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diff --git a/43039-0.txt b/43039-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..15f9a58 --- /dev/null +++ b/43039-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,171 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43039 *** + + LITTLE + HENRY + AND + HIS BIRD + + [Illustration] + + NEW LONDON: + JOHN R. BOLLES. + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by John R. +Bolles, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. + + [Illustration] + + + + + LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BIRD. + + +Little Henry took his book one day and went into the garden to study. +He sat where the arbor cast a pleasant shade, and he could smell the +fragrance of the flowers that he himself had planted. At times, he would +forget his book while listening to the music of the birds, or gazing at +the peonies and tulips, but he would soon think again of his lesson, and +commence studying with new zeal. He was to recite in an hour, so he had +wisely chosen a comfortable place, and bravely resolved to conquer his +lesson as soon as possible. All at once the yellow cat, which had been +watching on the wall, sprang at a beautiful red bird and tumbled down +with it at Henry's feet. He started and caught the bird away from the +furious cat, but some of its bright feathers were flying about on the +ground, and one wing was so hurt that it could not fly, so he ran into +the house and told the story to his mother. She pitied the poor little +thing, and brought an old cage from the garret, where, placing the bird +softly upon the perch, she fastened it in so as to have no more trouble +from the cat. It was well that Henry had learned his lesson, and was +able to repeat it to his mother, for now he could think of nothing but +the bird. He gathered chickweed and flowers to place in its cage, and +gave it water and some crumbs and seeds. For a long time it seemed too +ill to eat, and when at last it picked up a few seeds, he danced about +the room for joy. + + [Illustration] + +Next day the little bird seemed better, for it ate seeds and crumbs, +and dipped its bill in the water. So Henry shut the cat into another +room, and placed the bird on the sill of the open window. He did not +suppose it was well enough to fly away, and he even fancied it would +never wish to leave him, but would live in his house and sing to him, +sit on his finger and be his own bird, and think itself the happiest of +birds, too, with such a friend and protector. The tall flowers growing +around the window, and the gentle breeze and sunshine, made it very +pleasant, and the little bird seemed to enjoy it, for raising its head +it sung as if delighted, and Henry was doubly delighted to think he +possessed such a treasure. By-and-by a bird like Henry's came and sat +on a rose bush, close to the open window, and sang a joyous strain. It +then flew away, and behold Henry's bird lifted up its wings and flew +away with it, and together they went to the top of a great oak tree, +and then there was such a singing as if all the birds were rejoicing +together. Henry stood alone at the window--his beautiful bird was +gone. The cage stood there with the cup of water and the seeds, but he +turned away his eyes, and covering his face with his hands, burst into +tears. His father came in, and seeing his grief, inquired the cause. +When Henry had told him, he took him on his knee and said, "My son, if +you should go away on an errand, and should get hurt by some furious +animal, so that you could not come back, we should all be in trouble, +and when you became able to return, we should be very happy. Shall we +not be glad, then, with the birds, because their lost one is found? You +may still hear it sing from the trees, and see its bright plumage as it +skips about the garden, and know that it is happier there than it would +be in confinement, where its song would seem to be-- + + "Thanks, little stranger, for all thy care, + But dearly I love the clear cool air; + And my snug little nest, on the old oak tree, + Is better than a golden cage to me." + + [Illustration] + + [Illustration] + +Still, if you want something which will fly in the air, and yet return +when you wish it, be a good boy, and when I come home again I will bring +it for you." Henry no longer shed tears for the bird when he thought of +its being so happy in freedom. + + [Illustration] + +All the afternoon he studied and worked and played as usual, often +wondering what it was that his father would bring him. At length sunset +came, and his father returned, bringing him a handsome kite, adorned +with painted pictures. "O, father," cried Henry, after he had joyfully +examined it, "may I go and play with it now?" "Not now," replied his +father, "but in the morning when the wind is fresh I will show you how +to raise it, and you may see it fly." Early the next morning Henry rose +while a faint star was still shining in at his window, and kneeling +down with a confiding heart, he repeated softly and slowly, his morning +prayer. He then took his kite and went down into the garden, where the +sun was just lighting up the dew-drops, making them shine like diamonds, +and the breeze was fresh and strong. In a few minutes his father +appeared, smiling at his promptness, and went with him into the field to +assist in raising his kite. + + [Illustration] + +Proudly it soared away until the yellow star upon it looked smaller +than the morning star that had peeped in at Henry's window, and as they +watched it moving through the air like a bird, his father told him that +Benjamin Franklin, a philosopher, once tried an experiment with a kite, +by which he discovered the nature of lightning. Henry said he thought +Benjamin Franklin was a little boy that paid all his money away for a +whistle. "So he was," said his father, "but he learnt wisdom by his +mistakes, and that made him a philosopher." Henry wanted to hear all +about the experiment. So his father told him how Franklin made his kite +with an iron point at the top, and the string of hemp with the lower +part of silk, and a key fastened where the two were tied together, and +how he raised it in a thunder-storm, and the iron drew the lightning +which passed down the hemp-string to the key, but no further, because it +could not pass down a silken string; that he then drew it down so as +to touch the key, when he received a spark like that from an electrical +machine, which showed that electrical sparks are of the same nature as +lightning, which no one knew before, and which was a great and useful +discovery. Henry was pleased with the story, but when his father told +him that another man trying the same experiment afterwards, was killed +by the lightning, the little boy said that he should not care about +trying it himself. + + [Illustration] + +Thus the time passed pleasantly until they returned to breakfast, and +when they heard the birds singing sweetly among the trees, Henry was +glad that his little red bird was among them, free and happy. + + + + + DIALOGUE + + BETWEEN A CHILD AND BIRD. + + + Little bird, little bird, come to me! + I have a green cage ready for thee; + Many bright flowers I'll bring to you, + And fresh ripe cherries, all wet with dew. + + Thanks, little stranger, for all thy care, + But dearly I love the clear cool air; + And my snug little nest on the old oak tree, + Is better than a golden cage to me. + + Little bird, little bird, where wilt thou go + When the fields are all buried in snow? + The ice will cover the old oak tree-- + Little bird, little bird, stay with me. + + No, little stranger, God guides me, + Over the hills and over the sea-- + I would be free as the morning air, + Chasing the sunshine everywhere. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Henry and His Bird, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43039 *** |