Page:Sparrow, the tramp (IA sparrowtramp00wess).pdf/142

 you know, and the sparrow tells us that she objected to stealing the ribbon on that account."

"Absurd!" exclaimed Mrs. Polly in a contemptuous tone. "Why, she's afraid of her own shadow! I can assure you it would take a good deal of courage to venture into any rat's hole, let alone old Graywhisker's! Why, where do you think she'd be if he came back and found her there?"

"I suppose it would be a pretty dangerous undertaking," said the canary meekly.

"I suppose it would too!" sneered the parrot. "No, that's out of the question; so that settles the matter."

"I don't know about that," said the sparrow dryly.

"What do you mean?" asked Mrs. Polly sharply. "Don't speak in riddles."

"I mean what I say," answered the sparrow, boldly returning Mrs. Polly's glance.