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SOME MISCHIEF-MAKERS 
Crows and Jays, Starlings and Grackles 
Tue children came back very promptly after the mid- 
morning recess, considering the attraction offered outside. 
Though cheeks and all available pockets fairly bulged with 
apples, they had sufficient appetite to enjoy the crisp 
cookies, plates of which were set at intervals on the plain- 
topped table in the playroom, together with pitchers of 
milk or a delicious drink of Ann’s invention compounded 
of oranges and lemons and sweetened with honey. 
Gray Lady breakfasted at eight, but she knew very 
well that most of the folk of the Hill Country had their 
first meal at six, except perhaps in the dead of winter, so 
that a bit of luncheon between that time and noon was 
what Goldilocks called ‘‘a comfy necessity.” 
“Now tell me what birds you saw this morning, and 
what they were doing,’ said Gray Lady, as soon as the 
children had settled down. ‘‘Sarah Barnes, you may 
begin.” 
“We didn’t see anything new, that is nothing much; 
but, oh, such a lot of common birds in flocks, Crows and 
Blue Jays and Blackbirds; why, there were enough Black- 
birds to make it dark for a minute when they picked up 
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