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Very kind and loving was St . Francis — kind and loving not only to men but to all living things . He spoke of the birds as his little brothers of the air , and he could never bear to see them harmed . At Christmas time he scattered crumbs of bread under the trees , so that the tiny creatures could feast and be happy . Once when a boy gave him a pair of doves which he had snared , St . Francis had a nest made for them , and the mother bird laid her eggs in it . By and by , the eggs hatched , and a nestful of young doves grew up . They were so tame that they sat on the shoulders of St . Francis and ate from his hand . And many other stories are told of this man's great love and pity for the timid creatures which lived in the fields and woods . One day as he was walking among the trees the birds saw him and flew down to greet him . They sang their sweetest songs to show how much they loved him . Then , when they saw that he was about to speak , they nestled softly in the grass and listened . " O little birds , " he said , " I love you , for you are my brothers and sisters of the air . Let me tell you something , my little brothers , my little sisters : You ought always to love God and praise Him . " For think what He has given you . He has given you wings with which to fly through the air . He has given you clothing both warm and beautiful . He has given you the air in which to move and have homes . " And think of this , O little brothers : you sow not , neither do you reap , for God feeds you . He gives you the rivers and the brooks from which to drink . He gives you the mountains and the valleys where you may rest . He gives you the trees in which to build your nests . " You toil not , neither do you spin , yet God takes care of you and your little ones . It must be , then , that He loves you . So , do not be ungrateful , but sing His praises and thank Him for his goodness toward you . " Then the saint stopped speaking and looked around him . All the birds sprang up joyfully . They spread their wings and opened their mouths to show that they understood his words . And when he had blessed them , all began to sing ; and the whole forest was filled with sweetness and joy because of their wonderful melodies . A CLEVER SLAVE A long time ago there lived a poor slave whose name was Aesop . [ Footnote : Aesop ( pro . e'sop ) . ] He was a small man with a large head and long arms . His face was white , but very homely . His large eyes were bright and snappy . When Aesop was about twenty years old his master lost a great deal of money and was obliged to sell his slaves . To do this , he had to take them to a large city where there was a slave market .
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