f
happiness, and called loudly to her mother to come and share her
delight.

Jack was evidently very proud of his sister; and while this was going
on, hopped from one to the other, his small head cocked in a very arch
manner.

After a time the little ones hopped away, as they wished to fly back to
the nest. Katy was quite impatient to impart her success to her sister;
but when she glanced up into the tree, she was almost in despair.

"Fly up a few times into this bough," said Jack. "It is beautiful
exercise."

Katy did so, and presently, with a beating heart, from the bush mounted
to the nest.

"O Molly!" she cried, "if you had been with us, I should have been the
happiest bird that ever lived."

"How like her mother she grows!" said Mr. Robin to himself as he gazed
lovingly upon his youngest child.

"Every time I picked up a crumb I thought of you," said Jack--"of you
alone here in the nest."

"I have scarcely been alone a moment," said Molly. "Either father or
mother has been with me, and they have treated me to a delicious feast.
I shall soon become quite reconciled to my situation. But where is
Dick?"

"He is eating, as usual," said Mr. Robin, in a stern voice.

Jack and Katy now repeated the adventures of the morning, to which their
sister listened with great interest.

"I can't help thinking about Mr. Robin," said grandpa, taking his cane
and walking out of doors as soon as breakfast was over. "Birds have a
wonderful instinct; and I have no doubt he was asking my aid about
something. They will often fly to man for protection when pursued by an
enemy."

"I wish you would tell us a story about a bird," said Annie, earnestly.

The old gentleman seated himself in his chair, and after resting his
chin on the top of his cane for a moment, he began: "A beautiful pair of
goldfinches once built their nest on a small branch of an olive tree.
The female laid the eggs and hatched the young brood, when the parents
perceived that the weight of the growing family would soon be too great
for the strength of the branch which supported the nest. This fact was
evident to the family who lived near, and had watched with interest the
proceedings of the birds.

"One morning the goldfinches found their nest was giving way, and that
something must be done at once, or it would fall. They consulted
together, then picked up a string, and with their beaks drew it around
the slender twig, and then fastened it to a stronger