168 LAST 



cause they can sing and fly about, and 

 they do seem so happy always." 



They had been sitting on the stump 

 of a fallen tree, and as the girl got up to 

 go, she said, " I shouldn't like to be a 

 May-fly ; don't they only live about 

 half a day?" 



" Yes," he replied, " and that one only 

 lived about half a minute. Did you see 

 how that old trout went for it ? . . . Now, 

 lassie," the boy exclaimed, placing his 

 hand on her shoulder, "I know what bird 

 you would like to be a sedge-bird ! " 



" How do you know ? " 



" Because you are always wandering 

 down by the river in the spring, waiting 

 and listening for it to come. I believe 

 you welcome it even more than you do 

 the swallows." 



"Well! it's such a merry little bird . . . 

 although it does sometimes sound lonely 

 when it sings by itself all night long." 



"If your lassie went away," the girl 



