How the First Baby Cuckoo 
ready.‘ Cuckoo, cuckoo—the summer 
is coming.”’ 
But Mrs. Cuckoo did not appear to be 
very pleased with the idea. She didn’t say 
anything for a time, but went on preen- 
ing her feathers, every now and then 
looking at the reflection of herself in the 
pool to see if her back plumage was 
quite nice and smooth. ‘Then she said, 
with an affected air: ‘ Really, Tam 
surprised that you should expect your 
wife to do anything so vulgar as to set 
up a nest and be bothered with looking 
after a set of noisy, squalling, hungry 
little ones, just like any common sparrow. 
The season is only just beginning, and 
I do not yet feel recovered from our 
journey. Ugh! how cold it was crossing 
those horrid mountains, and how tired I 
was flying over the sea! A little more 
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