Page 534 - Child's own book

her white leaves, lik& so -many little arms stretching forth
towards the air and light, she recognised the bird’s voice, but
this time he sang mournfully—and well he might* for he had
bccoinc a prisoner, and sat in a cage near an open window. He
sang of the delight of flying about free and unfettered ; he sang
of the young green corn that was growing out in the fields, and
of the pleasant journeys birds on the wing arc able to make
in the upper regions of the air* The itoor bird was not in good
spirits, for he was in a cage.
The little daisy would fain have helped him ; but what
could she do ? It was a difficult matter to decide. She forgot
liow beautiful was all around, how warm the sun felt, and how
white and pretty her leaves appeared. Alas! she could think
of nothing but the captive bird, whom she was powerless to
assist*
At this moment two boys came into the garden, and one of
them held in his hand a knife aa large and as sharp as that
with which the girl had cut down the tulips. They walked
straight up to the little daisy, who could not think what they
could want.
“ We can cut a nice tuft of grass here for the lark," said
one of the boys, and began to cut a square piece round the daisy,
so that she could stand in the centre of the plot*— “ Pull up
ihe flower,' ’ said the other boy, while the daisy trembled with
alarm ; for her to be pulled np was the same as to lose her life;
and she wished to live, as she was to be taken with the piece of
grass to the captive lark in his cage.—>* No, let it be,” said the
other boy, “ it looks so pretty ;* and so the flower was let
alone, and taken into the lark's cage.
The poor bird was lamenting loudly over hi9 lost freedom,,
and flapping his wings against the wires of the cage. The
little daisy, not being able to speak, could not say a word