A BOOK OF THE BEST BIRD STORIES THAT MO TELL THEIR C Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924090301007 MOTHER BIRD STORIES A Book of the Best Bird Stories That Mothers Can Tell Their Children With One Hundred and Thirty- four Illustrations PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY ALTEMUS' MOTHER STORIES SERIES MOTHER STORIES A Book of the Best Stories that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER NURSERY RHYMES AND TALES A Book of the Best Nursery Rhymes and Tales that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER FAIRY TALES ^Dk ^l_i ^ Book of the Best Fairy Tales that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER NATURE STORIES A Book of the Best Nature Stories that Mothers can tell their Children R^ ( MOTHER STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT ^ ( A Book of the Best Old Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their Children ,. _ . MOTHER STORIES FROM THE NEW Moo TESTAMENT A Book of the Best New Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their Children P> r^oq^ MOTHER BEDTIME STORIES A Book of the Best Bedtime Stories that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER ANIMAL STORIES A Book of the Best Animal Stories that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER BIRD STORIES A Book of the Best Bird Stories that Mothers can tell their Children MOTHER SANTA CLAUS STORIES A Book of the Best Santa Claus Stories that Mothers can tell their Children Profusely illustrated and handsomely bound in cloth, with ornamenta- tion in colors 50 Cents per Volume Copyright 1909 by Howard E. Altemus CONTENTS Miss Goosey and Reynard Make Love Krinka and the Stork, . Professor Tu-Whit Finds an Opera Star, The Discontented Penguin, . The Juggler, Why the Sparrow Lives in Town, Ping-Pong Takes a Pill, The Crow, .... A Crow Teaches Toddles a Lesson, Young Chicks to Sell, ... Why the Birds Laughed at Cock Robin, The Ostrich Chick Fools the Birds, At the Sparrows' School, The Birdies Did Not Wish to Be Eaten, Funny Acrobats, .... Mrs. Dorking and the Unlucky Number, Why the Nightingale Sings at Night, Miranda and the Blackbird, . Frightened by a Feather, How the Birds Formed a Band, "Pretty Dick," . The Plovers Learn to Drill, . Three Wise Owls, When Dick Met Mrs. Goosey, Caught in an April Shower, . Dame Owl's Picnic, All Lost on Piggy, The King of the Eivov, . A Big Hatching of Ducklings, "Puss! Puss! Scratch Polly's Poll," When Mrs. Duck Took in Washing, The Conceited Heron, . Mr. Rooster Gets a Surprise, Teaching the Ducklings to Swim, . What Jimmie Parrot Saw in the Mirror, The Scrawk with the Wonderfal Walk, A Ride on a Swan's Back, The Goose-Step, . Birds of Paradise, Nothing but a Daw, The Stuffed Birds Have a Feast, "Just Like His Ma," . "Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds," Where the Birds Go in Fall, Some Queer Bird Friends, Odd Trick of a Tame Magpie, The Sneeze That Saved the Pigeons, What Will the Geese Do to Mr. Fox? Penguin Catchers a Oral), Borrowed Feathers, Captain Jinks of the Hen Marines, The Owl and the Mouse, The Pelican Laughed Too Soon, Because She Was Only a Hen, Why the .Wren Sings at Dawn, How the Flamingoes Got Long Legs — and a Prize, The Crow Thief, .... Odd Places Chosen for Nests, The Storks' Grand Ball, Why the Owls Love Kitty, . The Cat and the Crows, A Charitable Canary, . The Bird That Would Not Fly, . Man Overboard, .... Cecily Among the Birds, "Paper, Sir? Latest News! One Cent,' Why the Magpie Was Silent, The Late Magpie, A Parrot That Was Almost Human, The Swans and the Fawn, . That Wicked Squirrel, . How Chirpie Binks Learned to Crow, A Hen That Catches Mice, . Mr. Fox Was Too Sure, The Magpie's Chatter, A Duckling That Would a Soldier Be, When the Kitties Tried to Steal a Bird, What Admiral Drake Saw, The Blackbirds' Home, A Grateful Stork, Humming-Birds, . The Parrot and the Sparrow, The Cat and the Pigeon, Little Soldiers, Busy Little Joe, . Good-Night! MOTHER BIRD STORIES MOTHER BIRD STORIES MISS GOOSEY AND REYNARD MAKE LOVE. NCE Reynard, the Fox, made love to Miss Goosey and coaxed her to go with him to his own city in the woods. She consented. But scarcely had they left the poultry- yard before Goosey began to feel nervous. Reynard had such a wicked twinkle in his eye, and licked his lips so often, that she began to wish herself safe back again, and said so. But Reynard said, "No, no, dear friend, there is nothing I love so much as a pretty young swan ; I cannot spare you." "But Fm a goose, Fm a goose!" cackled the poor bird. " You are indeed," replied Beau Rey- nard, " or you wouldn't have ventured out with me." Now, there is no know- ing what might have hap- pened to Goosey had not the Fox begun to laugh at his own joke, and she took the oppor- tunity to waddle oflf. KBINEA AND THE STOBE. She reached the pen just as the Fox had begun to wipe his eye, and prepare for his meal. " Let me in, let me in I " she cried to her mamma. "I'm your own little Goosey come back again, and I'll never, never, never leave home again." So it all ended happily — at least, for the Goose. KEINKA AND THE STORK RINKA was a little Dutch girl, and lived in a queer - brown house by the side of a canal, where the Stork built her nest the Spring came. Krinka loved the Stork and was sorry when the cold winds drove it away when the Summer was over. " I wish you would come back, dear Stork," she would say when slie woke each day, and then she would run to the window and peep out to see if the Stork was there. One night she dreamed that she was a little bird with soft gray wings, and that she flew right up to the big blue clouds that looked like banks of snow. And Mother Stork popped her head out of the tallest one, and asked Krinka if she would like to stay with her and play with the fairies. But Krinka shook her head. " Mother would want me," she said, and the Stork laughed, and told her to fly away home. And Krinka woke up in her own little bed, and when she looked out of the window to see if the Stork were there she found the snow instead. Her mother smiled when she told her about her funny dream. " I can't turn you into a bird, little one," she said as she kissed her, " but when you can skate you will fly nearly as fast." And sh? 19 PROFESSOR TU-WHIT FINDS AN OPERA STAB. showed Kriuka some bright new skates that were just small