A Tale of Two Martins 
ONCE upon a time there lived two 
martins. Their home was in a pretty 
cottage, all covered with roses and clem- 
atis, which stood in a leafy lane not far 
from a big town. You all know the 
martins, of course, and can tell them 
from the swallows, their cousins. The 
swallows have long  double-pointed 
tails, with red bibs under their chins, 
and glossy purple plumage on the back. 
They make their nests in stables and 
cowsheds, and under bridges and inside 
chimneys, and in such places. These 
nests are cup-shaped, made of mud, and 
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