Did he send the cage too?

No, mamma’ gave me the cage.

What nice pets the birds will be!  Are they tame, Mary?

Not yet, but I think they soon will be.  They let me set food near them now.

When they are tame, you can let them out of the cage.

What a funny cap one of them has!

It looks like a cap, Mary, but it is not.  It is a crest.

Many redbirds have no crest, and I am glad that one of your birds has one.

Will these birds sing well?

They sing very little.  Redbirds are pretty, but they do not sing so well as some other birds.

SCRIPT EXERCISE.

[Script:  [:a]r[e\] [a:]l[l\] h[)a]v[e\] w[)i]l[l\] [-c][=a][.g][e\] [=g][=a]v[e\]]

LESSON III.

NEW WORDS.

d[)i]p f[)i]sh trout br[)oo]k n[)e]t l[)i]v[e\] d[)i]sh w[)i]sh [-c][o.][u\][l\]d

VOWEL EXERCISE.

[)i] [)i]n [)i]n’t[o:] [)i][s±] h[)i][s±] [)i]sh d[)i]sh f[)i]sh w[)i]sh

[Illustration]

Look, mamma’!  See what a pretty fish!  It is a little trout.

Where did you get it, John?

Frank caught it in the brook.

I went to dip a dish into the brook to get some water, and saw this little fish.

Then I said, “O Frank, look, look quick!  See the little fish!”

Frank saw it, and ran to get his fish net.  He put the net into the water, and caught the fish, and I put it into this dish.

“Well, what will you do with it?

I will keep it, mamma’.

But, my boy, it will not live in that dish.  Put it back into the brook.

I wish I could keep it.  It is so pretty!  May I put it into the pond?

No, John.  You must put it into the brook.  A trout will not live in warm water.

SCRIPT EXERCISE.

[Script:  s[a:][w\] l[)i]v[e\] b[)a][c\]k wh[^e]r[e\] [-c][o.][u\][l\]d [-c][a:][u\][g\][h\]t]

LESSON IV.

NEW WORDS

[=g][)o]t j[)o]l’l[)y] r[)o]mp br[)e][a\]d f[)o]x [=e][a\]t f[)o]nd [.a]ft’[e]r m[=e][a\]t

VOWEL EXERCISE.

[)o] [)o]x b[)o]x f[)o]x d[)o][=g] n[)o]t t[)o]p

[Illustration]

John, where did you get your fox?

I caught him in a trap, when he was small.

Is he tame now?

O yes! and he is very fond of me.  We romp, and play, and have a jolly time with each other.

What do you give him to eat?

I give him meat and bread.

Can a fox run fast, John?

Yes.  My fox can run very fast.  A little while ago, Frank was here with his dog Rover.  The fox was afraid of Rover, and ran away.