lOO 



tiere to shake it, and then dropped it and jumped 

 away witli a shriek. 



"What's the matter?" asked the boy, who was 

 passing through the room with his cap on and the 

 racket in his hand." 



" Och, and I think it was a mouse," said the 

 housemaid. 



"A mouse !" cried the boy, full of interest in a 

 moment, and he too lifted the portiere. 



There in a corner of the door was the poor little 

 bat that he had struck the night before. He had 



broken its wino- with 



o 



his racket, and it had 

 been hiding about the 

 room ever since. 



The Tame Bat Xlie ll O U S e Ul a i d 



begged him to kill the " nasty thing," as she called it. 

 But the boy said he wanted to see what it would do. 



The little thing was almost blinded by the light, 

 but it opened its mouth and threatened him with 

 its tiny teeth. Then it hobbled a little farther 

 away, trying to use its broken wing. 



" It must be hungry," said the boy. " Don't you 

 touch it, Mary, I'm going to get something and see 

 if it will eat." 



