60 A "FAIRY" STORY, 



ground, looking pitifully up at me ; it pleaded its 

 hungry condition with open beak, and seemed to 

 have no fear at my approach. Of course such a 

 poor little motherless waif must be cared for, 

 so I brought it in, and it received very readily 

 the provender I offered it. 



I never saw such a tiny, quaint-looking piece of 

 bird-life. Its little throat-feathers were beginning 

 to show on either side like a small white cravat ; 

 it had about half an inch of tail, and minute quills 

 all over its body gave token of coming feathers. 

 The delightful thing about it was its exceeding 

 tameness ; it would sit on my finger and gaze at 

 me with a contemplative expression ; no noise 

 frightened it ; it was quite content with life in a 

 basket, or on the table, and therefore it became my 

 constant companion, and has grown to be very 

 dear to me and to a wide circle of friends. 



Fairy's advent was in July, and for the first 

 month the early morning feeding was no small 

 care ; but love makes all things easy, and at last 

 my small charge could feed itself, and had learnt 

 the use of its wings. 



Daily baths were taken in my soap-dish, which 



