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.