At
last he managed to loosen his claws from the paste, and to move
his wings ever so little. The birds, one on each side of him,
helped him to the trough by the side of the road, and he splashed
in the water until the paste was quite washed off."
"And what did this very curious sight make you think of?" said Mr.
Sinclair, suddenly leaning over his desk, and looking at the lad.
The boy colored deeply as he said, "It made me think of my string
of birds' eggs at home, and my collection of birds' nests. I
promised myself then that I would never, never do anything to
injure birds again. I thought that if they knew enough to be kind
to each other I ought to know enough to be kind to them."
It seemed as if there were no end to the good deeds of which the
lads had taken note.
One had seen an old man digging burdock-roots from the corner of a
sheep-field; and, when he offered his help, had learned how
troublesome the burdock-burrs were to all woolly or hairy animals.
Another had much to say of a lamb-creep that had been arranged so
as to give the young lambs a fair share of food. The older sheep
too often pushed the young ones aside when feeding-time came, and
their owner had built a little fold, into which only the small
lambs could enter, where a portion of the food was always placed.
All the lambs in his flock were plump and thriving, while in his
neighbor's pastures, where the lambs were left to fight for
themselves, they were thin, miserable-looking creatures.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44