Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
THE LITTLE GRAY BIRD

| Inc little boy, just in from school, was
| complaining to Aunt Matilda Of being COM
| PEELED to do just as the teacher said. never,
he declared, being permitted to do as he
| wished. The old woman paused for a mo-
ment in her work. and then said: IS pose.
| chile, dat yo was a slave, like de leetIe
gray bird dat has in mind; what would
| yo' do DEM"
| The little boy said he had never heard Of
/ the little gray bird, we'll knowing that the
| old woman would promptly tell him all
| about 1t. Dat Is, chile" she explained.
'I'ii tell yo' 1t as Mr.. Wizzle wuzzle done
| tole it to me. Mr.. While wuzzle say dat
| long time ago de law mong de birds
| dat de one dat couldn't sing had to be a
| slave. De leetle gray bird was one of dem
dat couldn't sing, havin' no mo- voice.
| honey, den ole Miss Postum, cause he was
| tongue-ded So it 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
| wa no mo- better bred bird hyin den de
| leete gray bird. but, as he couldn't sing, why
| dere wasn't nothin else for him to do So
IT was dat he had to help Mr. Sparrow an
! Mrs. Sparrow bout de house. bring water
| from de spring, nus de Chil'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
Now. chile" the old woman explained.
| Us telin' dis story as Mr.. Wizzle 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 dats gwine to
say to de contrarywise. Howsomever
| vile de leetle gray bird was workin' hard
dom dis an dom dat all de day long. his
| marster, Mr.. Sparrow, set hisself up on
de linn of tree, an sing an sing. Course,
while de lettle gray bird be a slave. he got
a soul an understandin'. an as he work
| all de day long, he lissen an lissen to de
| song Mr.. Sparrow sing til by an by he
] git de whole of II m biS An don
! when dere wasn't nobody bout, he try to
sing hisself. But he still tongue-tied an
not a note could de pore leetIe fellow make
SO he cry hisself sick. an say: %, If my
| tongue was only ontied.' "
| And did the little gray birds tongue
ever get united Aunt Matilda?" asked the
! little boy.
81 hasn't got to dat yit, chile" she re-
| piled, but 1 knows dat one day when Mrs
| Sparrow was wishin for a big fat worm
| for one of de chilren dat was ailin' Mr.
Robin come long wild one, an Mr.. Sparrow
sell de leetle gray bird to Mr.. Robin for it,
Mr.. Robin carry de leetle gray bird home
wild him an sot him to work ies as hard
as he was 'bliged to do at Mr. Sparrow's
house. Jes like Mr.. Sparrow, Mr.. Robin
would sot hisself up on de linn Of a tree
an sing an sing, while he look on. De
| pore leetle gray bird lissen to de song Mr.
Robin sin til he git dat song all in his
| head"
But Mr. Robin" continued the old wo-
| man. didn't keep de leetle gray bird long,
for de doctor havfn' purscribed bunch OF
| cherries for Mrs. Robin. who at dat time
| wasn't in de best of health, Mr.. Robin saIl
him to MI. Lark. who happened long wild
| bunch of 'em jes' den Wild Mr. Lark II
| was de same ting, so far de leetle gray
bird consumed. TIN one day. when
| Mrs. Lark allowed dat she jes' he'd to have
hoppergrass for dinner, Mr.. Lark see
Mr. Catbrd wild one, an he sell de lcetle
gray bird to Mr.. Catbird for it. Mr.. Cat
| bird keep him for while, an den ha sell
him to MIR. Whpperwili. an Mr.. Whipper-
will he sell him to Mr.. Woodpecker. an
he keep on bein' sold TIL at las Mr.. Spar
rowhawk buy him.
Now. Mr. Sparrowhawk" explained
Aunt Matilde, was a mighty hard marster.
