goes into a store, and stays longer than he thinks necessary, he
will step across the sidewalk, carriage and all, and try to get his head
in at the door to look for her.

There is another horse in the barn where he is kept,--a very quiet,
well-behaved nag, named Tom; and sometimes, when Billy feels naughty, he
will put his head over the side of the stall and nip Tom, not enough to
hurt much, but just enough to tease him, and make him squeal.

One day auntie heard a great clattering in the barn, and went out to see
what was the matter. When she opened the door, both horses were in their
stalls, and all was quiet. She noticed that the meal-chest was open: so
she closed it, and went out. Before she reached the house, the noise
began again, and she went quietly back, and peeped in at the window.

There was Billy, dipping his nose into the meal-chest, which he had
opened. "Billy, what are you doing?" said auntie; and it was fun enough
to see him whisk into his stall, and stand there as quiet and demure as
a cat that had just been caught eating up the cream.

Billy had slipped the halter, and so set himself free. Since then he has
been fastened more securely; yet he still succeeds in freeing himself
once in a while.

IDA T. THURSTON.

THE THRUSH FEEDING THE CUCKOO.

THE cuckoo is a queer bird. It arrives in England about the middle of
April, and departs in the autumn for the woods of Northern Africa. In
every language the well-known notes of the male bird have suggested its
name.

[Illustration]

In its habits it is shy; and its voice may be often heard whilst the eye
seeks in vain to find the bird itself. Its food consists of caterpillars
and various insects.

The female cuckoo makes no nest, and takes no care of her young. How do
you suppose she does? Having a wide bill, she takes up in it one of her
eggs, which she puts in the nest of some other bird that feeds on
insects.

The strange nurses to whom the cuckoo confides her young become not only
good mothers to them, but neglect their own children to take care of the
young cuckoos.

As the young cuckoo thrives and grows strong, he thrusts the other birds
out of the nest, so that he may have all the room to himself. For five
weeks or more his adopted mother supplies him with food.

In the picture a thrush is represented as feeding a young cuckoo, that
has probably driven off all the thrush's own children