not to be afraid of Henry; and they would come and hop by his side,
and pick up the crumbs, and almost eat from his hand. And one of them
built its nest close to him, and laid two eggs, and every evening
would sing such a sweet song, that really the baby began to get
reconciled, and used to feel like a little king among them all. And now
we must leave our mighty _monarch_ for a while, and return to his
disconsolate parents.

[Illustration: ]

The evening Bill Boldface had met him, and sent him so cruelly into
the wood, mamma was out walking, and on her return enquired for the
baby.

"O," said papa, "he is safe: I saw him in nurse's arms a few minutes
ago."

Mamma immediately went up to the nursery, and there heard that nurse
had gone off to see her sister, who lived about two miles distant,
"and, of course," said the nursery-maid, "she has taken Master Henry
with her."

Impressed with this idea, mamma returned to tea; but when night came,
she began to get very uneasy, for nurse did not return. "O," said
papa, "you know she often remains at her sister's; and though she has
done very wrong in keeping the baby out, yet she is so fond and
careful of him, we need not be uneasy." But what was their distraction
when morning came?--nurse returned, but no baby!

The whole country was searched, the ponds and lake were searched,