However dinner is over, and we all adjourned to the lowest cavern while the servants eat theirs. Then we sing songs and tell stories.
Felix.—"Cousin Schillie, you promised to tell us the story of the jack-daws if we behaved well and obeyed our general."
Schillie.—"Pooh! pooh! you have heard it a hundred times, boy."
Felix.—"But the captain has not."
"I should like to hear it very much," said he.
Mother.—"Then, Schillie, you will have to tell it again for the hundred and first time, and you, captain, must not think that you are to hear a very wonderful story, but, as it is the only one she was ever known to tell, we are obliged to make her repeat it again and again. If she would kindly tell us a fresh one we should be obliged, but, as she won't, we will prepare ourselves to listen once more to the tale of
THE JACK-DAWS.
Once upon a time (this is too bad of you June) there stood an old church in the middle of a village (making me tell this old story), and this church had a very fine old tower (I wish you up in it now), and in this tower lived a fine pair of jack-daws (fine company for you). Well! you must know these jack-daws had a large family of greedy young children (just like you). Now there lived in the village, (besides many other brats) two boys, a big boy and a little boy. The big boy was a great big stout hulking fellow, with a snubby nose and green eyes; and the little fellow was a nice active chap, about the size of Tom Thumb, quick and sharp as a needle. So one day these two boys sat in the church-yard, and watched the jack-daws as they flew hither and thither and everywhere. Says the little fellow, 'Them jack-daws must have a nest up there.' Says the big chap, 'No doubt, and I would like to have the young ones,' (mind children it's a wicked thing taking birds from their nests; look at all of you away from your nests; go on, cousin, go on, the captain is quite impatient). Well! so they agreed they would climb up the old church tower, and get the young ones, which accordingly they did. Now you must know the old jack-daws, being very knowing, had built their nest so that it was outside the tower, just out of their reach, and there they could see almost within grasp seven little jack-daws, all with their mouths wide open, waiting for their father to pop in a delicious fat worm! ('Oh, cousin, how nasty,' says Winny). So the two boys were much puzzled, but at last the big one takes hold of a plank, and, putting it out of the little window, 'Now,' says he, 'go you and sit at that end and I will push the plank out of the window, and you will just be able to reach the nest.' 'Very well,' says the little fellow, 'but mind you sit at the other end, lest the plank tilts up with me, and I go down.' 'All right,' says the big fellow, and away goes the little boy. 'I have got them all seven,' says he, 'and very fine ones they are.' 'Very well', says the big boy, 'mind four are mine, and three are yours.' 'No such thing,' says the little one, 'I underwent the danger, so I'll have the four, and you shall have the three.' 'No you shall not,' says big bully. 'Yes I will,' says the little sturdy fellow. 'I will let you down if you don't give me the four,' says the big rascal. 'Let away,' says the small boy, 'I won't give them up.' So the young villain let go the plank, and away went the little fellow, holding stoutly on by his little birds. Well the seven jack-daws spread their wings and fluttered, and the wind being high, it filled a great stout pinafore that he had on, so that between the two, he was borne safely to the ground, when, looking up at the window, out of which the big bully was watching his flight, he shouted out, 'Now you shall have none of them.'