iftheladyandhervisitorscanlaughatthis,surelyyoucan.itisagreatfailingnottobeabletoappreciatewhatisamusing.nowletusbemen."

"doyouremember,"saidthecanary,"theprettymaidenswhousedtodanceinthetentsthatwerespreadoutbeneaththesweetblossoms?doyourememberthedeliciousfruitandthecoolingjuicefromthewildherbs?"

"oh,yes,"saidtheparrot;"buthereiammuchbetteroff.iamwellfed,andtreatedpolitely.iknowthatihaveacleverhead;andwhatmoredoiwant?letusbemennow.youhaveasoulforpoetry.ihavedeepknowledgeandwit.youhavegenius,butnodiscretion.youraiseyournaturallyhighnotessomuch,thatyougetcoveredover.theyneverservemeso.oh,no;icostthemsomethingmorethanyou.ikeeptheminorderwithmybeak,andflingmywitaboutme.nowletusbemen.

"omywarm,bloomingfatherland,"sangthecanarybird,"iwillsingofthydark-greentreesandthyquietstreams,wherethebendingbrancheskisstheclear,smoothwater.iwillsingofthejoyofmybrothersandsisters,astheirshiningplumageflitsamongthedarkleavesoftheplantswhichgrowwildbythesprings."

"doleaveoffthosedismalstrains,"saidtheparrot;"singsomethingtomakeuslaugh;laughteristhesignofthehighestorderofintellect.canadogorahorselaugh?no,theycancry;buttomanaloneisthepoweroflaughtergiven.ha!ha!ha!"laughedpolly,andrepeatedhiswittysaying,"nowletusbemen."

"youlittlegraydanishbird,"saidthecanary,"youalsohavebecomeaprisoner.itiscertainlycoldinyourforests,butstillthereislibertythere.flyout!theyhaveforgottentoclosethecage,andthewindowisopenatthetop.fly,fly!"

instinctively,theclerkobeyed,andleftthecage;atthesamemomentthehalf-openeddoorleadingintothenextroomcreakedonitshinges,and,stealthily,withgreenfieryeyes,thecatcreptinandchasedthelarkroundtheroom.thecanary-birdflutteredinhiscage,andtheparrotflappedhiswingsandcried,"letusbemen;"thepoorclerk,inthemostdeadlyterror,flewthroughthewindow,overthehouses,andthroughthestreets,tillatlengthhewasobligedtoseekaresting-place.ahouseoppositetohimhadalookofhome.awindowstoodopen;heflewin,andpercheduponthetable.itwashisownroom."letusbemennow,"saidhe,involuntarilyimitatingtheparrot;andatthesamemomenthebecameaclerkagain,onlythathewassittingonthetable."heavenpreserveus!"saidhe;"howdidigetuphereandfallasleepinthisway?itwasanuneasydreamtoothatihad.thewholeaffairappearsmostabsurd.

thebestthingthegoloshesdid

earlyonthefollowingmorning,whiletheclerkwasstillinbed,hisneighbor,ayoungdivinitystudent,wholodgedonthesamestorey,knockedathisdoor,andthenwalkedin."lendmeyourgoloshes,"saidhe;"itissowetinthegarden,butthesunisshiningbrightly.ishouldliketogooutthereandsmokemypipe."heputonthegoloshes,andwassooninthegarden,whichcontainedonlyoneplum-treeandoneapple-tree;yet,inatown,evenasmallgardenlikethisisagreatadvantage.

thestudentwanderedupanddownthepath;itwasjustsixo'clock,andhecouldhearthesoundofthepost-horninthestreet."oh,totravel,totravel!"criedhe;"thereisnogreaterhappinessintheworld:itistheheightofmyambition.thisrestlessfeelingwouldbestilled,ificouldtakeajourneyfarawayfromthiscountry.ishouldliketoseebeautifulswitzerland,totravelthroughitaly,and,"-itwaswellforhimthatthegoloshesactedimmediately,otherwisehemighthavebeencarriedtoofarforhimselfaswellasforus.inamomenthefoundhimselfinswitzerland,closelypackedwitheightothersinthediligence.hisheadached,hisbackwasstiff,andthebloodhadceasedtocirculate,sothathisfeetwereswelledandpinchedbyhisboots.hewaveredinaconditionbetweensleepingandwaking.inhisright-handpockethehadaletterofcredit;inhisleft-handpocketwashispassport;andafewlouisd'orsweresewnintoalittleleatherbagwhichhecarriedinhisbreast-pocket.wheneverhedozed,hedreamedthathehadlostoneoranotherofthesepossessions;thenhewouldawakewithastart,andthefirstmovementsofhishandformedatrianglefromhisright-handpockettohisbreast,andfromhisbreasttohisleft-handpocket,tofeelwhethertheywereallsafe.umbrellas,sticks,andhatsswunginthenetbeforehim,andalmostobstructedtheprospect,whichwasreallyveryimposing;andasheglancedatit,hismemoryrecalledthewordsofonepoetatleast,whohassungofswitzerland,andwhosepoemshavenotyetbeenprinted:-

"howlovelytomywonderingeyes

montblanc'sfairsummitsgentlyrise;

'tissweettobreathethemountainair,-

ifyouhavegoldenoughtospare."grand,dark,andgloomyappearedthelandscapearoundhim.thepine-forestslookedlikelittlegroupsofmossonhighrocks,whosesummitswerelostincloudsofmist.presentlyitbegantosnow,andthewindblewkeenandcold."ah,"hesighed,"ifiwereonlyontheothersideofthealpsnow,itwouldbesummer,andishouldbeabletogetmoneyonmyletterofcredit.theanxietyifeelonthismatterpreventsmefromenjoyingmyselfinswitzerland.oh,iwishiwasontheothersideofthealps."

andthere,inamoment,hefoundhimself,farawayinthemidstofitaly,betweenflorenceandrome,wherethelakethrasymeneglitteredintheeveningsunlightlikeasheetofmoltengoldbetweenthedarkbluemountains.there,wherehannibaldefeatedflaminius,thegrapevinesclungtoeachotherwiththefriendlygraspoftheirgreentendrilfingers;while,bythewayside,lovelyhalf-nakedchildrenwerewatchingaherdofcoal-blackswineundertheblossomsoffragrantlaurel.couldwerightlydescribethispicturesquescene,ourreaderswouldexclaim,"delightfulitaly!"