heir rights as Signori Priori, and take the coveted seats.

However dinner is over, and we all adjourned to the lowest cavern while
the servants eat theirs. Then we sing songs and tell stories.

_Felix._--"Cousin Schillie, you promised to tell us the story of the
jack-daws if we behaved well and obeyed our general."

_Schillie._--"Pooh! pooh! you have heard it a hundred times, boy."

_Felix._--"But the captain has not."

"I should like to hear it very much," said he.

_Mother._--"Then, Schillie, you will have to tell it again for the
hundred and first time, and you, captain, must not think that you are to
hear a very wonderful story, but, as it is the only one she was ever
known to tell, we are obliged to make her repeat it again and again. If
she would kindly tell us a fresh one we should be obliged, but, as she
won't, we will prepare ourselves to listen once more to the tale of

THE JACK-DAWS.

Once upon a time (this is too bad of you June) there stood an old church
in the middle of a village (making me tell this old story), and this
church had a very fine old tower (I wish you up in it now), and in this
tower lived a fine pair of jack-daws (fine company for you). Well! you
must know these jack-daws had a large family of greedy young children
(just like you). Now there lived in the village, (besides many other
brats) two boys, a big boy and a little boy. The big boy was a great big
stout hulking fellow, with a snubby nose and green eyes; and the little
fellow was a nice active chap, about the size of Tom Thumb, quick and
sharp as a needle. So one day these two boys sat in the church-yard, and
watched the jack-daws as they flew hither and thither and everywhere.
Says the little fellow, 'Them jack-daws must have a nest up there.' Says
the big chap, 'No doubt, and I would like to have the young ones,' (mind
children it's a wicked thing taking birds from their nests; look at all
of you away from your nests; go on, cousin, go on, the captain is quite
impatient). Well! so they agreed they would climb up the old church
tower, and get the young ones, which accordingly they did. Now you must
know the old jack-daws, being very knowing, had built their nest so that
it was outside the tower, just out of their reach, and there they could
see almost within grasp seven little jack-daws, all with their mouths
wide open, waiting for their father to pop in a delicious fat worm!
('Oh, cousin, how nasty,' says Winny). So the two