you now see the whole of the world? I have seen but a small part of it, and yet have flown through so large a space, that what is now in our view, seems to me but a wee spot; and I have held speech with birds of far off lands, who told me that the place they came from was so great a way off, that it took them a great while to come here, though they flew by short cuts, and scarce had time to rest at all."

66

Come," said the cock, "let us go to our work; we did not leave the nest to gaze. You are now, my young ones, safe on the ground; let me show you what you are to do on it. Each that comes to the world has a lot; and so he should not stand and look at what the rest of the world does, and not work. We small birds have a light task, put by the side of some that I have seen. We must but

seek food for our own use, build nests and feed our young till they can get their own food. We have, it is true, foes to dread; hawks and birds of prey will catch us up, if we are not on our guard; but the worst foes are those of the race of man; though, even with them, we have a chance which some birds have not, since a good act which two of our kind are said to have done to a poor boy and girl, who were lost in a wood, where they were left to starve and die. The Red-breasts that I mean saw the sweet pair, hand in hand, lie on the cold ground, and would have fed them could they take food; but when they found that the poor babes were dead; and since they could not dig a grave, they put on them the leaves of the trees. This was a great task, but Redbreasts have since been well paid for it and I know that those who do good will all

it;

be paid for it some way. But I see I am at the same thing which I said you should not do; talk, when I should mind my work. Come, hop with me, and we shall soon find it worth our while. Fear not, for you are now in a safe place; there is no hawk near, and I have not seen one of the race of man come in here, save the great things, as you call them, who saw you in the nest, and some as kind as they."

The cock then hops off with Rob and Dick, while his mate led Flaps and Pecks. They taught them how to seek for food, and they got a good deal, for there were some flies and worms close at hand.

While all that we have told went on, Har-ri-et took the poor birds home in the box. "Well, Fred," said she, "what do you think of it now (I mean to take birds' nests)? Should

you like to cause the deaths of these poor things?"

No, I should not," said Fred, "and I do not think Lucy a good girl so to starve them."

"She was to blame, but now grieves for her fault, my dear, so you must not speak thus of her then, you know, she had no kind Ma, as we have, to teach her what is right; and her Pa must be from home so much, and leave her to the care of one who was, it may be, not taught to be kind to the brutes."

With this talk they pass the time as they walk, and now and then they peep into the box to see the birds which were full of life and health. They beg the maid to take them through the place where the Red-breasts' nest was, which had a gate that led to a field that lay in their way, as they had no doubt

but that they would get in, as it was the hour for their friend, Joe, to work there. So they knock at the gate, which was thrown wide for them, and Fred asks Joe to show him the nest in the wall.

Just at this time the

young Red-breasts

had got near the gate; then fear came on them, when they heard the same noise which they had heard once with such sore dread when in the nest; and Rob, who was first, saw Fred and Har-ri-et, the maid who had charge of them, and Joe, who threw wide the gate, and was, by the wish of Fred, on the way to show them the nest in the wall. Rob, brave as he was, and he did not lack this, was full of dread; for if the view he had of the face was so great to him, when he sat in the nest, what must it now be to see their full size, and see them come on with