322 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



her husband to ask him to take the jackdaw. It 

 would never come back from such a distant place. 

 A week afterwards Mr. Sturge sent word that he 

 would take the bird, as he thought his relations 

 would like to have a real old English jackdaw to 

 remind them of home. So one day Aunt Ellen 

 came and took Jackie away in a small covered 

 basket. The funniest thing was the way father 

 went on when he came home to tea. "A bloater 

 with a soft roe," he says; "just what Jackie likes! 

 Where's the bird got to? Come to your tea, 

 Jackie !" 



"He's gone," says mother, "gone to Canada, 

 and a good riddance, too!" 



"Oh, gone, has he?" says father. "Then we're 

 a happy family and going to lead a quiet life. 

 No more screams and tears over broken chiny 

 dolls ! And if ever Billy brings another jackdaw 

 into the house we'll dust his coat for him." 



Here Billy interposed to say that if he ever 

 made such a mistake again they could thrash him 

 as much as they liked. 



"Oh, yes," said father, "we'll thrash you fast 

 enough; mother'U do it for the sake of her chiny 

 toys and dolls." 



