ff to
bed. He resisted, however, and said he was not sleepy and would not go.

Mrs Maclean now came to his mamma's assistance. She had no notion of a
little boy behaving as Norman was doing. "Hoity, toity, young
gentleman, I cannot have you treat your mamma in this way in my house,
so come along this instant, and do not let me hear another word from
you."

Norman looked very angry at Mrs Maclean, but he obeyed her, for he had
sense enough left to know that he had better do as she bid him, for fear
she should tell his papa how he had treated Fanny's bird.

Alas! all his good resolutions had been scattered to the winds. He now,
however, went quietly enough with his mamma. When he got to his room,
he gave her as much trouble as he could, and declared that he was too
sleepy to say his prayers, though just before he had been asserting that
he was not at all sleepy, and did not wish to go to bed. She, in vain,
begged him to do so, and had at last, as she often had before done, to
kneel down by his bedside and pray for him. He turned his face away
from her, when she bade him good-night, and only mumbled a reply. There
are, I am afraid, many more little boys like Norman, who do not regret
how much pain they give those who love them best.

Poor Fanny was especially grieved. She had flattered herself that happy
days were coming, when Norman would be gentle and obliging, and all she
could wish, and now he appeared to be as naughty as ever.

I do not know whether the little birds again visited him in his dreams,
and croaked and scolded him, and told him that he was a very, very
naughty boy, but I am very certain that his dreams could not have been
pleasant.

Fanny had another cause for regret, when she looked up at the spot where
the cage with her little favourite in it used to hang, and no cage was
there. Had Norman continued to show that he was sorry, and was really
going to behave better, she would not she thought have felt her loss so
much. As soon as she was up in the morning, she went in as usual to
help her brother, who though he declared that he could dress himself,
never managed to do so properly. He appeared to be in a better temper
than on the previous evening.

"Good morning, Fanny," he said, jumping up. "I won't keep you long, for
I want to get downstairs as soon as possible to see the things papa has
brought us. I wonder what they are."

"I am sure they are what we shall like," said Fanny, "thou