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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/39484-h.zip b/39484-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae50751 --- /dev/null +++ b/39484-h.zip diff --git a/39484-h/39484-h.htm b/39484-h/39484-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f2fbd8b --- /dev/null +++ b/39484-h/39484-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3168 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories, by Mary Graham Bonner</title> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- + +body {font-size: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%;} +h1 {font-size: 135%; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +h2 {font-size: 125%; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 2em;} +a:focus, a:active { outline:#ffee66 solid 2px; background-color:#ffee66;} +a:focus img, a:active img {outline: #ffee66 solid 2px; } +hr {width: 20%; text-align: center; margin: auto;} +ul {list-style-type: none;} +p {text-indent: 1em;} + +.pagenum {visibility: visible; + position: absolute; right:10px; text-align: right; + font-size: 9px; + font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; + font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; + color: #808080; background-color: inherit;} +.pagenum1 {visibility: hidden; + position: absolute; right:10px; text-align: right; + font-size: 9px; + font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; + font-style: italic; letter-spacing: normal; + color: #808080; background-color: inherit;} +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps; font-size: 95%;} +.normal {font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal;} +.box {border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; + margin: 1em 20% 1em 20%; padding: 1em; + background-color: #F0F0F0;} +.toc {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%} +.martop3 {margin-top: 3em;} +.martop4 {margin-top: 4em;} +.marbot3 {margin-bottom: 3em;} +.lihei1 {line-height: 150%;} +.figcenter1 {margin: auto; text-align: center; margin-top: 1em;} +.floatleft {float: left; clear: left; text-align: center; font-size: 80%; + padding: 10px; margin: 0 10px 0 0;} +.ralign1 {position: absolute; right: 25%; top: auto;} +.ftsize75 {font-size: 75%;} +.ftsize90 {font-size: 90%;} +.ftsize105 {font-size: 105%;} +.ftsize110 {font-size: 110%;} +.ftsize120 {font-size: 120%;} +.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} +.hweight {font-weight: 600;} +.width175 {width: 175px;} +.width150 {width: 150px;} +.width125 {width: 125px;} +.width112 {width: 112px;} +.width100 {width: 100px;} + + h1.pg { font-size: 190%; + margin-top: 0em; + margin-bottom: 0em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 85%;} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<h1 class="pg">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories, by Mary Graham +Bonner, Illustrated by Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis</h1> +<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a +href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></p> +<p>Title: Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories</p> +<p>Author: Mary Graham Bonner</p> +<p>Release Date: April 19, 2012 [eBook #39484]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES***</p> +<br><br><center><h3>E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Iris Schröder-Gehring,<br> + and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3></center><br><br> +<hr class="full"> +<p> </p> + +<a id="img001" name="img001"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img001.jpg" width="386" height="600" alt="Cover" title=""> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<span class="pagenum1"><a id="pagea"></a>[p.a]</span> +<a id="img002" name="img002"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img002.jpg" width="413" height="600" alt="MR. OWL AWAKENED THE FAIRIES AND TOLD THEM TO +LISTEN TO HIS BOOK." title=""> +<p>"MR. OWL AWAKENED THE FAIRIES AND TOLD THEM TO +LISTEN TO HIS BOOK."—<i>Page <a href="#page2">2</a></i></p></div> + + + +<p><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pageb"></a>[p.b]</span></p> +<h1>Daddy's Bedtime<br> +Bird Stories</h1> + + +<div class="center"> +<p class="center ftsize90">By</p> + +<p class="center ftsize120 hweight">Mary Graham Bonner</p> + +<p class="center ftsize75 martop3 marbot3"><i>With four illustrations in color by<br> +Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis</i></p> +</div> + +<a id="img003" name="img003"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img003.jpg" width="158" height="200" alt="decoration" title=""> +</div> + +<p class="center martop4"><span class="ftsize105">New York</span><br> +<span class="ftsize120">Frederick A. Stokes Company</span><br> +<span class="ftsize105">Publishers</span></p> + +<div class="center martop4"> +<p class="ftsize90"><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pagec"></a>[p.c]</span> <i>Copyright, 1917, by</i></p> +<p><span class="smcap">Frederick A. Stokes Company</span></p> +<hr> +<p class="ftsize90"><i>All rights reserved; including that of translation into +foreign languages</i></p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum1"><a id="paged"></a>[p.d]</span></p> +<p class="center martop4">TO<br> +<span class="ftsize110">"E. E. E."</span></p> + + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pagef"></a>[p.f]</span> CONTENTS</h2> + + +<div class="toc lihei1"> +<ul> + <li> <span class="ralign1 ftsize75">PAGE</span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Old Mr. Owl Writes a Book</span><span class="ralign1"><a href="#page1">1</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Woodpeckers Start a Bird Band</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page4">4</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Cardinal Bird and the Robin</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page7">7</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Winter Wrens' Dew-drop Baths</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page10">10</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Seagulls Move to Bluey Cove</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page13">13</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">How the Little Redbird Became Red</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page16">16</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Poor Old Mr. Owl's Toothache</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page19">19</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Soloist of the Bird Concert</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page22">22</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Robins Open a Spring Shop</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page25">25</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Race Between the Secretary Birds</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page28">28</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Quarrel Between Naughty Little Sparrows</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page31">31</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Successful Concert of the Chickadees</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page34">34</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Colony of Starlings Give a Ball</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page1">37</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Robin Redbreast's and Miss Robin's Wedding</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page40">40</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Tame Canary Bird and His Mistress</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page43">43</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Pet Bird of the Ward</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page46">46</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Eagle's Pride as the Bird of Freedom</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page49">49</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">What the Birds Thought of the Fourth of July</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page52">52</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Mr. Nightingale's New Friend Mr. Blackbird</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page55">55</a></span></li> + <li><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pageg"></a>[p.g]</span> <span class="smcap">Mr. Plain Sparrow Calls on Ducks</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page58">58</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Farmer's Scarecrow Protects a Corn-field</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page61">61</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Brave Brown Sparrows in Winter</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page64">64</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">What the Rainbow Thinks of the World</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page67">67</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Eagles and Ravens</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page70">70</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Eagles Who Were Always Still</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page73">73</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Bobolinks Have a Tea Party</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page76">76</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">A Happy Day in Birdland</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page79">79</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Robins' Spring Concert</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page82">82</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Crows at the Fairies' Ball</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page85">85</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Naughty Little Sick Snowbirds</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page88">88</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">A Sparrow Calls on a Hippopotamus</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page91">91</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Robins Come to the Rescue</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page94">94</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Mr. and Mrs. Owl's Storeroom</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page97">97</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Polly Was the Heroine of the Fire</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page100">100</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Winter Home for the Wren Family</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page103">103</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Vain Goldfinch Learns a Lesson</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page106">106</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Bats Have a Jollification</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page109">109</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Repentance of Little Jim Crow</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page112">112</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">The Rescue of the Canary Bird</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page115">115</a></span></li> + <li><span class="smcap">Small Fire Department Rescues Birds</span> <span class="ralign1"><a href="#page118">118</a></span></li> +</ul> +</div> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pageh"></a>[p.h]</span> LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + +<div class="toc lihei1"> +<ul> + <li>"Mr. Owl awakened the fairies and told + them to listen to his <span class="wosp3">book" </span><span class="ralign1"><a href="#img002"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></span></li> + <li> <span class="ralign1 ftsize75">FACING PAGE</span></li> + <li>"In the afternoons Elizabeth lets him out of his cage" <span class="ralign1"><a href="#img016">44</a></span></li> + <li>"'We've been on this chair so long,' said the fourth eagle" <span class="ralign1"><a href="#img027">74</a></span></li> + <li>"The mother humming-bird hurried back" <span class="ralign1"><a href="#img034">96</a></span></li> +</ul> +</div> + +<div class="center martop4 ftsize90"> +<p><span class="pagenum1"><a id="pagei"></a>[p.i]</span> <i>These stories first appeared in the American Press +Association Service and the Western Newspaper Union.</i></p> +<hr> +<p><i>Many of the sketches in this volume are the work of Rebecca +McCann, creator of the "Cheerful Cherub," etc.</i></p> +</div> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page1"></a>[p.1]</span> OLD MR. OWL WRITES A BOOK</h2> + + +<a id="img004" name="img004"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img004.jpg" width="150" height="191" alt="Old Mr. Owl Danced with the Rest." title=""> +<p class="width150">Old Mr. Owl Danced with the Rest.</p></div> + +<p>"Old Mr. Owl wanted to write a book and he asked the fairies how to set +about doing it," commenced daddy.</p> + +<p>"'Well,' said the fairy queen, 'it makes a good deal of difference, old +Mr. Owl, what you want to write about.'</p> + +<p>"'What nonsense!' he said. 'It's just that I want to know how to start +off with my book. Just think what a marvelous book it will be—as for as +long as folks can remember I've been called the Wise Bird—the bird +who's awake at night and whose eyes are so very bright!'</p> + +<p>"'Before I started saying what a fine book it would be, if I were you, +I'd write it and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page2"></a>[p.2]</span> give other people the chance to say so,' said +the fairy queen.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Owl began to write with his pen, made out of one of Mr. Turkey +Gobbler's best feathers, on a large, flat stone, which he put in the +hollow of his tree. Very late in the night, he awakened the fairies who +had been sleeping, and told them to listen to his book. Then he called +all the owls from the neighborhood with a loud hoot-hoot. But before he +began to read, he said:</p> + +<p>"'I've not enough light. I will hurt my eyes—my beautiful, wise, big +eyes.'</p> + +<p>"You see he had made a special arrangement to have his own lights, and +when he said that he hadn't enough, from all over came countless little +fireflies. They sparkled and gave the most beautiful light all over the +woods, and Mr. Owl put his spectacles on his nose, and said:</p> + +<p>"'Now I see to perfection—which means quite all right.' And Mr. Owl +commenced reading his book.</p> + +<p>"It told about the parties, balls, and picnics in fairyland, and of the +wild adventures and happenings in the woods. The fairies were absolutely +delighted that a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page3"></a>[p.3]</span> book had been written with so much about them +in it.</p> + +<p>"And the fairy queen was more than happy, for the last chapter was all +about her.</p> + +<p>"'Well,' said Mr. Owl, 'you made me ashamed of myself for boasting about +my book before I had written it, and so the only thing I could do was to +write a wise chapter all about you.'</p> + +<p>"And the fairy queen smiled with pleasure and also with amusement—for +Mr. Owl had certainly thought he could write a wise book—though the +next time, perhaps, he wouldn't say so before he had written it.</p> + +<p>"The fireflies had been sparkling and flashing lights all this time, and +finally they whispered:</p> + +<p>"'Have a dance, all of you; we'll give you the light and dance too. It +is not well to read books all the time—you must dance.'</p> + +<p>"So they all ended off with a fine dance, and old Mr. Owl, with his book +under his wing, danced with the rest of the owls and fairies. But before +the evening was over he presented to the fairy queen a copy of his book, +which said on the cover, 'A BOOK, by Wise Mr. Owl.'"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page4"></a>[p.4]</span> THE WOODPECKERS START A BIRD BAND</h2> + + +<p>The Woodpecker family were around on various trees drumming, drumming on +the bark. Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, Mr. Downy Woodpecker, and Mr. Red-Headed +Woodpecker were hard at work.</p> + +<p>"Let's start a band," suggested Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>"What's that you say?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker, who had been so +busy at work that he had not heard what Mr. Hairy Woodpecker had been +suggesting.</p> + +<p>"A band," repeated Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>"What sort of a band?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>"In the first place," continued Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "our bills are not +only fine tools for the work we have to do getting the insects from the +trees, and burrowing for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page5"></a>[p.5]</span> our nests, but they would be splendid +to use in beating the drums in a band."</p> + +<p>"Where would we get the drums?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>"The trees, of course, you silly!" said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, yes," agreed Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker.</p> + +<p>And Mr. Downy Woodpecker said, "Of course, of course. The trees will be +our drums."</p> + +<p>"We'll get the other birds," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "to help us. We +need something in a band besides the drums. We will ask the goldfinches, +the mocking-birds, the bobolinks, the phœbe and chickadee families, +all of the warbler and vireo families, and the robins of course. Then I +think we'll ask the orioles, the whippoorwills, the thrush family, and +the song sparrows."</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Mr. Downy Woodpecker, "that will make a perfect band. We'd +better get started right away." And the woodpeckers began to practise. +They made such a noise that the birds came from far and near to see what +they were doing. Mr. Sapsucker, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page6"></a>[p.6]</span> Mr. Crested Woodpecker, and Mr. +Flicker Woodpecker had all joined in beating the drums too!</p> + +<p>"Why are you making so much noise?" asked the birds as they flew around +to the nearby trees to talk to the woodpeckers.</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "we were just going to ask you all to +join our band. We will beat the drums."</p> + +<p>"And just what do you want us to do?" asked Mr. Robin Redbreast, who was +always eager to help.</p> + +<p>"You must all sing."</p> + +<p>"But we all sing differently," chirped a song sparrow. "We know +different tunes and different songs."</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "I never thought about that. But never +mind, you can have little parts to sing alone, and other choruses where +you will all sing together. I'm sure it will be a very fine band after +we have practised." And they began pounding the drums again.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Mr. Robin Redbreast, "if the bird band isn't to be the +finest in the land, at least we'll make a cheerful noise!"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page7"></a>[p.7]</span> THE CARDINAL BIRD AND THE ROBIN</h2> + + +<p>"The cardinal bird," said daddy, "is a very superior bird and will not +come down to the ground. The lowest he will come is to a bush, but he +never hops along the woods or lawns, no, not he!</p> + +<p>"One day Robin Redbreast was walking on a green lawn. He stopped several +times to pick up a worm from the ground, swallow it whole and then walk +along. In a tree nearby he spied the cardinal bird.</p> + +<p>"'Hello,' he said cheerily. 'Won't you come and have a worm with me? +There are a number in this lawn, and the good rain we had last night has +made the ground so nice and soft. Do join me,' he ended with a bright +chirp.</p> + +<p>"'No, thank you,' said the cardinal bird. 'I wouldn't soil my feet on +that ground. I hate the ground, absolutely hate it.' And the cardinal +bird looked very haughty and proud.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page8"></a>[p.8]</span> "'Come now,' said Robin Redbreast, 'you won't get your feet +dirty. And if you do,' he whispered knowingly, 'I can lead you to the +nicest brook where you can wash them off with fresh rain water. Do +come!'</p> + +<p>"'I cannot,' said the cardinal bird. 'I do not like the earth. I want to +be flying in the air, or sitting on the branches of trees. Sometimes I +will perch for a little while on a laurel bush—but come any lower? Dear +me, no, I couldn't.'</p> + +<p>"'It's a great shame,' said Robin Redbreast. 'Of course there is no +accounting for taste.'</p> + +<p>"'Thank you for inviting me,' added the cardinal bird politely. For he +prided himself on his good manners.</p> + +<p>"Pretty soon some people came along. At once they noticed the beautiful +cardinal bird. He wore his best red suit which he wears all the +time—except in the winter, when he adds gray to his wings. His collar +and tie were of black and his feathers stuck up on top of his head so as +to make him look very stylish and fine.</p> + +<p>"'Oh, what a wonderful bird!' said the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page9"></a>[p.9]</span> people. Mr. Cardinal Bird +knew they were admiring him, of course—and so did Robin Redbreast. No +one had noticed <i>him</i>, but he didn't care, for he knew Mr. Cardinal Bird +was by far the more beautiful, and a robin hasn't a mean disposition.</p> + +<p>"Well, when the cardinal bird heard the praise he began to sing—a +glorious high voice he had, and he sounded his clear notes over and over +again. Then suddenly he stopped, cocked his head on one side, as though +to say,</p> + +<p>"'And what do you think of me now?'</p> + +<p>"From down on the ground Robin Redbreast had been listening. 'Oh, that +was wonderful, wonderful!' he trilled.</p> + +<p>"'Listen to that dear little robin,' said one of the people. 'I must get +him some bread crumbs.'</p> + +<p>"When the bread crumbs were scattered over the ground, Robin Redbreast +invited the cardinal bird down again thinking they were for him! But the +beautiful, proud bird would not come down, and the people were saying, +'After all there is nothing quite so nice as a dear little robin.'"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page10"></a>[p.10]</span> THE WINTER WRENS' DEW-DROP BATHS</h2> + + +<p>"The winter wren is really with us during the summer too," said daddy. +"But he is too shy to be near us. We can only hear him sing sometimes. +When winter comes, though, he goes to people for protection and picks up +the crumbs they give him.</p> + +<p>"Yesterday he was sitting on a snow-berry bush with a tiny companion. +The snow-berry bushes are full and leafy, and in the spring and summer +are covered with very tiny pink blossoms. In the autumn and winter they +are covered with little berries which look as if they had been made out +of snow.</p> + +<p>"'Oh, how I dread the winter!' said the tiny wren. 'Just imagine how +dreadful it would be if no one put any bread crumbs out for us, or no +dog left us some of his dinner on a back porch.'</p> + +<p>"'Now,' said Mr. Brown Wren, 'you mustn't think of such sad thoughts. +You always <span class="pagenum"><a id="page11"></a>[p.11]</span> do! Someone will look after us. And maybe we'll find +a few spiders now and then in the cracks, and then well have a regular +feast.'</p> + +<p>"The next day they were back again on the snow-berry bush, and the day +was much warmer. Now the wrens love to bathe above all things! Even in +the winter they will go through a little sheet of ice and get into the +cold, cold water underneath. For they must get their baths! And in the +spring, when the tiny wrens are brought forth from their mossy nests, +the first lesson they have is of bathing in some nearby brook.</p> + +<p>"But this day it was early in the morning, the snow-berry bush was +covered with dew-drops and the wrens were delighted.</p> + +<p>"'The sun will drive them away soon. Let's take them while we get the +chance,' whispered Mr. Brown Wren.</p> + +<p>"'Yes, yes,' said his small companion. 'We will soon have to bathe when +it is so cold. Let us have a good warm bath first.'</p> + +<p>"And then those two little brown wrens took the dew-drops in their +beaks, and dropped each one in turn on their feathers. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page12"></a>[p.12]</span> Then +they got under some leaves full of dew-drops and shook them down over +their little feathered bodies.</p> + +<p>"After they were well covered with the dew-drops they began to shake all +over just as every bird does when he takes a bath. And back they went to +take another bath when this one was over. For they seemed to enjoy their +last warm bath so much!</p> + +<p>"Finally they had bathed enough, and the sun appeared strong as could +be, and shining very hard. They perched still on the branches of the +snow-berry bush and bathed now in the hot sun. Soon their little +feathers were quite dry and they began to sing.</p> + +<p>"And truly I think their song was one of gladness because of their +dew-drop baths!"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page13"></a>[p.13]</span> THE SEAGULLS MOVE TO BLUEY COVE</h2> + + +<a id="img005" name="img005"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img005.jpg" width="159" height="150" alt="Mr. and Mrs. Seagull Flew Off with Bluey." title=""> +<p class="width175">Mr. and Mrs. Seagull Flew Off with Bluey.</p></div> + +<p>"Mr. and Mrs. Seagull didn't really know what to do," said daddy. "They +loved their home, which was in a big harbor, for they enjoyed seeing the +boats pass and hearing the different whistles. All kinds of boats +passed—ferryboats, sailboats, old fishing-boats, great big boats that +went across the ocean, and little tugboats.</p> + +<p>"The seagulls would fly overhead, and then they'd land on top of the +water, but they never could stay there long, as the boats would come +along, and they would have to fly off. Of late Mr. and Mrs. Seagull, +although they were still as fond of their home as ever, became rather +worried, for the little seagulls didn't seem to be able to get out of +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page14"></a>[p.14]</span> the way of the boats as quickly as the old seagulls could. Mr. +and Mrs. Seagull were afraid that one of them might get hurt by a boat.</p> + +<p>"Of course the little seagulls were quite certain that nothing like that +would ever happen, but one day it did.</p> + +<p>"They were playing tag on the surface of the water and so interested in +their game that they didn't notice until too late that a great huge boat +was coming along. The captain of the boat had blown the whistle to scare +the seagulls away. They hadn't heard it at all, so busy were they +playing, and it hit poor little Bluey Seagull. One of the others called +out:</p> + +<p>"'Oh, fly up quickly, Bluey!' He was not badly hit, for the pilot of the +boat had seen the seagulls and made the boat slow down.</p> + +<p>"Bluey was frightened almost out of his wits, but with the encouragement +of the other seagulls he managed to fly off.</p> + +<p>"When Mr. and Mrs. Seagull saw what had happened to Bluey they were +horrified and quickly flew off with him, all the other little seagulls +following.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page15"></a>[p.15]</span> "They flew as far from the boats as they could, for, now that +Bluey had been hit, they didn't think life in the harbor where the boats +passed was so attractive. In fact, they decided they would never go back +there again.</p> + +<p>"They flew so far that they reached a little cove at the basin of the +harbor, and when Mr. Seagull saw it he said:</p> + +<p>"'This will be our new home.'</p> + +<p>"Mrs. Seagull said:</p> + +<p>"'We will never leave this home until all little seagulls are grown up, +for then they will always be safe and can play all they want to without +being afraid of getting hit by the big boats.'</p> + +<p>"So it was decided, and the cove was named Bluey Cove because it had +been on Bluey's account that they had moved there. And of all the +seagulls he was the happiest and most relieved."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page16"></a>[p.16]</span> HOW THE LITTLE REDBIRD BECAME RED</h2> + + +<a id="img006" name="img006"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img006.jpg" width="150" height="146" alt="A Gray Bird Was Flying Overhead." title=""> +<p class="width150">A Gray Bird Was Flying Overhead.</p></div> + +<p>Jack and Evelyn had been playing circus all day. Jack had been the big +man who stands in the middle of the ring and cracks his whip, while +Evelyn had turned somersaults and made pretty bows. They told daddy all +about it when he came home that evening, so he said:</p> + +<p>"As you're so fond of circus performing I will certainly have to tell +you about the circus the animals gave.</p> + +<p>"Cub Bear got it all up, and every animal who went to it had to first +agree to do something. And it really was a most marvelous circus. They +all marched around in a parade, while the little bears beat the drums. +The rabbits rode on the backs of the possums, and the monkeys rode on +the backs of the elephants. The chipmunks drove chariots <span class="pagenum"><a id="page17"></a>[p.17]</span> which +were drawn by the gray squirrels, and the clowns were the frogs. The +rest of the animals caught hands and followed in the march. They laughed +and shouted and enjoyed themselves immensely.</p> + +<p>"Then all took their seats and one by one did some sort of an act. The +monkeys won a great deal of applause by their trapeze acting. Cub Bear +walked a rope and danced around on his hind legs. The bunnies rode +bicycles, but that ended sadly, as one of them—a son of old Peter +Rabbit, who was renowned for his bicycle riding—in trying to show off, +fell and skinned his nose. All the other animals gathered around to see +what they could do, while the bunny moaned and moaned.</p> + +<p>"A gray bird flying over the tent heard the sound of moans and cries and +flew in to see what the trouble was, for he was a very kind-hearted +bird. He saw that the bunny was really more frightened than hurt, and +with his wings he wiped off the blood from the rabbit's face. The +blood-stain never got off the wings of the bird, so ever after he and +his family became known as the redbirds.