126 OUR HOME PETS 



bird-cage in perfect order, with food for the day. 

 Then I carried away my dish -washing tools, 

 hung up my towels, put away my food boxes 

 and cans, and prepared the table for bathing. 



When everything was ready (as described in 

 Chapter VII.) I made sure that all the windows 

 were right, blinds put up, lace curtains down 

 if a green bird was to come out and the 

 room doors latched. Then I opened every 

 cage door, put in the door perches, and took 

 my seat at my desk to rest and enjoy the 

 bathing. In a moment the birds began to 

 come out ; some rushed at once to the bath- 

 ing-table and began to splash, some flew 

 around the room, to try their wings, and 

 others went to the sunny windows ; but the 

 knowing ones came to my desk to ask for 

 meal-worms, or soaked currants, or raw beef, 

 whichever dainty they happened to prefer. I 

 gave out the tidbits, tossing a wriggling worm 

 to the floor, where it was instantly seized, or 

 holding it gingerly at the end of my long 

 tweezers for a bolder bird to snatch. The 

 currants I held in my ringers generally, and 

 one after another they would come shyly up 

 and help themselves. 



