The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-08-25
bird, and it vexed him to hear All the

bird, and it vexed him to hear all the
lady-sparrows, who seemed to admire
him, talking so much about this DR..
Black. Secretly, his little breast filed
with envy of DIR. Black, who was said
to be such a handsome crow and such a
wise doctor. -
So, one morning, Mr.. Jersey Spar
row appeared at the. fountain.
"Why," said he, she's not crow!
A crow is three times as big as that!"
DIR. Black was little frightened, for
he knew this was not a stay-at-home
sparrow that he must deal with now.
But, like a wise bird, he said nothing,
and tried to look as if hethought it was
not worth while to notice this loud
young person.
"Why." said Mr.. Jersey Sparrow,
scanning him closely. she's nothing but
a blackbird!'' =
What a buzz and chatter went up
from the sparrow colony! The little
gentleman-sparrows all began to shake
their heads and say they had always de-
clared there was something wrong
about this DIR. Black, while Che little
lady-sparrows divided into two parties.
The lady-sparroWs who had admired
Mr.. Jersey Sparrow most agreed that
it was a shame mere blackbird should
have made them all believe he was a
crow. But other lady-sparrows, headed
by the little Mrs. Sparrow whom the
Doctor had first welcomed to his bath
float, and who had ever since been his
special friend, stood by him and de-
clared that they knew he was a crow.
though not one of the kind hearted lit
tie things had ever seen crow in her
lifei
By this time Mr.. Jersey Sparrow was
very much worked up. He strutted lup
and down the edge of the fountain, and
his little body shook with excitement.
Finally, he screamed eut:3 "If he is a
crow, crow, let him say, .Cawe. Let him say,
s.Can he say .Caw?''' the Doctors
party murmured among themselves
anxiously, and little Mrs. Sparrow said
softly in the Doctors ear, do SAY
Cav! I'm sure you cani,.' But Mr,e
Jersey Sparrow and his friends chat
tered in a mocking way, Yes, let him
say sCaw!' We should like to hear
him say sCaw!s'' ~ Atsssa e
Ii DR.. Black had been very wise, ii.
deed, he would still have kept silence.s
and scorned the charge that he was, not
crow. A good many of the, birds
would have believed him, in spite OF
everything and everybody. That has
often been the way, with birds as well
as men. But a wild idea seized him.
Perhaps he could say . Cawp II he tried
hard. He swelled up his little lungs
till his eyes stood out, and-tried.
How some of the sparrows laughed.
and others faces fell, and Mr.. Jersey
Sparrow strutted aroundl The "CaW .
was something between squeal and i
squawk, harsh cry unlike any crows
cav that was ever heard. DIR. Black
saw that the game was lost He
stretched his wings, gave his raft a
spiteful little push with his foot, and
sailed up into the air, up, up-even over
the great church towers and out OF
sight, leaving the astonished birds look
ing up into the sky, and wondering
he had flown quite away fronla
the world. &sss "a. 4#I1 III sgsa5 IA 4ssfs
1t is curious fact in bird.nature that
q great many of those innocent sparrows,
believed othe day of their death that DR.. !,
Black was great scientist and a most
learned crow, and always declared that
he had been driven away from them by in,
gratitude and persecution. -Dduid D.
Lloyd. s,a ST. Nicholas. q a8i tsiifaiIa'