LITTLE SOLOMON OTUS 



ter coat that looks much the same "as that of Mother 

 Goldfinch and his young daughters; and then changes 

 every spring to a beautiful yellow suit, with black-and- 

 white trimmings and a black cap, for the summer. It is 

 different, too, from the color-styles of Bob the Vaga- 

 bond, who merely wears off the dull tips of- his winter 

 feathers, and appears richly garbed in black and white, 

 set off with a lovely bit of yellow, for his gay summer in 

 the north. Again, it is something quite different from 

 the color-fashions of Larie, who was not clothed in a 

 beautiful white garment and soft gray mantle, like his 

 father's and mother^s, until he was quite grown up. 



No, the complexion of Solomon and his sons and 

 daughters was a different matter altogether, because it 

 had nothing whatever to do with season of the year, or 

 age, or sex. But for all that it was not different from 

 the sort of color- variations that Mother Nature gives to 

 many of her children ; and you may meet now and again 

 examples of the same sort among flowers, and insects, 

 and other creatures, too. 



But, reddish or gray, it made no difference to Solo- 

 mon and Mrs. Otus. They had no favorites among their 

 children, but treated them all alike, bringing them food 

 in abundance : not only enough to keep them happy the 

 night long, but laying up a supply in the pantry, so that 

 the youngsters might have luncheons during the day. 



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