The Audubon Societies 



343 



themselves. Then we learned how the 

 birds carry things in their mouths to make 

 their nests. The father and mother of the 

 little birds in the make-believe nest worked 

 hard over this while the rest of us were 

 'singing trees'; and we sang: 



'Fly little birds, fly east and west 

 Seeking a place to build your nest; 

 Tall trees are standing side by side, 

 Will you among their branches hide?' 



"At last it is finished, and mother-bird 

 must choose two of the tiniest children for 



"While we are singing these two verses the 

 father-bird is busy feeding first the mother- 

 bird and then the baby-birdies. Now it is 

 time to teach the babies how to fly. 

 Mother-bird and father-bird spread their 

 wings and try to make the babies do the 

 same, while the rest of us sing: 



'Fly, little birdies, fly, little birdies. 

 Fly, little birds in the golden sun, 

 Fly, little birdies, fly, little birdies,' 

 Always fly home when the day's work's 

 done.' 



her eggs. These she puts in the 'make- 

 believe' nest in the center of the circle, 

 and then we all sing: 



'In a hedge, just where 'tisbest, 

 Mother-bird has built her nest; 

 (Two small eggs all speckled and blue) 

 Sits there many days warm and irue. 

 The eggs are hatched and we can hear 

 Two little birds cry 'Mother dear.' 

 Near them let us softly creep, 

 While the birdlings cry Peepl Peep/' 



"All the spring we have been singing 

 bird-songs and telling stories of bird-life. 

 Early in the spring a bird-house was 

 bought, and a happy family of Wrens are 

 now living on our playground. We have 

 made nests and houses of clay. Many bird- 

 pictures adorn our walls, and on clear 

 days we go to the country to see all kinds 

 of birds. We have Robins, Cardinals 

 Bluebirds, Blackbirds, Woodpeckers, 

 Wrens, and Baltimore Orioles, all very 

 near our playground." 



