THE SOLDIER BIRD.
One day, Chief Sky, an Indian, found an eagle’s nest with a baby eagle in it.
The Indian was poor, so he sold the eagle to a white man for some corn.
The man took it into a village where some soldiers were getting ready to go to the war.
“Here is a new soldier,” he said.
“An eagle! An eagle!” shouted the soldiers. “Let us take him to the war.”
They put red, white, and blue ribbons around his neck, and named him Old Abe. They covered his perch with the American flag and marched into camp.
When the eagle heard the people cheer, he took the flag in his beak and spread his wings.
“The bird of America! The eagle of freedom!” shouted the soldiers.
Old Abe was carried in front of the soldiers.
Often he would spread his wings and fly far up into the sky. Then how the men cheered!
Sometimes Old Abe flew away to look for food and he would be gone for two or three days. But he always found his soldiers again.
At one time the soldiers’ food was nearly gone. For two days Old Abe had nothing to eat.
The soldiers of the other army were very near. No one could leave the camp.
Tom, the man who carried Old Abe, felt very sorry. He went to his captain and begged him to let him go out and get food for poor Old Abe.
Soon Tom came back with a good supper for his pet.
Old Abe was very fond of music, and liked to drill with the soldiers. He watched the captain and did as he was told.
At last the war came to an end. The brave eagle that had been in so many battles was taken home.
A large house was built for him. The soldier who had carried him through the war took care of him.
In this pleasant home Old Abe lived a long and happy life.