182 The Statue and the Birds.

“Wind, Wind, do you not hear me? Blow
hard, blow quick, as you love me, d/ow/” The
last was fairly a shriek, which was, however, al-
most drowned in the sudden rush of the on-com-
ing Wind, which had sprung up to answer the
Tree’s loud call. Whooooo00/! he roared, and the
Tree rocked back and forth! Patrick, who was not
a very brave man, was frightened at the sudden
fierce wind.

“Well, well,” said he, ‘av Oi don’t be look-
in’ out, Oi’ll be blowed away intoirely,”—and off
he ran, leaving the ladder still resting against the
branch. This was just what the Tree wished.

‘Blow harder, Wind,” he shouted ; so louder
yet roared the Wind, and back and forth swayed
the Tree, and up and down, up and down went
the branch on which the ladder rested, till, at last,
no decent ladder could stand it any longer, so back
he fell with a great crvash. And on what do you
suppose he fell? On the Statue. And the Tree
aimed well, for not only did he hit the Statue, but
broke off his nose (and every one knows that a
statue with a broken nose can never be the same