“Bird, bird,
Ladybird;
They called and called,
But she never stirred.”
“Arrah, miss! an’ are ye up there? Come down, ye rascally baby. Yer aunts is afther huntin’ high an’ low for ye. Do ye hear?”
“I hear and I hear, and I don’t heed,” came back the answering voice.
“Ye must heed,” said old Matthew, earnestly. “Yer aunts is clean daft. Come down, little lady, come down now.”
“Nixy,” said Ladybird, saucily. “You know very well, Matthew, that if I come down my aunts will send me away, and I won’t be sent away.”
“But ye can’t stay up in the tree forever, miss.”
“Well, I can stay for the present. I don’t think it’s going to rain to-night, do you, Matthew?”