or cracker was thrust clear down his 

 throat. 



After the first month, in which the 

 oriole took the lead, the order was re- 

 versed. Robert was first thereafter, 

 coming to the front and taking entire 

 charge of the establishment, chaperon, 

 servant, adviser, nor was he above 

 making sarcastic remarks at the ex- 

 pense of the faithful companion who 

 followed closely at his heels. 



He pecked at the little blue kid 

 shoes on the perch above, pulled the 

 tiny toes, tweaked the feathers and 

 tried to pull them out, and behaved 

 generally, I regret to say, most impo- 

 litel}'. With this increased assurance 

 there was a marked gain in song. 



He sang while we breakfasted or 

 dined, the same ideally happy bobo- 

 link medley, a new discovery of the joy 

 of living, lifting his voice in rainy days 

 in rhythm with the shower, Peepsy 

 joining with sundry encouraging notes 

 but no real song. 



After the first month both birds were 

 fond of the bath; water in bowl, 

 pitcher, or tumbler, was a challenge 

 seldom ignored. 



Robert's short memory and inexpe- 

 rience were liable to mistake the dish 

 of cracker and milk for a bath tub, 

 crowding into and flirting the contents 

 over chairs and floor. He was spe- 

 cially fond of my mother, planting his 

 feet in her soft, wavy hair and jerking 

 her locks in utter disregard of all 

 threatening. 



The door to the next room, left ajar, 

 was i. ceaseless fascination. When the 

 cage door was opened they started 

 promptly, Robert leading, Peepsy fol- 

 lowing meekly, till they reached the 

 crack in the door, stretching out their 

 necks and peering with curious e)-es 

 into the room beyond; then, as if con- 

 fronted with some terrible ogre they 

 turned quickl}' about and hopped back 

 to the cage. 



The hidden possibilities were too 

 great. In a moment back they came, 

 repeating the search over and over, till 

 the door was thrown openandthey were 

 at liberty to explore the terrors and 

 resources of the room beyond. After 

 one of these excursions Peepsy was 



found fast asleep in the narrow space 

 between the door and the wall! 



Both birds were very curious over 

 the sweepmg, Robert supermtending, 

 keeping just in front of the broom, 

 hopping straight into the dust-pan, 

 bristling his leathers when reproved, 

 or flying, in frigid terror, if pur- 

 sued. They helped also in preparing 

 the meals, following from kitchen to 

 pantry, from pantry to kitchen, till a 

 too generous attendance was checked 

 for the time by compulsory return to 

 the cage. 



Ignorant of all fear they became my 

 constant companions from room to 

 room, from house to garden and orch- 

 ard, when wild birds looked down in 

 wonder, coming from the higher 

 branches to peer and question, Peepsy 

 answering politely, fluttering the brown 

 velvet wings in unavailing winningness, 

 while Robert silentl)' ignored their in- 

 quisitive ways. During the intense 

 heat of midsummer I saw less of the 

 twins than usual, the house being dark- 

 ened as much as possible to exclude 

 the heat. Opening my door I heard 

 the patter of little leet as they crossed 

 the hall; Peepsy stood upon the thresh- 

 old and, with a welcoming chirp, flew 

 towards me, coaxing and nestling 

 against my cheek with many evidences 

 of t>iadness. 



The heat of the day was waning; the 

 sun had withdrawn from the valley; 

 the heights were radiant still, the peaks 

 of the mountain range dazzlingly lit 

 with golden light. I carried the bird 

 out-of-doors and across the way where 

 children were playing, the tiny guest 

 enjoying the call thoroughly, lunching 

 upon raspberries, exploring the rooms, 

 "trying on" each nook and corner, and 

 regarding with astonished interest a 

 huge feather duster that lay upon the 

 carpet. 



Advancing and retreating before 

 the huge monster, ruffling his feathers 

 in rage, he hopped around it s-everal 

 times before his courage was equal to 

 an attack. Then, with wide-spread 

 wings he charged upon the savage ene- 

 my, striking it with his beak, tramp- 

 ling upon and biting the feathers. 



When we returned Robert's indigna- 



223 



