BOY-CHICKADEE. 



I doubt if any one was ever haunted by post. We sat waiting for birds to bathe, 

 a more commonplace object than a fence- but waited in vain. They bathed up- 

 post; yet, terminating a fence that bor- stream and they bathed down-stream, 

 ders a little farm, there is a gray old post We saw them drying their feathers, but 

 which has haunted my imagination for they would not bathe by us. A dripping 

 several years. The fence has long ceased Chickadee flew overhead and sat preen- 

 to fence anything in or out ; the upper- ing his feathers in a sweetgum tree. How 

 most rail is the only one left and that is nearly we had come to seeing that bath ! 

 fastened to my post about five inches from (a thing we had never achieved). In de- 

 the top. Just under the lee of that rail is spair we crossed the road and hid behind 

 a round hole which is rather jagged about the sassafras hedge. Presently some- 

 the lower edge as if gnawed by sharp lit- thing strange passed us and there was 

 tie teeth. Every time I travel that road Dame Chickadee with a very queer bur- 

 I am impelled to stop and put a finger den. Imagine yourself with a mouthful 

 into that hole. I always expect to dis- of excelsior larger than your head, and 

 cover a secret, yet never do. Still, the you will have some idea of her comical 

 post haunts me for once Boy-Chickadee appearance. She peered at us from be- 

 kept house there. hind her treasure first with one eye and 



Boy-Chickadee is one of our smallest then with the other. We were all atten- 

 birds. He wears a dumpy little gray coat tion. A dozen times she darted towards 

 surmounted by a pair of bright black the old fence, but we were too alarming 

 eyes under a velvety black cap. Dear to and she could not make up her mind to 

 the heart of every bird-lover, he is espe- brave us. Each time she retreated to the 

 daily so in winter. It is then that his sweetgum, holding tight to her bundle- 

 crystal pendulum of song swings lightly it might have been a clematis blossom, I 

 to and fro where other bird-song is rare, could not say. It was the first time I 

 It is rather plaintive two minor notes had ever seen a Chickadee look self-con- 

 swing to the left, then two more to the scious. At the same time we saw that 

 right and seems to belong only to frosty Boy-Chickadee had dipped in once more 

 mornings. Boy-Chickadee stays to wish and was dripping wet. It was madden- 

 you "A Merry Christmas" and "A Happy ing. At last she made a wide curve to- 

 New Year," and comes daily to dine on wards us and disappeared. I sprang to 

 sunflower seeds stowed in a large gourd the fence-post and discovered the round 

 for him. I should be ashamed to say how hole, and with an ecstatic catch of the 

 many seeds he consumes at a sitting, or breath I put one finger in. A bunch of 

 flitting better describes it. He flits in indignant feathers hurled itself against 

 for a seed, then out to the apple-tree to my hand and out came the finger and out 

 hammer it, uttering gurgles of content came she and whisked away with such 

 all the while. He spends so much time lightning rapidity that we barely saw her. 

 eating them that I eye my store anxious- The hole was too deep and too well shad- 

 ly wondering if it will hold out under owed to tell us anything more than that 

 such onslaughts. Sometimes he brings it had a secret in its keeping and al- 

 a companion and they take turns going though we should have liked to camp by 

 into the gourd. His British enemies tag the post it was not to be. 

 him enviously and hang about the gourd- At our next visit we found Dame Chick- 

 door ; but it is cut too small for them adee setting and Boy Chickadee feeding 

 and they can only gaze in. It is Boy- her; again, and the post had become a 

 Chickadee's cache. nursery. It seemed too ludicrous that 



In summer time Chickadee deserts us such babes-in-the-woods should ever at- 



and we must seek him in the fields, and tain to the dignity of fatherhood and 



that is how we came to find the fence- motherhood ; but this time neither parent 



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