CITIZEN BIRD 53 



spring, when 1 was sick. They had a nest in a bush 

 by our kitchen window, where I couhl see it well, 

 and all day long either the mother or the father came 

 about every two minutes with something for the little 

 ones to eat. 1 timed them by the clock until I was 

 nearly dizzy, and they seemed to do the same thing 

 every day until the 3^oung ones flew away. Then they 

 went over to the grape vines, made a new nest, and 

 raised four more the same way " — and then Rap 

 stopped suddenly, as if he feared that he had been 

 talking too much. 



''That is all true," said the Doctor, looking very 

 happy at finding that one of his listeners not only saw 

 for himself but remembered and thought about what 

 he had seen. ''If you have used your eyes so well, my 

 lad, when we come to the bird stories I shall expect 

 you to tell some of them yourself." And the Doctor 

 held out his hand to the child with a look that sent 

 him to bed to dream happy dreams for many a night. 



The children gazed at Rap in surprise. It Avas a 

 new idea that a poor little fellow like him should know 

 more than they, who had both parents and nice clothes, 

 and had been to school in a big city. That he should 

 be able to tell stories about birds seemed Avonderful. 

 But they were not selfish, and instead of being jealous 

 felt a great respect for Rap. 



" Now," said the Doctor, " we will see what a good 

 neighbor to House People a bird is, and how in work- 

 ing for himself he helps them also." 



" How can birds possibly work to help people ? " 

 asked Dodo and Nat together ; but Rap smiled to him- 

 self as if he knew somethino- about the matter, and 



