188 BRITISH BIRDS. 



-chirped, and hopped, and sang about the branches, as 

 though the tree had been left without any such defence. 

 At this continued loss, the father and daughter were 

 surprised, as well as disappointed, and they called in the 

 gardener to determine what it was best to do. He 

 heard the case, and without an unnecessary word, he 

 borrowed a ladder, set it against the tree^, and climbed 

 to the top, when he found that the old woman had be- 

 trayed her trust. " Not only," says Montgomery, to 

 whom we owe a much longer, but very interesting ac- 

 count, " not only did she let foraging parties of the enemy 

 plunder the fair boughs, but she had actually taken a 

 pair of them into her bosom, just w^here the shawl or 

 cloak was pinned across." There they were, goldfinches, 

 red, yellow, and black, bringing up a family of plump, 

 half-fledged chirpers, with bills all agape, as soon as 

 John's finger was pointed towards them. " And so," it 

 may be said, " to execute his master's wishes, he tore down 

 the nest, and left the young, like many a thoughtless 

 schoolboy, on the earth." But no, that is altogether a 

 mistake. The result was totally different. " Do not hurt 

 the little folks, John," said the old man. " I should like 

 to pull a crow with the big ones ! " cried the daughter : 

 " but never mind, come down, John ; I forgive them." 

 The reader may, perhaps, know a range of dark brick 



