I 22 



The Atcdubo7i Knights. 



"Boys," said mamma, looking up at the 

 " Troublesome Trio," as papa called them. 

 " Boys, how would you like it if I should 

 make you knights, and set you to govern 

 certain portions of the farm ?" 



Three curious faces were turned toward 

 her, and Jack said anxiously : 



" You don't mean us to carry soup and 

 jelly to the people in Frog Hollow, do you ? 

 or see that the children go to school ?" 



"Oh no, not at all," and mamma smiled, 

 for Jack disliked missionary work exceed- 

 ingly. " Your subjects shall be of the 

 feathered tribe. I want you to protect the 

 birds, and see that no depredations are 

 made on their nests. There used to be so 

 many about when I was a little girl, and 

 now we have hardly any, and the few we 

 have are so shy and timid that one can't go 

 near them." 



"Do you mean," said Alex, "that we 

 are each to have certain nests to protect ?" 



"No; you are each to have a piece of 

 land, and you are bound to protect any 

 bird that builds on it. Do you see, it is 

 just as it was long ago. I am your queen, 

 and you are my barons. I present you 

 with the land (just as William did the Nor- 

 man barons) and you must protect the peo- 

 ple. Do you like my plan?" 



" First-rate idea ; what piece of land are 

 you going to give me ?" asked Seymour. 

 The checkers had been forgotten, and 

 both he and Jack sat tipping their chairs 

 back against the wall. 



" To you ? well, I will give you the north 

 pasture and the strip of woods behind it." 



" Thanks, O, most mighty queen, and I, 

 on my bended knee (only I won't bend it, 

 'cause I bruised it this morning) do here 

 promise and vow to protect it at the risk of 

 my life, to — " 



" Oh get out, Seymour, don't be an ape. 

 What'U you give me, mom ?" said the eldest 

 of the boys. 



" Well, Alexander, to you I will give the 

 old mill and the pasture around it, and 



Sleepy Hollow. Jack, you can have Rocky 

 Point and the marsh by the new dam, and 

 the hedge on Willow Lane. Now to-mor- 

 row you must explore your land and see 

 how many nests there are already, and all 

 through the spring you must keep account 

 of them, just how many there are, what 

 kind, and how many birds in each. In this 

 way you will learn a great deal about them. 

 And you must hereafter protect them from 

 the village boys and all other enemies." 

 "Can't I do something too, mamma ?" 

 " Indeed, you may," and mamma stroked 

 the fair curls, well pleased that Philip, the 

 delicate one of the boys, should take an 

 interest in anything that would take him 

 out of doors. " You shall have the garden, 

 and the orchard, and the wall behind the 

 barn — the barn too, if you like." 



The next morning the boys started off 

 on their exploring trips. They passed the 

 barn, and went together along the lane 

 with its zig-zag fence, but where the road 

 came to the pond, they separated, and 

 went each to his own province. Seymour, 

 crossing the creek on stepping-stones, and 

 pushing his way through a hedge, began to 

 climb the steep ascent of north pasture, or 

 the high pasture as it was sometimes called. 

 At the top of the hill, parallel with the 

 fence, stood a row of cedar trees, here there 

 was a great chattering going on, and as he 

 drew near, he saw hundreds of blackbirds 

 flying from tree to tree. When he came to 

 look into the matter, he found that a set- 

 tlement was being made on his property, 

 and several nests were in the trees. After 

 watching them for a while, he crossed the 

 meadow to the woods. Here he heard 

 nothing but birds, birds on all sides, some 

 singing ravishing melodies, some twitter- 

 ing busily at their work, and some scolding 

 angrily. In vain he tried to follow the 

 fairy voices that called to him in an entic- 

 ing manner to come look at their nests. 

 Through the bushes, over fallen trees, 

 through brambles that caught and held 



