clever bird. He used to go round to the kitchen window every day at a
certain hour, for a potato that the cook used to give him. If it was not
ready she would tell him so, and he would go away for a while, but he
always came back for it.

"One evening he was shut out of his roosting-place by accident, so he
went to the glass doors of the dining-room, which lead into the garden,
and tapped on them loudly with his beak till some one went to let him
in. He hopped about the room, and looked as much as to say,--'I want to
be shown to my bedroom.'

"Poor Jacky! he was killed by an accident; and then we had Grip in his
stead.

"You know we have a pair of hedgehogs, Tom," said Charley. "Well,
they've got some young ones; suppose we go and see them."

The boys went into the kitchen garden, and in a thick hedge at the
bottom they came to the nest which the hedgehogs had made on the ground.
It had a sort of roof to keep the rain off, and inside it was lined with
moss and leaves.

"I never saw a hedgehog," said Jack.

"Well, now, that is one there," said Tom.

Jack saw a little creature rather more than nine inches long, with a
thick body, a long snout, short legs, and no tail to speak of. It was
covered with spines, and could make itself into a ball whenever it
pleased or when it was frightened, and then no dog or beast could touch