The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-09-16

Once there vas . boy who vas q
good marksosa with . stone, o. q
slingahoe. oe . bow sod srrov. or .
erossbow. o. - sir gus. or snythisg b
took ann with b be went about all
day aiming ut everything be came near.
Even ss his meals he would think OF
good shots st the clsck. or the cat, OF
the dies on the wall. oe his mothers
left eye glass. or anything be chanosd
Near vhsrs be lived there lived .
little bird. which had . q st snd i've
young birds. 10 many large mouths
in email heads. always wide opsn for
food. kept her hard at work. Rroo
dam 70 dsrk she dsv here and there,
over fields. and. woods, and roads. get
ting worms snd 6ies, add Lugs, and
seeds. and such things q che knew
we're gond for hss young birds. Il wss
. great wonder whst lots of food those
ave sman things cosA sst. Whist she
brought each dav would have fIlsd
that nest full 70 the top; yst they ate
IL all and ssksd for more before day.
light nsxt morning.
Though il was such hard work. she
Was glad 10 do il. and went 90 day
after day. always flying OF With = gay
chirp. and beck quick with soms kind
Of food. And though she did not eat
much herself. except what stuck to her
bill after she had fed them. yet abe
never let them want. net even the
smallest and weakest OF them. The
little fellow could not ask - loudly -
the Others. yet she always fed him
first.
One day. when she had picked up Q
worm. and perched minute on . vail
before flying to her nest. the good
snarksman saw her. and Of course
aimed ss her aud hit her in the side
She wss much hart and in great pain,
yet she huttered ard limped. and
dragged herself TO the root OF the tree
where her nest vas. bat she oould not
Ay mp to her nest. foe her wi.g was
bsaksn. She chirped little and the
young ones heard her. and - they we're
hungry they chirpsi hack loudly. and
she knew ell their voices, even the
weak note Of the smallest Of ell, but
she could not come to up them OF even
tell ths,n Why she dad NOT come. And
when she beard the call Of the smsll
one she tried again to rise. bat ooly Que
Of her wings would move, and thst
just turnet her over on the side Of the
brokea wing In . droll way. I think
the boy would have laughed IL hs had
sssn her tumble over.
All the rest OF that day the little
mother lay there. and when she chirped
her children answered. aud when they
chirped she snswsred, only when the
good .marksmsn chsnced to pass near
by: then she kept quito still. But her
voice grew fainter and weaker. and
late in the day the young ones could
not hear it any more. but she could
still hear them. Some time in the
night the mother bird died. aud 10 the
snorning she lay there cold and sti6,
with her dim eyes still turned up to the
nest who're her young ones we're dying
Of hunger.
bat ahsy did nos die % soon. All
day leoe they dept notil their huo9sr
Waked them up, and then called until
they were 20 tired they fell asleep
again. And the next night was very
cola and they nisssd their mothsr's
varw bresst. end before daydsvn they
eli died one after the other, excepting
the smallsst. which vas lowest down in
the neat Aud in the morning be
pushed sp his hssd and opened his
yellow aasth 10 Be fed. but thsre WAS
no one 70 fssd him, and 90 hs died, too.
q last. with his inouth wide opsn and
empty.
Apd % that good marksmsn had
killed six birds at oas shot-the mother
sud her I've young ones. Do you not
think be must b. . proud bog! should
you not like - do the aaaes@
II yoa hncw him. please read this
little tale n him. He nay like to hear
IL