So Jack sat himself down on the mat before the fire, and father cleared his throat and began,—
"Once upon a time, when I was a boy like you, I had a little brother, and his name was Bob.
"Now Bob and I used to play together, go to school together, go to bed together—in fact, we did nearly everything together.
"Bob said one day to his mother, 'Mother, I should love to have some real doves. Do, please, get me some.'
"So mother said, 'Well, I will help you to get some, but you must save up all your pennies as well.'
"Bob and I saved up our Saturday pennies for a long time. At last, with mother's help, we had enough to buy some doves. They were pretty, all white, with rings round their necks.
"I can remember what fun we had putting up the dovecot. We placed it against the wall of the house, and not far from our bed-room window.
"Our house was in the country, and when Bob and I were in bed at night we could hear the owls hooting and crying to one another. It was a weird sound, and if Bob and I had not known what it was, I think we should have been very much afraid. But then, you know, it was only the owls' way of talking to one another.