lection merely of this hoped-for pleasure so brightened up
the little bird that he looked positively lovely! Not even a bird of
paradise could have appeared more glorious, dingy brown though our tiny
hero's plumage was; but good deeds and kind words always bring a
brightness with them.

'Oh, that is what you intend doing!' remarked the other, who had been
pruning his flecked feathers whilst listening to this delightful
plan;--perhaps he might have imagined the treasure would come to him,
since his friend was not going to keep it himself. 'You are very
generous,' he added, with a slight touch of sarcasm.

But the kind little Sparrow did not mind; his heart was too full of
noble intentions to notice trivial things. He merely said,--

'So now I'm off! Good-bye for the present. I shall be back in time for
roost.'

'Oh, you are going, are you?' was the comment, as his friend picked up
the seed again in his beak and flew away.

But, as he darted off, a sunbeam peeped round a corner just to see what
the dear little fellow looked like, and this very sunbeam threw such a
halo around him, you would have thought his feathers had been burnished
gold. Then his voice, too, sounded so cheerily, as, with a merry
'Twit-twit-twee,' he disappeared from view, intent on his errand of
kindness.

'I'm sure I should not have troubled myself to carry that burden so far,
but should have eaten it for my dinner,' muttered the one sitting on the
water-spout. 'Dear me, what's that?' as he caught sight of a shadow
round an angle of the roof. 'Oh, gracious!' and he gave such a jump in
his terror, as he recognised Pussie taking a walk on the tiles, looking
out for her dinner, no doubt.

You may be quite sure Mr. Sparrow did not wait until Pussie came up to
him, but flew away to a safe distance.

Meanwhile the other bird was speeding on his errand of kindness. He did
not feel the weight of his burden, but went bravely on, only
occasionally resting on a water-spout or a parapet, just for a second or
two, but never losing sight of his precious seed; though sometimes he
was sadly annoyed by other Sparrows coming up, and, with great fuss and
chatter, inquiring as to what he was so carefully carrying. But he was
very cautious, and always kept an eye upon his treasure (answering their
questions curtly), for London Sparrows have the character of being not
_too_ honest, with what truth it cannot be said; let us hope the charge
is unfounded. Still our