A BIRD THAT FOOLED THE CHILDREN 
As Uncle Jack and the children were walking under 
a low tree, a bird flew to the ground just in front of 
them. It tried to fly away, but one wing dragged as if 
it were broken. The bird fluttered in the air a little 
way, then it fell to the ground again. 
“Look at that poor little turtledove!” cried Marylee. 
“Its wing is broken.” 
“May we catch it?” asked Bess. 
“Yes, if you can,” answered Uncle Jack, laughing. 
A little bird with a broken wing was not at all funny, 
but the children did not stop to ask Uncle Jack why he 
was laughing. They ran after the bird. 
Several times Marylee thought she had it. Buddy fell 
down and Bess fell on top of him. The bird kept just a 
little ahead of them. Suddenly it rose into the air and 
flew away. The children watched it fly to a tree; then 
they looked at each other. 
“It — it was just fooling us. It wasn't hurt at all,” 
said Marylee. 
“It played a good joke on us, all right,” said Buddy. 
“I wonder why.” 
“There is Uncle Jack back there by the tree, and he 
is laughing at us,” said Fred. “He knew the joke all 
the time.” 
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