A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



at once to help himself. The chewink called 

 him into the bushes. I suppose he intended 

 to give him an introduction to his family. 

 The next day the sparrow came into the door- 

 yard alone. He made for the bread and did 

 not look at me. I tried to catch him, but 

 he hopped into the bushes, apparently filled 

 with terror. I think that old chewink had 

 told the sparrow that I was a very bad man. 

 The old fellow might have been jealous, and 

 had frightened the young sparrow, so that 

 he would fly from me in wild alarm. The next 

 time the sparrow visited the yard the chewink 

 was with him. They departed together, and 

 three days later I saw the sparrow near the 

 old barn. He was with other sparrows, but 

 he knew me, and, more than that, he had lost 

 his wildness. He would eat from my hand. 

 It was evident that the chewink had piloted 

 him three-fourths of a mile to his friends. 

 The sparrow had to hop all the way. The old 

 chewink must have exercised much patience 

 to have accompanied the sparrow in such a 

 slow way. How did the chewink know where 

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