160 More Tales of the Birds 



come and see the pony when the Jackdaw was 

 off her perch ; and then we had our council of 

 war. I told her exactly what Miss Pringle had 

 said that she allowed no pets about the house. 

 Nelly's mother was just as bad, and no one 

 at my home could be trusted to feed a young 

 bird regularly ; so we were rather beaten, and 

 I was for giving Mag his liberty. 



" Nelly gave her hair a toss over her face, 

 and sat down on the wet grass to think for a 

 minute. Then she tossed it back again, looked 

 up, and said, 'Johnny, you old noodle, the 

 stable isn't the house, is it now ? ' 



" She was a sharp one, you see always was, 

 and always has been. Men are a bit half- 

 hearted and shy-like ; but it's the women that 

 know how to find a hole in your hedge, and 

 make a good broad gap for us to jump 

 through." 



" Do you know Nelly Green still, Mr. Rey- 

 nardson?" I asked. 



"Yes, yes, my boy, I know her," he answered; 

 "and she's not grown blunt yet. Well, she it 

 was that decided that, after waiting a week to 



