Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-24
NO. 173.
Mistellancous.
THE GOOD SHOT.

Once there was a boy who was good
marksman with stone, or a sling-shot.
or a bow-and-arrow, or n crosS-bow, or
anything he took aim with. So he went
about all day. aiming al everything he
came near. Even nj his meals he would
think OF good shots at the clock. or the
cat. or the fies on the wall. or his mothers
left eveglass. or anvthing he chanced To
see.
Near where he lived there lived lit
tie bird which had nest and five young
birds. So many large mouths in small
heads. always wide open for food, kept
her hard at wo,k. From dawn to dark
she flew here and there, over fields and
woods and roads. getting worms. and
I flies and bugs. and seeds and sReh things
as she knew were good for her young
| birds Ii was n great wonder what lots
/ OF food those FIVE small things could eat
| What she brought each day would have
+ filed that nest up To the top; yet they ate
/ II all and asked for more before daylight
! next morning.
I Though it was such hard work. she was
/ glad To do it. and Went on day after day,
always flying off with gay chirp. and
back quick with bit oi some kind of food,
4 nj though she did not eat much herself.
except what stuck to her bill after she had
ted them. Vet she never let them want:
not even the smallest and weakest OF them.
The liule fellow could not ask rs loudly
as the others. vet she alwaas fed him first.
One day. when, whea she had picked
up "A worm, and perched minute on
wall before f,ying to her nest, the good
marx smau saw her, and of course aimed
at her and hit her in the side. She was
mach hurt and in great pain, yet she nut-
tered and lmped. and dragged herself to
the foot of the tree where her nest was,
but she could not ily up 10 her nest, for
her wing was broken. She chirped Il lit
tie and the Young ones heard her, and as
they we're hungry they chirped back loud
ly. and she knew all their voices, even the
weak note of the smallest of all, but she
could not come up to them, nor even tell
gthem why she did not come. And when
she heard the call of the small one she
I tsied again to rise. but only one ~ her
wings would move, and that just turned
| hersov on the side of the broken wing
| in n, ,Grol way think the boy would
have lapghed if he had seen her tumble
over.
All the rsst of that day the little mother
| Law there, ana when she chirped her chill
,lreu answered, ,2nd when they chirped
she answered, only when the good marks
man Glanced to pass near by; then she
kept quite still. But her voice grew faint
er and weaker, and late in the day the
Young ones could not hear il any more.
I. but she could still hear them. ,Sosle time
in the night the mothcr-bird died, and in
The morning she lay there quite cold and
stiff, with her dim dim eyes still turned
lar to the nest whero her ysung ones were
td}ng of hunger.
/ Br. they did not die 80 soon. All day
Elonr th, " slept. until their hunger walked
them uu. and then called until they were
so tired they fell asleep again. And the
} next night sSas very cold, and they missed
heir mother's warm breast, and before
d nv dawn they al died, one after the other.
o, cepting the smallest. which was lowest
do wn in the nest. And in the morning he
pu. he'd up his head and opened his yellow
mo, lth 10 be fed but there was no one to
feed him. and so he died, too. p last, with
his IL 'outh still wide open and empty:
Ant so. the good marksman had He'd
six bir Us at one shot-the mother aud het
five yo, ing ones. DO you not think ht
must he proud boy Should you no
like to u } the same?
If YOU know him. please read this little
tale to hin t. lie may like to hear it.
.Joseph Kir. kta',d IN 81. Nnholls.