126 " UPON THE TREE-TOP.'' 



up on the edge of his cradle and peeped out 

 upon the big world, while both parents hovered 

 about in great excitement. He found it uncon- 

 genial, perhaps, for, although a brother oriole 

 clambered up beside him and stood shivering 

 on the brink, he hesitated, turned toward the 

 warm nest and plunged in head-first, dragging 

 the other with him in his fall. Perhaps it 

 was because the second came up, for I noticed 

 afterwards that two were never out at the 

 same time; not until one had flown did the 

 next come up, and then he followed at once. 

 Upon the sudden disappearance, both parents 

 retreated to the apple-tree, and one announced 

 the failure of their hopes to the other with a 

 scolding note, — "gone back," it said. But his 

 hour had come, and before long that young bird 

 made another trial: first his fluffy little head 

 appeared ; a struggle, a scramble, and he was 

 safely upon a twig outside. No sooner did he 

 find himself in the air than he began the 

 " chr-r-r-r " of the brothers who had preceded 

 him by two days. The mother came, but she 

 did not feed him, though he was very eager. 

 She alighted upon a twig below him, and he 

 fluttered towards her, when suddenly she flew. 

 Then she returned, passed him, and attended 

 to the one in the nest, and he was disappointed 

 again. For two hours, during which he seldom 



