is a great yellow cat who will surely eat you up."

"We will be very careful," said all the little Bobolinks.

After Billy, Bobby, and Jenny, as well as Cuckoo, had had their feathers
brushed nice and smooth, they were sent out to try their wings; but the
Cuckoo was stronger, and could fly farther than the Bobolinks.

Bobby flew over to the fence, to see what was on the other side, and the
first thing he spied was the yellow cat creeping slowly along, and she
fixed her eyes right on him. He tried to fly back, but just then the
Cuckoo came behind, and gave him a push which sent him fluttering to the
ground, right in front of Mrs. Pussie. Poor Bobby gave himself up for
lost; but as the cat was about to spring on him, a great dog came
bounding across the yard, which sent the cat scampering off in a hurry,
and saved Bobby, who hastened home as fast as his little wings could
carry him.

"Pshaw!" said the Cuckoo; "I thought there would be one out of the nest.
But there is the cat under a bush, and Jenny is tilting on a twig just
above, without seeing her." So the naughty bird flew to the rose-bush,
and said, "Jenny, you look as if you were having a nice time."

"I am," said Jenny; "but don't come on this twig, it won't hold you."

"Oh yes, it will," said Cuckoo, leaning on the slender spray, which
broke, and fell with Jenny, who was too frightened to fly; and quick as
lightning the cat seized and carried her off in her mouth.

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Cuckoo; "there will be room in the nest now." But
at that moment the two little girls came out of the house, saw the cat
with the bird, and made her drop Jenny on the grass. She was not much
hurt, and they carried her gently back to the apple-tree, and gave her
to her papa and mamma. The Cuckoo then went to look for Billy; but as he
was passing the flower garden he saw a juicy white angle-worm lying in a
bed of violets, and feeling hungry, stopped to take a little lunch.

The worm was very nice, and Cuckoo enjoyed it very much, when, just as
he was swallowing the last morsel, the cat came stealing softly from
under a wood-pile, and thinking if birds could lunch on worms, she could
lunch on birds, pounced upon Cuckoo, and carried him off; and nothing
more was ever seen of him, except a few feathers scattered near the door
of the wood-shed. These Billy saw, and went home to tell the sad story.

[Illustration: ROBINSON CRUSOE JAP.]

[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE