BIRD STORIES 



liked the other music that they made. So it was that he 

 sat before his door through many a summer twihght, and 

 played on his violin until the loons answered with the 

 Tremble Song: — 



^'O, ha-ha-ha, ho! O, ha-ha-ha, ho! 

 O, ha-ha-ha, ho! O, ha-ha-ha, ho!" 



Then they would swim up and up, until they floated 

 close to his cottage, feeding unafraid near by, while he 

 played softly. 



Often, when Gavia and her mate were resting there or 

 farther up the lake, some other loon would fly over; and 

 then Father Loon would throw his head way forward 

 and give another sort of song. ^^Oh-a-lee'!" he would 

 begin, with his bill wide open; and then, nearly clos- 

 ing his mouth, he would sing, '^Cleo'-pe"-a-rit'.'' The 

 '^Oh'^ starts low and then rises in a long, drawn way. 

 Perhaps in all the music of Immer Lake there is nothing 

 queerer than the Silly Song of Father Loon: — 



''Oh-a-lee'! Cleo'-p,e"-a-rit', cleo'-pe"-a-rit', cleo'-per''-wer-wer! 

 Oh-a-lee'! Cleo'-pe"-a-rit^ cleo'-pe"-a-rit', cleo'-per"-wer-wer! " 



Such were the songs the two Olairs heard often and 

 again, while they were growing up; and they must have 

 added much to the interest of their first summer. 



Altogether they had endless pleasures, and were as 

 much at ease in the water as if there were no more land 

 near them than there had been near those other young 



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