Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-12

t1ef lnOlner nOIlced InaL NeXle never
said 81 can't" any more and wondered
at 1t, but VeXie wouldn't tell the rea-
son-no stree! Your loving niece,
ANNA M. PELREN.
1901 East Thirty third street Los An
geles, Vernon avenue school, grade AL
At first Vexie liked to be a bird very
we'll She flew from tree to tree and
had a good time.
But when it grew very cold she flew
to a little bush in the woods and tried
to keep warm.
The next day the wind blew very
hard and that night it was colder. BY
this time she wished herself home.
The next morning Vexie flew to a
farm nearby looking for breakfast
She heard the farmer talking to his
wife. Yes" he was saying, "she was
changed into catbird, and she can
never be a little girl again until she
flies through bonfire three times with
out burning her feathers. This she can
not do until she receives from the Fairy
of Dawn some magic dew. The dew she
must spread on her feathers. But to
reach the fairy's palace she must fly
for two days without food northward."
Vexie was delighted and decided to
go at once. After taking drink and
eating some bread crumbs she started.
Two days later she reached the end of
her journey and went Immediately to
the fairy.
On hearing the story the fairy gave
Vexie the dew. Hastily spreading it on
her feathers she flew through bonfire
in the palace yard three times. There
was a strange sound in the air. and 10!
she found herself once more a little
girl at home with her parents. Now
this little girl never says, II can't"
RUTH MERTENS.
222 West Avenue S. Fifty-fourth
Avenue school; Grade AS. Age Ii years.
When Vexie found that she could
fly her joy knew no bounds. She
spread her wings and flew toward
home. crying:
Mamma, mamma, see, ] can fly"
1t did not sound at all like that to
the people below.
"Scat! Get out of here. you nasty
blrd!" cried her mother when she flew
into the house.
"Oh, mother" cried her little broth
er, "may l catch II and pen il up?"
do as you please" said the mother.
So the little brother who had always
loved her took her by the feet and cut
one of her wings.
He put her in the dirty chicken
house. Saddened by the cruelty OF her
two best friends, she sought comfort
of the chickens who had been her pets.
They, too, few at her, pecked her and
went off by themselves.
Then she heard her mother scolding
her for staying in the woods and Won
dered where she was.
The neighbors who lived next door
were talking about how troublesome
she was.
With all this Vexe understood how
she could make herself better and
L. - i
She cried and prayed that she might
be turned TO herself again.
That night bird came and answered
her prayer. She was herself again.
She told her mother Of it and was
better ever after.
BESSIE CHAPMAN.
1912 East Eighth street, Ninth street
school, AT
Vexies, after she was turned into a
cat bird, flew away in the woods. She
flew around till she felt hungry. She
didn't know what to find to eat, so she
flew around all the next day till she
was almost starved. After while she
saw some other birds picking up
worms, so she went deeper in the woods
TO try to find some.
She didn't want to eat them, but she
either had to do that or starve. After
n while she found three worms. They
were so hard to find she said she would
not get another worm, but she did,
though.
The other birds thought she was the
LATEST bird they ever saw. She did
not want TO do anything One day she
was out looking at the pretty things
in the woods when another bird came
along. He was after worms, and see
ing Vexie doing nothing he asked
why aren't you hunting grub for the
winter instead of doing nothing?"
why" said Vexie, IT can get food
any other time, SO don't you worry
about me-"
The other laughed in scorn and said
nothing. One day Vexie heard a woman
say:
my, but that bird is ugly and lazy.
He doesn't do anything. If 1 were he
] would not be so lazy"
When Vexie heard this it made the
tears come to her eyes, and then she
thought she would rather be little
girl and help her mother all she could.
MINNIE GRAHAM