The Music-makers. 85 



open their eyes to be pleasured, if 

 only they choose to be cheered by 

 the sight and sound of the feathered 

 folk I 



In the days of my childhood, 

 a book entitled " Parables from 

 Nature" was one of my dearest 

 delights. In its pages the dumb 

 creatures, and even things in- 

 animate, were made to talk in 

 fascinating ways, and brought many 

 a lesson home to my heart 



But I am not sure if the meaning 

 of parables should always be written 

 out at length, or that "morals" 

 should always be fastened on to 

 the end of tales. 



Certainly I am not going to write 

 a moral here. The bird-music is 

 quite eloquent enough to speak for 

 itself. And it is so simple, too, 

 that even a child can comprehend 

 its cheeriness, its bravery, and its 

 love. 



So I leave you to listen for your- 



