STORY OF BIRDS AND FISH

                  STORY OF BIRDS AND FISH

Three little birds lived in a nest in a tree ; the tree

stood near the fountain in the Public Garden in Boston,

and in the fountain basin lived three little goldfish. One

morning the three little birds hopped from their nest and

flew down beside the fountain where they spied the three

little goldfish. The birds hopped up on the edge of the

stone basin and looked at the fish, and the fish swam close

to the birds and looked at them.

At last the largest fish said to the smallest bird : —

" Will you please come into the water and play with us ? It is very cool and pleasant here, and if you do not know

how to swim, you can run around on the bottom of the

basin until we can teach you ; it is very easy to swim —

for fish at least."

The bird said : —

"We cannot go in water as deep as that in the basin : our wings are not made for swimming, but I see you have

something on your sides that looks Hke tiny wings ; per-

haps you can fly a Httle. If you will come out of the

water, we will try to teach you to fly from branch to branch

of our tree, which I am sure is pleasanter than to stay so much in the water."

But the fish explained that the little things on his sides

were fins for swimming, and would never be wings. Just

then the mamma-bird called "tweet, tweet," and the three

little birds bade the fishes good by, and flew away to see what their mamma wanted.

Just as they reached the home nest, a little boy with his

mother came to see the goldfish, and he asked her why

the fish kept under water while the birds flew about in the

air. His mother told him that fish were so made that

they could " breathe under water, but birds could only

breathe in the air, though a few of them can dive under

water for a short time.

The little boy said he was glad he had hands and arms

instead of fins or wings, and the little birds told their

mamma they were happy as happy could be because they

could fly about among the branches of the trees and rest

upon flower-stalks ; and the little fishes agreed they were

very glad to be able to live in the cool water, and swim

about, which seemed to them much easier than flying in

the dry hot air. No doubt the Good Friend who takes care of birds, fish,

and boys was very glad to see them all so contented.