"Ah," said his Ma,

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we are shut up and

can't get out, but here is food, and all that

we can need."

"Not get out!" said the whole brood, "then good bye to all joy.”

She tried to soothe them, but in vain.

The young Red-breasts felt joy that they were free, and Dick gave up his wish to live in such a place as he had seen, and now he had a wish to be gone.

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Stop," said his Pa, "let us first hear what those can-a-ry birds say." These birds had just made their nest. "How good is our lot," said the hen, "in that we are put in this place! We are far more at our ease than in the small cage we built in last year!"

แ "Yes," said her mate, "yet how good was that, when we put it side by side with those in which we were once each shut up. For

my part, I have no wish to fly out, for I should not know what to do or where to go; and I shall try to make my young ones feel as I do. In truth, we owe great thanks to those who make such kind store for a set of birds from a far land, who have no-thing if they did not give it to them; and my best lays I will give to them. There is not a thing which we want to make us quite glad in this place, but to have all kinds of home birds shut out. Poor things, it must be sad to them to be shut up here, and see those of their kind in joy that they are free. Is it not strange that they fight so much? for my part, I feel much for them, and try to bear as I should do, the want of kind acts, the cuffs and blows I meet with."

"You now see, Dick," said the cock, "that this place is not, as you thought, a place of

great joy; you may too see that it is not to all a place of pain. It is by no means a good thing to be shut up for life, let the place where we are shut up be ever so grand; but should it be your lot to be caught and shut up, which may be yet the case, think as the two last birds have done. Hard work will pass the time which would hang like a load, if spent in grief and care; and to think on what you still have left will make your grief less for those which are lost. But come, pick up some of the seeds which lie on the ground near the place where these birds are kept, for that is not theft, and then go back to your own home."

When he had said this, he flew down to the ground, as did his mate and her brood, where they met with a full meal in the seeds which had been by chance let fall by the

man whose task it was to bring food to the birds which were shut up.

When the Red-breasts had eat all that they wish, all of them went back with joy to the nest, and each heart was glad that they had peace and were free.

CHAP-TER XXV.

FOR three days no strange thing took place at Mr. Ben-son's, or in the Red-breasts' nest. The young brood came to the day's meal, and Rob got well from his hurt though not so as to let him fly with ease; and the third day from this tour to the grove they did not do the least

thing that was wrong. When they went from the room to the yard to which Rob went with them, the cock shows great joy that they were at length strong to get such food as they need.

And now a great change took place in his own heart. The warm love for his young which had to this time made him, for their sakes, bear toil and fear no ill, came quick to an end; but from his good heart he still felt a kind care for what might be their lot in life, and when he calls them round him, he thus spoke to them:

แ "You must know, my dear young ones, that from the time you left the shell till this time, both your Ma and I have shown you our best love. We have taught you all the arts of life which you need to get food, and keep you from ill. We have shown you most kinds