THE LEGEND OF OPECHEE 45 



Tommy-Anne, feeling rather shy at having to 

 explain herself in company, hesitated a little and 

 then said : " You see last winter was the first 

 snow season that I had been here, and I was 

 rather lonely, because I had not made all the 

 friends that I have now. I saw strange birds in 

 the trees and strange footprints in the snow, but 

 before I could learn the birds' names they were 

 gone, and the tracks in the snow were drifted over 

 before I could follow them. 



" But I knew you, Mr. Robin, and the Chicka- 

 dee, the Song-Sparrow and the Bluebird, and after 

 a little, I guessed the Goldfinch (though he had 

 shed his yellow feathers), because he always flies 

 the same way, with a little dip as if he meant 

 to drop, and then jerks up again as if he had 

 changed his mind at the last minute. So when- 

 ever I saw any one of you five darlings, I used to 

 say : ' Brace up, Waddles ; if those little birds 

 can be cheerful outside there, without any fire, I 

 think we can be cheerful too.' ' 



" I wasn't gloomy," protested Waddles ; " there 

 are lots of things to chase in winter, and the trails 

 don't mix up as they do now, and you very seldom 

 bothered me by following." 



" Be quiet and don't interrupt, sir. So when 

 father saw any of you in the evergreens, or pick- 



