SUSAN GRAY. 21

that it was so tame as to sit upon my finger,
as my aunt's magpie used to do.

I was so delighted with my prize, that, for-
getting my sticks, I hastened into the town,
proudly holding up the bird, who perched
quietly upon my hand.

Just as I was got into oné of the largest
streets, I heard somebody cry out, “Ah! there
is my mistress’s paroquet;” and immediately a
very decent elderly woman came up to me, and
said, with an air of much joy, “ My good little
girl, where did you find my mistress’s bird ?”

“Your mistress’s bird, indeed!” said [;
*it is my bird.”

No,” replied the woman, “that cannot
be; it flew out of my mistress’s window this
morning, and over the garden-wall into the
fields.”

“For all that, he is not your bird,” I answer-
ed; “he is my mine:” and I was going to run
off with him, when she caught hold of my
gown, and said, ‘‘ My mistress will give you
half-a-crown for it.”

** No, no, no,” I cried, “1 will have it.”

At that moment, my aunt coming out of a
shop hard by, and seeing me struggle with the
servant, called out, ‘“ Hey-day, what is the mat-
ter? what are you doing to the child?”

*«Come, aunt, come!” Lexclaimed; ‘come
and take my part: I won't part with the

ird.”

My aunt was at first very angry with the
servant; but when she heard that I was to have
half-a-crown, if 1 would consent to part with