i8o More Tales of the Birds 



" Mag sat there in his cage for some time, 

 though the door was wide open, as if he didn't 

 quite see what it all meant ; and I sat at my 

 window, too, as much puzzled as the bird or 

 Miss Pringle. 



"At last Mag began to stir a bit; then he 

 came out and looked carefully all round, hopped 

 about a bit, and at last got upon the garden 

 chair, and seemed to be thinking of something, 

 with his head on one side. All of a sudden he 

 gave his long tail a jerk, and uttered a kind 

 of a knowing croak ; then he came down from 

 the seat and hopped away towards the flower- 

 bed under the window. The gentleman pulled 

 Miss Pringle behind the curtain when he saw 

 Mag coming, and I couldn't see her any more ; 

 but I should think she must have been more 

 puzzled than ever, poor lady. 



" From my window I could see Mag digging 

 away in the earth with his bill just in the corner 

 of the flower-border by the house ; and it wasn't 

 long before he got hold of something, and went 

 off with it in his bill down the garden, as pleased 

 as Punch, and talking about it to himself. And 