enough for her tiny feet. ^ And the next day Kriiika's big sister and her brother Jan took her on the ice with them, and held her hands so safely that she could not fall. Krinka thought it was lovely, and was glad to be a little girl instead of a bird. And when the ice melted the Stork came back. PRqjpSp^il TU-WHIT FINDS AN OPERA STAR. I I [U-WHIT, the Owl, was manager of the Birds' Opera House, where performances were given all summer. And Tu-whit thought Madame Cuckoo, who was the leading singer in his company, was by far the greatest singer in the world. What is more, he was silly enough to say so, and this gave Madame Cuckoo such a great opinion of herself that she got to asking very high prices — as much as twenty worms at a time. Well, one day Mrs. Linnet called on the professor and asked him why he paid such high prices to Madame Cuckoo, when her daughter, Mary Linnet, had a voice every bit as good and was willing to sing fqr 11 PROFESSOR TU-WHIT FINDS AN OPERA STAR. five worms a day. The professor laughed. " Oh, excuse me, Mrs. Lin- net, but that is such a good joke I " And Mrs. Linnet said nothing, only looked very determijied ; and soon afterwards the bird folks no- ticed that Mary Linnet had gone on a visit. Then, one day, months after Mary ha-<^ you know, he does not live in the deep woods, but stays close to the cities and towns where he can pick up food easily. And to live that way is regarded as a disgrace in Birddom. So this is how the disgrace came about. Jack Sparrow aud Tom Tit were talking one morn- ing, as birds will, about their adventures, and Jack was say- ing how he wasn't afraid of anyone, and all the rest of it, when Tom Tit said : " Ah, but what about the Eagle, Spadger ? " Jack Sparrow stopped a moment ; even he was rather abashed at the idea ; then he said : "Well, what about his High and Mightiness?" ^—Mother Bird Storiet. 17 WET TEE SPARROW LIVES IN TOWN. "Well," replied Tom Tit, "you wouldn't dare to go and talk to him, I'll be bound." " Wouldn't I, though ? Now you just watch. I'll go and have dinner at the Palace this very day," Tom Tit laughed scornfully. The idea was too ridiculous : Jack Sparrow dining at the Palace ! But Jack stuck to it, and grew more and more determined. When dinner-time came he said to Tom Tit ; " Coming to see me have a bit of dinner with the Eagles ? Can if you like 1 " As luck would have it, His Majesty the Eagle was dining by himself in the Palace gardens, so that Jack Sparrow's task was made all the easier for him, as he didn't have to get admission to the royal rooms. Summoning up all his courage, he hopped up close to the King and said, " Fine day, your Majesty I " The Eagle looked astonished ; but, as he was in a good humor just then (having nearly finished a very excellent dinner), he merely bowed his head. Young Sparrow felt very much encouraged, and proceeded gayly : You seem to have been uejoying a good meal, sir ! Got a good appe- tite ? Ha ! Excellent thing — liver all right ? Glad to hear it — now, I suffer terribly in that way — nothing I take seems to suit me." He might have seen that the Eagle was beginning to look dis- pleased, but he didn't look — he was too delighted with his success so far. He went on : "Missis and the little ones all right?" (The King's feathers began to be ruffled.) " What's that you've been having for dinner ? You don't mean to tell me it's bones ? Now, if there's one thing that I do fancy above all other things it is bones. I think you might offer me a bit." (Here he saucily cocked his head on one side and looked up at the Eagle ; he saw how angry His Majesty was looking, but he went on.) " Oh, well, no offense, I hope, but I'd like to try it." And the foolish little bird hopped forward and gave a peck at the dish. The Eagle gave a shrill whistle. In an instant the Palace grounds 18 PING-PONG TAKES A PILL. were filled with guards — Hawks, Falcons, Vultures and other Birds of prey — and the unhappy Sparrow was a prisoner. He was put in jail, and next morning the King declared that Jack Sparrow was to be banished forever from the Kingdom of Free Birds because of his impertinence. G-PONG T^KES A PILL ING Pong, The wind blows, Ping Pong, It rains. Ping Pong, The doctor's called, Ping Pong In pains. Ping Pong Stops at home, Ping Pong Is ill, Ping Pong Goes to bed, Ping Pong Takes a pill. 19 FEEL a disgrace (said the Crow) to my race, Always to be wearing this dirty old face : I'll wash off the black from my wings and my back: I'll scrub me, and rub me, and cold-water-tub me : And then we will see what Birdie dare snub me. So he did, but (alack 1) Found he still was coal black. 'Twas foolish, one knows, of the Crow to suppose Though washed day and night he could ever be white From tip of his beak to the end of his toes. Black is black, and it's right ; just as white should be white. 20 A CROW TEACHES TODDLES A LESSON. And whatever our lot, black, white, or whatnot, So long as we're clean what color we're seen I'm sure does not matter one tittle or jot — Not one tiny tittle, or one little jot. A CROW TEACHES TODDLES A LESSON. [ ODDLES was a greedy boy. He never shared his cakes or oranges with others, but went into a corner and ate them by himself. Even when a hungry crow asked him one day for only a few crumbs of the piece of bread and butter he was eating, he would not give it. You would think it would be worth a few bread crumbs to make friends with a real talking crow, now, wouldn't you? " I'll get even with you," said the crow angrily, and then it pecked at Toddles' legs until he cried with pain. It chased him down the garden path. Now this was a fairy crow, although Toddles did not know it, and after it thought it had teased him enough it said, "Be little!" and in an instant the boy became as small as a sparrow. Then the crow picked iiitn up in its bill and carried him to the top of a tree, where it put him in a cage, saying, " Stay there till you learn to be good." Toddles cried and cried. It was uncomfortable in the cage, and besides he became hungry after awhile. Then the crow left a piece of bread for him and went away. Being shut up in a cage made the boy's heart softer, and he gave part of his bread to a hungry wren. Next day he was given a smaller piece, but gave half of it to a doggie that barked beneath the tree. The crow then turned Toddles into a boy again and took him home. 21 YOUNG CHICKS TO SELL OUNG chicks, who will buy ! Some to sell have I, Every one my own. Sweetest ever known I Open beaks and wings. Darling little things, Baby chicks, I cry— Chickies sweet, who'll buy I 22 suppose • THE • DOG ■ CROWED ■ COCK - O- ^-©OODLE' -DOO SUPPOSE • PUSSY AND PRETTY • PoLLY • GoT • 99 •PC nuggled down all the closer so as to keep the egg? just i#WariQi^ ever shg e|>tild. ^^d-^Sfe^'^emwere six little fluffy heads poking out from ;T- 31 WHY THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS AT NIG underneath her wings. "Peep, peep! Please let us_| cried. ^, But shestayed on her nest till the thirtgfen ,gj^ii^^H^e hatched. The first day she appeared with her '■^jiy iffine Farmyard, you should have heard the nice things which ™^nier Farmyard Folk said about them. It made Mis. Dorkiiig'p^oya and-' repaid her for all her waiting. tJi .>- "Well, I declare!" she said joyful|^S Mrs. Cochin. "That number thirteen is lucky, after all." WHY THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS AT NIGHT. • T was Mrs. Macaw who was giving the party. And Mrs. Macaw was sure her daughter Polly had a beautiful voice. It was a loud voice, to be sure, but beautiful ? Well, that would depend upon the point of view. If you can leave the Parrot-house at the Zoo without a headache, then perhaps you could learn to like a voice such as Polly Macaw's. Now, Mrs. Macaw made up her mind that at this big party which she proposed to give she would have her daughter Polly sing!' Only, she didn't put that on the invitation. What she said was : " Music, P. W. S." All the birds wondered what that meant, but said nothing. 32 WHY THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS AT NIGHT. Little Miss Parrakeet was quite at lier wits' end. Orders for new dresses simply poured in upon her ; she had to engage four new assist- ants (the Wwdpeckers) because she had so much to do. As for the Tailor-bird — why, the Peacock's new tail-coat alone would have taken him all his time, let alone Mr. Thrush's spotted waistcoat and Captain Cockatoo's new crest. One poor bird was not invited. This was little Mary Linnet. She didn't mind in the least, but her papa and mamma were quite indignant. Mrs. Macaw said it was because she was so young, but of course the real reason was that she was such a good singer that Mrs. Macaw was afraid she might outshine ^ '^lly. What should Mra, Linnet do to get even? Ah I She had it. Although her daughter was not in- ^— Mother Bird Stones. WHY TUB NIOHfl^GALE ^InGS AT NIGHT. vited, she was, so she ^nt a^mite &te'asking whether she might bring her friend, Madame Nightingale, w^&vas visiting her. " Of course I " replied Mrs. Macaw. \ But the night before the party Mrs. Macaw happened to be going past the Linnet house, and heard Madame Nightingale practicing, and the singing was so grand that she knew her daughter would surely be put in the shade by this new singer. What to do ? "I have it!" she said at length, and went at once to little Miss Parrakeet. She was Miss Parrakeet's best customer. Miss Parra- keet would not dare to dis- please her. And what do you suppose she said to the little dressmaker? She said : "You must not send her new party dress to Madame Nightingale. I will pay you for it. When Madame sends, tell her you forgot about it, or something — anything — only don't let her have the dress." So Madame Nightingale waited and waited, and her dress did not arrive. At the last minute she was told that the dress had not even been begun. Mrs. Linnet, who went on ahead to Mrs. Macaw's house, was nervous. She told Mrs. Macaw what she was worrying about, but that bad bird replied, " Never mind about Madame Nightingale ; Polly will sing." "What?" said Mrs. Linnet. "Nonsense! You must be mis- taken I Why, Polly can't sing, a bit I " "But it says so on tKe ' \ Linnet, it does indeed 1 You look when you get home, ii i^..^ ^ S. — Polly Will Sing 1 " 34; WHY TEE NIGHTINGALE SINGS AT NIGHT. " Oh-li-h I " said Mrs. Linnet, and away she flew. Her mind was made up. She had thought of a way of punishing Mrs. Macaw. The afternoon of the party came. At " The Perch " all was ready, Mrs. Macaw, gorgeous in red and blue and green, Polly simpering, all in white. Captain Cockatoo with his fine new crest, all were there. But the funny thing was, there were no guests. For Mrs. Linnet had told Tom Tit to stand at the gate and whisper to each guest as he or she came — " P. W. /S. means, Polly Will Sing ! " And as Tom whispered that, each guest turned tail and fled. They all knew what Polly's singing would be like. For hoursltnd hours the poor Macaws sat alone. Then suddenly they heardf cheering, and, looking out, saw all their expected guests gathered outside Mrs. Linnet's house, where Madame Nightingale was singing to tjjiem. The M'#caws and theiLinnets aren't friends now. Bjtt Madame Nightmgale's dress hasn't come yet, and, as she does)('''ake to be seen without -it, she does all her singing at night high up ifi- the sky. m mm ?^ II - ys ■'•■''-^^^^^t # J J 35 MIRANDA AND THE BLACKBIRD. EAR the song of Yellow Beaky ! (That's tlie Blackbird's other name.) See his sparkling eyes so cheeky ! (Mister Impudence is tame.) He is singing to Miranda (Who is getting well from mumps:) " Come and play on the veranda, And forget about those lumps I "Sing a song of Blackbirds, All have fled but two ; And Yellow Beak and Bright-eyes Have stayed to sing to you." 36 LATE SPRING. A-LACK-A-DAY, good neighbor, The winter stretches long! How can you have the courage To raise so sweet a song ? My voice is fairly ruined By this cold that's in my head. And food's so scarce — why, really, I can't find a crumb of bread. Oh ! come now, brother sparrow. What's the use of feeling blue, "When winter's sturdy backbone Is almost broke in two ? Our coldest snap is over — The spring will soon be here. With gentle showers, and dainty flowers, With plenty and good cheer ! FRIGHTENED BY A FEATHER I AID Mother Goose as she and her children were out for a walk one day, " Come, we must all go home ; I hear there is a Fox about here ! " But her youngest child, Goosie, coaxed her to let them stay out a little longer. " Who's afraid of a Fox, anyhow ? " he asked. Suddenly they heard a strange noise, and before they could move a big thing with what looked like a Fox's tail came down right amongst them. " The Fox ! " quacked Goosie, and away they fast as ever back to the It was Fox at all, Bessie's hat feather in it, blown off as w i t li her the startled stop running safely back you may be next time scampered as they could, barn. not really the but onlylittle with a big which had she ran past hoop. But Geese did not till they were home, and sure that the their mother tells them that the Fox is about, they ^ill not go out of the barn until they are quite sure that it is quite safe to do so. rr HOW THE BIRDS FORMED A BAND. 