When I had finished it, I amused myself with chucking nuts, (of which there was plenty in the tree, though I did not notice them before,) into the men's mouths, as they lay asleep. The nuts rattling against their teeth awakened them: but I continued these pranks too long; for day beginning to appear, they had an opportunity of seeing who it was that thus tormented them. They vowed revenge, which I did not mind, not being aware of traps; but, however, the next morning, I found myself caught so fast, I could not get loose. One of the men came and took me, and after giving me two or three good blows, carried me to his little boy. The boy luckily loved money better than squirrels, so went and sold me at a shop where they buy and sell all sorts of birds and animals. Here I led a quiet but stupid life, shut up in a cage, till somebody chose to buy me. However, in about a week's time after I had been there, a lady and her daughter went by the shop, and seeing me, the little girl begged her mamma would ask the price of me, which she did; and the man surprised me greatly, by asking four shillings for me, as he only gave the boy sixpence, who sold me to him. The lady said that was rather too much, and that she would give him three shillings. Upon hearing this, as the man made no answer, the little girl said, "Well then, mamma, if you will give three shillings, I will give the other; so you will send it home to my mamma's house, (giving him her direction,) and there is your money." You may be sure she left me no less happy than she seemed herself; for the thoughts of getting once more into such hands as Mrs. Grevilles, made me forget all former troubles. In about an hour I was sent home, where, as soon as my former master was out of the house, I had the pleasure of hearing the lady lay down the following conditions.

1st. That if any thing whatever should make her forget to give me, twice a day, my victuals, I was to be sent away.

2nd. She was never to let me out, except Mrs. Dixon (her mamma) was in the room, and gave her permission.

3rd. She was never to trust me with any body, till I had been in the house three weeks; at which time the second condition would be void.

To these conditions Sally cheerfully subscribed, and ran directly to get me some food. I will give you some little account of her, which, perhaps, may banish that wonder you otherwise might have expressed at some few things you are going to hear. She was in general very willing to learn, and sometimes to do as she was bid; but still she was very subject to be giddy, (not to give it a harsher name,) which often brought her into disgrace. She had a brother about ten years old, who was so fond of mischief, he often got a whipping. He went to school at Southampton. My young mistress was no sooner well settled with me, than she wrote him a letter, to acquaint him of it. I think I may as well give it you, word for word, as I became acquainted with it as it lay by my cage.

"I have news to tell you, both good and bad; and I do not know which to tell you first. But the bad news I think will do better first, as, if that overcomes you, I may recover you by telling you the good news. Your pretty rabbit is dead: I went to give him his food yesterday morning, and found him dead. You don't know how sorry I was, but it cannot be helped now. Now for the good news: Mamma has bought me the prettiest squirrel, his name is Scug; you will be quite delighted with him. Mamma desires me to tell you, she hopes to see you next Wednesday. Having nothing more to say, I must now conclude this, from

I lived very happily this whole week, when Master George came home, who, I suppose, thinking his sister had killed his rabbit, he thought he would kill her squirrel, as will presently be made known. He presented her with a chain of paper, which he said he had made at school on purpose for her squirrel. She put it on me directly, and presently Mrs. Dixon going out of the room, gave him an opportunity of executing his wicked design. He ran to the fire and lighted a piece of paper, which he held near my chain, with a view (as he said) to find out a little hole, where the padlock should go in. At last, while his sister was not looking, he set fire to it, and alas! being filled with gunpowder, (which his sister never had the least idea of,) it blew up with a violent explosion, and singed me sadly. Sally burst into tears, and catching up the inkhorn, which stood on the table, discharged its contents in his face. The combined reports of the gunpowder, Sally screaming, and George blubbering, soon brought Mrs. Dixon, who, when she came into the room, stared with astonishment, as well she might, at the confusion every thing was in. I all this time was in a corner of the room, where the sudden explosion had made me jump, not daring to move, terrified with the thoughts of a second shock; Sally continued crying; and George was doing, nobody could tell what, for his face was so black, you could not tell whether he was laughing or crying. The first thing Mrs. Dixon did, was to take me up and put me in my cage; she then called a servant, and told him to take me to Miss Cummins, with Sally's love, and beg her to accept me. Sally then fell on her knees and begged I might not be sent away, saying it was all George's fault, which George confessed it was, and that he only did it for a piece of fun! "Fun," cried Mrs. Dixon with astonishment, "and did you really think it fun! to burn and frighten a poor little animal. I wonder at you, indeed, George." She then left them, hoping George would mind what she said. I was now more caressed by little Sally than ever, who always took care to give me plenty of food, and when she had any cake or any other nice thing, she always let me partake of it. So that I lived very happily all the rest of the time I was at her house, and most probably should have lived as long again as I did, had it not been for her brother. He was to go to school, in about three days time, so was determined to have one more good piece of fun (as he called it) before he went. He procured a squirt, and filled it full of ink; he then bored a hole in the wainscot of the room where he was, quite through into the room where I was. All things being prepared, he waited till his sister came to let me out, which, as soon as she had done, he let off the whole in my face; at least attempted to do it, for I believe Sally and I were pretty equal sharers. A violent scream, more from surprise than hurt, soon brought Mrs. Dixon, who, upon coming in and seeing Sally and myself all over ink, and nobody else in the room, could not conceive what had made us so; till, supposing it was one of George's tricks, she ordered him to be called. George came in trembling, but his mamma would not suffer him to speak, and as his fare clearly showed his guilt, she ordered his things to be packed up, and him to be sent to school the next day. George then cried sadly, but his mamma said she had had so many proofs of his disposition, that she would trust him no longer. She then went out of the room, which George perceiving, snatched me out of my cage, and most probably would have killed me, had I not, by a very great effort, bit his thumb in such a manner, that he let me go, and roared enough to frighten any body. His sister and he then went to fighting, and I jumped out of the window; for the fright I was in made me not know what I did, or I should not have left such a kind mistress, especially as my tormentor was going away; but it was now too late to return.