ARDEA'S SOLDIER 



and the little mother was as well pleased as if she had 

 had five, like her neighbors, the other snowy heron and 

 the little blue heron. 



If the eggs of the little blue heron were blue, would 

 not those of the snowy herons be pure white? No, the 

 color of eggs does not need to match the color of feath- 

 ers; and Ardea's eggs and those of her next-bush neigh- 

 bor were so much like the beautiful blue ones of the 

 little blue heron, that it would be very hard for you to 

 tell one from the other. Perhaps Ardea could not have 

 told her own eggs if she had not remembered where she 

 had built her nest. As it was, she made no mistake, but 

 snuggled cosily over her pretty eggs, doubling up her 

 long slender black legs and her yellow feet as best she 

 could. 



If she found it hard to sit there day after day, she 

 made no fuss about it; and probably she really wanted 

 to do that more than anything else just then, since the 

 quiet patience of the most active birds is natural to 

 them when they are brooding their unhatched babies. 

 Then, too, there was her beautiful mate for company 

 and help; for when Ardea needed to leave the nest for 

 food and a change, the father-bird kept house as care- 

 fully as need be. 



To her next-bush neighbors and the little blue herons 

 Ardea paid no attention, unless, indeed, one of them 



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