38 THE FIRST BOOK OF BIRDS 
taught to follow his father in this way. He 
stood on a small tree, crying for something to 
eat, when his father came in sight with a beak- 
ful of food. He did not feed him, but flew 
past him, so close that he almost touched hin, 
and alighted on the next tree, a little beyond 
him. 
The little bluebird saw the food, and at once 
flew after it, perched beside his father, and was 
fed. Then the old bird left him, and in a few 
minutes he felt hungry, and began to call 
again. 
I kept close watch, and soon the father came 
and did the same thing over. He flew past the 
young one with an insect in plain sight in his 
beak, and perched on another tree still farther 
along in the way he wanted the little one to go. 
The hungry baby followed, and was fed as 
before. In this way he was led to a big tree 
the other side of the yard, where the rest of 
the family were, and where they all spent the 
night. 
An old robin wanted to teach her young one 
to bathe. She brought him to a dish of water 
kept for their use by some people who were 
fond of birds. The little one stood on the edge 
and watched his mother go in, and splash and 
scatter the water. He fluttered his wings, and 

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