THE MAGPIE. 335 



from the house, rendered this trick very easy to be practised, and he 

 seemed to take great delight in it when successful, and many a hearty 

 curse he received from the wearied subject of his practical joke, as soon 

 as he had discovered the individual, who had so importunately called 

 him back. 



" He was particularly fond of any shining article, such as spoons 

 and trinkets ; these he frequently stole, and we came upon his treasure- 

 house in a laughable way. There was an old gentleman, a great friend 

 of my father, who resided with us almost continually. He was of a 

 pecidiarly studious disposition, but from a deformity in his person used 

 generally to read standing, with his amis and breast resting on the 

 back of a chair, and the book placed on a table before him ; after having 

 read for a while, it was his habit to take off his spectacles, lay them 

 beside him, blow his nose, take a pinch of snuff, and after a few mo- 

 ments, pondering what he had been reading, resume the spectacles and 

 proceed. One very warm day, I lay reading at the end of a room, in 

 which there was an open glass door leading to the greenhouse ; in this 

 room the old gentleman was most intently pursuing his studies at a 

 Uttle distance from me. My attention was soon arrested by seeing the 

 magpie perched upon the chair near him, eyeing him most intently and 

 with a very arch expression, and at length, in an instant, he had with 

 a most active hop touched the table, secured the red leather spectacle- 

 case, and was out of the glass door with the most noiseless wing and 

 with a very graceful motion. I remained quiet, resolved to see the end 

 of the joke ; after a few seconds' absence, ' Jack ' was again at his post, 

 eyeing the old gentleman with a most inquisitive and yet business-like 

 glance ; it was nearly impossible to resist the ludicrous impression pro- 

 duced by the entire scene : at length off came the spectacles, and out 

 came the pocket-handkerchief and snuff-box ; quick as thought Jack 

 had invaded the table, and was out of the open door with the prize, 

 which I have no doubt had from the beginning been the object of his 

 covetous admiration, while they were on the nose of the old gentleman. 

 This time the magpie did not return, either because he found it more 

 difficult to reach his storehouse with the spectacles than with the case, 

 or because, having gained the object of his ambition, he conceived his 

 presence no longer necessary. At length the period of rumination 

 having elapsed, the old gentleman set about replacing the spectacles ; 

 as soon as his surprise had abated at not finding them with his hands 



