bird, till the astonished
finch was reduced to silence, and as meek as poor Mrs. Quilp before the
antics of her malicious little spouse.

In all these actions, even in his contests with his room-mates, no anger
ever appeared on the part of the mocking-bird; everything seemed done to
amuse himself and pass away the weary hours, rather than from desire to
hurt his neighbors. In fact, he never did positively touch a bird, to my
knowledge, though he always acted as though he intended to annihilate
them. He could hardly be called malicious; rather (shall we say?)
mischievous, and like Ariel "a tricksy spirit."

THE "WISE BLUEBIRD."

Never was sweeter music--
Sunshine turned into song.
To set us dreaming of summer,
When the days and the dreams are long.

Winged lute that we call a bluebird,
You blend in a silver strain
The sound of the laughing waters,
The patter of spring's sweet rain,
The