and my friends in the grass, for I saw I met a dog that so frightened me that 



several little ostriches a few days older, I fell down in a faint and a keeper picked 



around me; but they wandered about, me up and put me back in the long 



while I had to sit down I was so weak, grass. 



One of the ladies said:"Oh the dear When I was three feet high and three 



little birdie, what a funny neck it has." months old, I was taken out of the green 



Another said:"There must be something grass and placed in a bare pen covered 



wrong with him, he is so weak." Another with sand, with about fifty young 



had a box fastened to her which she ostriches, all of them older than myself; 



placed in front of us, and, as I after- here we had no nice green grass, but 



wards found, took our pictures. I heard three times a day a man came with a 



the keeper say "that little one was born lot of chopped hay. We ate this as fast 



this morning" so I knew I was a special as we could, and had plenty of water to 



object of interest to all, for the others had drink; now and then he fed us with 



been born some other day and were sacks of common little oranges. The very 



not so weak. But I ate away and never young ostrich chicks do not drink 



minded those people from Missouri. water, for the grass is so damp 



The second day many more people that they do not need it. Here 



came staring around and all laughed at I remained for twenty-one months 



me; they said I made such funny mo- and then was removed to a much 



tions when I walked or sat down; one larger pen where a hundred os- 



man said I looked like a common triches of my size were walking about, 



drunkard — whatever that may mean; I was now seven feet high — as large 



but resting and eating I pursued my way as a door — and able to take care of my- 



among the sweet, green grass and never self; in this pen we were fed with 



minded the remarks of hosts of people chopped beets, corn and plenty of dry 



who, I heard afterwards, paid two shil- grass as well as the skins of grapes after 



lings each only to see ostriches, the juice has been pressed out to make 



I once heard mother say — "a fool wine. Here is where I am now and do 



and his money are soon parted," nothing but walk about or play with 



so I then remembered that she was my friends. 



rich. But the time passed on and But my saddest time was about two 



I grew in size amazingly ; my readers months ago when a rude man came into 



would not believe unless they saw, how the pen and put a stocking over my 



fast little ostriches grow ; the truth is, head ; I was so frightened I dared not 



they grow at the rate of twelve inches a say a word ; I trembled all over like a 



month for the first six months. When leaf and thought they were going to cut 



we come into the world there is a pretty my head off and make me into a fry ; but 



tiger stripe around our necks and we are I have since leared that ostriches are 



covered with funny sharp bristles; in never eaten; that the Jews don't allow 



about two months these have all gone it; and that the meat of an ostrich is 



and part of our bodies are bare, while as tough as sole-leather. This man 



some is covered with very little grey pushed me along to where another man 



feathers. So that in about six weeks I stood with -a pair of shears; he cut off 



was not half as pretty and "cute" as my longest feathers ; not satisfied with 



I was the day I was born ; so the public that he pulled out a lot of little feathers, 



passed on without much notice of me. which were, of course, not much use to 



Once in a while a rude man would say him. But it made me jump like a jack- 



"look at those walking bladders," or that rabbit every time he pulled one out. 



we looked like half-picked chickens, but Who can tell my misery? It was a bad 



we heard this so often that none of us quarter of an hour for me and seemed 



cared. like two hours. At last the stocking 



One day I felt so good I jumped over was taken from my eyes and I was free, 



the fence and ran down the big sand- Oh, happiness ! Just then a rude boy 



covered aisle of the ostrich farm. Here climbed on my back and away I flew 



127 



