Divine Providence, and in the next to the excellent education which it is your happiness to receive.

If you continue to avail yourself of these advantages you will be a blessing to your Royal Parents, and an ornament to your country and, from your elevated station, will be enabled to do much good in the world, by exciting the emulation of others, of inferior ranks, to imitate your virtues.

That these virtues may increase with your growing years, and that the anniversary of this day may, to the end of life afford you a comfortable retrospect on the time that has passed, is the fervent wish of,

MADAM,

Your Royal Highness's

most obliged, and

most obedient Servant,

SARAH TRIMMER.

Nov. 3, 1785.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Ir certainly comes within the compass of Christian benevolence to show compassion to the Animal Creation; and a good mind naturally inclines to do so. But as, through an erroneous education, or bad example, many children contract habits of tormenting inferior creatures, before they are conscious of giving them pain; or fall into the contrary fault of immoderate tenderness to them; it is hoped that an attempt to point out the line of conduct, which ought to regulate the actions of human beings towards those over whom the Supreme Governor has given them dominion, will not be

a

thought an useless undertaking;

and

that the mode of conveying instruction on this subject, which the author of the following sheets has adopted, will engage the attention of young minds, and prove instrumental to the happiness of many an innocent animal.

INTRODUCTION.

MANY young readers, doubtless, remember to have met with a book which gives an account of a little boy named Henry, and his sister Charlotte*, whose mama, when she indulged them with walking in the fields and gardens, taught them to take particular notice of every object that presented itself to their view. The consequence of this was, that they contracted a great fondness for animals; and used often to express a wish that their Birds, Cats, Dogs, &c. could talk, that they might hold conversations with them. Their mama, therefore, to amuse them, composed the following Fabulous Histories; in which the sentiments and affections of a good father and mother, and a family of children, are supposed to be possessed by a nest of Redbreasts; and others

* See the Author's Introduction to the Knowledge of Nature.

of the feathered race are, by the force of imagination, endued with the same faculties; but before Henry and Charlotte began to read these Histories, they were taught to consider them, not as containing the real conversations of Birds (for that it is impossible we should ever understand), but as a series of Fables designed not merely to excite compassion and tenderness for those interesting and delightful creatures, on which such wanton cruelties are frequently exercised; but also to convey moral instruction to the young reader; and, in particular, to recommend the practice of general benevolence.