Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-11-06
OUR YOUNG READERS.
A FOOLISH SPARROW.

''This nest is so narrow"
Said little Dick Sparrow,
'Ive got quite pain in nv wings;
can't You squeeze mp bit,
And just let me sit
On the outside, you tiresome thingsY
50 selfish young Dick
MaIe them move pretty quick.
And soon he sat perehed on the edge;
A little brown ball.
q tyrant, though small,
Surveying the world from his ledge.
There's garden down there
Looks wondrousiy fair.
How nice il must be 'mong the flowers;
I've a good mind to try,
It's quite easy TO ny,
To bird of my courage and powers"
''No. DON'T" said his brother,
we promised our mother
That we'd certainly stay in the nest
While she Is away:
So do not pray
Disobey her, for mother knows best
"she says II we're good,
And eat plenty OF food,
Our wings will be sure to grow strong,
And then by and by
She will teach US to fly
II we're patient. the time won't seem long"
But Dick said: Pooh, pooh,
Pm bigger than you,
And fatter and stronger, you see;
Such counsel is good
For feeble young brood,
"Butit can't be intended for me-"
"why, yonder's Tom It'll
Hi there, stop bit.
With you in that garden I'll roam.
Tia. ia, little dears
Youneed have no fears,
I'll be back before mother comes home"
Giving one or two springs.
And fiuttering mis- wings,
Down he spun like a Wild shuttlecock;
With a desperate bound
His feet touched the ground,
But it gave him terrible shock
Now little Tom Tit
Did not want him bit.
He had plenty of plans of his owni
So in very great haste,
For he'd no time to waste,
Far over the garden he'd flown.
Dick felt rather sighted,
But soon was delighted
To find he could wander at will
He spent some gay hours
Among the sweet flowers,
OF liberty taking his I'LL
Then he rested awhile
In luxurious style
On couch Of the softest green moss.
For sweet contemplation
And wise meditation
Young Dick thought himself at no loss.
"How very absurd"
Thought this foolish young bird,
care the cautions and fears of the oldi
There's nothing like pluck,
And trying ones luck,
Oh, it's fine to be daring and bold"
Then he fell fast asleep
Till the shadows grew deep,
For the sun had gone down In the west;
Then he woke cold and cross,
From that soft bed of moss,
And wished himself back in the nest
He wendell his way
Through the twilight gray,
TO the place whore ne first had alighted.
twas not easy to find
1t had slipped from his mind,
And soon master Dick was benighted.
In the deepest despair,
He ran here and there,
And oft had his steps to retrace;
Then faint. sad and tired,
As the twilight expired,
At last he discovered the place.
The nest was so high,
But yet he must try,
Toreach the snug home he had spurned
He flew up once or twice,
But fell down in trice,
For, las, he'd not properly learned.
It was all to no good,
He might try as he would,
The nest was still far out of reach.
ITO every child
Who is wlllful and wild,
This story n lesson should teachl
hen Dicks parents returned.
And his absence had learned
For the truant they set off in quest;
But no Dick could they find
And in great gIlef of mind
They were forced to return to the nest
Dick spent all that night
In pitiful plight
I He was frightened half out of his wits;
Cats we're proving around,
And at every sound
He shivered as If he had fits
Then, to add to his woes,
A wild storm arose,
And down came the pitiless rain;
He was wet to the skin,
For hisfeathers were thin;
He was sick with cold, hunger and pain.
Poor little Dick Sparrow,
In penitent sorrow,
Deep remorse and repentance keen,
Then humbly confessed
tAh, mother knows best.
What a naughty young bird l have BEEN"
Report said he died,
But next day / espied
Two birds, who were kissing each other;
drew near to see.
If indeed it could be,
And surely it was Dick and his mother
Nina Flassendale, in Leeds Mercury
THE BROKEN DESK.