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page18"></a>[p.18]</span> "The bunny fully recovered and once more felt like himself; +but, of course, after the accident, the animals didn't care to go on +performing, so they all sat around the center of the tent and had a most +glorious picnic. Refreshments of all kinds were passed around.</p> + +<p>"They had pink lemonade, peanuts, popcorn, ice-cream cones, and water +taffy. After they'd finished eating they sang all the old-time songs and +frisked about, playing and dancing. Bunny Rabbit, who felt quite spry +again, frisked about too, and the redbird flew overhead, flapping his +wings with joy, for he was so glad everything had turned out so merrily.</p> + +<p>"The circus proved such a success and the animals were in such high +spirits that they then and there decided to have a circus every year."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page19"></a>[p.19]</span> POOR OLD MR. OWL'S TOOTHACHE</h2> + + +<a id="img007" name="img007"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img007.jpg" width="150" height="143" alt="I'm ready now, said Dr. Raven." title=""> +<p class="width150">"I'm ready now," said Dr. Raven.</p></div> + +<p>Evelyn had been eating a great deal of candy—so much that it had given +her a very bad toothache—and when daddy came home he found her curled +up on the bed looking very mournful. Jack had been trying to comfort +her, but he hadn't been able to help much. So when he heard daddy's step +he called, "Come along, daddy, and tell a story especially for Evelyn to +make her forget about her toothache."</p> + +<p>"That is too bad," said daddy. "I'm sorry my little girl has a +toothache. I'll see if I can't tell a good story so you'll feel better +and will be able to sleep and have pleasant dreams. I think I'll tell +you about old Mr. Owl, for he had the most terrible toothache one time. +He had been eating a great many <span class="pagenum"><a id="page20"></a>[p.20]</span> sugar-plums and lots of candy, +and before he knew it one of his teeth was aching so hard he could +hardly stand it. 'Oh, dear,' he moaned; 'my tooth, my poor tooth! +Whatever will I do?'</p> + +<p>"It ached so badly for several days that he decided at last he'd go to +the dentist. Dr. Raven was considered the very best dentist. So off went +Mr. Owl to his office in the pine tree. When he arrived there he saw Dr. +Raven busily fixing Mrs. Crow's teeth. She was leaning back on a stump +of wood which Dr. Raven used as his dental chair. She had a rubber band +over her mouth and looked very miserable. It quite frightened Mr. Owl, +but he tried to be brave and sat down, put on his spectacles and began +to read one of Dr. Raven's magazines. In a few moments Mrs. Crow got out +of the chair, and Dr. Raven said, 'I'm ready for you now, Mr. Owl.' So +Mr. Owl took off his spectacles, got into Dr. Raven's chair and leaned +his head back. 'Open wide,' said Dr. Raven. Mr. Owl opened his mouth as +wide as he could, and Dr. Raven looked inside. First he looked over his +upper teeth, then over his <span class="pagenum"><a id="page21"></a>[p.21]</span> lower teeth, and finally he began to +poke at one back tooth with such energy that Mr. Owl screamed, 'That's +my sore tooth, and you're hurting it terribly!</p>' + +<p>"'Yes,' said Dr. Raven; 'the tooth is a wisdom tooth, and it is much +inflamed, so I'll take it out right away.' He reached for his pinchers, +but Mr. Owl said: 'If you take out my wisdom tooth I'll lose my wisdom, +and I'm known all over the world for my wisdom. I simply won't have it.'</p> + +<p>"And before Dr. Raven had a chance to speak Mr. Owl had jumped out of +the chair and flown off. When he got home his tooth still hurt, but the +next morning it felt much better, and the next day it was all well. 'I +know what all the trouble was,' said Mr. Owl. 'I ate too much candy. +I'll never eat too much again, for I cannot lose any of my wisdom teeth +when I'm known as the wisest bird.'"</p> + +<p>"Daddy," said Jack, "your story would be a very good one, only owls +don't have teeth." Daddy smiled, and as the children laughingly went to +bed, Evelyn said her toothache had gone.</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page22"></a>[p.22]</span> THE SOLOIST OF THE BIRD CONCERT</h2> + + +<a id="img008" name="img008"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img008.jpg" width="150" height="144" alt="He Sang His Song Several Times." title=""> +<p class="width150">He Sang His Song Several Times.</p></div> + +<p>The birds had begun their early morning concerts. "I know why," said +daddy. "It is because they have been practising for their opening +concert of the season which they gave this morning and which I am going +to tell you about this evening. They have been practising hard every +morning.</p> + +<p>"The vireos, having such lovely voices and being devoted to music, got +it up and made all the arrangements. Yesterday, the day before the +concert, they scratched signs on the trees, which in the bird world +read:</p> + +<p>"'Concert in the village park to-morrow morning at 6 o'clock. All those +who are taking part will, of course, be present. Those who are not +taking part will be invited to attend. Splendid music. Good seats. +Feature <span class="pagenum"><a id="page23"></a>[p.23]</span> of concert to be the soloist. The name of the soloist +will not be made known until the concert.'</p> + +<p>"All the birds were tremendously excited when they read that, for it was +all a surprise arranged by the vireos. They were the only ones who knew +who the soloist was to be. At the rehearsals even the soloist had not +appeared.</p> + +<p>"At last the time for the concert came. All the birds were up very early +that morning, fussing to look their very best.</p> + +<p>"Most of the birds sat around on the grass, but some of them had +reserved boxes in the trees.</p> + +<p>"The program for the concert was delightful. The robins sang in chorus, +as did the chirping sparrows. The warblers sang quartets and duets. +Several of the chickadees gave little solos. The thrushes and the vireos +appeared many times on the program. They were encored again and again +and were greatly pleased.</p> + +<p>"The soloist was to appear the very last. A vireo came out and announced +to the audience that the soloist, being slightly nervous, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page24"></a>[p.24]</span> would +not stand before them and sing, but would sing from a very short +distance.</p> + +<p>"Then they heard from a neighboring tree the strange, lonely song of the +whippoorwill. He sang his song several times over, and the applause was +terrific. The birds were charmed, absolutely charmed.</p> + +<p>"The whippoorwill was very modest and didn't see why they liked his solo +at all. He had really been very shy about appearing at the concert. But +he was encouraged by the vireos, who, as a rule, are nervous, too, when +they appear in public.</p> + +<p>"At the conclusion of the concert a vote of thanks was given the vireos +for the crowning success of their concert and an additional vote of +thanks for their splendid soloist."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page25"></a>[p.25]</span> THE ROBINS OPEN A SPRING SHOP</h2> + + +<a id="img009" name="img009"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img009.jpg" width="150" height="142" alt="The Robins Agreed It was a Good Scheme." title=""> +<p class="width150">The Robins Agreed It was a Good Scheme.</p></div> + +<p>"The robins, having left their warm winter home, had settled near a +great, big, lovely park," said daddy. "Now, one of the robins happened +to be a very practical old bird. He suggested that they shouldn't spend +all their time singing, especially now, before the summer came. Then he +thought it was all right to play and sing all day. But it would be nicer +now, he thought, to do a little work.</p> + +<p>"The old robin's idea was that certain robins every morning should start +out and dig up worms, for then they could get more than they wanted and +could help supply the flocks and flocks of newcomers. Then other robins +could go into the woods and get the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page26"></a>[p.26]</span> new little berries that had +just come up, and the rest of the robins would keep a shop in the +biggest tree of the park. All the birds would do their shopping there in +the most central place.</p> + +<p>"All the robins agreed that it would be an excellent scheme and so much +better than idling away all their time.</p> + +<p>"As soon as a new flock of birds would come to the park the other birds +would tell them about the shop of the robins, and off they would fly to +it. And such good things as the robins all had in their shop! It kept +them pretty busy hurrying around to get enough provisions to last for +all of their customers as well as themselves. But they thoroughly +enjoyed being so busy and decided that there was nothing in the world +like work. At night they would feel so much better than if they'd been +idle all day, and then they felt as if they had really been doing some +good, for it was a great, great help to all of the other birds. You can +imagine how they wouldn't be able to find things so quickly and they +wouldn't know right away <span class="pagenum"><a id="page27"></a>[p.27]</span> where the softest earth was so as to +dig for the worms.</p> + +<p>"Of course some of the early bird families did arrive as early as the +robins, but the robins were the thoughtful and unselfish ones who +thought of the other birds."</p> + +<p>"Did they charge anything for the things they sold?" asked Jack.</p> + +<p>"No," said daddy; "the old robin said that birds should never charge +each other anything, and, besides, they really felt that the work was +doing them good and that then they'd enjoy the summer all the more.</p> + +<p>"And the other birds certainly did appreciate what the robins were doing +for them.</p> + +<p>"The shop of the robins grew to be just like a daily party, for all the +birds would fly there every day just about the same time, and after they +had picked out the berries and the worms that struck their fancies +they'd stay around and chirp and chat with the robins and each other."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page28"></a>[p.28]</span> THE RACE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY BIRDS</h2> + + +<a id="img010" name="img010"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img010.jpg" width="150" height="142" alt="Mongo Got Quite a Bit Ahead." title=""> +<p class="width150">Mongo Got Quite a Bit Ahead.</p></div> + +<p>"The secretary birds had planned to have some field races," began daddy, +"and the afternoon of the races had come. You know, the secretary birds +have very, very long thin legs. Their legs are so thin that you can +hardly see how it is they can support such big bodies, for the secretary +birds have really fat bodies.</p> + +<p>"Well, on the afternoon of the races they all entered, and you never saw +such running in all your life! They simply went like the wind, but the +chief race of all was between one bird named Sandy and one named Mongo. +They were considered the fastest runners of all. They had raced often +and often before and had always come in a tie. But this time Mongo had +been practising <span class="pagenum"><a id="page29"></a>[p.29]</span> very hard and had been very careful not to eat +anything to hurt his wind. Sandy had been practising every day, too, but +he thought it was absurd to give up things to eat. However, Mongo had +always heard that all athletes were very careful of their eating, and, +as he had never been able to beat Sandy yet, he was bound he would try +everything he could so as to win.</p> + +<p>"The prize was to be a fine, great, big snake which had been captured +and killed a few days before the races were to take place."</p> + +<p>"Do secretary birds eat snakes?" asked Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said daddy; "they practically live on them."</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't think that would be nice food," added Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"No, we don't think so," answered daddy, "but you know we eat bacon and +like it, so probably the secretary birds think it is as funny for us to +eat pigs as we do to hear of their eating snakes."</p> + +<p>"No," said Evelyn thoughtfully, "I suppose not. They sound so horrid, +though."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page30"></a>[p.30]</span> At that moment Jack, who was growing very impatient, not caring +what the secretary birds ate, chimed in: "Daddy, please hurry and tell +us who won the race. I can hardly wait to hear. I am sure Mongo did, +though."</p> + +<p>"No," said Evelyn; "I think Sandy did because he wasn't such an old fuss +as Mongo."</p> + +<p>"Well," continued daddy, "during the race all the secretary birds +shrieked in their cackling voices: 'Go it; go it! Win, Mongo! Win, +Sandy!'</p> + +<p>"For a few moments Mongo got quite a bit ahead, but Sandy succeeded in +catching up with him, and they passed by the goal side by side.</p> + +<p>"It was a splendid race, but it showed that Mongo and Sandy were really +absolutely evenly matched, so they gave a funny cackle, which meant a +laugh, and each, taking an end of the prize, said, 'We'll all have a +taste of the prize, as neither of us can win it.'</p> + +<p>"So they all sat down to a very jolly supper party."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page31"></a>[p.31]</span> THE QUARREL BETWEEN NAUGHTY LITTLE SPARROWS</h2> + + +<a id="img011" name="img011"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img011.jpg" width="150" height="138" alt="One Little Bird Found a Crumb." title=""> +<p class="width150">One Little Bird Found a Crumb.</p></div> + +<p>Jack and Evelyn had been feeding crumbs to the birds every day for some +time.</p> + +<p>"I fancy they enjoy them pretty well, don't they?" said daddy.</p> + +<p>"Yes; they love them," replied Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"Do they ever scrap over who shall get a crumb first?" added daddy.</p> + +<p>"No," said Jack; "they never seem to. They really are very cunning, and +they seem to be very friendly and get along beautifully."</p> + +<p>"Well, you know," said daddy, "the other day I saw some birds having an +awful fight. One little sparrow had found a very big crumb and was +trying to keep it all to himself."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page32"></a>[p.32]</span> "Sparrows are supposed to be rather fond of fighting, aren't +they, daddy?" asked Jack.</p> + +<p>"They do seem to be considered crosser and to have more cranky natures +than other birds. But perhaps it's because they're always around us, and +they never have a quarrel that we don't see it. But really we ought to +be very grateful to the sparrows, for we always have them with us."</p> + +<p>"Yes; that's true," said Evelyn. "And they're plucky little creatures, +too, never minding bad weather, not even the very worst. But do tell us +more about the fight, daddy."</p> + +<p>"Another little sparrow," continued daddy, "was furious when he saw the +selfishness of the first sparrow. He completely lost his temper. He flew +at the first little sparrow and hit him with his wings just as hard as +ever he could.</p> + +<p>"Then a number of sparrows came and joined in the fight. Some took the +side of the first sparrow and some of the second sparrow.</p> + +<p>"It really might have been quite a serious battle had not an old sparrow +stepped in and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page33"></a>[p.33]</span> pitched his voice way up in the air. He simply +shrieked at the sparrows.</p> + +<p>"'Stop; stop at once!' he cried.</p> + +<p>"All the sparrows stopped at once, for they were very much afraid of the +old sparrow. He was quite their leader, and, though he was a very jolly +old soul and would enter into all their sports, still he was quite +strict.</p> + +<p>"'Aren't you ashamed of yourselves, all of you,' he continued—'you, +little first sparrow, for being so selfish, and you, little second one, +for losing your temper, and the rest of you for joining in?'</p> + +<p>"And all the little sparrows hung their heads in shame, and they then +and there promised the old sparrow that they would never again be greedy +and selfish nor would they fight.</p> + +<p>"The old sparrow then looked very much relieved, for it always made him +very unhappy when the sparrows were naughty."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page34"></a>[p.34]</span> THE SUCCESSFUL CONCERT OF THE CHICKADEES</h2> + + +<a id="img012" name="img012"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img012.jpg" width="150" height="140" alt="One Little Chickadee Sang a Solo." title=""> +<p class="width150">One Little Chickadee Sang a Solo.</p></div> + +<p>Evelyn was very fond of little chickadees, and she was so pleased when +daddy said that he was going to tell them a story about them that +evening.</p> + +<p>"You know," commenced daddy, "the chickadees had a concert the other +evening for the other birds. They sent out invitations on petals of +flowers, and on the petals they made little holes with their beaks. They +made six holes, meaning that the concert would begin at 6 o'clock. +Exactly at 6 they all arrived.</p> + +<p>"They were all invited to perch on the nearby apple tree and pear tree, +and the chickadees hopped about on the grass below.</p> + +<p>"Then the concert began. First one little <span class="pagenum"><a id="page35"></a>[p.35]</span> chickadee sang a very +sweet little solo, which won a great deal of applause.</p> + +<p>"The choruses were enjoyed tremendously, too, and the refrain of +'chickadee-dee-dee' was lovely, the other birds thought.</p> + +<p>"But, as you can imagine, the chickadee knew that it was the fashion to +have special features at concerts or at least one special feature.</p> + +<p>"So as a surprise, just before the last number, which was a chorus of +all the chickadees, a special feature was announced by the leader of the +concert.</p> + +<p>"'We are to have,' said the chickadee leader, 'a different number from +any other on the program.'</p> + +<p>"At this all the birds looked at one another with astonishment.</p> + +<p>"'We are to have,' the chickadee leader continued, 'a ballet.'</p> + +<p>"Now, the birds knew that in 'really real' grand opera there is usually +a ballet, but to have one at their concert was wonderful.</p> + +<p>"But before they had time to talk about it out came all the little +chickadees, dancing and hopping and wearing little wreaths of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page36"></a>[p.36]</span> +flowers about their necks. Each carried a little flower in his beak, and +every flower was of a different color.</p> + +<p>"For some time they danced in and out of a little circle which they +made. They received constant applause.</p> + +<p>"It was something new and different to have a ballet dance at the +concert. The birds were very much impressed with the chickadees for +being so up to date.</p> + +<p>"The chickadees were delighted that their concert had been such a +success, for, as a matter of fact, they had been rather nervous in +getting up a concert when the other birds had given such beautiful ones +during the spring. They knew that their voices were not at all lovely, +but the birds had wanted to hear them, and now the chickadees were very, +very happy."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page37"></a>[p.37]</span> THE COLONY OF STARLINGS GIVE A BALL</h2> + + +<a id="img013" name="img013"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img013.jpg" width="150" height="131" alt="They Took Little Flying Trips." title=""> +<p class="width150">They Took Little Flying Trips.</p></div> + +<p>The birds gave concerts early every morning and sometimes, too, they +would give an extra one just after the sun went down in the afternoon. +Jack and Evelyn loved to hear the birds sing, and they told daddy that +they were really learning to know the various songs of the different +birds.</p> + +<p>"I have meant for some time," said daddy, "to tell you a story about a +ball the starlings gave some time ago. Now the starlings are not +singers. They can only chirp and twitter, but they love music and enjoy +hearing all the other birds. They are great friends with the robins, and +when they suggested giving a ball the robins were at once ready to help +them with it."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page38"></a>[p.38]</span> "I don't believe we know what starlings are. We may have seen +them and not have known what they were," said Jack.</p> + +<p>"Starlings," continued daddy, "are about the same size as robins. They +are black, or they appear to be black. In reality their feathers look +different colors in different lights. But they usually appear black, as, +of course, they don't come so very near to people. They are not nearly +so tame as the robins. They have yellow beaks. And another thing about +them is that they are very fond of their own kind. They travel always in +huge flocks, for they love to be together.</p> + +<p>"But to continue about the ball. The starlings said that they would like +to give a party, and the robins thought it was an excellent plan.</p> + +<p>"So invitations were sent out to all the other birds around. And they +all accepted with great pleasure.</p> + +<p>"Ever so many were invited. There were the chickadees, the song +sparrows, the chipping sparrows, the orioles, the thrushes, and even the +catbirds were asked.</p> + +<p>"Of course, great preparations were made <span class="pagenum"><a id="page39"></a>[p.39]</span> for the ball. The +robins said that they would give the music, for, of course, the +starlings couldn't have a ball without music.</p> + +<p>"And you should have seen the birds dancing. They danced until they were +completely out of breath. The robins sang lovely waltzes and they +whistled for the jigs.</p> + +<p>"Then, when the starlings thought that their guests had had enough of +the dancing, they suggested that they should all have some supper. They +had their supper served in little moss cups for each bird, and it did +taste so good out of such a dainty, pretty cup."</p> + +<p>"I suppose they had little worms, didn't they?" asked Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," said daddy, "but that is what they think is delicious."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page40"></a>[p.40]</span> ROBIN REDBREAST'S AND MISS ROBIN'S WEDDING</h2> + + +<a id="img014" name="img014"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img014.jpg" width="150" height="135" alt="In a Few Minutes Mr. Robin Came." title=""> +<p class="width150">In a Few Minutes Mr. Robin Came.</p></div> + +<p>"Little Miss Robin was preening her feathers and smoothing them down, for +it was the 14th of February and she had received a valentine. Naturally +she was very much excited, and she looked at her reflection as she stood +over the brook.</p> + +<p>"'Yes,' she said to herself, 'I am looking well to-day. I do hope Mr. +Robin Redbreast will think so too. My, what a fine bird he is! And, oh, +how lucky I am to have received a valentine from him!'</p> + +<p>"Now Mr. Robin Redbreast for a long time had admired Miss Robin and +thought she was the most beautiful bird he'd ever seen. And so he began +to get his valentine <span class="pagenum"><a id="page41"></a>[p.41]</span> ready 'way back in the autumn when the +trees had turned red. He would fly from tree to tree and spend hours +each day looking for the most beautiful and perfect leaf, and he wanted +it to be a real crimson color. At last he found it and put it away in +his nest, very carefully covering it over with moss and straw to keep it +well protected and so it wouldn't fade or shrivel up at the ends. Then a +few days before Valentine's day he got a little stick which he stuck +through the red leaf, which he had pecked off into the shape of a heart, +and this was the valentine he sent to Miss Robin. Of course the stick +was to mean that his heart had been pierced by love.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Robin Redbreast sent his valentine by a messenger, and then he +waited what seemed hours to him before he went to call on Miss Robin, +and it seemed hours to Miss Robin, too, who had smoothed her feathers so +many times.</p> + +<p>"At last Miss Robin heard him singing the most beautiful song, with such +high notes it seemed as if they almost reached the sky. And, oh, how +proud Miss Robin was to feel <span class="pagenum"><a id="page42"></a>[p.42]</span> that such a beautiful singer was +to be her mate!</p> + +<p>"In a few moments Mr. Robin Redbreast came in sight and stood before her +by the brook. Miss Robin was all of a flutter with joy and nervousness.</p> + +<p>"'I've come,' said Mr. Robin Redbreast, 'to ask you if you'll be my wife +and come to my new nest in the apple tree.'</p> + +<p>"And then he sang another little song.</p> + +<p>"'I would love to, I would love to!' chirped Miss Robin.</p> + +<p>"'We'll be married to-day, then,' said Mr. Robin Redbreast, 'for I've +invited the guests.'</p> + +<p>"Then he gave a long call. At that, from far and near, countless robins +flew down and hovered around.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Robin Redbreast and his bride flew to the branch of a nearby tree, +and all the others perched about them singing such merry, happy songs.</p> + +<p>"And then they all went back to Mr. Robin Redbreast's nest, where a +banquet awaited them of fat, juicy worms."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page43"></a>[p.43]</span> THE TAME CANARY BIRD AND HIS MISTRESS</h2> + + +<a id="img015" name="img015"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img015.jpg" width="150" height="133" alt="He Walked on Her Hand." title=""> +<p class="width150">He Walked on Her Hand.</p></div> + +<p>Daddy had heard that afternoon the story of a very tame canary bird. +The little girl who owned the bird, and who was a friend of Jack and +Evelyn, had told daddy about her little pet. So when daddy got home in +the evening he was ready at once to tell the story of the little bird.</p> + +<p>"I am going to tell you about the little bird Elizabeth has. Her daddy +gave him to her several weeks ago, and he is just as tame as tame can +be," said daddy. "She has named him Bubsie, and he knows his name too, +for whenever she calls 'Bubsie!' he replies with a little 'Peep, peep!'</p> + +<p>"Every morning, bright and early, he wakes up and begins to sing the +most beautiful songs. He sings so steadily that Elizabeth <span class="pagenum"><a id="page44"></a>[p.44]</span> says +it is a surprise to her that he doesn't burst his little throat.</p> + +<p>"After Elizabeth gets up she always gives him a little piece of apple +before she begins her breakfast. She puts it on her finger between two +wires of the cage, and he hops right over on his little bar and takes it +from her finger.</p> + +<p>"The next thing is his bath, which he takes soon after breakfast. He +loves that. He spatters the water about and has just the best time in +the world. He acts as if it were the most wonderful game. After his bath +he has a treat of delicious lettuce to eat, and then he sits in the sun +and smoothes down his feathers.</p> + +<p>"In his cage there is a swing, and he swings on it and hops from one +perch to the other. In fact, he has a fine romp. He usually does this +right after his bath, for then he feels so energetic.</p> + +<a id="img016" name="img016"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img016.jpg" width="412" height="600" alt="IN THE AFTERNOONS ELIZABETH LETS HIM OUT OF HIS +CAGE." title=""> +<p>"IN THE AFTERNOONS ELIZABETH LETS HIM OUT OF HIS CAGE."—<i>Page <a href="#page44">44</a></i></p></div> + +<p>"In the afternoons Elizabeth lets him out of his cage. Of course she +sees first that there are no windows up or doors ajar before she opens +the door of the cage. When the cage door is open Bubsie flies out and +makes a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page45"></a>[p.45]</span> tour of the room. How he does enjoy flying around and +perching back of the different pictures and on the window-sill. The +thing he likes more than anything else is to play with Elizabeth. He +perches on her shoulder and walks around on her hand. And he loves to +tease her too, for if there are any flowers in the room he will fly over +to them, peck at them and begin munching at them. Then he won't let +Elizabeth catch him. He thinks this a huge joke, and he always flies to +some high spot in the room and begins to sing.</p> + +<p>"Elizabeth told me any number of tales of the tricks that he does, but +she told me to invite you two children to come and see her, and then she +promises you that Bubsie will entertain you."</p> + +<p>"Oh, that's fine!" said Evelyn. "Do you suppose we can go to-morrow?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I think so," said daddy, "for, as a matter of fact, I believe I +told her to expect you both to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"Hurrah!" shouted the children. "You always think of such nice things +for us to do."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page46"></a>[p.46]</span> THE PET BIRD OF THE WARD</h2> + + +<a id="img017" name="img017"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img017.jpg" width="150" height="135" alt="The Bird Sat on His Hand." title=""> +<p class="width150">The Bird Sat on His Hand.</p></div> + +<p>"Well," said daddy, "I suppose you are ready for your story, and this +evening I am going to tell you about a little boy I saw as I passed by a +ward in a hospital I was visiting to-day."</p> + +<p>Jack and Evelyn sat up and listened eagerly, as they loved to hear about +other little boys and girls.</p> + +<p>"This little boy," daddy continued, "was in the bed nearest the door I +passed, and I noticed him particularly because on a table near his bed +was a large cage containing a small yellow canary bird. I asked the +nurse if pets were allowed in the ward and why this little boy +especially wanted a bird. She told me that the little boy was an orphan +and had been brought into the hospital one <span class="pagenum"><a id="page47"></a>[p.47]</span> day, having been run +over by a motorcycle. He was very much injured, and they expected he +would die any minute. He was brave and scarcely moaned, but whenever the +nurse would stop by his bed he would beg her to send for his bird, which +was at the orphans' home. The nurse gently would explain that pets were +not allowed in the hospital. One night his fever became very high, and +in his rambling talk he begged for his canary. The doctor, who was a +very kind-hearted man, told the nurse to send for the bird, as the +little boy would not live more than a few days, and if the bird would +give him such great happiness they might be able to break a rule in his +case.