140 THE WISE GOOSE.

suppose she had the same sort of clock inside her which tells
little children when it is hungry-time—for they generally know,
although they have no watches. So she got off her nest,
covered up the eggs well, and toddled away to the kitchen
door for some barley-meal.

“There she goes!” chirped a father-sparrow, who had a
row of little fluffy bundles, his young ones, sitting on the roof
while he gave them a lesson in conversation; “that is the way
to get on in the world. Always go where men are. Then you
will always find something to eat.”

“But don’t go within arm’s-length of them—they are
worse than cats!” shrieked the little mother-sparrow, quivering
her wings anxiously, as she hovered near.

“Hold up your beaks!” said the father. ‘‘ Now! all
together! Say it after me.
Chirrup! chirrup !”

“Sirrip! Sirrip!” lisped
the little ones, for they could
not speak plain yet.

Just inside the kitchen
door sat the two little boys
. with a smoking bowlful of hot
_ potatoes, and something smell-
“ing very savoury which the
good farmer’s wife had given

 
  
 
  

them.
She herself stood at the
4 Ve edoot talking ttova neighbour
who had come in to find out what o'clock it was. “ For

my clock has stopped,” said she; ‘and I am afraid of
having dinner late for my man when he comes in from
the hayfield.”