STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 89 



pointed companion. The indignant gnest could 

 not let the matter rest so. He seized his un- 

 fortunate host, and cuffed him most severely. 

 Poor Reynard bore the whipping with the ut- 

 most patience, as if he was conscious that he 

 had received no more than could be expected 

 under the circumstances. 



A friend of mine whom I met in the city of 

 Washington some two years since, and who is 

 a very close observer of the lower animals, re- 

 lated to me the following anecdote: "Six or 

 eight years ago," said he, " I was passing the 

 mouth of an alley leading into a vacant lot, 

 when my attention was drawn to a group of 

 very young children laughing vociferously. I 

 entered the alley, to see the cause of their 

 mirth, and soon ascertained it to be a large 

 white goose, with a strip of narrow tin bent 

 into a hoop, and thrown over the head of the 

 fowl, by one of the urchins. The poor goose 

 seemed much annoyed by the shining necklace, 

 and ran about in every direction trying to 

 shake it off. I found that it was the sight of 

 these antics which had so much amused the 

 little ragged juveniles. I stopped to see if the 

 goose would unyoke herself; and while watch- 

 ing her, I observed some ducks in another part 

 of the yard ; and very soon a drake from 



