El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-24
DE LEETLE
GRAY BIRD.

The little boy just in from school was
complaining to Aunt Matilda of being
compelled to do just as the teacher said.
never. he declared. being permitted to do
as he wished. The old woman paused
for a moment in her work and then said
''S'pose, chile, dat yo' was slave, like
de leetle gray bird dat 1 has in mind.
What would yo' do DEM
The little boy said he had never heard
OF the little gray bird, well knowing that
the old woman would promptly tell him
all about it. Dat is. chile" she ex-
planned. I'll tell yo' it as Mr.. While
Wuzzle done tole it to me. Mr.. While
Wnzzlc say dat long time ago de law
couldn't sing had to be slave. De lee
tie gray bird was one of dem dat couldn't
sing. havin no mo- voice. honey, den ole
Miss Possum. cause he was tongue
tied So ii was dat he come to be de
slave OF Mr.. Sparrow. 1t was a scan'lous
shame for TO make him a slave. for dere
was no mo- better bred bird flynn den de
leetle gray bird. but as he couldn't sing,
why, dere wasn't nothin else for him 10
do. So it WAS dat he had to help Mr..
Sparrow an Mrs. Sparrow bout de house,
bring water from de spring, nus de
rhil'ren, build de fire an do de cookin,
an
why, Aunt Matilda" interrupted the
little boy, you surely don't mean to say
that the birds had fires and cooked their
food?''
Now. chile" the old woman explain
ed. us tellin dis story as Mr.. While
Wuzzle done tole it TO me. He say dat
de leetle gray bird had to build de fire
an do de cookin. an l isn't de one dat's
gwine to say to de contrarywise. How
somever. vile de leetle gray bird was
workin hard doin dis an doin dat all de
day long. his marster. Mr.. Sparrow, set
hisself up on de linn of tree an sing
an sing. Course. while de leetle gray
bird he n slave, he got a soul an under
standin. an as he work all de day long
he lissen an lissen TO dc song Mr.. Spar
row sing til 10y an by he get de whole of
it in his head. an den when dere wasn't
nobody bout he try TO sing hisself. But
he still tongue tied. an not n note could
de pore lectle fellow make. So he cry
hisself sick an say, oh, if my tongue
was only ontied""
"And did the little gray birds tongue
ever get united, Aunt Matilda ~ asked
the little boy.
Il hasn't got to dat yit, chile" she
replied. but l knows dat one day when
Mrs. Sparrow was wishin for a big fat
worm for one of de chil'ren dat was ailin
Mr.. Robin come long wild one, an Mr..
Sparrow sell de leetlc gray bird to Mr.
Robin for it. Mr.. Robin carry de leetle
gray bird home wild him an sot him to
work jes' as hard he was 'bliged to do
at Mr.. Sparrow's house.
But Mr.. Robin continued the old
didn't keep de leetle gray bird
long, for de doctor havin purscribed a
bunch OF cherries for Mrs Robin, who
at dat time wasn't in de best of health,
Mr.. Robin sell him to Mr.. Lark who
happened long wild a bunch of 'em jes'
den Wild Mr.. Lark il was de same
ring. so far as de leetle gray bird was
till one day. when Mrs Lark
allowed dat she jes' he'd to have hop
pergrass for dinner, Mr.. Lark see Mr..
Catbird wild one, an he sell de leetle gray
bird to Mr.. Catbird for it. Mr.. Cat
bird keep him for awhile. an den he sell
him to Mr.. Whipperwill. an Mr.. Whip
perwill he sell him to Mr.. Woodpecker.
an he keep on bein sold till at las Mr.
Sparrowhawk buy him.
'Now, Mr.. Sparrowhawk," explained
Aunt Matilda. was a mighty hard mars
ter. so Mr.. While Wuzzle tells me. wild
, mighty sharp tongue an mighty
sharper hill an claws.
''One night Mr.. Sparrowhawk come
home in n terribul temper. an nuthin
1dn't suit him, do de leetle gray bird
try his hes to please him. But Mr.
Sparrowhawk git madden an madden at
him till at las he jes' pitch right into
him an peck an claw him like he cwine
% kill him. De leetle gray bird open
his mouth TO beg for mercy, an Mr..
Sparrowhawk in peckin Mt him done bite
lie pore leetle fellows tongue so dat he
nearly split it open, an de pore leetIe
yray bird drap down for dead.
MIR. Spsrrowhawk think he done kilt
him. an off he fly. BY an by de leetIe
gray bird come to, an a-seein dat his |
mouth was all a-bleedin he hop down TO |
ie spring to wash il. He dip up some
water in his mouth an gurgle it round
IN round. hut as he do dat he hear n
purculiar sound come from his throat.
es' like a young bird tryin to sing. He |
tit mp some mo- water in his mouth an
yurglc dat round an round. an de same |
sound he hear agin. Well. |
'hilc. he dat 'Sprisel dat he almos' fall |
Town. hut he try it agin an agin. an de |
no he do il lie clearer dc sound come,
IN 10 an hchof. chile. de fuSt DAT leetle |
gray bird know he was singn as fine as |
70 want To hear. Fust il was de song
Ir. Sparrow done sung, den il was de |
me Mr.. Lark he'd sung an den dat of |
\fr. Robin. till at las, so Mr.. While |
Nuzzlc done tell me. dat pore leetle |
,ray bird was sittin whistlin all de |
longs his marsters done sung an a good |
many mo- yit."
What became Of the little gray bird, |
Aunt Matilda!' asked the little boy as |
he old woman paused.
'Well, chile she replied, dat leetle |
.ray bird jcs' sing an sing till he he'd all |
L. birds round bout him lissenin to him,
In when dey sing he sing dere songs. |
ion't care who dey was. an all of 'em so |
fprised dat dey couldn't hardly believe