“No, indeed,” answered John.  “I would rather see an owl any time than these little birds that can do nothing but sing.  See how soft his feathers are—­all barred and spotted with black and brown, which is more handsome than to be all over red or yellow.  I know he can’t sing; but he’s got nice, long ears, and that no other bird has.  And how nice and round his head is.  Then he sits on a tree, and looks wise, as father says.  The Canary, and the mocking bird, are good enough to keep in cages, but of all birds, give me an owl.”

Thomas and Samuel laughed at this notion, but John continued: 

“Thomas, did not some people, who lived a long while ago, call the owl the ‘bird of wisdom?’”

“Yes,” replied Thomas.  “I have heard father say that it was the Athenians.”

“That shows how wise they were,” said John.  “I seems to me as though that owl, which we saw, was keeping house for poor old soldier Jack.”

“Do hush about owls,” said his brother, laughing; and they ran together through the gate, and into the yard.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.

A visit to daddy Hall.

Next morning, Mr. Harvey told his sons that they might go to see an old man, who lived in a small house, about two miles off, and who was so sickly that he could not work.  This old man’s name was Hall, and the boys of the school called him Daddy Hall.  He had once been rich; but sickness and misfortune had reduced him to poverty, so that he now lived with his little son, in a small hut, near a hill.  Every week he sent fruit and vegetables to market, in a cart, drawn by a donkey, which some of the neighbors had given to him.  Every week Mr. Harvey sent either a servant, or one of the boys, to see how he was getting along, and to carry him something nice.

The two boys, with their cousin, were soon off, carrying with them a basket full of things for the old man.  They went by the road across the meadows, and through a small gate in the hedge.  Samuel observed, that the hawthorn of the hedge grew very thick and close, so that a bird could scarcely get through it.  The roots and branches were twisted into each other, appearing like strong, thick chains woven together; and on the vines grew sharp thorns, longer than a needle.  Mr. Harvey’s boys told their cousin, that neither man nor beast could get through such a hedge; and that if a man were placed on the top, he could walk on the vines without sinking down, they were so strong and close.  “It would be uneasy travelling, though,” added John; “for his feet would be torn to pieces by these spiky thorns.”

They now left the hedge, and went on through two wide fields, until they reached some hills that stood by themselves, and were steep and bare.  Three of them had deep pits dug in them, while piles of rock, stones, and sand, were lying around.  Samuel asked his cousins what place it was.