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ALL the sparrows
that lived in a great elm standing in a city, had met in the morning
after the first fall of snow to hold a consultation.
"This snow," began an old sparrow with a twisted bill, "is something
I don't like. Robin Red Breast told me a month ago that it would
come, and said we should do better to fly away to the South with
him, but I thought I would stand by the tree. I felt badly enough
when they took us out of our English oak and brought us across the
sea, for I am a homebody. But this snow! I don't know where to set
my feet, or pick a crumb for breakfast."
"Can't we go back to our English oak?" asked a younger sparrow, "it
isn't so cold there."
"Not if they don't choose to carry us," said the old sparrow.
"I have heard," said another, "that the people who live in these
beautiful houses around the park are very kind, and will give us
plenty to eat if we will act a bit friendly. Let's go over to that
balcony. I see a little boy behind the glass looking at us now, and
he looks kind and gentle."
So there was a whirring of wings, and all the sparrows went over to
the balcony, making the light snow fly as they alighted.
How the little boy's face brightened as they came. "I wonder if God
sent the little sparrows?" he said, for he had just been reading how
God gives the lilies their beautiful dress, and how He feeds the
little birds. Just as he read, " Your Heavenly Father feedeth them,"
he looked over to the old elm, and they all came to him in a flock.
"What does it mean, mamma," he said, calling his mother to him (for
he was lame), and telling her all about it.
"God has given you plenty of crumbs and a pair of hands to scatter
them with," said his mother. "Perhaps that is the way our Heavenly
Father wants to feed His sparrows."
A few minutes later the happy-faced boy was scattering crumbs on the
balcony to as happy a group of sparrows, and every morning and
evening all winter they came to their young provider for breakfast
and supper, and the little lame boy and the merry sparrows grew to
be great friends.
Sparrows
A Fictional Short Story by
Agnes Taylor Ketchum & Ida M. Jorgensen
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