258 THE LAND OF PLUCK

to Fluffy, or try to whistle to him as he merrily hopped
about in his gilded cage.

But sometimes, as Kitty grew stronger and her little
playmates began to call for her, right after breakfast, to
join in this or that sport, she would fly out to them,
actually neglecting to give Fluffy fresh seed and water.
His cage hung out on the upper veranda now.

“An hour or so can’t make any difference,’ she would
say to herself,—“he ’s all right”; and poor Fluffy would
have to wait for her till after school.

How it came about, Kitty could n’t tell. But, somehow,
in meeting the girls again, and racing through the fields
with them, and studying her lessons, and going out driving
with Uncle Will, and doing all sorts of pleasant things,
time slipped by; until one day, as she sat resting on the low
stone fence in her father’s orchard, watching a pair of busy
birds flitting about among the branches of a stunted little
tree, she wondered why they did not seek pleasanter
quarters,— and then she suddenly thought of Fluffy!

With a quick pang of remorse and fright, Kitty sprang
to the ground. She ran to the place where the cage hung.
The water-cup was empty,the feed-cup empty —nothing but
a few dried seed-husks scattered about. Fluffy was there,
silent and alone, sitting on the lowest perch, and looking
oh, so grieved !

“Fluffy! Fluffy !” sobbed Kitty, “here I am! I—I for-
got you, Fluffy —but don’t die!” and she started to get him
something to eat.

But he already had fallen from his perch. With a ery
Kitty tore open the little wire door, and, taking him in her