RAVEN. 



when we shut him in the garden, not wishing him to follow us, 

 we found on our return all the gay tulips that had that morning 

 adorned the borders gathered and laid out in rows on the walk. 

 When in town he could not do so much harm, but danced about 

 in the back green, cursing and swearing like an angry French- 

 man, and pinching the tails of the dogs and cats who were rash 

 enough to go within his reach. He cared most for a large bull- 

 dog with a very short tail, and nose to match, not so easily laid 

 hold of as the better developed extremities of the lesser ones, 

 and of whom he stood in some degree of awe ; but even he was 

 made sometimes to feel the power of " Beelzy's " beak. Though its 

 gibberish sounded like human language (not of the best), I never 

 heard it say any words that could be recognised. There was no 

 attempt made to teach it to speak. It existed before the time 

 of Barnaby Eudge. 



My second pet Raven I got from a nest in this neighbour- 

 hood. It was not so fine a bird as " Beelzy," but had the same 

 love of mischief and sense of humour. During our absence one 

 winter, a friend, fond of animals of all sorts, offered to take care 

 of " Asmodeus " for us, for which good nature her chickens 

 suffered. He was allowed the use of his wings. One day he 

 stole the priest's prayer-book, and flew off with it to the top of 

 the house, where the impious bird, with sacrilegious beak, tore it 

 leaf from, leaf, scattering the sacred pages to the winds, while 



Father D stood below in helpless despair ; but all the time, 



with true Catholic charity, excusing it on the plea of " invincible 

 ignorance." " Poor thing, it does not know what a sin it is 



committing." 



98 