</p> + +<p>"So the bird was sent for, and instead of dying the little boy began to +grow better each day, and the bird's singing entertained and gave +pleasure to the other patients in the ward. The bird was very tame, and +when the little boy opened the cage door he would hop out and over the +bed-quilt and perch on the little boy's hand.</p> + +<p>"The canary made friends with every one. He was not at all afraid of the +grave doctors <span class="pagenum"><a id="page48"></a>[p.48]</span> who came in every little while to see how the +sick people were getting along. Especially was he friendly with the +little boy's nurse, who fed him lumps of sugar.</p> + +<p>"I stepped inside the room and asked the little boy how long he had had +the bird. 'Oh,' he said, 'a lady who came to visit the orphans' home +gave him to me when I was ill in bed with mumps! That was six years ago, +and he has been such a friend to me ever since. His name is Mumps, too, +as I thought his chest looked as fat as my cheeks, and the name has +always clung to him. He adores flowers, and whenever a patient has any, +Mumps flies over and pulls off the petals and eats them.'"</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Evelyn as daddy paused, "I wish I could have a canary!"</p> + +<p>"Well, maybe I'll bring you one to-morrow," replied daddy.</p> + +<p>"And I'll help you feed him," said Jack.</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page49"></a>[p.49]</span> THE EAGLE'S PRIDE AS THE BIRD OF FREEDOM</h2> + + +<a id="img018" name="img018"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img018.jpg" width="150" height="137" alt="The Eagle Was Flying Overhead." title=""> +<p class="width150">The Eagle Was Flying Overhead.</p></div> + +<p>Of course, as you can imagine, Jack and Evelyn had been buying all +sorts and all sizes of firecrackers.</p> + +<p>"I think the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the whole year," +said Jack.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Evelyn, "so do I, except possibly Christmas and our +birthdays."</p> + +<p>"I suppose," said daddy, "that you two children will be up bright and +early to-morrow morning, and I have my very great suspicions that your +clothes are all ready to be put on in the morning instead of having to +waste any time in thinking what you will wear.</p> + +<p>"I hardly think I had better tell a story to-night," said daddy, "for +you two ought to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page50"></a>[p.50]</span> get some sleep. I am afraid by the time I +finish you may suggest that instead of it being the time for going to +bed it is the time for getting up."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no," said both the children. "Please tell us a little story."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said daddy, "I don't believe I can let a single night go by +without a story, not even the Fourth of July eve.</p> + +<p>"Well, once upon a time—"</p> + +<p>"Daddy," chimed in Jack, "I never heard you begin a story that way +before."</p> + +<p>"You see, this is a special occasion, so I am allowed these favors.</p> + +<p>"But, to continue, there was once a great big eagle who was flying +overhead on the Fourth of July, and when he saw all the firecrackers +going off and heard all the noise and saw the parade with the flags +flying and the band playing, he said:</p> + +<p>"'To think that I belong to the family that is taken as the +representative of all that. I mean freedom and liberty and all those +wonderful things. My great-great-grandfathers may not have fought for +freedom as the great-great-grandfathers of the little boys <span class="pagenum"><a id="page51"></a>[p.51]</span> and +girls who are to-day firing off firecrackers did, but they flew overhead +and said to the winds, which whispered it to the soldiers:</p> + +<p>"'"The eagles are free—you must be free." And the soldiers whispered +back to the winds:</p> + +<p>"'"Yes, as the eagles are free in the air above, so will we be free on +this land below."'</p> + +<p>"So, no wonder the eagle is more than proud of being the bird of freedom +and the emblem of the United States."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page52"></a>[p.52]</span> WHAT THE BIRDS THOUGHT OF THE FOURTH OF JULY</h2> + + +<a id="img019" name="img019"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img019.jpg" width="150" height="144" alt="They Fired Them Off Quickly." title=""> +<p class="width150">They Fired Them Off Quickly.</p></div> + +<p>It was the day after the Fourth of July, and daddy told the children +that he must surely tell them about the little birds and what they +thought of the wonderful Independence Day.</p> + +<p>"Didn't they like it?" asked Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"No," said daddy. "They were not so very happy yesterday, but I will +tell you all about it, for it is quite a long story.</p> + +<p>"You see, some of the older birds knew what the Fourth of July meant. +They thought it was splendid to belong to such a fine, free country +during all the other days of the year, but on the Fourth of July they +did not feel so patriotic. They would have liked it very much if all the +little boys and girls had sung <span class="pagenum"><a id="page53"></a>[p.53]</span> songs, but the noise of the +firecrackers they thought was most disturbing.</p> + +<p>"There were no places where they could go that they didn't find children +with firecrackers. Even in front of the farm-houses the children seemed +to have firecrackers enough to last them for years.</p> + +<p>"The old birds decided that if they went way off in the woods for the +day they might get away from all the noise, so they planned to start +before dawn. They went, but at the first place they thought of stopping +and giving a nice little bird concert, they found a picnic party of +children. They waited for a moment until the children unpacked their +baskets. But the goodies were not nearly so numerous as the +firecrackers.</p> + +<p>"So the birds moved on again, and again they found a picnic party and +were at a loss what to do.</p> + +<p>"The old birds were grumbling and making every one around feel just as +'grumbly' as they were, when a little song sparrow, who had been keeping +very quiet during all the fuss, said:</p> + +<p>"'Now, look here, I think it is pretty mean <span class="pagenum"><a id="page54"></a>[p.54]</span> of us to grumble +while all the little boys and girls are having such a good time. It is +right for them to be patriotic, and we should not grumble about the +noise they make one day in the year, when we are singing fit to burst +our throats every morning just at sunrise. Besides, we should be more +appreciative, for we love this free air, and we should feel proud that +we can fly about and enjoy it. And, above everything else, think of the +times in the spring when those little girls and boys threw crumbs to us +when it was chilly, and how often in the hot days of summer we find +little drinking-tins in the trees filled with cool water.'</p> + +<p>"And all the birds suddenly thought how perfectly right the song sparrow +was, and they gave their concert, pretending that the big cannon +crackers were huge chords of music accompanying their solos and +choruses."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page55"></a>[p.55]</span> MR. NIGHTINGALE'S NEW FRIEND MR. BLACKBIRD</h2> + + +<a id="img020" name="img020"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img020.jpg" width="123" height="150" alt="Nice old lady will hear our voices." title=""> +<p class="width112">"Nice old lady will hear our voices."</p></div> + +<p>"I heard a story the other day," said daddy, "a quite true story. Mr. +Nightingale had built too large a nest.</p> + +<p>"After a while he thought of a visitor he would like to have all the +time, and off he started on his travels.</p> + +<p>"As he went along, flying as fast as he could, he kept thinking to +himself how very lonely he had been of late.</p> + +<p>"At last he reached the spot he had chosen for resting. It was in a +blackbird's bay. There were many low bushes and shrubs and berry trees +in this bay, and in the marshy water were quantities of pond-lilies.</p> + +<p>"Soon a very fine bird—black as black could be, and very shiny, just as +if he'd polished <span class="pagenum"><a id="page56"></a>[p.56]</span> his wings with shoe-blacking—perched on a +bush beside the one where Mr. Nightingale was resting.</p> + +<p>"'Did you come to hear us sing or talk or scream?' asked the blackbird.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Nightingale sang a little opening song and then began to talk to +the blackbird.</p> + +<p>"'Mr. Blackbird,' he said, 'you're a handsome fellow, and you're very +smart. I've heard a secret about your family. Many have done what you +will do. You must try. That's all.' And again Mr. Nightingale sang a +song.</p> + +<p>"'What do you mean, Mr. Nightingale? Your song is lovely, but your talk +is very, very queer.' And Mr. Blackbird shook his head sadly.</p> + +<p>"'Well, I mean you to come to my nest. It's too big for me. It's fitted +out perfectly—all the latest improvements—fresh water to drink +supplied by my water man, Mr. Showers, and new worms each day my +children bring to my nest in plenty of time for breakfast—and our rooms +are both shady and sunny. In fact, it's a very superior home. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page57"></a>[p.57]</span> +But in the house nearby lives a dear old lady and I want her to be given +a treat. She has gone away on a visit and when she comes back I want you +to be singing duets with me.'</p> + +<p>"'What?' shouted the blackbird. 'I'm to sing with you?'</p> + +<p>"'Most certainly. Many blackbirds have copied our voices so that you +wouldn't be able to tell us apart if you couldn't see us. The nice old +lady will hear our voices and think that there are two of me! When she +sees that one is you, she'll think you're a smart bird—that's what +she'll think. Besides, I want a companion and I like you.'</p> + +<p>"'Well, I never heard so many reasons in all my life,' said the +blackbird. 'But I'll go just as soon as I get my suitcase packed. There +are several little delicacies from the bay I'd like to bring along.' And +Mr. Blackbird stopped to put some red berries and other goodies in his +straw bag. Then off they went, and Mr. Blackbird really did learn to +sing just like Mr. Nightingale."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page58"></a>[p.58]</span> MR. PLAIN SPARROW CALLS ON DUCKS</h2> + + +<a id="img021" name="img021"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img021.jpg" width="129" height="150" alt="Would you like to join us?" title=""> +<p class="width112">"Would you like to join us?"</p></div> + +<p>"It was such a hot day yesterday," said daddy, "that Mr. Plain Sparrow +simply could not get cool. You see he never goes away in the winter and +so he gets used to really cold weather. On a day as hot as it was +yesterday he simply doesn't know what to do with himself. He called +himself Mr. Plain Sparrow because that was exactly what he was. He was +just a plain, ordinary sparrow, and he thought it such a wise thing to +call himself that—and not put on any silly frills. He prided himself on +being sensible.</p> + +<p>"'If there's anything in this world I hate,' he said, 'it's pretending +to be what a creature is not.' And so he called himself by the name of +Mr. Plain Sparrow, and his wife was Mrs. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page59"></a>[p.59]</span> Plain Sparrow, and his +children were the Plain Sparrow Children.</p> + +<p>"'I think,' he said, 'that I will take a walk or a fly to the duck pond +in the park nearby. Yes, it seems to me that's an excellent scheme. I +would like to see those ducks, for they're right smart creatures, and I +like to hear their funny quack-quack talk.'</p> + +<p>"'What are you up to, ducks?' he called, as he flew over the pond, and +then perched on a small bush that was at one side.</p> + +<p>"'We're well,' said the ducks. 'We're enjoying a cooling drink between +swims. Would you like to join us? It's just tea time.'</p> + +<p>"'Tea time, eh?' said Mr. Plain Sparrow. 'And would you give a fellow a +good, fat worm in place of bread and butter and cake?'</p> + +<p>"'Quack-quack! ha, ha!' laughed the ducks. 'We don't like bread and +butter and cake. But we can't get the worm for you just now, as we're +not very good at digging on such a hot day!'</p> + +<p>"'Well, then, how about my digging for a couple of them, and then +joining all you nice ducks when you're ready to have your tea?'</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page60"></a>[p.60]</span> "'Splendid idea,' quacked the ducks. And off went Mr. Plain +Sparrow to a soft place in the earth where he thought there would be +some good worms.</p> + +<p>"Pretty soon he came back with some fine ones, and he sat on his perch +and ate them, while the ducks nibbled at their food, and had drinks of +pond water, which they called tea. Mr. Plain Sparrow flew down and took +sips of water by the side of the pond, and in one very shallow place he +had some nice showerbaths while the ducks were having swims. And before +he left he told the ducks what a good time he had had, and how nice and +cool he felt.</p> + +<p>"'Well, you're so friendly we're glad you came,' quacked the ducks once +again."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page61"></a>[p.61]</span> FARMER'S SCARECROW PROTECTS A CORN-FIELD</h2> + + +<a id="img022" name="img022"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img022.jpg" width="100" height="203" alt="It's a man." title=""> +<p class="width100">"It's a man."</p></div> + +<p>"To-night," said daddy, "we are going to have the story of the meeting +of the brownies, crows, and old Mr. Scarecrow. The crows had been giving +feasts in a corn-field almost every morning bright and early before any +of the big people who lived in the nearby farm-house were up. Such +feasts as they did have! And one day they asked the brownies if they +wouldn't come to their next one.</p> + +<p>"'Caw-caw,' said the crows together.</p> + +<p>"'Where are we going?' asked one of the brownies teasingly, for they had +been going around and around in circles and hadn't reached any place.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page62"></a>[p.62]</span> "'I don't quite know,' said Black Crown Crow, 'it's a question +which is very hard to decide.'</p> + +<p>"'But we thought you had chosen a special spot,' said one of the +brownies.</p> + +<p>"Black Crown Crow looked very sad, and his black wings seemed to droop. +'It's that guest I never asked. He's causing all the trouble. How very +rude it is of folks to come to a feast who aren't invited, and to arrive +before us, too. It's very e-x-a-s-p-e-r-a-t-i-n-g!'</p> + +<p>"'Who is he?' shouted the brownies, for every little while Black Crown +Crow had gone ahead and then had come back. In these little trips he had +seen right in the center of the corn-field a man—a real man, he +thought, with a hat and a coat and trousers and boots—and carrying +something which he couldn't quite make out. It was either a great huge +stick—or worse still—it was a gun. He shivered whenever he thought of +that awful word gun.</p> + +<p>"'Caw-caw,' again shrieked Black Crown Crow, 'it's a man and he has a +gun—I'm sure it's a gun. Now the rudeness of him! As if <span class="pagenum"><a id="page63"></a>[p.63]</span> we +wanted a man and a gun at our corn feast!'</p> + +<p>"'Oh, it was to have been a corn feast, and now the man has stopped it,' +laughed one of the brownies. 'Well, such a joke! But to show you how +nice we'll be when we're here ready for a party which can't take place, +we'll give a nice party ourselves.'</p> + +<p>"And the brownies scampered about a little grove near the corn-field, +and there they made a bonfire over which they cooked some corn-meal +which they had carried with them in their bags. They knew all along, +ever since they'd started, where the crows wanted them to go for the +feast, and they also knew that the farmer had made that scarecrow in his +corn-field to frighten off Black Crown Crow and his followers.</p> + +<p>"The brownies made a fine feast, but how they did chuckle among +themselves that the pole dressed up as a man had succeeded in saving the +corn for the people of the farm-house."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page64"></a>[p.64]</span> THE BRAVE BROWN SPARROWS IN WINTER</h2> + + +<a id="img023" name="img023"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img023.jpg" width="150" height="125" alt="One Bird Seemed to be the Leader." title=""> +<p class="width150">One Bird Seemed to be the Leader.</p></div> + +<p>"You know," said daddy, "I saw such a strange thing to-day in the city."</p> + +<p>"Tell us about it," said Jack.</p> + +<p>"What was it?" asked Evelyn, who was always interested in whatever +daddy had to say.</p> + +<p>"Well," continued daddy, "in a tree in the park lots and lots of little +sparrows were roosting. It was, of course, a perfectly bare tree without +a leaf on it, and they were huddled together, keeping each other warm.</p> + +<p>"I watched them for quite a time. There was one sparrow who looked the +leader. He did most of the chirping and was apparently telling all the +others what they must do and giving all sorts of directions. He chirped +almost constantly for ten minutes, and then <span class="pagenum"><a id="page65"></a>[p.65]</span> he flew down from +the tree and hopped along the ground. He picked up crumb after crumb, +and then when he had as many as he could carry in his beak he flew up in +the tree again and left them on a branch where there was a kind of hole +in which to put them. He was evidently showing all the other birds just +what to do, for in a minute or two any number of them flew down to the +ground and began to pick up crumbs.</p> + +<p>"It was wonderful to see how many they could find, for I myself could +hardly see any, and all the time he kept chirping to the others and +telling them what to do.</p> + +<p>"This kept up for some time, for the birds would fly back and forth, +just picking up goodies and then putting them up in the tree. Meantime a +lot of other birds who had stayed up in the tree were fixing them on the +branch and dividing them all evenly."</p> + +<p>"Didn't they eat any of them?" asked Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"Yes. After quite awhile they all flew back to the tree again, and once +more they huddled together and had the most marvelous meal. You see, it +was their dinner <span class="pagenum"><a id="page66"></a>[p.66]</span> time, and they all had it together at the same +time to make it more sociable. From all the cries of joy and the noise I +fancy they were having a pretty good time of it and enjoying themselves +immensely. In fact, I think they almost forgot how cold it was."</p> + +<p>"I think it's wonderful," said Evelyn, "how well the birds can look +after themselves, for it must be pretty hard sometimes, especially in +the winter."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said daddy, "it is, but these birds seemed so happy together and +to be having such a good time. After dinner was over they all chased +each other from one tree to another in the park and played tag and had a +beautiful time. So I think really birds and animals are smart and brave +to be able to look after themselves and their little ones so well."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page67"></a>[p.67]</span> WHAT THE RAINBOW THINKS OF THE WORLD</h2> + + +<a id="img024" name="img024"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img024.jpg" width="100" height="152" alt="Smacked Their Little Beaks." title=""> +<p class="width100">Smacked Their Little Beaks.</p></div> + +<p>"The fairies were giving a luncheon party for the birds, and they wanted +to have a great, big surprise," said daddy. "The birds which were +invited were the robins, the orioles, the bluejays, the humming-birds.</p> + +<p>"'Now, birdies,' said the fairy queen, 'I'm going to ask the king of the +clouds to this luncheon, so we'll have plenty of delicious rain-water to +drink.'</p> + +<p>"Of course, the fairy queen had told the king of the clouds that she +didn't want him to send his army of raindrops to the earth—for an army +would make it pour too hard and they couldn't have any fun at the +luncheon. She just wanted some of the big, big drops to come down and +fill the little stones <span class="pagenum"><a id="page68"></a>[p.68]</span> she had at the places for the birds so +that they could have delicious water at her party—but she didn't want +to make it so wet they'd get their beautiful feathers drenched—just a +nice little shower was what she wanted.</p> + +<p>"The king of the clouds had promised, and he had told the raindrops just +what to do and just how many could go down on the earth.</p> + +<p>"The birds enjoyed the delicious luncheon the fairies gave them, and, of +course, they loved their fresh drinks of water.</p> + +<p>"'Now for our surprise,' shouted the fairies, after the luncheon was +over. 'We're to have two famous guests to-day. This is to be a really +real day! And we're to have them both at the same time—and we're to +have another treat, too. Guess, birds, what are we going to have? Guess, +guess, guess!' For the fairies were so excited they kept repeating +themselves over and over again.</p> + +<p>"But before the birds had time to do more than twitter and chirp among +themselves as to what the great surprise was going to be, who should +appear, right along with the raindrops, but Mr. Sun, and then over a +hill came <span class="pagenum"><a id="page69"></a>[p.69]</span> the most beautiful rainbow with all the glorious +colors the fairies admire so much.</p> + +<p>"And then you should have heard the singing of the birds. Every one of +them had a glorious voice, and the chorus was the loveliest the fairies +had ever heard. As for Mr. Sun, he beamed and shone with might and main.</p> + +<p>"'Well, hello, raindrops,' he said. 'I'm mighty glad to see you. It's +not often we meet, but the fairy queen can make all of us friendly—even +the sun and the rain.'</p> + +<p>"And the raindrops came on down to the earth very gently, but without +stopping, while back of it all the rainbow leaned down over the hill and +whispered:</p> + +<p>"'Isn't this a wonderful world? There are fairies, birds, the sun, fresh +water to drink. I'm so glad I am here.'"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page70"></a>[p.70]</span> EAGLES AND RAVENS</h2> + + +<a id="img025" name="img025"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img025.jpg" width="138" height="150" alt="He is Very Brave." title=""> +<p class="width125">He is Very Brave.</p></div> + +<p>"Some white-tailed eagles were boasting one day of their bravery," +commenced daddy. "They were also saying how fine they were in every way +and that their very name meant something splendid and free and strong.</p> + +<p>"As a matter of fact, though the white-tailed eagles won't admit it, +they are less brave than any of the eagle families.</p> + +<p>"The ravens are not kindly at all and they love to fight. They had often +thought it would be great sport to have those 'silly white-tailed +eagles,' as they called them, admit that they were not brave and have +their leader beg for mercy from General Raven.</p> + +<p>"And, as you can imagine, when Brother Black Raven heard the eagles +boasting he <span class="pagenum"><a id="page71"></a>[p.71]</span> knew it was high time to begin and frighten them.</p> + +<p>"So he called all the ravens together. Some of them were having their +naps, but as soon as Brother Black Raven called them, up they got in a +great hurry, spread their wings and drilled a little bit just like +soldiers. Only instead of marching they flew.</p> + +<p>"As General Raven came near the nest of the white-tailed eagles, he said +in a very queer, croaking sort of voice:</p> + +<p>"'Good-morning!' That was rather mean of him to say, for, of course, he +didn't really wish them a 'Good-morning.'</p> + +<p>"'Do you want to fight?' asked General Raven.</p> + +<p>"Still not a sound from the eagles. There was a slight fluster and +trembling, which the ravens could hear and which made them grin with +delight, but the eagles never said a word. They didn't even look at the +ravens! For they were so frightened they didn't dare look at them, and +they kept thinking, 'Oh, won't those awful ravens and their ugly old +general go away?' The eagles, of course, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page72"></a>[p.72]</span> thought the ravens +were very ugly because they were so afraid of them.</p> + +<p>"'For the last time, do you want to fight us, eh?' asked General Raven. +And still the eagles said not a word—nor made a sound. 'Well, let me +say then for all of us,' said General Raven, 'that we think you're very +cowardly, and we heard you talking before we came of your bravery. We +wouldn't fight you because you're afraid of us, but you'll have to admit +it after this,' and with a deep chuckle off went General Raven and his +followers.</p> + +<p>"The eagles did not go on boasting, but they were very contented that +the ravens had gone away!"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page73"></a>[p.73]</span> THE EAGLES WHO WERE ALWAYS STILL</h2> + + +<a id="img026" name="img026"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img026.jpg" width="150" height="143" alt="He Put the Book Before Him." title=""> +<p class="width150">He Put the Book Before Him.</p></div> + +<p>"In the house where Kenneth lived there was a chair which had always +fascinated him. It was a very, very old chair, and Kenneth's mother and +daddy were very proud of it," said daddy to Jack and Evelyn. "Kenneth's +daddy had bought it at a sale of old and curious things. It was a Roman +chair, and on either side were two heads of eagles. These four heads in +all always made Kenneth wonder, for they looked so very life-like. He +used to imagine that even little wooden eagles must get very tired of +always being just the same.</p> + +<p>"Really it often made Kenneth quite sad to watch them. One afternoon +Kenneth went <span class="pagenum"><a id="page74"></a>[p.74]</span> to a party. A little school chum of his had given +it. It had been a very nice party. But, oh, he did feel so tired, for +they had played blind man's buff, bull in the ring, squat tag, and other +games.</p> + +<p>"When Kenneth came home from the party it was not quite his bedtime, but +secretly in his heart he was hoping it would come soon, for he had made +up his mind that he wasn't going to bed until his bedtime.</p> + +<p>"He got a book from the library shelf. It was full of pictures of +sailors and pirates and ships, because if anything would keep him awake +that would. He sat down with it on the Roman chair.</p> + +<p>"Strangely enough, though, after a moment or two, he didn't seem to see +pirates, and the sea began to look very much more like the surface of a +chair. Soon the pirates disappeared entirely, and the four eagles of the +Roman chair were looking at him steadily.</p> + +<p>"'You're terribly tired, aren't you?' said the first eagle.</p> + +<p>"'Yes; I'm a little tired,' Kenneth admitted.</p> + +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page75"></a>[p.75]</span><a id="img027" name="img027"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img027.jpg" width="410" height="600" alt="WE'VE BEEN ON THIS CHAIR SO LONG, SAID THE +FOURTH EAGLE." title=""> +<p>"'WE'VE BEEN ON THIS CHAIR SO LONG,' SAID THE +FOURTH EAGLE."—<i>Page <a href="#page75">75</a></i></p></div> + +<p>"'Well, you're not as tired as we are,' said the second eagle.</p> + +<p>"'No, indeed!' said the third eagle. 'You're only tired because you've +played so many games. We're tired because we're always still.'</p> + +<p>"Kenneth listened eagerly, because he'd so often thought just what he +was hearing. 'Yes,' said Kenneth very sympathetically; 'I should think +you would be very dull. I've often thought that. Have you been there a +long time?'</p> + +<p>"'Oh, ages and ages!' replied the fourth eagle, who up to this time +hadn't spoken. 'We were very old before your daddy got us. We've been on +this chair so long. We can't remember how long. And what makes us feel +so sad is that we are called eagles and should fly and yet are forever +glued to this chair.'</p> + +<p>"'Kenneth, Kenneth,' cried Kenneth's mother, 'it's long past bedtime!'</p> + +<p>"'Oh, I am not so tired as the eagles are!' said Kenneth. And Kenneth's +mother wondered if he was talking in his sleep."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page76"></a>[p.76]</span> THE BOBOLINKS HAVE A TEA PARTY</h2> + + +<a id="img028" name="img028"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img028.jpg" width="123" height="150" alt="Who Should Arrive but Fairies." title=""> +<p class="width112">Who Should Arrive but Fairies.</p></div> + +<p>"The other day," commenced daddy, "the bobolinks had an afternoon tea.</p> + +<p>"The tea party was given for the meadow larks. The bobolinks are great +friends of the meadow larks and they wanted to be the first this season +to entertain them. Besides, most of the bobolinks had new summer homes +and their colony was near a beautiful stream.</p> + +<p>"You know the bobolinks always build their homes in the meadows—but +they build very near a stream and their homes are always deep down in +the long grass.</p> + +<p>"They had all come to live in Waving Grassland for the summer—that is, +all the bobolinks who always moved about together <span class="pagenum"><a id="page77"></a>[p.77]</span> in the summer +and winter—and many of their friends, the meadow larks, were on hand to +greet them. A number of others were going to arrive in a few +days—before the tea party.</p> + +<p>"Now Waving Grassland was very beautiful country. The meadows were very +large and the grass was so beautiful and so long that it always waved in +the soft breezes, so that the bobolinks named their new summer place +Waving Grassland.</p> + +<p>"And so the bobolinks made all their preparations for the tea party. The +guests arrived dressed up in their best new summer plumage. The meadow +larks came first, as they were the guests of honor.