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"Should you like, Fred," said she, "when you are at play, if some one should lay hold of you, scratch and then hand you some bad

you,

thing to eat, and shut you up in a small, dark room. And yet this is the fate which, from want of thought, the child gives to the

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As soon as Fred found that he could not catch the moth, and not at the same time hurt it, he gave up the point, and told his Ma that he did not want to keep it, but to put it out of doors.

"Well," said she, "that end may be had, if you lift the sash," which at her wish was done. The poor moth was glad to fly off, and Fred had soon the joy to see it upon a rose.

Their meal at an end, Mrs. Ben-son told them that it was now time to get to their books, but she said the maid was to take them for a

walk first. In his walk Fred saw the moth, as it flew from plant to plant, which gave him more joy than if he had caught it in his hand.

Let us now see what the birds did when they left their young friends. The hen, as I told you, went at once to the nest, her heart full of fears as she came close to it, and she sang out,

"Are you all safe, my own dears?"

"All safe," said Pecks, "but we want food, and are cold as ice."

"Well," said she, "that last I can soon cure; but as to the food, that must be your Pa's care, he will be soon here, I make no doubt."

Then, with her wings

spread on them all,

she soon made them warm. In a short time her

mate came back, for he but

sang out his song,

and drank from a cup which his new friends

kept where they fed their birds. He brought in his mouth a worm, which he gave to Rob; and was just off to get one for Dick, but his mate said,

"My young ones are now so grown that you can keep them warm as well as I can; take my place, and I will go on the next flight."

"I will," said he, "for I think to fly now and then will do you good; but to save you I will tell you the way to a spot where

you may

sure to find worms for their day's meal."

be

He then told her the way to this place; and when she rose from off the nest, he got on it, and spread his wings on his young ones.

"Come, my dears," said he, "let us see what kind of nurse I can make; but a poor one, I fear. Hens do not at all times nurse well, but you have a good nurse in your Ma, for she is

most kind, and I hope you will pay

her care."

They all said that they would.

her back

"Well, then," said he, "I will sing you a song."

He did so, and it was a very nice one, fit to please young birds; so that, though they did not feel quite at ease with his strong wings on them, they did not mind it, nor think the time the hen was out of the nest so long. She had not got the food in the first place she went to, as a boy was there who took up the worms to fish with, whom she had fears of, and so she flew off to a place where he had not gone to;

but as soon as she had got what she went for, she flew back as quick as bird could, and though she met gay birds who ask her to join in their sports, she kept straight on, and thought the joy would be worth more to feed

Dick, than all the games of the fields and groves. As soon as the hen came near the nest, her mate got up to make room for her, and to take his turn to work for his brood. "Once more, good-bye," said he, and, quick as a shot, was out of sight.

"My dear birds," said the hen, "how do you do?"

Quite well, thank you," said all at once. “And we have had such fun," said Rob, "for Pa has sung us such a sweet song."

"I think," said Dick, "I should like to learn it."

Well," said she, "he will teach it

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you, I

say.

ask him."

"I could not ask him," said Dick.

"You are not a wise bird then; there is no shame but in acts that are wrong. To ask your Pa to teach you to sing is not a fault. Those

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