Chapter 2

Bravo thought to himself, "It holds to reason, since that little chick isn't afraid of such a powerful dog as I am, that there must be help near at hand." And, sure enough, hardly had Bravo thought this, when from behind some rushes ran out an old hen, followed by four, five, six chickens; and the old hen, with her feathers all ruffled, went right at Bravo, while the chicks stood behind sharpening their bills, and getting ready to join in the battle with their mother.

Although the most courageous of dogs, it could not be expected that Bravo would be so foolhardy as to make a stand against such odds. He paused a moment, with his mouth open, as the terrible old hen came at him; and then, seeing that the tide of battle was against him, he ran off as fast as he could to his master's door-step. But, though defeated, he showed his spirit by keeping up a frightful barking. The old hen and her chicks, however, were so stupid that they did not mind it much.

Indeed, the old hen, with her family, came up so near to the door-step, that Bravo was obliged to make a second retreat. This he did with such success and good general-ship, that he escaped unhurt. Thus ended Bravo's first battle; and I think you will agree with me, that many a general with epaulets would not have done any better.

UNCLE CHARLES.

THE CATCHER CAUGHT.

_First Sparrow_ (the one standing with both wings spread).--Oh, look here! Come all. See what has happened! Here is old Scratch-claw with his tail caught fast in the door.

_Second Sparrow._--Where is he? Let me see. Oh, isn't this jolly! Halloo, Sparrows! Come and see. Come one, come all.

_Third Sparrow._--That's the rascal that killed and ate three of my little ones.

_Fourth Sparrow._--He came near catching me, the other day. Didn't he spit viciously when he saw me get out of his way?

_Fifth Sparrow_ (the one on the ground).--How are you, old Sneezer? How are your folks? Don't you find yourself comfortable?

_Pussy._--Siss-ss-siss-ss! Mee-ow? mee-ow!

_Fifth Sparrow._--Oh! wouldn't you like to, though? Spit away, old fellow! It's music to us sparrows.

_Sixth Sparrow._--You are the brute that killed my dear little Spotted-wing.

_Seventh Sparrow._--He also murdered my precious little Twitterwit.

_Eighth Sparrow._--He is a bad fellow; and it is not surprising he has come to grief.

_Ninth Sparrow._--Pull away, old boy! Sha'n't we come and help you? I love you so, I would like a lock of your hair.

_Tenth Sparrow_ (the one on the lowest bough).--Children, hush! It is not good sparrow morality to jeer at an enemy in affliction,--even a cat.

_Fifth Sparrow._--O grandfather, you shut up your bill! Just you go within reach of his claws, and see what cat-gratitude is.

_Tenth Sparrow._--My children, we must not exult over the pains even of an enemy. A cat has feelings.

_Pussy._--Siss-hiss-hoo! Mee-ow! Fitt! Fitt!

_Fifth Sparrow._--What a lovely voice!

_Sixth Sparrow._--The expression of his face, too, how charming!

_Tenth Sparrow._--Fly back, all of you, to your bushes and trees; for here comes a little boy who will see that Pussy is rescued.

_First Sparrow._--Well, I wouldn't have missed this spectacle for a good deal.

_Fifth Sparrow._--It is better than Barnum's exhibition any day.

_First Sparrow._--Yes, and it costs us nothing.

_Tenth Sparrow._--There! Fly away, all of you! Fly away! You have said enough. I am ashamed of you all. You ought to know better than to be revengful. You are quite as bad as boys and men.

_Fifth Sparrow._--Grandfather is getting to be abusive. Let us fly off. Good-by, Pussy! Pull away!

ALFRED SELWYN.

THE BIRDS AND THE POND-LILY.

FOUR little birds came out to greet The first pond-lily, so fair and sweet, The first that opened its petals white To the wooing breeze and the golden light. They flew around, then sat on the tree, And sang, "You are sweet as sweet can be: O dear Pond-lily! we do not jest: Now, which of us all do you love best?" Pond-lily spoke not, but, instead, Dipped in the water her beautiful head, As much as to say, "I'm well content In this my own pure element." The birds they sang in their very best style, But got no answer, not even a smile; For Pond-lily knew it was safest and best To keep where she was, on the wave's cool breast, And never to listen to flattering words From idle suitors and wandering birds.

EMILY CARTER.

EDWIN'S DOVES.

EDWIN has two doves. They were given to him by his uncle. He has a nice little house for them. There are two doors in it, where they go in and out. In front of the doors there is a shelf, on which they perch.

