As the young cuckoo thrives and grows strong, he thrusts the other birds out of the nest, so that he may have all the room to himself. For five weeks or more his adopted mother supplies him with food. In the picture a thrush is represented as feeding a young cuckoo, that has probably driven off all the thrush's own children. DORA BURNSIDE. JIPPY AND JIMMY. JIPPY and Jimmy were two little dogs: They went to sail on some floating logs. The logs rolled over, the dogs rolled in; And they got very wet, for their clothes were thin. Jippy and Jimmy crept out again: They said, "The river is full of rain!" They said, "The water is far from dry! Ky-hi! ky-hi! ky-hi! ky-hi!" Jippy and Jimmy went shivering home: They said, "On the river no more we'll roam; And we won't go to sail until we learn how,-- Bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow!" LAURA E. RICHARDS. [Illustration] THE JOLLY OLD COOPER. A JOLLY old cooper am I, And I'm mending this tub, do you see? The workmen are gone, and I am alone, And their tools are quite handy for me. Now hammer and hammer away! This hoop I must fit to the tub: One, two--but I wish it would stay-- The workmen have gone to their grub. How pleased they will be when they find That I can do work to their mind! Yes, a jolly old cooper--But stop! What's this? Where's the tub? Oh, despair! Knocked into a heap there it lies. To face them now, how shall I dare? The knocks I have given the tub Will be echoed, I fear, on my head. They are coming! Oh, yes! I can hear,-- I can hear on the sidewalk a tread. Shall I stay, and confess it was I? Yes, that's better than telling a lie! ALFRED SELWYN. [Illustration] [Illustration] THE CAT AND THE STARLING. THE European starling is a sprightly and handsome bird, about eight inches long, of a black color with purple and greenish reflections, and spotted with buff. It may be taught to repeat a few words, and to whistle short tunes. A little boy in England, who had one as a pet, which he named Dicky, tells the following story about it:-- "I took it home with me, and got a cage for it. But Master Dicky was not satisfied with so little room, and got out, and took possession of the whole house. One morning I was awakened by his chirping, and, on looking around, I saw him on my pillow, to which he used to come every morning.