Italy, bird, broken wing.

[Morgenblatter]

I heard the story a long time ago about an English women in Italy who is visited by an urchin bring a bird with a broken wing. She puts the bird in a cardboard box and touched by the young child's action, gives him a coin. The following day, a dozen street urchins arrive at her door, each carrying a bird with a broken wing,

If anyone can help me with the origin of this story I would be most grateful.