The record-union., 1896-06-21
ASTONISHING A SPARROW.
1t is a Hard JOB, But 1t Can b,
Done

| 1t is not easy to aStOniSh a sparrow.
You can scare them-"often scared as
Oft return, a pert, voracious kind
and make them fly away; but that is
only because the sparrow has the bump
of self preservation very prominently
developed, and takes hint as to per-
sonal danger with extraordinary
promptitude But though it may re-
move its small body out of harm s
way for the time being, it is not dis
concerted. You can see that by the
way in which it Immediately goes on
with its toilet. It's nerves have not
been shaken-that is evident from it's
obvious elf-possession, and the way ii
scratches its head and makes a note Of
the fly which went by. 1t would not
commence at once a frivolous alterca-
ton with another of it's kind if it had
been disconnected.
And really, it is not to be wondered at
that the sparrow should be beyond the
reach of astonishment Think of what
1t sees, and sees quite unconcernedly, in
the streets of London. Put a tiger into
Fleet street, or bear at the bank, and
the poor beasts would go crazy with
terror. A single omnibus would stam-
pede troop of lions. Yet a sparrow
surveys the approaching fire engine un-
dIsmayed, and it sits with it's back to
the street when a runaway van comes
numbering death down Ludgate Hill
The small birds life is, in fact. so
made up Of surprises that it regards the
astounding as commonplace. So a
f1y, sitting down in train, thinks moth
when it gets up. It's whole existence is
Vclcahlc and seismic. 1t cannot settle
on hand without the hand moving
Wnat would dog think if, on going
INTO a ten-acre field, the field suddenly
turned over? But the fly is not put
out OF countenance by such "phenom-
ena 1t comes back to the hand again.
1t is the same with the sparrow. 1t
thinks no more of another wonder than
the Seven Champions did of an extra
dragon in the days work
All the same, 1 have seen a sparrow
totally confounded and go all to pieces.
1t was, l confess, only young one. with
just the promise of tail, nothing more.
and some odds and ends of fluff still
cllnglng between the red feathers T
was looking at the rhinoceros. which
was lying down close to the ratings
ana very sleepy rhinoceros it was
Except FOR slight twitches of the tail
and an occasional fidget of the ears. it
was quite motionless. And the Young
sparrow hopping about in the iuclos
ure, coming to the beast, hoped on to
1t. looking in the chinks of its skin for
chance grains or insects. And it hoped
along to
rhinoceros winked), and along its head
on to the little horn, and from the little
horn on to the big one (and it plinked)
ana then off the horn on to its nose.
And then the rhinoceros snorted. The
sparrow was a sight to see. Exploded
is no word for it. And it sat all in
heap on the corner of the house, and
chlrped the mournfulest chirps. II
hadn't the smallest notion the thing
was alive" it said. ''Oh, dear, oh.
dear" and it wouldn't be pacified for
long time. It's astonishment had been
severe and had got into the system.
l remembered the story of the boy who
sat on the whales blow-hole. Rehemoth
had got stranded on the Shetland coast.
hile the population were admiring it
an urchin climbed on to the head of the
distressed monster, and exultantly
seated his graceless person on it's fore
head. He had but a short time to en-
joy his triumph and the next instant
the whale, filling itself with air. blew
such blast through its blow-hole that
the boy was blown up into the air and
out to sea. So said the veracious chron-
Icler of the day-and I hope it was true.
for little boys should not under any
circumstances, sit on the blow-holes of
whales. Nor young sparrows ON the
nostrils of hinoceros.-English Il
Illustrated MAGAZINE