</p> + +<p>"The red-breasted grosbeak family were all there looking too lovely for +words. And the bluejays, downy woodpeckers, the orioles, the thrush +family, the chipping sparrows, the robins, the indigo birds—and even +the shy vireos ventured forth. Of course, usually they hate parties, but +they loved the stream nearby and the beautiful country the bobolinks +were living in, and they thought at least once a year they ought to be a +little bit sociable <span class="pagenum"><a id="page78"></a>[p.78]</span> and friendly with their neighbors.</p> + +<p>"After they had all chatted together—to us it would have sounded more +like chirping—the bobolinks began to serve tea.</p> + +<p>"They had spring water for their tea—the water from the cool stream +which had a deep spring within it. And this tea they served in little +moss-covered stones. That gave it the most delicious flavor, and all the +birds asked the bobolinks where they had found such good tea. You know +in birdland they don't ask each other where anything is bought, but +where it is found! And the bobolinks told their secret.</p> + +<p>"But as they were drinking cup after cup—or stoneful after stoneful—of +tea, who should arrive but all the fairies!</p> + +<p>"The birds greeted the fairies with their best songs—or their way of +saying 'We're so glad to see you'—and the bobolinks trilled with joy +because they had arranged this lovely surprise for their guests."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page79"></a>[p.79]</span> A HAPPY DAY IN BIRDLAND</h2> + + +<p>"The birds," said daddy, "found a new room for breakfast. It was in a +row of bushes—and the bushes were berry bushes.</p> + +<p>"One day as they were having the best sort of a time eating, who should +look down at them but the king of the clouds. He looked quite dark and +solemn.</p> + +<p>"'Te-wit,' said one little bird, and another said,</p> + +<p>"'Tr-r-r-i-l-l.'</p> + +<p>"'How about some water to drink?' asked the king of the clouds. 'Some +nice, fresh water?'</p> + +<p>"The birds began chirping for all they were worth. The grown-ups said, +'Listen to the noise the birds are making. It must be going to +rain—they're crying for water.'</p> + +<p>"And sure enough, they were begging the king of the clouds to send some +of his army of raindrops down to the earth.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page80"></a>[p.80]</span> "'Please, please, please, Cloud King, send us rain-water,' +chirped the birds.</p> + +<p>"'All right,' roared the cloud king. 'I will.'</p> + +<p>"'But we don't want thunder,' said the birds. 'We want to stay out, and +we're afraid of thunder. Won't you send us a good old-fashioned shower?'</p> + +<p>"And the cloud king called, 'Raindrops, raindrops, come and patter down +to the earth. But gently, little raindrops. And when you see the beak of +a little bird open, one small raindrop must walk inside.'</p> + +<p>"Down came the raindrops very softly and gently to the earth.</p> + +<p>"'Children,' called Mother Robin, 'come for your baths in these hollow +stones. They're filled with water.'</p> + +<p>"All around the mother birds were calling the little ones to their +baths.</p> + +<p>"'Oh,' said one little robin as he ducked his head into the water, and +then shook all over and spattered it about, 'how nice a bath does feel.'</p> + +<p>"The cloud king looked so bright and happy, that the mother birds were +afraid it <span class="pagenum"><a id="page81"></a>[p.81]</span> would stop raining. 'Don't stop, Cloud King,' they +chirped.</p> + +<p>"'I won't,' said the cloud king. And the birds twittered and sang and +wet their little throats with the delicious rain-water.</p> + +<p>"After the cloud king and his army of raindrops had been working for +quite a long time, one of the birds noticed that the new breakfast room +in the berry bushes was getting very wet.</p> + +<p>"'It will spoil our berries for breakfast, I'm afraid,' he said.</p> + +<p>"But the berries whispered back,</p> + +<p>"'No; we like the rain too. We needed some water to drink. And more of +us will come to-morrow. Your breakfast will be better than ever.'</p> + +<p>"So all day long the rain kept up gently. When it was almost bedtime who +should appear but old Mr. Sun.</p> + +<p>"'Shall I dry your little feathers?' he said to the birds.</p> + +<p>"And every little bird in birdland was warm and dry and happy when he +tucked his head under his wing that night."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page82"></a>[p.82]</span> THE ROBINS' SPRING CONCERT</h2> + + +<a id="img029" name="img029"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img029.jpg" width="124" height="150" alt="The Grand Opera Chorus." title=""> +<p class="width120">The Grand Opera Chorus.</p></div> + +<p>"The robins gave their spring concert the other morning for the +fairies," said daddy. "They give one every year just after most of their +family have arrived for the summer. It is one of the biggest events of +the spring in fairyland, and they are so excited about it for days ahead +that they can talk about nothing else. They've practised so hard and so +long lately that the day has been quite far gone many a time, when some +little robin has been trying over and over again some important trill +which he was going to sing alone.</p> + +<p>"But the concert was given just at dawn. Mr. Sun came out for it, +looking as fine as any king with a very dazzling golden crown on his +head. Then the dew-drops came and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page83"></a>[p.83]</span> had reserved seats on the +little blades of grass. Some of the early butterflies were invited, and +the little spring garden flowers opened their sleepy eyes and waved +about, keeping time with the music.</p> + +<p>"First of all was the grand opening chorus. Mr. Robin Redbreast had a +little stick with which he beat time, and all the robins sang a fine +song which he had made up himself.</p> + +<p>"Then came the solos. Miss Robin Redbreast sang a beautiful song all by +herself.</p> + +<p>"Then two little brother robins sang a song together—they called it a +'duet,' which was very funny. They acted as they sang, and made all the +fairies and the other guests at the concert laugh hard.</p> + +<p>"But best of all was the band. It was a new band the robins had just +started, and they were very proud of it. It was a great surprise to the +fairies, for they didn't know the robins had a band. As you can guess, +the robins had worked hard for a big surprise for the fairies. Ten +little robins played the drums, which were tiny twigs from the apple +tree. There were little spring leaves through which some of the others +whistled <span class="pagenum"><a id="page84"></a>[p.84]</span> tunes, and the rest played on horn-shaped flowers.</p> + +<p>"After the concert was finished and the fairies had clapped and clapped +and waved their wands with delight, and the little robins had bowed and +bowed—and fallen down, sometimes making too low bows—they all had +breakfast. Such a breakfast! The most luscious of worms were given the +little robins and a special dish was made for the fairies of spring +porridge, which Grandmother Robin had made, and which the fairies called +'Delicious.'"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page85"></a>[p.85]</span> THE CROWS AT THE FAIRIES' BALL</h2> + + +<a id="img030" name="img030"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img030.jpg" width="125" height="150" alt="They Promised to Wait on Guests." title=""> +<p class="width120">They Promised to Wait on Guests.</p></div> + +<p>"The fairies had one of their fine balls just two evenings ago," said +daddy.</p> + +<p>"Among their guests were the brownies, elves, gnomes, many of the birds, +butterflies, humming-birds, red lizards, grasshoppers, and crickets. The +crickets had arranged to sing for the dancing and the humming-birds said +they would hum the tunes all the time that the crickets sang. The robins +sang some extra songs, and, of course, the other birds joined in the +chorus.</p> + +<p>"Then came supper time. The table was made of daisies and moss, and such +delicacies! Well, it would have made your mouth water!</p> + +<p>"They had the goodies that every guest would enjoy most. Not a guest was +forgotten. There were even little worms for the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page86"></a>[p.86]</span> birds—and the +other guests didn't mind at all, as they knew the robins and orioles and +other bird guests loved little worms. They were given to the birds in +special dishes made of grass.</p> + +<p>"But just as all the guests sat down to supper the fairy queen said: +'Come, all my fine waiters!' And as she said this she waved her wand +high in the air.</p> + +<p>"Then from far and near the blackest of black crows flew down and +alighted all around the table. They had promised the fairy queen to be +just as good as good could be, and to wait on all the guests before they +had anything at all to eat. They were quite willing to do this, for they +had never been invited to a ball given by the fairies before and they +were highly flattered.</p> + +<p>"They all had had their black suits polished and brushed with the +greatest care and they wore very fine aprons and hats made of green +leaves. Every time a guest said 'Thank you' when anything was passed, a +crow would say, 'Caw-caw,' which means 'You're welcome.'</p> + +<p>"The crows always say 'Caw-caw' to almost <span class="pagenum"><a id="page87"></a>[p.87]</span> everything, but it is +just the tone they use that makes the 'Caw-caw' mean something quite +different each time they want it to. At the end of the supper, after the +crows had had a feast, too, the fairy queen asked them if they wouldn't +sing the old, old song about blackbirds being baked in a pie.</p> + +<p>"At first the crows looked a bit sad, but then they said: 'Why, of +course, we'll be happy to sing it. It's lots of fun to sing about such +things after we have had a feast and know quite well that the fairy +queen wouldn't bake us in a pie.'</p> + +<p>"How the guests did laugh to hear the crows singing about blackbirds +being baked in a pie—and stopping every minute to shout out, 'Not us, +though, oh, no!'—and the fairy queen was delighted."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page88"></a>[p.88]</span> THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SICK SNOWBIRD</h2> + + +<a id="img031" name="img031"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img031.jpg" width="150" height="139" alt="The Bird Began to Recover." title=""> +<p class="width150">The Bird Began to Recover.</p></div> + +<p>Daddy had been encouraging Jack and Evelyn to feed the little birds that +came outside the window. So one evening when it was time for their story +he told them about the Christmas a little snowbird had had the year +before.</p> + +<p>"He was a very self-willed little fellow," commenced daddy, "and he +thought no one knew so much about life as he did. During the autumn he +had become very chummy with the sparrows. His daddy and mother didn't +like that much, as they were afraid he would become as rude and noisy as +the sparrows were.</p> + +<p>"When the cold weather came the snowbirds decided to leave, but the +little wilful <span class="pagenum"><a id="page89"></a>[p.89]</span> snowbird was nowhere to be found. 'Where could he +have gone?' asked Mother Snowbird, and daddy said, 'Oh, probably he left +this morning with the robins and wrens, for I saw him playing with +them!' That eased Mother Snowbird's fears, and off they started.</p> + +<p>"When the little snowbird saw that his family had flown away he came out +from his hiding-place. He really felt a little homesick and was sorry he +hadn't gone, too; but, of course, he didn't dare admit it, for the +sparrows had told him only stupid children were obedient. They admired +his naughty disobedience and thought it was a great joke to worry his +family.</p> + +<p>"A few weeks went by, and the days became colder and colder. One night +he felt so cold and so unhappy that he flew away from the sparrows, +expecting to die any moment.</p> + +<p>"The next morning he was found, half dead, by a little girl. She took +him in her house, warmed his frozen feet and fed him bits of crumbs and +drops of water. Slowly he began to recover.</p> + +<p>"It was the day before Christmas, and he <span class="pagenum"><a id="page90"></a>[p.90]</span> was perched on the +window-sill in the sun, when, to his huge joy, he saw Daddy and Mother +Snowbird outside the window. He flew against the window-glass. The +little girl came rushing into the room to see what the trouble was. She +was sure from his joyous actions that the other two snowbirds were his +daddy and mother, so she opened the window, and the little bird flew +out.</p> + +<p>"'Oh, dear, we've been so frightened!' said Mother Snowbird.</p> + +<p>"'Yes,' said Daddy Snowbird; 'we've been on ever so many trips looking +for you, but now we'll hurry down home and fly fast, so as not to get +cold, and then we'll be there in time for Christmas day. All the little +birds will be there waiting for the Christmas party.'</p> + +<p>"You may be quite sure the little snowbird never had a happier +Christmas, and he realized that the older birds knew what was best for +him."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page91"></a>[p.91]</span> A SPARROW CALLS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS</h2> + + +<a id="img032" name="img032"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img032.jpg" width="100" height="214" alt="Mr. Hippopotamus Was Having His Bath." title=""> +<p class="width100">Mr. Hippopotamus Was Having His Bath.</p></div> + +<p>"The hippopotamus who lived in the zoo had a very strange caller the +other day," said daddy.</p> + +<p>"Into the animal house flew a sparrow. The keeper called out to him:</p> + +<p>"'Where are you going, sparrow?' But the sparrow did not answer. He flew +right through the animal house until he reached Mr. Hippopotamus' cage. +Mr. Hippopotamus was having his bath, and he would not be interrupted.</p> + +<p>"The sparrow was rather annoyed that Mr. Hippopotamus didn't want to +come right out of the water to talk to him, and he scolded from his +perch on the wire of the cage. There he sat scolding away, and the +hippopotamus <span class="pagenum"><a id="page92"></a>[p.92]</span> kept on splashing and spluttering as he took his +bath.</p> + +<p>"Soon the hippopotamus came up from the water and sat in the corner of +his cage, and the sparrow hopped over to a wire a little nearer.</p> + +<p>"'Mr. Sparrow, I am sorry to be late for your call,' said the +hippopotamus, 'but the truth is I wanted to look my best.' And his +great, long, funny old face grinned, and he showed his big teeth.</p> + +<p>"'That's all right,' cheerfully chirped the sparrow. 'I have plenty of +time to-day. My family have gone a-shopping for bread crumbs which they +find every day in a certain back-yard. And I have nothing to do. I've +come to tell you the news of the world outside.'</p> + +<p>"So the sparrow told Mr. Hippopotamus all about the wild scampers the +sparrows had been having. He told about their quarrels and how they had +made up again. And he bragged about their friends and relations, the +song sparrows, who had been very friendly this year.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page93"></a>[p.93]</span> "When Mr. Sparrow began to be boastful, the old hippopotamus +said:</p> + +<p>"'You think I'm finer than my cousins in that cage over there?' And Mr. +Hippopotamus pointed to some other members of his family. They were very +much smaller and their coats looked just like chocolate. 'And,' he went +on, 'when the children see those silly cousins of mine they always say, +"Why, they look just like tins of chocolate taffy left to cool." They +never can say anything quite so stupid about me.'</p> + +<p>"'Well,' said Mr. Sparrow, 'I must be off now, as it's time the bread +crumbs and the family were coming home.' He spoke about the bread crumbs +first, you notice. 'But I'll come and see you soon again, old hippo,' +and the little sparrow flew off."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page94"></a>[p.94]</span> THE ROBINS COME TO THE RESCUE</h2> + + +<a id="img033" name="img033"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img033.jpg" width="150" height="145" alt="Saving the Little Birds from Danger." title=""> +<p class="width150">Saving the Little Birds from Danger.</p></div> + +<p>The honeysuckles were beginning to bud. Already the humming-birds were +hovering near and had built a nest right in the heart of the vine. This +vine was in a nice old-fashioned garden, but near by there was a vacant +lot which was very swampy.</p> + +<p>"You know the garden by the vacant lot?" began daddy.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied both children, "are you going to tell us a story about +that garden?"</p> + +<p>"I am going to tell you," said daddy, "about the mother humming-bird +whose little ones were attacked by a cruel snake when they were rescued +by the brave robins.</p> + +<p>"The snake had come over from the vacant field and had crawled up the +honeysuckle <span class="pagenum"><a id="page95"></a>[p.95]</span> vine as the mother humming-bird had gone off for +some food. Some robins hovering near had seen the awful snake. They had +cried out in terror and had flown over to the nest.</p> + +<p>"The mother humming-bird heard the cries and hurried back, but the +robins had frightened off the snake. The snake was not a very large one, +and really he had been frightened by all the noise the robins had made, +and when he saw so many birds flying toward him he got away very +quickly.</p> + +<p>"The mother humming-bird got back just as the snake was leaving the +nest.</p> + +<p>"She couldn't thank the robins enough for flying to the rescue and +saving her beloved little ones, but the robins didn't want any thanks. +They were thankful, too, that the dear little birds had been saved, for +birds are very loyal to one another and will risk any danger to save +each other."</p> + +<p>"I am so glad," said Evelyn, "that the little humming-birds were saved, +for I love to see them having such a good time in the honeysuckle vines, +and the more there are of them the nicer it makes the summer seem."</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page96"></a>[p.96]</span> "It was brave of the robins to come to the rescue, though, +wasn't it, daddy?"</p> + +<p>"Indeed it was," said daddy; "but almost all animals and birds will do +anything they can to help one another, and they seem to forget that +there is such a thing as being afraid if they see any creature in danger +or distress.</p> + +<p>"After the mother humming-bird had recovered from the awful fright, and +after the little ones had shown that they were perfectly well and +strong, with no ill effects from their fright, the mother humming-bird +invited the robins to partake of the delicious meal she had succeeded in +getting before the cries came from the robins."</p> + +<a id="img034" name="img034"></a> +<div class="figcenter1"> +<img src="images/img034.jpg" width="415" height="600" alt="THE MOTHER HUMMING-BIRD HURRIED BACK." title=""> +<p>"THE MOTHER HUMMING-BIRD HURRIED BACK."—<i>Page <a href="#page95">95</a></i></p></div> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page97"></a>[p.97]</span> MR. AND MRS. OWL'S STOREROOM</h2> + + +<a id="img035" name="img035"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img035.jpg" width="126" height="150" alt="Waited on All Who Came." title=""> +<p class="width120">Waited on All Who Came.</p></div> + +<p>"Two owls," commenced daddy, "lived in a soft feathered nest in the big +woods. After a time they got a little tired of talking and scolding and +hunting and midnight parties, so Mrs. Owl, who was always saving odds +and ends, thought it would make them very rich and happy if they had a +store.</p> + +<p>"'What,' said Mr. Owl, 'a store?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes,' replied Mrs. Owl, as she smoothed her feathers and polished her +back with a bit of bark. 'It will be not only a store, but a +supper-room.'</p> + +<p>"'Whatever do you mean?' said Mr. Owl.</p> + +<p>"'You know,' continued Mrs. Owl, 'that in the world where people live +they have parties. There is nothing new about that. Don't we have +parties? Yes.'</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page98"></a>[p.98]</span> "Mrs. Owl always answered all her own questions when she had +something most important to say, and when she did not want to have +anyone interrupt her or disagree with her.</p> + +<p>"'And so, if we have parties in the woods, think what a great help it +will be to all the wood animals and the fairies and brownies and gnomes +if we have a supper-room attached to our store—where after the parties +the wood creatures can come and have supper.'</p> + +<p>"Mr. Owl sat up very straight and said, 'To-wit, to-who,' or it sounded +very much like that. What he meant was that he thought it an excellent +scheme. And he went on to tell Mrs. Owl that she could fix up all the +dishes for the supper and decorate the tables—and he would go forth and +hunt for the good things to eat.</p> + +<p>"The store was started right away. The animals came to buy their things +in the daytime—and as Mr. and Mrs. Owl were asleep they would simply +take them away and not pay for them at the time.</p> + +<p>"That didn't bother Mr. and Mrs. Owl <span class="pagenum"><a id="page99"></a>[p.99]</span> at all, though. They +wanted to have such a fine store that all their things would be taken, +and they left notes for the little animals saying:</p> + +<p>"'Take all you like. We must sleep and think up more wonderful things to +do for you. As for pay—we don't want it. We're already to be envied for +our knowledge. We don't even have to go to school—and are always +cleverer than those who do go!'</p> + +<p>"The animals were much amused at the conceit of Mr. and Mrs. Owl, but +they had to admit that their store was a great success. And as for their +supper-room—it was perfect!</p> + +<p>"Every evening it was very gay, with the chatter of many of the wood +animals and the fairies, after different parties and frolics. Mrs. Owl +made the most delicious goodies, and always made the tables look very +attractive with wild flowers.</p> + +<p>"As for Mr. Owl, he put on a big white apron and a white hat and waited +on all who came to the supper-room, and often he would make wise, wise +speeches for the benefit of all around him."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page100"></a>[p.100]</span> POLLY WAS THE HEROINE OF THE FIRE</h2> + + +<a id="img036" name="img036"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img036.jpg" width="150" height="141" alt="Shrieked at the Top of Her Lungs." title=""> +<p class="width150">Shrieked at the Top of Her Lungs.</p></div> + +<p>Jack and Evelyn had been to see a friend of theirs who owned a parrot. +The parrot, whose name, of course, was Polly, had completely fascinated +them. She could dance when a tune was whistled, she took sugar from her +mistress's mouth, and she could talk. She could say: "Pretty Polly," +"Polly, want a cracker?" "Polly hungry," "Polly, want a bite?"</p> + +<p>So when daddy came home that evening, of course Jack and Evelyn told him +all about the parrot, and later he told them a story about another +parrot.</p> + +<p>"In a small town," said daddy, "a little girl named Alice owned a pet +parrot who was very clever. This parrot could talk a great deal and say +ever so much more than just <span class="pagenum"><a id="page101"></a>[p.101]</span> 'Polly, want a cracker?' This +Polly could whistle, too, most beautifully, and could do a great, great +many wonderful tricks. Of course, as you can imagine, Alice was very +proud of her parrot, and Polly was devoted to Alice.</p> + +<p>"One night when every one in the town was fast asleep a fire broke out +in a deserted barn, and, as there was a high wind, it began to spread. +The house nearest the fire was the one in which Alice lived, and Polly +Parrot was the first to smell the smoke. She shrieked at the top of her +lungs, 'Fire, fire!' and the whole household came rushing downstairs and +found the library, where Polly was, full of smoke.</p> + +<p>"They put on coats and, grabbing Polly's cage, rushed out of the house +as quickly as they could, for the flames were beginning to break through +on all sides. Alice's daddy rushed off to ring the fire bell, while +Alice, carrying her Polly Parrot, and her mother followed along. Soon +every one in the town was up and out in the street. The firemen managed +to keep the fire from spreading, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page102"></a>[p.102]</span> they saved all the +valuable things in Alice's home.</p> + +<p>"As everyone stood around watching the firemen throwing the water on the +fire Polly kept calling out: 'It's pretty hot! It's pretty hot! I tell +you it's pretty hot!' That amused everyone, so that it kept up their +spirits during the awful fire.</p> + +<p>"At last, however, the firemen succeeded in putting the fire out, and +one of the neighbors invited Alice and her mother and daddy to stay at +her house, and, of course, Polly Parrot went along too.</p> + +<p>"Polly was now not only considered a very clever bird, but a real +heroine, for she had awakened Alice and her family and saved their lives +and also the lives of many others, for with such a wind many houses +would have gone had not the firemen been called out just when they were.</p> + +<p>"Instead of being vain about it, Polly Parrot acted as though her one +pride was that Alice was more devoted to her than ever."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page103"></a>[p.103]</span> THE WINTER HOME FOR THE WREN FAMILY</h2> + + +<a id="img037" name="img037"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img037.jpg" width="150" height="142" alt="All the Little Boys Helped." title=""> +<p class="width150">All the Little Boys Helped.</p></div> + +<p>"A number of little boys living in a small town were very much +interested in carpentry," said daddy. "They made boxes and chairs and +tables and all sorts of things.</p> + +<p>"They had a nice tool shop in an unused barn belonging to the daddy of +one of the little boys.</p> + +<p>"In the late autumn one of the little boys, who was very fond of birds +and especially so of the house wren, suggested that they should build +some little bird houses under the low roof of the barn.</p> + +<p>"So all the little boys helped because they thought it was such a nice +plan."</p> + +<p>"What is a house wren?" inquired Evelyn.</p> + +<p>"A house wren," said daddy, "shows his <span class="pagenum"><a id="page104"></a>[p.104]</span> difference from other +wrens by having black and gray lines on his brown back. His tiny tail +points upward and his breast is grayish white. He is very friendly and +loves to keep the same home.</p> + +<p>"Now, the boys had noticed that one family of wrens had built a nest on +the side of this same barn two summers. They had flown away when the +cold weather came each time.</p> + +<p>"The boys built a fine little house with great care and watched to see +if the wrens would go to it. And, sure enough, they did! Apparently they +thought it was a beautiful house, although they, of course, wished to +furnish it in their own way."</p> + +<p>"How did they furnish it?" asked Jack.</p> + +<p>"They filled it with twigs, and in the center of the house they put +masses of dried grass and twigs.</p> + +<p>"The boys were interested watching the wrens, and the wrens seemed +perfectly happy. There were no sparrows near by. They saw that the boys +were friendly, and they found the wooden house kept out the cold air.</p> + +<p>"Week after week passed, and still the wrens didn't show any desire to +move to a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page105"></a>[p.105]</span> warmer place. On the very coldest day they would +come out, flit about, hop and bow, and be as energetic as possible.</p> + +<p>"Of course the boys never touched the house after they'd built it, for +the wrens then would have left, and the wrens made their front door so +small that a sparrow couldn't possibly have gone inside and bothered the +little ones.</p> + +<p>"You can imagine how delighted the boys were; and to keep the wrens from +feeling homesick for a warmer home, each day they'd scatter crumbs +around near the wrens' home, then watch the wrens hop down and take them +up to the nest, and the wrens seemed to be very happy when they saw the +boys. They acted as if they knew and appreciated that the boys had built +them such a fine home."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page106"></a>[p.106]</span> THE VAIN GOLDFINCH LEARNS A LESSON</h2> + + +<a id="img038" name="img038"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img038.jpg" width="125" height="150" alt="He Hid His Face in Shame." title=""> +<p class="width120">He Hid His Face in Shame.</p></div> + +<p>"Mr. Goldfinch," said daddy, "was very conceited and proud of himself. +To be sure, a goldfinch's voice is very much like a canary's—but it's +not quite so lovely—and he can't do the wonderful trills a canary can +without his voice cracking. Of course, that isn't beautiful.</p> + +<p>"So the fairy queen made plans. First of all, she asked the birds to +give her a concert, and gladly they all said they would.</p> + +<p>"And the next day, on a row along the fence of an old country road, near +the woods, perched all the bullfinch family, the oriole family, the +bluejay family, the indigo bird family, and the goldfinch family.</p> + +<p>"First of all they all sang in a beautiful <span class="pagenum"><a id="page107"></a>[p.107]</span> chorus, and the +fairy queen and all the fairies were delighted.</p> + +<p>"Before long the elves happened along by the old fence, and they said:</p> + +<p>"'What's up? A concert? May we stay?'</p> + +<p>"'By all means,' said the fairy queen, and then she whispered to the +elves her secret. The elves sat along the opposite fence and perched on +the fence between some of the birds, too.</p> + +<p>"When the birds had finished singing in the chorus and were not supposed +to sing by themselves, they flew to the wings of the fairies and perched +there.</p> + +<p>"You can imagine how lovely the fairies did look, with their bright +silver wings, and the beautiful birds with their bright colors perched +everywhere on the wings.</p> + +<p>"'Now,' said the fairy queen, 'remember what I've asked for.'</p> + +<p>"At that Mr. Bullfinch came out and sang in his sweet little way. He +didn't try to sing anything very big or hard, but he sang a little, +simple song, in the very best way he could.</p> + +<p>"Soon Mr. Goldfinch came out to sing his solo. At first his song was +very fine and all <span class="pagenum"><a id="page108"></a>[p.108]</span> the other birds cried, 'Bravo,' 'Wonderful,' +'Gorgeous,' at the end of the first verse. And they all sang these words +in their own little bird ways.