322 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



her husband to ask him to take the jackdaw. It 

 would never come back from such a distant place. 

 A week afterwards Mr. Sturge sent word that he 

 would take the bird, as he thought his relations 

 would like to have a real old English jackdaw to 

 remind them of home. So one day Aunt Ellen 

 came and took Jackie away in a small covered 

 basket. The funniest thing was the way father 

 went on when he came home to tea. "A bloater 

 with a soft roe," he says; "just what Jackie likes! 

 Where's the bird got to? Come to your tea, 

 Jackie!" 



"He's gone," says mother, "gone to Canada, 

 and a good riddance, too!" 



"Oh, gone, has he?" says father. "Then we're 

 a happy family and going to lead a quiet life. 

 No more screams and tears over broken chiny 

 dolls! And if ever Billy brings another jackdaw 

 into the house we'll dust his coat for him." 



Here Billy interposed to say that if he ever 

 made such a mistake again they could thrash him 

 as much as they liked. 



"Oh, yes," said father, "we'll thrash you fast 

 enough ; mother'll do it for the sake of her chiny 

 toys and dolls." 