'IMES were very hard in Birdland. There was scarcely a bird who could get enough to eat. The Stork's case was the worst. You see, his long legs were very thin, to begin with ; and when he got so little to eat, they became thin- ner and thinner, until at last they were so thin and feeble that they wobbled when he walked, and he was afraid they would break under him. 38 HOW THE BIRDS FORMED A BAND. But at last a grand idea occurred to him. " I'll form a band I " he said. " We'll go round the country and charm the animals with our music, and no doubt we shall manage to get a little fund together to help us over these hard times." So he went to one friend who had a long, flat, broad bill, and to another who had a long, round, narrow bill, and asked them if they would join him. They were only too pleased to do so. The long, flat, broad-billed bird played the fiddle, and the long, round, narrow-billed bird played the clarinet. The Stork said he could not play, but he would conduct the band, and collect the money. The band had to practice a good deal, of course, and they made an awful noise ; but at thought they were started on their But when m a 1 s who had seem to care for when the Stork last the Stork said he all right, and they travels. they performed, the ani- come to listen didn't the music at all ! And began to pass round the hat they all ran away I Wasn't it strange ? "PEETTY DICK." HAVE a pretty yellow pet, The sweetest that you ever met, With shining eyes as black as jet- It's my canary. For me such happy songs he'll sing. And when each day fresh seed I bring, He chirps his thanks, the pretty thing. Does my canary. He comes when " Pretty Dick " I call — Though I have pets both great and small, The one I love the best of all Is my canary. 40 THE PLOVERS LEARN TO DRILL. YES front ! Shoulder wings ! Quick march ! " said Gen- eral Baby Plover to his brothers. " Hurry now, run your hardest, and hide where you can quickly." The Baby Plovers did run their hardest, and hid them- selves behind stones in such a way that no one could tell which was a Baby Plover or which was a stone, because the Baby Plovers were so much like stones to look at. General Baby Plover taught them this so that nasty little boys should not find their nests and carry them away. Thus they spent many happy days running down to the water and catching small fish to carry home for their mamma's supper, and as soon as they saw a naughty boy in the distance, they became like sol- diers again, and. hid among the stones. THEEE WISE OWLS. AID Owl one to Owl two : " I think I'm quite as wise as you." Said Owl three : " That well may be, and yet you neither equal me, For when I woke and saw the sun, I knew that day had just begun ; And when the moon was shining bright, I told you both that it was night ; And when the rain was falling free, I sheltered in the ivy tree." But here he paused with anger deep, for both his friends were fast asleep. MAMMA OWL PUTS BABY TO SLEEP, 43 WHEN DICK MET MRS. GOOSEY. NCE Dick journeyed off to rhyraeland on the back of Fort Winks, Who is always there to seize you if your eyelid onl blinks. There he saw the House that Jack built, where the Thre Bears lived in state, They asked him would he join them, but he said he dare not wait. And he found My Lady's Chamber, where the lovely Queen of Hearl Spent her time in eating honey when she wasn't making tarts. As he left her, Mrs. Goosey nearly swept him off the stairs. For he hadn't seen her coming, and she took him unawares. 44 CAUGHT IN AN APEIL SHOWEE. H, no ; no need to take umbrellas this morning I " Dame Owl had said, forgetting all about April showers. But two miles from home the sky grew dark, and Dame Owl felt rather concerned, especially as the children were all wearing their second-Sunday-best frocks and suits. Then all at once the rain came pelting down. " Kain, rain, go to Spain ! " the pupils said, all to- gether, but it didn't go. " Dear, dear ! it's no use in a storm like this telling the children to walk between the drops ! " thought poor Dame Owl. All this time I haven't said a word about the farmhouse in the background, because I wanted the picture to take you by surprise. You can easily guess now what happened. The kind lady of the farmhouse invited them in, and gave them each a scrumptious lunch, and such a jolly afternoon that at Dame Owl's School they think April showers the best fun in the world. _s«-«5S.i'*!f*'^,*"i'' ^^.■*»^ % f DAME OWL'S PICNIC. LL the Birds were haj)py tliat day they learned that Dame Owl was to give a picnic. Of course all were invited — all but Jack Sparrow, who lives in town and doesn't join in any of the fun and sport of the wood folks. And, as though it were not good enough of Dame Owl to buy the nice things to eat and put up swings and merry-go-rounds and other play contraptions, she showed her kindness in still another way. She hired an automobile to take her friends to the picnic grounds. Now, most of the birds had never been in an automobile, and you may imagine their joy at thought of the gay ride they were to have. They started. Every wee heart went pit-a-pat. It seemed so funny to sit there chug of the things make the wheels go being carried along as and without ever hav- wings. la fact, they a minute, which is fast trains go. But and this is how it came Dame Owl was skimming past and Tit was doing. Tom and hear the chug- under the seats that and to feel themselves fast as they could fly ing to move their were soon going a mile as the very was a mistake, as fast this about. looking at the trees did not see what Tom reached down and pushed the lever which makes the wheels go at the fastest speed, and before anyone could say " Jack Robinson " they were going so fast they could only hold on to to the seats and catch their breaths and try to pray. It was ever