_Our mothers know what is best for us, and a wise child always
obeys._
Three little birds, Fluffy, Chirpie and Dicky, lived in a beautiful
nest hung high among the branches of an old oak tree. The father
and mother birds were kept very busy every day gathering food for
the hungry little mouths that always flew wide open whenever the
parent birds came near.
Day by day they grew until they were large enough to take their
first trip out of the nest. First they hopped to the edge of the
nest, then to the nearest branch, and as they grew stronger they
hopped from twig to twig. At last the mother said:
“Now, birdies, it is time for you to fly down and eat sand.” Fluffy
and Chirpie flew down and began eating sand, but Dicky said:
“I can’t fly; and I don’t like sand anyway.”
“Oh, but you must eat sand,” said his mother. “Birds have no teeth
with which to grind their food, so we must eat sand that it may
grind up the food that we eat, such as bugs, worms and seeds. Come,
you must eat sand if you would become strong.” But Dicky only cried
the louder: “I can’t fly, and I don’t like sand!”
Then the mother went to him and pushed him out of the nest, and he
spread his wings and flew to the ground.
“Eat sand and grow strong,” said Chirpie. “How do you know you
don’t like it if you won’t taste it?” But foolish Dicky only said:
“I won’t eat sand!”
Now, the mother bird had promised that when they had grown strong
they should go to the meadow. So one spring morning she told them
they might go, though she feared Dicky was not strong enough to go
so far. They flew over the fence and through the orchard, and by
this time Chirpie and Fluffy were far ahead. Dicky was being left
behind. He called loudly: “Wait! wait!” but they were already too
far away to hear.
Soon all but Dicky reached the meadow.
“Why, where is Dicky?” exclaimed the mother.
“We left him sitting on the orchard wall,” said Fluffy; “he was too
tired to fly. He will not eat sand and the bugs make him sick. He
is weak.”
What a fine time they had! Mother showed them how to get the best
bugs, worms and seeds; and they bathed in the brook to their
hearts’ content. When they had eaten all they could and frolicked
all they wished, they looked and saw the great round sun going down
in the west, and they knew that night was near. Then they flew back
to the dear home tree, and what do you think was the first thing
they saw when they reached home? Yes--there was Dicky under the
tree eating sand! He wanted to be strong and had found out that he
had to do what his mother told him.