The children got to know his figure, and the sparrows expected their daily scattering of bread-
crumbs. No doubt, since he often gave a copper and almost always a handful of bread, he was not as blind to his surroundings as he thought himself.
"Answer in God's name, Sancho my friend," said Don Quixote, "for I am not fit to give
crumbs to a cat, my wits are so confused and upset."
Billina had quietly walked around and picked up the
crumbs of cake which had been scattered, and now, as it was long after bed-time, she tried to find some dark place in which to go to sleep.
The girl ran into the house to get some
crumbs of bread, cold potatoes, and other such scraps as were suitable to the accommodating appetite of fowls.
She was most economical, and when she ate she would gather up
crumbs with the tip of her finger, so that nothing should be wasted of the loaf of bread weighing twelve pounds which was baked especially for her and lasted three weeks.
A few stray white bread
crumbs lay on the cleanly washed floor by the table; putting the lamp upon a low stool he began to pick up the
crumbs, carrying them to his mouth one by one with unbe- lievable rapidity.
`They have their tails in their mouths--and they're all over
crumbs.'
"At least," he said to himself, "I shall there have a firebrand of joy wherewith to warm myself, and I can sup on some
crumbs of the three great armorial bearings of royal sugar which have been erected on the public refreshment-stall of the city.
They talked it over together sometimes, but always ended by saying that as Alec had all the responsibility, he should have the larger share of the dear girl's love and time, and they would be contented with such
crumbs of comfort as they could get.
Meanwhile also came the chickadees in flocks, which, picking up the
crumbs the squirrels had dropped, flew to the nearest twig and, placing them under their claws, hammered away at them with their little bills, as if it were an insect in the bark, till they were sufficiently reduced for their slender throats.
'Do you know,' said Jasper, when he had pushed away his plate and glass, and had sat meditating for a few minutes: 'do you know that I find some
crumbs of comfort in the communication with which you have so much amazed me?'
Bumble, having spread a handkerchief over his knees to prevent the
crumbs from sullying the splendour of his shorts, began to eat and drink; varying these amusements, occasionally, by fetching a deep sigh; which, however, had no injurious effect upon his appetite, but, on the contrary, rather seemed to facilitate his operations in the tea and toast department.