so long before Dame Owl could get the automobile stopped, and when she did, there stood a policeman who was saying : " I arrest you for fast driving." But Dame Owl told him how. it happened, and he let them go because they all looked so scared that he knew they hadn't meant any harm. 46 DAME OWL'S PICNIC. As for the pic- nic, that was just such a jolly one as you have often been to, and soon the Birds were having such a good time that they forgot all about their wild ride. Late in the after- noon they climbed into the automobile agaiu and were whisked home in no time ; only Dame Owl put Tom Tit in a back seat where he could not touch any of the machinery. And when the Birds, full and happy, were starting for their own homes, they all thanked the good Owl and said : " When you get ready to give another picnic, be sure to count 418 in I " "Of course I will, you little dears," said the good Bird, "for you have all been as good as gold." She had forgotten already about Tom Tit's naughtiness. So the Birds went to their homes arnd to bed, and you may be sure they slept well after such a day's sport. But if you had been watching you could have seen the leaves over their nests flutter- ing now and then during the night. That was wlien the Birdies were dreaming of being in automobiles and were trying to catch hold of the seats to keep from being thrown out. ALL LOST ON PIGGY. HE peacock was proud of his plumage so gay ; " To the farrayarcl," said he, " I will travel to-day, To dazzle the birds and the animals there With the sight of my feathers, so handsome and rare. Old Piggy was lazily stretched in his sty, And never-looked up as the stranger went by. " Dear me ! " cried the bird, with astonishment wild, " What a dull thing you are ! " But the Pig only smiled. 48 THE KING OF THE RIVEE NCE upon a time a young Frog sat on a large stone near the bank of a river. He felt very pleased with himself, and when he saw a bird perched on a tree above his head, he at once began to talk to him. " Welcome, stranger," said the Frog, " I am the King of the River." At that moment there was a noise on the bank. The Frog lumped down from his stone, and swam away. There was a splashing and a loud quack, quack- ing. " His river, indeed ! " said an angry voice, " it is my river. I am the King of the River." But there was a fluttering of wings as the bird flew across the river, skimming the water. As he flew he shouted : " I am no stranger ! It is my river ! I am King of the River. As far as you can see, all is mine ! " Who was right — the frog, the duck, or the beautiful king-fisher? ^-1^^ KHi>" 4— Mother Bird Stories. 49 A BIG HATCHING OF DUCKLINGS. Y gracious, what a funny noise ! I believe there is more than one ! " Then crackle, crackle, goes the shell. Ah, now we shall see some fun ! Then out there popped a duckling's head. And then came number two ; They counted till they could not count. We leave the rest to you. ^^ ^P' "PUSS I PUSS I SCRATCH POLLY'S POLL." ID you ever hear of a cat and a parrot making friends with each other? Well, such a strange friendship has been known at least once. The cat and bird I am telling you about were called " Puss " and " Polly," and had been brought up together in the same family. They did many funny things, but the funniest sight of all was to see the parrot bow her head in front of the cat and screech : " Puss ! Puss I Scratch Polly's poll ! " Whenever she did this, Puss would gravely do as she was told, and would scratch and scratch with her sharp claws until Polly's head felt quite comfortable again. Then the bird would brighten up and say,"Thank you, Puss I Thank you ! " This trick was so well known in the village that the children on their way to school often stopped to see it. At times Polly did not seem to mind, but at other times she would shout : " Be off with you, bad chil- dren — be off to school ! " And away they would scamjier, for if they didn't, Polly would come and peck at them. This friendship lasted for years, and when Puss died the Parrot felt so lonely that for days she would not eat and would say over and over, " Poor Puss I Poor Puss I" WHEN MES. DUCK TOOK IN WASHING. TEEEIBLE thing had happened in the Farmyard. Mr, Drake had run away, leaving his wife with a family of seven small Ducklings to support. How was Mrs. Duck •^^^^^ to get along ? The Swan's advice that she start a school to teach chickens to swim did not appeal to her. She scorned Mr. Pig's offer to pay her for serving food to him. Mr. Peacock said : " Now, if you had a tail like mine, you might go on the stage, but with that tail of yours ! " And he laughed in that mean, proud way of his. Mrs. Goose was the last of the neighbors to go. "I am sorry to leave you, dear," she said to Mrs. Duck, " but youdtnow I have my own work to be about, and, besides, I fear it is going to rain and I may get my gown wet." _ ^ That set Mrs. Duck to thinking. " Just so," she said ; " th«|te.re all afraid of the rain. They don't like to get their things soil^?**^nd when they do get them soiled they just throw them a^y and buy new ones. Now that was never my way ; I have always taken a pride in keeping my things cleaned 4tt^~and making them last as long as possible." She thought a few more minutes, and then said to lierseM" joyfully : " I know what I shall do; I shall take in washing for my living." So she hung out a sign which read like this: MES. DUCK Begs to Inform the Farmyard Folks that she will _ TAKE IN WASHING ON REASONABLE TERMS. Work Done Promptly. Only Best Mud Used. 52 WHEN MBS. DUCK TOOK IN WASHING. "/think it's most sensible," said Mrs. Dorking. "I shall give her all my things to wash ! It will save me a mint of barley I " " And I shall go to her, too," said Mrs. Goose. " And so shall I," said Major Turkey-cock. " I must say she always keeps her own dresses beautifully white," said Mrs. Guinea-fowl. " I wonder if she'd succeed with my spotted muslins." "She shall wash my collars," grunted Mr. Pig, who was really a very kind-hearted old chap, though he was rather too fond of his meals. And so they went on. Everyone seemed to approve except Peacock, and it didn't matter much about him, because he always was most, dreadfully proud, and nobody minded much what he said. So Mrs. Duck got plenty of work to do and the children all helped; and you can't think what an improvement it all