CORBIE 



His brain was so active that he could fill every place and 

 every hour full to the brim of interest. He had a merry 

 way about him, and a gay chatter that seemed to mean, 

 ^^Oh, life to a crow is joy! JOY!'^ And because of all 

 this, it was not only the Brown-eyed Boy and the Blue- 

 eyed Girl who loved him. He won the hearts of even 

 the Grown-Ups, who had sometimes found it hard to be 

 patient with him during the first noisy days, when he 

 tired them with his frequent baby ''kah-and-gubble," 

 before he could feed himself. 



But, however bold and dashing he was during the day, 

 whatever the sunny hours had held of mirth and dan- 

 cing, whichever path he had trod or flown, whomever he 

 had chummed with — when it was the time of dusk, lit- 

 tle Corbie sought the one he loved best of all, the one 

 who had been most gentle with him, and snuggling close 

 to the side of the Blue-eyed Girl, tucked his head into 

 her sleeve or under the hem of her skirt, and crooned his 

 sleepy song which seemed to mean : — 



Oh! soft and warm the crow in the nest 

 Finds the fluff of his mother's breast. 

 Oh! well he sleeps, for she folds him tight — 

 Safe from the owl that flies by night. 



Oh! far her wings have fluttered away, 

 Nor does it matter in the day. 

 But keep me, pray, till again 't is light, 

 Safe from the owl that flies by night. 



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