lowed dirt or stones, so there was no 

 trouble about my taking it, and I wished 

 all birds could have such delicious food. 

 I was taken up-stairs to my new home, 

 where everything was in pink and green 

 and looked so fresh I thought I was back 

 in the clover field. My new mother (for 

 that is what I mean to call her) took me 

 up to what she caUed a cage and said: 

 "Tricksey and Cervera, I want to intro- 

 duce you to your new brother." Trick- 

 sey charmed me at once, for he was like 

 a ray of sunshine in his dress of gold, but 

 when I looked at Cervera I laughed right 

 out in his face. It was very rude, but I 

 know if any of you had been in my place 

 you would have done the same thing. Of 

 all the ugly specimens of a bird I had 

 ever seen he was the very worst. He was 

 Tricksey's size, but only had his baby 

 feathers and one tail feather. He was 

 dirt color, had big staring eyes, and 

 such a bill, almost as large as his head, 

 which was perfectly flat. He looked so 

 common and ill-bred that I wondered 

 how dainty Tricksey ever sat beside him. 

 I was too sleepy to ask any questions and 

 was soon fast asleep on my new mother's 

 finger; then was put into a nice little 

 basket filled with cotton. The next day 

 Tricksey was very kind to me, but Cer- 

 vera was cross and pecked me every time 

 he got a chance. Tricksey said : "I have 

 tried to be kind to that old Spaniard, Cer- 

 vera, but I do not like him and will not 

 have him snuggle close to me nights, so 

 I fight him until he gets into the swing. 

 If you will sleep in the cage you may 

 put your wings close to mine, for you are 

 so pretty and clean." When bedtime 

 came my new mother said I was too large 

 for the basket, and I might try sleeping in 

 the cage, so she put me in and made Cer- 

 vera get up into the swing. Just as 

 Tricksey and I were going to sleep Cer- 

 vera began swinging with all his mig^t, 

 and would reach down, peck us on the 

 head and pull our feathers out. When he 

 was caught he was taken out and made 

 to sleep in the basket. In the morning 

 we were all let out on the floor, and it 

 was amusing to see Cervera mimic ev- 

 erything Tricksey did. If Tricksey took 

 a drink Cervera did, and would follow 

 everywhere he went. 



About that tinu^ T saw comincr into 



the room a large, striped thing, with shin- 

 ing, green eyes, and my heart beat so 

 fast I could hardly breathe. Tricksey 

 whispered in my ear : ''You need not be at 

 all afraid; that is only Tafify, the cat, and 

 we are the best of friends. Taffy 

 jumped into my new mother's lap, and 

 we three stood on the table and ate bread 

 and milk together. The first time I was 

 left in the room alone I looked around to 

 see what would be nice to play with. First 

 I went over to the dressing table, carried 

 two large cuff-buttons and put them into 

 my drinking cup, another pair I put on 

 the floor of the cage with two large coral 

 hairpins, two shell pins, and some studs. 

 I stuck all the pins on anything I 

 could pick up and threw them on the 

 floor; turned over a basket which was 

 filled with ribbon and lace ; some I left on 

 the floor, and with the rest I trimmed the 

 cage. When I heard my new mother 

 coming I began to tremble. She stood 

 speechless for a moment, then said : "You 

 rogue of a bird ; how shall I punish you ?" 

 Then took me in her hand and kissed me, 

 and I knew the future was clear, and 

 I could have all the fun I wanted. 

 Tricksey had the asthma very bad, and 

 sometimes a little whisky on some sugar 

 would relieve him. It was funny to see 

 that bad Cervera maneuvre to get Trick- 

 sey off the perch so he could eat the 

 sugar and whisky. Tricksey grew worse 

 instead of better, and one morning my 

 new mother was wakened early by his 

 hard breathing. She took him off from 

 his perch and found his claws ice-cold, 

 and he was so weak he could hardly hold 

 on. He lay in her hand a moment, then 

 threw back his pretty head and all was 

 over. We were all heart-broken and shed 

 many tears, for we were powerless to 

 bring back to life that little bird we loved 

 so dearly. I really felt sorry for that 

 horrid Cervera. He missed Tricksey, and 

 for days seemed to be looking for him. 

 One evening he went out the window, 

 and we never saw him again. 



I am very fond of sweet apples and 

 generally whenever I want anything 

 that is down-stairs I go and get it. I love 

 grapes better than any other fruit. When 

 I want one I hop back and forth on the 

 back parlor table, then on top of a high 

 back chair and tease until one is given to 



18 



