STORY OF A JACKDAW 273 



she would get 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 Hkes ! 

 Where's the bird got to S" Come to your tea, Jackie I " 



" 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 I 

 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 hked. 



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

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

 toys and dolls," 



That put mother up, " You're in a nasty temper," 

 she says, " but you know I miss the bird as much 

 as you do 5" " 



" Then," said father, " why the devil didn't you 



