THE HERO ENTERS SUDDENLY 



when he had been with us about four weeks, 

 and while he was nestling contentedly in a 

 soap-dish, I heard a faint, tender little trill, 

 which I fancied came from a bird in the 

 grove. It had a far-off, silvery sound, un- 

 like any bird-note I had ever heard before; 

 so faint as to be barely distinguishable, yet 

 so clear and distinct that not one note of 

 the musical chain was missing. In a short 

 time the sound ceased, but the following 

 day I heard it again under the same circum- 

 stances. I think nearly a week elapsed be- 

 fore I traced it to our own little bird. He 

 was testing his voice, and each day he 

 strengthened it somewhat by use. 



In the absence of the vocal drill which 

 his parents would no doubt have given him, 

 he was learning to improvise, and his own 

 musical genius, together with some sug- 

 gestions from 1 a very pretty bird-whistle, 

 soon gave him a repertoire of the sweetest 

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