Mother Stories | Page 5

being taken away from home; for the king had started on his
journey, and one of his gentlemen was carrying the basket, very
carefully, with him on his horse.
At last the horses stood still and the basket was taken to the king; and
when he opened it, the two little pigeons looked up and saw that the
sun was high in the sky, and that they were far from home.

When they saw that they were far from home, they were more
frightened than before; but the king spoke so kindly and smoothed their
feathers so gently, that they knew he would take care of them.
Then the king took two tiny letters tied with lovely blue ribbon out of
his pocket; and, while his gentlemen stood by to see, he fastened one
under a wing of each little pigeon.
"Fly away, little pigeons!" he cried; and he tossed them up toward the
sky. "Fly away, and carry my love to my little daughter!"
Fleet Wing, and Sweet Voice spread their wings joyfully, for they
knew that they were free! free! and they wanted to go home.
Everywhere they saw green woods, instead of the red roofs and shining
windows of the town, and Sweet Voice was afraid; but Fleet Wing
said:--
"I saw these woods from the tall church steeple. Home is not so far
away as we thought."
Then they lost no time in talking, but turned their heads homeward; and
as they flew the little gray squirrels that ran about in the woods called
out to ask them to play, but the pigeons could not stay.
The wood dove heard them, and called from her tree: "Little cousins,
come in!" But the pigeons thanked her and hurried on.
"Home is not so far away," said Fleet Wing; but he began to fear that
he had missed the way, and Sweet Voice was so tired that she begged
him to fly on alone.
[Illustration: The little pigeons were taken in to see the king's
daughter.]
Fleet Wing would not listen to this; and, as they talked, they came to a
little stream of water with green ferns growing all about, and they knew
that it must be the very stream that Father Pigeon loved. Then they
cooled their tired feet in the fresh water, and cooed for joy; for they
knew that they were getting nearer, nearer, nearer home, all the time.
Sweet Voice was not afraid then; and as they flew from the shelter of
the woods, they saw the tall church steeple with its golden weather
vane.
The sun was in the west, and the windows were all shining in its light,
when Fleet Wing and Sweet Voice reached the town. The little children
saw them and called: "Stay with us, pretty pigeons." But Sweet Voice
and Fleet Wing did not rest until they reached the white pigeon house,

where Mother and Father Pigeon were waiting.
The cook's boy was waiting, too, and the little pigeons were taken in to
see the king's little daughter. When she found the letters which they
carried under their wings, she laughed with delight; and Fleet Wing and
Sweet Voice were very proud to think that they had brought glad news
to their princess.
They told it over and over again out in the pigeon-house, and Mother
and Father Pigeon were glad, too.
In the morning, the birds in the garden were told of the wonderful
things that had happened to Fleet Wing and Sweet Voice; and even the
hens and chickens had something to say when they heard the news.
The thrush said that it all made her think of her own sweet song; and
she sang it again to them:--
"_Wherever I fly from my own dear nest, I always come back, for
home is the best_."

THE LITTLE GIRL WITH THE LIGHT MOTTO FOR THE MOTHER
_We can never dwell in shadows If our souls are full of light. Let the
brightness of our being Make the whole wide world as bright_ "_Jesus
bids us shine for all around. Many kinds of darkness in this world are
found. There's sin and want and sorrow, so we must shine, You in your
small corner, I in mine."
S.S. Hymn_.
There once lived a little maiden to whom God had given a wonderful
light, which made her whole life bright.
When she was a wee baby it shone on her face in a beautiful smile, and
her mother cried:--
"See! the angels have been kissing her!" And when she grew older it
lighted up her eyes like sunshine, and gleamed on her forehead like a
star.
All lovely things that loved light, loved her. The soft-cooing pigeons
came at her call. The roses climbed up to her windows to