The story of Puff

A young canary narrates being taken from its mother and confined in a small wire cage inside a busy household, where a pair of little girls, a teasing boy, a noisy dog, and a kind grandmother shape its days. It forms a close attachment to a gentle girl who teaches it songs, lets it fly about her room, and comforts it, while other household members alternate between cruelty and care. The bird experiences joy in companionship, distress from torment and loss when the girl is gone, and quiet reflection on other birds, nests, and the adjustments required by life in captivity.