Cindy and Gwen were playing in the snow. They were hurling snowballs at each other and chasing each other across the street when Cindy noticed something near a bush. She went near it and saw a shivering ball of feathers. “Gwen, come here! There’s a swallow,” she called out. Gwen went near the bush. True enough, there was a swallow. It was wet and shivering. Cindy held the swallow carefully in her hands. But the bird got scared and flapped its wings frantically. “I won’t hurt you, my dear,” said Cindy, in a soothing tone. Cindy and Gwen took the swallow home. They wrapped it in their father’s old muffler and sat near the fireplace. After a while, when the bird felt warm and cosy, they gave it some breadcrumbs and water. The swallow was grateful to the girls. It followed them everywhere throughout the winter and flew away in spring.
The Swallow
