Two Yellow-Birds Read online

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  TWO YELLOW-BIRDS.

  By Anonymous

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  TWO YELLOW-BIRDS.

  |When Lucy Tracy was a very little girl, her mother had a beautifulyellow bird. He was quite tame, and would come out of his cage, and situpon Mrs. Tracy's plants, and then fly upon the breakfast table, andpick the crumbs from the white cloth, while Lucy and her lather andmother were eating their breakfast.

  Little Lucy had no brother or sister to eat breakfast with her; so thatshe enjoyed very much having Black-pate, as she called him, from theblack tuft on his head. She could chatter to him, as if he were no olderthan herself. And she would often give him lumps of sugar.

  He liked very much to fly into a basin of water and flatter his wings,bob his head in and out, and spatter Lucy's face Then she would laughand clap her would peck at, while she held them in her fingers, and hewould do it again, as if to make her laugh the more.

  She would stand by her mother, as she filled his glass cups, one withhemp-seed and the other with water, and brush all the old seeds from thebottom of his cage; for birds love a clean cage, as well as little girlslove a clean house.

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  He was not a Canary bird; but one of the wild yellow birds, that flyabout in the woods and fields. He did not seem to mourn his liberty, butappeared generally very happy in his wire house. His kind mistress tookgood care of him. She never trusted any one but herself to wash his cageor give him food. She knew poor birds often to suffer from hunger andthirst, by the neglect of those who are _told_ to take care of them. Shewould often say to Lucy, "It is a hard thing, my little girl, to be shutup in a cage, as this poor bird is; therefore, we ought to do all wecan to make him comfortable. It is very wicked to let little birds wantseeds, or water, either to drink, or wash themselves in."

  "But mother, if he don't like his cage, what makes him sing so sweetly,when he flies into it, after he has washed himself in the little basinyou keep for him? That don't look as if he were unhappy."

  "I did not say that he was unhappy; but he has a feeling of confinement,when he flies against the wires of his cage, as if he wished to get out;just as you have when you find yourself shut up in a room, when _you_wish to get out. He sings to show his gratitude for his food, and whilehe is eating, feels quite as happy as when he is in his native woods;but after he has done, he wants to fly about just as you want to run.Soon he is hungry again; and then goes to his seeds to eat; and againsings his thanks."

  "But, mother, if you think poor Black-pate is not happy, why don't youlet him fly away, and go into the green woods again?"

  "Why, Lucy, look out of the window, ana see if there be any greenwoods where he _can_ fly?" Lucy ran to the window, but soon returned,exclaiming, "Oh dear! no, mother; the ground is all covered with snow;and the trees are all frost instead of leaves. Poor Black-pate! you arebetter where you are, for the cold snow would freeze your little, feetand you could find no seeds upon the frosty trees and bushes. Wait tillspring comes; and then, mother, shan't you let him fly, if he chooses?"

  "Yes, I only bought him of the boys, who brought him here in thebeginning of winter, to keep him until the warm spring comes, I toldthem I would take him at the price they named, if they would not catchany more, which they promised."

  In about a month from this time, the snow was all gone--the buds uponthe trees began to swell, and some of them had burst into leaves.The sun was quite warm; and Lucy remembered her mother's promise toBlack-pate. One morning, just before the sun rose. Mrs. Tracy called herlittle daughter to walk with her into the garden. "Come, Lucy, let ussee if Black-pate would like to bid us good bye this fine morning."Mr. Tracy took the cage, and Mrs. Tracy and Lucy followed him intothe garden; he hung it upon a tree, that was nearly covered with youngleaves, and opened the door. The bird flew in and out several times.

  After breakfast, Lucy sat down with her mother, in a parlor, that ledto a piazza, looking into the garden, to study her lesson. Often shestarted up from her book and ran out, to see if Black-pate was stillthere. Her mother did not speak to her, for some time. He attimes, peeked at the leaves, flew from bough to bough, sung some of itssweetest notes, but did not fly out of the garden. They left the cageupon the tree, and Black-pate at liberty to go or stay, just as hepleased.

