Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-17
\ Good Shot.

Once there was boy who was good
marksman with stone or a sling-shot,
or q bow and arrow, or cross-bow,
or an air-gun, or anything he took aim
with. So he went about all day, aim
ing at everything he came near. Even
at his meals he would think about good
shots at the clock, or the cat, or the
flies on the wall, or anything he chanced
to see.
Near where he lived there lived lit
tie bird that had a nest and five young
birds. So many large mouths in small
heads always open wide Tor food, kept
her hard at work. From dawn to dark
she flew here and there, over fields and
woods and roads, getting worms, and
flies, and bugs and seeds, and such
things as she knew were good for her
young birds. 1t was great wonder
what lots of food those five small things
could eat. What she brought each day
would have filled that nest full up to
the top, yet they ate it all and asked
for more before daylight next morning.
Though it was such hard work, she was
glad to do it, and went on day after
day, always flying OIL with gay chirp,
and back with a bit ofsome kind offood;
and though she did not eat much her.
self, except what stuck TO her bill after
she had fed them, yet she never let
them want, not even the smallest and
weakest of them. The little fellow
could not ask as loudly as the others,
vet she always fed him first. One day,
when she had picked up worm, and
perched minute on the wall before
flying to her nest, the good marksman
saw her, and of course aimed at her,
and hit her in the side. She was much
hurt and in great pain, yet she tlutter-
ed and limped, and dragged herselfto
the foot of the tree where her nest was
but she could not fly up to her nest, for
her wing was broken. She chirped a
little and the young ones heard her,
aud as they were hungry they chirped
back loudly, and she knew all their
voices, even the weak note ofthe small
est of all but she could not come up TO
them nor tell them why she did not
come. And when she heard the Gail
OF the small one she tried again to rise,
but only one of her wings would move,
and that Just turned her over on the
side of the broken wing. All the rest
of the day the little mother lay there,
and when she chirped, her children an
swered, and when they chirped, she
answered, only when the good marks
man chanced to pass by; then she kept
quite 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 motherbird died,
and in the morning she lay there quite
cold and stiff, with her dim eyes still
turned up to the nest where her young
ones were dying of hunger. But they
did not die so soon. All day long
they slept, until their hunger walked
them up, and then called until they
were so tired they fell asleep again.
And the next night was very cold and
they missed their mothers warm breast.
and before day-dawn they all died, one
after the other, excepting the small
est, which was lowest down in the
nest, aud in the morning he pushed up
his head aed opened his yellow bill to
be fed; but there was no one to feed
him, and so he died, too, at last, with
his mouth wide open and empty. And
so, the good marksman had killed six
birds with one shot-the mother and
her five young ones. Do you think ne
must be proud boy? Should you not
like to do the same? If you know
him, please read this little tale to him.
He may like to hear it.-Joscph Kirk
| iaad, in 81. Nicholas.