</p> + +<p>"But at the beginning of the second verse Mr. Goldfinch tried to sing a +trill that was too hard for him.</p> + +<p>"And what do you suppose happened? Mr. Goldfinch's voice cracked, and +all the birds tittered and flew off the fence, chatting with each other.</p> + +<p>"'Well, wasn't that a disgrace—and at the fairy queen's concert, too!'</p> + +<p>"As for Mr. Goldfinch, he hid his head in shame and felt very wretched, +but the fairy queen waved her wand, and said to every one: 'This concert +was given so Mr. Goldfinch would learn to be natural and not try things +beyond him. We all like you as you are, without silly, vain +actions—sing us a simple song now, and we'll forgive you!'</p> + +<p>"So Mr. Goldfinch learned he mustn't try to copy the canary."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page109"></a>[p.109]</span> THE BATS HAVE A JOLLIFICATION</h2> + + +<a id="img039" name="img039"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img039.jpg" width="121" height="150" alt="How the Bats do Love the Night!" title=""> +<p class="width112">How the Bats do Love the Night!</p></div> + +<p>"The bats are all so glad the summer has come," said daddy. "For a long, +long time they have been staying in the caves and hiding away in the +tops of the corners and crevices. But last night they had their first +real jollification.</p> + +<p>"One of the bats had said it was high time to go out into the world, but +another bat had said it was still too chilly. Then a bat said:</p> + +<p>"'Well, what have we wings for?' And after that it was decided that they +should be off.</p> + +<p>"They waited until it began to grow dark—and then some of the ones who +hadn't been sleeping very well got up and flew about a little while.</p> + +<p>"Then the others who had been sound <span class="pagenum"><a id="page110"></a>[p.110]</span> asleep woke up just as it +became very, very dark. Oh, how the bats do love the night! They love it +just as much as the birds love the daytime and the sun. For, though bats +have wings, they are not at all like birds and they aren't in the least +friendly with any of them.</p> + +<p>"So off they started on the jollification. First they whizzed through +the air practising their different ways of flying. And after they had +all the strength back into their wings, they reached the garden of an +old, deserted house, where they stopped for the rest of the night.</p> + +<p>"There they told stories and chatted and chatted. For they had a great +deal to say after their long sleep, and they ran races, and did tricks, +and frightened people they saw coming along the road.</p> + +<p>"They would get so near that each person would say:</p> + +<p>"'Oh, dear me, I must cover up my head or that bat will get caught in my +hair.'</p> + +<p>"The bats thought that was a great joke, as they had no intentions of +caging themselves up in someone's hair when they could be at <span class="pagenum"><a id="page111"></a>[p.111]</span> +the jollification. But they did enjoy playing pranks on the grownups.</p> + +<p>"And soon, much too soon, daylight came.</p> + +<p>"But what do you suppose happened? Such a wonderful ending to their +jollification! Didn't those thoughtful little brownies, who had known +all about the bats' jollification—and feeling rather sorry for the bats +because they don't have such very good times—send some magic air-boats +which picked up the sleepy bats as they flew along. Then they were +carried back to their cold, hard beds in the crevices of the +rocks—which they thought were so comfortable!</p> + +<p>"And as they crept into bed, there were never so many happy bats and +pleased bats as these were at having had air-boats bring them home from +their jollification!"</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page112"></a>[p.112]</span> THE REPENTANCE OF LITTLE JIM CROW</h2> + + +<a id="img040" name="img040"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img040.jpg" width="150" height="144" alt="Jim Ducked Him in the Brook." title=""> +<p class="width150">Jim Ducked Him in the Brook.</p></div> + +<p>"Little Jim Crow had been very naughty," began daddy. "He had been +bullying Sammy Crow for some time past simply because Sammy was not so +large and not so strong as he was. Jim Crow was quite a leader, too, in +a very mean way, for he'd tried to influence a lot of other little crows +to think it was smart to tease Sammy.</p> + +<p>"Well, one day Jim got hold of Sammy and ducked his head into a brook of +very cold water, where the ice had only recently melted.</p> + +<p>"Poor Sammy was so frightened he almost cried his eyes out, while Jim +stood by and laughed and laughed. But Sammy was far from being strong, +and the cold water made his head throb and ache, while his bones felt +<span class="pagenum"><a id="page113"></a>[p.113]</span> numb and his feathers lost their nice shiny look. He +complained so much for several days of his head that his family sent for +old Dr. Crow.</p> + +<p>"Dr. Crow was a fine physician. He wore great big spectacles, and, oh, +he was so kind! When he saw Sammy he became very much alarmed.</p> + +<p>"'Why didn't you tell me of this sooner?' said he.</p> + +<p>"'Oh, what's the matter?' asked Sammy's mother. 'Is he really very ill? +We thought he had a little cold.'</p> + +<p>"Dr. Crow took from his black medicine-bag a little thermometer and put +it in Sammy's mouth and at the same time felt his pulse. Then he pulled +the thermometer out. He looked very grave.</p> + +<p>"'Mrs. Crow,' said he to Sammy's mother, 'his temperature is very high, +and he must be put right to bed. Put his feet in mustard and hot water +and bathe his head every three hours with witch hazel, and I'll call +around again this evening to see him.'</p> + +<p>"'Oh, you don't think he is going to die, doctor?'</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page114"></a>[p.114]</span> "'I think he'll live, but he is pretty sick and needs great +care.'</p> + +<p>"After Dr. Crow left Sammy he went to Jim Crow's mother and daddy. He +was very angry at what had been done to Sammy. When Jim's mother and +daddy saw Dr. Crow coming toward their nest they were afraid Jim had +been doing something awfully naughty, for he had stayed home very little +the past few days, and they suspected something had happened.</p> + +<p>"At that moment Jim flew in boisterously, and the doctor told him how +ill Sammy was and of what he had done.</p> + +<p>"For some days Sammy lay at the point of death, but with Dr. Crow's +skill he finally got well.</p> + +<p>"And Jim Crow, who had felt like a murderer, became a good crow and +realized it was very, very cruel to tease any one smaller and weaker +than himself."</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page115"></a>[p.115]</span> THE RESCUE OF THE CANARY BIRD</h2> + + +<a id="img041" name="img041"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img041.jpg" width="150" height="142" alt="She Watched the Little Bird." title=""> +<p class="width150">She Watched the Little Bird.</p></div> + +<p>"I am going to tell you a really true story," said daddy, "something +which happened to-day. I was walking along a rather poor part of the +city when I saw a number of children gathered in a group in a little +side yard of a tenement house. The children were screaming to one boy: +'Oh, catch him! Don't let the awful cat get him!'"</p> + +<p>"Oh, was it a bird?" asked Jack eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied daddy; "it was a bird, but not just the usual kind of +bird that is seen around city streets, for only the sparrows like the +noise of a city. Most birds like the woods and the country, where they +can have homes in the trees and can sing all day long.</p> + +<p>"But this was a tame yellow canary who had flown out of an open window +to pick up <span class="pagenum"><a id="page116"></a>[p.116]</span> some goodies he saw on the ground, and a cat was +after him."</p> + +<p>"Did they get him from the cat?" asked Evelyn eagerly, for she was +devoted to animals and perhaps especially to birds.</p> + +<p>"Yes," answered daddy; "the little boy succeeded in rescuing him, but +the poor canary had been so frightened that his little heart was +beating, oh, so fast, and the children were afraid he was not going to +live.</p> + +<p>"They all followed the little boy who had caught the canary just in time +into the tenement house. The cat had knocked several feathers from the +bird's tail.</p> + +<p>"Another child told me the canary belonged to a little girl who lived in +the tenement. He asked me to follow, too, for he said that the little +girl had trouble with her back and had to lie flat all the time. She +loved visitors, for so much of the time she was lonely. Her mother was +poor and out all day sewing, so the little girl's only companion was the +canary, who would sing for hours and hours. He seemed to know he must +keep her cheered up.</p> + +<p>"So along I went too. We climbed some <span class="pagenum"><a id="page117"></a>[p.117]</span> stairs until we came to +a dingy room where on a cot by the window lay a little girl about eight +years old. She had big dark eyes, and when I saw her her cheeks were +bright red from all the excitement.</p> + +<p>"All her friends had gathered around, each giving her a special +description of how the bird had been rescued. She was smiling with joy +and watching the bird, who was now busily engaged nibbling at a little +piece of apple which had been given him. Before long he began to sing, +oh, so joyously, for he knew he was once more back in his happy home, +where he would take good care to stay in the future.</p> + +<p>"I told the little girl of my Jack and Evelyn, and she said she wanted +to see you both. Shall we all go to see her and her little bird some +day?"</p> + +<p>"We'd love to!" cried Jack and Evelyn delightedly.</p> + + + + +<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page118"></a>[p.118]</span> SMALL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUES BIRDS</h2> + + +<a id="img042" name="img042"></a> +<div class="floatleft"> +<img src="images/img042.jpg" width="103" height="200" alt="We'll have our hose ready." title=""> +<p class="width100">"We'll have our hose ready."</p></div> + +<p>"The salamanders," said daddy, "are little creatures very much like +lizards in looks, except their skin is not scaly as a lizard's. They +have four legs and a tail, and are very nice, kind and gentle.</p> + +<p>"Well, these salamanders agreed that they would have a fire department, +and the next thing was to arrange for the hose and ladder. Finally it +was decided that their salamander cousins should be chosen to run the +hose and ladder.</p> + +<p>"'We shall call ourselves the fire and water fire department,' said one +of the fire salamanders. 'It will be our business to rush in and rescue +the animals who are in danger <span class="pagenum"><a id="page119"></a>[p.119]</span> of being burned to death, and it +will be your business to help them down to the brook, where we'll have +our hose ready to sprinkle them with good, cool water.'</p> + +<p>"But days and days went by, and still no fire broke out.</p> + +<p>"'I know what's the trouble,' said another one of the fire salamanders. +'We have no fire bell; there may have been fires that we knew nothing +of; you never can tell.'</p> + +<p>"'Don't be gloomy,' said still another fire salamander. 'We'll have a +fire bell. I know where a kind old cow left her bell from last year. +We'll put it by the stump just at the edge of the brook and all the +animals can be told to move it when there is a fire. Then we will all +come out and stop the fire.'</p> + +<p>"And soon notices were put up all over the woods and around the brook +which read:</p> + +<p>"'To the Animals: Attention! In case of fire, ring the cow bell by the +brook. The Fire and Water Fire Department of the Salamanders will PUT IT +OUT.'</p> + +<p>"These notices were read by all the animals, and the very next day the +salamanders heard the cow bell.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page120"></a>[p.120]</span> "'Where's the fire?' they all shouted.</p> + +<p>"'Over there,' said Grandfather Frog, who was watching the fire +department start off.</p> + +<p>"They wiggled and crawled as quickly as they could to the spot where the +fire was. It was the vireo family's nest. You know the vireos are those +beautiful, shy birds that live in the woods and have such lovely voices. +The fire salamanders rushed right into the fire and pulled out of the +nest the vireo children just in time before their little feathers got +burnt. And, of course, the Mother and Daddy Vireo were able to fly out.</p> + +<p>"When they all reached the brook at last, the Mother and Daddy Vireo +sang the most wonderful song as a reward to the brave salamander fire +department."</p> + + + + +<div class="box martop4"> +<p class="center ftsize105"><b>Transcriber's Note:</b></p> + +<p>Illustrations have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the +closest paragraph break.</p> + +<p>"grown-ups" and "grownups" have been retained in both versions +in this project.</p> + +<p>Opening quotation marks (") at the beginning of several chapters +have been added without comment.</p> + +<p>"Well, I mean you to come" has been changed to "'Well, I mean you +to come" page <a href="#page56">56</a>.</p> + +<p>"funny quack-quack talk." has been changed into "funny quack-quack +talk.'" page <a href="#page59">59</a>.</p> + +<p>Printer's inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation +have been retained.</p> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full"> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 39484-h.txt or 39484-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/9/4/8/39484">http://www.gutenberg.org/3/9/4/8/39484</a></p> +<p> +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p> +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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a/39484.txt b/39484.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc8d284 --- /dev/null +++ b/39484.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3017 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories, by Mary Graham +Bonner, Illustrated by Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories + + +Author: Mary Graham Bonner + + + +Release Date: April 19, 2012 [eBook #39484] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Iris Schröder-Gehring, and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file + which includes the original illustrations (some in color). + See 39484-h.htm or 39484-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39484/39484-h/39484-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39484/39484-h.zip) + + +Transcriber's note: + + Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics). + + + + + +[Illustration: "MR. OWL AWAKENED THE FAIRIES AND TOLD THEM TO +LISTEN TO HIS BOOK."--_Page 2_] + + +DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES + +by + +MARY GRAHAM BONNER + +With four illustrations in color by +Florence Choate and Elizabeth Curtis + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Emblem] + +New York +Frederick A. Stokes Company +Publishers + +Copyright, 1917, by +Frederick A. Stokes Company + +All rights reserved; including that of translation +into foreign languages + + + + + TO + "E. E. E." + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + OLD MR. OWL WRITES A BOOK 1 + + THE WOODPECKERS START A BIRD BAND 4 + + THE CARDINAL BIRD AND THE ROBIN 7 + + THE WINTER WRENS' DEW-DROP BATHS 10 + + THE SEAGULLS MOVE TO BLUEY COVE 13 + + HOW THE LITTLE REDBIRD BECAME RED 16 + + POOR OLD MR. OWL'S TOOTHACHE 19 + + THE SOLOIST OF THE BIRD CONCERT 22 + + THE ROBINS OPEN A SPRING SHOP 25 + + THE RACE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY BIRDS 28 + + THE QUARREL BETWEEN NAUGHTY LITTLE SPARROWS 31 + + THE SUCCESSFUL CONCERT OF THE CHICKADEES 34 + + THE COLONY OF STARLINGS GIVE A BALL 37 + + ROBIN REDBREAST'S AND MISS ROBIN'S WEDDING 40 + + THE TAME CANARY BIRD AND HIS MISTRESS 43 + + THE PET BIRD OF THE WARD 46 + + THE EAGLE'S PRIDE AS THE BIRD OF FREEDOM 49 + + WHAT THE BIRDS THOUGHT OF THE FOURTH OF JULY 52 + + MR. NIGHTINGALE'S NEW FRIEND MR. BLACKBIRD 55 + + MR. PLAIN SPARROW CALLS ON DUCKS 58 + + FARMER'S SCARECROW PROTECTS A CORN-FIELD 61 + + THE BRAVE BROWN SPARROWS IN WINTER 64 + + WHAT THE RAINBOW THINKS OF THE WORLD 67 + + EAGLES AND RAVENS 70 + + THE EAGLES WHO WERE ALWAYS STILL 73 + + THE BOBOLINKS HAVE A TEA PARTY 76 + + A HAPPY DAY IN BIRDLAND 79 + + THE ROBINS' SPRING CONCERT 82 + + THE CROWS AT THE FAIRIES' BALL 85 + + THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SICK SNOWBIRDS 88 + + A SPARROW CALLS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS 91 + + THE ROBINS COME TO THE RESCUE 94 + + MR. AND MRS. OWL'S STOREROOM 97 + + POLLY WAS THE HEROINE OF THE FIRE 100 + + THE WINTER HOME FOR THE WREN FAMILY 103 + + THE VAIN GOLDFINCH LEARNS A LESSON 106 + + THE BATS HAVE A JOLLIFICATION 109 + + THE REPENTANCE OF LITTLE JIM CROW 112 + + THE RESCUE OF THE CANARY BIRD 115 + + SMALL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUES BIRDS 118 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + "Mr. Owl awakened the fairies and told them to + listen to his book" _Frontispiece_ + + FACING PAGE + + "In the afternoons Elizabeth lets him out of his cage" 44 + + "'We've been on this chair so long,' said the fourth eagle" 74 + + "The mother humming-bird hurried back" 96 + + + + + _These stories first appeared in the American Press Association + Service and the Western Newspaper Union._ + + _Many of the sketches in this volume are the work of Rebecca + McCann, creator of the "Cheerful Cherub," etc._ + + + + +OLD MR. OWL WRITES A BOOK + + +[Illustration: Old Mr. Owl Danced with the Rest.] + +"Old Mr. Owl wanted to write a book and he asked the fairies how to set +about doing it," commenced daddy. + +"'Well,' said the fairy queen, 'it makes a good deal of difference, old +Mr. Owl, what you want to write about.' + +"'What nonsense!' he said. 'It's just that I want to know how to start +off with my book. Just think what a marvelous book it will be--as for as +long as folks can remember I've been called the Wise Bird--the bird +who's awake at night and whose eyes are so very bright!' + +"'Before I started saying what a fine book it would be, if I +were you, I'd write it and give other people the chance to say so,' +said the fairy queen. + +"Mr. Owl began to write with his pen, made out of one of Mr. Turkey +Gobbler's best feathers, on a large, flat stone, which he put in the +hollow of his tree. Very late in the night, he awakened the fairies who +had been sleeping, and told them to listen to his book. Then he called +all the owls from the neighborhood with a loud hoot-hoot. But before he +began to read, he said: + +"'I've not enough light. I will hurt my eyes--my beautiful, +wise, big eyes.' + +"You see he had made a special arrangement to have his own lights, and +when he said that he hadn't enough, from all over came countless little +fireflies. They sparkled and gave the most beautiful light all over the +woods, and Mr. Owl put his spectacles on his nose, and said: + +"'Now I see to perfection--which means quite all right.' And Mr. Owl +commenced reading his book. + +"It told about the parties, balls, and picnics in fairyland, and of the +wild adventures and happenings in the woods. The fairies were absolutely +delighted that a book had been written with so much about them in it. + +"And the fairy queen was more than happy, for the last chapter was all +about her. + +"'Well,' said Mr. Owl, 'you made me ashamed of myself for boasting about +my book before I had written it, and so the only thing I could do was to +write a wise chapter all about you.' + +"And the fairy queen smiled with pleasure and also with amusement--for +Mr. Owl had certainly thought he could write a wise book--though the +next time, perhaps, he wouldn't say so before he had written it. + +"The fireflies had been sparkling and flashing lights all this time, and +finally they whispered: + +"'Have a dance, all of you; we'll give you the light and dance too. It +is not well to read books all the time--you must dance.' + +"So they all ended off with a fine dance, and old Mr. Owl, with his book +under his wing, danced with the rest of the owls and fairies. But before +the evening was over he presented to the fairy queen a copy of his book, +which said on the cover, 'A BOOK, by Wise Mr. Owl.'" + + + + +THE WOODPECKERS START A BIRD BAND + + +The Woodpecker family were around on various trees drumming, drumming on +the bark. Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, Mr. Downy Woodpecker, and Mr. Red-Headed +Woodpecker were hard at work. + +"Let's start a band," suggested Mr. Hairy Woodpecker. + +"What's that you say?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker, who had been so +busy at work that he had not heard what Mr. Hairy Woodpecker had been +suggesting. + +"A band," repeated Mr. Hairy Woodpecker. + +"What sort of a band?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. + +"In the first place," continued Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "our bills are not +only fine tools for the work we have to do getting the insects from the +trees, and burrowing for our nests, but they would be splendid to use +in beating the drums in a band." + +"Where would we get the drums?" asked Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. + +"The trees, of course, you silly!" said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker. + +"Oh yes, yes," agreed Mr. Red-Headed Woodpecker. + +And Mr. Downy Woodpecker said, "Of course, of course. The trees will be +our drums." + +"We'll get the other birds," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "to help us. We +need something in a band besides the drums. We will ask the goldfinches, +the mocking-birds, the bobolinks, the phoebe and chickadee families, all +of the warbler and vireo families, and the robins of course. Then I +think we'll ask the orioles, the whippoorwills, the thrush family, and +the song sparrows." + +"Oh," said Mr. Downy Woodpecker, "that will make a perfect band. We'd +better get started right away." And the woodpeckers began to practise. +They made such a noise that the birds came from far and near to see what +they were doing. Mr. Sapsucker, Mr. Crested Woodpecker, and Mr. Flicker +Woodpecker had all joined in beating the drums too! + +"Why are you making so much noise?" asked the birds as they flew around +to the nearby trees to talk to the woodpeckers. + +"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "we were just going to ask you all to +join our band. We will beat the drums." + +"And just what do you want us to do?" asked Mr. Robin Redbreast, who was +always eager to help. + +"You must all sing." + +"But we all sing differently," chirped a song sparrow. "We know +different tunes and different songs." + +"Oh," said Mr. Hairy Woodpecker, "I never thought about that. But never +mind, you can have little parts to sing alone, and other choruses where +you will all sing together. I'm sure it will be a very fine band after +we have practised." And they began pounding the drums again. + +"Well," said Mr. Robin Redbreast, "if the bird band isn't to be the +finest in the land, at least we'll make a cheerful noise!" + + + + +THE CARDINAL BIRD AND THE ROBIN + + +"The cardinal bird," said daddy, "is a very superior bird and will not +come down to the ground. The lowest he will come is to a bush, but he +never hops along the woods or lawns, no, not he! + +"One day Robin Redbreast was walking on a green lawn. He stopped several +times to pick up a worm from the ground, swallow it whole and then walk +along. In a tree nearby he spied the cardinal bird. + +"'Hello,' he said cheerily. 'Won't you come and have a worm with me? +There are a number in this lawn, and the good rain we had last night has +made the ground so nice and soft. Do join me,' he ended with a bright +chirp. + +"'No, thank you,' said the cardinal bird. 'I wouldn't soil my feet on +that ground. I hate the ground, absolutely hate it.' And the cardinal +bird looked very haughty and proud. + +"'Come now,' said Robin Redbreast, 'you won't get your feet dirty. And +if you do,' he whispered knowingly, 'I can lead you to the nicest brook +where you can wash them off with fresh rain water. Do come!' + +"'I cannot,' said the cardinal bird. 'I do not like the earth. I want to +be flying in the air, or sitting on the branches of trees. Sometimes I +will perch for a little while on a laurel bush--but come any lower? Dear +me, no, I couldn't.' + +"'It's a great shame,' said Robin Redbreast. 'Of course there is no +accounting for taste.' + +"'Thank you for inviting me,' added the cardinal bird politely. For he +prided himself on his good manners. + +"Pretty soon some people came along. At once they noticed the beautiful +cardinal bird. He wore his best red suit which he wears all the +time--except in the winter, when he adds gray to his wings. His collar +and tie were of black and his feathers stuck up on top of his head so as +to make him look very stylish and fine. + +"'Oh, what a wonderful bird!' said the people. Mr. Cardinal Bird knew +they were admiring him, of course--and so did Robin Redbreast. No one +had noticed _him_, but he didn't care, for he knew Mr. Cardinal Bird was +by far the more beautiful, and a robin hasn't a mean disposition. + +"Well, when the cardinal bird heard the praise he began to sing--a +glorious high voice he had, and he sounded his clear notes over +and over again. Then suddenly he stopped, cocked his head on one +side, as though to say, + +"'And what do you think of me now?' + +"From down on the ground Robin Redbreast had been listening. 'Oh, that +was wonderful, wonderful!' he trilled. + +"'Listen to that dear little robin,' said one of the people. 'I must get +him some bread crumbs.' + +"When the bread crumbs were scattered over the ground, Robin Redbreast +invited the cardinal bird down again thinking they were for him! But the +beautiful, proud bird would not come down, and the people were saying, +'After all there is nothing quite so nice as a dear little robin.'" + + + + +THE WINTER WRENS' DEW-DROP BATHS + + +"The winter wren is really with us during the summer too," said daddy. +"But he is too shy to be near us. We can only hear him sing sometimes. +When winter comes, though, he goes to people for protection and picks up +the crumbs they give him. + +"Yesterday he was sitting on a snow-berry bush with a tiny companion. +The snow-berry bushes are full and leafy, and in the spring and summer +are covered with very tiny pink blossoms. In the autumn and winter they +are covered with little berries which look as if they had been made out +of snow. + +"'Oh, how I dread the winter!' said the tiny wren. 'Just imagine how +dreadful it would be if no one put any bread crumbs out for us, or no +dog left us some of his dinner on a back porch.' + +"'Now,' said Mr. Brown Wren, 'you mustn't think of such sad thoughts. +You always do! Someone will look after us. And maybe we'll find a few +spiders now and then in the cracks, and then well have a regular feast.' + +"The next day they were back again on the snow-berry bush, and the day +was much warmer. Now the wrens love to bathe above all things! Even in +the winter they will go through a little sheet of ice and get into the +cold, cold water underneath. For they must get their baths! And in the +spring, when the tiny wrens are brought forth from their mossy nests, +the first lesson they have is of bathing in some nearby brook. + +"But this day it was early in the morning, the snow-berry bush was +covered with dew-drops and the wrens were delighted. + +"'The sun will drive them away soon. Let's take them while we get the +chance,' whispered Mr. Brown Wren. + +"'Yes, yes,' said his small companion. 