THE UNFINISHED STORY. 



( 



I'm sure I can't imagine why they call 

 me a Catbird. My real name is Alimiis 

 Carolinensis, and you can see how an- 

 noying it is, with such a really genteel 

 nanie as mine, to hear myself called Cat- 

 bird, after a wretched animal I detest 

 and abhor. Why, I loathe cats so that 

 I shudder when even I see one. What's 

 that? I'm afraid? Ha, ha! Ho, ho; I'm 

 laughing now you understand. I'm 

 laughing because the idea of my being- 

 afraid is so very droll. Afraid ! Why, 

 do you know what a cow is? A cow is a 

 monstrous animal w'ith glaring eyes as 

 big as my nest, and terrible sharp sticks 

 growing from its head. It has a tail like 

 a corn stalk that it lashes in a most 

 frightful manner, and it has a mouth as 

 big as the chickens' water pan, and it 

 raises its head and gives awful roars. 

 But 1? I walk boldly up to it and look 

 right into those fierce eyes, and pick up 

 bits of meal from under those sharp 

 sticks even. Me afraid ! Well ! Well ! It 

 is so amusing! 



And do you know what a horse is? 

 A horse is ten million times larger than 

 I am, — Can I tell how much a million 

 is, do you ask? Well, not exactly; I 

 think people w'ho know things exactly 

 are very dull, don't you? But I know a 

 million is more than the eggs in my nest, 

 and I know it isn't as many as the stars 

 in the sky, and that's quite near enough 

 for anyone. Now what was I saying? 

 A horse, oh yes. And it has huge white 

 teeth as big around as my neck, and as 

 long as my wing, and it has four dread- 

 ful feet with great stones at the ends of 

 them. But I ? I do not run out of its 

 path. I walk slowlv when I see it com- 

 ing, and I even light on its very back. 

 That, I suppose, you can hardly believe, 

 because you cannot imagine any one so 

 brave as I. What do vou say? I'm a 

 boaster? Dear me, I haven't the least 



idea of what you mean ; I never heard of 

 it before in my life, but unless it is 

 something very respectable it can't pos- 

 sibly refer to me, for few birds in the 

 world have blood as good as mine. Some 

 of my ancestors saw the Mavflower and 

 brushed their wings against its sails, and 

 one of my ancestors found death under 

 the reign of a Danish king. I do not 

 remember precisely how he found it. 

 It was a long time ago, and there were 

 some quite painful circumstances con- 

 nected with the affair I believe, but in 

 any case it is something to be very 

 proud and grand over, and so we all 

 have been ever since. 



Why, one day in my garden, — and 

 that reminds me of what I started to 

 say. Where I live, — I can't quite recall 

 the name ; Geography always made me 

 ill — I think it usually does remarkable 

 people, don't you? But this place is 

 near a big city, and there are mountains 

 back of the city, and the sun shines 

 much there and the snow never comes. 

 Now I am sure you can tell exactly 

 where it is, and if you can't, it is cer- 

 tainl\' not My fault. 



It is that garden with the liigh cy- 

 press hedge around it, and the tall pine 

 by the house, and the twig way on top 

 of the pine — the one that looks like a 

 little spire — is where I sit and sing. 

 The pepper tree by the arbor we use as 

 a swing, it sways and bends you see 

 with every tiny breeze, and I don't mind 

 telling you that the rubber tree near 

 with those big glossy leaves is just the 

 best place to go when it rains you ever 

 saw. You would rather have the house ? 

 Oh, very well, but perhaps you have 

 never tried the tree, and I have. 



On the whole things are quite com- 

 fortably arranged, seeing that folks 

 planned them, but folks, you have prob- 

 ablv noticed, never seem to have as 



I 





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