Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-06-27
THE SARDINIAN BIRD BOY.
What Patience and Intelligence can Ae'
oomplish.

What Patience and Intelligence can Ae-
eomplish.
Francesca Michele, Sandman boy,
left penniless with a mother and sis
tiers, conceived the exhibition and sale
of trained birds-such as chaffinches,
linnets, blackbirds, wrens, ring-doyes
and pigeons.
He also trained young Angora cat
to live harmlessly in the midst OF his
favorite songsters. Such is the force
of habit, such the power of education,
that, by slow degrees, he taught the
mortal enemy of his winged pets to
live, to drink, to eat, and to sleep in
the midst of his little charges, without
once attempting to devour or iniure
them. The cat, whom he called Biana,
suffered the birds to play all manner
of tricks with her and never did she
extend her claws, or offer to hurt her
companions.
He even went further for, not con-
tent with training them merely to live
in peace and happiness together, he
instructed the cat and the little birds
to play kind of game, in which each
had to learn it's own part and after
some little trouble in training, each
performed in readiness the particular
duty assigned to it. PUss was in
structed to curl herself into circle,
wi h her head between her paws, and
appear buried in sleep. The cage door
then opened, and the little tricksy birds
rushed out upon her, and endeavored
to awaken her by repeated strokes of
their beaks ; then, dividing into two
parties, they attacked her head and her
whiskers, without the gentle animal ap-
pearing to take the least notice of their
gambols.
At other times, she would put her.
self in the middle of the cage, and be-
gin to smooth her fur with great gentle
ness and satisfaction. The birds would
sometimes even settle on her back, or
sit like crown upon her head, CHR
ripping and singing as if in all the secu-
rity of a shady wood.
The sight of sleek and beautiful cat
seated calmly in the midst of cage of
birds, was so new and unexpected that
when Francesca produced them at the
fair of Sussari he was surrounded by q
crowd of admiring spectators. Their
establishment scarcely knew any bounds
when they heard him call each fea.h.
cred favorite by name, and saw it fly
toward him with alacrity, till all were
perched contentedly on his head, his
arms and his fingers.
Delighted with his ingenuity, the
spectators rewarded him literally, an6
francesca returned in the evening with
his little heart swelling with Joy.
This ingenious boy next trained
some young partridges, one of which
became exceedingly attached to him
This partridge, which he called Roso
let's. on one occasion brought back tt
him beautiful goldfnch that had es
capped from its cage and was lost in al
adjoining garden. francesca was il
!, despair at the loss, because it was {
good performer, and he had promised
it to the daughter of lady from whom
he had received much kindness.
On the sixth morning after the gold
: finch had escaped, Rosoletta, the IL m
and intelligent partridge, was seel
5 chasing the truant bird before hel
d along the top of the linden trees, to
e ward home and, when succ essful, seat
e ed him in apparent disgrace, in col
e ner of the ayiary, while she flew fror
= side to side in triumph for her success
f francesca was now happy and cor
i tented, since by his own industry an
q exertions he was able to support hi
!, mother and sisters. During tho thro
K days of Francesco's illness precedin
= his death, his birds few CONSTANT
/ round and round his bed-some lyin
e sadly on his pillow, others fitting bach
VI ward above his head-a few utterin
a brief but plaintive.cries, and all takin
II scarcely any nourishment.
The death Of francesca showed, in
remarkable manner, what affection
may be excited in animals by cours
q of gentle treatment. Francesco's bird
seemed to be sensible of the loss of
l. benefactor. But none of his feathere
n. favorites manifested on his decease sue
IS real and disconsolate grief as RosolettI
n When poor francesca was laid in b
coffin she flew round and round it, an
} at last perched upon the lid. In val
1t they several times removed her 81
IS again returned, and even persisted
e accompanying the funeral procession
the place of graves.
e During his interment she sat upon q
IS adjoining cypress, to watch where the
" laid the remains of her friend; an
l. when the crowd had departed, she TO-
L sock the spot no more, except to T.
,. turn to the cottage of his mother fc
y her accustomed food. While she live
J. she came daily to perch and sleep upo
the turret of an adjoining chape
d which looked upon his grave. And hel
= = she lived, and here she died, about TO,
u months after the death of her believe