MOTHER MAGPIES MISCHIEF. 55 



" How do you know ? It 's all practice ; Tommy Oriole 

 says so. Just try the scales. As to your voice, your man- 

 ner of living has a great deal to do with it. I always did 

 tell you that your passion for water injured your singing. 

 Suppose Tommy Oriole should *sit half his days up to his 

 hips in water, as you do, his voice would be as hoarse 

 and rough as yours. Come up on the bank, and learn to 

 perch, as we birds do. We are the true musical race." 



And so, poor Mr. Bullfrog was persuaded to forego his 

 pleasant little cottage under the cat-tails, where his green 

 spectacles and honest round back had excited, even in the 

 minds of the boys, sentiments of respect and compassion. 

 He came up into the garden, and established himself under 

 a burdock, and began to practise Italian scales. 



The result was, that poor old Dr. Bullfrog, instead of 

 being considered as a respectable old bore, got himself uni- 

 versally laughed at for aping fashionable manners. Every 

 bird and beast in the forest had a gibe at him ; and even 

 old Parson Too-Whit thought it worth his while to make 

 him a pastoral call, and admonish him about courses un- 

 befitting his age and' standing. As to Mother Magpie, you 

 may be sure that she assured every one how sorry she was 

 that dear old Dr. Bullfrog had made such a fool of him- 

 self; if he had taken her advice, he would have kept on 

 respectably as a nice old Bullfrog should. 



But the tragedy for the poor old music-teacher grew even 



