JIMMY CROW'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.]

JIMMY CROW.

X.

"It was a year ago today I found [Jimmy Crow]," said Jack. "He must
have a 'birthday' party." So [Jack] invited the [children] he and
Jimmy liked best to "Jimmy's picnic."

They all went up to the [berry]-pasture where Jack found [Jimmy Crow].
First there was little Ibelle, carrying Jimmy Crow in her [arms]. Next
came her big brother Alden, who had a [basket] with [six pears] in
it. Louise had [six sticks of candy] in a [bag], and Bob brought [six
donuts] in a [box]. Russell carried [six cookies] in a [parcel], and
last came Jack with a tin [bucket]. Nobody knew what was in it. That
was Mama's "surprise."

They sat down under a shady [tree] and divided the goodies. [Jimmy
Crow] sat in the middle, and they each gave him a piece. After they
had all eaten a [stick of candy] and [donut] and [pear] and [cookie],
Jack opened the [bucket]. The children all put their [heads] close
together to see, and as the [lid] came off they shouted, "Oh, oh!
Ice-cream!"

Then they sat down again in a circle, [Jack] in the middle, with a
[spoon]. He gave each one a [spoonful of ice-cream] in turn. Oh, how
good it tasted!

But [Jimmy Crow] wanted some, and when Jack would not let him eat from
the spoon, he grabbed it in his [beak] and flew away. The [children]
chased him until he dropped it, and then gave him a taste of the
ice-cream. He didn't like it, so the [children] ate it all.

Then they picked [berries], until Alden's [basket] and Bob's [box] and
Louise's [bag] were all full.

Just as they were starting home, a little tired after all the
fun--"Hurrah!" shouted Russell. "Here comes Uncle Charlie, with his
[wagon]. He will give us a ride." So kind [Uncle Charlie] tossed them
up into the hay, one by one--little Ibelle first--and they all rode
home on the [hay]. [Edith Francis Foster]

[IN SCHOOL.]

JIMMY CROW.

XI.

The first day Jack went to school in the fall, [Jimmy Crow] was very
lonesome. The [school] was near by, and about noon he flew over and
hopped in at the open [window].

All the [children] were bending over their [desks], writing, but Jimmy
knew Jack's [back] as well as his [front], and lighted on his [head].
The children laughed at that, and the [teacher] laughed too. Then she
said, "If Jimmy Crow does not disturb anyone, he may stay, as it is
nearly noon." The children promised not to be disturbed, and the
[pencils] went to work again. [