d better have
staid at home with Velvet, and her father and mother. Velvet was the
comfort and pride of her parents; she helped them in all their
labours, and assisted them in enlarging their house, and providing
food against the winter. As she encreased in goodness, she grew
prettier, and every one admired her, she was so clean, and her skin
was as soft as satin, and looked quite bright and glossy. Velvet was
generally up and abroad before sunrise, and enjoyed being out in the
dew; she always returned home loaded with grain; and they were all
quite happy and comfortable; for Silket was very good, and Downy had
nothing to make her uncomfortable, being blessed with a good husband
and a good daughter.

"But a sad accident happened which deprived poor Downy of all means of
providing for her wants, and gave Silket and Velvet the greatest pain
and uneasiness on her account. One day, Downy had been by herself in
the garden, and in passing under a gooseberry bush, she did not see a
trap which had been set to catch little birds, and it caught one of
her poor little feet, and she lay struggling in the greatest pain,
and shrieking lamentably--at last by a violent effort, she got loose,
but with the loss of one of her fore-feet. Sadly wounded, and crying
piteously, she at last gained her home, and Silket and Velvet found
her exhausted with pain, and almost dying; they were greatly grieved
at the misfortune, and lamented bitterly the sad fate of poor Downy,
and they feared greatly lest they should lose her, but good nursing
and great care at last restored her, in some measure, after which
Velvet and Silket would never permit her to go out to get food, but
always brought the best for her, and she lived quite at her ease, only
she never was so strong as before.

[Illustration]

"Velvet strove by all the means in her power, to make her mother
happy; that she might not feel her misfortune so severely; and she
succeeded so well that Downy became quite cheerful and contented, and
never complained or repined at her lameness.

"The Summer passed happily away, but the sudden death of poor Silket,
once more filled them with grief. The innocent little creature was
sleeping under the nut-trees in the garden, one warm morning in
September; he had been collecting nuts to carry home, but being tired,
he laid down to repose himself in the sun, and unfortunately fell
asleep, nor did he wake till he found himself in the grasp of the
merciles