u free,' and then we saw
another sparrow fly into the ivy and try and stretch itself far enough
to peck at the string. But, alas! the brave little ball of brown
feathers could not reach so far. The captive was perfectly quiet, and
seemed to understand that some help was coming to him; and when the
second sparrow found he could not reach it, he began to talk--shall we
say?--to the other. They seemed to consult, as two doctors do over a
patient, what was best to be done. All this time the captive sparrow was
hanging by one foot with his head downwards, except when he fluttered
about and tugged at the string. After they had talked for some seconds
the helper flew away, and we were very disappointed: but he had not been
gone long before he appeared again with another sparrow--a much bigger
one!

The first sparrow seemed to do just what the last comer told him to. It
was just as if he said, 'Now, my dear boy, you stand very firmly on my
back, and I will fix myself on a twig of ivy as near as I can to our
friend; mind you stretch as far as you possibly can, and if you cannot
reach him then, you may stand on my head. Jerk the string with your beak
and perhaps that will set him free.'

Number one sparrow did exactly as he was told, and nearly over-balanced
himself; he only just saved himself by spreading his wings and starting
to fly, and he could not reach the string. After another talk amongst
the three of them (the poor prisoner only chirped very softly now), the
two helpers flew away again in different directions, making as much
noise as they could; and then in a very short time a whole crowd of them
came. We counted fifteen of them; they talked and talked as they sat
together in the ivy, until at last, as if at a given signal, they all
flew out together. They fluttered, flew round and round, and pecked at
the string and gave it jerks all at once, till it shook and trembled
more and more.

They did this three times, each time returning to and starting from the
ivy, in perfect order, as if they had been drilled to it. At last they
were successful; they shook the prisoner free! Then they adjourned to
the branches of a tree, near where we were standing, and the poor mite
seemed to be telling them how he got into such a sad plight. It was a
beautiful lesson in kindness to us all, as well as a wonderful example
of the instinct which the Creator has given these little birds, so that
not one of them 'shall fall to the ground.'