CHAPTER V 

 CITIZEX BIRD 



The apple trees were in full bloom the day that the 

 Doctor again found time to be with the children. It 

 was exactly the kind of a day that birds like. The 

 ground was soft enough to let the earthworms come 

 up to breathe, so that Robins could catch them easily, 

 and the air was full of all kinds of insects newly out 

 from their long winter sleep in their soft cocoon beds, 

 much to the delight of the Swallows and Flycatchers. 



It was also a beautiful day for House People to 

 watch their bird neighbors ; for it was mild but not 

 too bright, and every one knows how it hurts the eyes 

 to look at flying birds with the sun shining in them. 



Olive, Dodo, and Nat went out first and found Rap 



waiting. The Doctor followed, carrying something in 



his hand in a black leather case. When they arrived 



at the old tree in the orchard, he told them to look up. 



There was the perch arranged as it had been when he 



was a boy. Not a perch for birds, but for House 



People — narrow board seats fitted in between the 



larofest branches and a bar fastened across some of the 



highest ones, so that it was quite safe to climb up and 



look out of the top of the tree. The branches had been 



trimmed away here and there, so that a good view 



could be had of what was happening elsewhere in the 



orchard. 



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