BIRD STORIES 



do of visiting the nests of tame birds, such as hens and 

 geese and turkeys, and taking the eggs they lay. Of 

 course, it would not occur to a crow that he did n't have 

 a perfect right to take such food for himself and his 

 young as he could find in his day's hunting. Indeed, it is 

 not unlikely that, if a crow did any real thinking about 

 the matter, he might decide that robins and meadow- 

 larks were his chickens anyway. So what the other birds 

 would better do about it is to hide their nests as well 

 as ever thej^ can, and be quiet when they come and go. 

 That is the way Father and Mother Crow did, them- 

 selves, when they built their home where the pine 

 boughs hid it from climbers below and from fliers above. 

 And, though you might hardly believe it of a crow, they 

 were still as mice whenever they came near it, alighting 

 first on trees close by, and slipping up carefully between 

 the branches, to be sure no enemy -was following their 

 movements. Then they would greet their babies with- a 

 comforting low ^^Caw," which seemed to mean, ^' Never 

 fear, little ones, we've brought you a very good treat." 

 Yes, they were shy, those old crows, when they were 

 near their home, and very quiet they kept their affairs 

 until their young got into the habit of yelling, ^^Kah, 

 kah, kah," at the top of their voices whenever they 

 were hungry, and of mumbling loudly, " Gubble-gubble- 

 gubble," whenever they were eating. 



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