sake of her offspring. Downward she flew,
uttering loud screams of anger almost within reach of the marauder, but
the narrowness of the paling prevented him from leaping forward and
seizing her in his claws. The brave father was not behind his mate in
courage. He too pitched on the top of the fence directly in front of
Grimalkin. As the cat crept on he retreated, hoping to draw her past
his nest; but the cruel plunderer's eye was too securely fixed on that.
The cock, seeing this, darted with the courage of despair on the back of
his enemy, and assailed him with such fierce and repeated pecks on the
head, that the cat, losing his balance, fell to the ground, and,
astonished at the unexpected attack, scampered off, resolved, I hope,
never again to molest the heroic blackbirds; while they flew back to the
nest they had so bravely defended.

CONCLUSION.

I have often thought, while writing these stories, of a remark made by
one of my boys, whom, when he was a very little fellow, I took to hear a
sermon to children at the Abbey Church of Malvern. The vicar gave a
number of interesting anecdotes of children who had assisted poor
people, saved up their money for charitable purposes, made collections
for missionary objects; who had died young, happy to go to a better
world, or had been brought to love Jesus at an early age, and had been
the means of inducing their companions to love him too.

My little boy, who was seated in my lap, listened, with eyes fixed on
the preacher, to every word that was said. At last one or two accounts
were given which seemed to puzzle him greatly, and, casting an inquiring
glance into my face, he whispered,--"Papa, papa! is 'um all true?"

Now, perhaps some of you, my young friends, as you read the stories I
have given you, will be inclined to ask, as did my little boy, "Is 'um
all true?" I can reply to you, as I did to him, "Oh yes; I believe so."

They are generally thoroughly well authenticated. A considerable number
have been narrated to me by friends who witnessed the behaviour of the
animals, while several have come under my own observation.

I trust, therefore, my dear young friends, that the narratives I have
given you may not only prove interesting, but that you will learn from
them to pay due respect to all animals, however mean and insignificant
you have been accustomed to think them. They think and reason in their
way. They not only suffer bodily pain, but they have feeli