BIRD STORIES 



sort of curve would be best for its support against a per- 

 fectly straight wall? How much space would have to be 

 allowed for Uning the room, to make it warm and com- 

 fortable? How can the clay be handled so that the drying 

 sun and ^\dnd will not crack the walls? What is the test 

 for telling whether the clay is sticky enough to hold to- 

 gether? How much of the nest must be stuck to the cliff 

 so that the weight of it will not make it fall? 



If the architect can answer all those questions, ask him 

 one more : ask him if he could make such a nest with the 

 same materials the birds used, and with no more tools? 



Well, Eve and Petro could and did. It was big enough 

 and strong enough and shaped just right; and when it 

 was nearly done and nearly ready for the soft warm Hn- 

 ing. That Boy climbed the ladder and knocked it down 

 with his hand. 



There it lay. Eve and Petrols wonderfully modeled nest 

 of clay, broken to bits on the ground and spoiled, oh, 

 quite spoiled. There is a saying that it brings bad luck 

 to do harm to a swallow. What bad luck, then, had the 

 hand of That Boy brought to the world that day? 



Bad luck it brought to Eve and Petro, who had toiled 

 patiently and unafraid beside the ladder-top, with faith 

 in those who climbed quietly to watch the little feathered 

 masons at their work. But now the walls of their home 

 were broken and crumbled, and their faith was broken 



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