have been left about by accident, had not happened to cry, 'Here's a

bird! What's to be done with this?'

Wring its neck,' rejoined Quilp.

Oh no, don't do that,' said Kit, stepping forward. 'Give it to me.'

Oh yes, I dare say,' cried the other boy. 'Come! You let the cage alone,

and let me wring its neck will you? He said I was to do it. You let the

cage alone will you.'

Give it here, give it to me, you dogs,' roared Quilp. 'Fight for it, you

dogs, or I'll wring its neck myself!'

Without further persuasion, the two boys fell upon each other, tooth

and nail, while Quilp, holding up the cage in one hand, and chopping

the ground with his knife in an ecstasy, urged them on by his taunts

and cries to fight more fiercely. They were a pretty equal match, and

rolled about together, exchanging blows which were by no means

child's play, until at length Kit, planting a well-directed hit in his

adversary's chest, disengaged himself, sprung nimbly up, and

snatching the cage from Quilp's hands made off with his prize.

He did not stop once until he reached home, where his bleeding face

occasioned great consternation, and caused the elder child to howl

dreadfully.

'Goodness gracious, Kit, what is the matter, what have you been

doing?' cried Mrs Nubbles.

Never you mind, mother,' answered her son, wiping his face on the

jack-towel behind the door. 'I'm not hurt, don't you be afraid for me.

I've been a fightin' for a bird and won him, that's all. Hold your noise,

little Jacob. I never see such a naughty boy in all my days!'

'You have been fighting for a bird!' exclaimed his mother.

Ah! Fightin' for a bird!' replied Kit, 'and here he is - Miss Nelly's bird,

mother, that they was agoin' to wring the neck of! I stopped that

though - ha ha ha! They wouldn't wring his neck and me by, no, no. It

wouldn't do, mother, it wouldn't do at all. Ha ha ha!'

Kit laughing so heartily, with his swoln and bruised face looking out of

the towel, made little Jacob laugh, and then his mother laughed. and

then the baby crowed and kicked with great glee, and then they all

laughed in concert: partly because of Kit's triumph, and partly

because they were very fond of each other. When this fit was over, Kit

exhibited the bird to both children, as a great and precious rarity - it

The Old Curiosity Shop