The Burgess Bird Book for Children 



"If you please," Peter inquired politely, "why 

 do folks call you Wood Pewee ? " 



Pewee chuckled happily. "It must be," said 

 he, "because I am so very fond of the Green 

 Forest. It is so quiet and restful that I love it. 

 Mrs. Pewee and I are very retiring. We do not 

 like too many near neighbors." 



"You won't mind if I come to see you once in a 

 while, will you?" asked Peter as he prepared to 

 start on again for the dear Old Briar-patch. 



"Come as often as you like," replied Pewee. 

 "The oftener the better." 



Back in the Old Briar-patch Peter thought over 

 all he had learned about the Flycatcher family, 

 and as he recalled how they were forever catch- 

 ing all sorts of flying insects it suddenly struck 

 him that they must be very useful little people 

 in helping Old Mother Nature take care of her 

 trees and other growing things which insects so 

 dearly love to destroy. 



But most of all Peter thought about that queer 

 request of Cresty's, and a dozen times that day 

 he found himself peeping under old logs in the 

 hope of finding a cast-off coat of Mr. Black Snake. 

 It was such a funny thing for Cresty to ask for 

 that Peter's curiosity would allow him no peace, 

 and the next morning he was up in the Old Orchard 

 before jolly Mr. Sun had kicked his bedclothes off. 

 [56] 