SO Mr.. Wizzle Wuzzle tells me, wild
| mighty sharp tongue. an mighty sharper
| bill an claws. an he make de life of de
pore leetie fellow berry miserbul. He work
him early. an he work him late, till de
But he work an work, tryin' all de time.
when he git de chance, to try de songs his
marsters done sung. But he still tongue
tied; an do ne know 'em all by heart, he
| Howsomever, one night Mr.. Sparrowhawk
come home in terribuf temper, an nuthin'
didn't suit him, do de leetle gray bird try
| his bes' to please him. But Mr. Sparrow
| hawk git madden an madden at him, till at
las he tes' pitch right into him an peck
| an claw him like he gwine to kill him. De
| leetle gray bird open his mouth to beg for
| mercy, an Mr.. Sparrowhawk. in peckin' at
| MIN, done bite de pore leetle fellows tongue
so date he nearly split it open an de pore
leetle gray bird drap down for dead.
| But he wasn't kilt chile" hastily ex-
| Planned the old woman. as she noticed the
| panied look Of the little boy. "Leastwise,
MT While Wuzzle allow dat he wasn't.
| an Mr.. WiZzle Wuzze know what he talk
| bout. But Mr.. Sparrowhawk think he
| done kilt him, an off he fly. By an BY
| de leetie gray bird come to. an a-seen'
| dat his mouth was all a-bleedin', he hop
down to de spring to wash it out. He dip
| up some water in his mouth an gurgle 1t
| round an round. But as he do dat he
hear purculiar sound come from his
| throat. jes like young bird tryin' to sing.
| He git up some mo- water in his mouth an
! gurgle dat round an round, an de same
| purculiar sound he hear agin. Well. chile
| he dat 'sprised dat he almos' fall down
| but he try 1t agin an agin, an de mo- he
! do 1t de clearer de sound come, an 10 an
! behoP, chile, de fust dat leetle gray bird
| know, he was singin' fine yo' want to
| hear. Fust 1t was de song Mr.. Sparrow
| done sung. Den it was de one Mr.. Lark
| he'd sung. An den dat of Mr.. Robin, till
| at las, so Mr. WHILE Wuzzle done tell me-
| dat pore leetle gray bird was sittin' I'D in
| tree, sfngin' an whis lin all de songs his
| marsters done sung, an a good many mo-
| yit"
| What became of the little gray bird.
| Aunt Matilda?" asked the little boy as the
| old woman paused.
"Well. chile" she replied. dat leetle
| gray bird jes sing an sing til he he'd all
de birds round bout him, lssenin' to him,
an when dey sing, he sing dere songs,
don't care who dey was. an all OF 'em so
| s'prised dat deg couldn't hardly believe
dere eyes, much less dere ears Jes den
Mr.. Sparrowhawk come flynn up, an what
| he do but try to take de leele gray bird
| home wild him, havin' in mind dat he worth
| much mo- den ever befo', cause of his
| singfn, an SEEM dat he not only sing de
| song Of any udder bird, but kin mock any
| ting he hear But jes den ole ledge Owl
come long. an when he find out what Mr..
Sparrowhawk tryin' to do. ole Jedge Owl
| say: No, !ndeedy, Brother Sparrowhawk.
| Dat leetle gray bird amt slave no mo-,
| for de law say dat bird what kin sing
| kin be a slave OATS fac, Brother
Sparrowhawk.' say de res of de birds, he
! amt slave no mo-"
| AN from dat day to dis, chile" con-
i cluded Aunt Matilda, dat leetle gray bird
| been as free as de berry air itself. AN de
| finest an de puttiest singer dat flies"
But what was the name of the little
/ gray bird, Aunt Matflda?" asked the little
| boy, the old woman concluded her story
| For de laws sake chile" she answered
| did I furgit to tell yo' dat de leetle gray
| bird amt nobody else den Mr.. Mocking
| Bird?" ROBERT w. BUTTON.
RinHleted Youth.
Translated for The Gael from the irish BY