crest, and the tips of the secondary wing would squeeze himself through the nar- 



feathers, sometimes of the tail feathers rowest places until Bessie insisted that 



also, tipped with horny appendages, re- he would hurt himself and refused to 



sembling red or yellow sealing wax." allow him to be caged except at night. 



"Brown plumage !" said Jerry. "I When the lights were shining brightly in 



should call it gray. The softest, loveliest the evening, he would follow the family 



shade of gray." to the library, and perched upon the 



"Erectile crest means that fine top- rung of a chair, would spend the evening 



knot that makes him look so proud, there, blinking at the illumination, which 



doesn't it?" asked Bessie. he could not understand. At bedtime 



Jack did not answer. He was watch- Bessie placed berries in his cage and 



mg a boy across the street. He saw him covered it over carefully that he might 



halt, raise his arm, take aim with a sling- be cheated into thinking that dawn was 



shot ; then Jack sprang for the door but yet night, but in spite of that, he was al- 



he was too late. The deed was done and ways up early in the morning- and could 



the beautiful bird lay fluttering on the be heard tapping about, in and out of 



ground, and the boy disappeared around the bedrooms, calling, so Bessie declared, 



the corner. "time to get up — t { me to get u p," to 



Thus it was that Mr. Waxwing came every one in the house, 

 to the Bedell family. Bessie picked him Mr. Waxwing had been a respected 

 upland carried him in to her father. member of the Bedell family for nearly 

 He can't live," said Mr. Bedell, "but six months when one morning he chirped 

 we will relieve him of this useless ap- through the rooms as usual. It was get- 

 pendage anyway,'' taking up the scissors ting toward Spring and he was able to 

 as he spoke and clipping away the broken spring to the low window sills and preen 

 win g"- his beautiful plumage in the bright sun- 

 To every one's surprise, after a few shine that poured in with grateful 

 days of drooping, the bird began to eat warmth. He had completed his toilette, 

 heartily of the mountain-ash berries that times over, and called the children again 

 the children provided. and again. But they were lazy that morn- 

 Then he began to follow the children ing and it was not until a sharp fright- 

 here and there about the house with the ened chirp was heard, that Bessie sprang 

 funniest little hops. Bessie was delighted from her bed and ran out in the hall, 

 with her quaint pet, and soon named him Then there was a dull thud. Hippity- 

 Hippity-hop. He could not fly the least hop had started to go down stairs by 

 little bit, of course, with but one wing, himself and had walked off the landing 

 not even balance himself should he have between the banisters and had fallen to 

 a fall. The children were very careful the floor below. Just once he opened his 

 of him and often lifted him from dan- bright eyes on Bessie, as she bent over 

 gerous places, but the loss of his wing him, and then the film of death settled 

 finally led to his undoing. over them and he was gone. "It is all 

 Long ago his companions had departed my fault," sobbed Bessie, and for the 

 for the far South, and Hippity-hop time being, all promises of white rab- 

 seemed really happy in his new environ- bits or other pets failed to console her 

 ment. At mealtime he followed the chil- in the least and spring and fall she 

 dren to the table and received his share watched the waxwings pause in the 

 of the good things with, we thought, a mountain-ash tree with a little sigh for 

 thankful heart. Jack made him a cage the lost Hippity-hop. 

 but his free soul disdained bars. He E. Harriott Palmer. 



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