'We will soon have to bathe when +it is so cold. Let us have a good warm bath first.' + +"And then those two little brown wrens took the dew-drops in their +beaks, and dropped each one in turn on their feathers. Then they got +under some leaves full of dew-drops and shook them down over their +little feathered bodies. + +"After they were well covered with the dew-drops they began to shake all +over just as every bird does when he takes a bath. And back they went to +take another bath when this one was over. For they seemed to enjoy their +last warm bath so much! + +"Finally they had bathed enough, and the sun appeared strong as could +be, and shining very hard. They perched still on the branches of the +snow-berry bush and bathed now in the hot sun. Soon their little +feathers were quite dry and they began to sing. + +"And truly I think their song was one of gladness because of their +dew-drop baths!" + + + + +THE SEAGULLS MOVE TO BLUEY COVE + + +[Illustration: Mr. and Mrs. Seagull Flew Off with Bluey.] + +"Mr. and Mrs. Seagull didn't really know what to do," said daddy. "They +loved their home, which was in a big harbor, for they enjoyed seeing the +boats pass and hearing the different whistles. All kinds of boats +passed--ferryboats, sailboats, old fishing-boats, great big boats that +went across the ocean, and little tugboats. + +"The seagulls would fly overhead, and then they'd land on top of the +water, but they never could stay there long, as the boats would come +along, and they would have to fly off. Of late Mr. and Mrs. Seagull, +although they were still as fond of their home as ever, became rather +worried, for the little seagulls didn't seem to be able to get out of +the way of the boats as quickly as the old seagulls could. Mr. and Mrs. +Seagull were afraid that one of them might get hurt by a boat. + +"Of course the little seagulls were quite certain that nothing like that +would ever happen, but one day it did. + +"They were playing tag on the surface of the water and so interested in +their game that they didn't notice until too late that a great huge boat +was coming along. The captain of the boat had blown the whistle to scare +the seagulls away. They hadn't heard it at all, so busy were they +playing, and it hit poor little Bluey Seagull. One of the others called +out: + +"'Oh, fly up quickly, Bluey!' He was not badly hit, for the pilot of the +boat had seen the seagulls and made the boat slow down. + +"Bluey was frightened almost out of his wits, but with the encouragement +of the other seagulls he managed to fly off. + +"When Mr. and Mrs. Seagull saw what had happened to Bluey they were +horrified and quickly flew off with him, all the other little seagulls +following. + +"They flew as far from the boats as they could, for, now that Bluey had +been hit, they didn't think life in the harbor where the boats passed +was so attractive. In fact, they decided they would never go back there +again. + +"They flew so far that they reached a little cove at the basin of the +harbor, and when Mr. Seagull saw it he said: + +"'This will be our new home.' + +"Mrs. Seagull said: + +"'We will never leave this home until all little seagulls are grown up, +for then they will always be safe and can play all they want to without +being afraid of getting hit by the big boats.' + +"So it was decided, and the cove was named Bluey Cove because it had +been on Bluey's account that they had moved there. And of all the +seagulls he was the happiest and most relieved." + + + + +HOW THE LITTLE REDBIRD BECAME RED + + +[Illustration: A Gray Bird Was Flying Overhead.] + +Jack and Evelyn had been playing circus all day. Jack had been the big +man who stands in the middle of the ring and cracks his whip, while +Evelyn had turned somersaults and made pretty bows. They told daddy all +about it when he came home that evening, so he said: + +"As you're so fond of circus performing I will certainly have to tell +you about the circus the animals gave. + +"Cub Bear got it all up, and every animal who went to it had to first +agree to do something. And it really was a most marvelous circus. They +all marched around in a parade, while the little bears beat the drums. +The rabbits rode on the backs of the possums, and the monkeys rode on +the backs of the elephants. The chipmunks drove chariots which were +drawn by the gray squirrels, and the clowns were the frogs. The rest of +the animals caught hands and followed in the march. They laughed and +shouted and enjoyed themselves immensely. + +"Then all took their seats and one by one did some sort of an act. The +monkeys won a great deal of applause by their trapeze acting. Cub Bear +walked a rope and danced around on his hind legs. The bunnies rode +bicycles, but that ended sadly, as one of them--a son of old Peter +Rabbit, who was renowned for his bicycle riding--in trying to show off, +fell and skinned his nose. All the other animals gathered around to see +what they could do, while the bunny moaned and moaned. + +"A gray bird flying over the tent heard the sound of moans and cries and +flew in to see what the trouble was, for he was a very kind-hearted +bird. He saw that the bunny was really more frightened than hurt, and +with his wings he wiped off the blood from the rabbit's face. The +blood-stain never got off the wings of the bird, so ever after he and +his family became known as the redbirds. + +"The bunny fully recovered and once more felt like himself; but, of +course, after the accident, the animals didn't care to go on performing, +so they all sat around the center of the tent and had a most glorious +picnic. Refreshments of all kinds were passed around. + +"They had pink lemonade, peanuts, popcorn, ice-cream cones, and water +taffy. After they'd finished eating they sang all the old-time songs and +frisked about, playing and dancing. Bunny Rabbit, who felt quite spry +again, frisked about too, and the redbird flew overhead, flapping his +wings with joy, for he was so glad everything had turned out so merrily. + +"The circus proved such a success and the animals were in such high +spirits that they then and there decided to have a circus every year." + + + + +POOR OLD MR. OWL'S TOOTHACHE + + +[Illustration: "I'm ready now," said Dr. Raven.] + +Evelyn had been eating a great deal of candy--so much that it had given +her a very bad toothache--and when daddy came home he found her curled +up on the bed looking very mournful. Jack had been trying to comfort +her, but he hadn't been able to help much. So when he heard daddy's step +he called, "Come along, daddy, and tell a story especially for Evelyn to +make her forget about her toothache." + +"That is too bad," said daddy. "I'm sorry my little girl has a +toothache. I'll see if I can't tell a good story so you'll feel better +and will be able to sleep and have pleasant dreams. I think I'll tell +you about old Mr. Owl, for he had the most terrible toothache one time. +He had been eating a great many sugar-plums and lots of candy, and +before he knew it one of his teeth was aching so hard he could hardly +stand it. 'Oh, dear,' he moaned; 'my tooth, my poor tooth! Whatever will +I do?' + +"It ached so badly for several days that he decided at last he'd go to +the dentist. Dr. Raven was considered the very best dentist. So off went +Mr. Owl to his office in the pine tree. When he arrived there he saw Dr. +Raven busily fixing Mrs. Crow's teeth. She was leaning back on a stump +of wood which Dr. Raven used as his dental chair. She had a rubber band +over her mouth and looked very miserable. It quite frightened Mr. Owl, +but he tried to be brave and sat down, put on his spectacles and began +to read one of Dr. Raven's magazines. In a few moments Mrs. Crow got out +of the chair, and Dr. Raven said, 'I'm ready for you now, Mr. Owl.' So +Mr. Owl took off his spectacles, got into Dr. Raven's chair and leaned +his head back. 'Open wide,' said Dr. Raven. Mr. Owl opened his mouth as +wide as he could, and Dr. Raven looked inside. First he looked over his +upper teeth, then over his lower teeth, and finally he began to poke at +one back tooth with such energy that Mr. Owl screamed, 'That's my sore +tooth, and you're hurting it terribly!' + +"'Yes,' said Dr. Raven; 'the tooth is a wisdom tooth, and it is much +inflamed, so I'll take it out right away.' He reached for his pinchers, +but Mr. Owl said: 'If you take out my wisdom tooth I'll lose my wisdom, +and I'm known all over the world for my wisdom. I simply won't have it.' + +"And before Dr. Raven had a chance to speak Mr. Owl had jumped out of +the chair and flown off. When he got home his tooth still hurt, but the +next morning it felt much better, and the next day it was all well. 'I +know what all the trouble was,' said Mr. Owl. 'I ate too much candy. +I'll never eat too much again, for I cannot lose any of my wisdom teeth +when I'm known as the wisest bird.'" + +"Daddy," said Jack, "your story would be a very good one, only owls +don't have teeth." Daddy smiled, and as the children laughingly went to +bed, Evelyn said her toothache had gone. + + + + +THE SOLOIST OF THE BIRD CONCERT + + +[Illustration: He Sang His Song Several Times.] + +The birds had begun their early morning concerts. "I know why," said +daddy. "It is because they have been practising for their opening +concert of the season which they gave this morning and which I am going +to tell you about this evening. They have been practising hard every +morning. + +"The vireos, having such lovely voices and being devoted to music, got +it up and made all the arrangements. Yesterday, the day before the +concert, they scratched signs on the trees, which in the bird world +read: + +"'Concert in the village park to-morrow morning at 6 o'clock. All those +who are taking part will, of course, be present. Those who are not +taking part will be invited to attend. Splendid music. Good seats. +Feature of concert to be the soloist. The name of the soloist will not +be made known until the concert.' + +"All the birds were tremendously excited when they read that, for it was +all a surprise arranged by the vireos. They were the only ones who knew +who the soloist was to be. At the rehearsals even the soloist had not +appeared. + +"At last the time for the concert came. All the birds were up very early +that morning, fussing to look their very best. + +"Most of the birds sat around on the grass, but some of them had +reserved boxes in the trees. + +"The program for the concert was delightful. The robins sang in chorus, +as did the chirping sparrows. The warblers sang quartets and duets. +Several of the chickadees gave little solos. The thrushes and the vireos +appeared many times on the program. They were encored again and again +and were greatly pleased. + +"The soloist was to appear the very last. A vireo came out and announced +to the audience that the soloist, being slightly nervous, would not +stand before them and sing, but would sing from a very short distance. + +"Then they heard from a neighboring tree the strange, lonely song of the +whippoorwill. He sang his song several times over, and the applause was +terrific. The birds were charmed, absolutely charmed. + +"The whippoorwill was very modest and didn't see why they liked his solo +at all. He had really been very shy about appearing at the concert. But +he was encouraged by the vireos, who, as a rule, are nervous, too, when +they appear in public. + +"At the conclusion of the concert a vote of thanks was given the vireos +for the crowning success of their concert and an additional vote of +thanks for their splendid soloist." + + + + +THE ROBINS OPEN A SPRING SHOP + + +[Illustration: The Robins Agreed It was a Good Scheme.] + +"The robins, having left their warm winter home, had settled near a +great, big, lovely park," said daddy. "Now, one of the robins happened +to be a very practical old bird. He suggested that they shouldn't spend +all their time singing, especially now, before the summer came. Then he +thought it was all right to play and sing all day. But it would be nicer +now, he thought, to do a little work. + +"The old robin's idea was that certain robins every morning should +start out and dig up worms, for then they could get more than they +wanted and could help supply the flocks and flocks of newcomers. Then +other robins could go into the woods and get the new little berries +that had just come up, and the rest of the robins would keep a shop in +the biggest tree of the park. All the birds would do their shopping +there in the most central place. + +"All the robins agreed that it would be an excellent scheme and so much +better than idling away all their time. + +"As soon as a new flock of birds would come to the park the other birds +would tell them about the shop of the robins, and off they would fly to +it. And such good things as the robins all had in their shop! It kept +them pretty busy hurrying around to get enough provisions to last for +all of their customers as well as themselves. But they thoroughly +enjoyed being so busy and decided that there was nothing in the world +like work. At night they would feel so much better than if they'd been +idle all day, and then they felt as if they had really been doing some +good, for it was a great, great help to all of the other birds. You can +imagine how they wouldn't be able to find things so quickly and they +wouldn't know right away where the softest earth was so as to dig for +the worms. + +"Of course some of the early bird families did arrive as early as the +robins, but the robins were the thoughtful and unselfish ones who +thought of the other birds." + +"Did they charge anything for the things they sold?" asked Jack. + +"No," said daddy; "the old robin said that birds should never charge +each other anything, and, besides, they really felt that the work was +doing them good and that then they'd enjoy the summer all the more. + +"And the other birds certainly did appreciate what the robins +were doing for them. + +"The shop of the robins grew to be just like a daily party, for all the +birds would fly there every day just about the same time, and after they +had picked out the berries and the worms that struck their fancies +they'd stay around and chirp and chat with the robins and each other." + + + + +THE RACE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY BIRDS + + +[Illustration: Mongo Got Quite a Bit Ahead.] + +"The secretary birds had planned to have some field races," began daddy, +"and the afternoon of the races had come. You know, the secretary birds +have very, very long thin legs. Their legs are so thin that you can +hardly see how it is they can support such big bodies, for the secretary +birds have really fat bodies. + +"Well, on the afternoon of the races they all entered, and you never saw +such running in all your life! They simply went like the wind, but the +chief race of all was between one bird named Sandy and one named Mongo. +They were considered the fastest runners of all. They had raced often +and often before and had always come in a tie. But this time Mongo had +been practising very hard and had been very careful not to eat anything +to hurt his wind. Sandy had been practising every day, too, but he +thought it was absurd to give up things to eat. However, Mongo had +always heard that all athletes were very careful of their eating, and, +as he had never been able to beat Sandy yet, he was bound he would try +everything he could so as to win. + +"The prize was to be a fine, great, big snake which had been captured +and killed a few days before the races were to take place." + +"Do secretary birds eat snakes?" asked Evelyn. + +"Yes," said daddy; "they practically live on them." + +"I shouldn't think that would be nice food," added Evelyn. + +"No, we don't think so," answered daddy, "but you know we eat bacon and +like it, so probably the secretary birds think it is as funny for us to +eat pigs as we do to hear of their eating snakes." + +"No," said Evelyn thoughtfully, "I suppose not. They sound +so horrid, though." + +At that moment Jack, who was growing very impatient, not caring what the +secretary birds ate, chimed in: "Daddy, please hurry and tell us who won +the race. I can hardly wait to hear. I am sure Mongo did, though." + +"No," said Evelyn; "I think Sandy did because he wasn't such an +old fuss as Mongo." + +"Well," continued daddy, "during the race all the secretary +birds shrieked in their cackling voices: 'Go it; go it! Win, +Mongo! Win, Sandy!' + +"For a few moments Mongo got quite a bit ahead, but Sandy succeeded in +catching up with him, and they passed by the goal side by side. + +"It was a splendid race, but it showed that Mongo and Sandy were really +absolutely evenly matched, so they gave a funny cackle, which meant a +laugh, and each, taking an end of the prize, said, 'We'll all have a +taste of the prize, as neither of us can win it.' + +"So they all sat down to a very jolly supper party." + + + + +THE QUARREL BETWEEN NAUGHTY LITTLE SPARROWS + + +[Illustration: One Little Bird Found a Crumb.] + +Jack and Evelyn had been feeding crumbs to the birds every day +for some time. + +"I fancy they enjoy them pretty well, don't they?" said daddy. + +"Yes; they love them," replied Evelyn. + +"Do they ever scrap over who shall get a crumb first?" added daddy. + +"No," said Jack; "they never seem to. They really are very cunning, and +they seem to be very friendly and get along beautifully." + +"Well, you know," said daddy, "the other day I saw some birds having an +awful fight. One little sparrow had found a very big crumb and was +trying to keep it all to himself." + +"Sparrows are supposed to be rather fond of fighting, aren't +they, daddy?" asked Jack. + +"They do seem to be considered crosser and to have more cranky natures +than other birds. But perhaps it's because they're always around us, and +they never have a quarrel that we don't see it. But really we ought to +be very grateful to the sparrows, for we always have them with us." + +"Yes; that's true," said Evelyn. "And they're plucky little creatures, +too, never minding bad weather, not even the very worst. But do tell us +more about the fight, daddy." + +"Another little sparrow," continued daddy, "was furious when he saw the +selfishness of the first sparrow. He completely lost his temper. He +flew at the first little sparrow and hit him with his wings just as +hard as ever he could. + +"Then a number of sparrows came and joined in the fight. Some took the +side of the first sparrow and some of the second sparrow. + +"It really might have been quite a serious battle had not an old +sparrow stepped in and pitched his voice way up in the air. He simply +shrieked at the sparrows. + +"'Stop; stop at once!' he cried. + +"All the sparrows stopped at once, for they were very much afraid of the +old sparrow. He was quite their leader, and, though he was a very jolly +old soul and would enter into all their sports, still he was quite +strict. + +"'Aren't you ashamed of yourselves, all of you,' he continued--'you, +little first sparrow, for being so selfish, and you, little second one, +for losing your temper, and the rest of you for joining in?' + +"And all the little sparrows hung their heads in shame, and they then +and there promised the old sparrow that they would never again be greedy +and selfish nor would they fight. + +"The old sparrow then looked very much relieved, for it always made him +very unhappy when the sparrows were naughty." + + + + +THE SUCCESSFUL CONCERT OF THE CHICKADEES + + +[Illustration: One Little Chickadee Sang a Solo.] + +Evelyn was very fond of little chickadees, and she was so +pleased when daddy said that he was going to tell them a story +about them that evening. + +"You know," commenced daddy, "the chickadees had a concert the other +evening for the other birds. They sent out invitations on petals of +flowers, and on the petals they made little holes with their beaks. They +made six holes, meaning that the concert would begin at 6 o'clock. +Exactly at 6 they all arrived. + +"They were all invited to perch on the nearby apple tree and pear tree, +and the chickadees hopped about on the grass below. + +"Then the concert began. First one little chickadee sang a very sweet +little solo, which won a great deal of applause. + +"The choruses were enjoyed tremendously, too, and the refrain of +'chickadee-dee-dee' was lovely, the other birds thought. + +"But, as you can imagine, the chickadee knew that it was the fashion to +have special features at concerts or at least one special feature. + +"So as a surprise, just before the last number, which was a chorus +of all the chickadees, a special feature was announced by the +leader of the concert. + +"'We are to have,' said the chickadee leader, 'a different number from +any other on the program.' + +"At this all the birds looked at one another with astonishment. + +"'We are to have,' the chickadee leader continued, 'a ballet.' + +"Now, the birds knew that in 'really real' grand opera there is usually +a ballet, but to have one at their concert was wonderful. + +"But before they had time to talk about it out came all the little +chickadees, dancing and hopping and wearing little wreaths of flowers +about their necks. Each carried a little flower in his beak, and every +flower was of a different color. + +"For some time they danced in and out of a little circle which they +made. They received constant applause. + +"It was something new and different to have a ballet dance at the +concert. The birds were very much impressed with the chickadees for +being so up to date. + +"The chickadees were delighted that their concert had been such a +success, for, as a matter of fact, they had been rather nervous in +getting up a concert when the other birds had given such beautiful +ones during the spring. They knew that their voices were not at all +lovely, but the birds had wanted to hear them, and now the chickadees +were very, very happy." + + + + +THE COLONY OF STARLINGS GIVE A BALL + + +[Illustration: They Took Little Flying Trips.] + +The birds gave concerts early every morning and sometimes, too, they +would give an extra one just after the sun went down in the afternoon. +Jack and Evelyn loved to hear the birds sing, and they told daddy that +they were really learning to know the various songs of the different +birds. + +"I have meant for some time," said daddy, "to tell you a story about a +ball the starlings gave some time ago. Now the starlings are not +singers. They can only chirp and twitter, but they love music and enjoy +hearing all the other birds. They are great friends with the robins, +and when they suggested giving a ball the robins were at once ready to +help them with it." + +"I don't believe we know what starlings are. We may have seen them and +not have known what they were," said Jack. + +"Starlings," continued daddy, "are about the same size as robins. They +are black, or they appear to be black. In reality their feathers look +different colors in different lights. But they usually appear black, as, +of course, they don't come so very near to people. They are not nearly +so tame as the robins. They have yellow beaks. And another thing about +them is that they are very fond of their own kind. They travel always in +huge flocks, for they love to be together. + +"But to continue about the ball. The starlings said that they would like +to give a party, and the robins thought it was an excellent plan. + +"So invitations were sent out to all the other birds around. And they +all accepted with great pleasure. + +"Ever so many were invited. There were the chickadees, the song +sparrows, the chipping sparrows, the orioles, the thrushes, and +even the catbirds were asked. + +"Of course, great preparations were made for the ball. The robins said +that they would give the music, for, of course, the starlings couldn't +have a ball without music. + +"And you should have seen the birds dancing. They danced until they were +completely out of breath. The robins sang lovely waltzes and they +whistled for the jigs. + +"Then, when the starlings thought that their guests had had enough of +the dancing, they suggested that they should all have some supper. They +had their supper served in little moss cups for each bird, and it did +taste so good out of such a dainty, pretty cup." + +"I suppose they had little worms, didn't they?" asked Evelyn. + +"Yes, indeed," said daddy, "but that is what they think is delicious." + + + + +ROBIN REDBREAST'S AND MISS ROBIN'S WEDDING + + +[Illustration: In a Few Minutes Mr. Robin Came.] + +"Little Miss Robin was preening her feathers and smoothing them down, +for it was the 14th of February and she had received a valentine. +Naturally she was very much excited, and she looked at her reflection +as she stood over the brook. + +"'Yes,' she said to herself, 'I am looking well to-day. I do hope Mr. +Robin Redbreast will think so too. My, what a fine bird he is! And, oh, +how lucky I am to have received a valentine from him!' + +"Now Mr. Robin Redbreast for a long time had admired Miss Robin and +thought she was the most beautiful bird he'd ever seen. And so he began +to get his valentine ready 'way back in the autumn when the trees had +turned red. He would fly from tree to tree and spend hours each day +looking for the most beautiful and perfect leaf, and he wanted it to be +a real crimson color. At last he found it and put it away in his nest, +very carefully covering it over with moss and straw to keep it well +protected and so it wouldn't fade or shrivel up at the ends. Then a few +days before Valentine's day he got a little stick which he stuck through +the red leaf, which he had pecked off into the shape of a heart, and +this was the valentine he sent to Miss Robin. Of course the stick was to +mean that his heart had been pierced by love. + +"Mr. Robin Redbreast sent his valentine by a messenger, and then he +waited what seemed hours to him before he went to call on Miss Robin, +and it seemed hours to Miss Robin, too, who had smoothed her feathers +so many times. + +"At last Miss Robin heard him singing the most beautiful song, with such +high notes it seemed as if they almost reached the sky. And, oh, how +proud Miss Robin was to feel that such a beautiful singer was to be her +mate! + +"In a few moments Mr. Robin Redbreast came in sight and stood before her +by the brook. Miss Robin was all of a flutter with joy and nervousness. + +"'I've come,' said Mr. Robin Redbreast, 'to ask you if you'll be my wife +and come to my new nest in the apple tree.' + +"And then he sang another little song. + +"'I would love to, I would love to!' chirped Miss Robin. + +"'We'll be married to-day, then,' said Mr. Robin Redbreast, 'for I've +invited the guests.' + +"Then he gave a long call. At that, from far and near, countless robins +flew down and hovered around. + +"Mr. Robin Redbreast and his bride flew to the branch of a nearby tree, +and all the others perched about them singing such merry, happy songs. + +"And then they all went back to Mr. Robin Redbreast's nest, where a +banquet awaited them of fat, juicy worms." + + + + +THE TAME CANARY BIRD AND HIS MISTRESS + + +[Illustration: He Walked on Her Hand.] + +Daddy had heard that afternoon the story of a very tame canary bird. +The little girl who owned the bird, and who was a friend of Jack and +Evelyn, had told daddy about her little pet. So when daddy got home in +the evening he was ready at once to tell the story of the little bird. + +"I am going to tell you about the little bird Elizabeth has. Her daddy +gave him to her several weeks ago, and he is just as tame as tame can +be," said daddy. "She has named him Bubsie, and he knows his name too, +for whenever she calls 'Bubsie!' he replies with a little 'Peep, peep!' + +"Every morning, bright and early, he wakes up and begins to sing the +most beautiful songs. He sings so steadily that Elizabeth says it is a +surprise to her that he doesn't burst his little throat. + +"After Elizabeth gets up she always gives him a little piece of apple +before she begins her breakfast. She puts it on her finger between two +wires of the cage, and he hops right over on his little bar and takes +it from her finger. + +"The next thing is his bath, which he takes soon after breakfast. He +loves that. He spatters the water about and has just the best time in +the world. He acts as if it were the most wonderful game. After his bath +he has a treat of delicious lettuce to eat, and then he sits in the sun +and smoothes down his feathers. + +"In his cage there is a swing, and he swings on it and hops from one +perch to the other. In fact, he has a fine romp. He usually does this +right after his bath, for then he feels so energetic. + +[Illustration: "IN THE AFTERNOONS ELIZABETH LETS HIM OUT OF HIS +CAGE."--_Page 44_] + +"In the afternoons Elizabeth lets him out of his cage. Of course she +sees first that there are no windows up or doors ajar before she opens +the door of the cage. When the cage door is open Bubsie flies out and +makes a tour of the room. How he does enjoy flying around and +perching back of the different pictures and on the window-sill. The +thing he likes more than anything else is to play with Elizabeth. He +perches on her shoulder and walks around on her hand. And he loves to +tease her too, for if there are any flowers in the room he will fly over +to them, peck at them and begin munching at them. Then he won't let +Elizabeth catch him. He thinks this a huge joke, and he always flies to +some high spot in the room and begins to sing. + +"Elizabeth told me any number of tales of the tricks that he does, but +she told me to invite you two children to come and see her, and then she +promises you that Bubsie will entertain you." + +"Oh, that's fine!" said Evelyn. "Do you suppose we can go to-morrow?" + +"Yes, I think so," said daddy, "for, as a matter of fact, I believe I +told her to expect you both to-morrow." + +"Hurrah!" shouted the children. "You always think of such nice things +for us to do." + + + + +THE PET BIRD OF THE WARD + + +[Illustration: The Bird Sat on His Hand.] + +"Well," said daddy, "I suppose you are ready for your story, and this +evening I am going to tell you about a little boy I saw as I passed by a +ward in a hospital I was visiting to-day." + +Jack and Evelyn sat up and listened eagerly, as they loved to hear about +other little boys and girls. + +"This little boy," daddy continued, "was in the bed nearest the door I +passed, and I noticed him particularly because on a table near his bed +was a large cage containing a small yellow canary bird. I asked the +nurse if pets were allowed in the ward and why this little boy +especially wanted a bird. She told me that the little boy was an orphan +and had been brought into the hospital one day, having been run over by +a motorcycle. He was very much injured, and they expected he would die +any minute. He was brave and scarcely moaned, but whenever the nurse +would stop by his bed he would beg her to send for his bird, which was +at the orphans' home. The nurse gently would explain that pets were not +allowed in the hospital. One night his fever became very high, and in +his rambling talk he begged for his canary. The doctor, who was a very +kind-hearted man, told the nurse to send for the bird, as the little boy +would not live more than a few days, and if the bird would give him such +great happiness they might be able to break a rule in his case. + +"So the bird was sent for, and instead of dying the little boy began to +grow better each day, and the bird's singing entertained and gave +pleasure to the other patients in the ward. The bird was very tame, and +when the little boy opened the cage door he would hop out and over the +bed-quilt and perch on the little boy's hand. + +"The canary made friends with every one. He was not at all afraid of the +grave doctors who came in every little while to see how the sick people +were getting along. Especially was he friendly with the little boy's +nurse, who fed him lumps of sugar. + +"I stepped inside the room and asked the little boy how long he had had +the bird. 