Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-12
Honorable Mentlon)

IA appeared and Vexie was left TO
herself She began to feel very lonely
and flew up in tree and hoped into
an old deserted nest left by family
of crows.
1t was very warm and very soon she
was fast asleep. The sun was shining
brightly when she awoke and began
to feel hungry. She saw house
little way off and she resolved to go
over there and get something to eat.
because she wouldn't eat bugs and
worms.
She flew in an open window and there
a a table was a breakfast spread for
two. There was a fine dish of straw
berries, some oatmeal porridge, and
some corn bread.
The Strawberries looked so good she
picked a few. She was just going to
take some corn bread when she heard
footsteps and she thought 1t was about
time to depart.
When she got outside the house she
felt cold, so she flew to the nest and
hoped inside and went to sleep.
When she awoke she found herself
lying on a pile of rocks In a big cav
ern. Suddenly little man with a long
white beard and a suit the color of
the rocks appeared and said in n
squeaky voice, I'VE have told the
morning, to change you into a cat
bird. and now we have brought you
here to pick all the jewels out of this
wall and put them in this" He pro-
duced a little basket made of bur
nished copper and then disappeared.
VeXie saw at a glance that the bas-
ket would not hold a third of the gems
set in the wall.
Then Vcxie began to pull at the
i
body shouted: Here she isl We found
her" And Vexie found herself under
the tree. Your nephew,
HARDWOOD COLLINS.
Fifth grade. age 10 years. Tropico
She was very happy; away she flew,
over the tree tops. she cared not
where. until tired out by long flight
she stopped to rest on a high branch
of tall tree: then away again on
the wings of air, as it seemed. so
swiftly she flew.
Then she sought food: flying to the
ground hunting for some nice fat
worm or bug that might come in
handy to satisfy her appetite. But she
could find no worm, no bug; for be-
ing n young catbrd did not know
where to get these good things.
After an unfruitful search she again
Shdi ANdF ny iiiS ipW diOnB Ailt EibuHis
her bright little eyes on the lookout
for food.
Suddenly she came to a lake: she
stopped and. o! joy. there was a big
fat worm just coming out of his hole,
and O. there's another and another,
thousands of them. With joy the lit
tie bird was greedily devouring the
fancy morsel when she was suddenly
struck with something which Knocked
her into the water: for few minutes
one would have thought her dead.
The boy that had thrown the rock
came to the edge of the lake, accom-
panied by a smaller boy.
There 1t is" said the one who had
thrown the stone. pointing to the poor
little bird. struggling violently with a
broken wing in the water You go
and get IL before 1t browns"
'I can't" was the answer "I'll get
my clothes all wet and muddy"
Don't then: we don't want it any
way; let it drown" and they went
away.
The bird lay still now. Poor little
thing: during its life it had been so
happy flying from place to place and.
although its song was not very sweet
it had sang all the day long. but now
it lay STILL never more would 1t sing,
never more would it fly.
Vexe woke with a start. tears were
III IlcI 6ytS, StSliiS ilti hioAiiNi III tilO
distance, who seemed to be looking for
her. she ran toward her, crying:
80, mother! mother! I'll never say I
can't again. mother I've had the
strangest dream in all the world
"Well, my dear little daughter. I
hope you never WILL" said the mother,
as Vexie told her her strange dream.
And she never did.
BAYARD BELL DOUGLAS,
5O4 West Twenty-first street
Norwood street school. AT.
Vexie was very happy She flew to
the tops of the tallest trees trying to
make friends with the other birds but
they would have nothing to do with
her. BY and by she became hungry
and began looking for food. Now, as
Vexie had always been a little girl, she
didn't like bugs and worms. but was
looking for fruit.
1t grew dark. She saw an old owl
with a mouse in his claws. "Who-o-o-o
are you-o-o-o?" he said. "Why. I'm
70 orot