OUR HOME BIRDS. 
33 
“ You look frightened, Clara, ” said her governess 
kindly ; “ it was not a real lion, you know.” 
“ But it was such a gloomy place !” was the reply, 
with a shudder. “ I wouldn’t have built a nest there 
if I had been a sparrow.” 
“ They were all in the dark,” said little Edith, 
adding her mite of sympathy. 
“ It was a grand old place,” said Malcolm approv- 
ingly, “ for no one, you see, would ever think of look- 
ing for a nest in a lion’s mouth. — But please go on, 
Miss Harson, and tell us about some more queer 
nests.” 
“To be in the dark, Edie,” said Miss Harson, 
smiling, “ is not so bad for birds as for some little 
girls I know ; for the birds really like it when they 
are at home, which is not very much of the time. 
But I must tell you about the sparrows that went 
to sea. 
“The story is that a coal-vessel from Newcastle 
put into Nairn in Scotland, and while there two 
sparrows were often seen to alight on the top of the 
mast. The crew were not particularly surprised at 
this, as sparrows were a common sight everywhere. 
But after putting to sea again, these same sparrows 
were seen following the vessel, and having reached 
it they took up their old post on top of the mast. 
Crumbs of bread were scattered on the deck to en- 
c 