'Oh,' he said, 'a lady who came to visit the orphans' home +gave him to me when I was ill in bed with mumps! That was six years ago, +and he has been such a friend to me ever since. His name is Mumps, too, +as I thought his chest looked as fat as my cheeks, and the name has +always clung to him. He adores flowers, and whenever a patient has any, +Mumps flies over and pulls off the petals and eats them.'" + +"Oh," said Evelyn as daddy paused, "I wish I could have a canary!" + +"Well, maybe I'll bring you one to-morrow," replied daddy. + +"And I'll help you feed him," said Jack. + + + + +THE EAGLE'S PRIDE AS THE BIRD OF FREEDOM + + +[Illustration: The Eagle Was Flying Overhead.] + +Of course, as you can imagine, Jack and Evelyn had been buying all +sorts and all sizes of firecrackers. + +"I think the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the whole +year," said Jack. + +"Yes," said Evelyn, "so do I, except possibly Christmas and +our birthdays." + +"I suppose," said daddy, "that you two children will be up bright and +early to-morrow morning, and I have my very great suspicions that your +clothes are all ready to be put on in the morning instead of having to +waste any time in thinking what you will wear. + +"I hardly think I had better tell a story to-night," said daddy, "for +you two ought to get some sleep. I am afraid by the time I finish you +may suggest that instead of it being the time for going to bed it is the +time for getting up." + +"Oh, no," said both the children. "Please tell us a little story." + +"Yes," said daddy, "I don't believe I can let a single night go by +without a story, not even the Fourth of July eve. + +"Well, once upon a time--" + +"Daddy," chimed in Jack, "I never heard you begin a story that way +before." + +"You see, this is a special occasion, so I am allowed these favors. + +"But, to continue, there was once a great big eagle who was flying +overhead on the Fourth of July, and when he saw all the firecrackers +going off and heard all the noise and saw the parade with the flags +flying and the band playing, he said: + +"'To think that I belong to the family that is taken as the +representative of all that. I mean freedom and liberty and all those +wonderful things. My great-great-grandfathers may not have fought for +freedom as the great-great-grandfathers of the little boys and girls +who are to-day firing off firecrackers did, but they flew overhead and +said to the winds, which whispered it to the soldiers: + +"'"The eagles are free--you must be free." And the soldiers whispered +back to the winds: + +"'"Yes, as the eagles are free in the air above, so will we be free on +this land below."' + +"So, no wonder the eagle is more than proud of being the bird of freedom +and the emblem of the United States." + + + + +WHAT THE BIRDS THOUGHT OF THE FOURTH OF JULY + + +[Illustration: They Fired Them Off Quickly.] + +It was the day after the Fourth of July, and daddy told the children +that he must surely tell them about the little birds and what they +thought of the wonderful Independence Day. + +"Didn't they like it?" asked Evelyn. + +"No," said daddy. "They were not so very happy yesterday, but I will +tell you all about it, for it is quite a long story. + +"You see, some of the older birds knew what the Fourth of July meant. +They thought it was splendid to belong to such a fine, free country +during all the other days of the year, but on the Fourth of July they +did not feel so patriotic. They would have liked it very much if all the +little boys and girls had sung songs, but the noise of the firecrackers +they thought was most disturbing. + +"There were no places where they could go that they didn't find children +with firecrackers. Even in front of the farm-houses the children seemed +to have firecrackers enough to last them for years. + +"The old birds decided that if they went way off in the woods for the +day they might get away from all the noise, so they planned to start +before dawn. They went, but at the first place they thought of stopping +and giving a nice little bird concert, they found a picnic party of +children. They waited for a moment until the children unpacked their +baskets. But the goodies were not nearly so numerous as the +firecrackers. + +"So the birds moved on again, and again they found a picnic party and +were at a loss what to do. + +"The old birds were grumbling and making every one around feel just as +'grumbly' as they were, when a little song sparrow, who had been keeping +very quiet during all the fuss, said: + +"'Now, look here, I think it is pretty mean of us to grumble while all +the little boys and girls are having such a good time. It is right for +them to be patriotic, and we should not grumble about the noise they +make one day in the year, when we are singing fit to burst our throats +every morning just at sunrise. Besides, we should be more appreciative, +for we love this free air, and we should feel proud that we can fly +about and enjoy it. And, above everything else, think of the times in +the spring when those little girls and boys threw crumbs to us when it +was chilly, and how often in the hot days of summer we find little +drinking-tins in the trees filled with cool water.' + +"And all the birds suddenly thought how perfectly right the song sparrow +was, and they gave their concert, pretending that the big cannon +crackers were huge chords of music accompanying their solos and +choruses." + + + + +MR. NIGHTINGALE'S NEW FRIEND MR. BLACKBIRD + + +[Illustration: "Nice old lady will hear our voices."] + +"I heard a story the other day," said daddy, "a quite true story. Mr. +Nightingale had built too large a nest. + +"After a while he thought of a visitor he would like to have all the +time, and off he started on his travels. + +"As he went along, flying as fast as he could, he kept thinking to +himself how very lonely he had been of late. + +"At last he reached the spot he had chosen for resting. It was in a +blackbird's bay. There were many low bushes and shrubs and berry trees +in this bay, and in the marshy water were quantities of pond-lilies. + +"Soon a very fine bird--black as black could be, and very shiny, just as +if he'd polished his wings with shoe-blacking--perched on a bush beside +the one where Mr. Nightingale was resting. + +"'Did you come to hear us sing or talk or scream?' asked the blackbird. + +"Mr. Nightingale sang a little opening song and then began to talk +to the blackbird. + +"'Mr. Blackbird,' he said, 'you're a handsome fellow, and you're very +smart. I've heard a secret about your family. Many have done what you +will do. You must try. That's all.' And again Mr. Nightingale sang a +song. + +"'What do you mean, Mr. Nightingale? Your song is lovely, but your talk +is very, very queer.' And Mr. Blackbird shook his head sadly. + +"'Well, I mean you to come to my nest. It's too big for me. It's fitted +out perfectly--all the latest improvements--fresh water to drink +supplied by my water man, Mr. Showers, and new worms each day my +children bring to my nest in plenty of time for breakfast--and our rooms +are both shady and sunny. In fact, it's a very superior home. But in +the house nearby lives a dear old lady and I want her to be given a +treat. She has gone away on a visit and when she comes back I want you +to be singing duets with me.' + +"'What?' shouted the blackbird. 'I'm to sing with you?' + +"'Most certainly. Many blackbirds have copied our voices so that you +wouldn't be able to tell us apart if you couldn't see us. The nice old +lady will hear our voices and think that there are two of me! When she +sees that one is you, she'll think you're a smart bird--that's what +she'll think. Besides, I want a companion and I like you.' + +"'Well, I never heard so many reasons in all my life,' said the +blackbird. 'But I'll go just as soon as I get my suitcase packed. There +are several little delicacies from the bay I'd like to bring along.' And +Mr. Blackbird stopped to put some red berries and other goodies in his +straw bag. Then off they went, and Mr. Blackbird really did learn to +sing just like Mr. Nightingale." + + + + +MR. PLAIN SPARROW CALLS ON DUCKS + + +[Illustration: "Would you like to join us?"] + +"It was such a hot day yesterday," said daddy, "that Mr. Plain Sparrow +simply could not get cool. You see he never goes away in the winter and +so he gets used to really cold weather. On a day as hot as it was +yesterday he simply doesn't know what to do with himself. He called +himself Mr. Plain Sparrow because that was exactly what he was. He was +just a plain, ordinary sparrow, and he thought it such a wise thing to +call himself that--and not put on any silly frills. He prided himself +on being sensible. + +"'If there's anything in this world I hate,' he said, 'it's pretending +to be what a creature is not.' And so he called himself by the name of +Mr. Plain Sparrow, and his wife was Mrs. Plain Sparrow, and his +children were the Plain Sparrow Children. + +"'I think,' he said, 'that I will take a walk or a fly to the duck pond +in the park nearby. Yes, it seems to me that's an excellent scheme. I +would like to see those ducks, for they're right smart creatures, and I +like to hear their funny quack-quack talk.' + +"'What are you up to, ducks?' he called, as he flew over the pond, and +then perched on a small bush that was at one side. + +"'We're well,' said the ducks. 'We're enjoying a cooling drink between +swims. Would you like to join us? It's just tea time.' + +"'Tea time, eh?' said Mr. Plain Sparrow. 'And would you give a fellow a +good, fat worm in place of bread and butter and cake?' + +"'Quack-quack! ha, ha!' laughed the ducks. 'We don't like bread and +butter and cake. But we can't get the worm for you just now, as we're +not very good at digging on such a hot day!' + +"'Well, then, how about my digging for a couple of them, and then +joining all you nice ducks when you're ready to have your tea?' + +"'Splendid idea,' quacked the ducks. And off went Mr. Plain Sparrow to a +soft place in the earth where he thought there would be some good worms. + +"Pretty soon he came back with some fine ones, and he sat on his perch +and ate them, while the ducks nibbled at their food, and had drinks of +pond water, which they called tea. Mr. Plain Sparrow flew down and took +sips of water by the side of the pond, and in one very shallow place he +had some nice showerbaths while the ducks were having swims. And before +he left he told the ducks what a good time he had had, and how nice and +cool he felt. + +"'Well, you're so friendly we're glad you came,' quacked the ducks once +again." + + + + +FARMER'S SCARECROW PROTECTS A CORN-FIELD + + +[Illustration: "It's a man."] + +"To-night," said daddy, "we are going to have the story of the meeting +of the brownies, crows, and old Mr. Scarecrow. The crows had been giving +feasts in a corn-field almost every morning bright and early before any +of the big people who lived in the nearby farm-house were up. Such +feasts as they did have! And one day they asked the brownies if they +wouldn't come to their next one. + +"'Caw-caw,' said the crows together. + +"'Where are we going?' asked one of the brownies teasingly, for they had +been going around and around in circles and hadn't reached any place. + +"'I don't quite know,' said Black Crown Crow, 'it's a question which is +very hard to decide.' + +"'But we thought you had chosen a special spot,' said one of the +brownies. + +"Black Crown Crow looked very sad, and his black wings seemed to droop. +'It's that guest I never asked. He's causing all the trouble. How very +rude it is of folks to come to a feast who aren't invited, and to arrive +before us, too. It's very e-x-a-s-p-e-r-a-t-i-n-g!' + +"'Who is he?' shouted the brownies, for every little while Black Crown +Crow had gone ahead and then had come back. In these little trips he had +seen right in the center of the corn-field a man--a real man, he +thought, with a hat and a coat and trousers and boots--and carrying +something which he couldn't quite make out. It was either a great huge +stick--or worse still--it was a gun. He shivered whenever he thought of +that awful word gun. + +"'Caw-caw,' again shrieked Black Crown Crow, 'it's a man and he has a +gun--I'm sure it's a gun. Now the rudeness of him! As if we wanted a +man and a gun at our corn feast!' + +"'Oh, it was to have been a corn feast, and now the man has stopped it,' +laughed one of the brownies. 'Well, such a joke! But to show you how +nice we'll be when we're here ready for a party which can't take place, +we'll give a nice party ourselves.' + +"And the brownies scampered about a little grove near the corn-field, +and there they made a bonfire over which they cooked some corn-meal +which they had carried with them in their bags. They knew all along, +ever since they'd started, where the crows wanted them to go for the +feast, and they also knew that the farmer had made that scarecrow in his +corn-field to frighten off Black Crown Crow and his followers. + +"The brownies made a fine feast, but how they did chuckle among +themselves that the pole dressed up as a man had succeeded in saving +the corn for the people of the farm-house." + + + + +THE BRAVE BROWN SPARROWS IN WINTER + + +[Illustration: One Bird Seemed to be the Leader.] + +"You know," said daddy, "I saw such a strange thing to-day in the city." + +"Tell us about it," said Jack. + +"What was it?" asked Evelyn, who was always interested in +whatever daddy had to say. + +"Well," continued daddy, "in a tree in the park lots and lots of little +sparrows were roosting. It was, of course, a perfectly bare tree without +a leaf on it, and they were huddled together, keeping each other warm. + +"I watched them for quite a time. There was one sparrow who looked the +leader. He did most of the chirping and was apparently telling all the +others what they must do and giving all sorts of directions. He chirped +almost constantly for ten minutes, and then he flew down from the tree +and hopped along the ground. He picked up crumb after crumb, and then +when he had as many as he could carry in his beak he flew up in the tree +again and left them on a branch where there was a kind of hole in which +to put them. He was evidently showing all the other birds just what to +do, for in a minute or two any number of them flew down to the ground +and began to pick up crumbs. + +"It was wonderful to see how many they could find, for I myself could +hardly see any, and all the time he kept chirping to the others and +telling them what to do. + +"This kept up for some time, for the birds would fly back and forth, +just picking up goodies and then putting them up in the tree. Meantime a +lot of other birds who had stayed up in the tree were fixing them on the +branch and dividing them all evenly." + +"Didn't they eat any of them?" asked Evelyn. + +"Yes. After quite awhile they all flew back to the tree again, and once +more they huddled together and had the most marvelous meal. You see, it +was their dinner time, and they all had it together at the same time to +make it more sociable. From all the cries of joy and the noise I fancy +they were having a pretty good time of it and enjoying themselves +immensely. In fact, I think they almost forgot how cold it was." + +"I think it's wonderful," said Evelyn, "how well the birds can +look after themselves, for it must be pretty hard sometimes, +especially in the winter." + +"Yes," said daddy, "it is, but these birds seemed so happy together and +to be having such a good time. After dinner was over they all chased +each other from one tree to another in the park and played tag and had a +beautiful time. So I think really birds and animals are smart and brave +to be able to look after themselves and their little ones so well." + + + + +WHAT THE RAINBOW THINKS OF THE WORLD + + +[Illustration: Smacked Their Little Beaks.] + +"The fairies were giving a luncheon party for the birds, and they wanted +to have a great, big surprise," said daddy. "The birds which were +invited were the robins, the orioles, the bluejays, the humming-birds. + +"'Now, birdies,' said the fairy queen, 'I'm going to ask the king of +the clouds to this luncheon, so we'll have plenty of delicious +rain-water to drink.' + +"Of course, the fairy queen had told the king of the clouds that she +didn't want him to send his army of raindrops to the earth--for an army +would make it pour too hard and they couldn't have any fun at the +luncheon. She just wanted some of the big, big drops to come down and +fill the little stones she had at the places for the birds so that they +could have delicious water at her party--but she didn't want to make it +so wet they'd get their beautiful feathers drenched--just a nice little +shower was what she wanted. + +"The king of the clouds had promised, and he had told the raindrops just +what to do and just how many could go down on the earth. + +"The birds enjoyed the delicious luncheon the fairies gave them, and, of +course, they loved their fresh drinks of water. + +"'Now for our surprise,' shouted the fairies, after the luncheon was +over. 'We're to have two famous guests to-day. This is to be a really +real day! And we're to have them both at the same time--and we're to +have another treat, too. Guess, birds, what are we going to have? Guess, +guess, guess!' For the fairies were so excited they kept repeating +themselves over and over again. + +"But before the birds had time to do more than twitter and chirp among +themselves as to what the great surprise was going to be, who should +appear, right along with the raindrops, but Mr. Sun, and then over a +hill came the most beautiful rainbow with all the glorious colors the +fairies admire so much. + +"And then you should have heard the singing of the birds. Every one of +them had a glorious voice, and the chorus was the loveliest the fairies +had ever heard. As for Mr. Sun, he beamed and shone with might and main. + +"'Well, hello, raindrops,' he said. 'I'm mighty glad to see you. It's +not often we meet, but the fairy queen can make all of us friendly--even +the sun and the rain.' + +"And the raindrops came on down to the earth very gently, but without +stopping, while back of it all the rainbow leaned down over the +hill and whispered: + +"'Isn't this a wonderful world? There are fairies, birds, the sun, fresh +water to drink. I'm so glad I am here.'" + + + + +EAGLES AND RAVENS + + +[Illustration: He is Very Brave.] + +"Some white-tailed eagles were boasting one day of their bravery," +commenced daddy. "They were also saying how fine they were in every way +and that their very name meant something splendid and free and strong. + +"As a matter of fact, though the white-tailed eagles won't admit it, +they are less brave than any of the eagle families. + +"The ravens are not kindly at all and they love to fight. They had often +thought it would be great sport to have those 'silly white-tailed +eagles,' as they called them, admit that they were not brave and have +their leader beg for mercy from General Raven. + +"And, as you can imagine, when Brother Black Raven heard the eagles +boasting he knew it was high time to begin and frighten them. + +"So he called all the ravens together. Some of them were having their +naps, but as soon as Brother Black Raven called them, up they got in a +great hurry, spread their wings and drilled a little bit just like +soldiers. Only instead of marching they flew. + +"As General Raven came near the nest of the white-tailed eagles, he said +in a very queer, croaking sort of voice: + +"'Good-morning!' That was rather mean of him to say, for, of course, he +didn't really wish them a 'Good-morning.' + +"'Do you want to fight?' asked General Raven. + +"Still not a sound from the eagles. There was a slight fluster and +trembling, which the ravens could hear and which made them grin with +delight, but the eagles never said a word. They didn't even look at the +ravens! For they were so frightened they didn't dare look at them, and +they kept thinking, 'Oh, won't those awful ravens and their ugly old +general go away?' The eagles, of course, thought the ravens were very +ugly because they were so afraid of them. + +"'For the last time, do you want to fight us, eh?' asked General +Raven. And still the eagles said not a word--nor made a sound. 'Well, +let me say then for all of us,' said General Raven, 'that we think +you're very cowardly, and we heard you talking before we came of your +bravery. We wouldn't fight you because you're afraid of us, but you'll +have to admit it after this,' and with a deep chuckle off went General +Raven and his followers. + +"The eagles did not go on boasting, but they were very contented that +the ravens had gone away!" + + + + +THE EAGLES WHO WERE ALWAYS STILL + + +[Illustration: He Put the Book Before Him.] + +"In the house where Kenneth lived there was a chair which had always +fascinated him. It was a very, very old chair, and Kenneth's mother and +daddy were very proud of it," said daddy to Jack and Evelyn. "Kenneth's +daddy had bought it at a sale of old and curious things. It was a Roman +chair, and on either side were two heads of eagles. These four heads in +all always made Kenneth wonder, for they looked so very life-like. He +used to imagine that even little wooden eagles must get very tired of +always being just the same. + +"Really it often made Kenneth quite sad to watch them. One afternoon +Kenneth went to a party. A little school chum of his had given it. It +had been a very nice party. But, oh, he did feel so tired, for they had +played blind man's buff, bull in the ring, squat tag, and other games. + +"When Kenneth came home from the party it was not quite his bedtime, but +secretly in his heart he was hoping it would come soon, for he had made +up his mind that he wasn't going to bed until his bedtime. + +"He got a book from the library shelf. It was full of pictures of +sailors and pirates and ships, because if anything would keep him awake +that would. He sat down with it on the Roman chair. + +"Strangely enough, though, after a moment or two, he didn't seem to see +pirates, and the sea began to look very much more like the surface of a +chair. Soon the pirates disappeared entirely, and the four eagles of the +Roman chair were looking at him steadily. + +"'You're terribly tired, aren't you?' said the first eagle. + +"'Yes; I'm a little tired,' Kenneth admitted. + +[Illustration: "'WE'VE BEEN ON THIS CHAIR SO LONG,' SAID THE FOURTH +EAGLE."--_Page 75_] + +"'Well, you're not as tired as we are,' said the second eagle. + +"'No, indeed!' said the third eagle. 'You're only tired because you've +played so many games. We're tired because we're always still.' + +"Kenneth listened eagerly, because he'd so often thought just what +he was hearing. 'Yes,' said Kenneth very sympathetically; 'I should +think you would be very dull. I've often thought that. Have you been +there a long time?' + +"'Oh, ages and ages!' replied the fourth eagle, who up to this time +hadn't spoken. 'We were very old before your daddy got us. We've been on +this chair so long. We can't remember how long. And what makes us feel +so sad is that we are called eagles and should fly and yet are forever +glued to this chair.' + +"'Kenneth, Kenneth,' cried Kenneth's mother, 'it's long past bedtime!' + +"'Oh, I am not so tired as the eagles are!' said Kenneth. And Kenneth's +mother wondered if he was talking in his sleep." + + + + +THE BOBOLINKS HAVE A TEA PARTY + + +[Illustration: Who Should Arrive but Fairies.] + +"The other day," commenced daddy, "the bobolinks had an afternoon tea. + +"The tea party was given for the meadow larks. The bobolinks are great +friends of the meadow larks and they wanted to be the first this season +to entertain them. Besides, most of the bobolinks had new summer homes +and their colony was near a beautiful stream. + +"You know the bobolinks always build their homes in the meadows--but +they build very near a stream and their homes are always deep down +in the long grass. + +"They had all come to live in Waving Grassland for the summer--that is, +all the bobolinks who always moved about together in the summer and +winter--and many of their friends, the meadow larks, were on hand to +greet them. A number of others were going to arrive in a few +days--before the tea party. + +"Now Waving Grassland was very beautiful country. The meadows were very +large and the grass was so beautiful and so long that it always waved +in the soft breezes, so that the bobolinks named their new summer +place Waving Grassland. + +"And so the bobolinks made all their preparations for the tea party. The +guests arrived dressed up in their best new summer plumage. The meadow +larks came first, as they were the guests of honor. + +"The red-breasted grosbeak family were all there looking too lovely for +words. And the bluejays, downy woodpeckers, the orioles, the thrush +family, the chipping sparrows, the robins, the indigo birds--and even +the shy vireos ventured forth. Of course, usually they hate parties, but +they loved the stream nearby and the beautiful country the bobolinks +were living in, and they thought at least once a year they ought to be a +little bit sociable and friendly with their neighbors. + +"After they had all chatted together--to us it would have sounded more +like chirping--the bobolinks began to serve tea. + +"They had spring water for their tea--the water from the cool stream +which had a deep spring within it. And this tea they served in little +moss-covered stones. That gave it the most delicious flavor, and all the +birds asked the bobolinks where they had found such good tea. You know +in birdland they don't ask each other where anything is bought, but +where it is found! And the bobolinks told their secret. + +"But as they were drinking cup after cup--or stoneful after stoneful--of +tea, who should arrive but all the fairies! + +"The birds greeted the fairies with their best songs--or their way of +saying 'We're so glad to see you'--and the bobolinks trilled with joy +because they had arranged this lovely surprise for their guests." + + + + +A HAPPY DAY IN BIRDLAND + + +"The birds," said daddy, "found a new room for breakfast. It was in a +row of bushes--and the bushes were berry bushes. + +"One day as they were having the best sort of a time eating, who +should look down at them but the king of the clouds. He looked +quite dark and solemn. + +"'Te-wit,' said one little bird, and another said, + +"'Tr-r-r-i-l-l.' + +"'How about some water to drink?' asked the king of the clouds. 'Some +nice, fresh water?' + +"The birds began chirping for all they were worth. The grown-ups said, +'Listen to the noise the birds are making. It must be going to +rain--they're crying for water.' + +"And sure enough, they were begging the king of the clouds to send some +of his army of raindrops down to the earth. + +"'Please, please, please, Cloud King, send us rain-water,' +chirped the birds. + +"'All right,' roared the cloud king. 'I will.' + +"'But we don't want thunder,' said the birds. 'We want to stay out, and +we're afraid of thunder. Won't you send us a good old-fashioned shower?' + +"And the cloud king called, 'Raindrops, raindrops, come and patter down +to the earth. But gently, little raindrops. And when you see the beak of +a little bird open, one small raindrop must walk inside.' + +"Down came the raindrops very softly and gently to the earth. + +"'Children,' called Mother Robin, 'come for your baths in these hollow +stones. They're filled with water.' + +"All around the mother birds were calling the little ones to their +baths. + +"'Oh,' said one little robin as he ducked his head into the water, and +then shook all over and spattered it about, 'how nice a bath does feel.' + +"The cloud king looked so bright and happy, that the mother birds were +afraid it would stop raining. 'Don't stop, Cloud King,' they chirped. + +"'I won't,' said the cloud king. And the birds twittered and sang and +wet their little throats with the delicious rain-water. + +"After the cloud king and his army of raindrops had been working for +quite a long time, one of the birds noticed that the new breakfast room +in the berry bushes was getting very wet. + +"'It will spoil our berries for breakfast, I'm afraid,' he said. + +"But the berries whispered back, + +"'No; we like the rain too. We needed some water to drink. And more of +us will come to-morrow. Your breakfast will be better than ever.' + +"So all day long the rain kept up gently. When it was almost bedtime who +should appear but old Mr. Sun. + +"'Shall I dry your little feathers?' he said to the birds. + +"And every little bird in birdland was warm and dry and happy when he +tucked his head under his wing that night." + + + + +THE ROBINS' SPRING CONCERT + + +[Illustration: The Grand Opera Chorus.] + +"The robins gave their spring concert the other morning for the +fairies," said daddy. "They give one every year just after most of their +family have arrived for the summer. It is one of the biggest events of +the spring in fairyland, and they are so excited about it for days ahead +that they can talk about nothing else. They've practised so hard and so +long lately that the day has been quite far gone many a time, when some +little robin has been trying over and over again some important trill +which he was going to sing alone. + +"But the concert was given just at dawn. Mr. Sun came out for it, +looking as fine as any king with a very dazzling golden crown on his +head. Then the dew-drops came and had reserved seats on the little +blades of grass. Some of the early butterflies were invited, and the +little spring garden flowers opened their sleepy eyes and waved about, +keeping time with the music. + +"First of all was the grand opening chorus. Mr. Robin Redbreast had a +little stick with which he beat time, and all the robins sang a fine +song which he had made up himself. + +"Then came the solos. Miss Robin Redbreast sang a beautiful song +all by herself. + +"Then two little brother robins sang a song together--they called it a +'duet,' which was very funny. They acted as they sang, and made all the +fairies and the other guests at the concert laugh hard. + +"But best of all was the band. It was a new band the robins had just +started, and they were very proud of it. It was a great surprise to the +fairies, for they didn't know the robins had a band. As you can guess, +the robins had worked hard for a big surprise for the fairies. Ten +little robins played the drums, which were tiny twigs from the apple +tree. There were little spring leaves through which some of the others +whistled tunes, and the rest played on horn-shaped flowers. + +"After the concert was finished and the fairies had clapped and +clapped and waved their wands with delight, and the little robins had +bowed and bowed--and fallen down, sometimes making too low bows--they +all had breakfast. Such a breakfast! The most luscious of worms were +given the little robins and a special dish was made for the fairies of +spring porridge, which Grandmother Robin had made, and which the +fairies called 'Delicious.'" + + + + +THE CROWS AT THE FAIRIES' BALL + + +[Illustration: They Promised to Wait on Guests.] + +"The fairies had one of their fine balls just two evenings ago," +said daddy. + +"Among their guests were the brownies, elves, gnomes, many of the +birds, butterflies, humming-birds, red lizards, grasshoppers, and +crickets. The crickets had arranged to sing for the dancing and the +humming-birds said they would hum the tunes all the time that the +crickets sang. The robins sang some extra songs, and, of course, the +other birds joined in the chorus. + +"Then came supper time. The table was made of daisies and moss, and such +delicacies! Well, it would have made your mouth water! + +"They had the goodies that every guest would enjoy most. Not a guest +was forgotten. There were even little worms for the birds--and the +other guests didn't mind at all, as they knew the robins and orioles +and other bird guests loved little worms. They were given to the birds +in special dishes made of grass. + +"But just as all the guests sat down to supper the fairy queen said: +'Come, all my fine waiters!' And as she said this she waved her wand +high in the air. + +"Then from far and near the blackest of black crows flew down and +alighted all around the table. They had promised the fairy queen to be +just as good as good could be, and to wait on all the guests before +they had anything at all to eat. They were quite willing to do this, +for they had never been invited to a ball given by the fairies before +and they were highly flattered. + +"They all had had their black suits polished and brushed with the +greatest care and they wore very fine aprons and hats made of green +leaves. Every time a guest said 'Thank you' when anything was passed, a +crow would say, 'Caw-caw,' which means 'You're welcome.' + +"The crows always say 'Caw-caw' to almost everything, but it is just +the tone they use that makes the 'Caw-caw' mean something quite +different each time they want it to. At the end of the supper, after the +crows had had a feast, too, the fairy queen asked them if they wouldn't +sing the old, old song about blackbirds being baked in a pie. + +"At first the crows looked a bit sad, but then they said: 'Why, of +course, we'll be happy to sing it. It's lots of fun to sing about such +things after we have had a feast and know quite well that the fairy +queen wouldn't bake us in a pie.' + +"How the guests did laugh to hear the crows singing about blackbirds +being baked in a pie--and stopping every minute to shout out, 'Not us, +though, oh, no!'