34 THE HISTORY OF TIP-TOP. 



" Who wants your place ? " said Speckle. " I m sure 

 you can come in, if you please." 



" My dear boy," said the mother, " do go into the nest 

 and be a good little bird, and then you will be happy." 



" That 's always the talk," said Tip-Top. " I 'm too big 

 for the nest, and I want to see the world. It 's full of 

 beautiful things, I know. Now there 's the most lovely 

 creature, with bright eyes, that comes under the tree every 

 day, and wants me to come down in the grass and play 

 with her." 



" My son, my son, beware ! " said the frightened mother ; 

 "that lovely seeming creature is our dreadful enemy, the 

 cat, a horrid monster, with teeth and claws." 



At this, all the little birds shuddered and cuddled deeper 

 in the nest ; only Tip-Top, in his heart, disbelieved it. 

 " I 'm too old a bird," said he to himself, " to believe that 

 story ; mother is chaffing me. But I '11 show her that I 

 can take care of myself." 



So the next morning, after the father and mother were 

 gone, Tip-Top got on the edge of the nest again, and 

 looked over and saw lovely Miss Pussy washing her face 

 among the daisies under the tree, and her hair was sleek 

 and white as the daisies, and her eyes were yellow and 

 beautiful to behold, and she looked up to the tree be- 

 witchingly, and said, " Little birds, little birds, come down ; 

 Pussy wants to play with you." 



