66 A "FAIRY" STORY. 



it, and she sings on fearlessly as he passes her cage. 

 I believe she would act as a certain much-petted 

 little dog used to do when his mistress pretended 

 to scold him severely ; he would look about 

 eagerly to see where the wicked animal ad- 

 dressed could be that he might fly at him. 

 I tried to speak seriously to my small bird 

 one day when she was particularly in my way, 

 but she only gave me several hard pecks, and to 

 my great amusement fought me with her tiny 

 claws much as a gamecock would use his spurs. 

 Fairy has the curious habit, which I have noticed 

 in many small birds, of turning rapid somer- 

 saults by way of exercise, springing from a perch 

 on one side of the cage up to the roof, turning 

 over and coming down on her feet like a born 

 acrobat. 



It is curious to be able to see human passions 

 manifested in such a tiny creature as my white- 

 throat, and it can rarely be seen, because it is 

 very seldom that a bird is so absolutely tame as 

 to feel free to show itself as it is in reality 

 fear being the dominant feeling in most captive 

 a nd that leads to the incessant fluttering 