made in the looks of things about the Farmyard. And Mrs. Duck and the children were well-fed and happy, so that 63 THE CONCEITED HERON. they very soon forgot all about old Mr. Drake, who was a good-for- nothing fellow anyhow. But one day Mr. Drake came back, looking very draggle-tailed and ashamed. Of course the Farmyard Folks all had their own opinions. as to what Mrs. Duck should do, and almost everyone thought she should send him packing. But she knew better, " He will come in handy," she said. And she set him to work at the washtub. This turned out to be just the kind of treatment he needed, and he became a dutiful husband. THE CONCEITED HEKON. WO Herons were talking at the Zoo. " It is strange," said one, " tliat I should be so much better looking than you. To begin witli, I'm taller; then, my eyes are larger — " " Mine do very well to see with," said the other humbly. "And my wings," went on the first. "How white they are and how pretty tliey look when I spread them in the sunshine." " Looks aren't every- thing," remarked the other. " Oh, no, of course ; but it isn't only looks; I am cleverer than you in every way. Now watch. The Keeper is going to throw me a fish. Watch me throw it in the air and catch it as it falls, and then hear the children cheer me." MB. BOOSTER GETS A SURPRISE. The Heron caught the fish and tossed it in the air ; but he was so anxious to see what the children would think of him that he was too late to catch it again and his brother seized it as it fell. " Hurrah, hurrah ! " cried the children. " The smaller Heron is the cleverer; he caught the fish the other threw to him. Hurrah, hurrah ! " But this Heron only said to the conceited one : " I don't care so much what the children think, but I certainly did enjoy that fish." MR. ROOSTER GETS A SURPRISE. HIS is a good place to take a nap," said Mr. Rooster, as he stepped onto a nice hard object in the Farmyard. So he perched there on one leg and shut his eyes. But after a while the Turtle woke up and walked away, and the Rooster was upset. "Well," said he, as he picked himself up and looked around, " who would ever think a stone could come to life I A queer world this is, to be sure! THE PBA-HEK. YoTOTG pea-chicks are very hard to bring up. They are delicate, and their mother, being of a roving disposition, leads them long tramps over hill and dale, and wears them out. One day we took tlj,e hen's eggs away^-^ani common hen upcKSfr. we gave her som : 'it's, e She seemed contciii day after day, till the chickens began to break the shell. But no sooner had they got upon their little legs than she must have found that something was wrong, and that they were not pea- chicks. She straightway turned her back upon them, as much as to say, " You can't deceive me ; barn-yard chickens are not pea-chicks ; " and she walked off, and refused to feed or care for them. 56 TEACHING THE DUCKLINGS TO SWIM. ,OME along, children, I'll take you to the pond in the orchard, and you shall have your first lesson in swimming," said Madame Duck one fine morning to her youngsters. So the whole family waddled oft to the orchard, and were soon swimming about in the cold water. " Isn't it lovely ! " exclaimed one of the little duck- lings, excitedly. " Much nicer than /expected," said another. "Aren't you glad we're little ducks, and not silly little chickens?" said a third. " Mother says they are actually afraid of the water ! " "/ think it is delicious," added a fourth, shaking his wings and sending the water splashing over the others, " and I'm going to stay here for hours and hours." " Shall we have a race to the other side ? " suggested one of the babies, after a while. 57 WHAT JIMMIE PARROT SAW IN THE MIBBOB. All the others agreed that a race would be great fun, and away they started, and were just half way across when Madame Duck called them to her, and said it was quite time to leave the pond and come home. So away they went across the field to the farmyard, where dinner was ready and waiting for them. " I am sure you will all be ready for something to eat after your two lessons," said Madame Duck, with a smile. WHAT JIMMIE PAKEOT SAW IN THE MIKROE. least angry IMMIE Parrot was a cross, cranky Bird, He had what folks call "a temper." The thing made him He would snarl and bite, and never seemed to care what folks thought. One day when he was in a tantrum his mother said, " Jimmie, look in the mir- ror ! " He did and saw himself just as you see him in the 2)icture. That cured him ; he never lost his temper again. 58 THE SCEAWK WITH THE WONDEEFUL WALK. H, I am tlie Scrawk with the wonderful walk, And the voice like the rasping of files : When I open my beak, just to laugh or to speak, All the people can hear me for miles. 59 A BIDE ON A SWAN'S BACK. If you've ne'er heard ray voice from compulsion or choice- It's a baritone leaning to bass — You've a treat yet in store, but you mustn't encore. For too much of it injures nly face. I once laid an egg ! You'll believe me, I beg, When I say that it couldu't be matched Both for beauty and strength. It exploded at length On the day that it should have been hatched. A EIDE ON A SWAN'S BACK. NCE the river Tyne was so much swollen that it overflowed its banks and did much damage in the valley through which it flows to the North Sea. Buildings were washed down, and all kinds of articles were carried away by the flood. Stacks of hay and corn, pieces of furniture, and even animals out of the fields, were borne along by the current. A Swan was seen sailing along for a considerable distance, and the people on the bank noticed that a black spot appeared on its snow-white feathers. As y^^^^ the bird came nearer, every- / / v'^a one was aston- ished to see _ . I I that the blaek object was a -■^^?-^^'::?