FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



A baby thrust its head through its mother's breast feathers 

 edge of the nest and went to sleep" 



d it on the rough 



and where a babel of bird-voices had commingled before that cry, 

 not a sound was heard afterward. Even the Lark hurriedly 

 dropped to earth to become lost in the wheat. 



But Mother Jay bravely remained on her nest, so presently 

 her mate came slipping between the trees and went to her to learn 

 if she were all right. It did not seem possible that the strident rasp 

 of his warning and the tender softly-modulated rejoicing in which 

 he now indulged could have come from the throat of the same 

 bird. His every, action proclaimed that he had come to tell her 

 how he loved her; that she need never have a fear while he was on 

 guard. Surely that was what he told her, though to me it 

 sounded like: " Chinkle-choo, tinkle, tankle, tunkle! Rinkle, 

 rankle, runkle! Tee, chee, twee?" Then he flew to the top of 

 the tallest tree of the orchard to stand guard again. 



Gradually I moved up, until I stood where a tripod should be 

 296 



