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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June, 1869, by J. W. Burke & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United Spates for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. HI—No. 25.
ADA AND THE ANIMALS.
A. FA X JEI -V TA.Hi 33 _
VERYBODY has
ScJl heard that in the
days when there
were no naughty child
ren, and brothers and
sisters never quarrelled,
and babies never cried,
there were many good
fairies whose sole delight
it was to amuse and in
-5 struct young people.
These good fairies have
for sometime left off doing
this, but that is, I suppose,
because now-a-days young
people have so many grand
amusements provided for
them that the fairies think
they would not care for
their simple plans ; and,
moreover, they have a hor
ror of any child who is im
patient and difficult to be
amused. However, there
is no knowing but what
they do appear occasional
ly now to very good child
ren. I have never heard
to the contrary.
Well, in the days I was
speaking of, a little girl
named Ada lived in a cot
tage near a very large
wood, with her father, who
was a game-keeper. Her mother had
been dead some years, so when her fa
ther was at work out in the woods she
was quite alone. Now, I daresay some
of my young friend§ will think she must
have been very dull. But she was not.
She used first to make the cottage tidy,
and then to wander about on the out
side of the wood. She never went in
side the wood, as her father had told
her she might lose herself, and she felt
a little afraid too, it was so very quiet
and still, and the pheasants frightened
her so when they got up suddenly, with
a tremendous whir-r-r, out of a bush.
Her chief pleasure was picking flowers
and watching the rabbits and hares pop
MACON, GEORGIA, DECEMBER 18, 1869.
ping in and out of the wood, and the
magpies and jays chattering away to
each other.
From watching these creatures so
much, she soon got to wishing that she
knew what they said to each other, and
talked about; and one day, as she was
sitting on a log watching a lot of rab
bits at play, washing their faces like
cats, and frisking about, she saw a very
gray old rabbit pop out of the wood, and
apparently whisper something to one of
the others. Then they all sat up on
their hind legs for a moment, and then
scattered into the wood like mad things.
Now Ada had watched all this, and
was so longing to know what the old
gray rabbit had said, that she exclaim
ed out loud:
“ Oli, I wonder what he said !”
Just as she spoke she thought she
heard a slight laugh, and turning round
saw a most beautiful fairy, dressed in
green leaves of all sorts of shades.
Ada at first felt a good deal frighten
ened, but the fairy said :
“You were wishing to know what
that rabbit said, were you not, my
child ?”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Ada, trembling,
not knowing how to call her.
“ Well,” said the fairy, “ I have had
my eye upon you for some time, and
your good behavior has pleased me very
much, so I don’t mind letting you into
our secrets for one day.”
So saying, the fairy waved her wand
thrice over Ada’s head, and said:
“You will find that you will now un
derstand what every animal and bird
says, and they will understand you, but
only to-day—to-morrow you will be as
you were before.”
Ada was beginning to thank her, when
she said :
“ What do you sav, my child ? Shall
I come with you, or would you like to
talk by yourself to the creatures?”
Ada felt that she would be too fright
ened to say a word before the fairy, so
she stammered out:
“ If you please, ma’am, I'd rather go
alone.”
“ Very well,” said the fairy. “ Only
remember, my child, your gilt will not
last beyond to-day and so saying, she
vanished.
Ada now went into the wood by a
little wicket gate, but paused upon see
ing a fox just inside the wood, brushing
his whiskers. She heard the fox say :
“Well, I shan’t move, I’m not afraid
Whole No. 129.
of her ,” and she was so pleased to be
able to understand what he said, that
she jumped for joy, (at which the fox
gave a little start,) and said :
“ Oh, Mr. Fox, I know what you say
now.”
The fox seemed a little astonished,
but made a polite bow and said :
“I’m delighted, I’m sure. I hope
your father is quite well, Miss?”
Ada had always heard her father
speak very disparagingly of the foxes,
and knew that he set traps for them j so
she did not quite understand the fox
taking such an affectionate
interest in her father. But
you see she didn’t know
what a cunning fellow he
was. However, as she
wished to be polite, she
said :
“ Thank you, he is quite
well. I hope Mrs. Rey
nolds and the family are
quite well,” (she had often
heard her father speak of
him as Mr. Reynolds.) “If
you please, can you tell me
what that old rabbit whis
pered to the others just
now to make them run in
to the wood so fast?”
“Well,” said the fox,
“ the fact is, our family and
the rabbits have had a quar
rel (it began, I believe, in
my grandfather’s time, )
and they rather avoid me, —in fact, so
much so that they won’t let me come
near them to make it up with them, as
I often try to do.”
Now Ada knew this was a story, as
her father had often told her how the
fox used to kill and eat the young rab
bits, so she said :
“Oh, you horrid story-telling crea
ture 1”
“It’s a fact,” said the fox, “upon
honor,” putting his hand on his heart.
Just at this moment she heard a rust
ling among the dead leaves, and a weasel
popped out.
The weasel looked at her very shaply
—in fact she almost felt afraid of it —