--and the fairy queen was delighted." + + + + +THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SICK SNOWBIRD + + +[Illustration: The Bird Began to Recover.] + +Daddy had been encouraging Jack and Evelyn to feed the little birds +that came outside the window. So one evening when it was time for +their story he told them about the Christmas a little snowbird had +had the year before. + +"He was a very self-willed little fellow," commenced daddy, "and he +thought no one knew so much about life as he did. During the autumn he +had become very chummy with the sparrows. His daddy and mother didn't +like that much, as they were afraid he would become as rude and noisy as +the sparrows were. + +"When the cold weather came the snowbirds decided to leave, but the +little wilful snowbird was nowhere to be found. 'Where could he have +gone?' asked Mother Snowbird, and daddy said, 'Oh, probably he left this +morning with the robins and wrens, for I saw him playing with them!' +That eased Mother Snowbird's fears, and off they started. + +"When the little snowbird saw that his family had flown away he came out +from his hiding-place. He really felt a little homesick and was sorry he +hadn't gone, too; but, of course, he didn't dare admit it, for the +sparrows had told him only stupid children were obedient. They admired +his naughty disobedience and thought it was a great joke to worry his +family. + +"A few weeks went by, and the days became colder and colder. One night +he felt so cold and so unhappy that he flew away from the sparrows, +expecting to die any moment. + +"The next morning he was found, half dead, by a little girl. She took +him in her house, warmed his frozen feet and fed him bits of crumbs and +drops of water. Slowly he began to recover. + +"It was the day before Christmas, and he was perched on the window-sill +in the sun, when, to his huge joy, he saw Daddy and Mother Snowbird +outside the window. He flew against the window-glass. The little girl +came rushing into the room to see what the trouble was. She was sure +from his joyous actions that the other two snowbirds were his daddy and +mother, so she opened the window, and the little bird flew out. + +"'Oh, dear, we've been so frightened!' said Mother Snowbird. + +"'Yes,' said Daddy Snowbird; 'we've been on ever so many trips looking +for you, but now we'll hurry down home and fly fast, so as not to get +cold, and then we'll be there in time for Christmas day. All the little +birds will be there waiting for the Christmas party.' + +"You may be quite sure the little snowbird never had a happier +Christmas, and he realized that the older birds knew what was best +for him." + + + + +A SPARROW CALLS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS + + +[Illustration: Mr. Hippopotamus Was Having His Bath.] + +"The hippopotamus who lived in the zoo had a very strange caller the +other day," said daddy. + +"Into the animal house flew a sparrow. The keeper called out to him: + +"'Where are you going, sparrow?' But the sparrow did not answer. He flew +right through the animal house until he reached Mr. Hippopotamus' cage. +Mr. Hippopotamus was having his bath, and he would not be interrupted. + +"The sparrow was rather annoyed that Mr. Hippopotamus didn't want to +come right out of the water to talk to him, and he scolded from his +perch on the wire of the cage. There he sat scolding away, and the +hippopotamus kept on splashing and spluttering as he took his bath. + +"Soon the hippopotamus came up from the water and sat in the corner of +his cage, and the sparrow hopped over to a wire a little nearer. + +"'Mr. Sparrow, I am sorry to be late for your call,' said the +hippopotamus, 'but the truth is I wanted to look my best.' And his +great, long, funny old face grinned, and he showed his big teeth. + +"'That's all right,' cheerfully chirped the sparrow. 'I have plenty of +time to-day. My family have gone a-shopping for bread crumbs which they +find every day in a certain back-yard. And I have nothing to do. I've +come to tell you the news of the world outside.' + +"So the sparrow told Mr. Hippopotamus all about the wild scampers the +sparrows had been having. He told about their quarrels and how they had +made up again. And he bragged about their friends and relations, the +song sparrows, who had been very friendly this year. + +"When Mr. Sparrow began to be boastful, the old hippopotamus said: + +"'You think I'm finer than my cousins in that cage over there?' And Mr. +Hippopotamus pointed to some other members of his family. They were very +much smaller and their coats looked just like chocolate. 'And,' he went +on, 'when the children see those silly cousins of mine they always say, +"Why, they look just like tins of chocolate taffy left to cool." They +never can say anything quite so stupid about me.' + +"'Well,' said Mr. Sparrow, 'I must be off now, as it's time the bread +crumbs and the family were coming home.' He spoke about the bread crumbs +first, you notice. 'But I'll come and see you soon again, old hippo,' +and the little sparrow flew off." + + + + +THE ROBINS COME TO THE RESCUE + + +[Illustration: Saving the Little Birds from Danger.] + +The honeysuckles were beginning to bud. Already the humming-birds were +hovering near and had built a nest right in the heart of the vine. This +vine was in a nice old-fashioned garden, but near by there was a vacant +lot which was very swampy. + +"You know the garden by the vacant lot?" began daddy. + +"Yes," replied both children, "are you going to tell us a story +about that garden?" + +"I am going to tell you," said daddy, "about the mother humming-bird +whose little ones were attacked by a cruel snake when they were rescued +by the brave robins. + +"The snake had come over from the vacant field and had crawled up the +honeysuckle vine as the mother humming-bird had gone off for some food. +Some robins hovering near had seen the awful snake. They had cried out +in terror and had flown over to the nest. + +"The mother humming-bird heard the cries and hurried back, but the +robins had frightened off the snake. The snake was not a very large one, +and really he had been frightened by all the noise the robins had made, +and when he saw so many birds flying toward him he got away very +quickly. + +"The mother humming-bird got back just as the snake was leaving the +nest. + +"She couldn't thank the robins enough for flying to the rescue and +saving her beloved little ones, but the robins didn't want any thanks. +They were thankful, too, that the dear little birds had been saved, for +birds are very loyal to one another and will risk any danger to save +each other." + +"I am so glad," said Evelyn, "that the little humming-birds were saved, +for I love to see them having such a good time in the honeysuckle vines, +and the more there are of them the nicer it makes the summer seem." + +"It was brave of the robins to come to the rescue, though, wasn't it, +daddy?" + +"Indeed it was," said daddy; "but almost all animals and birds will +do anything they can to help one another, and they seem to forget +that there is such a thing as being afraid if they see any creature +in danger or distress. + +"After the mother humming-bird had recovered from the awful fright, and +after the little ones had shown that they were perfectly well and +strong, with no ill effects from their fright, the mother humming-bird +invited the robins to partake of the delicious meal she had succeeded in +getting before the cries came from the robins." + +[Illustration: "THE MOTHER HUMMING-BIRD HURRIED BACK."--_Page 95_] + + + + +MR. AND MRS. OWL'S STOREROOM + + +[Illustration: Waited on All Who Came.] + +"Two owls," commenced daddy, "lived in a soft feathered nest in the big +woods. After a time they got a little tired of talking and scolding and +hunting and midnight parties, so Mrs. Owl, who was always saving odds +and ends, thought it would make them very rich and happy if they had a +store. + +"'What,' said Mr. Owl, 'a store?' + +"'Yes,' replied Mrs. Owl, as she smoothed her feathers and polished +her back with a bit of bark. 'It will be not only a store, but a +supper-room.' + +"'Whatever do you mean?' said Mr. Owl. + +"'You know,' continued Mrs. Owl, 'that in the world where people +live they have parties. There is nothing new about that. Don't we +have parties? Yes.' + +"Mrs. Owl always answered all her own questions when she had something +most important to say, and when she did not want to have anyone +interrupt her or disagree with her. + +"'And so, if we have parties in the woods, think what a great help it +will be to all the wood animals and the fairies and brownies and gnomes +if we have a supper-room attached to our store--where after the parties +the wood creatures can come and have supper.' + +"Mr. Owl sat up very straight and said, 'To-wit, to-who,' or it sounded +very much like that. What he meant was that he thought it an excellent +scheme. And he went on to tell Mrs. Owl that she could fix up all the +dishes for the supper and decorate the tables--and he would go forth and +hunt for the good things to eat. + +"The store was started right away. The animals came to buy their things +in the daytime--and as Mr. and Mrs. Owl were asleep they would simply +take them away and not pay for them at the time. + +"That didn't bother Mr. and Mrs. Owl at all, though. They wanted to +have such a fine store that all their things would be taken, and they +left notes for the little animals saying: + +"'Take all you like. We must sleep and think up more wonderful things to +do for you. As for pay--we don't want it. We're already to be envied for +our knowledge. We don't even have to go to school--and are always +cleverer than those who do go!' + +"The animals were much amused at the conceit of Mr. and Mrs. Owl, but +they had to admit that their store was a great success. And as for +their supper-room--it was perfect! + +"Every evening it was very gay, with the chatter of many of the wood +animals and the fairies, after different parties and frolics. Mrs. Owl +made the most delicious goodies, and always made the tables look very +attractive with wild flowers. + +"As for Mr. Owl, he put on a big white apron and a white hat and waited +on all who came to the supper-room, and often he would make wise, wise +speeches for the benefit of all around him." + + + + +POLLY WAS THE HEROINE OF THE FIRE + + +[Illustration: Shrieked at the Top of Her Lungs.] + +Jack and Evelyn had been to see a friend of theirs who owned a parrot. +The parrot, whose name, of course, was Polly, had completely fascinated +them. She could dance when a tune was whistled, she took sugar from her +mistress's mouth, and she could talk. She could say: "Pretty Polly," +"Polly, want a cracker?" "Polly hungry," "Polly, want a bite?" + +So when daddy came home that evening, of course Jack and Evelyn told +him all about the parrot, and later he told them a story about another +parrot. + +"In a small town," said daddy, "a little girl named Alice owned a pet +parrot who was very clever. This parrot could talk a great deal and say +ever so much more than just 'Polly, want a cracker?' This Polly could +whistle, too, most beautifully, and could do a great, great many +wonderful tricks. Of course, as you can imagine, Alice was very proud of +her parrot, and Polly was devoted to Alice. + +"One night when every one in the town was fast asleep a fire broke out +in a deserted barn, and, as there was a high wind, it began to spread. +The house nearest the fire was the one in which Alice lived, and Polly +Parrot was the first to smell the smoke. She shrieked at the top of her +lungs, 'Fire, fire!' and the whole household came rushing downstairs and +found the library, where Polly was, full of smoke. + +"They put on coats and, grabbing Polly's cage, rushed out of the house +as quickly as they could, for the flames were beginning to break through +on all sides. Alice's daddy rushed off to ring the fire bell, while +Alice, carrying her Polly Parrot, and her mother followed along. Soon +every one in the town was up and out in the street. The firemen managed +to keep the fire from spreading, and they saved all the valuable things +in Alice's home. + +"As everyone stood around watching the firemen throwing the water on the +fire Polly kept calling out: 'It's pretty hot! It's pretty hot! I tell +you it's pretty hot!' That amused everyone, so that it kept up their +spirits during the awful fire. + +"At last, however, the firemen succeeded in putting the fire out, and +one of the neighbors invited Alice and her mother and daddy to stay at +her house, and, of course, Polly Parrot went along too. + +"Polly was now not only considered a very clever bird, but a real +heroine, for she had awakened Alice and her family and saved their lives +and also the lives of many others, for with such a wind many houses +would have gone had not the firemen been called out just when they were. + +"Instead of being vain about it, Polly Parrot acted as though her one +pride was that Alice was more devoted to her than ever." + + + + +THE WINTER HOME FOR THE WREN FAMILY + + +[Illustration: All the Little Boys Helped.] + +"A number of little boys living in a small town were very much +interested in carpentry," said daddy. "They made boxes and chairs and +tables and all sorts of things. + +"They had a nice tool shop in an unused barn belonging to the daddy of +one of the little boys. + +"In the late autumn one of the little boys, who was very fond of birds +and especially so of the house wren, suggested that they should build +some little bird houses under the low roof of the barn. + +"So all the little boys helped because they thought it was such a nice +plan." + +"What is a house wren?" inquired Evelyn. + +"A house wren," said daddy, "shows his difference from other wrens by +having black and gray lines on his brown back. His tiny tail points +upward and his breast is grayish white. He is very friendly and loves to +keep the same home. + +"Now, the boys had noticed that one family of wrens had built a nest on +the side of this same barn two summers. They had flown away when the +cold weather came each time. + +"The boys built a fine little house with great care and watched to see +if the wrens would go to it. And, sure enough, they did! Apparently they +thought it was a beautiful house, although they, of course, wished to +furnish it in their own way." + +"How did they furnish it?" asked Jack. + +"They filled it with twigs, and in the center of the house they put +masses of dried grass and twigs. + +"The boys were interested watching the wrens, and the wrens seemed +perfectly happy. There were no sparrows near by. They saw that the boys +were friendly, and they found the wooden house kept out the cold air. + +"Week after week passed, and still the wrens didn't show any desire to +move to a warmer place. On the very coldest day they would come out, +flit about, hop and bow, and be as energetic as possible. + +"Of course the boys never touched the house after they'd built it, for +the wrens then would have left, and the wrens made their front door +so small that a sparrow couldn't possibly have gone inside and bothered +the little ones. + +"You can imagine how delighted the boys were; and to keep the wrens from +feeling homesick for a warmer home, each day they'd scatter crumbs +around near the wrens' home, then watch the wrens hop down and take them +up to the nest, and the wrens seemed to be very happy when they saw the +boys. They acted as if they knew and appreciated that the boys had built +them such a fine home." + + + + +THE VAIN GOLDFINCH LEARNS A LESSON + + +[Illustration: He Hid His Face in Shame.] + +"Mr. Goldfinch," said daddy, "was very conceited and proud of himself. +To be sure, a goldfinch's voice is very much like a canary's--but it's +not quite so lovely--and he can't do the wonderful trills a canary can +without his voice cracking. Of course, that isn't beautiful. + +"So the fairy queen made plans. First of all, she asked the birds to +give her a concert, and gladly they all said they would. + +"And the next day, on a row along the fence of an old country road, near +the woods, perched all the bullfinch family, the oriole family, the +bluejay family, the indigo bird family, and the goldfinch family. + +"First of all they all sang in a beautiful chorus, and the fairy queen +and all the fairies were delighted. + +"Before long the elves happened along by the old fence, and they said: + +"'What's up? A concert? May we stay?' + +"'By all means,' said the fairy queen, and then she whispered to the +elves her secret. The elves sat along the opposite fence and perched on +the fence between some of the birds, too. + +"When the birds had finished singing in the chorus and were not +supposed to sing by themselves, they flew to the wings of the fairies +and perched there. + +"You can imagine how lovely the fairies did look, with their bright +silver wings, and the beautiful birds with their bright colors perched +everywhere on the wings. + +"'Now,' said the fairy queen, 'remember what I've asked for.' + +"At that Mr. Bullfinch came out and sang in his sweet little way. He +didn't try to sing anything very big or hard, but he sang a little, +simple song, in the very best way he could. + +"Soon Mr. Goldfinch came out to sing his solo. At first his song was +very fine and all the other birds cried, 'Bravo,' 'Wonderful,' +'Gorgeous,' at the end of the first verse. And they all sang these words +in their own little bird ways. + +"But at the beginning of the second verse Mr. Goldfinch tried to sing a +trill that was too hard for him. + +"And what do you suppose happened? Mr. Goldfinch's voice cracked, and +all the birds tittered and flew off the fence, chatting with each other. + +"'Well, wasn't that a disgrace--and at the fairy queen's concert, too!' + +"As for Mr. Goldfinch, he hid his head in shame and felt very wretched, +but the fairy queen waved her wand, and said to every one: 'This concert +was given so Mr. Goldfinch would learn to be natural and not try things +beyond him. We all like you as you are, without silly, vain +actions--sing us a simple song now, and we'll forgive you!' + +"So Mr. Goldfinch learned he mustn't try to copy the canary." + + + + +THE BATS HAVE A JOLLIFICATION + + +[Illustration: How the Bats do Love the Night!] + +"The bats are all so glad the summer has come," said daddy. "For a +long, long time they have been staying in the caves and hiding away in +the tops of the corners and crevices. But last night they had their +first real jollification. + +"One of the bats had said it was high time to go out into the world, but +another bat had said it was still too chilly. Then a bat said: + +"'Well, what have we wings for?' And after that it was decided that +they should be off. + +"They waited until it began to grow dark--and then some of the ones who +hadn't been sleeping very well got up and flew about a little while. + +"Then the others who had been sound asleep woke up just as it became +very, very dark. Oh, how the bats do love the night! They love it just +as much as the birds love the daytime and the sun. For, though bats have +wings, they are not at all like birds and they aren't in the least +friendly with any of them. + +"So off they started on the jollification. First they whizzed through +the air practising their different ways of flying. And after they had +all the strength back into their wings, they reached the garden of an +old, deserted house, where they stopped for the rest of the night. + +"There they told stories and chatted and chatted. For they had a great +deal to say after their long sleep, and they ran races, and did tricks, +and frightened people they saw coming along the road. + +"They would get so near that each person would say: + +"'Oh, dear me, I must cover up my head or that bat will get caught +in my hair.' + +"The bats thought that was a great joke, as they had no intentions of +caging themselves up in someone's hair when they could be at the +jollification. But they did enjoy playing pranks on the grownups. + +"And soon, much too soon, daylight came. + +"But what do you suppose happened? Such a wonderful ending to their +jollification! Didn't those thoughtful little brownies, who had known +all about the bats' jollification--and feeling rather sorry for the bats +because they don't have such very good times--send some magic air-boats +which picked up the sleepy bats as they flew along. Then they were +carried back to their cold, hard beds in the crevices of the +rocks--which they thought were so comfortable! + +"And as they crept into bed, there were never so many happy bats and +pleased bats as these were at having had air-boats bring them home +from their jollification!" + + + + +THE REPENTANCE OF LITTLE JIM CROW + + +[Illustration: Jim Ducked Him in the Brook.] + +"Little Jim Crow had been very naughty," began daddy. "He had been +bullying Sammy Crow for some time past simply because Sammy was not so +large and not so strong as he was. Jim Crow was quite a leader, too, in +a very mean way, for he'd tried to influence a lot of other little crows +to think it was smart to tease Sammy. + +"Well, one day Jim got hold of Sammy and ducked his head into a brook of +very cold water, where the ice had only recently melted. + +"Poor Sammy was so frightened he almost cried his eyes out, while Jim +stood by and laughed and laughed. But Sammy was far from being strong, +and the cold water made his head throb and ache, while his bones felt +numb and his feathers lost their nice shiny look. He complained so much +for several days of his head that his family sent for old Dr. Crow. + +"Dr. Crow was a fine physician. He wore great big spectacles, and, oh, +he was so kind! When he saw Sammy he became very much alarmed. + +"'Why didn't you tell me of this sooner?' said he. + +"'Oh, what's the matter?' asked Sammy's mother. 'Is he really very ill? +We thought he had a little cold.' + +"Dr. Crow took from his black medicine-bag a little thermometer and put +it in Sammy's mouth and at the same time felt his pulse. Then he pulled +the thermometer out. He looked very grave. + +"'Mrs. Crow,' said he to Sammy's mother, 'his temperature is very high, +and he must be put right to bed. Put his feet in mustard and hot water +and bathe his head every three hours with witch hazel, and I'll call +around again this evening to see him.' + +"'Oh, you don't think he is going to die, doctor?' + +"'I think he'll live, but he is pretty sick and needs great care.' + +"After Dr. Crow left Sammy he went to Jim Crow's mother and daddy. He +was very angry at what had been done to Sammy. When Jim's mother and +daddy saw Dr. Crow coming toward their nest they were afraid Jim had +been doing something awfully naughty, for he had stayed home very little +the past few days, and they suspected something had happened. + +"At that moment Jim flew in boisterously, and the doctor told him how +ill Sammy was and of what he had done. + +"For some days Sammy lay at the point of death, but with Dr. Crow's +skill he finally got well. + +"And Jim Crow, who had felt like a murderer, became a good crow +and realized it was very, very cruel to tease any one smaller +and weaker than himself." + + + + +THE RESCUE OF THE CANARY BIRD + + +[Illustration: She Watched the Little Bird.] + +"I am going to tell you a really true story," said daddy, "something +which happened to-day. I was walking along a rather poor part of the +city when I saw a number of children gathered in a group in a little +side yard of a tenement house. The children were screaming to one boy: +'Oh, catch him! Don't let the awful cat get him!'" + +"Oh, was it a bird?" asked Jack eagerly. + +"Yes," replied daddy; "it was a bird, but not just the usual kind of +bird that is seen around city streets, for only the sparrows like the +noise of a city. Most birds like the woods and the country, where they +can have homes in the trees and can sing all day long. + +"But this was a tame yellow canary who had flown out of an open window +to pick up some goodies he saw on the ground, and a cat was after him." + +"Did they get him from the cat?" asked Evelyn eagerly, for she was +devoted to animals and perhaps especially to birds. + +"Yes," answered daddy; "the little boy succeeded in rescuing him, but +the poor canary had been so frightened that his little heart was +beating, oh, so fast, and the children were afraid he was not going to +live. + +"They all followed the little boy who had caught the canary just in +time into the tenement house. The cat had knocked several feathers +from the bird's tail. + +"Another child told me the canary belonged to a little girl who lived in +the tenement. He asked me to follow, too, for he said that the little +girl had trouble with her back and had to lie flat all the time. She +loved visitors, for so much of the time she was lonely. Her mother was +poor and out all day sewing, so the little girl's only companion was the +canary, who would sing for hours and hours. He seemed to know he must +keep her cheered up. + +"So along I went too. We climbed some stairs until we came to a dingy +room where on a cot by the window lay a little girl about eight years +old. She had big dark eyes, and when I saw her her cheeks were bright +red from all the excitement. + +"All her friends had gathered around, each giving her a special +description of how the bird had been rescued. She was smiling with joy +and watching the bird, who was now busily engaged nibbling at a little +piece of apple which had been given him. Before long he began to sing, +oh, so joyously, for he knew he was once more back in his happy home, +where he would take good care to stay in the future. + +"I told the little girl of my Jack and Evelyn, and she said she wanted +to see you both. Shall we all go to see her and her little bird some +day?" + +"We'd love to!" cried Jack and Evelyn delightedly. + + + + +SMALL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUES BIRDS + + +[Illustration: "We'll have our hose ready."] + +"The salamanders," said daddy, "are little creatures very much like +lizards in looks, except their skin is not scaly as a lizard's. They +have four legs and a tail, and are very nice, kind and gentle. + +"Well, these salamanders agreed that they would have a fire department, +and the next thing was to arrange for the hose and ladder. Finally it +was decided that their salamander cousins should be chosen to run the +hose and ladder. + +"'We shall call ourselves the fire and water fire department,' said +one of the fire salamanders. 'It will be our business to rush in and +rescue the animals who are in danger of being burned to death, and it +will be your business to help them down to the brook, where we'll have +our hose ready to sprinkle them with good, cool water.' + +"But days and days went by, and still no fire broke out. + +"'I know what's the trouble,' said another one of the fire salamanders. +'We have no fire bell; there may have been fires that we knew nothing +of; you never can tell.' + +"'Don't be gloomy,' said still another fire salamander. 'We'll have a +fire bell. I know where a kind old cow left her bell from last year. +We'll put it by the stump just at the edge of the brook and all the +animals can be told to move it when there is a fire. Then we will all +come out and stop the fire.' + +"And soon notices were put up all over the woods and around the brook +which read: + +"'To the Animals: Attention! In case of fire, ring the cow bell +by the brook. The Fire and Water Fire Department of the Salamanders +will PUT IT OUT.' + +"These notices were read by all the animals, and the very next day the +salamanders heard the cow bell. + +"'Where's the fire?' they all shouted. + +"'Over there,' said Grandfather Frog, who was watching the fire +department start off. + +"They wiggled and crawled as quickly as they could to the spot where the +fire was. It was the vireo family's nest. You know the vireos are those +beautiful, shy birds that live in the woods and have such lovely voices. +The fire salamanders rushed right into the fire and pulled out of the +nest the vireo children just in time before their little feathers got +burnt. And, of course, the Mother and Daddy Vireo were able to fly out. + +"When they all reached the brook at last, the Mother and Daddy +Vireo sang the most wonderful song as a reward to the brave salamander +fire department." + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's note: + + Illustrations have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the + closest paragraph break. + + "grown-ups" and "grownups" have been retained in both versions in + this project. + + Opening quotation marks (") at the beginning of several chapters + have been added without comment. + + "Well, I mean you to come" has been changed to "'Well, I mean you + to come" page 56. + + "funny quack-quack talk." has been changed into "funny quack-quack + talk.'" page 59. + + Printer's inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation + have been retained. + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DADDY'S BEDTIME BIRD STORIES*** + + +******* This file should be named 39484.txt or 39484.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/9/4/8/39484 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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