STORY OF A JACKDAW 273 



she would get 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 t Come to your tea. Jackie ! " 



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

 and a good riddance, too ! " 



" Oh, gone, has he t " 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* 



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

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

 toys and dolls/' 



That put mother up* " You're in a nasty temper," 

 she says, " but you know I miss the bird as much 

 as you do 4 " 



" Then," said father, " why the devil didn't you 



