_CHAPTER III._
When I had finished it, I amused myself with chucking nuts, (ofwhich there was plenty in the tree, though I did not notice thembefore,) into the men's mouths, as they lay asleep. The nutsrattling against their teeth awakened them: but I continuedthese pranks too long; for day beginning to appear, they had anopportunity of seeing who it was that thus tormented them. Theyvowed revenge, which I did not mind, not being aware of traps;but, however, the next morning, I found myself caught so fast, Icould not get loose. One of the men came and took me, and aftergiving me two or three good blows, carried me to his little boy.The boy luckily loved money better than squirrels, so went andsold me at a shop where they buy and sell all sorts of birds andanimals. Here I led a quiet but stupid life, shut up in a cage,till somebody chose to buy me. However, in about a week's timeafter I had been there, a lady and her daughter went by the shop,and seeing me, the little girl begged her mamma would ask theprice of me, which she did; and the man surprised me greatly, byasking four shillings for me, as he only gave the boy sixpence,who sold me to him. The lady said that was rather too much, andthat she would give him three shillings. Upon hearing this, as theman made no answer, the little girl said, "Well then, mamma, ifyou will give three shillings, I will give the other; so you willsend it home to my mamma's house, (giving him her direction,) andthere is your money." You may be sure she left me no less happythan she seemed herself; for the thoughts of getting once moreinto such hands as Mrs. Grevilles, made me forget all formertroubles. In about an hour I was sent home, where, as soon as myformer master was out of the house, I had the pleasure of hearingthe lady lay down the following conditions.
1st. That if any thing whatever should make her forget to give me,twice a day, my victuals, I was to be sent away.
2nd. She was never to let me out, except Mrs. Dixon (her mamma)was in the room, and gave her permission.
3rd. She was never to trust me with any body, till I had been inthe house three weeks; at which time the second condition wouldbe void.
To these conditions Sally cheerfully subscribed, and ran directlyto get me some food. I will give you some little account of her,which, perhaps, may banish that wonder you otherwise might haveexpressed at some few things you are going to hear. She was ingeneral very willing to learn, and sometimes to do as she was bid;but still she was very subject to be giddy, (not to give it aharsher name,) which often brought her into disgrace. She hada brother about ten years old, who was so fond of mischief, heoften got a whipping. He went to school at Southampton. My youngmistress was no sooner well settled with me, than she wrote hima letter, to acquaint him of it. I think I may as well give ityou, word for word, as I became acquainted with it as it lay bymy cage.
"My dear George,
"I have news to tell you, both good and bad; and I do not know which to tell you first. But the bad news I think will do better first, as, if that overcomes you, I may recover you by telling you the good news. Your pretty rabbit is dead: I went to give him his food yesterday morning, and found him dead. You don't know how sorry I was, but it cannot be helped now. Now for the good news: Mamma has bought me the prettiest squirrel, his name is Scug; you will be quite delighted with him. Mamma desires me to tell you, she hopes to see you next Wednesday. Having nothing more to say, I must now conclude this, from
"Your affectionate sister,
"Sarah Dixon."
I lived very happily this whole week, when Master George camehome, who, I suppose, thinking his sister had killed his rabbit,he thought he would kill her squirrel, as will presently be madeknown. He presented her with a chain of paper, which he said hehad made at school on purpose for her squirrel. She put it on medirectly, and presently Mrs. Dixon going out of the room, gavehim an opportunity of executing his wicked design. He ran to thefire and lighted a piece of paper, which he held near my chain,with a view (as he said) to find out a little hole, where thepadlock should go in. At last, while his sister was not looking,he set fire to it, and alas! being filled with gunpowder, (whichhis sister never had the least idea of,) it blew up with a violentexplosion, and singed me sadly. Sally burst into tears, andcatching up the inkhorn, which stood on the table, discharged itscontents in his face. The combined reports of the gunpowder, Sallyscreaming, and George blubbering, soon brought Mrs. Dixon, who,when she came into the room, stared with astonishment, as well shemight, at the confusion every thing was in. I all this time was ina corner of the room, where the sudden explosion had made me jump,not daring to move, terrified with the thoughts of a second shock;Sally continued crying; and George was doing, nobody could tellwhat, for his face was so black, you could not tell whether he waslaughing or crying. The first thing Mrs. Dixon did, was to takeme up and put me in my cage; she then called a servant, and toldhim to take me to Miss Cummins, with Sally's love, and beg herto accept me. Sally then fell on her knees and begged I mightnot be sent away, saying it was all George's fault, which Georgeconfessed it was, and that he only did it for a piece of fun!"Fun," cried Mrs. Dixon with astonishment, "and did you reallythink it fun! to burn and frighten a poor little animal. I wonderat you, indeed, George." She then left them, hoping George wouldmind what she said. I was now more caressed by little Sally thanever, who always took care to give me plenty of food, and when shehad any cake or any other nice thing, she always let me partake ofit. So that I lived very happily all the rest of the time I was ather house, and most probably should have lived as long again asI did, had it not been for her brother. He was to go to school,in about three days time, so was determined to have one moregood piece of fun (as he called it) before he went. He procureda squirt, and filled it full of ink; he then bored a hole in thewainscot of the room where he was, quite through into the roomwhere I was. All things being prepared, he waited till his sistercame to let me out, which, as soon as she had done, he let offthe whole in my face; at least attempted to do it, for I believeSally and I were pretty equal sharers. A violent scream, more fromsurprise than hurt, soon brought Mrs. Dixon, who, upon coming inand seeing Sally and myself all over ink, and nobody else in theroom, could not conceive what had made us so; till, supposing itwas one of George's tricks, she ordered him to be called. Georgecame in trembling, but his mamma would not suffer him to speak,and as his fare clearly showed his guilt, she ordered his thingsto be packed up, and him to be sent to school the next day. Georgethen cried sadly, but his mamma said she had had so many proofsof his disposition, that she would trust him no longer. She thenwent out of the room, which George perceiving, snatched me out ofmy cage, and most probably would have killed me, had I not, by avery great effort, bit his thumb in such a manner, that he let mego, and roared enough to frighten any body. His sister and he thenwent to fighting, and I jumped out of the window; for the fright Iwas in made me not know what I did, or I should not have left sucha kind mistress, especially as my tormentor was going away; but itwas now too late to return.