SERENE as Mrs. Polly’s temperament was, and although she gave the
sparrow such good advice, she found it very hard to keep patient
herself until the sparrow appeared.
She felt certain that the important news Major had to communicate
related to the lost ribbon, and she was almost bursting with curiosity
to know what it was. It would not do to call the sparrow, for old
Graywhisker had sharper ears than he had; so the only thing to be done
was to control her impatience until the sparrow appeared. What if he
didn’t come back until after the barn was closed for the night?
It was a horrible thought, and it made her break out into a cold
perspiration, for he was a queer fellow and his movements could never
be relied on. Just as likely as not he might take it into his head to
make another visit to his family, or go off with some friend and not
come back again before midnight.
“There he is,” whispered the canary suddenly; “I can see him swinging
on the top of that laburnum-tree. I know him by the way he bobs his
head, and twitches his tail.”
Mrs. Polly looked in the direction indicated by the canary; and
there he was, swinging on a slender branch of the laburnum-tree as
unconcernedly as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Flirting with that little wren,” said Mrs. Polly indignantly. “It
doesn’t look well for a family man. I _did_ hope he was going to settle
down, but I see he’s a hopeless case.”
“He’s good-hearted,” said the canary.
“Yes, his heart’s good enough,” answered Mrs. Polly; “but you can’t
rely on him. There’s no knowing what he’ll take it into his head to do
next.”
Just then the sparrow looked in the direction of the dining-room
window; and as Mrs. Polly caught his eye she beckoned to him. He
returned the signal, but went on saying a few last words; and from his
gallant manner and the coquettish air with which the wren listened to
him, it was very evident he wouldn’t have cared to have the little
bright-eyed sparrow happen by just then.
“Hopeless!” said Mrs. Polly to herself, as he came flying towards her
with a pleasant smile, evidently caused by his parting words with the
wren; “little does he care who stole the ribbon if he can only have a
good time!” and she received him rather crustily.
“Hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long,” said the sparrow
cheerfully; “didn’t see you till just now.”
“No, I observed you didn’t,” answered Mrs. Polly in a severe tone.
“Met my cousin the wren, and didn’t like to pass without speaking to
her a minute.”
“Oh, indeed!” said Mrs. Polly dryly.
“Anything up?” asked the sparrow.
“Yes,” answered Mrs. Polly; “Major wants you to go around to his stall
after he comes home from the depot,--he has something important to say,
and you can get nearer to him than the barn-cat can.”
“All right,” said the sparrow, “I’ll be on hand.”
“I hope you won’t meet any more of your _cousins_,” said Mrs. Polly
sarcastically; “because you know it might interfere with your
engagement with Major.”
“Don’t worry,” said the sparrow, “I’ll be there;” and off he flew and
perched himself on one of the topmost boughs of the great elm that hung
over the gate.
“Good-natured fellow,” said Mrs. Polly to herself, as she watched his
graceful motions, “but I don’t believe he’ll ever amount to anything.”
The sparrow sat balancing himself on the bough of the great elm until
he saw Major appear and until Michael had unharnessed him and led him
into his stall. Then he flew in through the little window above the
stall, and lighted on the edge of the manger close to Major’s face.
“We’ve chosen a good time,” whispered Major, “while Michael is getting
my supper and spreading down my bedding for the night; the rats keep
out of the way while he is around. Come a little bit nearer, if you
please, so that I can whisper in your ear.”
The little sparrow came as near as he could, and Major put his big
mouth close to his little ear as he sat perched on the edge of the
manger. How small he did look, to be sure, by the side of the great
horse; but he was a bright little fellow if he was small.
“Last night,” whispered Major, “I didn’t sleep very well. I think I
must have eaten too much supper. Some time in the night I heard voices
over my head, and I can tell you I listened with all my ears. One of
the voices I knew well enough,--it was old Graywhisker’s; and the
other was so timid and weak I was quite sure it belonged to little
Mrs. Silverskin, and I soon found I was right. They often go in and
out at night, because they know the barn-cat is likely to be asleep;
but I suspected from their whispering that some mischief was up, and I
listened.
“‘I’m afraid the vine will break,’ said Mrs. Silverskin; ‘I don’t dare
venture on it.’
“‘Nonsense!’ answered the old fellow; ‘it will hold fast enough.’
“But the little mouse protested she was afraid, and then I heard her
say, ‘I don’t like to steal Posy’s ribbon, she thinks so much of it.’
“‘Very well, ma’am,’ said old Graywhisker; ‘you just pack up and leave
these premises before to-morrow night, or you’ll be sorry.’
“‘Oh, don’t turn me out of doors!’ said the poor little creature; ‘my
babies are so young they’ll die if you do.’
“‘So much the better!’ snarled the old fellow.”
“The old villain!” said the sparrow.
“Well, the end of the matter was that Mrs. Silverskin promised to do
as he wished, provided he would not turn her out of doors; and you may
be sure the ribbon’s safe in old Graywhisker’s hole, where it’ll stay
in all probability, for I don’t know anybody bold enough to venture in
after it.”
The sparrow was silent a moment, and was about to speak when Major
interrupted him.
“Now you must go, for Michael is through, and will close up for the
night before he leaves. Tell Mrs. Polly what I’ve told you. Perhaps she
can think of some way out of this scrape; I’m sure I can’t.”
The sparrow flew off at once to acquaint Mrs. Polly with the news; but
for the first time since his acquaintance with her Mrs. Polly did not
prove equal to the emergency. She gave a deep sigh, and shook her head
several times in a very despondent manner.
“Can’t you think of some way to get back that ribbon?” asked the
sparrow. “Posy feels so badly about it that I’m sorry I didn’t take
another one instead. I was a fool. Any other bright one would have done
as well.”
“The ribbon is in Graywhisker’s hole, and there it will remain,” said
Mrs. Polly gloomily.
“It seems to me,” said the canary, who had been listening with great
interest to the story told by the sparrow, “that it might be got out.”
“Pray give us the benefit of your wisdom,” said Mrs. Polly in a
sarcastic tone. “To be sure, I’ve only lived in the world about fifty
times as long as you have, but I’m not too proud to learn from anybody.”
“Send somebody in for it when Graywhisker is away from home,” answered
the canary.
“Who, pray?” asked Mrs. Polly in the same sarcastic tone; and she
muttered something to herself that sounded very like “You fool!”
“Perhaps Mrs. Silverskin would be willing to go for it. She’s very
fond of Posy, you know, and the sparrow tells us that she objected to
stealing the ribbon on that account.”
“Absurd!” exclaimed Mrs. Polly in a contemptuous tone. “Why, she’s
afraid of her own shadow! I can assure you it would take a good deal of
courage to venture into any rat’s hole, let alone old Graywhisker’s!
Why, where do you think she’d be if he came back and found her there?”
“I suppose it would be a pretty dangerous undertaking,” said the canary
meekly.
“I _suppose_ it would too!” sneered the parrot. “No, that’s out of the
question; so that settles the matter.”
“I don’t know about that,” said the sparrow dryly.
“What do you mean?” asked Mrs. Polly sharply. “Don’t speak in riddles.”
“I mean what I say,” answered the sparrow, boldly returning Mrs.
Polly’s glance. “I said I didn’t know about that. I’m not so sure that
nobody will dare venture into Graywhisker’s hole.”
“Who will, pray?” said Mrs. Polly.
“_I_ will,” answered the sparrow firmly. “I’ll go into Graywhisker’s
hole and get that ribbon back if it’s there.”
Mrs. Polly and the canary stared at the little sparrow in astonishment
too great for words.
[Illustration: The Sparrow consults Miss Polly]