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  At last she said, "Lucy; how many words can you spell?"

  "I am afraid not one; for I am thinking all the time about dearBlack-pate, and how sad I shall he tomorrow morning, when I don't seehim on the table. And I keep looking out, to see if he has got back tohis cage. I am afraid, mother, I am selfish; for every time I look outand see him flying about, I feel sorry. Is not that selfish?"

  "Yes, my dear, it certainly is; for it is preferring your own happinessto that of your little bird; which but a few weeks ago you begged me toset at liberty. I am glad you see it is selfish, for you will try notto indulge it, since you know it is wicked. Instead of thinking how sad_you_ will be to-morrow morning, think how happy your _bird_ will be,hopping about in the beautiful fresh air. And you may get up as earlyas you please, and go into the garden, and see if he will not give you asweeter song than you ever heard in the house."

  The next morning, as soon as the day began to dawn, Lucy awoke, andcalled from her little bed. "Mother, do you think Black-pate is awakeyet?"

  "I don't know, but you may get up and see." So up jumped Lucy, and puton her clothes, and away she ran into the garden. She found the cageempty, but soon heard Black-pate, and some other birds, singing mostbriskly. She strewed some seeds and crumbs of bread upon the ground forthem, and had great pleasure in running about and hearing them sing,till breakfast was ready. She then went into the house, and afterbreakfast she sat down to sew with her mother. She finished all the workthat her mother required, and repeated her lesson without missing oneword.

  She was so good a girl, that in the afternoon her fond mother took herto ride with her, a few miles, to visit a friend, who had some childrenabout her own age. They walked in the woods and saw and heard manylittle birds chirp and sing; and Lucy enjoyed very much a variety ofplays with the children, and passed a part of the time very pleasantlyin swinging.

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  At night she, returned home by the light of a beautiful moon, and wentto bed very happy. In the morning she went into the garden to hearBlack-pate sing; but no Black-pate was there! At first she felt a littlesad; but she remembered how happy the little birds were, that she hadseen the day before; and she soon sent her sad feelings away A few daysafter this, a gentleman, a friend of her father, came to dine with them.As he was very fond of children, he talked a great deal with Lucy; andshe told him the story of her bird. Black-pate.

  He listened very kindly to her and when she had finished, he said, "Andso, my little girl, then your fine cage is quite empty and useless now?"

  "Yes, sir," said Lucy. "Well," said he, "I have some young birds thatwere born in a cage; and they will not be unhappy to live in one, ifthey are taken good care of; for they have never known any other home.Now if your mother is willing, and you would like it, I will send youone to-morrow morning, to put into your empty cage. And I dare say youwill never forget to feed him, and give him fresh water to drink andwash in every morning."

  Mrs. Tracy was quite willing; and Lucy promised she would notforget.--The next morning the gentleman sent the bird; for he alwaysremembered his promises.

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  This bird was not so handsome as Black-pate; his color was not asbrilliant, nor his neck so long and graceful; but he sung very sweetly;and Lucy soon found that she loved him quite as we
ll as she had everloved Black-pate Though only six years old, she never once forgot togive him fresh seeds and water, and to clean his cage every morning.She was so small that she could not take down the cage from the sunnywindow, where it hung, nor put it back, after she had cleaned it;but her father was so much pleased with her attention to her littlefavorite, that he was always ready to help her.

  For nearly two years, Lucy thought that her bird grew handsomer and sangmore sweetly every day. She used to go to school in the morning, andwhen she came home, would often bring flowers to dress his cage with, orchickweed, and the long seed vessels of the plantain, which little birdslove very much; and he always repaid her with a song.

  But the third spring, he began to droop and look sick; he left offsinging, and almost left off eating. He would sit on his roost for along time, hanging his head, as if he had not strength to hold it up.

  It grieved Lucy very much to see him so. She