[Illustration]

"Those people you speak of," said he sternly to the frightened Hoopoe,
"_may_ have had Cormorants to catch their fish, but I never heard of
it before. Whereas all history is full of the exploits of my
ancestors, and monarchs and nobles spent immense fortunes in buying
and keeping Falcons that hunted birds grandly."

Now the Hoopoe knew very well that it was not this Falcon, but the
great Gerfalcon, his cousin, that was formerly held in such high
esteem; but he did not dare to say so, and, as he must be saying
something, he turned to the Pelican.

"I have long wanted to meet with you to ask you if is true that you
tear open your breast with your hooked bill, and feed your young with
your own blood?"

"Not a word of truth in it!" replied the Pelican scornfully, "I am
often obliged to gather food in places far from home. I do not dive
into the water like the Cormorant, but catch, with a sidelong snatch
of my bill, the fish that rise to the surface. This loose skin, that
is now so folded up under my beak that you can scarcely see it, I can
distend into an enormous pouch. This I fill with fish, and my wings
being wide and powerful, I can easily carry a great weight of fish
through the air. When I reach home I feed my young by pressing my beak
against my breast, and thus forcing out the enclosed fish. And on the
tip of my beak is a little curved hook as red as a drop of blood. And
now you know the whole story."

"Thank you," said the Hoopoe, "I must go and tell the storks all about
it." And away he darted like a streak of colored light. The Falcon,
too, lazily spread out his large wings, and soared majestically up
into the air, leaving the Pelican and Cormorants to discuss their
family affairs and their dinner in peace.

MUMMIES.

[Illustration]

A mummy is not a very pretty thing to look at; but, considered
properly, it is certainly interesting. That stiff form, wrapped up
tightly in ever so many dirty cloths, with a black shrivelled face
which looks as if it had been cut out of a piece of wood and then
smoked, was once, no doubt, a very pleasant person to know. If it was
a woman, it played with the children; sewed a little, perhaps;
complained of the heat, and went to parties. If it was a man, it
probably whistled a little, and sang; settled up its accounts, was
fond of horses, and took an interest in the vegetable garden.

Most of the mummies that have been brought from Egypt to this cou