How the First Baby Cuckoo 
and hear the little ones stirring inside 
the shells. Soon they poked out the tips 
of their beaks, and presently five naked 
birdlings were nestling under her warm 
feathers. Her husband was busily 
creeping about like a little brown mouse 
in and out of the hedges and bushes 
all around, looking for small caterpillars, 
soft and juicy grubs, and all sorts of 
delicacies fit for baby birds. How they 
did eat, to be sure! Very soon she had 
to go and help him, and it was all they 
could do between them to keep the five 
hungry stomachs satisfied. Their beaks 
seemed to be everlastingly open, and 
they were always clamouring for more 
food. And the hungriest and greediest 
of them all was the one which had been 
hatched out of Mrs. Cuckoo’s egg. He 
was much bigger and stronger than 
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