said number three; "I know I can. I mean to try soon, and
get my own bits. I know I can."

"You can't," said one brother; "you can't. You would come down wop! and
couldn't get up again. You ain't strong enough to fly yet."

"I am. I could fly ever so high; and I'd show you, if I liked, but I
don't like."

"Ah! you're afraid."

"No; I'm not."

"Yes; you are."

"No; I'm not. There's a wing now," said the fledgeling, spreading out
his half-penned pinion. "Couldn't I fly with that?"

"Oh!" roared the other disputant, "that's right in my eye. Oh, dear;
oh, dear; won't I tell when mother comes back."

"Tchut, tchut, children," said the dame, flying to the nest; "quiet,
quiet, there's the green-eyed tiger that killed your grandfather coming;
so thank your stars that you are safe in the nest your father and I made
for you; for yon wretch would, if it could, make mouthfuls of you all."

But Mrs Pussy with her striped sides, and long, lithe sweeping tail,
did not know of the thrushes' nest, and so went quietly and softly down
the path towards the hollow cedar-tree. Here and there lay a wet leaf
or two; and when quiet Mrs Puss put her velvet paw on one it would
stick to it, and set her twitching and shaking her leg till the leaf was
got rid of, when she licked the place a little and went on again. Ah!
so soft and smooth and velvety was Mrs Puss, looking as innocent as the
youngest of kittens, and without a thought of harm to anybody. Walking
along so softly, and not noticing anything with one eye, but keeping the
other slyly fixed upon friend Specklems, who was high up on a dead
branch, making believe to sing to his good lady, who was two feet deep
in a hole of the cedar, sitting upon four beautiful blue eggs. And
beautifully Specklems, no doubt, thought he sang, only to a listener it
sounded to be all sputter and wheezle--chatter and whistle; but he kept
on. All the while puss crept gently up to the trunk of the tree, only
just to rub herself up against it, backwards and forwards; nothing more.
But, somehow, Mrs Puss was soon up the trunk, and close to the
nest-hole before the starling saw her; but he did at last, with her paw
right down in the hole. "Now, thief," he shouted, perking himself up
and looking very fierce; but all the while trembling lest puss should
draw out his wife tangled up in the nesting stuff. "Now, come, out of
that."

Mrs Puss gave a slight start, and peering up saw Specklems look