Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-16

kneel down, either"
Poor Dorothy felt discouraged with
the conversation and was about 10 re-
turn 10 her arithmetic, but decided 70
/ try once more to turn the talk into
pleasanteT channels, so She said pres
emily:
"Oh, by the way, Pitawitan, how did
you happen TO come TO this country
You were not born here, were you?"
mo" said Pitawitan; Il came on a
nightmare"
"On a what?" exclaimed Dorothy.
"Ou a nightmare. Didn't you ever
hear Of a nightmare"
why. Of course, I've heard Of them,
But how could you come here on one,
when it is only a bad dream?"
We'll I did, anyway; and I've got
it yet III tell you about it.
u was born on an island far, far
away. and for some months lived very
happily with my father and mother
| and brothers; and in those days
really did sing. One afternoon while
! was still quite young my eldest
/ brother found a large piece of rich
/ fruit cake by the roadside and called
US all 10 come and share il. 1t was the
most delicious thing that / had ever
eaten, and l am afraid that l made
a regular little pig of myself in my
greediness. My mother warned me TO
eat lightly of such rich food, but |
would not herd her, even when she
said at last:
IF you eat any more Of that you
will certainly have anightmare.'
what is a nightmare, mother
asked, for I had at that time never
heard Of one.
why, it is a dreadful dream she
answered me. Perhaps you win dream
that wicked men catch you and carry
you away. away of. and shut you up
in a cage and keep you there, hungry
and lonely
However, I only laughed and said
that was not afraid of any dream, I.
and went on eating
well, when ! srept into the nest /
that night had headache and felt /.
heavy and miserable and wished that A..
had taken mothers advice,
During the first part of the night I .
did not sleep well, and kept waking in .
a fright, but at last went to sleep
soundly and dreamed this dream:
81 thought that had slept all night,
and when l awoke in the morning the
sun was just beginning TO show above
the horizon. l hoped out of the nest
with my little brothers and few down
to the spring for a fresh drink and a
bath, and then out TO the meadow 10
pick up 4 breakfast. As we luttered
about, picking seeds from the grass
heads OF picking at strawberries, few
TO a low bush TO rest for a moment;
but when | would have flown down
again ] felt my feet held fast by some
sticky substance. and / called to my
brothers to come quickly and help me.
They came at once, but, alas! no sooner
did they alight upon the bush than
their feet also stuck fast, and. although
we fluttered and screamed, IL was all
to no purpose.
"And then suddenly saw coming to-
ward MS two rough-looldng men ear
rying wooden cages, and / thought al
once of what my mother had said would
happen If ate too much of the fruit
AXE, and knew that this was a night ,
mare. l struggled and futtered and ,
hrieked, in the hope Of waking up,
,ut I could not; and one of the cruel
nen took hold of me roughly, and as he ,
oosened my poor little feet said, care ,
essly. TO his companion:
"'We made this birdiime a bit TOO
tiff this time. It's liable 10 iniure their
eet.' And then he put me into little
wooden cage and did the same to my
rrothers, although of course I knew
hat they were not really suffering,
inee This was only a nightmare of my {
wn; but I screamed and called to them {
ust the same.
They took us TO town near by. tied
many cages together and packed them 4
n a boat which carried US across the {
fater, while l sat quietly in my cage
nd mourned and longed to wake up. !
"Well. when we had reached land once s
lore we were packed on a train-oh, I
was so frightened-and brought :
AMY, many miles to this great city.
never spoke or cried. I would scarce
? eat or drink, I was so weary and lone I
: and heartsick. Twas taken TO a store
here were many birds of all kinds,
nd there al last I found my voice 1,
gain. for we all began TO tell each h
Their our troubles and our misery in II
eng kept in cages as prisoners, and 7
IT fear Of the future, and everyone II
no came in exclaimed: Q,
How beautifully and ioyously a
lese birds all sing! One would not h
mink that they could be so happy in n
nose tiny cages T
Then one day your mother came nj
oking for a bird for your birthday m
II, and she choose me because Of my "a
brilliant color-and-here OF
am ritawitan stopped and stood S,
ournfully on one foot. y,
Dorothy looked puzzled. But. Pita- .,
itan, you said 1t was a dream, night Il
4 4.