When I wrote he came and walked about over my paper to see that it was right , peeped into my ink-stand , and ran after my pen . He never made silly or sharp criticisms on my stories , but appeared to admire them very much ; so I am sure he was a good judge . When I sewed , he sat in my basket , or played hide-and-seek in the folds of my work , talking away all the while in the most sociable manner . He often flew up all of a sudden , and danced about in the air , as if he was in such a jolly mood he could n't keep still , and wanted me to come and play with him . But , alas ! I had no wings , and could only sit stupidly still , and laugh at his pranks . That was his exercise , for he never went out , and only took a sniff of air now and then when I opened the windows . Well , little Buzz and I lived together many weeks , and never got tired of one another , which is saying a good deal . At Christmas I went home for a week and left my room to take care of itself . I put the hyacinths into the closet to be warm , and dropped the curtain , so the frost should not nip my ivy ; but I forgot Buzz . I really would have taken him with me , or carried him down to a neighbour 's room to be taken care of while I was away , but I never thought of him in the hurry of getting my presents and myself ready . Off I went without even saying ` good-bye , ' and never thought of my little friend till Freddy , my small nephew , said to me one evening at dusk , -- ` Aunt Jo , tell me a story . ' So I began to tell him about Buzz , and all of a sudden I cried out , -- ` Mercy on me ! I 'm afraid he 'll die of cold while I 'm gone . ' It troubled me a good deal , and I wanted to know how the poor little fellow was so much that I would have gone to see if I had not been so far away . But it would be rather silly to hurry away twenty miles to look after one fly : so I finished my visit , and then went back to my room , hoping to find Buzz alive and well in spite of the cold . Alas , no ! my little friend was gone . There he lay on his back on the mantel-piece , his legs meekly folded , and his wings stiff and still . He had evidently gone to the warm place , and been surprised when the heat died out and left him to freeze .
My poor little XXXXX had sung his last song , danced his last dance , and gone where the good flies go .
Buzz evening hide-and-seek ink-stand left mantel-piece neighbour right week weeks