A Lucky Magpie 153 



see), I was to keep it, because Nelly's mother 

 would have no pets in the house. Secondly, 

 she was to go no higher than the first branch, 

 because girls were not fit to go worming them- 

 selves up to the tops of trees in petticoats. And 

 then let me see she was to climb the bark 

 first, because of her small hands and feet, and 

 was to carry a rope round her waist, which she 

 was to tie to a branch to help me in coming 

 up after her. Fourthly, we were only to take 

 one nestling, and to leave the others in 

 peace. 



" Nelly said that this treaty was to be written 

 out and signed with hedgehog's blood. Where 

 she got the notion from I can't tell, but no 

 hedgehog turned up in time, and we were neither 

 of us too fond of writing, so we let that plan 

 drop." 



14 What a dreadful tomboy she must have been, 

 John ! " said Mrs. Reynardson. 



41 Well, I won't say she wasn't a bit of one," 

 said the farmer, with a twinkle in his eye ; " but 

 she turned out none so badly none so badly, 

 as you shall hear, my dear." 



