° 
fie ALES BLIGHT, 
captors. I soon gave up these attempts 
and followed whither the boats led. I was 
extremely weak from my past exertions 
and it was only after an effort most pain- 
ful on my part that I was eventually towed 
alive to land. 
On shore my captors, holding the ropes 
at a distance on either side of me, con- 
ducted me to a small hamlet situated at 
the outlet of the pond. The entire popu- 
lace of the place turned out to view me, and 
the remarks they made concerning my 
figure and appearance were far from com- 
plimentary. After they had all looked 
their fill and discussed me to a disgusting 
length, I was tied up in a building where 
there were some other animals imprisoned. 
These creatures had feet something like 
mine, but had round horns growing from 
their heads, and seemed perfectly contented 
to be where they were. Some dried grass 
was given me to eat, such as the other 
animals there had, but I was too exhausted 
and too nervous over what the future held 
in store for me, to think of eating, even had 
they provided forage with which I was 
familiar. 
The next day I was again paraded on 
the only street of the settlement and my 
disposal appeared a topic much discussed. 
In the crowd of garrulous men, women and 
children, there was one woman with a little 
black box under her arm. She made the 
39 
crowd stand away from me and aimed it 
at ime repeatedly. I could hear a little 
click, but what nonsense it was or what 
she thought she was doing was beyond my 
comprehension. 
I was a prisoner among them’ many days 
and learned much concerning their ways 
which the longest life will never efface. 
They seemed solicitous that I should eat, 
and brought all kinds of impossible things 
to tempt my appetite. I did manage to 
consume enough to sustain life, but how 
I longed for the fare to which I had been 
accustomed. One day I was. led out and 
learned that the game commissioners, to 
whom my captors had written, had decided 
that I should be set at liberty. I was taken 
to the shore of the pond near where we had 
landed that eventful day, the hateful ropes 
were removed from my neck, one of the 
men gave me a parting switch with a 
withe, and I ambled joyfully away. 
At first I could with difficulty realize 
what a happy outcome my escapade had 
had, but soon I comprehended that I was 
free. Free to hunt for my parents and 
endeavor, by my future conduct, to atone 
for my past misdemeanors. Free to breathe 
the clean, untainted air of the forest. Free 
to live as it was intended I should. A 
weak, half starved, most forlorn little 
wretch, but free! 
THE OWLETS FLIGHT. 
Ss. H. M. 
An owlet sat in a towering pine 
And wisely gazed around; © 
The night lay darkly on the wood, 
Earth slept without a sound. 
“The moon and I alone are out,” 
He said, and heaved a sigh. 
His gaze intent was fixed upon 
The crescent hung on high. 
“I wonder,” and his eyes grew big, 
“Tf it really is green cheese, 
Or if it is a world like this 
With leafy trees like these.” 
“T plainly see the man up there, 
He’s looking straight at me. 
He’s all alone like me to-night; 
Where can the maiden be? 
“When last the moon was big and round 
She sat with tresses fair, 
And smiled upon the world beneath; 
How did she get up there?” 
“Too wit! too whoo!” in breathless voice 
The little owlet screamed 
As he lighted on fair Luna’s horn. 
Fair Luna only beamed. 
“Who, who are you?” the owlet asked; 
“Where is the maiden fair 
Who often waves her golden locks 
Till they shimmer in the air? 
“Where go you when at early dawn 
You sink behind the West? 
I sleep within a hollow tree; 
Where do you take your rest? 
“Some nights you hide your beaming face 
And then I look and call. 
Oh, those indeed are gloomy nights, 
The darkness is like a pall.” 
In vain the owlet questions asked, 
The moon made no reply; 
Day dawned and the owlet fell asleep 
With the moon in the morning sky. 
