84 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



"Drop them in quick, quick! and come down. Jump, 

 I'll catch you!" 



Down he comes, and then after my whispering something 

 more to him, he snatched the young blue birds from my 

 hand, and ran off among the shrubbery. At this moment 

 we heard the sweet, clear warble of the blue birds, and I 

 drew my sister a short distance away, where, from behind a 

 tall rose bush, we oould watch the proceedings of the old 

 birds. 



"What does all this mean, brother? what do you ex- 

 pect?" she asked, in a low, puzzled voice, for she did not 

 know that the young blue birds had been taken out so 

 dexterously had we managed, and only understood that her 

 charge had been transferred to the nest. 



" Brother, you surely can't expect that little blue bird to 

 take care of eight young ones your fairy will have to help, 

 sure enough !" 



" Hush ! hush !" said I, all eagerness, for with an insect in 

 its mouth, one of the old birds, twitting merrily, had alight- 

 ed near the hole, and without hesitation glided in, and in a 

 moment or two came forth again, without seeming to have 

 observed that there was anything wrong. My heart beat 

 more freely, for I saw that the insect had been left behind, 

 clearly, in the throat of one of the intruders for the bird 

 plumed himself gaily outside, as if happy in having perform- 

 ed a pleasant duty. But this was the male bird, and it was 

 the arriving of the female that I knew was most to be dread- 

 ed for if the sharp instinct of the mother did not detect the 

 fraud I felt that it would succeed. 



In my elation at my success so far I had explained my ob- 

 ject to my sister, who, as she did not understand about the 

 making way with the young blue birds, was now infinitely 

 delighted at the probable success of the scheme, and I could 

 scarcely keep within bounds her dancing impatience to 

 see what the mother would do hear what the mother 

 would say I Here she comes ! and in a business-like and 



