I and my little sisters are very fond of the sparrows who come to our
garden to eat the crumbs that we throw out for them. We find our cat
also likes them, but in a different way. We have been able to rescue
several little ones from it, but have never been able to rear them, as
they have generally died two or three days after. However, a little
while ago we saved one poor little bird from pussy, and placed it in a
cage and fed it, as it was too young to look after itself. The cage was
placed in my bedroom, with the window open, and we suppose the chirrup
of the little prisoner was heard by its parents, and we were pleased to
see one of them fly into the room and carry it food. As they seemed so
anxious, and we thought they knew better than we how to feed it, we
placed the little thing on the window sill, watching near it to prevent
it meeting with any accident, as it was too young to fly more than a few
yards by itself. It had scarcely been there a few seconds before its
mother flew down to it and chattered, as we thought scolding it, but we
suppose she was only giving it directions, for the young one laid hold
of the mother's tail with its little beak, and, with that assistance,
was able to fly away.
We watched until it was out of sight, and were very glad to think that
the parents had recovered their little one, about which they had shown
such anxiety.
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