appeal to her darling, and, shivering with cold and anguish, drew one
long sobbing breath, and lay just as still as Graycoat.

And when the children came in the morning, they were greatly surprised
and deeply distressed to find two dead squirrels--one baby squirrel
inside the cage, and one mother squirrel outside.

But even then they did not seem to realize how dreadfully cruel they
had been in suddenly taking away a wild, free creature from the fresh,
open air, beautiful woods and trees, and, best of all, joyous freedom,
and putting him in a tiny, narrow cage, where there was only just room
enough for him to turn round.

They could not realize that nothing they could do or give him could
ever make up to the active, little creature the loss of his beautiful,
woodland home and his free life.




LEO, THE LION


Leo was a full-grown, African lion, and one of the finest specimens of
his race. Not only was he the king of beasts, but he was the king of
all other lions for miles and miles around the country in which he
lived.

From a little, tawny cub, when he had played and frolicked with his
brother and sister, he had given proofs of his extraordinary strength.