CHAP. ii. THE SPARROW'S NEST. 31 



of his beasts to that school. He was to pay more 

 attention to his lessons than he had yet done, or he 

 would be punished severely. He did not bring any- 

 thing but his school-books for a long time, but at last 

 his usual temptation befell him. It happened in this 

 way. 



On his way to and from school, along School Hill, 

 he observed a sparrow's nest built in the corner part 

 of a spout He greatly envied the sparrow's nest. 

 But he could only feast his longing eyes at a distance. 

 He tried to climb the spout once or twice, but it was 

 too high, and bulged out at the top. The clamps 

 which held the spout to the wall were higher at the 

 top than at the bottom. He had almost given up the 

 adventure in despair, when one day, on going to 

 school, he observed two men standing together and 

 looking up in the direction of the nest. Boy-like, 

 and probably thinking that he was a party concerned 

 in the affair, he joined them, and listened to what 

 they were talking about. He found that the nest 

 interfered with the flow of water along the spout, and 

 that it must be removed ; and that the whole water- 

 way along the spout must also be cleaned out. 



Tom was now on the alert, and watched the spout 

 closely. That day passed, and nothing was done. 

 The next day passed, and still the men had not made 

 their appearance. But on the third day, on his way 

 to school, he observed a man and a boy placing a 

 long ladder against the house. Tom stopped, and 



