dropped them into a
basket.

Poor Sweet Voice, and Fleet Wing! They were so frightened that they
could not coo! They sat very close to each other in the covered basket,
and wondered when they would see their mother and father and home
again.

All the time, as they sat close together in the basket and wondered,
they were being taken away from home; for the king had started on his
journey, and one of his gentlemen was carrying the basket, very
carefully, with him on his horse.

At last the horses stood still and the basket was taken to the king; and
when he opened it, the two little pigeons looked up and saw that the sun
was high in the sky, and that they were far from home.

When they saw that they were far from home, they were more frightened
than before; but the king spoke so kindly and smoothed their feathers so
gently, that they knew he would take care of them.

Then the king took two tiny letters tied with lovely blue ribbon out of
his pocket; and, while his gentlemen stood by to see, he fastened one
under a wing of each little pigeon.

"Fly away, little pigeons!" he cried; and he tossed them up toward the
sky. "Fly away, and carry my love to my little daughter!"

Fleet Wing, and Sweet Voice spread their wings joyfully, for they knew
that they were free! free! and they wanted to go home.

Everywhere they saw green woods, instead of the red roofs and shining
windows of the town, and Sweet Voice was afraid; but Fleet Wing said:--

"I saw these woods from the tall church steeple. Home is not so far away
as we thought."

Then they lost no time in talking, but turned their heads homeward; and
as they flew the little gray squirrels that ran about in the woods
called out to ask them to play, but the pigeons could not stay.

The wood dove heard them, and called from her tree: "Little cousins,
come in!" But the pigeons thanked her and hurried on.

"Home is not so far away," said Fleet Wing; but he began to fear that he
had missed the way, and Sweet Voice was so tired that she begged him to
fly on alone.

[Illustration: The little pigeons were taken in to see the king's
daughter.]

Fleet Wing would not listen to this; and, as they talked, they came to a
little stream of water with green ferns growing all about, and they knew
that it must be the very stream that Father Pigeon loved. Then they
cooled their tired feet in the fresh water, and cooed for joy; for they
knew that they were getting nearer, nearer, ne