Mary Poppins Comes Back Read Online Free PDF Page B

eye. His glance fell upon Mary Poppins and with a start of recognition he opened his beak and gave a sad, throaty little cheep. Jane and Michael had never heard such a miserable sound.
    "Did she, indeed? Tch, tch, tch! You don't say!" said Mary Poppins nodding her head sympathetically.
    "Chirp-irrup!" said the bird, shrugging its wings dejectedly.
    "What? Two years? In that cage? Shame on her!" said Mary Poppins to the bird, her face flushing with anger.
    The children stared. The bird was speaking in no language they knew and yet here was Mary Poppins carrying on an intelligent conversation with him as though she understood.
    "What is it saying——" Michael began.
    "Sh!" said Jane, pinching his arm to make him keep quiet.
    They stared at the bird in silence. Presently he hopped a little way along the perch towards Mary Poppins and sang a note or two in a low questioning voice.
    Mary Poppins nodded. "Yes—of course I know that field. Was that where she caught you?"
    The bird nodded. Then he sang a quick trilling phrase that sounded like a question.
    Mary Poppins thought for a moment. "Well," she said. "It's not very far. You could do it in about an hour. Flying South from here."
    The bird seemed pleased. He danced a little on his perch and flapped his wings excitedly. Then his song broke out again, a stream of round, clear notes, as he looked imploringly at Mary Poppins.
    She turned her head and glanced cautiously up the stairs.
    "
Will
I? What do
you
think? Didn't you hear her call me a Young Person? Me!" She sniffed disgustedly.
    The bird's shoulders shook as though he were laughing.
    Mary Poppins bent down.
    "What are you going to do, Mary Poppins?" cried Michael, unable to contain himself any longer. "What kind of a bird is that?"
    "A lark," said Mary Poppins, briefly, turning the handle of the little door. "You're seeing a lark in a cage for the first time—and the last!"
    And as she said that the door of the cage swung open. The Lark, flapping his wings, swooped out with a shrill cry and alighted on Mary Poppins' shoulder.
    "Humph!" she said, turning her head. "That's an improvement, I should think?"
    "Chirr-up!" agreed the Lark, nodding.
    "Well, you'd better be off," Mary Poppins warned him. "She'll be back in a minute."
    At that the Lark burst into a stream of running notes, flicking its wings at her and bowing his head again and again.
    "There, there!" said Mary Poppins, gruffly. "Don't thank me. I was glad to do it. I couldn't see a Lark in a cage! Besides, you heard what she called me!"
    The Lark tossed back his head and fluttered his wings. He seemed to be laughing heartily. Then he cocked his head on one side and listened.
    "Oh, I quite forgot!" came a trumpeting voice from upstairs. "I left Caruso outside. On those dirty steps. I must go and get him."
    Miss Andrew's heavy tread sounded on the stairs.
    "What?" she called back in reply to some question of Mrs. Banks. "Oh, he's my lark, my lark, Caruso! I call him that because he used to be such a beautiful singer. What? No, he doesn't sing at all now, not since I trapped him in the field and put him in a cage. I can't think why."
    The voice was coming nearer, growing louder as it approached.
    "Certainly not!" it called back to Mrs. Banks. "I will fetch him myself. I wouldn't trust one of those impudent children with him. Your banisters want polishing. They should be done at once."
    Tramp-tramp. Tramp-tramp. Miss Andrew's steps sounded through the hall.
    "Here she comes!" hissed Mary Poppins. "Be off with you!" She gave her shoulder a little shake.
    "Quickly!" cried Michael anxiously.
    "Oh, hurry!" said Jane.
    The Twins waved their hands.
    With a quick movement the Lark bent his head and pulled out one of his wing feathers with his beak.
    "Chirr-chirr-chirr-irrup!" he sang and stuck the feather into the ribbon of Mary Poppins' hat. Then he spread his wings and swept into the air.
    At the same moment Miss Andrew appeared in the doorway.
    "What?" she shouted, when