Goldie and the Toys

Once there was a canary in a cage. The bird was as yellow as gold, so he was called Goldie. He belonged to Eric and Hilda, and they were very fond of him; they cleaned out his cage every day and gave him fresh food and water. Now every night he used to watch the toys come alive and play with one another. He would peep out of his cage with his bright black eyes and long to get out and play with the dolls and animals. They had such good times. One night, after Christmas, there was a new toy in the nursery. This was a green duck, and it liked the look of the yellow canary very much. He wants to let the canary out to have a bit of fun with the toys. The canary promised to be good, and the toy clown threw a rope up to the cage, and then climbed right up it. He opened the door and out flew Goldie, simply delighted to stretch his wings and have a fly round. Goldie enjoyed him self and the toys set the musical box going and when the tune was tinkled out the canary took hold of the curly-haired doll with his wing and off they danced together over the nursery floor. The canary really danced very well indeed, for he was so light on his feet. Then the toys played hide-and-seek and the canary liked that very much because he could fly up to the top of the curtains, or on to the clock, and no toy thought of looking there for him, so he was the only one that was never caught. He did enjoy himself. At last cock-crow came, when all the toys had to go back to the toy-cupboard and sleep. The big doll asked canary to back to his cage but the canary simply wouldn’t. The canary just flew away as soon as any toy came near him. It was most annoying. They all whispered together and then at last the clockwork clown had an idea to spread the table in the dolls’ house, and make a supper. The canary will want to join them, of course and they’ll all go out and slam the door. The canary will have to stay in the dolls’ house till morning then. Te toys ran to the dolls’ house, and began to lay the cloth. They set out the tiny cups, saucers and plates, and then the big doll fetched some sweets from the toy sweet-shop. The canary came to the dolls’ house and sat down on a chair, and the big doll gave him a sweet on his plate. He put it into his beak, and didn’t notice that one by one all the toys were creeping out of the house. At last he was quite alone. Slam! The canary jumped up in fright. The door of the dolls’ house was tight shut. He was caught. Then the toys went to the toy cupboard and fell asleep. The canary hopped on to the table in the dolls’ house and went to sleep too. In the morning Eric and Hilda came into nursery and the first thing they saw the open door of the canary’s cage. How upset they were! They knelt down and peeped through the window and there they saw Goldie, hopping about inside the little house. The children opened the door, and Eric slipped in his hand and took hold of Goldie very gently and in two seconds the little canary was safely in his cage once more, singing very loudly indeed. Since that day, the toys never let Goldie out of his cage again. He really was much to naughty to be trusted.