The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-10-23
DE- LEETLE
GRAY BIRD.

never, he declared, being permitted to do
a. he wished The old woman paused
Tor moment in her work and then said:
"S'pose, chile, dat yo' was slave, like
de leetle gray bird dat has in mind.
What would yo' do den?"
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 1t. dat is, chile" she ex.
planned, I'll tell yo' it as Mr.. Wizzle
Wuzzle done tole 1t to me. Mr.. Wizzle
Wuxzle say dat long time ago de law
'mong de birds was dat de one dat
couldn't sing had to be a slave. De lee.
tie gray bird was one Of dem dat couldn',
sing, havin no mo- voice, honey, den ole
Miss Possum, cause he was tongue
tied. So 1t was dat he come to be de
slave Of Mr.. Sparrow. 1t was a scan'lous
shame for to make him slave, for dere
WIS no mo- better bred bird fyin den de
rtle 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
chilren, build de 6re 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
foodg'
snow, chile" the old woman explain.
ed, "Ps tellin dis story as Mr.. Wizzle
Wuzzle done tole 1t to me. He say dat
de leetle gray bird had to build de FIRE
an do de cookin, an 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
hlsself up on de linn Of tree an sing
an sing. Course, while de leetle gray
bird be slave, he got a soul an under
standin, an as he work all de day long
he lissen an lissen to de song Mr.. Spar
row sing til by an by he get de whole of
II in his head, an den when dere wasn't
nobody bout he try to sing hlsself But
he still tongue tied, an not a note could
de pore leetle fellow make. So he cry
hisself sick an say, oh, IL my tongue
was only ontied!"
"And did the little gray birds tongue
ever get united, Aunt MatildaT asked
the little boy.
II hasn't got to dat yit, chile" she
replied, "but 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 leetle gray bird to Mr..
Robin for II. Mr.. Robin carry de leetle
gray bird home wild him an sot him to
work jes' as hard as he was 'bliged to do
at Mr.. Sparrow's house. -
"But Mr.. Robin" continued the old
woman, 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 1t was de same
ting. so far as de leetle gray bird was
consarned, till one day, when Mrs. Lark
allowed dat she jes' he'd to have a 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
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.. Wixxle Wuxzle tells me, wild
q mighty sharp tongue an a mighty
sharper bill an claws.
"One night Mr.. Sparrowhawk come
home In a terribul temper, an nuthin
didn't suit him, do de leetle gray bird
try his bes' to- please him. But Mr.
Sparrowhawk git madder an madder al
him till at las he jes' 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 him done bite
de pore leetle fellows tongue 80 dat he
nearly split It open, an de pore leetle
gray bird drap down for dead.
"Mr. Sparrowhawk think he done kilt
him. an OF he hy. BY an by de leetle
gray bird come to, an a-seein dat his
mouth was all a-bleedin he hop down to
de spring TO wash 1t. He dip up some
water in his mouth an gurgle It round
an round, but as he do dat he hear q
purculiar sound come from his throat
jes' like young bird tryin to sing. He
git up some mo- water in his mouth ar
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 dt
mo- he do 1t de clearer de sound come
an 10 an behop, chile, de fust dat leetls
gray bird know he was singin as fine a,
70 want to hear. Fust It was de sons
Mr.. Sparrow done sung, den It was d.
one Mr.. Lark he'd sung an den dat OF
Mr.. Robin, till at las, SO Mr.. Wizzl,
Wuzzle done tell me, dat pore leetlt
gray bird was sittin an whistlin all d.
songs his marsters done sung an goot
many mo- yit."
! -" What became Of the little gray bird
| Aunt Matildaw asked the little boy al
the old woman paused.
swell. chile" she replied, dat leetl'
| gray bird jes' sing an sing till he he'd al
de birds round bout him lissenin to him
an when dey sing he sing dere songs
don't care who dey was, an all of 'em 81
s'prised dat dey couldn't hardly believ,
dere eyes, much less dere ears. Jes
den Mr.. Sparrowhawk come flyin up. al
what he do but try to take de leetle gra!
bird home wild him, havin in mind da
he worth much mo- den ever befo' 'caus
of his singin an seein dat he not onl.
sini' de song Of any udder bird, but xii