d you, and croak out, `Naughty,
naughty boy!' When you run on still farther to get away from us, we
will fly on either side of you, and will croak out, `Naughty, naughty
boy!'"

"Oh, do not, do not, please do not!" murmured Norman, though he spoke so
low that he did not think the bird could hear him. "I will try not to
be jealous of Fanny, or to be angry with her or anybody else."

"We do not trust you," said the bird on the back of his chair.

"We won't trust you," echoed the others, perched on the branch. "We
shall do as we have said; you will find that we can keep our promise,
though you are ready enough to break yours. Who killed cock robin, who
killed cock robin, who killed cock robin?" sang the birds in chorus.
"That little boy there, with his head on the table!" answered the bird
at the back of his chair. "But he did not do it with a bow and arrow,
he did it with a big heavy book, and it was not cock robin he killed,
but our dear little brother Pecksy, the naughty, naughty boy!"

"Oh, I am so sorry!" groaned Norman. "You are right, I own that you are
right, but do not scold me any more."

"We shall see how you behave yourself. If you are a good boy we may
relent, but if not, when you go into the woods, instead of singing
sweetly as we do to your sister, and trying our best to give her
pleasure, we will keep our promise, and croak in your ears, `Naughty,
naughty boy!'"

Norman tried to cry out, to ask the birds not to be so angry with him.
Just then he heard another voice saying--

"My dear Norman, you are sleeping very uncomfortably with your head on
the table, let me put you on the sofa. Your papa will soon be here, and
after a little rest you will look fresh and ready to receive him."

Norman lifted up his head and saw his mamma leaning over him.

The cage was gone, and the branch with all the birds on it had
disappeared. He looked round, expecting to see the angry little bird at
the back of his chair, but that had gone also, and he found, greatly to
his relief, that he had been dreaming.

He told his mamma what he had seen.

"It was all your fancy, Norman," she answered, "you were over-excited
and tired. I will sit by you and take care that the birds do not come
back again."

His mamma placed him on the sofa and sat down by his side.

Norman was very soon again fast asleep, but the birds did not return, he
only heard Fanny's sweet voice telling him how much she loved him, and
wished t