BIRD STORIES 



could do a})out it. He lijid done it so many times before! 

 It was a game he liked. He stood on a branch, and called 

 Solomon names in loud, harsh tones. He flew around as- 

 if in a terrible temper, scrc^aming at the top of his voice. 

 When he began, there was not another day bird in sight. 

 Before many minutes, all the chickadees, nuthatches, 

 and woodpeckers within hearing had arrived, and had 

 taken sides with Jay. Yes, even sunny-hearted Chick 

 D.D. himself said things to Solomon that were almost 

 saucy. I n(;ver heard that any of these mobs actually 

 hurt our little friend; but they certainly disturbed his 

 naj), and there was no peace for him until he slipped 

 away. Where he went, there was no sound to tell, for his 

 feathers were fringed with silent down. Perhaps some 

 snow-bowed branch of evergreen gave him shelter, in a 

 nook where he could see better than the day-eyed birds 

 who ti'ied to follow and then lost track of him. 



So Solomon went on with his nap, and Jay started off 

 in quest of other adventures. The winter air put a keen 

 edge on his appetite, which was probably the reason 

 why he began to hunt for some of the cupboards w^here 

 food was stored. Of course, he had tucked a goodly sup- 

 ply of acorns and such things away for himself; but he 

 slipped into one hollow in a tree that was well stocked 

 with frozen fish, which he had certainly had no hand in 

 catching. But what did it matter to the blue-jacketed 