The doves are free to go where they please; but they always come home at night. They are quite tame. Sometimes they fly up to Edwin's window, and light on the sill. They tap on the pane to let him know they are hungry.

Then he opens the window, and feeds them. He gives them corn, crumbs of bread, and sometimes oats. They like the corn best. One of them is rather apt to be greedy; and both get so much to eat that they are very plump and fat.

Here are the doves looking at the turkeys. They do not know what to make of such birds.

W. O. C.

THE LITTLE FORTUNE-SEEKERS.

YOUNG as Alan was, he had heard from his uncle Paul many a story about people seeking their fortune: so, one fine summer day, he set off with his brother Owen and his sister Amy a-fortune-seeking. Alan carried a stick; and Amy had a little basket on her arm.

Alan led the way, telling Owen and Amy to keep close to him, and to fear nothing. As they passed by Lakin's pond, a duck gave a loud quack; when they came to the great ash-tree, a bee buzzed by them: but neither the quacking nor the buzzing frightened the bold Alan; and on he went, holding up his stick.

They had almost reached the sawyer's cottage, when a black animal ran out towards them. Alan asked if he should attack the tiger? Owen would have it that it was only a puppy dog: but Alan said that did not matter; for it had four legs and a head and a tail, and so had a tiger. Owen thought he had better let it alone; and Amy tamed the tiger at once by giving it a bit of bread from her basket.

Suddenly they came to a spot where five or six geese and a few goslings were waddling about. The gander came towards them, stretching out his neck, and hissing loudly. Owen and Amy ran back, followed by Alan, who told them, that, if he had hit the gander with his stick, he would have frightened the goslings.

As there was a stile near, leading into a field, they all got over the stile, and thus passed the geese.

"I wonder how that gander would like it," said Alan, "if I were to turn back, and lay hold of him by his long neck, and shake him?" Amy begged of him by no means to think of such a thing; and so Alan told her that he would not. Little did the gander know of his narrow escape!

Ah, me! what perils await those who go on their travels to seek their fortunes! A little brook was now before them; and Alan said, "This river must be crossed, and I hope that none of us will be carried away by the current. What we shall do if an Indian springs from behind the bushes, or a crocodile comes out of the sedge, I don't know. Here is the narrowest part of the river. I will lay my stick across it; and, if we make believe very much, it will do for a bridge."

"But I can't walk along your stick," said Amy. "Never mind that," said Alan: "a bridge is a bridge, whether we walk along it or not." So Alan laid his stick across the narrow part, and then jumped over the brook, followed by Owen and Amy. No Indian sprang from the bush, no crocodile came out of the sedge; and the river was crossed without one of them being drowned.

All at once it came into Alan's head that Uncle Paul had once been attacked by a wolf, and that they ought to have an adventure of the same kind: he therefore asked Owen if he would consent to be eaten up by a wolf. Owen said he did not like it: he thought Alan ought to be eaten, for he was the biggest. Alan said that would never do; for then there would be nobody to care for him and Amy.

But, besides this difficulty, there was another: they had no wolf; and, where to get one, they did not know. At last it was settled. Owen was to be the wolf, and to spring on Amy; but before he had eaten her up, or even so much as snapped off her little finger, Alan was to rush upon him with his stick, and drive him back into the woods.

Amy was now left alone, that Owen might get behind one bush, and Alan behind another. No sooner was this done, than, with her basket on her arm, she went on her journey.

And now Amy was almost come to the bush behind which Owen was crouching. For a moment she made a stop, as though she hardly durst go by; but at last she went on. Suddenly the wolf leaped out, and caught hold of her.

What was poor Amy to do? Well was it for her that Alan happened to come up. Many people are frightened at wolves; but Alan did not seem frightened at all.

It was a hard struggle; for the wolf pulled poor Amy one way, and Alan pulled her the other; but at length Alan won the day. "Shall I kill the wolf, Amy?" cried he, lifting up his stick. "No, no!" cried Amy: "he has not hurt me a bit. He is not a real wolf, but only my brother Owen."

The affair of the wolf having passed off so well, Alan began to bethink himself of other adventures. So much had he heard from Uncle Paul about Indians, that his heart was set on going among them.

Both Owen and Amy wondered where he would find the Indians; but Alan said, "That thicket yonder is quite as likely a place to find them in as any that I know."

"We have not seen one yet," said Owen. "No," replied Alan: "Indians always get behind the trees." This made Owen and Amy look about them, as if they feared every tree had an Indian behind it.