^S^C-\ 1l live rat, which was a had taken ref- b a c k of the The spec- the wise quad- t h e friendly both reached safety, and off to find a uge on the Swan. tators cheered ruped and also biped as they the land in the rat ran new home. THE GOOSE-STEP. M Private Goosey Gander Of the Farmyard Poulti'y Corps. I never would have 'listed If I'd only known before How hard it is to learn tlie drill And do the goose-step slow. And that the Sergeant-Major bold Would storm and bully so. " Tum I Tum ! " says the rattling drum " Come for a soldier, come, come, come." " Fi ! Fi ! " says the whistling fife, " Who doesn't envy a sOldier-boy's life I " BIRDS OF PARADISE. The beautiful birds seen in this picture are all Birds of Paradise, although they dif- fer in many ways. But besides these varieties there are hundreds and hund- reds of others Birds of Paradise are found chiefly in New Guinea and the islands near that country. They are wonderfully beautiful in plumage, and yet what bird do you suppose they greatly resemble ? The common black 62 SIRDS OF PARADISE. crow. We should not see this resemblance unless we studied birds and compared one kind with another. The Bird of Paradise is Uke the crow in the shape of its body, its bill and feet. Then its habits, and strange to say its cries are like those of the crow. The skins of the Birds of Paradise used sometimes to be worn by eastern soldiers when they went into battle. The soldiers thought the skins served as a charm to protect the wearer from harm. When the skins of these birds with the feathers on were sent to foreign countries all signs of legs or-^fcfet were removed. From this fact the idea arose that the creatures had no feet. It was thought they floated in the air always, or hung from the trees by the long fine feathers of their tails. This foolish idea was believed for many, many years by intelligent people. In its natural home the Bird of Paradise is very active and lively in its habits. If caught and kept in a cage it is pert and bold. In different languages different names are given these gorgeous, beautiful creatures. In one language they are called Birds of Paradise, in another Birds of the Air, in a third Birds of the Suri, and most beautiful of all — God's Birds. ^* NOTHING BUT A DAW! UR peacock was a lovely bird with plumage all of blue — The silly jackdaw thought he'd like to be a peacock too — But wise old Fido murmured, when the foolish bird he saw — " In spite of all your borrowed plumes you're nothing but a daw ! — Nothing but a daw ! Haw ! Haw ! Haw ! In spite of all your borrowed plumes you're nothing but a daw !" THE STUFFED BIRDS HAVE A FEAST. ALLING asleep at the dinner table one day, Rose had such a funny dream. The reason she had become so tired that she fell asleep was that she had spent the whole -afternoon wan- dering through Uncle Peter's bird museum, where stuffed birds of many kinds are ranged about in glass cases. And now Rose dreamed that all those birds had come out of their cases and sat around the table in a ring. There was the Stork at the head of the table doing the honors, 64 THE STUFFED BIEDS AND EOSE HAVE A FEAST. S^JWatket Bird Storiei. 65 "JVST llEE HIS MA." and a Parrot was joking at one side while an Eagle was frowning op- posite him. The Flamingo and Crane and Buzzard and Ostrich and many more birds were there, all in the best of humor and cracking many a joke across the table. Each specimen showed a most hearty appetite and seemed to enjoy the cherries, cake, bread and jelly. The Pelican smiled a broad, well- satisfied smile, for his bill was the largest of all and so he could eat more than the others. " But," said the Ostrich when this was men- tioned, " if I can't take as big bites as you, I can at least keep the taste of the good things in my throat longer." This started an argument, and it looked as though there was going to be a fight between the birds, but Rose sought to stop trouble by saying : " Now, if you keep on stuffing — " And at that word " stuffing " — what do you suppose ? Every one of the birds grew ashaiBied and just faded away. Rose was sitting there alone. JUST LIKE HIS MA." HE very picture of his ma ! Said Owl when he the baby saw. "Oh, no!" said Mrs. Owl, " the dear Is just like you from claw to ear." 66 "FINE FEATHERS MAKE FINE BIRDS." AY I take you for a walk, miss ? " Said the Penguin one fine clay- To a proud and haughty Ostrich, Whom he met upon his way ; But she tossed her head — said " Walking — no, she didn't care for that." She was prouder than a Peacock With that feather in her hai ! 67 WHERE THE BIRDS GO IN FALL. HAT becomes of the Swallows in the fall? The American Swallows go south, but their English cousins all fly away to Northern Africa to escape the frost and the snow. And the Swifts, and the Martens, and the Nightingales, and the Flycatchers, and ever so many other birds go with them. But how do they find their way ? Ah ! That is not an easy question to answer. Most likely the old birds teach the young ones; and then, next year, the young ones re- member. And when they have little ones of their own, they teach them in their turn just as they were taught themselves. But the odd never seem to fly country which Wouldn't it be ever so much shorter for them if they were to go straight? Of course it would. But then they would have to , travel for very long mstances over the sea, with nowhere to rest, and no chance of getting any food. So they always hunt the narrowest places, at which to cross the sea and do not at all mind 68 thing is, that they straight to the they want to reach. SOME QUEER BIRD FRIENDS. flying a few hundred miles farther over the land in order to reach them. But sometimes, even at these narrow crossings, they get dreadfully tired, and have to sit and rest for a while on the rigging of ships. Often birds are attracted by the powerful lights on lighthouses and lightships; many of them in stormy weather fly against the glass and are killed instantly. Many, too, are found ^ ^ >^ -;-m^ dead on the seashore the morning after a ~^^^-^^> T^^ storm ; it is only the strongest that survive. "^^ SOME QUEER BIRD FRIENDS. HERE were two Bantam hens who were great friends. But, alas, one of them died, so the other little hen was very lonely, and she looked so misei'able that the farmer's daughter, Peggy, said : " Poor little Banty, I will take her into the kitchen at nights, where she will be warm." Banty was brought in and put in a box in an unused brick oven, where she slept comfortably all night. After this she came every evening at dusk to the kitchen door to be let in, and would jump into her box of nice fresh hay. At other times she would sit down by the fire, beside the fat curly dog, who was a great friend of hers ; indeed, they were such friends that he often let her sleep on his back, and she would stay there when he jumped up to welcome a visitor at the door. Now, at this time there were lots of little baby chick- ens in