THE SQUIRRELS THAT LIVE IN A HOUSE. 63 



rels, and all sorts of animals, and had studied their little 

 ways till she knew just what would please them ; and so 

 she would every day throw out crumbs for the sparrows, 

 and little bits of bread and wool and cotton to help the 

 birds that were building their nests, and would scatter corn 

 and nuts for the squirrels ; and while she sat at her work 

 in the bow-window she would smile to see the birds fly- 

 ing away with the wool, and the squirrels nibbling their 

 nuts. After a while the birds grew so tame that they 

 would hop into the bow-window, and eat their crumbs off 

 the carpet. 



" There, mamma," said Tit-bit and Frisky, " only see ! 

 Jenny Wren and Cock Robin have been in at the bow- 

 window, and it did n't hurt them, and why can't we go ? " 



" Well, my dears," said old Mother Squirrel, " you must 

 do it very carefully : never forget that you have n't wings 

 like Jenny Wren and Cock Robin." 



So the next day Aunt Esther laid a train of corn from 

 the roots of the trees to the bow-window, and then from 

 the bow-window to her work-basket, which stood on the 

 floor beside her ; and then she put quite a handful of 

 corn in the work-basket, and sat down by it, and seemed 

 intent on her sewing. Very soon, creep, creep, creep, 

 came Tit-bit and Frisky to the window, and then into 

 the room, just as sly and as still as could be, and Aunt 

 Lsther sat just like a statue for fear of disturbing them. 



