The Audubon Societies 449 



THE SIGNAL 



One day my mother walked part way to school with me. As we were walk- 

 ing along, mother called my attention to a gray squirrel which had an enormous 

 toadstool in his paws. He was nibbling away at it as though his life depended 

 upon finishing it. 



A little way off another squirrel, evidently his mate, had scampered up a 

 tree. All of it we could see was the tail, for the tree hid the rest. It was wildly 

 waving its tail as though signaling to the mate to hurry and get away from us. — 

 Francis Dury (Grade 5B). 



[The writer knows of a box turtle that was seen to eat part of a toadstool. — A. H. W.] 



THE TANAGERS 



One day I had a pleasant experience with birds. It took place in the woods, 

 and while I was walking. I suddenly noticed, sitting on a tree in front of me, 

 a couple of Scarlet Tanagers, one large and the other smaller. I walked quite 

 close to them before they flew to a near-by tree. They stayed around the place 

 a few minutes, as if wishing to be friends with me, but not knowing how to begin. 



When they had made up their minds that no good was to come from a 

 strange little creature like me, they flew away without further investigating 

 the matter, — Mary Betts (Grade 5A). 



[It is pleasant to imagine that the birds recognize us, but it is safer not to attribute 

 to them any human actions. — A. 11. W.j 



THE STORY OF A ROSE 



I was once a little seed and I grew and I grew until I was out of the ground. 



Then the sun warmed me and I grew and I grew until all of a sudden there 

 were leaves on my stem. 



The next morning there was a bud. The next day the sun warmed me, and 

 that afternoon it rained on my head till I was wet. 



At night I went to sleep. Then in the morning the sun warmed me again 

 till at last my bud was a full-grown rose. 



I bloomed all summer. At last it began to grow cold, then all my leaves 

 fell off and I slept all winter till next spring. — Agnes Flynn (Grade 5A). 



[These little stories of Nature come from fifth grade pupils in a school in Great 

 Kills, N. Y. They illustrate the range of observation and imagination which pupils of 

 this grade have, and also indicate the variety of objects likely to attract the attention 

 at this age. Space does not permit printing all of the stories. — A. II \V.] 