the farmyard, and one day Peggy found one little one with a broken leg ; so sh« carried it into the house and 69 SOME QUEER BIRD FRIENDS. bandaged up the leg, and then put the chicken into Banty's box in the oven. In the evening Banty came to bed as usual, and found the little baby chicken in her box. You may think she was jealous, but no ! she was delighted, and began to take care of the baby. Now I must tell you that this little chicken was a different kind of hen from Banty. It was one of a kind called Cochin China hens, which are very big, while Bantams are very small hens indeed ; and I must also tell you that Peggy called the Co- chin China chicken " Chappie." Chappie soon began to grow into quite a big hen, but still faithful little Banty fed it and tended it with every care. The broken leg got strong, so Banty and Chappie went out for walks together every day and became great friends. There was a Hen once who made a nest in the shade of a dandelion and filled it with eggs. But when the eggs were nearly hatched she became tired of sitting on them and wandered away. An Owl who was strolling past saw the eggs there and sat on them, and I am told that she kept them so warm that in a short time a dear little chicken hopped out of each. Now, what would you expect this strange Owl mother to do? Make friends with the chicks and raise them, of course. But I regret to say she did nothing of the kind. She ate them ! But you must not think too hard of her, because, you know. Owls were made to like chicken meat and perhaps can't help it. 70 ODD TRICK 9F A TAME MAGPIE. It may seem strange to you that a dog and a hen should become friends, but what would you think of a dog becoming foster mother to a family of Goslings ? Well, I have known of one such case. This dog's name was Fanny, and when the Mamma Duck died Fanny was sorry for her little ones and became -their protector. The picture shows how watchful she was of her funny little charges and how contented they were un- der her care. ODD TKICK OF A TAME MAGPIE. 'HE following incident will illustrate how animals and birds sometimes play tricks on each other. Old Towler was a large mastiflf, and was kept chained up in a farmyard as a watchdog. A tame magpie used to hop about the kennel, and seemed on very good terms with the mastiff, except that he would tease him whenever he could get a chance. Sometimes the magpie would steal bits of the dog's dinner, screaming, " Towler ! Towler ! Towler ! " all the time. Another trick he was fond of was to hop onto the farmer's walking-stick when it was given to the dog to carry. The dog would hold the stick in his mouth as long as he could, then suddenly allow it to fall, seeming to enjoy the scream of the magpie and the flutter of its wings as the bird fell to the ground. Though the bird was such a tease the mastiff always kept his temper, and i^ever made an attempt to harm his bird-companion in any way. 11 ' THE SNEEZE THAT SAVED THE PIGEONS. Magpies are all busybodies. There was one, I remember, who teased a Canary the worst way. The Magpie was allowed to go where he pleased in the house. He would fly near the cage of the Canary and show off and do everything he could to make the little Bird feel un- easy. The folks thought Goldie, the Canary, was ill until they watched and saw it was all the Magpie's fault THE SNEEZE THAT SAVED THE PIGEONS. NE day a cat went out to hunt some food. She was very hungry and was not very particular as to what should compose her meal. Yet she said merrily to herself as she pattered away on velvety feet : " Oh, I know I'm going to find some fine sport ; something inside of me seems to tell me I am." And so she was. For she had not gone very far before she chanced to come across some plump, sweet looking pigeons. " Say, don't 72 WHAT A FINE MEAL TOE KITTY— IF SHE ONLY HADN'T SNEEZED. 73 WHAT WILL THE GEESE DO TO MB. FOXf they look just good enough to eat I " said Kitty. She crept up onto the barn and in another moment would surely have in her mouth one of the pigeons. She was smiling at the thought, when — " Tshoo I a-kach-ah I her-choo!" Yes, she gave a great big sneeze, the pigeons flew away, and an angry, howling, miaoul-ing cat went home to eat some ordinary food. WHAT WILL THE GEESE DO TO MR. FOX? HE Fox in this picture has stolen many Geese and eaten them. Now the Policeman Dog has caught Mr. Fox and is asking the Geese what shall be done to him. What do you think they will say ? Will they have him put iu jail, or make him promise to be good and let him go ? What would you decide if you were a Goose ? "PLEASE, GOOD CALVES, DON'T EAT MY DEAR LITTLE BIRDIES!'* V§ ^ ^ 1 W^l^^ _\ w PENGUIN CATCHES A CRAB. OUNG Penguin was fishing one day by the sea, "Dear me! how I'd like a good biteT' grumbled he. Just then a Crab nipped the young bird by the tail, Which caused the poor Penguin to jump and to wail. " Oh, no ! " he cried out, " not that kind of a bite ! " But the Crab made no answer — he just hung on tight. To the doctor Young Penguin ran off very sore. And said : " Take it off, and I'll grumble no more." BOREOWED FEATHERS. .OESN'T the hat suit me?" inquired Miss Kangaroo anxiously. " Not at all," said the Crow. " Ugh I where did you get those feathers from ? " " I picked them up when the Ostriches were moulting," said the Kangaroo. " Won't you help me, Mr. Crow ? " >v\>> v\ •^ " I lost two of my tail feathers this morning," pursued the Crow " Would you like to pick them up ? " " Certainly," answered Miss Kangaroo. So she stooped and gathered a handful and took off her hat. " What shall I do for a pin ? " said she. Mr. Crow pecked at his wooden post, and held out a long, splinter of wood like a skewer. 77 CAPTAIN JINKS OF THE HEN MARINES. " That's much better," he said, when Miss Kangaroo replaced the hat on her head. Half-an-hour later Mr. Crow himself alighted on the Palace wall, and at that moment Miss Kangaroo was shaking hands with my lord Marquis of Kangaroo. " A handsome couple ! " said Mr. Crow to himself; " she may thank me for that. My ! What a show some folks can make with borrowed feathers ! " CAPTAIN JINKS OF THE HEN MAEINES. E'S Captain Jinks of the Hen Marines, He feeds his troops on worms and beans ; But for himself he buys sardines. For he's captain in the army. , " 'iM ^S • ■=-''*'NSM Hnlto^ ■-^^■ p^.c *y, ■■- -A_3 ^Tg^j^^iJi S a< /mi h\-'