56 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



troubles. We have found a baby song-sparrow 

 hanging to the nest by one toe, quite unable to 

 help itself out of the difficulty. Horsehair makes 

 good stout ropes, and can be depended upon to 

 hold onto when the bird gets its toes tangled up in 

 it. This does not often happen. Once, when it 

 did happen, the old birds fed the young one until 

 it was grown, the poor prisoner not being able to 

 get away. We saw the parents taking food to the 

 bamboo long after we had seen the young ones 

 fly out. By careful search we found the prisoned 

 bird and cut the hair that held it. 



The sparrows eat almost anything, from tender 

 shoots of plants and soft buds to insects of many 

 sorts, and even to cooked food. We always keep 

 something out for them. We sometimes think 

 they have the sense of smell, for they will find a 

 slice of bread and butter, hidden anywhere in the 

 garden, almost as soon as we are out of their way. 



No need of always making crumbs for the 

 birds; they like good fat slices as well as anybody 

 does. And their strong beaks seem made on 

 purpose for breaking up crusts. Our farmers 

 make a mistake sometimes when they think the 

 sparrows are eating up their grain. They are 

 more often hunting the weevils that eat holes in 

 the grain, and other insects that like the nutty 



