84 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
down every time teacher bangs on the desk to call ’ten- 
tion, — we couldn’t hammer things up there.”’ 
“No, that is very true,” said Gray Lady, “but the tools 
are to be used at the ‘General’s house’ on Saturdays, 
and the jack-knives at school on Fridays! I see that you 
cannot guess this part of the plan,so I will not tease you 
by making you wait as I had first intended. 
‘““As you may remember, Goldilocks told you this morn- 
ing that Jacob Hughes, who now lives with us since he 
has left the sea, and keeps everything in repair about 
the place, besides being a good carpenter can whittle 
almost anything that can be made from wood with a 
knife. 
“In the attic of this house are two large rooms. One of 
these Jacob is fitting up for a playroom for my little daugh- 
ter, now that she will soon be able to enjoy it. The other 
room was the workroom where her father had his tools 
and workbench when he was a lad like you, for the General 
had him taught the use of all the tools and he used to make 
bird-houses and boats and garden seats and even chairs 
and such things for the house. He grew to be so skilful 
that he learned to carve them beautifully. 
“Since he went away to his father and mother in heaven 
no one has used the room; but it is not right to let things 
be useless when others need them, and now Jacob is put- 
ting that room in order also. Then for half of the time on 
Saturday morning he will take you up there, teach you 
the use of the tools, and show you how to make bird-houses 
and many other things, while on the Friday afternoons, 
when the girls are sewing, he will bring some pieces of 
soft wood to school, and something that he has carved as 
