Page 556 - Child's own book

large* carpet out of some hay* Which she went and spread over
the dead bird, and then, having found in the field moust's room
some down plucked from flowers, and as soft as cotton, she
laid it on each side of the htrd^ that he might lie warmly in
the cold earth, “ Farewell, you pretty bird 1 " said she,
** farewell! and take my thanks for your pretty singing
throughout the summer, when the trees wore green, and the
warm sun shone down upon as.” She then laid her head on
the bird's breast, but was immediately startled, for it felt as if
sonielhing went thump* thump ! inside. *£ftls TO the bird's
heart, fur the bird was not dead ; he had only been senseless,
and now that he was warmed he began to revive. In autumn
all the swallows fly away 1o warm countries, but if one of them
hnppens to get belated, it. generally becomes frozen, and drops
down as if dead* and remains lying wherever it happens to fall,
and the cold snow then covers it over,
Maja trembled with fright, for the bird was very* very big
compared to herself, who was only an inch high. Si ill she
took course, and laying the cotton more (luckly round the
poor swallow, she fetched a leaf o f curled mint that served for
her counterpane, and spread it over the bird’s head. In the
following ni^ht she again stole to sec him* when she found him
alive* hut very faint. He could only jnst open his eyes for a
moment to look at Maja, as she stood before him with a piece of
phosphorescent wood in her hand, for this was the only lantern
she could command. “ Thank you, my pretty little maiden,’*
said the sick swallow, “ J am nicely warmed now, and I shall
soon get my strength again* and be able to fly abroad in the
warm sunshine," “ Oh*" cried Maja, et but it is cold out of
doors* for it snows and freezes ; keep in your warm bed, and
1 11 take care of you," She then brought the s w a llo w some
water in the leaf of a flower, and after he had drunk, ho told