she, and Rose hunted about the house till she found a large wicker
cage that belonged to a blackbird she once had. She gave the cage to
Piccola, and the swallow seemed to make himself quite at home in it at
once, and sat on the perch winking his bright eyes at the children.
Rose had saved a bag of candies for Piccola, and when she went home at
last, with the cage and her dear swallow safely inside it, I am sure
there was not a happier little girl in the whole country of Italy.



THE CHILD AND THE WORLD.

I see a nest in a green elm-tree
With little brown sparrows,--one, two, three!
The elm-tree stretches its branches wide,
And the nest is soft and warm inside.
At morn, the sun, so golden bright,
Climbs up to fill the world with light;
It opens the flowers, it wakens me,
And wakens the birdies,--one, two, three.
And leaning out of my window high,
I look far up at the blue, blue sky,
And then far out at the earth so green,
And think it the loveliest ever seen,--
The loveliest world that ever was seen!

But by and by, when the sun is low,
And birds and babies sleepy grow,
I peep again from my window high,
And look at the earth and clouds and sky.