hesighedmournfully,ashegazedatthebirdssingingmerrily,orhoppingfrombranchtobranch,"theyaremuchbetteroffthani.flyingisagloriouspower.happyishewhoisbornwithwings.yes,ificouldchangemyselfintoanythingiwouldbealittlelark."atthesamemomenthiscoat-tailsandsleevesgrewtogetherandformedwings,hisclotheschangedtofeathers,andhisgoloshestoclaws.hefeltwhatwastakingplace,andlaughedtohimself."well,nowitisevidentimustbedreaming;butineverhadsuchawilddreamasthis."andthenheflewupintothegreenboughsandsang,buttherewasnopoetryinthesong,forhispoeticnaturehadlefthim.thegoloshes,likeallpersonswhowishtodoathingthoroughly,couldonlyattendtoonethingatatime.hewishedtobeapoet,andhebecameone.thenhewantedtobealittlebird,andinthischangehelostthecharacteristicsoftheformerone."well,"thoughthe,"thisischarming;bydayisitinapolice-office,amongstthedryestlawpapers,andatnighticandreamthatiamalark,flyingaboutinthegardensoffredericksburg.reallyacompletecomedycouldbewrittenaboutit."thenheflewdownintothegrass,turnedhisheadaboutineverydirection,andtappedhisbeakonthebendingbladesofgrass,which,inproportiontohissize,seemedtohimaslongasthepalm-leavesinnorthernafrica.

inanothermomentallwasdarknessaroundhim.itseemedasifsomethingimmensehadbeenthrownoverhim.asailorboyhadflunghislargecapoverthebird,andahandcameunderneathandcaughttheclerkbythebackandwingssoroughly,thathesqueaked,andthencriedoutinhisalarm,"youimpudentrascal,iamaclerkinthepolice-office!"butitonlysoundedtotheboylike"tweet,tweet;"sohetappedthebirdonthebeak,andwalkedawaywithhim.intheavenuehemettwoschool-boys,whoappearedtobelongtoabetterclassofsociety,butwhoseinferiorabilitieskepttheminthelowestclassatschool.theseboysboughtthebirdforeightpence,andsotheclerkreturnedtocopenhagen."itiswellformethatiamdreaming,"hethought;"otherwiseishouldbecomereallyrstiwasapoet,andnowiamalark.itmusthavebeenthepoeticnaturethatchangedmeintothislittlecreature.itisamiserablestoryindeed,especiallynowihavefallenintothehandsofboys.iwonderwhatwillbetheendofit."theboyscarriedhimintoaveryelegantroom,whereastout,pleasant-lookingladyreceivedthem,butshewasnotatallgratifiedtofindthattheyhadbroughtalark-acommonfield-birdasshecalledit.however,sheallowedthemforonedaytoplacethebirdinanemptycagethathungnearthewindow."itwillpleasepollyperhaps,"shesaid,laughingatalargegrayparrot,whowasswinginghimselfproudlyonaringinahandsomebrasscage."itispolly'sbirthday,"sheaddedinasimperingtone,"andthelittlefield-birdhascometoofferhiscongratulations."

pollydidnotanswerasingleword,hecontinuedtoswingproudlytoandfro;butabeautifulcanary,whohadbeenbroughtfromhisownwarm,fragrantfatherland,thesummerprevious,begantosingasloudashecould.

"youscreamer!"saidthelady,throwingawhitehandkerchiefoverthecage.

"tweet,tweet,"sighedhe,"whatadreadfulsnowstorm!"andthenhebecamesilent.

theclerk,orastheladycalledhimthefield-bird,wasplacedinalittlecageclosetothecanary,andnotfarfromtheparrot.theonlyhumanspeechwhichpollycouldutter,andwhichshesometimeschatteredforthmostcomically,was"nowletusbemen."allbesideswasascream,quiteasunintelligibleasthewarblingofthecanary-bird,exceptingtotheclerk,whobeingnowabird,couldunderstandhiscomradesverywell.

"iflewbeneathgreenpalm-trees,andamidstthebloomingalmond-trees,"sangthecanary."iflewwithmybrothersandsistersoverbeautifulflowers,andacrosstheclear,brightsea,whichreflectedthewavingfoliageinitsglitteringdepths;andihaveseenmanygayparrots,whocouldrelatelonganddelightfulstories.

"theywerewildbirds,"answeredtheparrot,"andtotallyuneducated.nowletusbemen.whydoyounotlaugh?