When Trudel had looked long and carefully for cresses, and found very
few, she sat down to rest, weary and disappointed, on a green bank from
which she could overlook a fine garden all ablaze with tulips. She
admired them heartily, longed to have a bed of them her own, and feasted
her childish eyes on the brilliant colors till they were dazzled, for
the long beds of purple and yellow, red and white blossoms were splendid
to see, and in the midst of all a mound of dragon-tulips rose like a
queen’s throne, scarlet, green, and gold all mingled on the ruffled
leaves that waved in the wind.
Suddenly it seemed as if one of the great flowers had blown over the
wall and was hopping along the path in a very curious way! In a minute,
however, she saw that it was a gay parrot that had escaped, and would
have flown away if its clipped wings and a broken chain on one leg had
not kept it down.
Trudel laughed to see the bird scuttle along, jabbering to itself, and
looking very mischievous and naughty as it ran away. She was just
thinking she ought to stop it, when the garden-gate opened, and a pretty
little boy came out, calling anxiously,--
"Prince! Prince! Come back, you bad bird! I never will let you off
your perch again, sly rascal!"
"I will get him;" and Trudel ran down the bank after the runaway, for
the lad was small and leaned upon a little crutch.
"Be careful! He will bite!" called the boy.
"I ’m not afraid," answered Trudel; and she stepped on the chain, which
brought the "Prince of Orange" to a very undignified and sudden halt.
But when she tried to catch him up by his legs, the sharp black beak
gave a nip and held tightly to her arm. It hurt her much, but she did
not let go, and carried her captive back to its master, who thanked her,
and begged her to come in and chain up the bad bird, for he was
evidently rather afraid of it.
Glad to see more of the splendid garden, Trudel did what he asked, and
with a good deal of fluttering, scolding, and pecking, the Prince was
again settled on his perch.
"Your arm is bleeding! Let me tie it up for you; and here is my cake to
pay you for helping me. Mamma would have been very angry if Prince had
been lost," said the boy, as he wet his little handkerchief in a tank of
water near by, and tied up Trudel’s arm.
The tank was surrounded by pots of tulips; and on a rustic seat lay the
lad’s hat and a delicious large kuchen, covered with comfits and sugar.
The hungry girl accepted it gladly, but only nibbled at it, remembering
those at home. The boy thought she did not like it, and being a generous
little fellow and very grateful for her help, he looked about for
something else to give her. Seeing her eyes fixed admiringly on a
pretty red jar that held a dragon-tulip just ready to bloom, he said
pleasantly,--
"Would you like this also? All these are mine, and I can do as I like
with them. Will you have it?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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