GRAY LADY AT SCHOOL 25 
lo and behold, was a great Blue Jay, a Robin, a Downy 
Woodpecker with his clean black-and-white-striped coat 
and red neck bow, and a saucy Chickadee, with his jaunty 
black cap and white tie, all feasting on the broken bits of 
Miss Wilde’s ham sandwich, while a pair of Robins were 
industriously picking the fruit from a remnant of huckle- 
berry pie. Unfortunately, before the children had taken 
more than a good look, the door banged to and the birds 
flew away, the Woodpecker giving his wild sort of laugh, 
the Robins erying, ‘Quick! quick!” in great alarm, 
while the Jay and Chickadee told their own names plainly 
as they flew. 
“As we have agreed to talk and ask questions, I will 
ask the first one,” said Gray Lady, as they all settled 
down, feeling very good-natured and eager to listen. 
“liza said a few minutes ago that a chicken isn’t a 
bird. Now a chicken is a bird, though of course all birds 
are not chickens. 
The Bird 
“Who can tell me exactly what a bird is? You all may 
think you know, but can you put it in words?”’ 
“A bird isn’t a plant; it is an animal,” said Tommy 
Todd. 
“Yes, but a cat is an animal, and a snake, and a horse; 
and we are animals ourselves.” 
“A bird is a flying animal,” returned Sarah. 
“Very true, but so is a bat, and, as you know, a bat 
has fur and looks very like a mouse, and a bird does not. 
“Ah, you give it up. Very well, listen and remember. 
A bird is the only animal which has feathers! With his 
