Sometimes they would shake their
heads and say, "Well, well; did ever anyone see the like? I'll never shoot
another swallow."
As the winter came, all these pleasant walks were over. The poor birdie
began to droop; it was impossible to keep him warm, though he often crept
under the parlour fender, to get as close to the fire as possible; and in
spite of all that loving care could do, before the end of the year his
bright little life had been lived, and all his clever tricks, and airy
flights and loving ways were over.
The lady missed her pet sorely; and next summer when the low twittering of
the swallows was heard again, as they came back to their old home to build
once more, she watched them at their work with many a thought of her lost
birdie.
This is why I said it was a sad story; but we must not forget that the lady
really saved the life of the poor bird, when it had fallen from the nest.
If she had stolen it away from its parents, and tried to keep it in our
cold country when they had gone to Africa, she would have blamed herself,
and felt that she had been the cause of its death. It is cruel to take
young birds from the nest, for it is a great grief to the parent-birds to
lose their little ones; and it is so difficult to rear them, that they are
almost sure to die, in spite of the great care you take of them. Some boys
are fond of collecting birds' eggs, and know a great deal about them.
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