NELLIE'S AMUSEMENTS _ 57 



to force it open. After looking around her and striking 

 the box a few times against the wires of her cage, she dis- 

 covered a block of wood about six inches square. She took 

 this and mounted her perch. Balancing the block on the 

 perch, she held it with the left foot, while with the right 

 foot she held to the perch. With her tail wound around 

 the meshes of the cage to steady herself, she carefully 

 adjusted the match-box in such a manner as to protect her 

 fingers from the blow. Then she struck the spring against 

 the block of wood and the lid flew open. She fairly 

 screamed with delight and held up the box with pride. 

 The lid was again closed in order that she might open it. 



The late hours which I kept were beginning to tell on 

 Nellie, and from time to time during the day I caught her 

 taking a nap. I determined to use some curtains to avoid 

 disturbing her rest. Drawing them around the cage, I 

 lapped them over and pinned them down in front. Then 

 I turned down the light and kept quiet for a little while to 

 allow her to go to sleep. After the lapse of a few minutes 

 I quietly turned up the light and resumed writing. In an 

 instant the curtains rustled. Looking around, I saw her 

 little brown eyes peeping through the folds of the curtains, 

 which she gracefully held apart with her little black hands. 

 When she saw what had caused the disturbance she chat- 

 tered in her soft, rich tones, and tried to pull the curtains 

 farther apart. I arranged them so she could not look 

 around the room. To see her holding the curtains apart in 

 that coquettish manner, turning her head from side to side, 

 peeping and smiling at me and talking in such low sweet 

 tones, was like a real flirtation. One who has not witnessed 



