THE BLUE BIRD

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 20

THE BLUE BIRD

(Original)

"Dickie! Dickie! quick, come hereI've found something." The speaker was a young girl of eleven years with dark curly hair ana sweet: features which, happily, she never thought about. Her name ,was Veronica Lewis, and she lived in a drab cottage, Dickie, her brother, left tho task he was doing and ran to his sister. ''Why! It's a poor little blackbird with a broken leg," said Dickio. "Yes, and I'm going to ask mother if I may keep it until its leg gets better. I found it on tho path, Veronica continued. When they had gained their mother's consent, they put the blackbird' in 'a fcage they had borrowed. ' .' • :

"I wonder why?" said Veronica one day when she was .talking to her toother, "ever since we have found the blackbird we have beon^—-. . r She was startled at this point by- a knock On the door. .Opening it ._ she found an old, bent woman with, a tired, worn face, covered with criss-crosses and wrinkles, with a tattered shawl around her body. "My pretty," said the old woman in a quavering voice, "I have a little daughter at home who is very all and she ia always asking for a bluebird. I was tola y.ou had one. Would you give it to me?"----"Blue bird' 3" said Veronica m a puzzled tone. "Wo have no blue^ bird, we'vo only a black-bird. Come with mo and I will show you it." "My child," said the old woman, "this ia the bird I'm looking for. Can't you see? It is bluej-a deep blue like the sky on a summer's day. "So it is," said Veronica. "I never noticed' it before. But you can have it," And, she gently thrust it in the old woman's hand. "Thank you, thank you. May forr tune favour you." And the old woman went on her way.

It was exactly a week later when Dickie and Veronica were helping thoir. mother, when the door of the cottage was thrown open and in walked the old woman with a delicate girl by her side.

"This is my/daughter," said the old woman, "who, by your kind act, you have completely cured of her illness." "Yes," said the little girl. Ana I have brought it back to you." And she handed Veronica the bluebird. "Look, look, its flying away. Oh do save it. Don't let it go," cried Veronica. . "Never mind, perhaps it has gone to bring happiness to some children who were as discontented with life as we'were. I hope they treat it as it should be treated—as the Bluebird of Happiness." "LITTLE TING." (14). Pctone.

"LITTLE TING." (14).