then a bumble-bee and two or three honey-bees, who expressed
themselves well pleased with the house, but more especially enchanted
with the garden. In fact, when it was found that the proprietors
were very fond of the rural solitudes of Nature, and had come out
there for the purpose of enjoying them undisturbed; that they watched
and spared the anemones, and the violets, and bloodroots, and dog's-
tooth violets, and little woolly rolls of fern that began to grow up
under the trees in spring; that they never allowed a gun to be fired
to scare the birds, and watched the building of their nests with the
greatest interest,--then an opinion in favour of human beings began
to gain ground, and every cricket and bird and beast was loud in
their praise.

"Mamma," said young Tit-bit, a frisky young squirrel, to his mother
one day, "why won't you let Frisky and me go into that pretty new
cottage to play?"

"My dear," said his mother, who was a very wary and careful old
squirrel, "how can you think of it? The race of man are full of
devices for traps and pitfalls, and who could say what might happen
if you put yourself in their power? If you had wings like the
butterflies and bees, you might fly in and out again, and so gratify
your curiosity; but, as matters stand, it's best for you to keep well
out of their way."

"But, mother, there is such a nice, good lady lives there! I believe
she is a good fairy, and she seems to love us all so; she sits in the
bow-window and watches us for hours, and she scatters corn all round
at the roots of the tree for us to eat."