BIRDS' NESTS. 3 



spring, and trespassing for dishonest purposes 

 will soon grow easy. What have you been 

 doing with that knife ? " 



" If you please, Sir/' said the eldest boy, 

 " my brother Tom and Joe Square and I were 

 going birds'-nesting ; and as we were walking 

 down the lane, we saw a bird fly into that hole 

 in the apple-tree, and so we thought there 

 must be a nest there ; and Joe Square said " 



" Stop," said Mr. Miller, " don't tell me 

 what Joe Square said, but what you did. You 

 are the oldest of the party, and are most to 

 blame, whatever may have been said, I think 

 you must be a cowardly fellow, and quite 

 ready to do a cruel thing, or you would not try 

 to shift the blame from yourself to your com- 

 panion. Joe Square, you have the name of 

 being a truthful boy at school ; you go on with 

 the story, and tell me what brought you into 

 the orchard." 



" We did not mean to do any harm, Sir," 

 continued Joe ; " we could not find any nests 

 B 2 



