WABBLES 



She was of a confiding nature, and in a re- 

 markably short time would take food from my 

 hand. Wabbles and his family lingered about 

 the cabin until the thermometer registered ten 

 above. The fifteenth of March Wabbles re- 

 turned to my dooryard. His wife and family 

 appeared a week later. 



For some reason, known only to bird-life, 

 the male birds of most species return from 

 the south about a week before the females and 

 young birds. 



When the nesting-season approached Wab- 

 bles and his wife located their family in a 

 less wooded growth, on the road to the city. 

 The old birds returned to the dooryard, and 

 Mrs. Wabbles made a nest where a little patch 

 of grass had sprung up between the ledges. 



Wabbles and I, during the summer, re- 

 newed the friendly relations that had existed 

 when he led the life of a bachelor. He would 

 come to me for food at all hours of the day. 

 When I gave him his favorite food, cookie, 

 he would reward me with a song. He would 

 fly to a limb about four feet above my head 

 59 



