OUR HOME BIRDS. 
35 
the cage was outside, and a sparrow was seen to fly 
about it, then perch on the top and twitter to the 
bird within, between whom and itself a conversation 
seemed to take place. Very likely the sparrow said, 
‘ Does she give you nice fat worms to eat ?’ and the 
canary sorrowfully answered, 4 No, indeed. I don’t 
even know what they taste like. Are they good?’ 
‘ Good !’ repeats the sparrow, in scorn, 4 1 should 
think they were good. But, you poor little prisoner, 
you can’t catch any for yourself, and I will bring 
you one this very minute ! Dear ! dear ! to think 
that I should live to be asked by a bird if worms 
w r ere good!’ And away he flew. 
“ I do not say that he actually said all this, Clara 
— your eyes and Edith’s are looking so very large — 
but he may have said it as birds talk. At any rate, 
he soon returned to his new acquaintance, carrying a 
w r orm in his bill, which he dropped into the cage, and 
then immediately flew off, as though he did not wish 
to be thanked. 
“ Day after day, just at the same hour, the sparrow 
visited the canary, and never came empty-handed, or, 
I should say, empty-billed; and very soon the two 
birds became so intimate that the worm was taken 
into the canary’s bill from that of the sparrow. It 
was a very pretty sight, and all the neighbors soon 
became interested in it. Some other ladies tried the 
