36 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
belonged to my Goldilocks’ father. How would you like 
that?” 
“Bully!” cried Tommy Todd, “and there’s more kinds 
of birds in the General’s old orchard than anywhere else 
hereabout. I haven’t ever taken any eggs from there,” 
he added hastily, “only jest peeked and watched, an’ 
once I got a three-story nest from there, along late in the 
fall when the birds were done with it. If I brought it 
along, ma’am, could you tell me what sort of a bird it 
belongs to? I can’t find out!” he added eagerly. 
“Yes, I think I can tell you,” Gray Lady answered, 
“and I’m very glad if you know about my orchard and 
its tenants, because very likely you may be able to intro- 
duce me to some that I do not know. 
“Now, children, before next week is over I will see 
Miss Wilde and tell her my plans, but one thing I will tell 
you now—I have a little daughter Elizabeth, whom 
Sarah Barnes calls Goldilocks. She is twelve years old, 
but because of an accident her back is not strong, and 
instead of running about as you do she has had to be 
wheeled about in a chair. I have taken her to the best 
doctors, and they say that she is getting well slowly, and 
that now all that she needs is to live out-of-doors and be 
with children of her own age, who will be kind and gentle 
to her, yet treat her as one of themselves. She cannot 
bear to hear of anything being killed or hurt, and she has 
been loved so well all her life that she loves everything in 
return. 
“Will you come to the General’s house and help Goldi- 
locks to grow strong and forget all the pain she has 
suffered ?” 
