A WOOD THRUSH 



small brown wings flapped vigorously. One, 

 stronger than the others, climbed upon the 

 back of a brother and stretched up to his 

 fullest height. He was a wise-looking baby, 

 but gentle, as are all the wood thrushes. 

 When I attempted to capture him, he too 

 took flight. The other two remained in 

 the nest until evening, but at dusk all had 

 flown. For several days we were on the 

 lookout for a solitary thrush with four 

 fledglings in the wood, and after a week I 

 fancied we saw them in the bushes near the 

 slough, about one hundred yards from their 

 old nest. The mother was very busy and 

 very silent, as became a widow with four 

 little ones to care for. How we longed to 

 help her, only those who like to manage 

 other people's babies can understand. 



249 



