ious serpent, we huddled
together as close as we could in the very bottom of our hole. We knew
that serpents murdered young parrots and ate them, for only the day
before we had heard a neighbor telling mamma that one of these monsters
had eaten six little parrots, children of a dear friend of hers, for his
breakfast. Although mamma had said, after she went away, that she was
only a gossip, and said such things to frighten us, now we were sure it
was the truth, and we expected to see the serpent's head thrust into our
nest, his mouth open to devour us. My brother and sister were half dead
with fright. I tried to cheer them, assuring them that papa was strong
enough to drive away a whole army of monsters, and when mamma suddenly
flew away from the door, I crept up cautiously and peeped out. What was
my relief to see papa flying rapidly toward the river, with an enormous
serpent hanging dead in his claws! I screamed the good news to my
brother and sister, but they refused to be comforted. In vain I assured
them that the danger was over, that the serpent was conquered--was dead,
in fact;--and that papa had thrown the loathsome body into the river,
that we might not be frightened at the horrible sight. My brother and
sister continued crying and trembling until papa and mamma returned.

[Illustration: "MY DARLINGS ARE SAVED."]

When at last we heard their joyful cries as they approached the nest,
all three of us crept up to the doorway to welcome them. I shall never
forget the tenderness with which they regarded us. Papa, who was still
trembling with excitement, kissed us gently, while my poor mamma
exclaimed, "Saved! my darlings are saved!" and her eyes shone with pride
at the courage of her husband.

My feathers grew so rapidly that papa, who was very proud of me, I being
much larger than my brother, would often say, "Bravo, my boy! You will
soon be strong enough to go out with me into the forest."

In our first attempts to fly we were guided by mamma, who assisted us to
hop about on the branches near our nest. After several of these short
trials of strength papa took my brother and myself to visit our
grandparents, who lived in a noble tree not far away. Never shall I
forget my joy and pride when I first spread my wings and flew through
the air at papa's side.

We had already made several short excursions, when one day--the most
sorrowful day of my life--a boat, which we had been watching anxiously
as it came up the r