Alan set off for the thicket, while Owen and Amy sat down to talk over their travels; but it was not long before Alan again joined them. Whether the Indians were absent on some expedition, or whatever else might be the cause, certain it was that Alan had found no Indians. He had, however, torn the leg of one of his stockings: so he asked Amy to bind up his wounds.

"But you have not hurt your leg," said Amy: "you have only torn a hole in your stocking."

"Never mind that!" replied Alan. "We are out on our travels, seeking our fortunes, and must make the most of every thing. Bind up my wounded leg."

Little Amy tied up his leg with his handkerchief; and, considering that she had never bound up a wound before, it did her great credit.

It is due to Alan to say that the misfortune of his wounded leg by no means cooled his courage. "What is the use," said he, "of complaining? Those who go to seek their fortunes must learn to bear pain."

One of Alan's plans was to find a treasure; and, as they had neither spade nor pickaxe with them to dig for gold, he thought the best way would be for them to find a bag of money. Amy said, if they found a bag of money, she should like to take Dolly some. This being generously agreed to by Alan and Owen, they proceeded with their plan.

Alan took Amy's handkerchief, and tied up some grass in it. He then told Owen to go on a little way and drop it; and this Owen did. "Hi!" cried Alan, when he came up to the spot: "what have we here? Who would have thought that a merchant would have dropped a bag of money in such a place as this?"

All at once Owen and Amy bethought themselves that they had no right to the gold, as it belonged to the merchant who had lost it; but Alan met this objection by saying that they could easily inquire for the merchant as they went along, and give up the money if they found him. Thus pacified, Owen and Amy allowed Alan to lift the heavy bag of money into the basket: this he seemed to do with great difficulty.

But how was the basket to be carried with so heavy a weight in it? Said Alan, "Where there is a will, there is a way." A stick was procured, and passed through the handle of the basket, one end of it resting on Owen's shoulder, and the other end on the shoulder of Amy.

Alan with his leg tied up, leaning on his stick for support, hobbled onward; and Owen and Amy appeared to toil with might and main, bending under their load.

They had almost come to the turn by the birch-trees, when suddenly Dash, their own favorite dog, came barking joyfully towards them. At that very moment their parents were waiting for them with the pony-chaise at the end of the lane.

No sooner did our little fortune-seekers set eyes on the pony-chaise than off they set in a scamper, strangely forgetful of what had passed. It was wonderful to see how nimble Alan was in spite of his wounded leg; and with what ease Owen and Amy ran along with that heavy load of gold, which before had well-nigh weighed them down to the ground.

THE LITTLE STEPMOTHER.

THE little stepmother, with her blue eyes and rosy cheeks, sat in the yard, surrounded by her pets, and busily paring some apples.

From heaven blew the morning wind, and greeted the lovely child: "Little stepmother, I will by thee remain: I will make the time pass merrily for thee, and cool thy red cheeks. Dost thou not hear?"

A sparrow sat before her on the bench, and twittered: "This is _my_ place; my stomach is empty. Little stepmother, I am very hungry. I beg thee to give me some breakfast. Dost thou not hear?"

The dove swelled with anger, and said, "Go away, thou vagabond, thou beggar sparrow, thou glutton!--Little stepmother, I politely ask thee only for a sip of water. Dost thou not hear?"

The cat sat lost in thought, opening and shutting her eyes. "Little stepmother," said the cat, "my stomach, too, is empty. Go thou for some meat, or else look out that no harm comes to thy dear birds in the yard. Dost thou not hear?"

The little stepmother laughed, and said, "Be not so impatient! I must first make a dish of apple-sauce for the seven and seventy guests who are coming to my wedding-feast. When they are all assembled, then shall the morning wind play for the dance. You, beloved birds, shall be my bridesmaids, and the cat shall be the bride's father."

A SUMMER DAY.

Words by GEO. COOPER.

Music by T. CRAMPTON.

VOICE AND PIANO.

1. This is the way the morning dawns; Rosy tints on flowers and trees, Winds that wake the birds and bees, Dewdrops on the fields and lawns,-- This is the way the morning dawns.

2. This is the way the sun comes up: Gold on brooks and glossy leaves, Mist that melts above the sheaves, Vine and rose and buttercup,-- This is the way the sun comes up.

3. This is the way the birdie sings: "Baby birdies in the nest, You I surely love the best; Over you I fold my wings,"-- This is the way the birdie sings.

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Transcriber's Note:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

This issue was part of an omnibus. The original table of contents covered the entire second half of 1873. The remaining text of the table of contents can be found in the rest of the year's issues.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1, by Various