it in his garden. The bird remained there for several
years, and being kindly treated, became so tame as to come at call to be
fed at the kitchen door. It was known by the name of Willie. This bird
became at last so tame that no pains were taken to keep it, and, its
wings having grown to full length, it flew away, joined the other gulls
on the beach, and came back from time to time, to pay a visit to the
house. When its companions left the country at the usual season, Willie
went with them, much to the regret of the family. To their great joy,
however, it returned next season; and with its usual familiarity came to
its old haunt, where it was welcomed and fed liberally. In this way it
went and returned for forty years, without missing a year, and kept up
its acquaintance in the most cordial manner; for while in the country,
it visited them almost daily, answered to its name like any domestic
animal, and almost ate out of the hand. One year, however, Willie did
not pay his respects to the family for eight or ten days after the
general flock of gulls were upon the coast, and great was the concern
and sorrow over his loss, as it was thought he must surely be dead; but
to the surprise and joy of the family, a servant one morning came
running into the breakfast-room in great joy, saying that Willie had
returned. Food was soon supplied in abundance, and Willie with his usual
frankness ate of it heartily and was as tame as any barn-yard fowl about
the house. After a year or two more, however, this grateful bird never
came again.

[Illustration]

LXIII

A STRANGE PROTECTOR

A lady had a tame bird which she was in the habit of letting out of its
cage every day. One morning as it was picking crumbs of bread off the
carpet, her cat, who had always showed before great kindness toward the
bird, suddenly seized it, and jumped with it in her mouth upon a table.
The lady was alarmed for the fate of her favorite, but on turning about,
instantly saw the cause. The door had been left open, and a strange cat
had just come into the room! After she had put it out, her own cat came
down from her place of safety, and dropped the bird without having done
it the least injury.

[Illustration]

LXIV

THE LION AND HIS KEEPER

In a large menagerie there was a lion called Danco, whose cage needed
some repairs. His keeper hired a carpenter to do the work, but when the
workman came and saw the lion, he started back in terror.