CANARY AND SPARROW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22142, 22 June 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

CANARY AND SPARROW

By IRIS DUTTON, Barry Road. Waihi; age 15 years.

Sitting in a little green cage and swinging , to and fro in the bright sunshine, twittering merrily, sat a little yellow canary, while on a branch of a treo near by perched a cheeky brown sparrow. " Good-day to you," remarked the sparrow, whose name was Sammy, " so you aro in a cage. I expect you think that a protection from your enemy tho cat?" ¥es," responded Dickey Canary. " I am perfectly safe in my little cage, and you must admit that 1 am happy because I can, and do sing, all day long, while you are exposed to all the dangers that beset a bird on the wing, and show it by your shyness and nervousness." " I am able to fly -when I want to, but you cannot as you are imprisoned," retorted Sammy Sparrow. /ou have to fly to look for your food, while 1 do not, as it is brought to me," said the other.

" That does not matter, for I enjoy looking for it, and I am very happy." "1 am very happy, too; I have my little perch to rest and swing on, and fresh water to drink every day; also my mistress is very kind to me, so 1 do not mind living in a cage. T have just as good a life as you, and 1 can sing nicely, and besides" you are a bird of low degree." " Well, 1 would rather havo my freedom than to be locked in a cage all my life," and, so saying, tho sparrow flow back to his nest.^:-. 1 *