gned in
Moufflou's home when Tasso returned thither with the money and the good
tidings both. His substitute was bought without a day's delay, and Lolo
rapidly recovered. As for Moufflou, he could never tell them his
troubles, his wanderings, his difficulties, his perils; he could never
tell them by what miraculous knowledge he had found his way across
Italy, from the gates of Rome to the gates of Florence. But he soon grew
plump again, and merry, and his love for Lolo was yet greater than
before.

By the winter all the family went to live on an estate near Spezia that
the English gentleman had purchased, and there Moufflou was happier than
ever. The little English boy is gaining strength in the soft air, and he
and Lolo are great friends, and play with Moufflou and the poodle puppy
half the day upon the sunny terraces and under the green orange boughs.
Tasso is one of the gardeners there; he will have to serve as a soldier
probably in some category or another, but he is safe for the time, and
is happy. Lolo, whose lameness will always exempt him from military
service, when he grows to be a man means to be a florist, and a great
one. He has learned to read, as the first step on the road of his
ambition.

"But oh, Moufflou, how _did_ you find your way home?" he asks the dog a
hundred times a week.

How indeed!

No one ever knew how Moufflou had made that long journey on foot, so
many weary miles; but beyond a doubt he had done it alone and unaided,
for if any one had helped him they would have come home with him to
claim the reward.

393

Olive Thorne Miller (1831-1918) is remembered
in the history of American juvenile literature
as a writer on birds. Her purpose was to show
truly the characteristics and habits of the
"little brothers of the air." The following
selection illustrates the style of much of her
work. Some of her books that may appropriately
be used as literature in the third, fourth, or
fifth grade are _The Children's Book of Birds_,
_Little Brothers of the Air_, _Little Folks in
Feathers and Fur_, and _Four Handed Folk_. (The
selection that follows is from the first-named
book, and is used by permission of and by
special arrangement with the publishers, The
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.)

BIRD HABITS

OLIVE THORNE MILLER

I. WHERE HE SLEEPS

Most birds sleep on t