6o Birds Every Child Should Know 



marking time, not hopping, sparrow-fashion; 

 and he took very dainty, pretty steps that sug- 

 gested a French dancing master. Occasionally 

 he would scratch the path for insects, like a tiny 

 chicken. Although she had never seen the 

 teacher, and had expected that the loud voice 

 came from a much larger bird, she felt sure that 

 this must be he, so she sat down on a log and 

 watched and waited. Presently she saw him tug 

 at a fine black hair-like root that lay across the 

 path, and, snapping it off, quickly fly away, 

 away — oh, where did he go with it? She ran 

 stumbling after him through the undergrowth 

 to a little clearing. There another bird, just 

 like him, whom she instantly guessed was his 

 mate, flew straight toward her, dropped to the 

 ground, ran about distractedly, dragging one 

 w^ing as if it were broken, and uttering sharp, 

 piteous notes of alarm. The little girl didn't 

 like to distress the birds, of course, but how 

 could she resist the temptation to find their 

 nest? So on she tramped aroimd and around in 

 an ever widening circle, the excited birds still 

 hovering near and sharply scolding her. You 

 may be sure she was quite as excited as they. 



At last, a little dome-shaped moimd of 

 grasses, half hidden among the dry brown oak 

 leaves and wild geranium, gladdened her eyes. 

 R tinning around to the opposite side she knelt 

 down on the grass, peeped imder the arched roof 



