THE RED-POLE.
A little girl, whose name was Emma, was anxious to have a bird; but her mamma refused to give her one, as she disapproved of confining the pretty little creatures in cages.—“Mamma,” said Emma, one morning, “I know a great many little girls who have birds.” “Very probably,” replied her mother: “it is not uncommon to keep them in cages; but that circumstance does not make it less wrong. When you are older, if you do what other people do, without considering, you will often do wrong. You must think for yourself. If you were to catch one of those happy little birds, which are flying about from tree to tree, and hopping from branch to branch, chirping so gaily and singing so sweetly, you would render it miserable.” “Indeed, mamma,” interrupted Emma; “I have seen canary birds, goldfinches, and many other kinds, which are very cheerful, and seem to enjoy themselves very contentedly.” “But,” said her mother, “they do not pass their lives in the same degree of enjoyment, as if they were flying about.”
A few days after this conversation, Emma’s cousin came to spend a few days with his aunt, before he returned to school. He had a very pretty bird called a Red-pole: he had reared it from the nest. It was very tame. He had taught it many tricks: it would eat out of his hand, and stand perched on his finger whilst he walked about the house. Emma was extremely fond of it, and wished, more than ever, that her mamma did not think it improper for her to have a bird. She spent much time, every day, with her favourite: it grew fond of her quickly, and appeared to know her as well as it did its master. The day before her cousin went to school, Emma entered her mother’s dressing-room with the red-pole on her finger. “Mamma,” said Emma, fixing her eyes anxiously on her mother’s face, “Cousin Edward says, he must not take red-pole back to school with him. Dr. Barton desired him not. He said it took up too much of his time and thoughts. So he told me, just now, that he was glad red-pole loved me, and that he would give it to me. Poor red-pole, it is of no use your loving me, I fear! I may not keep you.—I suppose you must fly away!”—“No, Emma,” answered her mother; “we must do the best that we can for it now. The poor creature has been rendered so helpless, that it would perish from want: you may therefore keep it. Remember, however, you undertake a great charge. Children are little to be trusted: they frequently neglect their pets. Many unfortunate favourites perish, from the carelessness of their thoughtless masters and mistresses. Let me see that, in this instance, you will act wisely and humanely.” “Oh!” cried Emma, eagerly, “I never shall forget my dear little red-pole! Thank you, mamma.”
Emma did, indeed, pay attention to her bird for the first week. At length she grew tired of seeing the same tricks over and over, without the smallest variety. She was constantly trying to teach it something new. Unfortunately, one day it occurred to her, that it would be entertaining to see how it would behave in the water. Emma forgot it was winter, and that the weather was very cold. She determined to try the experiment. She chirped, and held put her finger. Poor red-pole, as usual, hopped on it. She carried him to a pitcher of water, which unluckily was in the room, and plunged him, head foremost, into it. The bird struggled violently. Emma took him out. How great was her horror to see blood gushing from his beak and eyes. He writhed, kicked in agony, and in a few moments expired.
Emma burst into tears. “Oh, mamma,” exclaimed she to her mother, who at that instant entered the chamber, “I have killed my bird! You are right—children are not to be trusted! I never will have another bird! Oh my poor red-pole! my dear red-pole, which I loved so tenderly!”
Julia talked with her mother some time about the tale she had just read. When she had finished her observations on Emma’s conduct, she put the book on the proper shelf in Mary’s room. She returned to her mother, and as she passed the window she saw a carriage drive to the door of the house. “They are come! they are come!” cried the happy Julia, jumping and clapping her hands, in ecstacy: “how fortunate, mamma, I have finished all my business!”—As soon as the joy and bustle of the meeting were a little over, Mrs. Vincent smiled and said, “Now, Julia, you may show your sister the different apartments of the house. Your aunt and I will follow. Lead the way.”
Julia took her sister by the hand, and led her, in silence, through the passage.
“Mary, this is to be your sitting-room,” cried the little girl, as she threw open the door of the important room.
“My room!” exclaimed Mary: “how beautiful!—it is full of flowers! Dear mamma, how good of you to ornament my room with these lovely flowers.—A rose-tree too, in full bloom.—These are hot-house flowers. Have you a hot-house, mamma.” “No, my dear, I have not,” replied Mrs. Vincent; “nor are you indebted to me for these rare and lovely flowers: they were all given, this morning, to Julia.”—“They are yours now, my dear Mary,” interrupted Julia; “I give them to you.”—Mary kissed her sister, and added, “I thank you very much, my love, for so beautiful a present. But I am curious to learn whence you had them.” Julia coloured, threw her arms round Mary’s neck, and whispered, “Lady Beauchamp gave them to me.” Mrs. Vincent smiled and said, “I permitted Julia the pleasure of introducing you to your apartment—she merited that gratification; but I shall not allow any one to rob me of the happiness of relating to you the story attached to these flowers. You, my dear Mary, who have assisted me in instructing our little Julia, have a right to share the delight her behaviour has afforded me.”—Mary’s curiosity was strongly excited, and her mother immediately related to her the whole transaction about the lamb.
THE END.
Printed by Darton, Harvey, and Co.
Gracechurch Street, London.
Transcriber’s Note
Punctuation has been normalized. Variations in hyphenation have been retained as they were in the original publication. The following changes have been made:
| Page | Original | As Corrected |
| 18 | pleasad | pleased |
| 25 | cut your head | cut your hand |
| 39 | if she think | if she thinks |
| 56 | sat down so work | sat down to work |
| 57 | necessaay | necessary |