A YEAR IN THE FIELDS 



limb within easy reach of my hand, doing 

 the work also in September. But the choice 

 of tree was not a good one ; the limb was 

 too much decayed, and the workman had 

 made the cavity too large ; a chip had come 

 out, making a hole in the outer wall. Then 

 he went a few inches down the limb and be- 

 gan again, and excavated a large, commodi- 

 ous chamber, but had again come too near 

 the surface ; scarcely more than the bark 

 protected him in one place, and the limb 

 was very much weakened. Then he made 

 another attempt still farther down the limb, 

 and drilled in an inch or two, but seemed 

 to change his mind ; the work stopped, and 

 I concluded the bird had wisely abandoned 

 the tree. Passing there one cold, rainy 

 November day, I thrust in my two fingers 

 and was surprised to feel something soft 

 and warm ; as I drew away my hand the 

 bird came out, apparently no more surprised 

 than I was. It had decided, then, to make 

 its home in the old limb ; a decision it had 

 occasion to regret, for not long after, on a 

 stormy night, the branch gave way and fell 

 to the ground : 



" When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, 

 And down will come baby, cradle and all." 

 28 



