30 THE FIRST BOOK OF BIRDS 
So he will go on, till in a few days he can fly 
very well, and follow his parents about, and begin 
to learn where to get food. 
Sometimes when a young bird leaves the nest 
he does not reach the tree he starts for, but falls 
to the ground. Then there is trouble among 
the birds. He is in danger of being picked up 
by a cat or a boy, or of getting tangled in the 
grass or weeds. 
The poor parents are half wild with fear. They 
coax him to try again, and they follow him about 
in the grass, in great distress. JI have many 
times picked up a little bird, and set him ona 
branch of a tree, or stood guard over him, driv- 
ing away cats and keeping off people, till he 
reached a place where he would be safe. 
When young birds are out, but cannot yet 
fly very well, there is much anxiety about them. 
Then, if any one comes around to disturb them, 
what can the poor little mother do? Sometimes 
she makes her young ones hide. Some of the 
birds who live on the ground will give a certain 
cry, when in a second every little one will crouch 
on the ground, or creep under a leaf, and be per- 
fectly still. And thei dark colors look so like 
the earth one can hardly see them. 
Then the mother tries to make one look at 
her by queer antics. She pretends to be hurt, 

