This silence exasperated Simon, and made him furiously command the
boy to sing, laugh, and be merry. At other times he would order
Louis to be silent and motionless for hours, and to have nothing to
do with the bird-cage, which was on the table, and which was the
only thing left that the little fellow could enjoy.
This cage held a number of birds, and a piece of mechanism, an
automaton in the form of a bird, which ate like a living creature,
drank, hopped from one bar to another, opened his bill, and sang the
air which was so popular before the revolution, "Oh, Richard! oh, my
king!"
This article had been found among the royal apparel, and a
compassion ate official guard had told Simon about it, and induced
him to apply to the authorities in charge of the Temple and ask for
it for the little Capet.
Simon, who, as well as his wife, could no more leave the building
than their prisoner could, took this solitary, confined life very
seriously, and longed for some way to mitigate the tedium. He
therefore availed himself gladly of the official's proposition, and
asked for the automaton, which was granted by the authorities. The
boy was delighted with the toy at first, and a pleased smile flitted
over his face. But he soon became tired of playing with the thing
and paid no attention to it.
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