GRAY LADY AT SCHOOL Ai | 
“What bird is that,”’ asked Gray Lady; ‘do any of you 
know?” 
“Tt’s just the usually little brown bird that stays around 
here most all the time, but I love the tune it sings,” said 
Sarah Barnes. ‘Teacher says it’s some kind of a sparrow.” 
“It is a Song Sparrow,” said Gray Lady, “and you 
are right in saying it stays with us almost all the year.” 
“Now,” called Tommy, ‘the birds are beginning to 
come out; some Barn Swallows are flying over the low 
meadow and there’s a lot of ’em, and another kind strung 
along the wires on the turnpike. They always sit close 
and act that way all this month and some fly away, and 
’long the first part of next month, when the corn’s all 
husked, they’ll be gone! Please, ma’am, why do some 
birds never go away, and some do, and what makes ’em 
come back?”” Then Tommy began one of the volley of 
questions that Miss Wilde so dreaded. 
“Yes, an’ please, ma’am,” asked Dave, “why are some 
birds that mate together such different colours?” ‘An’ 
what becomes of Bobolinks after Fourth of July?” asked 
another. ‘An’ what makes birds have so many kind 
of feet ?”’ queried a third. 
Then questions flew so thick and fast that Gray Lady 
could not even hear herself think, and presently, when every 
one had laughed at the confusion, order was restored. 
“T asked you a moment ago what you would like to 
hear about. I think I know. You would like to hear 
about birds! Are there any other boys here besides 
Tommy and Dave who care about birds?” asked Gray 
Lady, who wished to have each child feel that he or she 
had a part in what was going on. 
